Fire

1: Graceling ★★★★★
#2: Fire ★★★
#3: Bitterblue ★★
#4: Winterkeep ★★
#5: Untitled - will not be reading

Okay, I hadn't read this since 2010 or 2011, but a decade makes a big difference I suppose. I had absolutely devoured Graceling during my reread and had similar expectations for Fire. I can say I did devour this pretty quickly, but I didn't love it. One of my biggest peeves is what Charlotte mentions in her review: the age differences between characters in sexual relationships. Fire first begins sleeping with Archer when she's 15 and he's 18. I hate it, thanks. Fire's guard, Mila, is 15(!!!!!) and ends up having (now 21-year-old) Archer's baby. At the end, they also imply Mila will get together with Nash who is in his late 20s!!

I just struggled with the premise at large, too. Fire is a ‘monster,' which means she's irresistibly beautiful and can control people's minds. But she's SO!!! beautiful that men are constantly trying to sexually assault her. I suppose if this was done well, it could be used as a social commentary but as is, it made me uncomfortable and was seemingly without purpose. I also could NOT stand Archer and know he was written to be a very imperfect character, but every time he was around I just wanted him to leave. He was incredibly toxic and controlling and that was the point but I still hated reading about him.

On the plus side, Fire IS canonically bi/pan/queer and I enjoyed that it was part of who she was without it being a big deal. I also really liked Brigan and her relationship with him. Overall, this was a good enough book that I can say I liked it, but there was a lot that could have been improved here.

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