Fire Season (edition 2010)

Received as a member giveaway this book has been sat waiting patiently for its turn to be read. Once I did finally find time to pick it up I was totally captivated and could barely tear myself away from the pages. The premise is simple and the writing is clear and enchanting. This is a good read for anyone who appreciates a bit of suspense and excitement in their lives. ( )

Fire Season is one of those books you simply cannot put down. With a story that not only makes you feel as though you are there, but also makes you sympathize with the characters involved.

A well written suspense set in New Zealand, V H Folland has created a unique story which leaves you hanging onto every word and wondering what will happen next.

Was so good I have passed it onto my Dad to read next!

Fire Season by V.H. Folland is a great read for those who like suspense and maybe even a little learning. This story takes place in Brooke's Vale and tells us about a depressed man and what he and his flying club must do to save their remote home and the survivors that they can from out of control wildfires that are Hell bent on destroying everything in the way.

If you ever wondered what it is like to be the pilot who is trying to put out all the wildfires that all the dry hot "fire seasons" bring and then having to choose between your home and those you care about or the lives and homes of others you volunteered and promised to protect then I would give this book a read. It has such technical detail and imagery it seems like you are apart of it all too.

Audrey W.
Written for the Juniper Grove Blog ( )

Bush fires are unfortunately a hallmark of summer. In the past decade Australia has faced a serious fire threat resulting in loss of lives and property every year. Thankfully I have been directly involved only once, menaced by flames and thick, ashy smoke on either side of the road as my husband (then boyfriend) and I headed out to his parent's property (well away from the fires).
Set in New Zealand, Fire Season is a dramatic novel that illustrates the horror of being in the path of a raging inferno. The residents of Brooke's Vale are certain they will be safe from the fire, it has been 120 years since the valley's natural defenses have been breached. At the Vale's small airstrip, Matt, Jim, Jill and Rose warily watch the smoke billow across the landscape. Matt and Jim are pilots and as it becomes increasingly obvious that the fire front is uncontrolled they use Matt's crop dusting plane to assist with the fire fighting efforts. Yet the fire continues to rage, and the Valley's residents find themselves trapped by the steadily advancing flames.
Fire Season begins slowly as the fire burns a familiar path outside of the Valley but as the fire's threat to the Vale's residents grows, so does the pace of the storyline. Folland's timeline cover's just over four days charting the fire's movement and increasing threat. The tension is built deliberately as the residents anxiety grows culminating in their frantic efforts to escape the razing of their valley. Their perilous flight from the Vale is a nail biting climax.
Folland's characters are well developed and I thought their emotions and behaviour genuine. Matt's frustration and horror as he fails to save a young family from the maelstrom and Jim's exhaustion at flying is such high pressure conditions rings true. So does the fear and panic the residents experience when they realise they are trapped.
Folland's careful research and experience in aviation shows in his detailed descriptions of the planes and their flight. It is easy to imagine the heat and winds buffeting the small plane as it flies above the burning landscape. The depiction of the fire fighting efforts also seem accurate.
Fire Season captures the horror of a surging fire front and the bravery of small communities that face the terrifying threat. Well written and suspenseful this novel is an absorbing read. ( )