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54th out of 90 books
—
164 voters
Blue Fire (Healing Wars #2)
by
Janice Hardy
Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseers trackers. Wanted for a crime she didnt mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isnt enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to k...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
October 1st 2010
by Balzer + Bray
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Blue Fire is the second book in Janice Hardy's Healing Wars trilogy. I really enjoyed the first book, and expected to enjoy this one just as much.
This book somehow manages to pack in a heap more action, as well as a lot of inner turmoil in regards to whether it's right to use healing as a weapon, and whether Nya should feel guilty about the people she's killed.
I really liked the aspect. War is hard, and not just on a physical level. Soldiers in the real world have to go through extensive traini...more
This book somehow manages to pack in a heap more action, as well as a lot of inner turmoil in regards to whether it's right to use healing as a weapon, and whether Nya should feel guilty about the people she's killed.
I really liked the aspect. War is hard, and not just on a physical level. Soldiers in the real world have to go through extensive traini...more
I really enjoyed book 1 'The Pain Merchants' and couldn't wait to read book 2. I sat down this morning to start this one and had finished it in about 3 hours.
Nya is still being hunted after the events of book 1, but she isn't taking it lying down, running an undercover operation to rescue apprentices from the Duke and his evil experiments with magic, she is working from the shadows.
Danello has a bigger part in this book and I was glad for it, he is a solid presence in Nya's life, strong, confid...more
Nya is still being hunted after the events of book 1, but she isn't taking it lying down, running an undercover operation to rescue apprentices from the Duke and his evil experiments with magic, she is working from the shadows.
Danello has a bigger part in this book and I was glad for it, he is a solid presence in Nya's life, strong, confid...more
Janice Hardy's BLUE FIRE is book two in The Healing Wars trilogy, and man, this book escaped MNS with a capital E. Do yourself a favor -- don't read this book before going to sleep. I made that mistake, and I was lying awake for nearly an hour -- after all that action, I couldn't relax!
Basically, it’s nonstop awesome.
If you didn’t read the first book, THE SHIFTER, let me set it up this way – pretend you’re reading a prequel to THE HUNGER GAMES and District 13 has just been blown to smithereens,...more
Basically, it’s nonstop awesome.
If you didn’t read the first book, THE SHIFTER, let me set it up this way – pretend you’re reading a prequel to THE HUNGER GAMES and District 13 has just been blown to smithereens,...more
This book struggles with something that I've found most middle books in a trilogy do: pacing. The first and third books are usually full of action and excitement, with the second book feeling more like a filler or placeholder story. For most of the time I was reading this, that's what I felt like - it was the book whose sole purpose was to bridge the other two books.
That said, it did pick up in the last 1/3 of the book and it was still an enjoyable read even during the slow parts. The world was...more
That said, it did pick up in the last 1/3 of the book and it was still an enjoyable read even during the slow parts. The world was...more
This is the second installation of Hardy's The Healing Wars series. Nya and her friends are back, on the run from the Duke's trackers, who want Nya for her unusual healing abilities. The only way to escape them is to take the fight to Baseer - the capital city and home of the Duke.
The problem is, walking into the lion's den means that the trackers are able to find Nya easier, and they manage to capture Tali, Nya's baby sister, and Danello's siblings are taken as well by a tracker known as Vyand...more
The problem is, walking into the lion's den means that the trackers are able to find Nya easier, and they manage to capture Tali, Nya's baby sister, and Danello's siblings are taken as well by a tracker known as Vyand...more
Blue fire was a little bit more interesting than "The Shifter." The plot has more of a climax and the wasn't as confusing to figure out. It still wasn't that entertaining. It's one of those books you start reading and hope it will get better, but never really does and then you fell like since you were so close, you might as well finish. I skimmed through a lot. I'm not going to read the third one.
Nya and her crew have been saving Takers, but then Trackers find Nya and her and her friends end up...more
Nya and her crew have been saving Takers, but then Trackers find Nya and her and her friends end up...more
I recently read the first book, The Pain Merchants.
