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Firebug #1
Firebug
Ava is a firebug—she can start fires with her mind. Which would all be well and good if she weren't caught in a deadly contract with the Coterie, a magical mafia. She's one of their main hitmen . . . and she doesn't like it one bit. Not least because her boss, Venus, killed Ava's mother.
When Venus asks Ava to kill a family friend, Ava rebels. She knows very well that you can't say no to the Coterie and expect to get away with it, though, so she and her friends hit the road, trying desperately to think of a way out of the mess they find themselves in. Preferably keeping the murder to a minimum, in Lish McBride's Firebug.
When Venus asks Ava to kill a family friend, Ava rebels. She knows very well that you can't say no to the Coterie and expect to get away with it, though, so she and her friends hit the road, trying desperately to think of a way out of the mess they find themselves in. Preferably keeping the murder to a minimum, in Lish McBride's Firebug.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 23, 2014
46 people are currently reading
4493 people want to read
About the author
Lish McBride
28 books1,312 followersLish McBride is the author of funny and creepy Young Adult books such as Hold Me Closer, Necromancer; Necromancing the Stone; Firebug; and Pyromantic. She has published short stories in the Normal School, Tor.com, and the anthologies Cornered, What to Read in the Rain, Freaks & Other Family, and Kisses & Curses. She got her BFA in creative writing from Seattle University and her MFA from University of New Orleans. Lish is also currently a bookseller and event host at Third Place Books, a giant thriving indie bookstore just outside of Seattle. Her first book, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults title, Morris Award finalist, and won the Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award. While she has no long term goals for world domination, she would like her own castle.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/lishmc...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/lishmc...
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 319 reviews
August 25, 2017
I was really, awkwardly excited for Firebug
See, kinda awkward...
Anyway!
There wasn't anything I didn't love about Firebug. And since I am a rabid pusher of the Necromancer books, I tried to be objective.
I loved Ava; she was snarky, sarcastic, flawed and utterly realistic - down to being stupid over a dude.
I adored the myriad of supporting characters - Ezra is incorrigible and stole my heart quickly. Lock is a steady, quiet constant; almost lurking in the background until the metaphorical clouds part and the sun shines down on him making you smack yourself in the face and go, "Well, I'm an idiot." There are a slew, a peck, a bunch, a bushel of other wonderful characters (and creatures) to be discovered within the pages of Firebug that you'll have to meet for yourself.
Firebug wasn't laugh-out-loud funny, but was filled with completely snort-worthy lines and was extremely dark once you look past all the glittering snark radiating from the character interaction.
In keeping in tradition, I can't wait to visit Ava and Co. in the future.
No, really, I can't. Get to it!
I received Firebug as an ARC via Netgalley courtesy of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
See, kinda awkward...
Anyway!
There wasn't anything I didn't love about Firebug. And since I am a rabid pusher of the Necromancer books, I tried to be objective.
I loved Ava; she was snarky, sarcastic, flawed and utterly realistic - down to being stupid over a dude.
I adored the myriad of supporting characters - Ezra is incorrigible and stole my heart quickly. Lock is a steady, quiet constant; almost lurking in the background until the metaphorical clouds part and the sun shines down on him making you smack yourself in the face and go, "Well, I'm an idiot." There are a slew, a peck, a bunch, a bushel of other wonderful characters (and creatures) to be discovered within the pages of Firebug that you'll have to meet for yourself.
Firebug wasn't laugh-out-loud funny, but was filled with completely snort-worthy lines and was extremely dark once you look past all the glittering snark radiating from the character interaction.
In keeping in tradition, I can't wait to visit Ava and Co. in the future.
No, really, I can't. Get to it!
I received Firebug as an ARC via Netgalley courtesy of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
Read
April 3, 2017I'm in love with everything about this book: the story, Ava, the friendships, and the boys. I love how this book features a great friendship story between Ava, Lock and Ezra. This is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. And honestly, I wish I had a Lock and Ezra in my life, even if one of them is a dryad and the other is a werefox. Lish's writing is fantastic and even made me chuckle a few times.
February 26, 2017
2/26/17: yep, this book is still snarky and awesome. I did forget just how much I loved Ezra.
This book was exactly what I wanted, I loved every single thing about it.
Ava, Lock and Ezra are all so much fun. Their different personalities make the friendship work so well. As always, Lish provides excellent banter and snark. I always want to hang out with the characters she creates.
The plot was interesting and the twists were delicious. Thankfully, the ending wasn't cliffhangery, but there is one very specific thing that better get worked out in book 2.
**Thanks to Henry Holt and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
**Squishy hugs to the wonderful ladies working the Macmillan booth at SDCC for letting me take a physical copy after I was gushing about it**
This book was exactly what I wanted, I loved every single thing about it.
Ava, Lock and Ezra are all so much fun. Their different personalities make the friendship work so well. As always, Lish provides excellent banter and snark. I always want to hang out with the characters she creates.
The plot was interesting and the twists were delicious. Thankfully, the ending wasn't cliffhangery, but there is one very specific thing that better get worked out in book 2.
**Thanks to Henry Holt and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
**Squishy hugs to the wonderful ladies working the Macmillan booth at SDCC for letting me take a physical copy after I was gushing about it**
January 21, 2016
4,5 flaming stars
The Coterie, the magical mafia, don't give a second chance. Enter the assasins. Ava is owned for life by the Coterie since she was 13 y.o., she is a firebug and has no scape for that kind of life, her dangerous talent is used for kill other magicals by orders of Venus (the vampire boss who kills Ava's mom). Her best-friends: Ezra a werefox, and Lock a half-dryad are her team (tithes indebted until their 25 b-day)
Most girls my age worry about prom dresses and SATs. I have to weigh the ethical nature of being an assassin against the value of human life and basic freedoms. Makes detention seem like cake.
Among teen-tropes: orphan, angst ('want to be normal go to school and have boyfriends!'), chores, a second normal job, and the 'All Is My Fault'. We have funny dialogues, and lovable characters as Ezra, the fox, the thief, the vain, a good friend. And the caring Lock, who use vegetal life as weapons .
“You be a gentleman,” I said, “and I promise I won’t turn you into cinders.”
“Of course,” Lock said with a huff. “I’m not Ezra.”
“I am a perfect gentleman,” Ezra said. “It’s not my fault that no one can resist me.” He lifted up his shirt. “I mean, have you seen these abs? Who can blame them?”
“And that’s why you’re getting the cot,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Because there’s no way we’ll be able to sleep if we’re constantly touching your abs.”
An assasin trying to guilt her guardian to get permission.
Cade looked at me over the rims of his glasses. “If you went to high school, you’d be the one pantomiming vomit at the girls who wallpapered their lockers with pictures of their boyfriends. You’d tell them you didn’t like the idea of giving over your personhood and identity to the worship of some high school mouth-breather. Then you’d probably ditch class to go get coffee with a college boy in a leather jacket who writes bad poetry and loves Hemingway. If you were going for a cliché, that’s what you would go for.”
Gah, Cade knew me so well. It wasn’t fair.
She lost something for too much weeping and some lack of thinking of the character. But I'm waiting the next book.
The Coterie, the magical mafia, don't give a second chance. Enter the assasins. Ava is owned for life by the Coterie since she was 13 y.o., she is a firebug and has no scape for that kind of life, her dangerous talent is used for kill other magicals by orders of Venus (the vampire boss who kills Ava's mom). Her best-friends: Ezra a werefox, and Lock a half-dryad are her team (tithes indebted until their 25 b-day)
Most girls my age worry about prom dresses and SATs. I have to weigh the ethical nature of being an assassin against the value of human life and basic freedoms. Makes detention seem like cake.
Among teen-tropes: orphan, angst ('want to be normal go to school and have boyfriends!'), chores, a second normal job, and the 'All Is My Fault'. We have funny dialogues, and lovable characters as Ezra, the fox, the thief, the vain, a good friend. And the caring Lock, who use vegetal life as weapons .
“You be a gentleman,” I said, “and I promise I won’t turn you into cinders.”
“Of course,” Lock said with a huff. “I’m not Ezra.”
“I am a perfect gentleman,” Ezra said. “It’s not my fault that no one can resist me.” He lifted up his shirt. “I mean, have you seen these abs? Who can blame them?”
“And that’s why you’re getting the cot,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Because there’s no way we’ll be able to sleep if we’re constantly touching your abs.”
An assasin trying to guilt her guardian to get permission.
