Child of Fire: A Twenty Palaces Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Harry Connolly (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 29, 2009

Ray Lilly is living on borrowed time. He's the driver for Annalise Powliss, a high-ranking member of the Twenty Palace Society, a group of sorcerers devoted to hunting down and executing rogue magicians. But because Ray betrayed her once, Annalise is looking for an excuse to kill him-or let someone else do the job.

Unfortunately for both of them, Annalise's next mission goes wrong, leaving her critically injured. With the little magic he controls, Ray must complete her assignment alone. Not only does he have to stop a sorcerer who's sacrificing dozens of innocent lives in exchange for supernatural power, he must find-and destroy-the source of that inhuman magic.

Child of Fire was named to Publishers Weekly's list of Best 100 Books of 2009.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Connolly's gritty urban fantasy debut is not so urban: it takes place in Hammer Bay, Wash., where residents are thankful for the toy factory that stimulates their economy and are apparently oblivious to the frequent magical immolations of local children. Convicted felon Ray Lilly works for the mysterious Annalise Powliss and the Twenty Palace Society, hunting down people who use magic and the otherworldly predators whose power they channel. Callous Annalise and hard-nosed Ray have a complicated personal history that gradually comes to light as the Society faces off against factory employees, local law enforcement and other corrupt forces in the town. Unique magical concepts, a tough and pragmatic protagonist and a high casualty rate for innocent bystanders will enthrall readers who like explosive action and magic that comes at a serious cost. (Oct.)
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Review

“Child of Fire is excellent reading: a truly dark and sinister world, delicious tension and suspense, violence so gritty you'll get something in your eye just reading it, and a gorgeously flawed protagonist. Take this one to the checkout counter. Seriously.”—Jim Butcher, author of the Dresden Files

"Ray Lilly is one of the most interesting characters I've read lately, and Harry Connolly's vision is amazing. I can hardly wait for the next one." --Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse series

“Cinematic and vivid, with a provocative glimpse into a larger world. Where’s the next one?”—Terry Rossio, screenwriter, Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy

“Classic dark noir, fresh ideas, and good old-fashioned storytelling.”—John Levitt, author of Dog Days

“Redemption comes wrapped in a package of mystery and horror that hammers home the old saying ‘Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time’ . . . and even then you’d better check the yellow pages for one bad-ass exterminator first.”—Rob Thurman, author of Nightlife

“A fine novel with some genuinely creepy moments. I enjoyed it immensely and hope we’ll see more of Ray Lilly.”—Lawrence Watt-Evans, author of the Obsidian Chronicles

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; Original edition (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345508890
• ISBN-13: 978-0345508898
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

108 of 114 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't judge a book by the covers of other books October 15, 2009

By Kurt G. Schumacher VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The main thing I would say to potential readers is to judge this book on its own merits.

A number of reviewers compare "Child of Fire" to Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" novels. Yes, this is Urban Fantasy. Yes, this is Dark Fantasy. Aside from that, I didn't find a lot of similarities. Keep in mind, just because Butcher likes a book, doesn't mean that it's the same kind of book that he writes!

Ray Lilly is in prison. We get some hints as to why, but I expect his back story to be revealed gradually in forthcoming books in the series. He is released from jail by the "Twenty Palace Society". We know even less about them, just that their mission is to track down and destroy anyone who is using magic. (Besides them, of course.) He is assigned to work with Annalise, and we don't know a whole lot about her either, other than that she is almost indestructible and has a really bad attitude about almost everything. Especially Ray. Who she fully expects to die very soon.

They are sent to a small town to investigate the disappearance of children, and the strange fact that once they disappear, no one remembers them. Not even their parents. The rest, as they say, is the story. And it's told very well. The narrative is tight and fast paced. The main characters aren't very likable, as some reviewers have mentioned. And on first appearance, they're not. But we don't know a lot about them, and they have a very unlikable job: killing anyone who has, or has been touched by, "unauthorized" magic. And that means there is frequently a lot of collateral damage.

This is obviously the start of a series. I'm willing to give Ray and Annalise the benefit of the doubt for now, until I know about them and their mysterious employer.

This is not Dresden Files, so don't expect a likable wizard, a sarcastic skull and a cute police woman. And don't expect much humor, unless it's the very, very dark kind. One reviewer compared the book to Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Sorry, I disagree completely. This book isn't much like the Mythos at all, except that they are both in the dark fantasy and horror genre.

This book is dark, grim, and frequently unpleasant. And withing those parameters, it's an excellent book. If this is the kind of story you like, then I recommend that you give it a try. But approach it without expectations. Don't expect Butcher, Lovecraft, King, Koontz, or anyone else. Just expect Harry Connolly, and let him take you into his own dark world.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Debut October 20, 2009

By Laurel VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Ray is just the driver. His boss Annelise hates him -- with good reason, it turns out. Together they ride in a crummy van, chasing after a signal given off by an instance of unauthorized magic. What they find turns out to be more horrific than Ray ever imagined possible, and he's well acquainted with horrific. He just got out of prison.

The pair follows the trail further to Hammer Bay, a small city in the Pacific Northwest, known for its improbably successful toy manufacturing. The city is crawling with multi-generation old secrets, corruption, and lethal magic.

The story is fast-paced, full of violence, drama, and occasional dark humor. I found Ray Lilly to be complex and sympathetic. He does the hard things that need doing, even as he regrets them. Over the course of the story we learn that both Ray and Annelise have complicated histories -- so much so, I almost felt like I was reading book two in a series, rather than the first volume.

Hints about the Twenty Palaces Society were even more tantalizing. They stamp out -- with extreme prejudice, it seems -- unauthorized magic use. Their zeal is appropriate, though. They're the only thing protecting the world from the constant threat of annihilation. Annelise, vastly powerful and nearly indestructible, is merely a junior member.

Except what lurks in Hammer Bay is too strong even for Annelise. Saving the world is left to Ray, who has only a little magical protection, a scrap of a spell, and a whole lot of street smarts.

Normally I don't read a lot of Urban Fantasy, because common tropes of the field (snarky heroines and sex with undead/demons/monsters) are pet peeves of mine, but I liked this very much. I've seen a few other readers say this is too dark, but I honestly didn't find it that way, and I consider myself pretty sensitive. There are numerous novels where I can't get past the first page because they're so gross and brutal, and I had no trouble with CHILD OF FIRE at all. If you're wondering, try the sample chapter at the author's website. It's a good example of the tone throughout.

Overall, highly recommended for readers who like fiction that is action-packed, witty, and sophisticated.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 Stars - Good Series Start but Very Dark Tone November 11, 2009

By Irishman65

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I am an avid fan of Jim Butcher and his Dresden Files series and Rob Thurman and his Nightlife Series; both of whom endorse and to some degree write in the style of Harry Connolly. Child of Fire, as a first novel, shows promise. Ray Lilly however, is a darker character than those created by Butcher and Thurman and sometimes reads more as a thug than a protagonist early in the novel. His character grows and develops more nuances as you stay with the book and he becomes a progtagonist you can root for. However, it takes an extreme plot, which centers around the killing of children, to lighten his darkness and make the character more palatable. The early part of the novel reads choppily, not surprising in a new author but after three chapters or so, it settles down into a more even flow that holds the reader until near the end where there are so many subplots and so much going on that I found myself skimming more than reading. I wanted to know how things resolved for the characters but the plot was too convoluted. I think this could be because so much of the backstory is being held for future novels. In may be that after future novels are released, rereading this novel will help it better fall into context. I'd give a second novel by Connolly a try but I'd want more clarity and a main character who has been fleshed out with more humanity so that I'd enjoy reading his storyline.