This book is nicer and more entertaining than its previous. It's full of suspense and leaves you wanting to read more.
The book continues Nya's journey to fight the Duke.
This book is amazingly written. It has this magic that will suck you in from the very first sentence. The plot and story in this series is what's attracting me. It's unique and different, unlike many other books that are being published right now(supernatural being falling in lo...more
This book is nicer and more entertaining than its previous. It's full of suspense and leaves you wanting to read more.
The book continues Nya's journey to fight the Duke.
This book is amazingly written. It has this magic that will suck you in from the very first sentence. The plot and story in this series is what's attracting me. It's unique and different, unlike many other books that are being published right now(supernatural being falling in lo...more
Originally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.
I liked this second installment, even if the writing gave me a little bit of trouble.
Janice Hardy seen through the eyes of her awesome blog, The Other Side of the Story, is a master at her craft. The reason I picked up her series was because I was so impressed with her writing advice. However, when I read Blue Fire, I found myself distracted by her writing. Perhaps my expectations were lifted a little higher in light of her blogging prowes...more
I liked this second installment, even if the writing gave me a little bit of trouble.
Janice Hardy seen through the eyes of her awesome blog, The Other Side of the Story, is a master at her craft. The reason I picked up her series was because I was so impressed with her writing advice. However, when I read Blue Fire, I found myself distracted by her writing. Perhaps my expectations were lifted a little higher in light of her blogging prowes...more
Lost interest and dropped it. I might read it later.
But for now... No chance. No way.
This is where our ways part for the time being.
Au Revoir.
But for now... No chance. No way.
This is where our ways part for the time being.
Au Revoir.
I liked this book better than the first book in this series, which I also liked. In the second, the action seemed to flow better, and the characters seemed more real to me.
Nya has an unusual gift in a time of war, and must learn how and when to use it. Both sides want to use her as a weapon, but the Duke of Baseer especially wishes to capture her. He has been taking others with similar gifts, to use them in his experiments. As in the first book, Nya must make very difficult decisions on whom to...more
Nya has an unusual gift in a time of war, and must learn how and when to use it. Both sides want to use her as a weapon, but the Duke of Baseer especially wishes to capture her. He has been taking others with similar gifts, to use them in his experiments. As in the first book, Nya must make very difficult decisions on whom to...more
Though it was unclear where the book was headed in the beginning, it takes the reader of a good journey. Though the story moves off of the Geveg Islands and definitely takes a few turns to increase the depth of the basic premise, the characters stay true to themselves and the story really flows after 50 or so pages. The climax seems slightly contrived, but not unreasonably so, and the book ends with a bit of an unexpected twist. I definitely found this book flowed better than the first, but as u...more
Ever have one of those books where you wonder why you didn't really care for the first? This is one of those. I LOVED this sequel. I almost feel if this depth had been applied to the first book I would have raved about the series a lot more then I did.
I really felt that Hardy brought a depth and level to this series that was lacking from the first book. This book really connected with me. Allowed me to see the characters, experience their feelings and understand what was going on in terms of th...more
I really felt that Hardy brought a depth and level to this series that was lacking from the first book. This book really connected with me. Allowed me to see the characters, experience their feelings and understand what was going on in terms of th...more
A big letdown for me after enjoying “The Shifter” so much. The characters are boring and predictable and haven’t changed much since the first book. Nya spends entirely too much time monologue-ing about whether it’s okay to kill the bad guys or not. We get it—you’re conflicted—move on. The style also bothered me in this one. I don’t remember noticing any problems before, but I found this one to be a little sloppy at times. The action scenes are quite good, however, and I am still intrigued by cha...more
I absolutely loved The Shifter but this second book was very disappointing.
The plot was exactly the same as the last book other then the scenery changed a little bit.
None of the characters had any new developments.
I love how many characters she puts in books (Not focusing on just a few main ones)but that makes it hard to remember some of them. I read the second book right after the first but I still had a hard time remembering some of them that hadn't made an appearance for a while and th...more
The plot was exactly the same as the last book other then the scenery changed a little bit.
None of the characters had any new developments.
I love how many characters she puts in books (Not focusing on just a few main ones)but that makes it hard to remember some of them. I read the second book right after the first but I still had a hard time remembering some of them that hadn't made an appearance for a while and th...more
2.5 stars...
It got good in the end, but the heroine was really annoying thoughout, and so were her friends. Not a pragmatic one in the bunch. If someone is going to chop your head off and you kill them first, and save your own life, why should you feel guilty about that? (just one example of many I could give) It just seemed like she had a martyr complex that reminded me of Bella in Twilight. And to say that b**** annoyed me would be an understatement.
So no, I wasn't feeling the love for this c...more
It got good in the end, but the heroine was really annoying thoughout, and so were her friends. Not a pragmatic one in the bunch. If someone is going to chop your head off and you kill them first, and save your own life, why should you feel guilty about that? (just one example of many I could give) It just seemed like she had a martyr complex that reminded me of Bella in Twilight. And to say that b**** annoyed me would be an understatement.
So no, I wasn't feeling the love for this c...more
Goodness, I have so much praise for this book I don't even know where to start. I was a little iffy on the characters in the first book, but in Blue Fire they developed and became so lovable and hate-able and soo fantastically human. Janice Hardy's writing was amazing, with witty phrases and descriptions that made me laugh out loud, examples: "turning your back on trouble only lets it sneak up on you" and my personal favorite: "she watched us pass with enough curiosity to fill six cats." This is...more
An enjoyable addition to a unique fantasy series where the magicians are healers, who make use of a rare metal, pynvium, to store the pain they draw off those who are in pain. In book 2, Nya and her friends are trying to rescue the healers who are at risk from the evil Duke, who wants to use them for a dark purpose (which we do discover in this book). Nya herself is at the gravest risk, since she has an unusual ability that makes her of particular interest to the Duke -- she can pass pain from o...more
Beoordeling:
1. Cover 4/5
De covers van deze serie vond ik op eerste gezicht niet mooi. Dit is puur persoonlijk omdat ik geen fan ben van het 'neppe'. Maar wanneer je elk boek leest begin je de cover enorm te waarderen, ze sluiten zo goed aan! Echt heel knap gedaan! Je hebt ook nieuwe covers, deze zijn meer mijn stijl maar ik twijfel nog een beetje of ze nou ook zo mooi aansluiten.
2. Verhaal 4/5
Zoals ik al eerder aangaf is het een meeslepend verhaal. Het grijpt je en laat je niet los tot je weet...more
1. Cover 4/5
De covers van deze serie vond ik op eerste gezicht niet mooi. Dit is puur persoonlijk omdat ik geen fan ben van het 'neppe'. Maar wanneer je elk boek leest begin je de cover enorm te waarderen, ze sluiten zo goed aan! Echt heel knap gedaan! Je hebt ook nieuwe covers, deze zijn meer mijn stijl maar ik twijfel nog een beetje of ze nou ook zo mooi aansluiten.
2. Verhaal 4/5
Zoals ik al eerder aangaf is het een meeslepend verhaal. Het grijpt je en laat je niet los tot je weet...more
Review originally posted at ReaWrite.com
Don’t you just love when the second book in a series is even better than the first?! Always a very welcome surprise. Once again, we’re brought into a world with a very complicated kind of healing magic that manages to suck you right in. The main character Nya never gets a break in book two, and proves herself to be even more loyal to her friends and family then before.
For that and just her general vibe I really like Nya. She’s a character you really root f...more
Don’t you just love when the second book in a series is even better than the first?! Always a very welcome surprise. Once again, we’re brought into a world with a very complicated kind of healing magic that manages to suck you right in. The main character Nya never gets a break in book two, and proves herself to be even more loyal to her friends and family then before.
For that and just her general vibe I really like Nya. She’s a character you really root f...more
Fifteen-year-old Nya is able to draw pain out of people. Unlike most with this ability, she is unable to put it into the pain absorbing metal, pynvium. What she can do is shift that pain into other people, making her a wanted fugitive from the Duke. Nya knows the Duke is responsible for horrible experiments on her people in Geveg and she wants to stop him. But she and her friends are in hiding after exposing the horrible secret of the Healing League, working in the shadows to find and rescue the...more
*This review was written by my 12 year old brother*
The second book in the Healing Wars Trilogy was just as I expected it would be, filled with non-stop action. All-in-all it was a good read and I couldn't put in down. I finished it in almost an hour! Usually it's the male authors who make their books gory and filled with violence, but Jane Hardy is the biggest exception I have ever seen. There is fighting on almost every page, and mix that up with the characters Ms. Hardy has created and you've...more
The second book in the Healing Wars Trilogy was just as I expected it would be, filled with non-stop action. All-in-all it was a good read and I couldn't put in down. I finished it in almost an hour! Usually it's the male authors who make their books gory and filled with violence, but Jane Hardy is the biggest exception I have ever seen. There is fighting on almost every page, and mix that up with the characters Ms. Hardy has created and you've...more
uhuu keren.
Setelah kejadian di Healers League, Nya jadi pahlawan. Penduduk Geveg berterima kasih karena stok pynvium yang menipis terungkap. Sayangnya, ga semua bersikap begitu. Sang Duke menyebarkan pengumuman bahwa Nya adalah buronan dan harus segera ditangkap, yang berhasil menangkap Nya akan dapat 5000 opa. Tapi semua orang tahu bukan karena tuduhan itulah Sang Duke kepingin dapatin Nya. Semua karena kemampuan yang Nya punya.
Selain bisa shifting rasa sakit, Nya juga punya immune terhadap sor...more
Setelah kejadian di Healers League, Nya jadi pahlawan. Penduduk Geveg berterima kasih karena stok pynvium yang menipis terungkap. Sayangnya, ga semua bersikap begitu. Sang Duke menyebarkan pengumuman bahwa Nya adalah buronan dan harus segera ditangkap, yang berhasil menangkap Nya akan dapat 5000 opa. Tapi semua orang tahu bukan karena tuduhan itulah Sang Duke kepingin dapatin Nya. Semua karena kemampuan yang Nya punya.
Selain bisa shifting rasa sakit, Nya juga punya immune terhadap sor...more
I actually think the book deserves a 3 1/2 star rating. I had a hard time remembering the first books details. I basically remembered the jist of the story but for some reasons much of the detail was really difficult for me to recall especially when my husband asked me to tell him about the series. There is one things I cannot remember for the life of me...Aylin. I know through this book that she is Nya's best friend but I don't remember and details of her before this book began and that was ver...more
I was really pleased with this sequel. It brings us deeper into the world and the unique fantasy elements that have been created. We get a further glimpse into the recent history of how the Duke came to power, why people are manipulated the way that they are in order to do the terrible things that they do, and that the fight is a full-scale war across the territories, not just in Nya’s own back yard.
Nya is fun as a character and although sometimes it’s hard to believe that she’s able to survive...more
Nya is fun as a character and although sometimes it’s hard to believe that she’s able to survive...more
It was great!
After my enthusiasm for The Shifter was unshared by my family, I got worried that I wouldn't be impressed with the sequel; now that the magic system was less novel, maybe I would realize that the rest of the book wasn't as fun as I thought. I shouldn't have worried.
Though the magic is still a strong selling point, there were many other things that I like in Blue Fire. Topping the list is humor. The whole story is told with a wry and endearingly understated wit. It is easy to share...more
After my enthusiasm for The Shifter was unshared by my family, I got worried that I wouldn't be impressed with the sequel; now that the magic system was less novel, maybe I would realize that the rest of the book wasn't as fun as I thought. I shouldn't have worried.
