The Fire King (Dirk & Steele, #9)

Aug 28, 2011 Cecilia Quick rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was my first Marjorie Liu book, and I liked it enough to read more, but not enough to keep. I loved the premise-an ancient tomb is discovered and inside is a chimera, who is still alive after thousands of years. The heroine was unique and fully realized-I liked that she was disfigured, with only one arm, and was more mature and haunted than the average paranormal romance heroine. The hero was intriguing, although more one note than the heroine. The book started off with a bang, and I raced...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Betty-Anne added it

I received Marjorie M. Liu’s The Fire King, her ninth Dirk & Steele novel, as an Advanced Reader’s copy. In general, I am not a romance reader, with the exception of paranormal romance, and even so, there are only two authors I like and whose series I follow. That number has now grown to three.

The Fire King pairs Karr, a three thousand year old shape-shifter with a twist and Soria, a maimed human with an innate gift for languages. What they have in common is a painful past. Karr also has a t...more I received Marjorie M. Liu’s The Fire King, her ninth Dirk & Steele novel, as an Advanced Reader’s copy. In general, I am not a romance reader, with the exception of paranormal romance, and even so, there are only two authors I like and whose series I follow. That number has now grown to three.

The Fire King pairs Karr, a three thousand year old shape-shifter with a twist and Soria, a maimed human with an innate gift for languages. What they have in common is a painful past. Karr also has a threatened future but to even achieve it, he must first discover the secrets of his past. Since Soria answered a friend’s request to try to communicate with Karr, her future becomes linked to his.

At each step of the journey into Karr’s past, the two are forced to throw off very different doubts and suspicions to learn to trust each other if they are to survive the several different groups – shape-shifters aligned with humans, a couple of mercenaries whose alliances are hard to decipher – who are after Karr.

I truly enjoyed this book for several reasons. First of all, Marjorie Liu’s characters are distinctive (with one exception – a supporting character who I so enjoyed, I chose to overlook her derivative nature). Their motivations, actions and responses are credible and described with a clarity that indicates that their author invested much effort in knowing the characters she writes – no cardboard cutouts here.

Also refreshing and unusual for the genre, is that her characters are not so ethereally physically beautiful that they come across as plastic. This extends from her main characters right through to her villains and supporting characters. I was able to see her characters vividly in my mind and this was very much due to the lucidity with which they were drawn.

The background history, along with the nature and origin of the conflict was also credible and well handled. The action was exciting and held my interest. The romantic interaction was developed naturally with the storyline, and there were no gratuitous physical encounters.

On the negative side, I only had an issue with a small action by the heroine that didn’t seem to be logically possible given her limitations.

Overall though, this was a wonderful example of the genre and should be a favorite of readers already acquainted with the series, as well as first time readers.

Of course I now plan to read all of Ms. Liu’s preceding novels, and am very glad that there are so many waiting to be read.(less)

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Jul 29, 2009 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads

A 3000-year-old, hunky shifter and a special woman wounded physically and emotionally make for an engrossing read. "The Fire King" is Marjorie M. Liu's latest in her 'Dirk & Steele' series and I loved it. Each of her books, at least those in this series, dig down behind the differences in her characters whether they're shifter or human and draw on the feelings and emotions that are present in each of them.

Soria is a human with something extra--the ability to understand and speak any languag...more A 3000-year-old, hunky shifter and a special woman wounded physically and emotionally make for an engrossing read. "The Fire King" is Marjorie M. Liu's latest in her 'Dirk & Steele' series and I loved it. Each of her books, at least those in this series, dig down behind the differences in her characters whether they're shifter or human and draw on the feelings and emotions that are present in each of them.

Soria is a human with something extra--the ability to understand and speak any language, as long as she is in the presence of a native speaker of that language. One year ago she suffered a horrible betrayal and lost her right arm. Since then she has barricaded herself in her apartment...until a strange pair bring her a new mission from Dirk & Steele. Imagine her surprise when her new mission turns out to be a 3000-year-old fairy tale...a chimera. The product of two different shifters, something that is supposed to be impossible. Now she and the chimera are on the run and Soria isn't sure who is friend and who is enemy.

Karr was the warlord of the shifters from a time when Egyptians and Hittites ruled. He sacrificed himself to save his people, so what is he doing alive now? And who is this woman who appears to be the only one who can understand and speak with him? Is she enemy? A spy? Again and again she appears to help him during their escape and flight...but the more Karr learns, the more unsure he becomes of who is or should be an enemy.

Liu does a wonderful job of making her paranormal characters human. She brings out their hopes, fears, happiness, and disappointments and I, for one, can't get enough of it. Each of these books can be read as a stand-alone, but each also furthers an overarching storyline that continues to evolve with each novel.

"The Fire King" has action, romance, hot sex, mystery, and magic. The story rolls out as smoothly as my favorite chocolate and the characters become people I want to know more about and want to see happy. My only real beef is that she doesn't write fast enough!
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Feb 02, 2012 Katie Cody rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Strength of a lion, heart of a man

This book is a must have for any shifter lovers bookshelf. This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last. Between the beautiful descriptions of the different places these characters go and the characters themselves this book was impossible to put down.
I really liked how communication both verbally and non verbally played a part in the relationship between Karr and Soria. They are both great characters who share some great c...more

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Aug 24, 2009 Janice (Janicu) rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://janicu.livejournal.com/82189.html

The Premise: The heroine of this story is Soria, a woman with an extraordinary ability to pick up languages. It's always been the case since she was a child, and people call her a prodigy. They don't realize that it's magic, and that the mere presence of a fluent speaker is all she needs. It was a useful gift when she was with the Dirk and Steele agency, but after the loss of her right arm, Soria had a falling out with them and left. Unexpectedly, the agen...more http://janicu.livejournal.com/82189.html

The Premise: The heroine of this story is Soria, a woman with an extraordinary ability to pick up languages. It's always been the case since she was a child, and people call her a prodigy. They don't realize that it's magic, and that the mere presence of a fluent speaker is all she needs. It was a useful gift when she was with the Dirk and Steele agency, but after the loss of her right arm, Soria had a falling out with them and left. Unexpectedly, the agency makes another appearance in her life: they want her to go to China, and speak to Karr, a mysterious shape-shifter who speaks no known language.

This is a Dirk and Steele novel (#9?), but you don't have to read this series in order to enjoy the book. I had only read book 1 before this.

My Thoughts: The first part of the book had me hooked on the characters and wanting to learn their back story. First: a heroine who recently lost her arm?! From what I could tell it happened about a year before this story starts, and Soria's still recovering from it (feeling it's ghost, being aware of people's reactions). I was burning with curiosity about what happened and why Soria blames herself for it. Tantalizing hints were dropped like breadcrumbs, but it wasn't enough to figure out the whole story. I had to wait until Soria told it.

Likewise Karr's story is mysterious as well. How in the world is he alive after three thousand years in a tomb? Then, what is he? At first I thought he was feared because he was so strong and killed a few people when he woke up, but that wasn't the only reason. The cover of the book is a little deceptive - it has a lion on it. I thought he was a lion shapeshifter. Nope, not quite.

The book has a bit of a romantic suspense quality to it mixed with the paranormal elements. Both protagonists are cautious about each other (Friend or foe? Are my instincts right?), but they also have to deal with complex plots surrounding Karr and what people want with him. The romance was about equal to the suspense and action. It progresses at a natural rate, and by the time the two say their "I love yous" it's a given. I thought that although Karr is over 3000 the age difference didn't count because he'd been "dead" most of the time. The romance was nicely paced. Although it did a lot of things I expected, I did like how communication is explored in their relationship.

I'd read the first Dirk and Steele (Tiger Eye) before I had this blog, and in that book, the agency was family-like. In The Fire King, it no longer feels that way. Dirk and Steele suddenly seem more shady and Roland is tight-lipped, nursing his own agenda. It's hard to tell who the good guys are and there are surprises about who is after Karr. Then of course there are the very enigmatic side characters (I think that they may be reoccurring ones, but not sure). Mercenaries Serena, Robert and Ku Ku (Gogo Yubari's twin) make appearances. As does a character who appeared in Tiger Eye.

The plot was complex enough for me to like it. There were some not quite black or white parts to the characters and some surprises. By the end of the book things made sense, but I had to think it over a bit, which isn't a bad thing. On the other hand, I felt like I'd wake up in the middle of the night saying "a-ha a plot hole!", because I had a nagging feeling at the end of the book, but it's been a few days and that didn't happen yet. There very minor things like how Soria could make braids with one hand or how Karr and Soria's mental connection worked, but not enough to really bug me while I read. I guess the biggest problem I had was that the protagonists kept getting helped out by others. I would have like to see more of them working together to get out of jams, because I liked seeing them interact.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the setting - in northern China and Mongolia. The non-American setting, where the reader is really aware of life in another country, not just aware the book is set there and nothing else, is refreshing. I particularly enjoyed reading about the ger of the Bhatukhan people (I wanted to sleep in one!)

