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Sep 07, 2011

Kati rated it:

What a great book. It had me on the edge of my seat more than once. Fast paced action, original plot and interesting characters, spells and werewolves, shoot-outs and strange supernatural forms... Though I did feel like I was missing a prequel to this story, there was much hinted at and never explained. Hopefully, Connolly will rectify that in the next book in his series. I'll be definitely buying it!

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Sep 15, 2011

Chance rated it:

After the first couple of scenes I nearly put the book away thinking it would be senseless schlock. That may sound a bit cruel, but really - a child bursting into flames, and worms, and a fight with a couple in a station wagon, with a baby in the back, may foreshadow an action-packed story, but I was in the mood for something more interesting.

Needless to say, thankfully, I kept reading. 4.5 stars. Ray, the main character turns out to be quite introspective, and funny as hell. He is th More...

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Aug 04, 2009

Amanda rated it:

I am a Romance Novel reader, I love the mushy, gushy, touchy, lovey stuff, which none of this is included in the book. This book had me running around like a chicken with my head cut off for the fist hundred pages, I just couldn't figure it out, which of course made me want to read more and one by one the pieces were placed in to give you a little taste just enough to keep you wanting more. It was so surprising to me how well written and fast pased this book was. When I first signed up for the More...

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Jan 08, 2012

Cait rated it:

I put up four stars, which is my default for "really good book", but I might bump that up to five as I keep thinking about it. This definitely walks the science fiction/horror line in the way that I like, which is about the world-building and the dissonance from reality rather than the structure of the story itself. It's actually a bit of a horror structure as well, I think, but with science fiction characters. There were a few unexpected notes in the descriptions of bodies -- who is f More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 10, 2012

Laurie rated it:

When I first picked up Child of Fire by Harry Connolly, I wasn't sure it was my thing. I'm used to the amiable male protagonist like Harry Dresden, or a sarcastic, wise-cracking guy like James Stark. Ray Lilly is nothing like that. He's an ex-convict who realizes that the magic user he's working for would be absolutely thrilled if he died screaming. This fact understandably colors his judgement, overwhelms his personality and lends itself to a grim tone for a very dark story. And yet it's a hell More...

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Jan 08, 2012

Jack rated it:

Is there an established sub-genre name for urban noir fantasy like the Dresden Codex series? Although I don't know enough about the Dresden books to cite similarities, the overall impression I've garnered is that the setting, tone, and general conceit match up pretty closely. That last point deserves some elaboration. Although almost any fantasy with a modern setting involves a protagonist discovering the hidden world of magic that coexists with ours, a subset of them have a hero who is some More...

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Sep 03, 2011

Dean rated it:

Okay, if you don’t like anything fantastical or supernatural, my advice would be to look away now. But you’ll be missing good reads. Your loss.

There’s no vampires, werewolves or angels in these books, although there is quite a lot of magic. I read them right after finishing one of Charles Stross’s Laundry books and it seemed to fit right in.
Ray Lilly is a recently released, ex-con with interesting tattoos that protect him from a lot of violent things - and some magic. His boss, More...

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Aug 01, 2011

Mlle. rated it:

I absolutely loved Child of Fire. It's definitely Dresden-esque, especially the early Dresden Files, following as it does the adventures of a down-on-his-luck male protagonist who's on the outs with the magical Powers That Be and hiding a few skeletons in his closet. It's also a well-paced page turner, full of action, written on a grand scale, and very original. There are obvious differences, too - Connolly isn't comic like Jim Butcher, so there's a lot less humor to lighten the mood. And the pr More...

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Dec 30, 2010

Karissa rated it:

I got this as an advanced reading copy (ARC) through the Amazon Vine program. This book is being targeted at people who love the Dresden Files and Simon Green's "Secret Histories" series. Given that and the description provided; I was excited to read it. This is the first novel in the Twenty Palaces series; so far three books in this series have been sold. The second one is titled "Game of Cages" and is scheduled for a May 2010 release. It was a very good book.

Ray L More...

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Jun 29, 2010

Text rated it:

Well. Unless and until I hear otherwise, I have to assume that Connolly either (a) played rather a lot of Call of Cthulhu during college, or (b) has spent a lot of time reading H. P. Lovecraft. Or both, I suppose – or else convergent evolution is at work here.

Regardless, if you understood what I just wrote, then the rest of this review is probably redundant.

If not, then please understand that this novel skirted very close to being too much like a horror novel for me. I ca More...

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Mar 27, 2010

Danielle rated it:

I’ve recently joined “Broad Universe”, an organization of female speculative fiction writers. And we just had a discussion on why women focus so much on romance in their writing, even in speculative fiction. Female authors dominate urban fantasy, mostly with a heavy dosing of (guess what!) romance. And I’m talking romance as graphic descriptions of birds and bees getting it on, not Romance in the sense of the Romantic Age of literature, or in the Three Musketeers grand adventure sense. So is More...

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Mar 12, 2010

Fiction State Of Mind (Kai Charles) rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jan 28, 2010

Yael rated it:

Ray Lilly is the driver for Annalise Powliss, a strange, dimunitive woman who seems much younger than her real age -- and is a high-ranking member of the Twenty Palace Society, a group of wizards dedicated to hunting down and eliminating wildcatting sorcerers misusing Magick in dangerous ways. But because Ray was responsible for the death of an ally of Annalise's, she is looking for an excuse to kill Ray -- or find someone else to do the job.

When Annalise's next mission goes wildly More...

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Dec 27, 2009

Mardel rated it:

I bought Child of Fire because I read a few very good reviews of Child of Fire. BTW, Good reviews of a book usually plays a small part in my decision to read a book because sometimes professional reviewers will rave about a book that I think is so very, very boring - or I end up having completely different tastes than the reviewers.

This book interested me from the first page. I liked the main character, who seems to be "living on borrowed time" (from the book blurb). Any m More...

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Dec 06, 2009

K. rated it:

This book succeeds with characters with complicated, unexplained backstories where other books would fail mainly because of the narrator character; Ray Lily.

Ray Lily is an ex con. In hints dropped throughout the book but never fully realized, we find out he's killed, stolen, cheated, and basically been a thug.

And yet, in this story he is a compelling POV character because he can throw down the bad guys, gives into anger, kills, and yet still has a the vestiges of a consci More...

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Oct 18, 2009

Iain rated it:

The front cover of Harry Connolly's Child of Fire has a recommendation by Jim Butcher and superficially it does read a bit like Butcher's Dresden files crossed with a Dean Koontz small town (not weird enough for one of Stephen King's Maine townships) and with a bit of F Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack thrown in for good measure.

I'd say describing that way perhaps does it a disservice, but I'd consider that a pretty decent mix - and rather than being a pale imitation of those writers, Co More...

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Oct 19, 2011

Maria rated it:

Excellent five star read. More review to come! From my blog post:

I purchased Child of Fire: A Twenty Palaces Novel by Harry Connolly when it was on sale this summer (it’s still 99 cent and I highly recommend it if you like UF) and finally got around to reading it. It’s urban fantasy and on the dark side. It’s a fairly unusual urban fantasy in my opinion. It’s told from the point of view of the side-kick rather than the amazing kick-ass heroine. Ray is “just a driver” whose task is More...

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Oct 24, 2010

Brian rated it:

Jim Butcher recommended this book on a panel he was on. I love the Dresden series, so I will try an Urban Fantasy if he recommends it.

Jim has a quote on the front cover - "Excellent reading...delicious tension and suspense."

I like the way Connolly brings magic into the world. All magic is manifestations of powerful beings from other planes who are trying to get father onto this one. The Twenty Palaces is a group of sorcerers hunting down any person using this mag More...

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Aug 08, 2009

Andita rated it:

The beginning of the book sets you up for an intriguing mix of suspense and drama. Connolly is definitely a new voice in fiction. I can’t wait to read more. I have to tell you I slept with this book because I’d get to a point I wanted to continue but was too exhausted to stay awake. It felt like I was a part of all the action and drama.

I enjoyed the dynamics between the two main characters. Their relationship seemed like it could lead to some future sparks but not of the sexual

More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 11, 2012

Nayan rated it:

Ray Lilly is a convicted felon who rides into Hammer Bay town with his "boss" Annalise who is a part of a group of sorcerers known as the Twenty Palaces. They are charged with hunting down people who use magic and any otherworldly creatures that they may come across.

Started reading this book with high expectations considering all the comparisons to Jim Butcher. I will be frank to state that the first book definitely did not meet up to the expectations.

At the same ti More...

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Jan 22, 2012

Chris rated it:

I have mixed feelings about this book.

On one hand, it has a bunch of weak points. It starts off fairly rough, with the opening chapter or two almost making me put the book down. Also, there's a sizable amount of 'history' that the reader is supposed to accept as having occurred, but the scope of the assumed information is a bit.. Alarming. This is probably meant to build some mystery around the protagonist, but it actually just comes across as frustrating at times.

However, th More...

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Oct 25, 2011

Nicole rated it:

This is a book that I found fairly entertaining with some interesting ideas, but rather flawed in execution.

The Good:

One of the refreshing things about this novel was that while this story falls under the urban fantasy spectrum, it pushed the border almost into a horror novel. The monsters were different than the typical vampires and werewolves and such and I liked the underlying idea of this book. I actually liked both of the main characters, Ray and Annalise, and I es More...

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Mar 14, 2011

Amanda rated it:

Many reviewers are comparing this book to Dresden Files and Lovecraft, but I did not find any similarity in Child of Fire to other novels. It is refreshingly unique, and I enjoyed the story quite a lot, but unfortunately there are elements missing here that keep it from a 5-star rating. I had no problem with the gritty portrait of Hammer Bay, and I don't think this novel is overly dark-themed as suggested by other reviewers. The narrative is well-written and the pacing keeps readers on tenderhoo More...

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Jun 20, 2011

Contrarius rated it:

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. As the first book by this author and the first book of a series, it's impossible to give a final verdict on either; nonetheless, I see a lot of potential here for both the author and the series. The hero seems, to me, to be too virtuous and too soft-hearted to be entirely consistent with his given history, but he is also easy to like and care about. The magical system is interesting, with lots of room for further developments in future books, and the monsters are More...

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Jan 09, 2012

Lau rated it:

I am not a fan of urban fantasy. I balked when my SO said I should read Child of Fire and prepared to dig in my heels. He didn't press, a couple of weeks passed, he mentioned it a few more times and I finally grew curious enough to give in.

I will never regret that choice.

To anyone who hesitates as I did, give the 20 Palaces novels a try. You will find fast-paced action, a protagonist worth investing your time in, a secret society that will send shivers up your spine, hea More...

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Nov 27, 2011

Danielle rated it:

Interesting. Probably a good enough book, but not quite my thing, perhaps? A noirish urban fantasy, packed full of action and shotgun shells, with an interesting magical backdrop. I particularly liked the way magic gave the author more chance to make a unique world set-up, as opposed to say, vampires or zombies or shapeshifters. I liked the main character, unlucky ex-con Ray, and I really liked his relationship with his boss, the wizard Annalise, but I found that aspects of the writing I associa More...

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Aug 15, 2011

Nathaniel rated it:

I read Child of Fire because it was recommended by Jim Butcher and his fans. Since I had already finished Ghost Story and probably have a good year to wait before Cold Days comes out, I thought I'd try out something else in the urban fantasy genre.

As a page-turning thriller, Child of Fire works. I finished the entire book in two days--despite having young children and a very important test to study for--and it was better paced than many NYT bestselling thrillers that I read in airp More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 11, 2011

Beausephus rated it:

I'm on a binge of hard-boiled/fantasy novels these days. Charlie Huston is the reigning champ in my opinion, but there are far more heirs to his throne than I had originally thought. Mike Carey's Felix Castor series are enjoyable, but not as hard boiled or crime fiction inspired. Richard Kardrey's Sandman Slim character is promising but I need to read the second of that series in order to see if the flaws of the first book are ironed out and worth continued attention. The best of these types More...

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Feb 07, 2012

Stacy rated it:

This book is more worthy of 3 1/2 stars, but I rounded up.

The first 100 pages were great and I read them in a flash. The next couple of hundred pages, not so much. The pacing was fine, but the character's voice was kind of lame and the plot wasn't interesting enough to keep me reading. I can't really put my finger on it, but something about this book didn't make me excited enough to stay up all night reading. I think it might have been the character's voice more than anything. It got More...

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Jan 04, 2010

Kmont rated it:

*longer, in-depth review via my blog later...

I liked the concept of this book, or at least as it was presented via the back cover blurb. Pretty soon, though, I realized my stomach wouldn't be able to take a certain aspect of it. I won't spoil what that is, but given the nature of it, the way the author describes what ahppens, it's too reminiscent of horror to me. Now, I haven't read or watched a lot of horror, but what I have felt similar to this in story and tone, enough anyway to c More...

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