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ria_mhrj's review
2.0
Oof this hurts. Wonderful concept, weird world and unusual magic system - all promising! But the characters are all pretty awful people, there's a whole host of -isms to deal with (I know this is an older book and I'm judging by modern standards... But this was painful at times), and the romance was so flat. Not for me.
craftingrama's review against another edition
4.0
It was a really good book but I had a few issues with some of the darker stuff in it, most of which really didn't need to be in it.
sbbarnes's review
4.0
Some early-adaptation-weirdness in this one; the Elementals system isn't as set up as it is in later books. Fairly straight-up Beauty and the Beast retelling, there are even some nods to the Disney film (I thought).
Jason I found a little too angry. There's a fine line between historically accurate morally acceptable behaviour and occasional misogyny and blinding rage. The rage was addressed, but I found the solution kind of hand-waved.
Paul is just an amalgamation of all the evil. Everything evil, he does it.
Nonetheless - engaging, enjoyable read.
Jason I found a little too angry. There's a fine line between historically accurate morally acceptable behaviour and occasional misogyny and blinding rage. The rage was addressed, but I found the solution kind of hand-waved.
Paul is just an amalgamation of all the evil. Everything evil, he does it.
Nonetheless - engaging, enjoyable read.
minervadashwood's review
1.0
I ended up skimming the last 100 pages of the book. After Rose learns of Jason's secret, the characters spend a great deal of time figuring out what Du Mond is up to. Which wouldn't be a problem if it all weren't so obvious from Du Mond's POV chapters. This would have been a much stronger story if those sections were left out altogether.
aphelia88's review
4.0
This is a light read that drags a bit around the middle and doesn't finish as strongly as it could have, which was a little disappointing.
The Fire Rose is a loose retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, set in Victorian San Francisco. It is part of Lackey's long running Elemental Masters series but can be read as a standalone. Indeed, I'm not sure why this novel is classified so oddly; it seems to be the 1st in the Elemental Masters series, but when it's listed with that series, it's usually designated as #0!
I have previously read:
#1. [b:The Serpent's Shadow|13997|The Serpent's Shadow (Elemental Masters, #1)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406635564s/13997.jpg|2616],
#4. [b:The Wizard of London|13983|The Wizard of London (Elemental Masters, #4)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406635586s/13983.jpg|16083] and
#5. [b:Reserved for the Cat|176874|Reserved for the Cat (Elemental Masters, #5)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389496249s/176874.jpg|170878].
Like Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdom series (starting with [b:The Fairy Godmother|13982|The Fairy Godmother (Five Hundred Kingdoms, #1)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388353477s/13982.jpg|16082]), each book is based on a fairy tale and although the books are connected they can easily be read out of order.
I had hoped that it would shed more light on the Elemental Magic system. Although the magic system is still rather vague and confusing, the basic order is this: there are mages who can control one of the Four Elements, and each element is embodied in "magickal" creatures called "Elementals". Fire Masters control Salamander Elementals, Air Masters control Sylphs, Earth Masters control Gnomes and Water Masters control Undines. Masters of opposite elements (e.g. Fire and Water) are natural enemies. Masters are also territorial and two Masters of the same type cannot live near each other. If a Master loses control of his or her Elementals, the Elementals will cause catastrophic damage (fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes).
Jason Cameron is a reclusive Firemaster, stuck in a monstrous half-man, half-wolf form since he attempted a transformation spell that went awry, due to self-confessed hubris and boredom. Having long ago Mastered his element, he wanted a challenge and ended up in agony. He cannot go to his fellow Masters for help, as it would expose weakness and leave him and his territory open to challenge.
His new form, with it's paws and weak eyesight, makes the research needed to find a cure impossible. So he gets his Salamanders to identify someone who can help him, and enlists Rosalind Hawkins, a scholar and linguist, to come to the house. Having been recently orphaned by her absent-minded professor of a father who proved to be seriously in debt, Rose is penniless and in dire circumstances: she cannot refuse, and Jason makes use of that, which is despicable.
