Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Fire  By  cover art

Fire

By: Kristin Cashore
Narrated by: Xanthe Elbrick
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.75

Buy for $24.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award for Young Adult Fiction winner, 2010

New Hampshire Great Stone Face Children's Book Award nominee, 2010

New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Award nominee, 2012

She is the last of her kind...It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't need to have read or heard Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to listen to it next.

Enchanted? Also listen to Graceling.
©2009 Kristin Cashore (P)2009 Penguin

Critic reviews

"Piercing and elegant." (The Horn Book, starred review)

"Fresh, hopeful, tragic and glorious." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"Readers can enjoy this novel without having read Graceling. And enjoy it they will, with its vivid characters, convincing fantasy elements, gripping adventure scenes, and memorable love story." (Booklist, starred review)

What listeners say about Fire

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    952
  • 4 Stars
    327
  • 3 Stars
    143
  • 2 Stars
    38
  • 1 Stars
    31
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    856
  • 4 Stars
    252
  • 3 Stars
    84
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    12
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    811
  • 4 Stars
    253
  • 3 Stars
    109
  • 2 Stars
    33
  • 1 Stars
    23

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Totally Different from Graceling

Unlike the some of the other reviewers, I actually enjoyed Fire more than Graceling. There are some big differences between these two books- they almost don't belong to the same series. However, I really liked Fire, the main character, because she wasn't as hot-tempered as Katsa. I really enjoyed the conflicts between the different parts of the Dells (the country). I found this book to be engrossing, exciting, and smoother overall than Graceling.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Better of the 2

So I downloaded this immediately after finishing Graceling. You do not need to read Graceling first and in fact this is really a precursor to Graceling. There is only 1 character that spans both books and it is more of an informational point rather than a focal part of the book.

I think this book was more of a romance than Graceling. It definitely had more mature themes throughout the book. There is a LOT of talk about her monthly cycle in this book as it has significance on some level but I think for younger boys this might be a bit much.

Again, Cashore spends a great deal of time dealing with her characters and so you learn much about them. That being said, at some points the plot takes a back seat to the development of the characters and their complex relationships.

I liked that there was no music and there was only one reader. It was much more enjoyable.
Overall a great listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Story

The more I listen to this the better I like it. Ms. Elbrick breathes life into Fire. I especially liked the way she was able to convey the differences in voice between the spoken word and when Fire was communicating with her mind alone. A very fine performance.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very long, but addictive.

This story is quite lengthy and, during the times of war in the story, drags on a bit too long for my taste. But I think that has more to do with my lack of interest in war stories than any issue with the story itself. Luckily, for me, the entire story is not about war.

I literally started Fire a day after finishing Graceling. So I can't help but to compare the two books and its characters. I feel Katsa, in Graceling, was the more interesting character, and I admired her strength and determination more than Fire. Fire, however, was more complex and more mature, and I appreciated her inner struggles (though her exhaustion tended to leave me feeling exhausted as well). The same goes for the male leads. Graceling's Po was fun and playful, and so easy to like. Fire's Brigan was much more of a mystery, darker and deeper, and complex like Fire herself. I wanted so much more for them together than the story offered, though.

I loved both books equally, but for opposite reasons. Graceling was an easier read, felt more adventuresome, and was an emotional rollercoaster. Fire, on the other hand, was long and serious, much more of a "mental" story, and was more emotionally complex and mature.

Despite other marketing suggestions, I do think Graceling should be read prior to Fire. You can get through and understand Fire without the first book (Graceling), but you'll appreciate certain details and the one cross-over character only if you've read the first book. I personally think it's important entering this story with a bit of disgust for the cross-over in order for one of the memorable moments of the story to completely and immeasurably impact you.

I definitely recommend Fire as a great read, but be prepared to have your heart ripped to shreds (not going to give any spoilers though). Also, don't expect it to be as impulsively romantic as Graceling. While still full of romance, Fire's romance is much more mature and thought through. Fire may not be a sequel, but it definitely feels as if though you've grown up a bit with the author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Did not like ....

What would have made Fire better?

I really liked the book Gracelings by Kristin Cashore. This book seemed dark and was disturbing to me. Could not finish the book.

What was most disappointing about Kristin Cashore’s story?

Too dark.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Xanthe Elbrick?

Not really.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

I bought the hard copy of both Graceling and Fire. I then purchased the audiobook versions here. I loved both of them; but Fire was my favorite. It would be interesting if characters from both books would turn up in Kristin's new book, Bitterblue.
Read Graceling first, then Fire. I enjoyed listening to the narrator also.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Nowhere near Graceling

I loved Graceling and downloaded Fire almost immediately after finishing Cashore's first book. What a let down. By the end of the book I didnt know what had happened and didnt even care. The main character was boring and annoying, and the love story was so drawn out and uneventful that I could hardly stand to finish it. Where Graceling shines Fire fails. Miserably.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

What an excellent read this was!

I was excited to read fire, having just finished Graceling not too long ago. I was captivated from the very beginning of this book. Following Fire throughout her journey was an endearing adventure in every sense of the word. I loved the new characters, and was interested to learn more about the ones I already knew. If you liked Graceling, you will love Fire. Kristin Cashore has done it again, yet this time it is bigger, better, and more entertaining than ever before!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Not my style but could be yours

I have read Graceling and Fire and have come to the realization that these books are not my style, however you may like them.

This book is about the self discovery of the main character; Fire. She is the last human monster in the Dells and is asked by king Nash to use her powers to help save his kingdom.

I think that Fire is better and more complete than Graceling, however to me, Kristen Cashores books focus more on relationships than story development. Her books are like a pirate on his/her death bed who after spending a lifetime trying to find treasure with no luck realizes that the real treasures in life were the people they met and the experiences they had.

I much rather read about the adventures of the pirate than the friends of the pirate.

I still give the book four stars because the book is well written and is interesting but I have realized that her style of writing is not my forte but that doesn't mean it is bad.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Beautiful world building, lacking character depth

It started strong in the first chapter but just never went anywhere that intrigued me. This world is beautiful, but I struggled to develop any feelings or connections with any of these characters. I guess I would say it was just boring.

It’s very war-story focused. It seemed like a recall of facts and happenings but never had the descriptive connections in mannerisms, deeper internal thoughts and driving desires aside from the fact that humans go crazy around the “monsters”. Romance in this story was very blah. I read Graceling a while ago, I remember being sort of bored through that book but remember being sold by the end.
If you are looking for a follow up from ACOTAR this is absolutely not it. If you’re looking for something like a watered version of Game of Thrones with some supernatural powers, this is probably more to your liking.
I have to force myself to finish the last hour with hopes it redeems itself. I’ll update if that changes.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful