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133rd out of 395 books
—
2,078 voters
Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits (Tales of Elemental Spirits )
5 tales set from prehistoric to present, market to dragon academy.
1 First Flight - a boy and pet unexpectedly ride a dragon
2 Hellhound - stars a mysterious dog in a graveyard showdown
3 Fireworm - a young man must defend his clan from a creature
4 Salamander Man - a slave saves his village with a fiery spell
5 Phoenix - a girl's new friend is older than he appears
1 First Flight - a boy and pet unexpectedly ride a dragon
2 Hellhound - stars a mysterious dog in a graveyard showdown
3 Fireworm - a young man must defend his clan from a creature
4 Salamander Man - a slave saves his village with a fiery spell
5 Phoenix - a girl's new friend is older than he appears
Hardcover, Juvenile, 297 pages
Published
October 29th 2009
by Putnam
(first published July 21st 2009)
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The short version is: I liked the McKinley stories best, and I'm afraid it shows-off my favoritism. I borrowed this book from the library and was so impatient to begin reading it that I only made it as far as the relative privacy of my parked car before opening it up and plunging in.
I started with the first McKinley story, of course.
I started with the first McKinley story, of course.
...more
Hellhound — a horsey tale; and fabulous. If McKinley has a single curse it is in writing works that make me long to know what happens after the pages stop. To which
Synopsis
A collection of short stories based around the magical element of Fire. A companion novel to Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits.
Review
I should start with the fact that I fell in love with Robin McKinley's writing when I was first given her Blue Sword novels in 7th grade. This compilation is no exception, though my problem with her short stories is that I never want them to end... I also enjoyed Peter Dickinson's stories, though I've never read a full novel written by him.
Here are my thoug...more
A collection of short stories based around the magical element of Fire. A companion novel to Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits.
Review
I should start with the fact that I fell in love with Robin McKinley's writing when I was first given her Blue Sword novels in 7th grade. This compilation is no exception, though my problem with her short stories is that I never want them to end... I also enjoyed Peter Dickinson's stories, though I've never read a full novel written by him.
Here are my thoug...more
Five short stories dealing with creatures of fire written by Robin McKinley or Peter Dickinson.
Phoenix - Interesting story, but the telling seemed rough. I had a hard time flowing through it smoothly.
Hellhound - All of the "background" you have to pick up as the story goes along, but it would have been too long if it hadn't been that way. There is still some things I'd like to understand, but I doubt there will be any sequels.
Fireworm - Very strange story. I enjoyed it for it's unusual elemental...more
Phoenix - Interesting story, but the telling seemed rough. I had a hard time flowing through it smoothly.
Hellhound - All of the "background" you have to pick up as the story goes along, but it would have been too long if it hadn't been that way. There is still some things I'd like to understand, but I doubt there will be any sequels.
Fireworm - Very strange story. I enjoyed it for it's unusual elemental...more
My love affair with Robin McKinley's novels began a number of years ago, and continues through her latest publication, a collection of short stories by McKinley and her husband Peter Dickinson.
Have I mentioned that I'm definitely not in love with Peter Dickinson?
Fire contains five short stories - two of which are McKinley's. We shall ignore the three written by Dickenson in this review. Suffice it to say they are vastly inferior.
"Hellhound" is the story of a young woman who adopts a red-eyed...more
Have I mentioned that I'm definitely not in love with Peter Dickinson?
Fire contains five short stories - two of which are McKinley's. We shall ignore the three written by Dickenson in this review. Suffice it to say they are vastly inferior.
"Hellhound" is the story of a young woman who adopts a red-eyed...more
I definitely think this duo did a lot better on Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits, but I also hope this means we'll see more elements in this series. I almost always prefer McKinley's contribution over Dickinson, but that is why I picked up these books in the first place. There are some good ones in here, but also, I'm not sure if the young adult audience is what they're going for. I marked it as such, but I definitely think there are older themes and pieces of the stories although they all feat...more
I really enjoy the occasional book of short stories. I've read several others Robin McKinley has written and I have to say I liked most of those better then this one. To be fair I will go through and give a quick rating of each story.
Phoenix - 3.5 I liked Dave a lot. The Phoenix was cool and the concept got my imagination going. I kind of felt like the ending was rushed though.
Hellhound - 4 robin McKinley writes horses and animals in general very well. She is good at giving them personality. Thi...more
Phoenix - 3.5 I liked Dave a lot. The Phoenix was cool and the concept got my imagination going. I kind of felt like the ending was rushed though.
