maggiefan
Written on Jan 2, 2020
They told David it was impossible - that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart - invincible, immortal, unconquerable - is dead. And he died by David's hand.
Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realise he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.
Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic - Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.
- ISBN10 057510421X
- ISBN13 9780575104211
- Publish Date 8 January 2015 (first published 1 January 2015)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 5 March 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Gollancz
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 432
- Language English
Reviews
leahrosereads
Written on Mar 24, 2016
ross91
Written on Jan 6, 2016
David's metaphors rock!
sstaley
Written on Jul 7, 2015
with my son on the way to work. We are enjoying listening to this together. It's been fun introducing the magic of Brandon Sanderson to him. This is one author that always knows how to deliver a winning novel to his readers!
charlton
Written on May 17, 2015
This is a new story with our Reckoners going to a different locale,New York City(git-a-rope).No, now it's called Babilar and they meet up with another Reckoner faction,all is well and good.
Then we meet the Epics,and there seems to be more than just 1 to hold your focus.But that's okay this is NYC right?
So without any spoilers I just think it fair to say there is sort of a power struggle.
New locale,new characters,new Epics...what could possibly go wrong?
I thought it was a great book,much fun,no sex,and the fight scenes were handled well. :)
Angie
Written on May 16, 2015
I really enjoyed Firefight, but it didn't have those same WOW moments as the previous book. In fact, I was quite annoyed with David's obsession with Megan. His heart is in the right place, but it's also kind of pathetic. Although his obsession does lead to some interesting discoveries. David's latest project is trying to find a connection between the Epic's weaknesses in hopes of being able to turn them good. He's definitely onto something, even if Prof. thinks it's just wishful thinking on his part. I am very interested to see how this all comes together.
As for the plot, Firefight is exciting, but it's also kind of all over the place. While I was totally interested in figuring out how the weaknesses work, and possibly where Epics even come from, I can't say that I was fully engaged in their fight against Regalia and her goons. There's some weird stuff going on in Manhattan, which undoes everything David thought he knew about how Epics work, but the actual conflict was a bit on the boring side. I never got that sense of tension and impending doom from Regalia.
Firefight was still really, really good though. The world-building continues to be excellent due to David's obsessive personality. I loved learning more about Epics, especially Firefight. There's a super interesting twist involving their powers that I did not expect! That's super, duper cool! I still don't like Megan, and David's "love" for her though, but I cannot wait for what comes next!
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
wyvernfriend
Written on Apr 20, 2015
Rinn
Written on Mar 4, 2015
Oh Brandon Sanderson, you’ve done it again. After finally reading and absolutely loving Steelheart, I couldn’t wait to move onto Firefight, and luckily Gollancz were kind enough to send me a copy. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get round to it as quickly as I’d hoped, hence why this review is a little late, but wow was it worth the wait.
From the get go I was just as mesmerised by this book as I was by the first. With Sanderson’s fluid writing and magnificent story-telling, not to mention David’s absolutely awful and hilarious metaphors – and who else but Sanderson could get away with writing like that? – I was whisked back to Newcago with the Reckoners.
The majority of this story actually takes place in Manhattan, or Babylon Restored as it is called by this point, and I have to say, for a post-apocalyptic city, it sounded pretty beautiful. Apart from the whole murderous ruling Epic thing… In Babylon Restored, the water levels have risen so much that the skyscrapers poke out of the water like islands. Glowing fruit mysteriously grows all over the place, giving it an ethereal jungle vibe. The descriptions of the city were so vivid in my mind, like an urban Pandora.
There were some fun new additions to the team, Mizzy especially. One of the youngest Reckoners, excitable and clumsy, she tries hard to fit in with the rest of the group. I wasn’t sure about Exel, it felt a little like Sanderson was creating a character to fill the shoes of Cody, who was left back in Newcago. However, it wasn’t just some great new characters, but also new techology – the spyril in particular. A sort of water-powered jetpack, I could perfectly imagine David weaving his way through the concrete jungle of New York with it – although at times it did remind me a little of Super Mario Sunshine…
With some fantastic new Epics, such as Obliteration and Regalia, and a really dark and shocking ending, Firefight is an absolute blast of a book and a definite recommendation whether you’re a Brandon Sanderson fan, or have never read any of his work (although in that case make sure you read Steelheart first!). I CANNOT WAIT for Calamity – and this time I actually have to…
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Jan 11, 2015
David is a strong hero with this huge heart. He is passionate but this also causes him to be impulsive and naive. His outlook and willingness to risk for others makes him a hero you can truly root for. Prof is struggling, and despite bull-bullheadedness, he and David make a great team. Tia is just crazy, but I adore the girl.
I loved Sanderson’s rendition of Manhattan. Babylon Restored was a huge underwater city where folks live on the rooftops. Through imagery, he brought the city to life. Here we battle Epics, but also learn more about them and Calamity. The overall arc development shared things that only increased my curiosity. Sanderson does a wonderful job with character growth particularly David’s.
Sanderson knows how to weave a tale and begins with a hook, then slows down to fill in the details and slowly builds to a frenzy. He weaves in twists and turns keeping the reader fully engaged. I enjoyed the unpredictability of the story. The geek in me loves the unique abilities and freaky gadgets. Sanderson’s ability to give the book equal measure ensures he delivers four and five cup rating. He weaves in humor, action, growth, cool characters and geeky goodness creating that perfectly blended tale.
MacLeod Andrews was a brilliant choice for this series and one of the reasons I switched formats. His audio rendition showed David’s frustration, fear, hope and exasperation. It was brilliant and I loved how he captured the snark, banter and quick wit of the characters. Each character had a distinct voice, and I felt he brought them to life. I would have liked a female narrator brought in for the female roles, but MacLeod held his own and did better than most when portraying the opposite sex. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
inlibrisveritas
Written on Jan 8, 2015
Oh how I missed this world! We dive right in as David and the Reckoners have to deal with yet another Epic vying for attention in the streets of Newcago. This second installment to the series keeps the pace moving and we get to see much more of the post-Epic world as the Reckoners head to New Babylon. David is still hilarious (to me atleast) with his really awful metaphors and similes, and his need to quick qip everything. He is still managing to be both an idiot and a genius all at the same time, and I love how he takes on new problems and how he sees the world. New Babylon is a fantastic setting, I love it even more than the cold metal Newcago. It’s so vibrant and Sanderson pulls in his awesome fantasy world building to bring the city to life in all it’s neon colors and fruit.
There are a lot of interesting twists in this one, which makes it hard to talk about the plot without giving something away but I really loved each one of them. Most of them were unexpected, and others my boyfriend and I have spent quite a bit of time theorizing about before we read Firefight.
I really hate that we have to wait another year to read the next one, but it will be so worth it. I’m really curious to see how the David deals with the end events of Firefight and how other Epics will react.