Flood of Fire

Ibis Trilogy, Book 3

By: Amitav Ghosh

Narrated by: Raj Ghatak

The stunningly vibrant final novel in the bestselling Ibis Trilogy

It is 1839 and China has embargoed the trade of opium, yet too much is at stake in the lucrative business and the British Foreign Secretary has ordered the colonial government in India to assemble an expeditionary force for an attack to reinstate the trade. Among those consigned is Kesri Singh, a soldier in the army of the East India Company. He makes his way eastward on the Hind, a transport ship that will carry him from Bengal to Hong Kong.

Along the way, many characters from the Ibis Trilogy come aboard, including Zachary Reid, a young American speculator in opium futures, and Shireen, the widow of an opium merchant whose mysterious death in China has compelled her to seek out his lost son. The Hind docks in Hong Kong just as war breaks out and opium "pours into the market like monsoon flood." From Bombay to Calcutta, from naval engagements to the decks of a hospital ship, among embezzlement, profiteering, and espionage, Amitav Ghosh charts a breathless course through the culminating moment of the British opium trade and vexed colonial history.

With all the verve of the first two novels in the trilogy, Flood of Fire completes Ghosh's unprecedented reenvisioning of the nineteenth-century war on drugs. With remarkable historic vision and a vibrant cast of characters, Ghosh brings the Opium Wars to bear on the contemporary moment with the storytelling that has charmed readers around the world.

©2015 Amitav Ghosh (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

I am sorry this book ended.

I am sorry this book ended since it is the last of the IbisTrilogy. I felt like I was living at that time all of the characters.

The history !

I loved the characters, the history, the geography, and the old shipping languages. What a great and entertaining way to learn about the foundation of capitalism in its true form.

So sorry to hear that the Ibis Trilogy has ended

I was so sad to see that I had finished the Ibis Trilogy. Over the last four years the characters that populate the Trilogy have come to dominate my mind tha

Rollicking frolicking saga ends in a happy defeat.

Although I hadn't read the preceding novels in this trilogy in some time, the final novel drew me right back into the parallel strains of its multiple overlapping narratives. without recapping the drama that ensues, suffice it to say that this hugely satisfying tale provides insight into the history, and human costs of the opium wars from several points of view; male and female of Indian, American, Chinese, and of course, British nationalities and cultural perspectives.

Ibis trilogy

These three books are scholarly work by amitav ghosh and how he tells about opium wars through his characters is amazing
The amount of knowledge you gain is unfathomable .hats off to amitav ghosh to spend one sixth of his life in writing it

Opium

The narrator, the story, the history. It was a good wrap up of the trilogy,

Worth a listen

Fantastic use of language. The characters are familiar from the preceding two books, and the whole comes to a satisfactory conclusion

Many storylines converge

This is Ghosh's last entry in the Ibis trilogy, but he hints in the epilogue that the story may continue, since it's based on an historical archive that goes on after the conclusion of the first Opium War.
In addition to well-described passages on life in India and the soldier's experience in the early days of Hong Kong, it's a great war story. It's series of interlocking narratives and at times it's difficult to keep up with the many threads. Several of the pieces are continuations of stories begun the first 2 volumes, of course, and while he does include a certain amount of backstory, I had to rack my brains to come up with several of the events referred to. Eventually it all works out.
The narrator is terrific, handling several Indian and English accents with ease.

Fantastic trilogy - please make into a movie!

It took me 5 years to finish this trilogy. Not because I'm a slow reader - it because I became a mom and sitting down to read a book became a luxury. After finishing Sea of Poppies I was desperate to continue the series. Only this year I relented to my husband's suggestion of listening to the other 2 books on audio. I'm converted! The performances were gripping and I could listen while finishing chores.

The vivid way in which Ghosh writes - you can picture the landscapes of primordial Hong Kong and feel the interweaving of he complex characters. There were times I laughed out loud and held back tears. This series begs to be transferred to the big screen. I heartily recommend you read the series, and if like me, are pressed for time - do it on Audible.

Riveting

Brilliantly portrayed by narrator.
Fascinating historical novel trilogy on the opium wars. Each reader mastered the challenge of multiple characters with remarkable differentiations .