Fire (Graceling)

3.5 stars

There was one character I really did not like. Archer, he wasn't even the bad guy. He was a potential love interest for Fire, but he was controlling and jealous and when he didn't get what he wanted he slept with anyone who was willing. My sister called him a man whore. I was inclined to agree with her. I was glad the anti-marriage message from the first book was not as strong in this though.

I found the repetition a little trying. One example was the use of the word monster, it came before other words such as cat, mouse, human, etc. Another example was the focus on Fire's menstrual cycle. I'm not sure I have focused as much on my own as the author did Fire's. My last example was the focus on Fire's looks. She was beautiful enough she would have men professing love or moved to violence just by looking at her. It became a little much.

I did find the story slow at the beginning. It took me about eighty pages before I really began to connect to the characters. Then I found the book difficult to put down. I did enjoy most of the interactions between the different characters. I especially enjoyed Fire's dealings with Small and Horse the two horses she ends up with in the book. I liked how they both chose her and because of that she didn't actually view them as property.