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A review by foggy_rosamund
Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox
5.0
An astute, well-judged novel, about a young woman who is a Pacific Islander living in a magical version of New Zealand. Canny is a math genius, strong-minded and courageous, and dislocated from the world. When she, her stepbrother, and his girlfriend, travel to the rural Zarene Valley, she discovers a new side of herself. She's always seen 'Extra', patterns of symbols and numbers that no one else can see. In the Valley, she begins to discover what these symbols mean, and how that relates to who she is. The magical elements of the novel are imaginative and logical, and the story is fast-paced, hinging on believable characters and a beautiful, rural world. This is connected to Knox's Dreamhunter novels, but these are not required reading to follow this book: it is a rich, complex world, complete in itself, although the story leaves you wanting more. A delightful reread.
Review from 2016:
Really wonderful novel. Surprised me at every turn. I loved the main character: how difficult she is, how prickly, how resourceful. The magical elements are so well thought-out and fit into the world the author creates, which is based on New Zealand of the 1950s, but is not exactly the same. The plot is well-judged and keeps the reader guessing while also being completely satisfying and works within the internal logic of the story.
Review from 2016:
Really wonderful novel. Surprised me at every turn. I loved the main character: how difficult she is, how prickly, how resourceful. The magical elements are so well thought-out and fit into the world the author creates, which is based on New Zealand of the 1950s, but is not exactly the same. The plot is well-judged and keeps the reader guessing while also being completely satisfying and works within the internal logic of the story.