Prince of Fire

Gabriel Allon, Book 5

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: Guerin Barry

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Few recent thriller writers have elicited the kind of critical praise that Daniel Silva has received, with his "provocative and deeply satisfying" ( The Miami Herald) novels featuring art restorer and sometime spy Gabriel Allon, "a man whose depth and passion make him one of the most fascinating characters in the genre" ( Chicago Sun-Times)

Now Allon is back in Venice, when a terrible explosion in Rome leads to a disturbing personal revelation: the existence of a dossier in terrorist hands that strips away his secrets, lays bare his history. Hastily recalled home to Israel, drawn once more into the heart of a service he had once forsaken, Allon finds himself stalking an elusive master terrorist across a landscape drenched with generations of blood, the trail turning on itself until, finally, he can no longer be certain who is stalking whom.

And when at last the showdown comes, it will not be Gabriel alone who is threatened with destruction - for it is not his history alone that has been laid bare.

A knife-edged thriller of astonishing intricacy and feeling, filled with exhilarating prose, this is Daniel Silva's finest novel yet.

Take another thrill ride with Gabriel Allon.

©2005 Daniel Silva (P)2005 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"In a story that seems ripped from the headlines, Silva delivers both chilling suspense and a thoughtful if grim history lesson." ( Booklist)
"[A] a passionate, intelligently crafted entry that cements the series' place among today's top spy fiction." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Guerin Barry skillfully juggles the many accents, even personifying the late Yassir Arafat with wit and energy." ( AudioFile)

great plot, masterful history lesson

I am going to listen to this one again. I love Gabriel. The author did a masterful job of teaching the history of Palestine vs Israel in a way that every US voter should hear. I knew much of the history, but this was presented in a way that would make most people rethink what they know about the Middle East. well done, Mr. Silva.

Great story, but the narrator leaves a little to be desired

This story is great as long as you can get past the narrator. He mispronounces many of the Hebrew words and names. But it's still a great book and I recommend it.

Sad but very realistic

Typical Gabriel Alon. Often sad as you get both Arab and Jewish lose-lose situations. But mix of fact and fiction done very well

Gabriel and Shamron

I really enjoyed the deeply human moments of both Gabriel and Shamron. Don’t listen to the naysayers. Great book!

slow start

I found the audio quality excellent and the quality of the narration excellent. I am not qualified to notice poorly pronounced Arabic or Hebrew. I did catch the "m fifteen" instead of "MI-5" though. The narrator does an excellent job of rendering different voices for each character.

The action is much slower in this book than in some of the other Allon novels. Lots and lots and lots of Palestinian history. Lots of background information, more than usual.

Still, expertly written.

Great history, decent story, good narration

I enjoyed the Israeli history. This was more than just a spy/action novel. The Gabriel Allon series is starting to show symptoms of being historical fiction, for which I'm very happy.

A few reviews complained about the narrator, but I thought he did a great job (apart from the MI-5 -> M 15 blunder). I'd listen to him again.

A superior blend of fiction and history.

Another of Silva's wonderful story telling. His take is from the Israeli viewpoint but includes a good Palestinian counter. It frankly underscores the depressing political scene in portions of the Middle East. At the same time relates an exciting telling of Gabriel's mission as an intelligence operative for Israel.
I learned a great deal as well as finding exciting more adventures of one of the great characters of spy fiction.

static skip and stop

had tech problems with recording in middle of book -- sound skipped like a scratched lp recording and then shut off play--repeatedly

Very good narrative

Excellent work, very good narrative. look forward to reading other books by this author soon

Enjoyed it

I enjoyed this book. It started a little slow for me, but picked up speed quickly. I've read a few history books on the Israel/Palestine struggle, and it was nicely blended into the story. My only criticism is that I didn't appreciate the use of the F word multiple times. I wish authors would at least keep it pg-13!