Hellhound - 4 robin McKinley writes horses and animals in general very well. She is good at giving them personality. Thi...more
This is a companion booked to Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits- a book I loved to bits because it contains one of my favourite fantasy elements: mermaids. Fire isn't really my go-to fantasy element, but hey, I'm not one to turn down a new prospect.
My favourite story in this collection would be Hellhound, a story of a horse farm and the spooky graveyard just beyond. I felt far more connected to the characters in this story, and it had a clear cut beginning, middle and end- something I felt got a...more
My favourite story in this collection would be Hellhound, a story of a horse farm and the spooky graveyard just beyond. I felt far more connected to the characters in this story, and it had a clear cut beginning, middle and end- something I felt got a...more
I don't remember Water having such a marked contrast between the Peter Dickinson and Robin McKinley stories. In fact, I don't even remember noticing which stories belonged to which author. But in this book, I sure noticed. The first Dickinson story, "Phoenix," was wonderful. Very well told and absorbing. However, the next Dickinson story "Fireworm," bored me so much I skimmed. And, to be honest, I was so dispirited that after the first few snoozy paragraphs of "Salamander Man," I skipped straigh...more
This is a fairly strong young adult fantasy collection. Even though none of the stories is perfect, each one is engagingly written and features a different creature of fire.
The first, by Peter Dickinson and about the phoenix, is marred by sudden shifts in perspective that feel too rough for the gentleness of the story; however, it features some of the most beautiful imagery of the collection and is one of the more unique premises.
The second, by Robin McKinley and about a hellhound, is very much...more
The first, by Peter Dickinson and about the phoenix, is marred by sudden shifts in perspective that feel too rough for the gentleness of the story; however, it features some of the most beautiful imagery of the collection and is one of the more unique premises.
The second, by Robin McKinley and about a hellhound, is very much...more
When will Robin McKinley stop whiling away her time on these side projects and go back to writing Damar stories? Or a sequel to "Sunshine"? Or finish the sequel to "Pegasus"?
This is the question I keep asking myself whenever I see that there’s a new YA novel or a short story compilation being released. I first read “The Hero and the Crown” many many years ago, followed by “The Blue Sword,” “Beauty,” “Deerskin” (imo, her very best work), “Sunshine” and all the others, even the one-shot YA novels....more
This is the question I keep asking myself whenever I see that there’s a new YA novel or a short story compilation being released. I first read “The Hero and the Crown” many many years ago, followed by “The Blue Sword,” “Beauty,” “Deerskin” (imo, her very best work), “Sunshine” and all the others, even the one-shot YA novels....more
So, it was good. Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed the two McKinley stories more than the three Dickinson ones, but it was a good book all the way. Of the five stories, I particularly liked the concepts of a hellhound trying to act like a regular dog, and the Phoenix accidently (re)born in the forests of England. I wouldn't be surprised to read a full-length book version of the last short story that McKinley put in. It had a lot of Dragonriders to it, but went in ways I wanted it to go.
McKinley's favori...more
McKinley's favori...more
I'm not a huge fan of short stories; when I read one I really like, I'm always disappointed that it's finished so quickly. I generally only read short stories by my favorite authors. When McKinley and Dickenson began this husband/wife collaboration, I was quite excited by the idea. Their first book in the series, Water had some stories I liked, but none that I really loved. This second book took a long time to come out because McKinley's short stories kept morphing into novels (Sunshine, Dragonh...more
OK, so first the transparency: short stories are generally not my favorite things, but I absolutely love these authors.
Peter Dickenson wrote 3 stories:
-Phoenix
-Fireworm
-Salamander Man
Robin McKinley wrote 2:
-Hellhound
-First Flight (really a novella)
I generally preferred McKinley's stories to Dickenson's (though I enjoyed them all). I just tend to prefer her writing style, which is a little more realistic, than Dikenson's, which I would describe as more etherial or mysterious. Personal preference....more
Peter Dickenson wrote 3 stories:
-Phoenix
-Fireworm
-Salamander Man
Robin McKinley wrote 2:
-Hellhound
-First Flight (really a novella)
I generally preferred McKinley's stories to Dickenson's (though I enjoyed them all). I just tend to prefer her writing style, which is a little more realistic, than Dikenson's, which I would describe as more etherial or mysterious. Personal preference....more
by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson
Previously reviewed: Water
This is going to get really confusing, because I also have Kristin Cashore's Fire out at the moment (just haven't gotten around to reading it). SIGH.