Overall: I like the writing style, the setting, the characters. The romance progressed at a nice pace, and although it goes through some familiar phases, their bond of communication was intriguing. I had only minor quibbles on the plot (see above). I don't read as much paranormal romance as I do urban fantasy, so my reading in this genre is limited, but I thought this one was well-done. (less)

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Jun 07, 2011 Kim~Fantasy~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok this one took a bit of a turn, but it was brilliant...I never could quite figure out where each character stood! I loved Soria, and I felt so bad for Eddie when she first saw him again! I love Eddies character and I can't wait till he finds a good girl to compliment him in every way! I am dissapointed in Roland, I understand the whys, but still I was dissapointed by him. Karr was a great new addition, although the lengths that they were hunted was impressive. I could not believe all the switc...more

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May 26, 2010 Heather in FL rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: elements-paranormal-fantasy

I enjoyed this book. I originally got it because I wanted to try out checking out ebooks from my library through Overdrive. They don't have a huge selection of paranormal ebooks, but this one looked interesting so I tried it. And I'm glad I did, because I'm not sure it's an author I would have gotten to soon.

If there's one complaint I have, it's that there wasn't enough romance scenes between Soria and Karr, but each author/series has its own level of that, so it's forgivable. :-) But their buil...more

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May 09, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-for-night-owl-romance

Marjorie M. Liu has penned another gripping novel of extraordinary characters with a thrilling plot that will have the reader entrenched within the danger and the heart-wrenching emotions. Karr is noble, fierce and protective of all he considers his, but an old war between his kind has left him distrustful and angry. Soria is a woman left feeling unwhole and shies away from most human contact. Their battered hearts will touch the heart of the reader and forever leave their mark as these two trav...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-paranormal, vaginal-urban-fantasy

This was the first Dirk and Steele book I've read, and I think my experience suffers for not having read the previous 10 books, lol. I really REALLY was attracted to this book because the main character is a one-armed woman, which I thought was so weird, but, in the hands of the author, was so lovingly handled as not to be a joke. I really loved that part of the book, and the relationship between the two main characters. I guess the plot was just a bit too thin to support it, not a lot seemed to...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-owned, genre-romance-paranormal, review-blog

This is the second Dirk and Steele novel I've read after the newest book, In the Dark of Dreams (yes I did things out of order). Liu doesn't write easy stories, and by that I mean her books more often then not will have both the hero and heroine face tremendous odds. Odds that most people would find unimaginable; The Fire King is no different. Karr faces the fact that he wakes up thousands of years after he thought he had died, in a world that is in stark contrast to what he knew, but still mana...more

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Feb 28, 2010 Siria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 21st-century, american-fiction, by-poc, fantasy, romance

I enjoyed this one much more than the previous installment in the series, The Wild Road, mostly because of the heroine. Soria is a former agent of the Dirk and Steele detective agency, someone who can understand and speak any living language (most awesome superpower ever, y/y? She says as a medievalist who struggles with Latin), who left the agency after suffering a disabling injury.

While this book has the same flaws as Liu's other books (her prose never rises above the serviceable; some of the...more

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May 18, 2012 Starfire rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural-chick-pr0n, 8-5-10

Another stunning PNR from Marjorie Liu - not a heavily plot-based (although there's a fair amount of background story that develops over the course of the book)

But it's the depth of the characterization that works for me. Both Karr and Soria drew me in and kept me wanting to know what happened next. Partly it was the competence pr0n, partly it was how broken they both were, and partly it was the skillful writing in showing what they were feeling and thinking.

My one niggle is that Ms Liu's charac...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Yvonne Boag rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural

Soria can understand languages, any language on earth as soon as someone starts speaking to her. This is why she is chosen to meet an ancient warrior that was entombed thousands of years ago but somehow is still alive. Karr doesn't know why he is alive, he doesn't know if he is the last of his kind. They are both on the run and they need to learn how to trust each other if they are going to survive.

