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Herewiss Hearn's son, a young sorcerer, has difficulty controlling the extra portion of Fire within him, until the Goddess helps him to better understand himself. The sequels are The Door into Shadow (Bluejay, 1984) and The Door into Sunset (1993).Tags
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I loved **The Door Into Fire** by *Diane Duane* a whole lot. It's incredibly character-focused fantasy, to the point of reminding me strongly of Lois McMaster Bujold for its strong characters and Ursula Le Guin for its sensitive, almost lyrical descriptions of magic and nature and the relationship between everything. It's set in a fascinating world that clearly follows a set of rules of magic and mythology (gods! Excellent gods, and all kinds of other beings), but the rules are sufficiently mysterious to feel consistent, yet not clinical. I'm writing this review more than a month after reading the book, and the characters are still very vivid in my mind, which is probably the highest praise I can pay the book.
Also, because this may show more impact some of my readers' decision to read the book: This world feels wonderfully archaic in many ways, but it is also very emancipated and queer. The protagonist is in a same-sex relationship, and there are open relationships, discussions of how children are brought up, and all female characters have very much characters, opinions, and arcs of their own. The story is not such that I think this needs to be a selling point – it is really good! – but sometimes you just want to read queer-friendly Fantasy, which is a bit thin on the ground. show less
Also, because this may show more impact some of my readers' decision to read the book: This world feels wonderfully archaic in many ways, but it is also very emancipated and queer. The protagonist is in a same-sex relationship, and there are open relationships, discussions of how children are brought up, and all female characters have very much characters, opinions, and arcs of their own. The story is not such that I think this needs to be a selling point – it is really good! – but sometimes you just want to read queer-friendly Fantasy, which is a bit thin on the ground. show less
There are so many things going on in this book, it's hard to simplify it into a quick summary. On the way to get his friend and lover Freelorn out of trouble, Herewiss meets Sunspark, a fire elemental. Instead of going home after rescuing his friends, Herewiss leads them all to a place where he might be able to learn to use Flame, another kind of magic.
There is a great conversation between Herewiss and Sunspark when they first meet. Sunspark is so far from human that concepts like sex and death and friendship don't make sense to it and they spend a page or so talking in circles around each other, which really gets across the otherness of Sunspark. Unfortunately, the longer it spends in Herewiss's company, the more human it's thoughts show more and emotions get, so it's a less interesting character later on.
I liked the book, but it is obviously the first in a series because it's just setting things up for future events without much closure at the end. show less
There is a great conversation between Herewiss and Sunspark when they first meet. Sunspark is so far from human that concepts like sex and death and friendship don't make sense to it and they spend a page or so talking in circles around each other, which really gets across the otherness of Sunspark. Unfortunately, the longer it spends in Herewiss's company, the more human it's thoughts show more and emotions get, so it's a less interesting character later on.
I liked the book, but it is obviously the first in a series because it's just setting things up for future events without much closure at the end. show less
I read the Young Wizards books as they were coming out in the 90s. One thing I loved about them were the stealth gay characters, Tom and Carl. Recently on BlueSky, Diane Duane posted that the "fairy godfathers" of the Young Wizards books are the main characters in the Middle Kingdoms books. Having recently bought her ebook bundle, I started reading immediately, and fell in love.
A young man who is the first to have magics previously wielded only by women? Teenage Don would have loved this (and maybe clued into his sexuality much earlier).
A young man who is the first to have magics previously wielded only by women? Teenage Don would have loved this (and maybe clued into his sexuality much earlier).
I started off delighted by how refreshingly different this book felt. I liked the elaborate world-building and how beautiful the writing was. But my interest waned as the plot began to meander, and as more long dream sequences occurred. And what had initially been a positive, open take on sexuality started to seem... almost menacing? As if sex was the only emotional currency the characters had. I'm glad the first book had a reasonably conclusive ending because I am not sure I'll read any more.
Re: my cozy rating... What makes this cozy to me is the tone that it’s written in, more than the things that happen. I never felt super nervous, even when the protagonist is attacked by a horrible monster. The least cozy parts were when the show more characters argue or hurt each other emotionally. show less
Re: my cozy rating... What makes this cozy to me is the tone that it’s written in, more than the things that happen. I never felt super nervous, even when the protagonist is attacked by a horrible monster. The least cozy parts were when the show more characters argue or hurt each other emotionally. show less
If I had read this book at the same time that I had read "A Door Into Shadow", a long long time ago in another century, I would have loved it.