Cade looked at me over the rims of his glasses. “If you went to high school, you’d be the one pantomiming vomit at the girls who wallpapered their lockers with pictures of their boyfriends. You’d tell them you didn’t like the idea of giving over your personhood and identity to the worship of some high school mouth-breather. Then you’d probably ditch class to go get coffee with a college boy in a leather jacket who writes bad poetry and loves Hemingway. If you were going for a cliché, that’s what you would go for.”
Gah, Cade knew me so well. It wasn’t fair.
She lost something for too much weeping and some lack of thinking of the character. But I'm waiting the next book.
June 1, 2015
Warning: This is a highly unprofessional review which will probably make no logical sense but I hope you like it anyway.
Dear Characters:
Ava, you are the perfect heroine. You made me laugh so hard my stomach ached with your sarcastic observations. You were just so damn snarky about everything, even in the most serious situations. But you weren't cold hearted, oh no. You cared so much about your friends it warmed my frozen heart(and yes unlike you I have one). And you were smart, not some fluff-brained bimbo I keep reading about in YA. You've earned your place on my Favorite Characters bookshelf. There is nothing I didn't love about you. You were hilarious and I absolutely adored being in your head - you had something(usually sarcastic and hilarious) to say about everything! Yes I admit sometimes you could be a little bit of a bitch but we all forgive you for that - you do have a rough time through this story. I admired so much how you didn't take shit from anyone. You were just great! Now let me hug you!
Ava's response to that:"Get off me I don't even know you! Flattery won't get you anywhere!"
Me:*pouty face*:(
Ava: "Go try hugging Ezra I'm sure he'd love that."
Me: *Trots over to Ezra and flings arms around his perfect neck*
Ezra: *Accepts me warmly*
Me: You were amazing to! I completely adored you from start to finish! At points you may have made me drool with your wild hotness - I don't care if you're a were-fox you are super sexy!*waggles eyebrows to emphasize*. In all honesty I kinda just want marry you and have your babies . . . . Anyway you were hilarious and inappropriate at times which just made me that the more in love with you. Anyway you adorably cute and funny in the most sexual way(and yeah I don't even know how you do it but you do). I am so jealous of Ava - why does she get to see you naked every time you shift???? Totally unfair, I mean she's not even interested in you like that. Your lines were by far the funniest in the book, even though everyone else was pretty damn hilarious you beat them all with you sharp wit. I will love you until the end of time. I promise! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxxxxxxxx(I might have gotten a little carried away there but Ezra seemed to like it. Tee hee!)
Oh and I didn't forget you Lock! How could I? You are my baby(well Ezra's my number one baby but you are a very close second) I would say I want to marry you but I'm just to devoted to Ez that I have to keep the fact that I do want to marry you and have your babies to myself - wait did I just say that out loud? Oops. *blushes* but I definitely wouldn't because then you and Ava would never get it on(which you need to do pronto). By the way I can't believe she turned down your offer for a date - well technically she didn't turn you down she just stood there mouth gaping. But give her another chance okay? She really does love you. So the second book I better see lots of makeoutage between you two or heads will roll(not your heads 'cause I love you guys too much). Why do I love you? Well, Lock you were just so adorable caring, tolerant, compassionate, funny, honest, sweet, and downright amazing for me not to love you. And Ava feels the same, believe I was inside her head.
And all three of you together had the best friendship I've read in my entire life! Not like most of those half assed "friendships" you read of in YA nowadays - you guys were the real deal. I loved how you boys were constantly flirting with Ava and how she did the same right back! Basically it was the most beautiful element to the story. To me this part was the most important part to the book!
And to the rest of the characters, I love you tooooo!!!!
Would I Recomend: Yes, yes, yes, and YES! This book was a hilarious fun lighthearted ride, which most readers are certain to love!
Sexual Content:
Violence:
Language:
Actual Rating: 4.5
Enjoy!!!
Dear Characters:
Ava, you are the perfect heroine. You made me laugh so hard my stomach ached with your sarcastic observations. You were just so damn snarky about everything, even in the most serious situations. But you weren't cold hearted, oh no. You cared so much about your friends it warmed my frozen heart(and yes unlike you I have one). And you were smart, not some fluff-brained bimbo I keep reading about in YA. You've earned your place on my Favorite Characters bookshelf. There is nothing I didn't love about you. You were hilarious and I absolutely adored being in your head - you had something(usually sarcastic and hilarious) to say about everything! Yes I admit sometimes you could be a little bit of a bitch but we all forgive you for that - you do have a rough time through this story. I admired so much how you didn't take shit from anyone. You were just great! Now let me hug you!
Ava's response to that:"Get off me I don't even know you! Flattery won't get you anywhere!"
Me:*pouty face*:(
Ava: "Go try hugging Ezra I'm sure he'd love that."
Me: *Trots over to Ezra and flings arms around his perfect neck*
Ezra: *Accepts me warmly*
Me: You were amazing to! I completely adored you from start to finish! At points you may have made me drool with your wild hotness - I don't care if you're a were-fox you are super sexy!*waggles eyebrows to emphasize*. In all honesty I kinda just want marry you and have your babies . . . . Anyway you were hilarious and inappropriate at times which just made me that the more in love with you. Anyway you adorably cute and funny in the most sexual way(and yeah I don't even know how you do it but you do). I am so jealous of Ava - why does she get to see you naked every time you shift???? Totally unfair, I mean she's not even interested in you like that. Your lines were by far the funniest in the book, even though everyone else was pretty damn hilarious you beat them all with you sharp wit. I will love you until the end of time. I promise! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxxxxxxxx(I might have gotten a little carried away there but Ezra seemed to like it. Tee hee!)
Oh and I didn't forget you Lock! How could I? You are my baby(well Ezra's my number one baby but you are a very close second) I would say I want to marry you but I'm just to devoted to Ez that I have to keep the fact that I do want to marry you and have your babies to myself - wait did I just say that out loud? Oops. *blushes* but I definitely wouldn't because then you and Ava would never get it on(which you need to do pronto). By the way I can't believe she turned down your offer for a date - well technically she didn't turn you down she just stood there mouth gaping. But give her another chance okay? She really does love you. So the second book I better see lots of makeoutage between you two or heads will roll(not your heads 'cause I love you guys too much). Why do I love you? Well, Lock you were just so adorable caring, tolerant, compassionate, funny, honest, sweet, and downright amazing for me not to love you. And Ava feels the same, believe I was inside her head.
And all three of you together had the best friendship I've read in my entire life! Not like most of those half assed "friendships" you read of in YA nowadays - you guys were the real deal. I loved how you boys were constantly flirting with Ava and how she did the same right back! Basically it was the most beautiful element to the story. To me this part was the most important part to the book!
And to the rest of the characters, I love you tooooo!!!!
Would I Recomend: Yes, yes, yes, and YES! This book was a hilarious fun lighthearted ride, which most readers are certain to love!
Sexual Content:
Violence:
Language:
Actual Rating: 4.5
Enjoy!!!
June 7, 2015
On principle alone, I really kind of detest reverse-harem books. In manga it works great, but manga is a different medium completely and it fits perfectly in there. But in literature? It almost always feels cheap or unncessary, or worse, it feels like the author's attempt to make the lone female character seem very important. (She usually is, like special snowflake kind of way, and as a general rule, other female characters MUST feel threatened by her). And unfortunately, for the most part, Firebug fit this quota to the tee.
And it's upsetting, because plot wise, I really enjoyed the story. I liked the idea of what a firebug is, and this underground assassin league of shadows, and I liked the direction the book went. I always enjoy stories where a character reaches a breaking point and has to make a life changing decision.
I just found the characters to be lacking. The author gets points for TRYING to flush SOME of them out and build motivations for actions. So I understood some characters, that's true. But that didn't make any of them intersting. And that's the problem with this book. The characters aren't as interesting as the story.
AND FOR GODSAKE CAN WE STOP PITTING FEMALE CHARACTERS AGAINST EACH OTHER OVER THE SUBJECT OF A BOY? Fuck that. I'm so tired of that. The book lost a star just for that. Fuck off with that bullshit. Girls do not need to compete against each other for the affection of boys who are almost always in posession of cardboard personalities. Ladies, you are better than that. And what this comes from female authors, I really get pissed off.
So generally speaking, I'm both disappointed and not with this book. McBride continues to deliver novels with interesting, rarely explored plots that are worth getting invested in. But unlike her last series with memorable and unique characters, this time around, the characters fall absolutely short.
2.5 stars.
And it's upsetting, because plot wise, I really enjoyed the story. I liked the idea of what a firebug is, and this underground assassin league of shadows, and I liked the direction the book went. I always enjoy stories where a character reaches a breaking point and has to make a life changing decision.
