Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire is the prequel to the much acclaimed Graceling released last year. Fire takes place in the Dells, over the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms. The rebel lords are attempting to overthrow King Nash, so the dells is experiencing extreme instability.

Fire is half-human and half monster. Monsters in these lands are beautiful, very bright and colorful and usually have a gift, and they destroy humans. Since half of Fire is human, she has to hide her beautiful red hair at all times and live heavily guarded. Her gift is that she can read and control minds. Because of her gift, she is useful at court.

However, she is not well-received by the King and his brother. Fire’s monster father played a heavy hand in the death of the previous king and they don’t trust her. Fire may be half monster, but her humanity overcomes that part of her. She’s kind and brave.

In the beginning of Fire, we meet young Leek, who is quite unstable. He’s a Graceling who has come through the mountains to the dells unexpectedly. He’s cruel and manipulative and has a gift similar to Fire’s; the gift of reading and controlling minds. His ambition will cause dissent with Fire and her world that will lead us to a compelling and twisting conclusion.

Fire is a great fantasy adventure! The characters are well developed and the world is built in such a fantastic way that it’s easy to follow and becomes believable. Magical creatures, great battles, political intrigue, a splash of romance, and supernatural abilities mesh so well together that you have a sure-fire hit! Kristin Cashore has done a remarkable job! Young adults and adults alike will enjoy this wonderful tale.