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A review by stormywolf
Fire by Kristin Cashore
5.0
This book is difficult to review. I loved it, but I can easily see why others definitely won't. But let me start at the top.
Fire, the title character, is an amazing young woman. I'm not sure her exact age, though I'd place it about 18. As a "monster" she has vast mental powers including mind reading, telepathic communication, mind control, spacial mapping, not to mention her supernatural beauty that drives men (and women) to extremes. The simple sight of her can inspire a man to make declarations of undying love, or drive another into a lustful rage. As you can imagine, dealing with strangers is a gamble so she's resigned herself to a life of simplicity and (mostly) solitude. That is until her kingdom calls upon her to use her talents in service to the throne to help them in the coming three-way war. And so Fire is forced to leave her comfort zone, test her abilities, confront her past, and find new strength within her.
Though consequences of her powers and her past have driven her to deep-seated guilt and insecurity, Fire never comes off as a mopey teenager. She's driven to somehow make amends for the destructive actions of her father, thus tries to use her monster abilities for good: she uses herself as a distraction for other monsters so men can get away; she reads the minds of captured spies to find out their enemies' plans. And while she helps those around her, she even manages to spark a romance for herself.
And romance/love/lust is where I can see this book rubbing people the wrong way. There is a lot of off-screen sex in this book, there is adultery, and there are pregnancies out of wedlock. And while Fire is involved in the first maybe two or three times, neither of the latter two directly involve her, however those involved are close to her, and one of the pregnancies befalls a woman who is quite young.
Now, this book takes place in a medieval fantasy world where, historically, men were empowered to do what they wished, especially concerning women. That's not to say that the Lothario responsible for 2 of the pregnancies is not berated for his actions by Fire and the rest of his family, cause he certainly is. But many of the other pregnancies, illegitimate offspring, and 'complicated' relations are merely seen as part of the trade of the time, especially concerning the royal family.
But Fire's power of attraction seemed especially poignant right now, when the #MeToo movement holds so much attention. There are scenes where Fire is forced to walk through a crowd of men, and multiple men are either begging for her love or making threats of rape, merely because of her (magical) appearance. This not only addresses the accusation of "she was asking for it" based on their clothes or looks, but also men being expected to act against their "base instincts" and be civil. You know, think with their brain, not their dick. It was nice having those who acted violent or a fool in front of Fire labeled as a weak-minded person.
But I digress. I love this book, and am glad I picked it up again. Going through Fire's journey, her ups and downs with self esteem, love, and relatable girl issues, as well as her strength, her kindness, her sense of duty. She may not be kickass 24/7, but she works with what she has and is fiercely loyal to her friends and family. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes female-centric coming-of-age fantasy, with all that may entail.
Fire, the title character, is an amazing young woman. I'm not sure her exact age, though I'd place it about 18. As a "monster" she has vast mental powers including mind reading, telepathic communication, mind control, spacial mapping, not to mention her supernatural beauty that drives men (and women) to extremes. The simple sight of her can inspire a man to make declarations of undying love, or drive another into a lustful rage. As you can imagine, dealing with strangers is a gamble so she's resigned herself to a life of simplicity and (mostly) solitude. That is until her kingdom calls upon her to use her talents in service to the throne to help them in the coming three-way war. And so Fire is forced to leave her comfort zone, test her abilities, confront her past, and find new strength within her.
Though consequences of her powers and her past have driven her to deep-seated guilt and insecurity, Fire never comes off as a mopey teenager. She's driven to somehow make amends for the destructive actions of her father, thus tries to use her monster abilities for good: she uses herself as a distraction for other monsters so men can get away; she reads the minds of captured spies to find out their enemies' plans. And while she helps those around her, she even manages to spark a romance for herself.
And romance/love/lust is where I can see this book rubbing people the wrong way. There is a lot of off-screen sex in this book, there is adultery, and there are pregnancies out of wedlock. And while Fire is involved in the first maybe two or three times, neither of the latter two directly involve her, however those involved are close to her, and one of the pregnancies befalls a woman who is quite young.
Now, this book takes place in a medieval fantasy world where, historically, men were empowered to do what they wished, especially concerning women. That's not to say that the Lothario responsible for 2 of the pregnancies is not berated for his actions by Fire and the rest of his family, cause he certainly is. But many of the other pregnancies, illegitimate offspring, and 'complicated' relations are merely seen as part of the trade of the time, especially concerning the royal family.
But Fire's power of attraction seemed especially poignant right now, when the #MeToo movement holds so much attention. There are scenes where Fire is forced to walk through a crowd of men, and multiple men are either begging for her love or making threats of rape, merely because of her (magical) appearance. This not only addresses the accusation of "she was asking for it" based on their clothes or looks, but also men being expected to act against their "base instincts" and be civil. You know, think with their brain, not their dick. It was nice having those who acted violent or a fool in front of Fire labeled as a weak-minded person.
But I digress. I love this book, and am glad I picked it up again. Going through Fire's journey, her ups and downs with self esteem, love, and relatable girl issues, as well as her strength, her kindness, her sense of duty. She may not be kickass 24/7, but she works with what she has and is fiercely loyal to her friends and family. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes female-centric coming-of-age fantasy, with all that may entail.