I just found the characters to be lacking. The author gets points for TRYING to flush SOME of them out and build motivations for actions. So I understood some characters, that's true. But that didn't make any of them intersting. And that's the problem with this book. The characters aren't as interesting as the story.
AND FOR GODSAKE CAN WE STOP PITTING FEMALE CHARACTERS AGAINST EACH OTHER OVER THE SUBJECT OF A BOY? Fuck that. I'm so tired of that. The book lost a star just for that. Fuck off with that bullshit. Girls do not need to compete against each other for the affection of boys who are almost always in posession of cardboard personalities. Ladies, you are better than that. And what this comes from female authors, I really get pissed off.
So generally speaking, I'm both disappointed and not with this book. McBride continues to deliver novels with interesting, rarely explored plots that are worth getting invested in. But unlike her last series with memorable and unique characters, this time around, the characters fall absolutely short.
2.5 stars.
August 14, 2017
you can read this review and Pyromantic's on my blog!
Firebug was just so much fun. It's one of those books that makes you want to keep reading, never mind what the time is. I picked this book up on a whim and oh man, I'm so glad I did because this was the type of book that was just perfect for me.
This is an urban fantasy book, so there a lot of, er, creatures--I guess?--that hide amongst human crowds, pretending to be human by magic. Ava is one of them and she's a firebug, which basically means she and fire know each other very well. Due to that, she was forced to join a sort of magic mafia--the Coterie. Her work with them isn't clean--it involves lots of chasing, lots of death, and lots of ruined clothes. It's actually ridiculous how much of their clothing is ruined in this series so far.
I loved Ava. She was sarcastic when she shouldn't be and a badass most other times. The thing with sarcastic characters is that sometimes, the dialogue can be very... bad. It never felt like that here--not with any of the characters, all of whom I found myself really liking (or hating, depending. But I take that as a sign of good villain writing). Anyway, Ava is amazing. She cares for her family and would do anything for them, no matter how much it risks her life. She's by no means a saint--no one is when they work for the Coterie--but she'll definitely do whatever it takes to protect her loved ones.
Which bring me to: family. Oh my goooood, the familial relationships in this book were amazing. Ava's mother died when she was younger, so since then she's been living with her guardian, Cade. They aren't related but they act as if they were father and daughter. They have such a great thing going on between them--you can just tell while reading how much they love each other. Cade knows how to decipher Ava's sarcasm and, in return, he can always offer up a witty quip back.
Ava didn't have the easiest life before Cade, but after a few years with him, she's managed to find a home, both in Currant and with him. It's so heartwarming!
Part of Ava's family are also her closest and her best friends, Lock and Ezra. I won't lie, I didn't expect to love Lock, but oh man, it was so hard not to. I like to think of these as the holy trinity--or rather, the unholy trinity, because that's 100% more accurate. The camaraderie between these three is amazing. Friendships in books are my favourite kind, and while I was disheartened there wasn't a strong female one, Lock, Ezra, and Ava didn't disappoint. They're a unit for the Coterie, but family to each other. If one of them is in danger, then all of them are because there's no way in hell they're leaving anyone behind. They all have brilliant senses of humour and they all know how to act around one another so it's never awkward. And there's absolutely zero barriers between them! They're together for most of the book and it's made for some hilarious exchanges.
Look, I just really love them.
The thing about these relationships is that, when you see your sarcastic darlings vulnerable or hurting, it means so much more and McBride definitely shows that. I love that they have this strong friendship so, so much.
Okay, so there is a lot of action. Things are constantly in motion--constantly happening. The three of them hardly get a break throughout and between running for their lives to stay alive and figuring out ways to solve the mess they're in, our protagonists don't get huge breaks. But it makes for an exciting book and between it and the humour--along with several references to pop culture, it makes for an amazing book.
I was kind of surprised by the lack of romance in the book. I mean, in the beginning, there is some, because Ava has a normal human boyfriend, but I knew that wouldn't last. I mean, when did a boyfriend in the beginning of a series ever last? Anyway, though, throughout the entire book, it was pretty much nothing. And I loved that! Ava was with her best friends for most of the first half and later one with another group, and the fact that there were no feelings to shake things up was amazing! The author waited until the end of the book and even then it wasn't the way one would expect it to go.
So! All of that being said, 4.5 stars! This was a great beginning to the series and I'd highly recommend it!
Firebug was just so much fun. It's one of those books that makes you want to keep reading, never mind what the time is. I picked this book up on a whim and oh man, I'm so glad I did because this was the type of book that was just perfect for me.
This is an urban fantasy book, so there a lot of, er, creatures--I guess?--that hide amongst human crowds, pretending to be human by magic. Ava is one of them and she's a firebug, which basically means she and fire know each other very well. Due to that, she was forced to join a sort of magic mafia--the Coterie. Her work with them isn't clean--it involves lots of chasing, lots of death, and lots of ruined clothes. It's actually ridiculous how much of their clothing is ruined in this series so far.
I loved Ava. She was sarcastic when she shouldn't be and a badass most other times. The thing with sarcastic characters is that sometimes, the dialogue can be very... bad. It never felt like that here--not with any of the characters, all of whom I found myself really liking (or hating, depending. But I take that as a sign of good villain writing). Anyway, Ava is amazing. She cares for her family and would do anything for them, no matter how much it risks her life. She's by no means a saint--no one is when they work for the Coterie--but she'll definitely do whatever it takes to protect her loved ones.
Which bring me to: family. Oh my goooood, the familial relationships in this book were amazing. Ava's mother died when she was younger, so since then she's been living with her guardian, Cade. They aren't related but they act as if they were father and daughter. They have such a great thing going on between them--you can just tell while reading how much they love each other. Cade knows how to decipher Ava's sarcasm and, in return, he can always offer up a witty quip back.
"Can I go to lunch?"
"With Sylvie, or the delinquent?"
"Right, because as an assassin, I should really watch who I'm seen with. Wouldn't want to impugn my own reputation." He grunted and I rolled my eyes, both of us winning the blue ribbon for maturity. "Besides, no one has ever proved he's a delinquent."
Cade looked up from the book and stared at me over his glasses, "Don't you think it's a bad sign that your best argument for your beau is that nothing has been proved in court?"
Ava didn't have the easiest life before Cade, but after a few years with him, she's managed to find a home, both in Currant and with him. It's so heartwarming!
Part of Ava's family are also her closest and her best friends, Lock and Ezra. I won't lie, I didn't expect to love Lock, but oh man, it was so hard not to. I like to think of these as the holy trinity--or rather, the unholy trinity, because that's 100% more accurate. The camaraderie between these three is amazing. Friendships in books are my favourite kind, and while I was disheartened there wasn't a strong female one, Lock, Ezra, and Ava didn't disappoint. They're a unit for the Coterie, but family to each other. If one of them is in danger, then all of them are because there's no way in hell they're leaving anyone behind. They all have brilliant senses of humour and they all know how to act around one another so it's never awkward. And there's absolutely zero barriers between them! They're together for most of the book and it's made for some hilarious exchanges.
"I think what our friend is trying to say is that you scared us to death and we were extremely worried about you."
"Ezra, when you say things like that, totally serious and without a single come-on or innuendo, I have a hard time taking you seriously."
"Fine: We were worried about you, baby. Is that better?"
"That was actually kind of weak," Lock said.
Look, I just really love them.
The thing about these relationships is that, when you see your sarcastic darlings vulnerable or hurting, it means so much more and McBride definitely shows that. I love that they have this strong friendship so, so much.
Okay, so there is a lot of action. Things are constantly in motion--constantly happening. The three of them hardly get a break throughout and between running for their lives to stay alive and figuring out ways to solve the mess they're in, our protagonists don't get huge breaks. But it makes for an exciting book and between it and the humour--along with several references to pop culture, it makes for an amazing book.
I was kind of surprised by the lack of romance in the book. I mean, in the beginning, there is some, because Ava has a normal human boyfriend, but I knew that wouldn't last. I mean, when did a boyfriend in the beginning of a series ever last? Anyway, though, throughout the entire book, it was pretty much nothing. And I loved that! Ava was with her best friends for most of the first half and later one with another group, and the fact that there were no feelings to shake things up was amazing! The author waited until the end of the book and even then it wasn't the way one would expect it to go.
So! All of that being said, 4.5 stars! This was a great beginning to the series and I'd highly recommend it!