I hadn't read any other books in this series but I was pleasantly surprised. Liu has a real gift f...more

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Aug 23, 2009 Jess (The Cozy Reader) Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ballsy-award, reviewed

Plot: 4

Setting: 5

Writing: 5

Originality: 5

Characters: 5

Passion: 4

Overall: 28/30 = 93%

Cover/Title Bonus: 5

Dorchester Pub sent this wonderful book to me to review a few weeks ago.

Summary (author’s website):

Long ago, shape-shifters were plentiful, soaring through the sky as crows, racing across African veldts as cheetahs, raging furious as dragons atop the Himalayas. Like gods, they reigned supreme. But even gods have laws, and those laws, when broken, destroy.

Zoufalství. Epätoivo. Asa. Three word...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Lover of Romance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal, shifter-romance

Soria is a member of the Dirk and Steele, have special gifts of her own. Although she isn't a shape-shifter, she can understand any language on earth. So when the leader of Dirk and Steele, asks her help them with a problem that only she can assist with. Soria is however very reluctant to do so, because a year previous she lost her right arm, and has had a difficult road since then. However when she meets a creature unlike anything she has ever met, she is intrigued and acts out of character, ev...more Soria is a member of the Dirk and Steele, have special gifts of her own. Although she isn't a shape-shifter, she can understand any language on earth. So when the leader of Dirk and Steele, asks her help them with a problem that only she can assist with. Soria is however very reluctant to do so, because a year previous she lost her right arm, and has had a difficult road since then. However when she meets a creature unlike anything she has ever met, she is intrigued and acts out of character, even for her. Karr, having been awoken from the ground from three thousand years, he is furious that he is chained to the floor. Karr is a mix breed of shifters, half lion and half bird, is unlike any of them have ever seen. Since he is the epitome of the impossible. But Karr is far from the last of his people, having been the leader of all those that were mixed shifters, he vowed to protect them at all costs. Then he meets with Soria who is the most captivating woman he has ever met. Even though he has a rage within him, he knows that he could never hurt her no matter the circumstance. The Fire King is a searching journey for both Karr and Soria where they search for the truth and also share a precious love that they both would fight for.

This is the last one of the Dirk & Steele series that is out, and the only one that I hadn't read, and I am so glad that I have. Its definitely one of my favorites of this series. Both Karr and Soria are powerful enigmatic characters where I endeared myself to them. Karr has only known of killing and rejected and pain in his life. Then he meets up with someone that embraces him fully as he is, never judging and always having trust in him. Never has he known anyone to have such complete faith in one as him, not feeling as deserving of it, even though he does. Soria is a young woman that was powerful and able in her own right before the incident that changed her life forever. Having lost her dependent arm, she struggles more than anything trying to adjust to this new life. However when she is summoned once more, she wants to escape from it, but she learns that you can never escape fate. After she meets with Karr, she knows that no one should be chained as he, even if he is dangerous. So they help each other, learning to live and trust once more and in each other. This is a powerful story that brought a tear to my eye a time or two. Marjorie M Liu portrays their emotions so well, its such a enthralling read. Definitely one I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a good romance mixed with some paranormal.
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Feb 19, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-challenge-clear-out-the-tbr, read-2012, bad-childhood, china, contemporary, curse, dragons, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, halfbreed, magic-mystical-ability, mongolia, on-the-run, romance, series, were-shifter

Throughout the series there has been a creeping foreboding about Dirk & Steele. In the beginning they seemed like 100% pure, upstanding good guys, but as each book adds to the series, we, along with some of the characters, start to question the people behind the organization. Another layer is added to that here.

After a unique gravesite is uncovered, Karr comes to the attention of the Dirk & Steele organization. He is taken and held by some of the employees while the boss, Roland, contac...more Throughout the series there has been a creeping foreboding about Dirk & Steele. In the beginning they seemed like 100% pure, upstanding good guys, but as each book adds to the series, we, along with some of the characters, start to question the people behind the organization. Another layer is added to that here.

After a unique gravesite is uncovered, Karr comes to the attention of the Dirk & Steele organization. He is taken and held by some of the employees while the boss, Roland, contacts Soria, a prior member, hoping that she’ll agree to help them again. Soria lost an arm and her faith in the organization she worked for, and retreated from the world. She’s still struggling to come to terms with the loss of her arm and finds herself occasionally frustrated and angry with the world. When Roland contacts her Soria doesn’t want to have anything to do with the assignment, but given that her ability to understand and speak any language is pretty unique, she reluctantly agrees. She never expected to find a man like Karr, a Chimera who speaks a language that she has never heard before, and one who everyone says is a killer. An attack leads Soria to take a leap of faith and release him, and together they go on the run, trying to work their way back to safety.

