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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A nostalgic read from my middle/high school years.
Brigan was one of my first book boyfriends. Glad to see he still holds up.
Brigan was one of my first book boyfriends. Glad to see he still holds up.
adventurous
This was one of my daughter’s favorite series she thinks in her middle school years. (This is also a testimony to the fact it is impossible for parents to always be able to keep track of what their kids are reading.) Anywho, the first book in the series is called Graceling and I am just getting started on that. My daughter didn’t have that book handy when she talked me into reading this one, but assured me it goes with the series, but isn’t required to read in order. (I guess this one would be considered the second.) I actually really enjoyed it. I’m a sucker for castles as a setting. This is definitely leaning hard into fantasy, but there is also loyalty and adventure and romance. I’m eager to read the other 3 books, to see how this one really does fit in, or not, to the series in general.
Review: Fire by Kristin Cashore
Continuing the tradition of reading books my kids are interested in is paying off in some interesting ways.
This is the second novel in a YA trilogy by Kristin Cashore, although it is actually a prequel to the novel Graceling.
Three Things I Like About Fire:
1. Monsters: The monsters are counterparts to the "natural" creatures in the world, and this concept is both wonderful and imaginative. The idea of creatures that are amped up in terms of their beauty, ferocity, giftedness, danger and intrigue is captivating and drives much of the story. The concept also begs the question what makes a monster monstrous? Such an idea kept me interested in how this characterization would play out.
2. Morality: Morality plays a large role in this novel. When is it moral to murder? What is the moral thing to do about an unplanned pregnancy? Is it moral to co-opt someone's free will under dire circumstances? Is morality even relevant? Heavy thoughts for YA readers, but important conversations to be had.
3. Agency: I absolutely love the agency Fire commands in the story. Although she concedes that it is her father who grants her that agency initially, there are numerous moments in the story when Fire presumes and demands agency. Her strength and determination are commendable.
Three Things I Liked Less about Fire:
1. Blending of Storylines: As a prequel to Graceling, I was hoping for a more meaningful and seamless blending of the storylines of Fire and Graceling. The glints offered about Leck's role in both stories left me with a lot of unanswered questions. Perhaps Bitterblue will fill in those gaps...
2. Final Battle Scene: Without spoiling anything, the final battle scene was confusing: Was it Leck's interference that turned the scene? Was it simply espionage and treachery? Too many unanswered questions that were not addressed left me wanting more clarity.
3. Ending: I like an ambiguous ending sometimes, but since this is a prequel, I expected a less "sterile" ending. There is a touch of happily-ever-after at work here, and it is unsettling because, having read Graceling first, I know that is an illusion. This illusion leaves too many questions.
I'm hoping that Bitterblue will fill in the gaps that Fire widened in the story arcs...
Check out my blog at http://ltwrmama.blogspot.com/
Continuing the tradition of reading books my kids are interested in is paying off in some interesting ways.
This is the second novel in a YA trilogy by Kristin Cashore, although it is actually a prequel to the novel Graceling.
Three Things I Like About Fire:
1. Monsters: The monsters are counterparts to the "natural" creatures in the world, and this concept is both wonderful and imaginative. The idea of creatures that are amped up in terms of their beauty, ferocity, giftedness, danger and intrigue is captivating and drives much of the story. The concept also begs the question what makes a monster monstrous? Such an idea kept me interested in how this characterization would play out.
2. Morality: Morality plays a large role in this novel. When is it moral to murder? What is the moral thing to do about an unplanned pregnancy? Is it moral to co-opt someone's free will under dire circumstances? Is morality even relevant? Heavy thoughts for YA readers, but important conversations to be had.
3. Agency: I absolutely love the agency Fire commands in the story. Although she concedes that it is her father who grants her that agency initially, there are numerous moments in the story when Fire presumes and demands agency. Her strength and determination are commendable.
Three Things I Liked Less about Fire:
1. Blending of Storylines: As a prequel to Graceling, I was hoping for a more meaningful and seamless blending of the storylines of Fire and Graceling. The glints offered about Leck's role in both stories left me with a lot of unanswered questions. Perhaps Bitterblue will fill in those gaps...
2. Final Battle Scene: Without spoiling anything, the final battle scene was confusing: Was it Leck's interference that turned the scene? Was it simply espionage and treachery? Too many unanswered questions that were not addressed left me wanting more clarity.
3. Ending: I like an ambiguous ending sometimes, but since this is a prequel, I expected a less "sterile" ending. There is a touch of happily-ever-after at work here, and it is unsettling because, having read Graceling first, I know that is an illusion. This illusion leaves too many questions.