Unfortunately, I read it a few weeks ago; and much to my dismay, a 40 year old woman is not a 16 year old girl.
At this age, I tend to notice and find boring, things like plot holes, unidimensional main characters, forced plots, convenient fortuitous events, and things like that. This book made me realize that I have become much less forgiving of this things than I thought I would be.
Still, this is the lesser of the three book of "The Tale of the Five" series, and if this is the 10th or 20th book that you have ever read, it's a nice story set in an interesting world. Don't fret, the other books are show more better. show less
Unfortunately, I read it a few weeks ago; and much to my dismay, a 40 year old woman is not a 16 year old girl.
At this age, I tend to notice and find boring, things like plot holes, unidimensional main characters, forced plots, convenient fortuitous events, and things like that. This book made me realize that I have become much less forgiving of this things than I thought I would be.
Still, this is the lesser of the three book of "The Tale of the Five" series, and if this is the 10th or 20th book that you have ever read, it's a nice story set in an interesting world. Don't fret, the other books are show more better. show less
It's a Duane, so of course it's saving the world from the Darkness by figuring out who you are and surrendering to truth. She's about as formulaic as Andre Norton - amazing what variety you can get from something that can be described with a simple formula! The Doors series is somewhat frustrating - been waiting for the fourth one for...16 years now? Ah well, it's a good re-read anyway. I like Herewiss.
Sex. Drugs. And Rock... Color Purple. Very 70-ies.
What. A. Drag.
Never a straight (no pun) line in this book. I don't mind when a story gets from A to D via B, C and while at it detours through E and K. I do mind however, when the author goes through entire alphabet to connect A to B. Now imagine that alphabet being intense purple. It frigging haunts me in my sleep now.
One star.
And no, DD was not the one and only writing and publishing queer literature prior to 2001. No credit for that. Sorry, not sorry.
What. A. Drag.
Never a straight (no pun) line in this book. I don't mind when a story gets from A to D via B, C and while at it detours through E and K. I do mind however, when the author goes through entire alphabet to connect A to B. Now imagine that alphabet being intense purple. It frigging haunts me in my sleep now.
One star.
And no, DD was not the one and only writing and publishing queer literature prior to 2001. No credit for that. Sorry, not sorry.
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Author Information
135+ Works 35,864 Members
Author Diane Duane was born in New York City on May 18, 1952, and grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island. She is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Duane studied nursing in college and became a psychiatric nurse. She began writing full time in 1980 and has published numerous novels, including several with her husband, Peter Morwood. She show more also writes screenplays, served as senior writer for the BBC-TV education series "Science Challenge," and writes scripts for CD-ROM computer games. Her "Young Wizards" series won a special commendation in the Anne Spencer Lindbergh Prize in Children's Literature, 2003. She currently lives in County Wicklow, Ireland. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Diane Duane is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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Heyne Allgemeine Reihe (6749)
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Door Into Fire
- Original title
- The Door Into Fire
- Original publication date
- 1979
- People/Characters
- Herewiss; Freelorn; Segnbora; Sunspark
- Epigraph
- Aye, night comes and Hee risith from the Flame; Lyoun and Eagle loudle cry His name;
The Phoenix that schall spurn the shatter'd Spere.
Hys Fire shall fede upoun his darkest Fear:
But nott yntill the Starres fall owt... (show all) the Skye,
Dawn coms up Blue, and our Daye be past by
~ rede fragment
Healhregebocan IV 6-12
Smiths and sorcerers come both from the same nest.
Chronicle of the White Eagle XII, 54 - Dedication
- Still for
Steve and
for Kathleen
Still for David;
And still for my brother,
with thanks for yet another gift. - First words
- Herewiss sat cross-legged on the parquest floor, his back braced against the wall, his eyes closed, and concentrated.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He slipped khavrinen through his belt, and went back to the hold, and Freelorn.
- Blurbers
- Gerrold, David
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- Reviews
- 17
- Rating
- (3.77)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 5