Karr and Soria are both broken souls. Karr wakes up, still alive, a thousand years after he sacrificed himself to atone for a wrongdoing. He is completely alone in the world and is further isolated by his inability to communicate with the world. It has been so long since his language was spoken that there aren’t even any derivatives of it so he could at least be partially understood. That kind of isolation is not something that most people consider in depth in a day to day setting, so seeing how much of a detriment that kind of isolation is was a bit of a revelation for me. Soria struggles to accept the way people now see her and to let go of the bitterness she feels toward Roland, her ex, for his unwillingness to face his fears and be there for her when she needed it. Neither of them are looking for love, but they can’t resist as they slowly come to respect, and then care for, each other.

I really liked that Liu took the leap into exploring what would happen if two shifters bred with each other. Unfortunately, things were not pleasant for their children, the Chimera. They had to deal with dueling instincts and some of them went mad or suffered from rages where they lost all control and became violent. They weren’t all like that, but the less controlled Chimera convinced the shifters that they were a danger. When Karr was first alive his people warred with the shifters. They wanted to wipe out their mistakes and were convinced that they were doing what was right when they hunted down and killed every Chimera they could get their hands on. It was nothing to them to kill the child before it could become old enough to be a threat. In addition to that, the shifters who dared to break the rules and mate were severely punished by their own people. Karr is shocked to find that most of the shifters Soria knows didn’t know about the past existence of the Chimera. As far as they’re concerned, it’s forbidden to mix their species because the child won’t survive. Who would want to risk that? But some people have long memories and Karr is hunted once again.

Although this romance didn’t have intensity to it, it did have a lovely sweetness that both Karr and Soria needed. Because they were on the run and not around other people very often, we got an excellent focus on them and their building connection. I liked watching Karr work through his past regrets and struggle to come to terms with the modern world. He is completely reliant on Soria and although I initially feared that it would make the relationship feel forced, it didn’t. They both learn to lean on each other and start to heal their past hurts. Although their future won’t be easy or perfect, we know that they’ll have each other.

I really liked that Liu brought Eddie back into play and gave us an update on how he’s doing. Not well, really, but he cared enough about Soria to make the effort. We also got to see more of Koni, Robert, and the quite frightening Ku Ku. I loved getting more information on Roland, although I was somehow shocked to learn that he had been in a relationship with someone. The truth about the treatment of the Chimera added a frightening grimness to the supernatural world that Liu has created. I guess all of the groups have a thread of darkness in them somewhere.

Favorite Quote(s):

"Would you rather learn from me, or on your own?"

"If I chose the latter? Would you accept that?"

"Yes. I would call you stupid, but everyone has a right to be an idiot."

"My dear lady. I am a professional." He held up his cell phone. "I called ahead. We have an appointment. Though, if behaving in a law-abiding and civilized fashion is too much of an affront, I'm sure Ku-Ku would be more than happy to kick in the door and make Mr. Mulaney her bitch."

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Nov 17, 2010 Lauren Willshire rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, owned

Because of its various animalistic and X-Men spin off characters The Fire King really captured my interest and in the end surprised me. The beginning was rather slow which is part of the reason it did not get the fifth star. It took me a while to get to a part that I could really sink my teeth into and it seemed as though the characters were not having very much of a connection till around the last half of the book. Character growth was fairly good for the most part I think pretty much every cha...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Alina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-uf-fantasy

This is BY FAR my favorite novel in the series.

I was originally introduced to this author when I read a novella called "A Dream of Stone&Shadows" which was part of the Dark Dreamers anthology. It was such an original and fresh paranormal romance (at least to my eyes), that I couldn't resist looking for other books by Miss Liu. After having read A Taste of Crimson, she became an auto-buy. I have read all the Dirk&Steele novels - and even though not all of them have been as good A Dream o...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, 8, ebooks, paranormal, romance

I haven't been in the mood for romance lately, or at least, not the genre version, but I wanted something different as a break from The Curse of the Mistwraith and this is the one that caught my eye.

