The Fire

I read, and adored, "The Eight" when I read it as a teenager, so I was excited to find that Katherine Neville had written a sequel. Unfortunately, "The Fire" did not live up to the standard of its prequel. I think that the author had had too much time to think about the characters and to fall a little in love with them, so that "The Fire" had a strong patina of "aren't my characters truly fascinating?" to it. That said, the plot was certainly fast-paced and eventful and the historical segments seemed very well researched. If you want an entertaining thriller, I would recommend that you pick up either "The Eight" or "A Calculated Risk" and leave this one be.

The Fire was a major drag to get through. I only slogged on because I got it as an ARC with a request from the publisher to send them my thoughts (although, I suppose my thoughts could have been, "God, this book is boring" and then I wouldn't have had to finish it). My biggest problem with the book is that everyone comes across as melodramatic because the author is pushing for it to be a thriller, but none of the events convey the urgency that a thriller should embody. So the urgent reactions that half the characters have are completely unwarranted. Plus, the main character, who is also the narrator through most of the story, has this "huh, that's weird" mentality and petulant child attitude that makes all the major plot points, as well show more as the reactions of other characters, seem like minor inconveniences; nothing to worry about really. The repeated emphasis on this supposedly "dangerous Game" became annoying quickly, given that nothing remotely dangerous happened past the prologue. There's no one pointing guns or being particularly menacing and nothing terribly mysterious happens (like a body falling out of window or something). Just the continued use of the word "dangerous," which wasn't terribly convincing. I'm sure if I were the main character I would have told everyone to go have their head examined. Although, if I were the main character, I would also have been a bit more concerned about the disappearance of my mother at the beginning of the book and probably would not have shrugged it off and flown home without a clue just because I had to get back to work. Who does that?

And just as the book starts to get interesting, after 300 pages of pure tedium, the author starts to skip through the story. "Oh, we have to fly from Alaska to Russia to bring back a key player in this Game. It's really dangerous. We could be killed by the elements or captured as traitors and spies!" End chapter. And then, "We're back in Seattle! Woo, that was some trip!" That's literally it. An awesome opportunity to throw in some real excitement and...nothing. And that basically sets the tone for the entire end of the book.

My point in this rambling review: This book was horrible. It was dull and unsatisfying, leaving one feeling confused and annoyed (not unlike the main character, I suppose). The only positive thing I can say about this book is it left me with warm fuzzy feelings about the first book (The Eight), which I had slightly less than lukewarm feelings about before; compared to this book, The Eight was a piece of brilliance. show less

I was unfortunately a little disappointed by this follow-up to Katherine Neville's The Eight even though I wanted so badly for it to be good. I had been meaning to read The Eight for at least 15 years, so I finally put it to the front of the TBR pile when I received a review copy of The Fire.

I enjoyed The Eight immensely. It mashed up historical fiction, modern-day fiction, obscure history, esoteric lore and chess. I loved it. Oddly enough, even though The Fire has all of those things, it was just not as enjoyable. The historical plot line was done quite well, but the modern day plot line being told concurrently was a mess. I felt that the author tried to cram too much information into this one. Many times I found myself wondering if show more anyone without an interest in esoterica (like myself) could even follow what was happening. Usually an author will set forth enough of an explanation, either via dialogue or context, for things that are not mostly common knowledge. Not so in this case.

Characters coming to astounding conclusions from little information became another irksome factor. I had to assume that they had prior knowledge of which I, as the reader, was not privy. And then there is the character of Key. She has an annoying habit of spouting off aphorisms in what seems like every third sentence. This would maybe have been tolerable if the main character, Alexandra, didn't rattle them off for her in her absence: "As Key would say..."

Overall, I did like the idea of the story, and I liked the subject matters that were touched upon. But the ending was not an ending at all. Maybe that was the author's point, but I found it rather obscure and dissatisfying. show less

I once heard Anne Lamott quote another writer as saying that "a confused reader is an antagonistic reader".

I was a big fan of Neville's "The Eight". I read it twice, loaned it to friends, ultimately bought several copies and was carried along by the pace, the puzzle and the characters. "The Fire" seemed just the opposite to me--it was confusing, slow and (saddest of all) boring. Where her first novel pulled me in and gave me a glorious ride, this sequel felt like waiting in line for the next piece of the puzzle--and waiting long enough that I didn't care when I finally spotted it. I finished reading it, but it won't have the re-readings (or the recommendations) that the original novel had.