He pretends to be in need of a tutor for imaginary children, and when Rose arrives, he pretends to be an invalid who couldn't tell her the truth. They communicate via speaking horn, and although the arrangements are strange, Rose is quickly caught up in the mysteries surrounding her and takes real pleasure in her studies. Her quick mind and humour endear her to Jason, and when he senses "magickal" capabilities for Air within her, he makes Rose his Apprentice.
Rose has everything she could want - beautiful living quarters, an amazing and rich wardrobe, rare books and meaningful work that she loves. But she can't shake a feeling of menace, and when Jason's current Apprentice and Agent in the outside world decides that Rose is taking his place, he decides to do something about it.
The first 2/3 of the book is taken up with the delicate dance between Jason and Rose. Jason, at first, is a conceited bore. He worries Rose will dress too plainly for his painstakingly decorated luxurious house! He wants a dull, biddable female who will read his odd books without interest and do what she's told. Ha! Little does he know. Used to controlling everything via his magic - he watches Rose's movements at all times from the mirrors in his study - he doesn't know quite what to make of stubborn, determined, obstinate Rose.
For her part, Rose is not a romantic. She wants to be left to her books, and her greatest dream in life is to return to University and finish her studies. Yet she cannot help being intrigued by Jason Cameron and the odd magical texts he has her read to him, and when she learns his true identity, she does not shy away disgust. Watching them learn to trust each other is entertaining.
However, the character of Apprentice Paul du Mond is problematic. Although Lackey takes great pains to depict him as a vile, hideous man - and succeeds - he is a lackluster villain. Greedy with terrible sexual appetites, he is manipulated by Jason's longtime foe, fellow Firemaster Simon Beltaine, by those very depravities. Simon promises Paul an easier entry into Elemental Mastery - Aleister Crowley variety sex "magick". It's not clear why Jason and Simon detest each other but Simon decides, rather oddly, to use Rose to strike at Jason.
Some unanswered questions:
2. All along, I was waiting for Jason's remarkable horse Sunset to prove his hidden magical nature. Turns out he didn't have one - and Jason had to make an enigmatic "Firehorse" out of the most intelligent of his Salamanders - did it stay a horse, or return to being a Salamander?
3. How on earth did Paul know that Rose was a virgin? It is revealed that she is one when she participates as the Summoner in the Unicorn ritual with Jason, since virginity is a requirement to fulfill the role. But Paul does not know about this ritual and Jason and Rose take pains to conceal it from him. Yet when a virgin is needed for Simon's ritual, Paul thinks of Rose immediately and sets off to abduct her. Since he believes her an ugly prude, it's not a great leap of logic, but his certainty is confusing, especially with his underground connections.
4. Why does Simon, who is supposed to be so powerful, not strike directly at Jason? First, he works to subvert Paul and then tries to bespell Rose. What does he even want with Jason? We'll never know.
Overall, an enjoyable read that was marred by a lackluster ending. The ending was also very abrupt and it was very disappointing that after all the waltzing around their feelings we don't get to see much of Jason and Rose as a happy couple.After the Big Battle, we move right into a too short Epilogue. Even a few more pages showing their future would have made a huge difference.
Recommended to any reader who, like me, loves fairy tale retellings!
The Fire Rose is a loose retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, set in Victorian San Francisco. It is part of Lackey's long running Elemental Masters series but can be read as a standalone. Indeed, I'm not sure why this novel is classified so oddly; it seems to be the 1st in the Elemental Masters series, but when it's listed with that series, it's usually designated as #0!
I have previously read:
#1. [b:The Serpent's Shadow|13997|The Serpent's Shadow (Elemental Masters, #1)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406635564s/13997.jpg|2616],
#4. [b:The Wizard of London|13983|The Wizard of London (Elemental Masters, #4)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406635586s/13983.jpg|16083] and
#5. [b:Reserved for the Cat|176874|Reserved for the Cat (Elemental Masters, #5)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389496249s/176874.jpg|170878].
