Unlike just about every book ever, I actually agreed with the cover quote praising this one. It says "Fire Bringer does for deer what Watership Down did for rabbits," and if it meant giving poignant insight to their social order, hosting imaginative anthropomorphism, and making the reader utterly appalled at how they wage war against each other, then yeah, I'd have to agree with that. Fire Bringer is one of those amazing books that turns something I normally hate (prophecy stories) into something I forgive and adore, and it does this by giving life to the main character as he struggles against what his fate implies. I get his frustration, I cheer along his journey, I want with every ounce of me for these characters to make it. And as much as I like the protagonist, the side characters shine just as strongly. The character arcs were so well handled that the reluctant eye-rolling/mocking friend grew up to be the one I got attached to the most. And the does in this book are handled with true understanding of inner strength--the mothers make sacrifices of love for their children, the queen shows resilience in the face of tyrants, and the youngest does outsmart enemy bucks with the sharpest antlers when they can't go head to head. None of them sacrifice their emotional connectivity for brute strength, but they are all strong. It's a great approach to a species which has an obvious gender imbalance, and it leaves the author able to focus on true expression of qualities such as honor, optimism, and loyalty. There's wilderness here too, and that isn't lost even in moments where natural enemies are temporary accomplices. He shows the difficulty in any opposing animals to remain near each other, and it keeps it from feeling too contrived or Disney-like. ("But Dad, don't we eat the antelope?" Yeah, we do, and don't you forget it.) Fire Bringer is a solid, enthralling book if you're looking for anything with great story, characters, and descriptives. There's not a complaint I have about it so I'm glad I found it when I did. I recommend it to anyone, but especially people who believe that animals hold more personality than they're given credit for.
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AuthorCarrie is a burgeoning writer in North America. She thinks about stories 23/7 because everyone needs some time off. She enjoys apples, giving and receiving feedback, and couch-fort gaming with loved ones. Archives
April 2016
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