Module 8 - Fire by Kristin Cashore

Bibliography:

Cashore, Kristin. (2009). Fire. New York: Dial Books. ISBN: 9780803734616

Summary:

There is a land full of beautiful monsters that lure victims to their death by their captivating beauty and ability to influence minds. Fire is one of these monsters, the last human monster of her kind. Her father before her was a human monster too, but knowing the cruelty of her father, and the way she controlled the king, and thus the country, and was leading it to its destruction, Fire enters into the mind of her father and leads him to his death in the claws of a leopard monster when she was a young teen. She gets swept up in the war and politics of her country as she is able to influence the minds of other living things. She ends up leaving her country home and best friend (and former lover), Archer, to head to the city to do her part in helping interrogate prisoners and spies. Prince Brigan is in charge of her safety, and although he hated her in the beginning because of who her father was, he later learns the truth of things, and Brigan and Fire fall in love. In the city, Fire learns of the growing threat of two opposing lords as well as the fact that some men have been found with an emptiness in their mind that she later traces the source to a child with one red eye. Eventually she helps in the murder of the two lords and afterwards gets kidnapped by a group of men under the child's control, for he controls the mind of men with his words. She discovers that the child, Leck, had Archer killed and she loses it. She burns his houses and leaves on the back of a horse, thinking the child dead. She is later found, freezing and frostbitten, by her guards and taken to safety. The war ends and Brigan and Fire finally move in together. The book ends with Fire's finally forgiving herself for her actions.

Impressions:

I had previously read Cashore's other book, Graceling, a few years before so I was excited to read this book. I was a little let down by the fact that it didn't contain the main characters of her first book, but I was instantly drawn into this book nonetheless. The characters are real; they have good and bad to them. For example, Fire pretty much murdered her father, yet she helped in saving the entire country from destruction. I was shocked at some parts at the darkness of the book. These things, such as Fire taking a drug that would prevent her from having children, Fire losing two of her fingers, or even the twisted lineage of the royal family, and all the rape, are rare to find in a young adult novel, yet I found that I liked the harsh truth to it. The ending did not have the touch of a happily ever after, but at the end of the book I was content with the progression of the story.

Reviews:
"As a fantasy writer, Cashore sets herself apart with a passionate descriptive style...'Fire' is a good addition to the young adult bookshelf. It has action, romance and mysterious creatures, and it allows readers to indulge in a primal fantasy: What would it be like to have such powers? 'Fire' may not lessen anyone's desire for transcendent beauty or the ability to read the minds of the lords and ladies of the lunchroom. But by the end, readers will better understand that even these gifts are double-edged."

Quart, Alissa. (December 06, 2009). The New York Times Company.  [Review of the book Fire.]. New York Times. Available from booksinprint.com

"This prequel to Graceling, Cashore's smashing debut, may initially frustrate readers wanting more about Katsa and Po. Fire takes place long before Katsa's birth in an adjacent kingdom called the Dells and shares only one character. But its themes-embracing your talents and moving out of your parents' shadow-are similar, as is the absorbing quality of Cashore's prose...Many twists propel the action, and although astute readers will suspect who the eventual lovers will be from their first hateful meeting, the buildup to their romance provides tension that keeps the pages turning. Cashore's conclusion satisfies, but readers will clamor for a sequel to the prequel-a book bridging the gap between this one and Graceling."

 (July 20, 2009). PWxyz, LLC. [Review of the book Fire.]. Publishers Weekly. Available from booksinprint.com

Suggestions For Use:

I think this book would be a good book to lead into discussions of politics and war here in the real world. Conversations and discussions could be had during the progression of chapters in the book about the thoughts of certain actions by the characters, as well as any predictions to the growing plot and confusion by all the lies told by spies and characters. After the book is read, comparisons could be made about politics in the Dells compared to our politics. Discussions could be had about the tactics taken by Fire and her companions, such as killing off enemies, and reactions to these tactics as well. It would be a great book to look into necessity vs compassion and ethics.