September 23, 2014
Though Firebug is rather typical for a young adult (YA) urban fantasy, it is definitely one of the more enjoyable stories in the genre. This is the fist installment of the Firebug series by Lish McBride, who is best known for her previous series, which begins with the humorous YA urban fantasy Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Fans of McBride’s Necromancer series will find much of what they love about McBride’s writing present in Firebug, while many readers that are new to her work will be drawn in by her flawed but sympathetic characters, sarcastic and witty banter, and a fast paced plot that is full of adventure.
Firebug is told from the perspective of Ava, a teenage girl that happens to be able to start fires with her mind. Ava is not the only Firebug in existence, but they are rare, and therefore valuable, within the supernatural community. Because of her unique and useful powers, Ava has been forced into a deadly contract with the Coterie- a kind of magical mafia run by a vicious vampire named Venus. When Venus asks her to kill a family friend for the Coterie, Ava rebels. As a somewhat recent orphan, friends are the only family that she has. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say no to the Coterie and get away with it, so she and her friends go into hiding until they can find a way out of this mess Ava has gotten them in, and hopefully all keep their lives in the bargain.
I do not always enjoy a story with a first person narrative, but it was done very well in this novel. Ava is in many ways a flawed character, but most of these flaws can be attributed to being a teenage girl. She can be stubborn, impulsive, and easily blinded by her emotions, but she is also strong, intelligent, and her sarcastic commentary made me laugh at loud at several points in the story. I was also impressed with the way that Ava grows throughout the story, and her depth of character development. Her best friends Lock and Ezra are also well-developed characters, and their loyalty, distinctive personalities, and general quirkiness make the book even more enjoyable and easy to read.
The novel’s pace stayed fast throughout the story, and the combination of wonderful characters and a suspenseful story line made Firebug one of the more engaging YA novels that I have read this year. Though the plot and setting were not filled with any incredibly unique elements, I found myself more entertained and immersed in this novel than other stories that are typical of the same genre. I would have liked the plot a bit more if it contained more shocking and distinctive qualities, but for a book in this particular genre I was more than satisfied by how pleasurable the novel was to read. I would recommend this novel to anyone that loves YA urban fantasy, and also anyone that likes a character based book filled with plenty of humor. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the Firebug series as soon as it is available.
My rating: 7/10
I received a copy of this novel from Goodreads First Reads and the publisher in return for an honest review.
Firebug is told from the perspective of Ava, a teenage girl that happens to be able to start fires with her mind. Ava is not the only Firebug in existence, but they are rare, and therefore valuable, within the supernatural community. Because of her unique and useful powers, Ava has been forced into a deadly contract with the Coterie- a kind of magical mafia run by a vicious vampire named Venus. When Venus asks her to kill a family friend for the Coterie, Ava rebels. As a somewhat recent orphan, friends are the only family that she has. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say no to the Coterie and get away with it, so she and her friends go into hiding until they can find a way out of this mess Ava has gotten them in, and hopefully all keep their lives in the bargain.
I do not always enjoy a story with a first person narrative, but it was done very well in this novel. Ava is in many ways a flawed character, but most of these flaws can be attributed to being a teenage girl. She can be stubborn, impulsive, and easily blinded by her emotions, but she is also strong, intelligent, and her sarcastic commentary made me laugh at loud at several points in the story. I was also impressed with the way that Ava grows throughout the story, and her depth of character development. Her best friends Lock and Ezra are also well-developed characters, and their loyalty, distinctive personalities, and general quirkiness make the book even more enjoyable and easy to read.
The novel’s pace stayed fast throughout the story, and the combination of wonderful characters and a suspenseful story line made Firebug one of the more engaging YA novels that I have read this year. Though the plot and setting were not filled with any incredibly unique elements, I found myself more entertained and immersed in this novel than other stories that are typical of the same genre. I would have liked the plot a bit more if it contained more shocking and distinctive qualities, but for a book in this particular genre I was more than satisfied by how pleasurable the novel was to read. I would recommend this novel to anyone that loves YA urban fantasy, and also anyone that likes a character based book filled with plenty of humor. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the Firebug series as soon as it is available.
My rating: 7/10
I received a copy of this novel from Goodreads First Reads and the publisher in return for an honest review.
May 14, 2016
Lish, I thought we were friends.
You owe me sixteen bucks.
(Might review this later, because I wrote so many angry rants while I was reading. I need to unleash the venom. But right now I'm feeling too lazy and exhausted (it takes some serious energy to go through half of a book as irritating as this one) to properly organise my thoughts. In short: Firebug is Hold Me Closer, Necromancer revamped*; the poor man's version. Now with more bitching, women hating each other, unlikeable, unremarkable, and/or underdeveloped characters, a shitton of useless flashbacks, and a quasi-nonexistent plot. Where HMC,N was fun and witty, FB is overdone, annoying, and quite frankly just tasteless and plain offensive (unless you enjoy jokes about Hitler, Ebola, anorexia, Chernobyl.. need I go on?) Also, Lish, fire (no pun intended) your editor. There's only so many "ugh"s, "gah"s, "huzzah"s, "ba-dum-tsh"s, what-have-you-s your readers can take before they start overdosing, which is something that editor of yours should've told you about.
There's Ezra though. Ezra was cool. That's it. Ezra. Too bad he's only a sidekick.
I said "in short", but this isn't really. I could as well write that review now but no bye I'm lazy and angry.
*Yes, I know both stories take place in the same universe, on different coasts, but that's some Cassie Clare and her 6382763543 shadowhunter spin-offs kind of bullshit. It's practically the same story with a female protag instead of a male one.)
October 1, 2014
To see full review click here
Really 1.5 stars ( I DNF'd it though)
Seriously?
Show some sensitivity, editors. There is currently an Ebola epidemic going on killing seventy percent of the people it infects in multiple countries in west Africa. Having a teenager talk about how she’s going to fake it to get out of a social engagement is probably not the best idea.
Just saying.
Out of all the diseases out there you had to go with that one. Suggestion: next time go with a plain old sinus infection.
That being said I really just couldn’t get into this one which is sad. That premises is made of awesome and I wanted to love the book.
However, it was like a lot of guys on online dating sites. Look perfect on paper, when you meet them in real life they’re just weird, awkward, and kind of sleazy.
The book wasn’t that sleazy though.
I think one of the things that didn’t work for me is I couldn’t connect to anything. Not any of the characters, not the setting, or the story.
Nothing.
The main character Ava seems like she could be interesting. But I couldn’t get into her head enough (even though this was first person) to really like her. Plus, she’s TSTL.
Okay, don’t believe me? Let me ask a question: If a mob boss asked you to kill a guy at said mob boss’s club you’d:
A) Agree
B) Agree, but secretly plan not to kill him.
C) Just nod your head and get a drink.
or
D) Outright say no and begin to insult her.
If you’re Ava you’re going to answer D.
Really 1.5 stars ( I DNF'd it though)
Seriously?
Show some sensitivity, editors. There is currently an Ebola epidemic going on killing seventy percent of the people it infects in multiple countries in west Africa. Having a teenager talk about how she’s going to fake it to get out of a social engagement is probably not the best idea.
Just saying.
Out of all the diseases out there you had to go with that one. Suggestion: next time go with a plain old sinus infection.
That being said I really just couldn’t get into this one which is sad. That premises is made of awesome and I wanted to love the book.
However, it was like a lot of guys on online dating sites. Look perfect on paper, when you meet them in real life they’re just weird, awkward, and kind of sleazy.
The book wasn’t that sleazy though.
I think one of the things that didn’t work for me is I couldn’t connect to anything. Not any of the characters, not the setting, or the story.
Nothing.
The main character Ava seems like she could be interesting. But I couldn’t get into her head enough (even though this was first person) to really like her. Plus, she’s TSTL.
Okay, don’t believe me? Let me ask a question: If a mob boss asked you to kill a guy at said mob boss’s club you’d:
A) Agree
B) Agree, but secretly plan not to kill him.
C) Just nod your head and get a drink.
or
D) Outright say no and begin to insult her.
If you’re Ava you’re going to answer D.
October 9, 2024
Somehow the 17-year old assassin is the leader of the resistance. I know it's a thing to have overly accomplished teenagers save the world but this just didn't do it for me.
🙄
🙄
May 2, 2014
Oh, Lish McBride, you make me happy. Like in Necromancer, you've come up with yet another motley crew of the definitely snarky, sometimes cute, and often funny that find themselves embroiled in some dark, dangerous, supernatural goings-on.