Overall, I thought this was a strong collection, maybe more so than Water. I always knew whose story I was reading, which isn't a bad thing--obviously both McKinley and Dickinson have distinct voices--especially since the overall focus of the collection is tight enough to give some sen...more
Previously reviewed: Water
This is going to get really confusing, because I also have Kristin Cashore's Fire out at the moment (just haven't gotten around to reading it). SIGH.
Overall, I thought this was a strong collection, maybe more so than Water. I always knew whose story I was reading, which isn't a bad thing--obviously both McKinley and Dickinson have distinct voices--especially since the overall focus of the collection is tight enough to give some sen...more
Aug 05, 2011
Anna
added it
An excellent collection of short stories that stir the imagination. Opening the book was to feel a sensation of pure delight at being lost in such a magical place, and the theme of fire is so well articulated that you can *feel* the heat rising from the pages. Of the five stories found herein, my favourites were "Pheonix" by Peter Dickinson, amd "Hellhound" & "First Flight" by Robin McKinley. One reason I really enjoyed this last one is because the hero doesn't know he's the hero, and he doe...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Written in tandem by husband/wife team Peter Dickinson and Robin McKinley, this is an engaging series of fantasy tales. I've always liked both authors, but am a little dismayed by the merging of styles. McKinley seems to have lost the sense of humor that was so engaging in Beauty, and Dickinson has lost much of the dark sarcasm in his suspense. But the imagery, sense of place, and sheer storytelling abilities remain strong. And I'm a sucker for anything that involves dragons and magic. The pseud...more
Robin McKinley's books often have an elemental theme, and this is a collection of fire elemental inspired short stories by her and her husband, author Peter Dickenson.
My favorites are by McKinley. Hellhound tells of a young woman who adopts a dog from the shelter. The dog is unusual looking - she calls him her hellhound. McKinley's animals are always more than animals, but never made out to be human. First Flight is about dragons, the good kind - it is a far better story than her book Dragonhav...more
My favorites are by McKinley. Hellhound tells of a young woman who adopts a dog from the shelter. The dog is unusual looking - she calls him her hellhound. McKinley's animals are always more than animals, but never made out to be human. First Flight is about dragons, the good kind - it is a far better story than her book Dragonhav...more
I don't usually comment on books until I'm done reading them, but I want to capture my thoughts right now. At first I was disappointed that Robin McKinley had only two stories in this collection, while her husband, Peter Dickinson, had three. Then I realized that "First Flight," the concluding piece, is over 100 pages long--a novella, really! Dickinson's stories are good; he is a skillful, well-respected writer. McKinley's voice, however, is something special. La mia cantante, to paraphrase Aro....more
This is a wonderful collection of short stories! I'm not overly familiar with elemental myths surrounding fire, but these were intriguing and well written. I enjoyed reading them all a lot, but a particular favorite was Robin McKinley's final short story about Dragons "First Flight". I think it's last because it dominates the other short stories that come before it. That said, I did enjoy the oddity of "Salamander Man" and the awe inspiring qualities of any Phoenix in "Phoenix".
I would recommen...more
I would recommen...more
I love Robin McKinley...
But.
She doesn't always make it easy to like her. I like her distinctive writing style--compound sentences and sentence fragments and long, parenthetical digressions and weird metaphors that don't really make a whole lot of sense included--BUT... sometimes she really overdoes it. There are stretches where every sentence is interrupted with a quantification or a side thought or SOMETHING and it gets exhausting trying to remember what the original thread was.
After whining ab...more
But.
She doesn't always make it easy to like her. I like her distinctive writing style--compound sentences and sentence fragments and long, parenthetical digressions and weird metaphors that don't really make a whole lot of sense included--BUT... sometimes she really overdoes it. There are stretches where every sentence is interrupted with a quantification or a side thought or SOMETHING and it gets exhausting trying to remember what the original thread was.
After whining ab...more
It is unfortunate that Peter Dickinson (the one who isn't Robin McKinley) contributed three of the book's five stories, because the disparity between his stories and McKinley's is very obvious. The contributions from the one who isn't Robin McKinley were disjointed, lacking in action or characterisation, and generally a waste of approximately half the book. Reading his pieces, particularly "Fireworm" felt like a real chore. Before I reached the halfway point of this anthology I was unsurprised t...more
A book containing five short stories by two authors, McKinley & Dickinson. It is McKinley's stories that shine brighter here - "Phoenix" and "First Flight" being the two super star tales with good characters, a good plot and solid storytelling. "Hellhound" was... cute. Definitely nothing more than a short story there, whereas "Phoenix" was a perfect short story and "First Flight" could branch off into its own series.
