Fire is a "companion novel" to Graceling, set in a neighboring world, with an almost utterly different set of characters. This was a bit of a disappointment to me, since I was terribly attached to the first book's characters, and longing for news of them.

At any rate, the opening of Fire was so lyrically beautiful that I soon forgot (faithlessly) my longing for the friends of Graceling. An example of this lyricism: in the prologue to the book, a strangely precocious baby takes to making up nonsense verses and singing them to his adoring father:

"Birdies love treetops to whirl themselves through, for inside of their heads they are birds," the boy sang absentmindedly, patting his hand on his father's arm. Then, a minute later: "Father?"

"Yes, son?"

"You love the things that I love you to do, for inside of your head are my words."

Larch was utterly happy. He couldn't remember why his wife's death had saddened him so. He saw now that it was better this way, he and the boy alone in the world. (3)

These lines have the babbling rhythm of nursery rhymes, but like nursery rhymes, unknotting their sense reveals a sinister, vital irony.

Fire, the heroine of her eponymous novel, is not as sympathetic a heroine as Katsa from Graceling. This is because, well, Katsa was the strongest person in her world, and (although I am hardly a woman warrior myself) my heartiest sympathies in novels are always reserved for that kind of character. Fire is a similarly isolated heroine, however. In this novel, Fire's gift is her beauty: she is a "monster" - something perilously, magnetically other - and this otherness exudes from her like pheromones, driving everyone around her mad with lust, jealousy, and rage.

The impediment to romance for Fire is her beauty, which is alien to her. Fire rarely looks in the mirror, for when she does, even she is seduced by her beauty, nauseatingly so. No Narcissus, she. She doesn't feel like her appearance represents her real self, her inner life, which is pockmarked by pain, fear, and sadness. Can this real self ever be truly loved by someone who is attracted - dazzled, really - by her monstrously lovely surface? This is not an unprecedented turn - clever romance novelists have been playing with the problematics of beauty for some time, but Cashore does it well. From time to time, missing the characters of Graceling, I thought, "Well, this is good, but it isn't nearly as good as the first novel." But no sooner had I thought this, then the book would wreak its revenge by punching me in the emotional gut. And at the end, I was left thinking "I am not sure there is much that could make me love Cashore's books more."

Excerpted from my blog: http://sycoraxpine.blogspot.com/2009/... ( )

The fantasy Fire is set in the same world as Cashore's first novel, Graceling. While Fire does not have the power of Graceling, it's still several notches above most other YA fantasy. ( )

Fire is a monster. Not because of who she is or what she's done, but because of what she is, and what her father was. Monsters are not uncommon in the Dells, all being bright and beautiful and unnaturally coloured, what is uncommon is a human monster; and Fire is the last.

However, not all monsters are distinguished by their bright vibrant rainbow of colours. Some are the most unassuming of people, others are greedy and hateful men, and others still are dark memories that refuse to rest. In a world on the edge of disaster, is Fire the one to fear as the bringer of destruction, or will she be the only chance of survival?

Fire must make a choice, between what she was born to be, and what she wants to be. There is a war coming, enemies at every turn and murder on everyone's mind. Everybody has a secret, and the past is fast catching up with the present. Not everyone will survive and those that do will have blood on their hands. But not all is lost, for one way or the other the war will end, and with that ending there will be a new beginning.

In Graceling we are introduced to stories and rumours of rainbow coloured monsters in the land beyond the seven kingdoms. In Fire we learn that these stories are true. Fire may have been born a monster, but she is more human then most. And as Fire discovers, some of the scariest monsters were born human.

Fire is a story that draws you in, taking you on a journey that is full of twist and turns and surprises. It is both intriguing and insightful as death, loss and heartache are experienced. But this fast paced and entertaining story also holds hope, love and new life. Fire is a strong and powerful character that has also the ability for vulnerability. Despite her monsterness and great beauty she is warm and relatable; a stunning heroine. ( )

Summary: Fire is a human monster, a person so beautiful that others stop and stare, and she has the ability to control their minds. But after seeing the cruelties of her monster father, Fire struggles with her own identity and control. A war is on the verge of breaking in the Dells, and the royal family summon Fire to help them. But can Fire resist the siren call of her own powers and find her place in a society that adores but fears her?

Review: Kristin Cashore is fast becoming one of my favourite new writers. I liked "Graceling" and thought it held a lot of promise. "Fire", in my opinion, is even better. Fire is a different sort of heroine than Katsa, but both possess the strength, intelligence, and interiority that make a 3D character. This is the sort of literature I wish teenage girls would go gaga over rather than "Twilight". What impresses me about Cashore’s writing is that while it is elegant and romantic, there are also undercurrents of violence, aggression, and fury. These are not sugary sweet heroines. They are fierce, slightly damaged, and the way they experience violence is all too realistic — they end up with scars, damn it.

Nor is Cashore willing to paint anything else in black and white. Characters like Archer and Nash were wonderfully complex, and Fire’s struggling with her memories of her father reveals that even monsters can do good — he was cruel to everyone else, but never to her. What impressed me especially was that part at the end where Fire realizes that even Brocker, her “good” father, has harmed others before, that humans cannot avoid being cruel. The only character that didn’t really have complexity was Leck, who also made an appearance as the villain of "Graceling." Leck didn’t seem to have a good side to speak of, although maybe this will be explored in later books.

But what made this book better than "Graceling" for me was the romance. I didn’t much care for the romance in "Graceling", which was what brought the book down a notch. But I loved it in Fire. Brigan was such a great match for Fire that I was happy to read their scenes together and watch as they slowly let down their guards.

Conclusion: Cashore is taking her place next to Tamora Pierce in the pantheon of authors I can always depend on for strong heroines in hard settings, intelligent and nuanced writing, and wonderful romance. ( )

I just finished reading "Fire" by Kristin Cashore. It's a companion to "Graceling," which came out last year. The two books are set in the same world, but have only one character in common. I really enjoyed "Graceling," and was very excited to read this next installment. If you haven't read "Graceling," you definitely should, especially all those folks who didn't like Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" because they thought Bella was weak and codependant. "Graceling" is your book if you want a strong (really strong) female heroine. "Fire" is the same in that regard. Fire is half-human, half-monster, and capable of reading and manipulating other's minds. Her father was an evil guy, and she's set on living her life quietly, without harming anyone. But her country's at war, and there's a handsome brooding prince, so ultimately, she has to get involved. I liked "Fire" a lot, but it was a very sad book. Everyone was lost, haunted, sad and depressed. There's even a sad horse. So if you're up for a good book that's just vaguely depressing, "Fire" is for you. ( )