I'm hoping that Bitterblue will fill in the gaps that Fire widened in the story arcs...
Check out my blog at http://ltwrmama.blogspot.com/
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quite amazing. Fire is such a lovable character and I love the way Cashore creates a new wonder in the same universe but connects the two in a way that makes you wonder how we get to Graceling. LOVE!
I feel like I can connect with this book, Kristin has a way of bringing her characters to life and helping me imagine myself in the characters shoes. I took a break from reading the rest of the books since reading this one as there is a lot to take in. It's very different to Graceling but they're equally as good as each other.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
This was a reread, though the last time I read this was in 2009. After reading Graceling so recently and finding it to be stellar, I found my feelings for Fire to be conflicted. I absolutely love the Dells and the royal family. I like Fire - but she's seventeen, she's going through war, she's going through grief, and she has a lot of subconscious gender role anxiety. She resonates, but it is tough to be in her head sometimes.
A companion novel to Graceling, which I hardly remember; looking back at my review of Graceling, that's unsurprising, since apparently I found that underwhelming.
Anyway. Lady Fire is a monster--called so because she possesses irresistible beauty and allure and the ability to control minds. Her late, unlamented father helped bring the kingdom of the Dells near to ruin; now Fire is being asked to use her powers to help restore it. But Fire has a natural wariness for using her ability to control people's minds for any reason.
The plot raises some interesting questions about the cost of beauty, and what it means to be an object of desire, and in doing so puts a couple twists on the traditional gender roles of high fantasy. Unfortunately, Cashore's writing is not strong enough to quite pull this off. Fire is effectively a telepath, so much of the action in the book is thinking. Which is fine: I like psychological drama, and not all fantasy needs to be of the sword-swinging variety, but it's the sort of narrative that depends a lot on strong prose. Alas, halfway through the book, I found myself remembering what the actress who played Deanna Troi in Star Trek: TNG used to say about how hard it was to make telepathy interesting from the outside.
Though I don't remember much about Graceling, I do recall that Katsa and Po's relationship was my favorite thing about it. The central romance here didn't work for me so well. I could see why Brigan was supposed to be the hero--I mean, he walks on the page, and you know he's the male lead--but I didn't feel that. It's possible that my timing as a reader was unfortunate here: having just read Finnikin of the Rock, where I loved both Finnikin and Evanjalin, I may have come into this other YA fantasy with somewhat inflated standards.
The book's attitudes toward sexuality was a pleasant surprise in a teen fantasy, though that may just reflect how the genre's standards have changed since I was an actual teen. However, the tangle of relationships in the older generation became a bit much at the end. Brigan's parentage felt like a bit like a copout, especially in a story that is generally positive about families of choice.
I'll continue to file Cashore's work under "good, not great."
Anyway. Lady Fire is a monster--called so because she possesses irresistible beauty and allure and the ability to control minds. Her late, unlamented father helped bring the kingdom of the Dells near to ruin; now Fire is being asked to use her powers to help restore it. But Fire has a natural wariness for using her ability to control people's minds for any reason.
The plot raises some interesting questions about the cost of beauty, and what it means to be an object of desire, and in doing so puts a couple twists on the traditional gender roles of high fantasy. Unfortunately, Cashore's writing is not strong enough to quite pull this off. Fire is effectively a telepath, so much of the action in the book is thinking. Which is fine: I like psychological drama, and not all fantasy needs to be of the sword-swinging variety, but it's the sort of narrative that depends a lot on strong prose. Alas, halfway through the book, I found myself remembering what the actress who played Deanna Troi in Star Trek: TNG used to say about how hard it was to make telepathy interesting from the outside.
Though I don't remember much about Graceling, I do recall that Katsa and Po's relationship was my favorite thing about it. The central romance here didn't work for me so well. I could see why Brigan was supposed to be the hero--I mean, he walks on the page, and you know he's the male lead--but I didn't feel that. It's possible that my timing as a reader was unfortunate here: having just read Finnikin of the Rock, where I loved both Finnikin and Evanjalin, I may have come into this other YA fantasy with somewhat inflated standards.
The book's attitudes toward sexuality was a pleasant surprise in a teen fantasy, though that may just reflect how the genre's standards have changed since I was an actual teen. However, the tangle of relationships in the older generation became a bit much at the end. Brigan's parentage felt like a bit like a copout, especially in a story that is generally positive about families of choice.
I'll continue to file Cashore's work under "good, not great."
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.75 stars - I really liked the characters in this one. Especially in kings city. I enjoyed the emotion and relationships between characters. I didn’t care for the “monsters,” and felt that the overall story was a little bleak. Tw: animal abuse. (This was so hard to read.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty