Fire

A companion book to Graceling, Fire takes a jump back approximately twenty years back and is based in a land beyond the Estill and Monsea mountain range where monsters live.

Monsters are like the Gracelings that live in the 7 kingdoms in many ways. First monsters are extremely beautiful creatures of all kinds. They are colorful creatures that exceed any normal beauty and they lure people in with this beauty. Entering into the minds of humans and other creatures the monsters entice their prey to come close enough to be eaten.

War is inevitable in the Dellian kingdom after the fall of King Nax and his monster adviser Cansrel, who have brought the kingdom to ruin because their cruelty and abuse of their people. The duo created many enemies that would love to take over the kingdom and rule it for themselves, and the duty to reclaim and restore order to the kingdom falls on King Nax's sons King Nash and Prince Brigan. With war looming in the future and spies everywhere the Dellian Royal family needs someone they can trust to help them. So when Fire, the last surviving monster crosses paths with them and in an act of stupidity and bravery saves many soldiers lives she becomes an important piece to ending the war.

Fire is beautiful beyond reason and her presence in a room tends to make women jealous and ignore her and men desire her. In addition to her exquisite beauty, Fire is able to sense peoples minds, and more often then not can enter their mind and gain the information she needs or cause them to do things she needs. Unwilling to be like her cruel father Fire only uses this advantage to communicate and rarely to control people.

Of course there is a love story entwined in the twisting and ever-changing war story. But if I told you who it was between it would ruin the story. All I can say is it is you'll love it.

Fire finds her place in the world and is able to grow into a person whose beauty is not only on the outside. She discovers that true beauty shines from inside us, and the effect we have on people is what defines that beauty.

I loved this book because it was great to be reminded that true beauty comes from inside a person and that true friends will go to any lengths to help and protect each other. I also thought a good point to this book was the importance to guard your mind. You can build defenses in your mind so that you can discern things that appear enticing and good but aren't good.

* note: there was a few parts where strong language was used. And parts where you would know that Fire was changing the dirty thoughts of the men around her. But it never went into detail and was never explicit or made me uncomfortable.

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Dial; First Edition edition (October 5, 2009)