Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire (Graceling Realm, #2)

by Kristin Cashore

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells.

The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.

This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she has the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City. The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.

If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.

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This romantic companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save one. You don't need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it next.

Reviewed by Leigha on

5 of 5 stars

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A young woman comes to terms with herself in this young adult fantasy romance.

I fell in love with Fire several years ago when I initially read it. My public library recently purchased the audio book version of it, which I immediately borrowed. The narrator is perfect for the story, but she did have trouble making the male voices indistinguishable from each other. It’s a character driven novel focused on the low fantasy setting and political machinations of the kingdom. The plot is slow. While I am never bored reading it, I could see the potential for it to be boring to others uninterested in the characters or setting.

I absolutely adore the characters in this book, particularly Fire. Her strengths, weaknesses, and insecurities change as she moves into a more active role within the kingdom. The other characters are as complex as Fire herself. A wonderful innate chemistry exists between all the characters, a delightful ebb and flow, not found in many other books. I especially love the romance built between Brigan and Fire. It’s slow and steady. They get to know each other before any romance begins between them. I am all about friends turning to partners to lovers. Bring it on!

tl;dr A character driven novel with a low fantasy setting, political machinations, and romance.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 October, 2017: Finished reading
  • 14 October, 2017: Reviewed