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rebaba82's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Blood, Misogyny, Vomit, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, War, Death, Grief, and Physical abuse
pinkupengu's review against another edition
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 aboutrape,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.
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
-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:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Death, Confinement, Violence, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Incest
Moderate: Cursing, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death, and Infidelity
Minor: Torture
Mention of contraception Gaslighting per mind controljselliot's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Violence, Misogyny, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexism
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia
siglerbooknook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Addiction, Infertility, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical trauma, Rape, Kidnapping, Medical content, Slavery, Abortion, Animal cruelty, and Cannibalism
noctadea's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Incest, Rape, and Abortion
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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? Yes
5.0
The thing that frustrates me the most about Fire is that it’s a companion novel in the Graceling Realm and I want more story in the Dells. What a beautiful, terrifying world we have here, and I absolutely delighted in it. The Dells are dangerous and beguiling. Cashore tells the story in such a way it’s easy to be invested in all the various characters, their pursuits, and the welfare of the greater world. And our villain. There’s so much to say here folks so I’ll try to compress all my somersaulting thoughts into a few concise paragraphs.
First, the characters. Cashore does something curious here and introduces us to Leck long before we meet Fire, the primary protagonist. Through our villain, we learn about the world, and we learn about the terrible things even a child can do when given unlimited power and no moral guidance. After spending time with this villain, Fire is a relief. Her genetics make her a “monster” – equally hated and loved and always a victim to the extreme passions of others. Her personality makes her a heroine. Her perseverance makes her admirable. She’s great character to follow. In many ways, I found Fire reminiscent of Alanna from Tamora Pierce’s Lioness quartet, and that made me love her all the more.
The complexity of Fire’s emotions, motivations, and desires marks her among the most interesting characters one could have in a book. I particularly loved her internal struggle, which are subtle and important to her, but never take away from the main focus of the story: the war coming to the Dells. Both Fire’s aunt-like relationship to the young Princess Hanna and her unexpected kinship with Prince Brigan were nice to read and surprised me by ultimately forwarding the plot. Cashore always delivers in her characters. Fire is bisexual, but that doesn’t define her. The normativeness of sexual identity (outside of Fire’s father’s homophobia) was nice. It’s nice to have a fantasy world where prejudice does not perfect mirror our own. I’d also put Fire on the ace spectrum, but that is pure speculation.
Cashore uses color vibrantly to describe the Dells, and so as I read I felt the bright world unfurl around me. She’s good at shifting subtlely between senses to talk about how one place smells vs. another and shades the weather plays on a scene. It never feels flowery, and it never feels forced. Fire was a pleasure to read, and Cashore’s writing style and imagination both a gift.
I absolutely loved Fire and I know I’ll read it again, so it’s going on my list to add to my personal library. I’m so looking forward to Bitterblueeven though I know it won’t involve Fire and the Dells. Any peek into the Graceling Realm is a treasure. You don’t need to have read Graceling to enjoy Fire, so if you’re looking at a taste of Cashore’s writing and her fantasy worlds, this is the book you want. I will warn you – a simple taste won’t be enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Murder, Animal cruelty, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Violence, and War
Minor: Pregnancy, Rape, Vomit, Torture, Biphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Panic attacks/disorders
nickthefailure's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Rape
vineyivy's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book needs some serious content warnings! The story and characters were great, but if I had been warned about the animal cruelty, I would not have read, and wished I had not read, this book. Ditto for her book, GRACELING. WIll not be reading any other books by this author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
FIRE is about tangled pasts, hidden things, and a girl trying to be her own person when all she sees in the mirror is her father's face.
It’s emotionally complicated in a way I wasn’t expecting, a story about how love and people are multifaceted, and that complexity means they can be kind and cruel. Fire’s memories of her father are given the space to slowly unwind, making his brutality and manipulation clear. It would be so easy to have written it like his care for her was a redeeming quality, but it’s not treated that way. In her present-day relationships, Fire is figuring out how to exist without feeling like her every action is a replica of her father’s monstrosity. The emotional journey of coming to terms with having been loved by a cruel person is a fraught one that is handled well here. It’s especially refreshing to have this topic handled in a way that has nothing to do with forgiveness or reconciliation, since her father is long dead before the story begins.
FIRE is full of secrets, dripping with them. Almost every named character (and definitely all the noble ones) either grow and change themselves, or Fire learns something about them that complicates her understanding of them. Sometimes they're new events, but more often it's something that's been true for a long time, with knock-on effects seeping into her life even when she didn't know. It works especially well in a story about a protagonist growing up and taking on both more adult responsibilities, and a more nuanced understanding of the world as her childhood understanding of things slowly cracks and shifts to incorporate more of what people are and what they can be.
This is book two in the series but chronologically takes place before the events of GRACELING. It’s well-placed here, since an explanation of some key events in FIRE would spoil a mystery central to GRACELING, but it does make my usual sequel check a bit tricky. It doesn’t wrap up anything from the first book but it does supply some backstory for an important character. The entire plot starts here and wasn’t part of GRACELING, and many things are both introduced and resolved in FIRE. It doesn’t specifically leave anything open to be addressed later, but it’s my guess that some of these characters will appear later in the series. The narrator is different from GRACELING, and she feels like a very different person than the previous narrator. This would mostly make sense if read without having read the first book, but both books would suffer in the telling if FIRE is originally read without a central bit of knowledge and then GRACELING is later read for the first time with that information.
This is a great book and a worthy sequel, continuing GRACELING's themes of secrets and damage in a whole new kingdom and (almost) entirely new cast.
It’s emotionally complicated in a way I wasn’t expecting, a story about how love and people are multifaceted, and that complexity means they can be kind and cruel. Fire’s memories of her father are given the space to slowly unwind, making his brutality and manipulation clear. It would be so easy to have written it like his care for her was a redeeming quality, but it’s not treated that way. In her present-day relationships, Fire is figuring out how to exist without feeling like her every action is a replica of her father’s monstrosity. The emotional journey of coming to terms with having been loved by a cruel person is a fraught one that is handled well here. It’s especially refreshing to have this topic handled in a way that has nothing to do with forgiveness or reconciliation, since her father is long dead before the story begins.
FIRE is full of secrets, dripping with them. Almost every named character (and definitely all the noble ones) either grow and change themselves, or Fire learns something about them that complicates her understanding of them. Sometimes they're new events, but more often it's something that's been true for a long time, with knock-on effects seeping into her life even when she didn't know. It works especially well in a story about a protagonist growing up and taking on both more adult responsibilities, and a more nuanced understanding of the world as her childhood understanding of things slowly cracks and shifts to incorporate more of what people are and what they can be.
This is book two in the series but chronologically takes place before the events of GRACELING. It’s well-placed here, since an explanation of some key events in FIRE would spoil a mystery central to GRACELING, but it does make my usual sequel check a bit tricky. It doesn’t wrap up anything from the first book but it does supply some backstory for an important character. The entire plot starts here and wasn’t part of GRACELING, and many things are both introduced and resolved in FIRE. It doesn’t specifically leave anything open to be addressed later, but it’s my guess that some of these characters will appear later in the series. The narrator is different from GRACELING, and she feels like a very different person than the previous narrator. This would mostly make sense if read without having read the first book, but both books would suffer in the telling if FIRE is originally read without a central bit of knowledge and then GRACELING is later read for the first time with that information.
This is a great book and a worthy sequel, continuing GRACELING's themes of secrets and damage in a whole new kingdom and (almost) entirely new cast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Violence, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexism, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Medical trauma, Vomit, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content, Drug abuse, Rape, and Suicide
elle_dee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and War