That they are all such nice guys is just a bonus- nice because where one pays special attention to potential collateral damage, another is a hodge podge mix of leather jacket clad nature boy... slightly eco-footprint without being preachy about it, and the other? The other is sly and hot and aware and UNAPOLOGETIC about none of those things. Thus, it's a toss up to determine just who I enjoyed most- Ezra, for his cocky asshole ways, or Lock for all those smooth moments balanced out by the not-so smooth ones, or Ava- all resigned over the way things are but plodding on and being snarky nonetheless! Or perhaps, them together is what made each of them shine. (Yup, I'm going with the last one.)
But more than the nice they're each capable of, there's the funnier WISE GUY bit they had going for them. They're not the good-guys by typical standards: muscle, assassin, and thief, each crack made by one or the other painted a clear picture of them as a team- one aware of what the other is capable of or what the other's about to do. And funny because of it. There's genuine camaraderie present plus the knowledge of one another that makes for interesting dynamics; because there's them in a sort of comfort zone (mindful of pigeonholes versus possibilities,) but hellbent on not shaking things up. But with the shaking up being inevitable... Gah! all that pressure, all that tension Gah! me thinking back to the Lock and Ava moments has me wanting to reread this... and I just finished it too!
Now that Clique-y group friend thing aside, the dark aspect in this was equally engaging. There's that dark underbelly mafia feel, with more than one crazy present. I liked it even as I am now left with a want to know more. In other words, there's more of Ava and Lock an Ez to come, right?! Right? (Tell me I'm not wishing for the impossible here, people!)
Thank you, NG!
That they are all such nice guys is just a bonus- nice because where one pays special attention to potential collateral damage, another is a hodge podge mix of leather jacket clad nature boy... slightly eco-footprint without being preachy about it, and the other? The other is sly and hot and aware and UNAPOLOGETIC about none of those things. Thus, it's a toss up to determine just who I enjoyed most- Ezra, for his cocky asshole ways, or Lock for all those smooth moments balanced out by the not-so smooth ones, or Ava- all resigned over the way things are but plodding on and being snarky nonetheless! Or perhaps, them together is what made each of them shine. (Yup, I'm going with the last one.)
But more than the nice they're each capable of, there's the funnier WISE GUY bit they had going for them. They're not the good-guys by typical standards: muscle, assassin, and thief, each crack made by one or the other painted a clear picture of them as a team- one aware of what the other is capable of or what the other's about to do. And funny because of it. There's genuine camaraderie present plus the knowledge of one another that makes for interesting dynamics; because there's them in a sort of comfort zone (mindful of pigeonholes versus possibilities,) but hellbent on not shaking things up. But with the shaking up being inevitable... Gah! all that pressure, all that tension Gah! me thinking back to the Lock and Ava moments has me wanting to reread this... and I just finished it too!
Now that Clique-y group friend thing aside, the dark aspect in this was equally engaging. There's that dark underbelly mafia feel, with more than one crazy present. I liked it even as I am now left with a want to know more. In other words, there's more of Ava and Lock an Ez to come, right?! Right? (Tell me I'm not wishing for the impossible here, people!)
Thank you, NG!
May 9, 2017
update 27.08.2014
there is an EXCERPT on TOR.
---------------
Snippet from the book:
* on Lish McBride's blog
"I can be ready in five,” I said.
He wiped what was left of the suds I’d forgotten off my nose. “No, you’ll eat some breakfast, finish your coffee, and I’ll see you in an hour."
“Besides,” Duncan added, “evicting Ezra in under five minutes is hardly humane.”... read the rest HERE!
dnf
October 17, 2014I tried. I don't know.. Maybe it's me. The blurb and that cover lured me in. I thought this is it. This is the book that I've been waiting for. Sadly, it's not. I think it's the main protagonist. She's so boring. I feel like a robot reading this. Anyway, I'll check the other books of the author!
May 7, 2015
McBride writing is on point, so much wit and sarcasm. I love it. I'll recommend you read her first duology to better understand the world.
December 12, 2015
I laughed so much in this book! There was action, and romance, and a LOT of sarcasm! Definitely can't wait for the next one! :)
September 1, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Hilarious story full of action, adventure and a splash of romance. McBride once again delivers a purely fun book that I’m sure all young adult paranormal fans will enjoys
Opening Sentence: RYAN SLAMMED the book shut and tipped his head back, sprawling on the bench and claiming it as his own.
The Review:
Seventeen year old Ava has a very special ability, she can start fires with her mind. People with her talents are known as firebugs and they are very rare. Because they are so hard to come by there are certain groups of people that will go to great lengths to gain their services. Unfortunately, at a young age Ava’s mother was murdered and she was forced to sign a blood contract with the Coterie, the group that had her mother killed. If she refused to work for them they would have killed everyone she cares about.
Now years later, Ava works as a magical hit man for the Coterie. She doesn’t like her job, but if she refuses to do anything they tell her to there are dire consequences for her and those she cares about. But when she is ordered to kill a family friend Ava says no. She knows that there is no walking away from the Coterie so her and a small group of friends take off. But soon Ava realizes that running away isn’t going to solve anything and if she wants to finally live a somewhat normal life she is going to have to face her problems head on. And right now her problem is the Coterie!
I loved Ava, she was a snarky girl with lots of attitude which is my favorite kind of character. She also has a really big heart which made it even easier to like her. Her life obviously hasn’t been the easiest, but overall she has a pretty positive outlook. She has great friends, a loving guardian, and a place she can finally call home. Growing up she was constantly on the run with her mother so to finally have a place to call home is a really big deal to Ava. Just like all teenagers she makes some dumb decisions, but she owns up to her mistakes and I liked that. She doesn’t run from her problems, she faces them which I found very admirable. Overall, I thought she was a fun character and I can’t wait to read more of her story.
My favorite character in the entire book was Lock. He is part dryad and has the ability to talk to trees. He volunteered to work for the Corterie in exchange for them to leave his family alone. He has been part of Ava’s team from the moment she joined the Coterie. Even though he’s not the most powerful one of the group he has always been the leader. He takes care of Ava and Erza, which I thought was really cute. I loved that he doesn’t sugarcoat things he tells you how it is even if you don’t want to hear it. He obviously has a thing for Ava, but she is totally oblivious to it. I am totally rooting for him and if Ava doesn’t end up with him eventually, I am going to be very disappointed.
The other member of their group is Ezra. He is a werefox which basically means he can transform into a fox whenever he wants to. He is sneaky just like a fox and quite good at stealing anything he wants. He also is crazy good looking but his relationship with Ava is totally platonic. Ezra is hilarious and always helps to lighten the mood which was refreshing. He is also a very loyal friend and just an all around nice guy.
Firebug was an action-packed story full of humor, adventure, and a splash of romance. Just like other works by McBride, this was just pure fun. She does such a great job filling the pages with playful banter and intriguing characters. I was instantly drawn into the world that she created and enjoyed the entire story. While there wasn’t a lot of romance in the story there is a good setup for the next book in the series. The best thing about this story was all the amazing characters. Each one of them was engaging and because I loved all of them so much, it really helped me to connect with the story as a whole. The ending was done perfectly, it wrapped up everything nicely but left me still wanting more. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Overall, this was a great read and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun young adult book!
Notable Scene:
Between the back and forth, the staring from the table, and all the affection, I was officially beet red all the way to my roots. I should have pretended to barf when I had the chance. In fact, I actually did feel like barfing. I smacked Lock’s arm as it moved to snake back around me, but that didn’t take the smug look off his face as he stared at Ryan.
“By the way, if you’re looking for your black jeans, they’re at my place,” Lock stage-whispered at me. “I put them with your spares and your toothbrush.”
I glowered at my best friend. The bastard. On the occasions when I had to work close to the city and I was too tired or too weak after a job, I crashed at Lock’s apartment, rather than take a room in one of the Coterie-owned hotels. Can you imagine their mini bar? Candy bars, vials of blood, raw meat, brains, maybe some bottled water … ew. I had a bag full of spare clothes and supplies at Lock’s place, and he had just used that information to take Ryan’s jealousy to code red. It looked like he was ready to shoot flames out of his ears. Which I did once, by the way, just to see if I could. It took months for my hair to grow back properly.
FTC Advisory: Macmillan provided me with a copy of Firebug. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Hilarious story full of action, adventure and a splash of romance. McBride once again delivers a purely fun book that I’m sure all young adult paranormal fans will enjoys
Opening Sentence: RYAN SLAMMED the book shut and tipped his head back, sprawling on the bench and claiming it as his own.
The Review:
Seventeen year old Ava has a very special ability, she can start fires with her mind. People with her talents are known as firebugs and they are very rare. Because they are so hard to come by there are certain groups of people that will go to great lengths to gain their services. Unfortunately, at a young age Ava’s mother was murdered and she was forced to sign a blood contract with the Coterie, the group that had her mother killed. If she refused to work for them they would have killed everyone she cares about.