Like Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdom series (starting with [b:The Fairy Godmother|13982|The Fairy Godmother (Five Hundred Kingdoms, #1)|Mercedes Lackey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388353477s/13982.jpg|16082]), each book is based on a fairy tale and although the books are connected they can easily be read out of order.
I had hoped that it would shed more light on the Elemental Magic system. Although the magic system is still rather vague and confusing, the basic order is this: there are mages who can control one of the Four Elements, and each element is embodied in "magickal" creatures called "Elementals". Fire Masters control Salamander Elementals, Air Masters control Sylphs, Earth Masters control Gnomes and Water Masters control Undines. Masters of opposite elements (e.g. Fire and Water) are natural enemies. Masters are also territorial and two Masters of the same type cannot live near each other. If a Master loses control of his or her Elementals, the Elementals will cause catastrophic damage (fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes).
Jason Cameron is a reclusive Firemaster, stuck in a monstrous half-man, half-wolf form since he attempted a transformation spell that went awry, due to self-confessed hubris and boredom. Having long ago Mastered his element, he wanted a challenge and ended up in agony. He cannot go to his fellow Masters for help, as it would expose weakness and leave him and his territory open to challenge.
His new form, with it's paws and weak eyesight, makes the research needed to find a cure impossible. So he gets his Salamanders to identify someone who can help him, and enlists Rosalind Hawkins, a scholar and linguist, to come to the house. Having been recently orphaned by her absent-minded professor of a father who proved to be seriously in debt, Rose is penniless and in dire circumstances: she cannot refuse, and Jason makes use of that, which is despicable.
He pretends to be in need of a tutor for imaginary children, and when Rose arrives, he pretends to be an invalid who couldn't tell her the truth. They communicate via speaking horn, and although the arrangements are strange, Rose is quickly caught up in the mysteries surrounding her and takes real pleasure in her studies. Her quick mind and humour endear her to Jason, and when he senses "magickal" capabilities for Air within her, he makes Rose his Apprentice.
Rose has everything she could want - beautiful living quarters, an amazing and rich wardrobe, rare books and meaningful work that she loves. But she can't shake a feeling of menace, and when Jason's current Apprentice and Agent in the outside world decides that Rose is taking his place, he decides to do something about it.
The first 2/3 of the book is taken up with the delicate dance between Jason and Rose. Jason, at first, is a conceited bore. He worries Rose will dress too plainly for his painstakingly decorated luxurious house! He wants a dull, biddable female who will read his odd books without interest and do what she's told. Ha! Little does he know. Used to controlling everything via his magic - he watches Rose's movements at all times from the mirrors in his study - he doesn't know quite what to make of stubborn, determined, obstinate Rose.
For her part, Rose is not a romantic. She wants to be left to her books, and her greatest dream in life is to return to University and finish her studies. Yet she cannot help being intrigued by Jason Cameron and the odd magical texts he has her read to him, and when she learns his true identity, she does not shy away disgust. Watching them learn to trust each other is entertaining.
However, the character of Apprentice Paul du Mond is problematic. Although Lackey takes great pains to depict him as a vile, hideous man - and succeeds - he is a lackluster villain. Greedy with terrible sexual appetites, he is manipulated by Jason's longtime foe, fellow Firemaster Simon Beltaine, by those very depravities. Simon promises Paul an easier entry into Elemental Mastery - Aleister Crowley variety sex "magick". It's not clear why Jason and Simon detest each other but Simon decides, rather oddly, to use Rose to strike at Jason.
Some unanswered questions:
Spoiler
1. Why didn't Rose conjure up her Sylphs when Paul attacked her? Afterwards she says she didn't think of it, but since she befriended the Sylphs instead of binding them - following Jason's example with his Salamanders - I would have expected them to come to her rescue anyway. Why didn't they?2. All along, I was waiting for Jason's remarkable horse Sunset to prove his hidden magical nature. Turns out he didn't have one - and Jason had to make an enigmatic "Firehorse" out of the most intelligent of his Salamanders - did it stay a horse, or return to being a Salamander?
