Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Fire

Your enjoyment of this book is going to depend entirely on whether or not you like the characters. I know there is a decent sized contingency of people who like Graceling and don't care for Fire or Bitterblue. As a teenager, I loved the whole trilogy and didn’t understand why others didn’t. Now that I'm rereading them as an adult I feel the same, but I understand where those people are coming from. Graceling is the outlier in the trilogy. Its much more plot focused than the other two, so if you need action in your fantasy to enjoy it you may not like this one or its sequel as much. There's political stuff going on, and there is a war, but the book is not about that really. It's about Fire and her journey and her growth. Personally, I love this cast of characters in general and Fire specifically, so I was invested in her journey and thus loved the book.

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pinkupengu's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I didn't add stars because I felt conflicted about how to feel about this book, even now I'm trying to decide if it was okay leaning towards liking it or if it was okay leaning more towards dislike. I looked at the other reviews and I can't seem to find anyone who agrees with my opinions so I thought I would express them just so maybe I can have others tell me their thoughts.
First I should warn that I didn't read The Graceling (I know what a sin I have committed) so I came into this world bright eyed and bushy tailed, unaware of what Cashore had to offer.
Secondly, I am not big on fantasy novels. Especially of the YA variety, not because there is anything wrong with them I just never could immerse myself in their world enough.
That being said, let's give some overall opinions that aren't really spoiler-y
-I liked Fire as a character, even when I couldn't relate to her I was able to sympathize and root for her
-also found the take on having a YA female protagnist not be a mousy,awkward,insecure,prudish kind of girl
-I didn't expect the twists that occurred, even the small ones that Fire learns. So it wasn't predictable
-I thought the world Cashore created was lovely and believable if not a little lacking in detail
-I thought some parts were a bit difficult to read about

rape,incest,cheating,murder,ect

but I found were necessary due to the kind of world
-Did not mind the casual sex unlike the other reviewers, in fact found it refreshing.
-didn't take the mentions of periods as a big deal
-Since the premise/description made the book seem more romantic-geared was somewhat disappointed with how they tied everything up for all romantic parties
-I really like the animals...like even the raptors
-The ending wasn't satisfying
OKAY NOW FOR THE SPOILER SECTION:

I very much liked almost every character even the ones that were less than likable like Lecker. A lot of things felt like they were just kind of messily put together like Brigian and Fire reuniting (I'm sorry I'm a sucker for the *drumroll* big kiss scene!) Although the hinting of Lecker's plan was well thought out, I though that Cashore seemed lazy with how it was placed during the ball and everything didn't seem tied up. That being said, the realism of how war works and how long it took and how war strategies can be used was comforting in a fictional world. ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE FLAWED AND I LOVED THAT. I felt very cheated that Nash didn't die, not that I wanted him to but I thought it was unfair that Cashore seemed to want to kill off one of the love interest (Archer) but not the other. I really enjoyed how Fire's abilities work, I thought they were descriptive enough that I could sense how it works without making it sound too magical where it sounds like a stretch. Also I enjoyed how they the entire book kept in suspense but I was waiting for a big twist and it never occurred, instead we were given tiny little twists; Archer's real father being her killer, Archer being killed, how Fire killed her father, the pregnancies and even the truth behind Brigian's birth. I just felt kinda lukewarm, I may need to re-read and decide.

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totallyshelfaware's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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jselliot's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book ... has some redeeming qualities, I grant. But mostly, compared to Graceling and Bitterblue, it reads as a self-insert fanfiction. Everything from style to the choice of tropes, right down to "Men can't help themselves and all women hate me." (I also couldn't help but notice there were no lesbian or bisexual women, despite the use of that trope.)

In short, I'd describe this particular book of YA fantasy as a hot mess express. Some people apparently love this more than any of the others, but it is just not for me.

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