Now years later, Ava works as a magical hit man for the Coterie. She doesn’t like her job, but if she refuses to do anything they tell her to there are dire consequences for her and those she cares about. But when she is ordered to kill a family friend Ava says no. She knows that there is no walking away from the Coterie so her and a small group of friends take off. But soon Ava realizes that running away isn’t going to solve anything and if she wants to finally live a somewhat normal life she is going to have to face her problems head on. And right now her problem is the Coterie!
I loved Ava, she was a snarky girl with lots of attitude which is my favorite kind of character. She also has a really big heart which made it even easier to like her. Her life obviously hasn’t been the easiest, but overall she has a pretty positive outlook. She has great friends, a loving guardian, and a place she can finally call home. Growing up she was constantly on the run with her mother so to finally have a place to call home is a really big deal to Ava. Just like all teenagers she makes some dumb decisions, but she owns up to her mistakes and I liked that. She doesn’t run from her problems, she faces them which I found very admirable. Overall, I thought she was a fun character and I can’t wait to read more of her story.
My favorite character in the entire book was Lock. He is part dryad and has the ability to talk to trees. He volunteered to work for the Corterie in exchange for them to leave his family alone. He has been part of Ava’s team from the moment she joined the Coterie. Even though he’s not the most powerful one of the group he has always been the leader. He takes care of Ava and Erza, which I thought was really cute. I loved that he doesn’t sugarcoat things he tells you how it is even if you don’t want to hear it. He obviously has a thing for Ava, but she is totally oblivious to it. I am totally rooting for him and if Ava doesn’t end up with him eventually, I am going to be very disappointed.
The other member of their group is Ezra. He is a werefox which basically means he can transform into a fox whenever he wants to. He is sneaky just like a fox and quite good at stealing anything he wants. He also is crazy good looking but his relationship with Ava is totally platonic. Ezra is hilarious and always helps to lighten the mood which was refreshing. He is also a very loyal friend and just an all around nice guy.
Firebug was an action-packed story full of humor, adventure, and a splash of romance. Just like other works by McBride, this was just pure fun. She does such a great job filling the pages with playful banter and intriguing characters. I was instantly drawn into the world that she created and enjoyed the entire story. While there wasn’t a lot of romance in the story there is a good setup for the next book in the series. The best thing about this story was all the amazing characters. Each one of them was engaging and because I loved all of them so much, it really helped me to connect with the story as a whole. The ending was done perfectly, it wrapped up everything nicely but left me still wanting more. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Overall, this was a great read and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun young adult book!
Notable Scene:
Between the back and forth, the staring from the table, and all the affection, I was officially beet red all the way to my roots. I should have pretended to barf when I had the chance. In fact, I actually did feel like barfing. I smacked Lock’s arm as it moved to snake back around me, but that didn’t take the smug look off his face as he stared at Ryan.
“By the way, if you’re looking for your black jeans, they’re at my place,” Lock stage-whispered at me. “I put them with your spares and your toothbrush.”
I glowered at my best friend. The bastard. On the occasions when I had to work close to the city and I was too tired or too weak after a job, I crashed at Lock’s apartment, rather than take a room in one of the Coterie-owned hotels. Can you imagine their mini bar? Candy bars, vials of blood, raw meat, brains, maybe some bottled water … ew. I had a bag full of spare clothes and supplies at Lock’s place, and he had just used that information to take Ryan’s jealousy to code red. It looked like he was ready to shoot flames out of his ears. Which I did once, by the way, just to see if I could. It took months for my hair to grow back properly.
FTC Advisory: Macmillan provided me with a copy of Firebug. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
May 30, 2024
I should make a bookshelf for "leading women written by women who hate other women" with this book as its poster child. I've never DNFed a book before but oooooh boy. I was close with this one.
August 27, 2014
Firebug was a solid start to a new series by Lish McBride. I may be in the minority with my rating as I didn’t absolutely love this but I will say that while that might be true, I found myself enjoying the characters and the overall story.
Ava is a firebug and lives in a paranormal world where it isn’t uncommon to be friends with a guy who talks to trees, turns into a fox, or even someone who carves figures out of wood which he can then make them real. The challenge for Ava is that her power (the ability to control fire) is rare and due to circumstances outside of her control, she doesn’t lead a normal life…no matter how much she would like to.
I liked Ava. She is sarcastic and loyal…two things I think are important in people and I enjoyed the banter she had with Lock and Ezra. She also had a really solid relationship with Cade (her guardian) and while they didn’t always see eye to eye on things, he respected Ava’s decisions and treated her like an adult and she respected him back.
Another thing I liked about this book was the friendship McBride created between Ava, Lock, and Ezra. There is a bit of sexual tension between Ava and Lock but regardless of anything else going on with them, they were always friends first. Along with Ezra, they supported each other even if they didn’t agree with their decisions and they always protected each other. I think the friendship between these characters was my favorite part of this entire book.
As Ava digs into her background and finds out more about her mother we also end up finding out more about Ava. She is currently in a situation where she, Lock, and Ezra are enforcers for a vampire named Venus. Venus runs the group called the Coterie. This is the same group that is responsible for killing Ava’s mother (actually Venus was behind that too) and now Venus has asked Ava to take a contract that involves taking out a friend of the family. When Ava says no…which she very obviously shouldn’t have done…Venus comes after her with all the firepower she has.
Now, you’re probably reading my review wondering “This sounds fantastic, why only three stars Erin?” Well, I found that there were times the story dragged for me. All the reminders that Cade was only human but was super important to Ava only led to me mumbling “Yeah, I get it.” And I didn’t need all the flashbacks and detail around the past events. I really just wanted to know why her mom was killed and why Ava was stuck in this blood pact.
With that said, I did enjoy this story and look forward to the next book as I’m curious to see what happens next for this group. There was plenty of action and snarky banter to keep me turning the pages and I love the paranormal world these characters inhabit. If you are looking for a new paranormal series, consider checking this one out.
Thank you to Macmillan for the review copy.
Ava is a firebug and lives in a paranormal world where it isn’t uncommon to be friends with a guy who talks to trees, turns into a fox, or even someone who carves figures out of wood which he can then make them real. The challenge for Ava is that her power (the ability to control fire) is rare and due to circumstances outside of her control, she doesn’t lead a normal life…no matter how much she would like to.
I liked Ava. She is sarcastic and loyal…two things I think are important in people and I enjoyed the banter she had with Lock and Ezra. She also had a really solid relationship with Cade (her guardian) and while they didn’t always see eye to eye on things, he respected Ava’s decisions and treated her like an adult and she respected him back.
Another thing I liked about this book was the friendship McBride created between Ava, Lock, and Ezra. There is a bit of sexual tension between Ava and Lock but regardless of anything else going on with them, they were always friends first. Along with Ezra, they supported each other even if they didn’t agree with their decisions and they always protected each other. I think the friendship between these characters was my favorite part of this entire book.
As Ava digs into her background and finds out more about her mother we also end up finding out more about Ava. She is currently in a situation where she, Lock, and Ezra are enforcers for a vampire named Venus. Venus runs the group called the Coterie. This is the same group that is responsible for killing Ava’s mother (actually Venus was behind that too) and now Venus has asked Ava to take a contract that involves taking out a friend of the family. When Ava says no…which she very obviously shouldn’t have done…Venus comes after her with all the firepower she has.
Now, you’re probably reading my review wondering “This sounds fantastic, why only three stars Erin?” Well, I found that there were times the story dragged for me. All the reminders that Cade was only human but was super important to Ava only led to me mumbling “Yeah, I get it.” And I didn’t need all the flashbacks and detail around the past events. I really just wanted to know why her mom was killed and why Ava was stuck in this blood pact.
With that said, I did enjoy this story and look forward to the next book as I’m curious to see what happens next for this group. There was plenty of action and snarky banter to keep me turning the pages and I love the paranormal world these characters inhabit. If you are looking for a new paranormal series, consider checking this one out.
Thank you to Macmillan for the review copy.
January 18, 2016
I read this because I read and enjoyed Ms McBride's torshort Burnt Sugar. I didn't give it All The Stars, but I enjoyed it, it felt fresh and entertaining and just enough kickass, I wanted to read more. I had high expectations for Firebug. Expectations ... dashed. :-(
It's not that this book was BAD per se, not at all! It was good, it was fun, it was exactly what I SHOULD have expected from the short. But somehow I expected something more. This is one of those YA books that should definitely be read by a YA audience. This book does not have cross-over appeal, and that's the mistake I made. I read it as a 48 year old woman. Whoops!