Though the magic is still a strong selling point, there were many other things that I like in Blue Fire. Topping the list is humor. The whole story is told with a wry and endearingly understated wit. It is easy to share...more
Oct 13, 2010
Elizabeth Briggs
added it
Blue Fire by Janice Hardy is the second book in the Healing Wars trilogy, which started with The Shifter. The Healing Wars trilogy is fantasy on the border between MG and YA and would be enjoyed by both audiences (and adults too!).
In the first book the main character Nya lives in a tropical city that was defeated in a war, forcing them under the rule of the Duke of another land. Nya and her sister lost their parents in the war, and now her sister has joined the Healer's League, so Nya has to sur...more
In the first book the main character Nya lives in a tropical city that was defeated in a war, forcing them under the rule of the Duke of another land. Nya and her sister lost their parents in the war, and now her sister has joined the Healer's League, so Nya has to sur...more
I read The Shifter earlier this year and loved it. Nya is my favorite kind of character: a spunky, proactive, reluctant hero. She doesn’t want attention or kudos, or even to be noticed, really. But when someone is in danger, she steps up without even thinking twice. I love her.
Blue Fire picks up almost right where The Shifter leaves off. And, it packs just as much of a punch as the first book. Lots of action, great characters, and interesting twists. It explores some great themes of preconceptio...more
Blue Fire picks up almost right where The Shifter leaves off. And, it packs just as much of a punch as the first book. Lots of action, great characters, and interesting twists. It explores some great themes of preconceptio...more
Blue Fire was another incredible book by Janice Hardy. Everything from the world building to characters to writing was amazing. What I really loved about this book was you have absolutely no idea what will happen next, so you only open the book and hold on tight for the ride.
Blue Fire begins shortly after the ending of Pain merchants, Nya and the gang continue their quest to rescue the takers who’ve fallen victim to the duke’s cruel experiments. But as the guards lock down Nya and her friends s...more
Blue Fire begins shortly after the ending of Pain merchants, Nya and the gang continue their quest to rescue the takers who’ve fallen victim to the duke’s cruel experiments. But as the guards lock down Nya and her friends s...more
This had the same problems as the first book, only worse somehow. I liked Nya, but the rest of the characters I couldn't care less about. When Tali is kidnapped I barely noticed. The first book was a little confusing as it plunged you right into a complicated fantasy world, but now that I understand how the world works, it's almost mundane. I really don't know what my problem was, it just wasn't gelling for me. Plenty of people will really enjoy this, and more power to them, but it wasn't for me...more
*Deep Sigh* Janice said this book was hard for her to get right. Well, she must have worked her butt off, because she nailed it.
Six months have passed since the events at the end of The Shifter and we are thrown right into the action from the beginning. And it doesn't let up. The best thing is that Janice flows from one event to the next seamlessly. Her characters stay true to who they are, but they've also grown stronger from their experiences.
It's hard to say much without giving too much awa...more
Six months have passed since the events at the end of The Shifter and we are thrown right into the action from the beginning. And it doesn't let up. The best thing is that Janice flows from one event to the next seamlessly. Her characters stay true to who they are, but they've also grown stronger from their experiences.
It's hard to say much without giving too much awa...more
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I’m a voracious reader, which used to get me into a lot of trouble in
school. Eventually, I figured out writing stories in class made it look
like I was doing actual work, so my teachers left me alone. Since
then, writing has worked out way better than algebra ever did. I now
write young adult fiction and no one ever tells me to cut it out and
pay attention anymore. For my debut fantasy novel, The Shif...more
More about Janice Hardy...
school. Eventually, I figured out writing stories in class made it look
like I was doing actual work, so my teachers left me alone. Since
then, writing has worked out way better than algebra ever did. I now
write young adult fiction and no one ever tells me to cut it out and
pay attention anymore. For my debut fantasy novel, The Shif...more
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“I mean really if you can't count on your best friend to go to jail with you, what good are they?”
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Mar 03, 2012 09:04pm