I've been reading Marjorie M. Liu's Dirk and Steele series from the beginning, but I was starting to lose track of what had gone before and who was who, so I didn't immediately buy this one when it came out. Then I discovered that it, and all the previous books, were finally available as ebooks. That...more

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Feb 02, 2010 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this series primarily because Marjorie Liu creates strong women characters and wounded heroes (and heroines). I always enjoy how the two main characters learn to like and respect each other and learn to work together. It makes the love story so much more believable. I did like the agency being more close-knit than it has in the past few books and hope that eventually Marjorie rewards us with strong reasons that make sense within the context of the series. Overall, another solid romance fr...more

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Jul 27, 2010 Mfred rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, romance-paranormal

Oh man, Marjorie Liu, do you give good angst.

Soria lost her arm. Karr rose from the dead, thousands of years too late. Now the two find themselves in the middle of the Gobi Desert, embroiled in something large and dangerous. They can't quite trust each other but they're only safe together.

And the pain! The emotional turmoil! The loneliness, and the rage and the fear and the wanting... the desperate wanting! I could eat this novel with a spoon.

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Feb 08, 2010 Kimchi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adultshelf, mordern, paranormalromance

I think the characters are great!! I really love Karr and all his manliness.... yum I love how the story is evolving and would recommend it to everyone even though i haven't finished it yet. Hopefully the end is just as good as the beginning, middle ect

Today I finished this book, I must say it was great. I liked it from the beginning till the end mostly you get books that start off great then you get to the end and it lets you down. This one didn't. I didnt want to put it down. I haven't felt t...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance, fiction, urban, dropbox

I love that in a book with three thousand year old shape shifters and psychic translators, the only moment that broke my suspension of disbelief was "Oh, sure, he cuffed her at wrist and upper arm? On the same arm?! The amazing redundant serial killer!". The old dragon is really getting on my nerves, though things turn out better in this book than expected. Also didn't expect Roland to turn up as an ex boyfriend. I wonder if he will ever get a HEA?

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Oct 15, 2011 Vanessa Jaye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Really liked so much about this-- the premise, the setting, the world-world building, the characters (personalities & motivations) and their interactions. I enjoyed the progression of how the H/h slowly grew to trust, know and love each other--some really nice *quiet* or *emotional* moments of awareness done on this aspect. Great pacing and skilled use of language. But ultimately I wasn't as emotionally vested as I wanted to be, not sure why.

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Apr 30, 2011 Mina Khan rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very good book with several surprises.

1. The heroine is older, wiser, with more life experience than your average PR heroine. Also, she is dealing with the loss of an arm.

2. Ms. Liu tackles the issue of what could happen if two different shapeshifters fell in love. Something I haven't seen tackled in too many places.

3. It has dragons,lions, crows...and hunky men! :)

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Sep 15, 2012 Izzy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Didn't think the main characters had any chemistry at all.
Although I prefer to read things in order, I picked this up from the library and thought that I should give it a go. Having to base the series on this book, I don't think I would read any more. It was very weak and as I said, the hero and heroine didn't 'click' with me.

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Feb 05, 2010 Charlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marjorie Liu and Elizabeth Bear both write such gorgeous prose that I would read them even if they didn't do plot and character as if they'd invented the concepts. Liu is true to form here in this installment in the Dirk & Steele series. Lots of surprises in the series storyline and a gutsy romance. Excellent way to spend an afternoon.

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Feb 14, 2013 Lyndi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Can't figure out why the story was named "The Fire King" but whatevs. This was the first story featuring an amputee that didn't bother me into DNFing it.

But I still don't know how I feel about it beyond the fact that I quite liked the story by the time I got to the end.

And boom goes the dynamite.

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Oct 18, 2010 Kathy Davie added it

Shelves: action, paranormal, romance

I still don't see how the title fits the story although I did enjoy it. It's that combination of history, action, mystery, and romance... Some disturbing facts about Long Nu and Roland come to light. Roland especially is a downer. There's an echo of Tiger Eye about this story.

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Jan 10, 2010 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

It was a good book and an easy read. Had some fun twists. I must say that I found this in the sci-fi/fantasy section of the library and wasn't quite expecting the Romance Novel formula that was used.

I would have appreciated it much more if all of the surprise yearnings were not there. In my opinion it weakened the book.

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The Fire King (Dirk & Steele #9)

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The Fire King (Dirk & Steele #9)

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