So, if you are solidly within the YA demographic, and you want to read about a contemporary kickass paranormal heroine who is an infinitely indentured servant working as an assassin for a vampire underlord, well .... this book is for YOU!! Obviously enough from the title and cover, Ava's superpower is FIRE! (This makes it a fun companion piece to Stephen King's Firestarter! If you haven't read that yet, you should! I read it as a teen and I LOVED it!) Ava's overlordunderlord, Venus, killed Ava's mother, so she has some issues to work out there. Venus is incredibly cruel and evil. Venus is completely one-dimensional evil, in fact. There are no gray areas in this book. There's complexity at all: you get what you see, and that's that, Ava is the goodguy, her friends are the good guys, Venus is evil and must be stopped. Ava gets to the point where she has had enough, and all hell breaks loose. Fun fun fun ...
It's not that this book was BAD per se, not at all! It was good, it was fun, it was exactly what I SHOULD have expected from the short. But somehow I expected something more. This is one of those YA books that should definitely be read by a YA audience. This book does not have cross-over appeal, and that's the mistake I made. I read it as a 48 year old woman. Whoops!
So, if you are solidly within the YA demographic, and you want to read about a contemporary kickass paranormal heroine who is an infinitely indentured servant working as an assassin for a vampire underlord, well .... this book is for YOU!! Obviously enough from the title and cover, Ava's superpower is FIRE! (This makes it a fun companion piece to Stephen King's Firestarter! If you haven't read that yet, you should! I read it as a teen and I LOVED it!) Ava's overlordunderlord, Venus, killed Ava's mother, so she has some issues to work out there. Venus is incredibly cruel and evil. Venus is completely one-dimensional evil, in fact. There are no gray areas in this book. There's complexity at all: you get what you see, and that's that, Ava is the goodguy, her friends are the good guys, Venus is evil and must be stopped. Ava gets to the point where she has had enough, and all hell breaks loose. Fun fun fun ...
March 10, 2019
I read this series backwards, without knowing it - still enjoyable backwards.
There is one thing I was made aware of with the characters that I have noticed others also pointing out - They can be frustrating, full of cringe and cliche, however I channeled into my teen/tween self and was able to enjoy the book well enough.
Ezra came across as the typical, good looking guy cliche but a bit more hyper thanks to his fox heritage. Lock, the typical brooding teen who is also the mother hen to fox kid Ezra and sarcastic, witty but somewhat judgmental Ava.
Maybe I'm biased to books with powers, especially when that power is where you can bring forth balls of fire and hurl them at people you hate. The whole Cotorie and many different types of supernatural, super-powered people I think sets the scene pretty well and in both books I love the idea of venturing deeper into it.
I've looked around and have decided after reading these, I will be looking into reading "Hold Me Closer, Necromancy" I mean, with a title like that - how can I not?
There is one thing I was made aware of with the characters that I have noticed others also pointing out - They can be frustrating, full of cringe and cliche, however I channeled into my teen/tween self and was able to enjoy the book well enough.
Ezra came across as the typical, good looking guy cliche but a bit more hyper thanks to his fox heritage. Lock, the typical brooding teen who is also the mother hen to fox kid Ezra and sarcastic, witty but somewhat judgmental Ava.
Maybe I'm biased to books with powers, especially when that power is where you can bring forth balls of fire and hurl them at people you hate. The whole Cotorie and many different types of supernatural, super-powered people I think sets the scene pretty well and in both books I love the idea of venturing deeper into it.
I've looked around and have decided after reading these, I will be looking into reading "Hold Me Closer, Necromancy" I mean, with a title like that - how can I not?
October 26, 2017
Huge thanks to Macmillan Teen/fierce Reads for hosting their giveaway for this book here on Goodreads!
This book is whip-smart and a wild ride. It moves faster than a forest fire and has all the heat. These characters are so cool, in their dialogue and teamwork, I want to hear spaghetti-western music as their theme song.
Read it and hang on -- I was flipping pages so quickly near the end I was afraid I'd tear them.
I am pleased this is to be a series because, for real, I refuse to sink my ship. So...book 2 out yet?
This book is whip-smart and a wild ride. It moves faster than a forest fire and has all the heat. These characters are so cool, in their dialogue and teamwork, I want to hear spaghetti-western music as their theme song.
Read it and hang on -- I was flipping pages so quickly near the end I was afraid I'd tear them.
I am pleased this is to be a series because, for real, I refuse to sink my ship. So...book 2 out yet?
December 9, 2015
I adore these characters and the world they inhabit, even if I might not care to be a part of it. Now if I could just witness Ava and Co. meeting up with Sam and Co., my life would be complete. Can you imagine how much fun that would be?
October 28, 2015
The characters in this book can only be described with the best adjectives: kickass, dreamy, sassy, lethal. From start to finish, this one's a winner.
June 4, 2015
Review Originally Posted At: FictionForesight
4 or 5 stars?.....that is the question!
Warning, do not read this book until the next in the series is ready to be published. Ignoring this warning may lead to disappointment, depression, fits of rage and frustration. You have been warned....be prepared.
A Quick Summary:
The ability to start fires with your mind, sounds awesome right? Not if your Ava - a "firebug" with a seriously bad mafia-style boss who would like nothing more than to kill her for disobeying orders. But wait, I'm getting too far ahead of myself, lets back up a bit. Ava is our protagonist. She's the type of girl who's stuck in a bad situation, working for even worse people, all the while dreaming of the kind of life most of us have... a normal life that is.
As a "firebug" Ava can start and manipulate fire's with her mind. Even in a world filled with fantastic abilities and magical creatures, Ava is still a rarity. Unfortunately, this is not a good thing. Her rare status has gotten her thrown into a life of servitude as a hit-woman for the Coterie, a supernatural mafia-style group who seeks nothing but control, dominance and power.
Even though Eva hates not being normal, hates her job, and hates Venus - her boss , she deals with it. She makes the best of her situation, and manages to maintain some semblance of a "life" outside of work. But when Venus gives Ava the order to kill a family friend, it becomes too much. Ava refuses, and as such she and her two closest friends, Lock and Ezra, become targets. Eva and her friends must find a way to stop the Coterie in order to save their loved ones, and themselves.
The Good:
Oh my. This is going to be a problem. Don't misunderstand, finding the good in this book is easy. It's keeping this section under a million words that's going to be difficult. But I'll give it a go.
First and foremost, characters. Man are these characters awesome. You know I've heard a lot recently about problems in Fantasy-type books where characters are "flat" and "boring". The people who say these things, have yet to read a Lish McBride book. Firebug's characters are so.....just......epic! Ava is so snarky, so badass, but yet loyal, passionate and devoted to her friends and family. She understand's that she's in a crap situation, and isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Her friends, Ezra and Lock are just as amazing. Lock is the responsible one. He's alluring, funny and a bit mysterious. Ezra is that friend you have that's cocky, assertive, and so damn narcissistic. But yet, you can't help but like him. Oh and lets not forget their both supernatural and their own ways too!
The relationships Lish creates between her characters are imperfectly perfect. The chemistry between the three is pure genius. They laugh together, fight together, they have each other's back, but they're not above the problems any normal friends have. They still fight, they still argue. But at the end of the day, they're still friends. Does romance play a factor between them? Maybe. I'm just not willing to go down that road, for spoilers sack if nothing else.
The dialogue in this book was above par to say the least. The witty back and forth between Ava, Ezra, Lock and other characters kept the book light, even when things were the darkest. You could be deeply emotional one second, and laughing out loud the next. It was that kind of manic switching of emotions that caused this book to fly by. And that's not an exaggeration. They're were times in this book, even non-fight scenes, where I was genuinely concerned for the safety of the book's bindings. I think it was the first time I've ever gotten a paper-cut and failed to notice until the book was finished.
I'm not above admitting that I favor fantasy books much more when they have epic battle scenes. I mean let's be honest here. Who doesn't love that Harry Potter Dumbledore Vs. Voldemort scene. That point in the story where you know it's about to go down. Let's just say that Firebug satisfies that need in more than one scene. And yes, it did go down!
The Bad:
As much as I hate to do it, I have to include the bad. Fear not, for me there wasn't that much.
I think the main issue I took with this book was the back-story. I understand we need to know about Ava's parentage, how she came to be in servitude to the Coterie, etc, but I wish that was a book of its own. I feel like, especially in the beginning, we as readers were overwhelmed with detail in this regard. Luckily the information overload improved throughout the book until it was only a minor discomfort.
