Fire (Graceling Realm, #2)

by Kristin Cashore

[KitsuneBae]

Here's my review for Fire by Kristin Cashore. For the full details, please visit my blog at Thoughts and Pens


Plot
I want to be blunt about this one but I’ve sighed a lot while reading this book. And to think that I really have high hopes for it. But the story was too predictable like looking from a horse’s linear point of view. To put it more simply, reading Fire was like riding a limousine and travelling on a lonely, straight and cemented road. I hope you understand what I’m trying to say. It lacked the thrill, the nail biting experience, the adrenaline rush, the stress, the pressure, the sweating and all those nasty stuff that should accompany a good read. But no, with Fire, I’ve been treated to a luxurious 10-star (if there’s ever one out there) hotel where everything was so comfortable and spoon-fed to you that you’d sleep or die of boredom. This is what happened to me and guess what; I did gain a significant amount of weight (not that I need more) while reading the book for the lack of exercise and sweating.

Characters
This too. There was something lacking about the characters that I find it hard to relate or empathize with them. The chemistry or the spark between me and them that I was expecting did not happen unfortunately. And what’s with Fire being a monster? Do you know what kind of creature does she remind me of? A veela (if you don’t know what I mean, go and read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) for geez sake… only reinforced but nevertheless, a veela.
The characters of Fire were hero and heroine material but they don’t have that X-factor to be remembered by. Even Brigandelle whom I liked at first but he was like a substandard product that as time passes by, suffered deterioration in quality.

Interactions and Dialogues
If you are looking for humorous conversations or heartfelt banter or quote worthy lines then this book is not for you. The conversations were shallows, the interactions were inauthentic and things just didn’t fit. I hardly felt that Archer and Fire were long time friends with the way they interact. I hardly felt the intensity of Fire and Brigan’s love for each other and no, I did not feel butterflies in my stomach whenever they have lone moments together.
Everything that I’ve read left a hollow feeling in me, leaving me searching for something that I subconsciously know that would never happen. And that frustrated me because I’ve been looking at all the aspects of the book and did not find one single thing that has been worthwhile to my reading endeavors.

Lessons Learned
• Too much expectation will lead you to disappointment- As what happened to me while reading this book.
• Your choices define who you are- As been displayed by Fire who instead of utilizing her monster powers to do evil things, she used it to restore peace in the Kingdom of Dells.
• That sometimes you have to hurt the one you love for the greater good- This was demonstrated to how Fire chose to kill her own father to stop him from creating more deadly chaos.