3. How on earth did Paul know that Rose was a virgin? It is revealed that she is one when she participates as the Summoner in the Unicorn ritual with Jason, since virginity is a requirement to fulfill the role. But Paul does not know about this ritual and Jason and Rose take pains to conceal it from him. Yet when a virgin is needed for Simon's ritual, Paul thinks of Rose immediately and sets off to abduct her. Since he believes her an ugly prude, it's not a great leap of logic, but his certainty is confusing, especially with his underground connections.
4. Why does Simon, who is supposed to be so powerful, not strike directly at Jason? First, he works to subvert Paul and then tries to bespell Rose. What does he even want with Jason? We'll never know.
Overall, an enjoyable read that was marred by a lackluster ending. The ending was also very abrupt and it was very disappointing that after all the waltzing around their feelings we don't get to see much of Jason and Rose as a happy couple.
Spoiler
They don't even get the chance to declare their love for each other - a minor character does, in one of those "she loves you, you love her, you're both foolish, let's get on with things" speeches!Recommended to any reader who, like me, loves fairy tale retellings!
inthelunaseas's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a bit ridiculous, sure, and the writing a touch average, but I can't hate on it. I think it's the sheer ridiculousness and average writing that made it so fun for me to read. After all, there was nothing particular awful about this book for me. With all the horrible reviews, I was expecting something more like [b:Hush Hush|6339664|Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1)|Becca Fitzpatrick|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WG6WSHdPL._SL75_.jpg|6525609]. Instead, it was a fairly average, maybe slightly bland fairy tale, with a woman who was perhaps a touch too liberated but still realistic, with the cliche terribly evil bad guys, and a somewhat grey good guy. The fact said good guy remains a half wolf in the end made the ending a lot more enjoyable for me.
stephs_bookshelf's review
5.0
A different take on the traditional Beauty and the Beast, very entertaining. I expect nothing but the best from Mercedes Lackey
vanquishingvolumes's review
2.0
This wasn’t necessarily an awful book, just incredibly lackluster and boring. Not much of substance happened, and it fell short of its promise to retell a well know fairy tale.
knboereads's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this twist on an age old fairy tale. The magickal world of early 19th century West America was definitely intriguing and seeing all the almost familiar characters from the original fairy tale (almost unrecognizable for sure) was great fun.
I love the way Mercedes Lackey writes and I think her prose and narrative form suited the tale perfectly. Rose was a great character, as was Jason (and Sunset! One of my favorites.).
(SPOILER ALERT)
The only thing that kind of rankled was the character of du Mond. If we're going by the Disney version of The Beauty and the Beast, which The Fire Rose is based upon, I suppose he would be Gaston. However, there were a few times when I thought such a deep exploration into his repugnant character was unnecessary and I would actually say a trigger warning is needed for mentions of rape and sexually and racially infused physical abuse of side characters. While Mercedes Lackey in no way ever, not once, gave the impression that this behavior by Paul du Mond was meant to be seen as anything other than repulsive I did feel that sometimes she went too far where there was no need. Not to say that she ever got totally explicit, but a lot of times I thought it was unnecessary. Like okay, we get it, he's evil scum.
Other than that, I really have nothing else that made me enjoy this book any less. I am already excited to start the second book in the series.
I love the way Mercedes Lackey writes and I think her prose and narrative form suited the tale perfectly. Rose was a great character, as was Jason (and Sunset! One of my favorites.).
(SPOILER ALERT)
The only thing that kind of rankled was the character of du Mond. If we're going by the Disney version of The Beauty and the Beast, which The Fire Rose is based upon, I suppose he would be Gaston. However, there were a few times when I thought such a deep exploration into his repugnant character was unnecessary and I would actually say a trigger warning is needed for mentions of rape and sexually and racially infused physical abuse of side characters. While Mercedes Lackey in no way ever, not once, gave the impression that this behavior by Paul du Mond was meant to be seen as anything other than repulsive I did feel that sometimes she went too far where there was no need. Not to say that she ever got totally explicit, but a lot of times I thought it was unnecessary. Like okay, we get it, he's evil scum.
Other than that, I really have nothing else that made me enjoy this book any less. I am already excited to start the second book in the series.