Why I read it: I decided to listen to one of my own audiobooks for a change. I have lots of review books to listen to but every now and then, I like to sneak in a just for fun listen.
What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Set in a world of stunningly beautiful, exceptionally dangerous monsters, Fire is one of the most dangerous monsters of all – a human one. Marked out by her vivid red hair, she’s more than attractive. Fire is mesmerising.
But with this extraordinary beauty comes influence and power. People who are susceptible to her appeal will do anything for her attention, and for her affection. They will turn away from their families, their work, and their duties for her. They will forget their responsibilities to please her and worse, crush nations, neglect kingdoms and abuse their power.
Aware of her power, and afraid of it, Fire lives in a corner of the world away from people, and away from temptation. Until the day comes when she is needed – a day when, for her king, she has to take a stand not only against his enemies, but also against herself.
What worked for me (and what didn’t): I adored this listen. I was immersed from the prologue (which was creepy) and engrossed as Fire’s life (Fire being the title character) became the main focus of the story. Fire is set chronologically before Graceling but there is information in the prologue and toward the end of the book which would be kind of spoiler-y for Graceling, so I’d recommend reading them in order. I understand Bitterblue, the third book (which is awaiting me on my iPod) doesn’t really have any relationship to Fire so I gather you could read books 1 and 3 without missing out on much. But, I really loved Fire so I’d say whether you read/listen to Bitterblue or Fire first – don’t skip Fire altogether.