Dickinson's two stories reminded me more of the kind of story-telling done b...more
Dickinson's two stories reminded me more of the kind of story-telling done b...more
Phoenix
An interesting twist to a very famous fire elemental. I wasn't expecting most of the story to be told from Dave's point of view, but that made sense since he's the one getting younger. I'm still confused about how the ritual works. Does Welly get younger now? In any case, cool twist, a tad sad. Tastes and smells of pine and fireworks smoke, and shiny light. 4.5/5
Hellhound
It was cute, but I'm not quite sure how the hellhound was a hellhound, other than the creepy red eyes and ability to se...more
An interesting twist to a very famous fire elemental. I wasn't expecting most of the story to be told from Dave's point of view, but that made sense since he's the one getting younger. I'm still confused about how the ritual works. Does Welly get younger now? In any case, cool twist, a tad sad. Tastes and smells of pine and fireworks smoke, and shiny light. 4.5/5
Hellhound
It was cute, but I'm not quite sure how the hellhound was a hellhound, other than the creepy red eyes and ability to se...more
This collection is really solid. All the stories were good to great and felt like whole stories. It’s hard to find short stories that are this good, especially fantasy.
Phoenix (Dickinson) – A story of immortality. It made me want to keep a baby phoenix in my fireplace a la the fire-demon in Howl’s Moving Castle. I did think the love story is a bit creepy – like in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the lovers age in opposite directions. Isn’t it a bit gross that your husband becomes a child an...more
Phoenix (Dickinson) – A story of immortality. It made me want to keep a baby phoenix in my fireplace a la the fire-demon in Howl’s Moving Castle. I did think the love story is a bit creepy – like in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the lovers age in opposite directions. Isn’t it a bit gross that your husband becomes a child an...more
This was a collection of five stories--three by Peter Dickinson, two by Robin McKinley. I mainly like the McKinley stories, but she and Dickinson are working through the elements together (they've already done water) and I try to read the Dickinson stories, too, to be polite and all. Robin McKinley's two stories were "Hellhound" and "First Flight."
"Hellhound"
I liked this one because it was very homey, but just a little creepy so that reading it in a dark house at night was kind of fun and kind o...more
"Hellhound"
I liked this one because it was very homey, but just a little creepy so that reading it in a dark house at night was kind of fun and kind o...more
I don't normally love short stories, but I make an exception for this book as well as the one that came first, Water. I love Robin McKinley, and have ever since my friend bribed me to read The Hero and the Crown in 8th grade. I've not read a complete novel by Peter Dickinson yet, but he is high on my very large to-read list. Reading this collection of short stories makes me want to move him higher up the list. The stories contained in this book are not really fairy tales, but several of them hav...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Admittedly, I only planned on reading the Robin McKinley stories. I did read Phoenix and realized I don't love Peter Dickinson as much, so *then* only read her stories.
Hellhound
I don't know what to say except that it's, rather surprisingly, classic Robin McKinley and that's why I liked it. It's a little bit deprecating and a little bit complicated. I enjoyed the horses and the dogs even before the plot really got rolling. And I don't enjoy dogs, but I liked Flame. I was quickly immersed in the s...more
Hellhound
I don't know what to say except that it's, rather surprisingly, classic Robin McKinley and that's why I liked it. It's a little bit deprecating and a little bit complicated. I enjoyed the horses and the dogs even before the plot really got rolling. And I don't enjoy dogs, but I liked Flame. I was quickly immersed in the s...more
This is a wonderful collection of short stories! I'm not overly familiar with elemental myths surrounding fire, but these were intriguing and well written. I enjoyed reading them all a lot, but a particular favorite was Robin McKinley's final short story about Dragons "First Flight". I think it's last because it dominates the other short stories that come before it. That said, I did enjoy the oddity of "Salamander Man" and the awe inspiring qualities of any Phoenix in "Phoenix".
I would recommend...more
I would recommend...more
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| Did anyone else think this book was a bit odd? | 2 | 6 | Apr 25, 2012 03:07am |
Born in her mother's hometown of Warren, Ohio, Robin McKinley grew up an only child with a father in the United States Navy. She moved around frequently as a child and read copiously; she credits this background with the inspiration for her stories.
Her passion for reading was one of the most constant things in her childhood, so she began to remember events, places, and time periods by what books...more
More about Robin McKinley...
Her passion for reading was one of the most constant things in her childhood, so she began to remember events, places, and time periods by what books...more
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“Balthazar was disappointed by all the walking, but he was accustomed to such disappointment.
-Hellhound”
—
4 people liked it
More quotes…
-Hellhound”
Jan 25, 2011 02:28pm