A mess. Imagine The Da Vinci Code without the page-turner aspect and with historical details too jumbled to follow and characterizations so shallow that you don't even care what happens or who the good guys and the bad guys are. I stopped reading about 20 pages from the end because I realized that I had done my reviewing duty and that I truly did not give a damn.

To be more specific: the prose was clunky, the dialogue stilted and gimmicky where it wanted to be clever, the characters implausible and the plot difficult to follow. It's been some years since I read The Eight, but I find it hard to believe that both books are by the same author.

As one who absolutely devoured Katherine Neville's The Eight (back when I was in high school), I was floored when an unexpected copy of The Fire arrived on my doorstep. Thrilled, really, yet I couldn't imagine how she could possibly pull off a book as complex and riveting as The Eight.

Even if you have never read The Eight, the plot of The Fire grabs you from the first chapter. Alexandra, a genius twelve year old chess player, has arrived in Russia with her father for a tournament. The results of that trip and the ensuing ten years come to a head when Alexandra's mother is suddenly missing - with a string of clues left behind for Alexandra to decipher. Very quickly it becomes clear that her mother's disappearance is only one piece in a show more much bigger puzzle, involving many players, some dangerous: a handsome Russian grandmaster, an eccentric aunt, and a Basque chef, none of whom are quite what they seem at first.

One thing that I appreciated about this novel is the fact that from one moment to the next, we don't know who is on Alexandra's side and who is against her. It's as though the plot is a giant knot made of kite's string - and the entire novel is spent with Neville slowly unwinding and revealing answers. The past is as relevant as the present in this book - we spend many chapters in 19th century Europe and the Middle East, where people and places click into place in the larger Game. Chess - the game of kings - is practically a character itself and the book plays out as if Alexandra and everyone she interacts with are making moves within the deadliest game yet.

You almost cannot place this book within a genre. It is most definitely a mystery and a thriller, part historical fiction with a lovely thread of romance. There is also an otherworldly, fantastic element - laced with legend and ancient theories that somehow fit in so well with the rest of the book that my disbelief was pleasantly suspended. On a couple different occasions, the history got a bit too detailed for me, almost bogging the plot down, but then something exciting would happen and the plot would be up and moving again. While the plot is certainly intricate - amazingly intricate - Neville helps the reader throughout the book by having our characters go through what we do know, what we don't understand and what we need to puzzle out next. And those puzzles and riddles, as well as the suspense and the characters we come to care about, are the reasons why I could not put this incredible book down. show less

At the end of The Fire, I sighed a huge sigh. I realized I had been holding my breath, practically since I first heard there was to be a sequel to The Eight. Maybe even since I finished The Eight so long ago (and re-read many, many times). Katherine Neville more than surpassed my hopes and expectations in this fantastic book. No wonder it has taken twenty years for it to surface. It has been well worth the wait.

From the very first sentence we are whisked away on another whirlwind adventure that spans decades, centuries, cultures, and philosophies. Some of our favorite characters are back; some fabulous new ones; and all interacting in ways that you don’t quite expect.

Once again, The Game is at play. Or did it ever really stop? Will show more it ever end? The pieces are scattered but are popping up in areas they should not be; could not be. Alexander and Cat’s daughter, Alexandra, must take up the baton and solve another mind-twisting round of mysteries and riddles. Each chapter deliciously ends with another piece of the puzzle; another advance in the grand chess game. I couldn’t put the book down until it was finished and I believe I’m going to start it again immediately because it was so chock full of history and historical figures; symbolism and mysticism; love and pain – I want to sort it all out even deeper than my first reading could. Katherine Neville’s greatest gift as a writer, I believe, is to have so many characters and so many different time frames and narratives working all at the same time, but never once letting the reader feel confused or lost. As with The Eight, I expect that each time I re-read The Fire, I will find new things I never saw before. Her stories are so complex but so well spelled out that, as a reader, you actually feel you are the one discovering these answers to the riddles yourself. Each revelation a moment of, Aha! I see it now, that brought a smile to my face many times while reading because Katherine Neville once again seems to be leading you in one direction, and when she reveals the place she really was leading you – you can’t believe you didn’t see and yet – you’re glad you didn’t because the reveal was so wonderful in itself.

Katherine Neville remains one of my favorite authors because of The Fire. I appreciate an author with wit and intelligence and who also has obviously spent many long hours researching her history. So very well done and so appreciated by this humble fan. Please bring us more Katherine!

And a big thank you to RandomHouse/Ballantine for participating in the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program where I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy. show less