The only other minor problem I see with this book are the clichés and some of the over-the-top jokes. I know this is a YA novel, but some of these felt a bit too childish and out-of-place.
Other:
For fan's of this book, I've been told Hold Me Closer Necromancer, also by Lish McBride, is of the same vein. While I haven't gotten the chance to read it yet, trust me, it's on my shelf.
And don't forget, Firebug is a 2-part series. So keep an eye out for the next book, Pyromantic, coming soon. If you find yourself overwhelmed with the need to read more about Ava, Lock and Ezra, there is a .05 introduction story called Burnt Sugar available online!
Overall:
Firebug was, simply put, a great read. It combines hilarious characters, witty dialogue, exciting action scenes and awesome powers. It pulls you in, takes you on an epic and fun-filled thrill ride, and then leaves you wanting more. The funny thing is, the book doesn't need to be a series. Just about every story arch wraps up in the end, so hypothetically that could be it. Thank God this isn't actually the case. I sincerely can not wait to see what new trouble Ava and the gang find themselves in next time!
(On second thought, forget the warning from up top). Read it now. Some things must be enjoyed immediately and damn the consequences!)
(www.FictionForesight.com)
4 or 5 stars?.....that is the question!
Warning, do not read this book until the next in the series is ready to be published. Ignoring this warning may lead to disappointment, depression, fits of rage and frustration. You have been warned....be prepared.
A Quick Summary:
The ability to start fires with your mind, sounds awesome right? Not if your Ava - a "firebug" with a seriously bad mafia-style boss who would like nothing more than to kill her for disobeying orders. But wait, I'm getting too far ahead of myself, lets back up a bit. Ava is our protagonist. She's the type of girl who's stuck in a bad situation, working for even worse people, all the while dreaming of the kind of life most of us have... a normal life that is.
As a "firebug" Ava can start and manipulate fire's with her mind. Even in a world filled with fantastic abilities and magical creatures, Ava is still a rarity. Unfortunately, this is not a good thing. Her rare status has gotten her thrown into a life of servitude as a hit-woman for the Coterie, a supernatural mafia-style group who seeks nothing but control, dominance and power.
Even though Eva hates not being normal, hates her job, and hates Venus - her boss , she deals with it. She makes the best of her situation, and manages to maintain some semblance of a "life" outside of work. But when Venus gives Ava the order to kill a family friend, it becomes too much. Ava refuses, and as such she and her two closest friends, Lock and Ezra, become targets. Eva and her friends must find a way to stop the Coterie in order to save their loved ones, and themselves.
The Good:
Oh my. This is going to be a problem. Don't misunderstand, finding the good in this book is easy. It's keeping this section under a million words that's going to be difficult. But I'll give it a go.
First and foremost, characters. Man are these characters awesome. You know I've heard a lot recently about problems in Fantasy-type books where characters are "flat" and "boring". The people who say these things, have yet to read a Lish McBride book. Firebug's characters are so.....just......epic! Ava is so snarky, so badass, but yet loyal, passionate and devoted to her friends and family. She understand's that she's in a crap situation, and isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Her friends, Ezra and Lock are just as amazing. Lock is the responsible one. He's alluring, funny and a bit mysterious. Ezra is that friend you have that's cocky, assertive, and so damn narcissistic. But yet, you can't help but like him. Oh and lets not forget their both supernatural and their own ways too!
The relationships Lish creates between her characters are imperfectly perfect. The chemistry between the three is pure genius. They laugh together, fight together, they have each other's back, but they're not above the problems any normal friends have. They still fight, they still argue. But at the end of the day, they're still friends. Does romance play a factor between them? Maybe. I'm just not willing to go down that road, for spoilers sack if nothing else.
The dialogue in this book was above par to say the least. The witty back and forth between Ava, Ezra, Lock and other characters kept the book light, even when things were the darkest. You could be deeply emotional one second, and laughing out loud the next. It was that kind of manic switching of emotions that caused this book to fly by. And that's not an exaggeration. They're were times in this book, even non-fight scenes, where I was genuinely concerned for the safety of the book's bindings. I think it was the first time I've ever gotten a paper-cut and failed to notice until the book was finished.
I'm not above admitting that I favor fantasy books much more when they have epic battle scenes. I mean let's be honest here. Who doesn't love that Harry Potter Dumbledore Vs. Voldemort scene. That point in the story where you know it's about to go down. Let's just say that Firebug satisfies that need in more than one scene. And yes, it did go down!
The Bad:
As much as I hate to do it, I have to include the bad. Fear not, for me there wasn't that much.
I think the main issue I took with this book was the back-story. I understand we need to know about Ava's parentage, how she came to be in servitude to the Coterie, etc, but I wish that was a book of its own. I feel like, especially in the beginning, we as readers were overwhelmed with detail in this regard. Luckily the information overload improved throughout the book until it was only a minor discomfort.
The only other minor problem I see with this book are the clichés and some of the over-the-top jokes. I know this is a YA novel, but some of these felt a bit too childish and out-of-place.
Other:
For fan's of this book, I've been told Hold Me Closer Necromancer, also by Lish McBride, is of the same vein. While I haven't gotten the chance to read it yet, trust me, it's on my shelf.
And don't forget, Firebug is a 2-part series. So keep an eye out for the next book, Pyromantic, coming soon. If you find yourself overwhelmed with the need to read more about Ava, Lock and Ezra, there is a .05 introduction story called Burnt Sugar available online!
Overall:
Firebug was, simply put, a great read. It combines hilarious characters, witty dialogue, exciting action scenes and awesome powers. It pulls you in, takes you on an epic and fun-filled thrill ride, and then leaves you wanting more. The funny thing is, the book doesn't need to be a series. Just about every story arch wraps up in the end, so hypothetically that could be it. Thank God this isn't actually the case. I sincerely can not wait to see what new trouble Ava and the gang find themselves in next time!
(On second thought, forget the warning from up top). Read it now. Some things must be enjoyed immediately and damn the consequences!)
(www.FictionForesight.com)
September 9, 2020
Ava is a firebug. She's liable to go all firey (literally) when she's emotional. She also has the potential to go supernova. She's rare and therefore, all the more precious or is it, powerful? Unfortunately, she is also owned by the Coterie. She is their assassin enforcer, but not by choice. She's doing it so that her loved ones aren't hurt but this is about to change...
As always, I find it difficult to read when the protagonist is angry one. Sure, she's got just cause but yet, I do wish she's a little bit more sharp. On the other hand, it's a reasonable paced book and a fast read plus the friendship angle was great. I loved the 3 friends and their snarks. It's a good ending and thankfully, not a cliff hanger.
As always, I find it difficult to read when the protagonist is angry one. Sure, she's got just cause but yet, I do wish she's a little bit more sharp. On the other hand, it's a reasonable paced book and a fast read plus the friendship angle was great. I loved the 3 friends and their snarks. It's a good ending and thankfully, not a cliff hanger.
May 28, 2023
3.5 stars
I really enjoy this writer, the best part for me is the sense of humor, that you can see all around in these pages. I think that I prefer the other series by her, about the young necromancer, but we have an interesting cast of characters, and even if I think that in this case, the villain was a tad... underdeveloped, it wasn't too bad, and I had a great time with it.
I loved that the MC is a pyromancer, and I loved that she works amazingly well with her friends (even if I have yet to know why every Ezra in books is gorgeous, it's not that I am complaining, I just need to know if there is a specific reason!!!), they are an amazing team, and I had fun with them, even if the story is, for the most part, grim!
I really enjoy this writer, the best part for me is the sense of humor, that you can see all around in these pages. I think that I prefer the other series by her, about the young necromancer, but we have an interesting cast of characters, and even if I think that in this case, the villain was a tad... underdeveloped, it wasn't too bad, and I had a great time with it.
I loved that the MC is a pyromancer, and I loved that she works amazingly well with her friends (even if I have yet to know why every Ezra in books is gorgeous, it's not that I am complaining, I just need to know if there is a specific reason!!!), they are an amazing team, and I had fun with them, even if the story is, for the most part, grim!
June 25, 2018
he story moves really fast. It appears to take place over the span of about a week, which made me doubt a little bit how much could happen in that timeline. I loved how black and white it was. All the characters were either good or bad, and all the characters thought that of each other. There was a huge lesson about that. However, I did not like the setting. There was really no explanation for where you were most of the time, and that was really confusing. There was not much background information, and it was hard to picture what was going on most of the time with all the commotion of running away.
September 7, 2019
Stars: 1.5/5
Displaying 1 - 29 of 319 reviews