Fire Logic [Hardcover]

Laurie J. Marks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2004

Earth. Air. Water. Fire.

These elements have sustained the peaceful people of Shaftal for generations, with their subtle powers of healing, truth, joy, and intuition.

But now Shaftal is dying.

The earth witch who ruled Shaftal is dead, leaving no heir. Shaftal's ruling house has been scattered and destroyed by the invading Sainnites. The Shaftali have mobilized a guerrilla army against these marauders, but every year the cost of resistance grows, leaving Shaftal's fate in the hands of three people:

Emil the Shaftali paladin: an officer and a scholar whose elemental powers make him an excellent judge of character;

Zanja the diplomat: the sole survivor of a slaughtered tribe, her fire powers bringing the gift of prescience;

Karis the metalsmith: a half-blood giant whose earth powers can heal and create, but only when she can muster the strength to hold off her addiction to a deadly drug that suspends her will.

Separately, all they can do is watch as Shaftal falls from prosperity into lawlessness and famine. If they can find a way to work together, they may just change the course of history.

In the tradition of Ursula K. Le Guin and Elizabeth Lynn, Laurie J. Marks weaves a complex tale of political and personal struggle, set in a world whose concerns are as familiar as today's headlines.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the wake of the successful movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, bookstores have been flooded with new high fantasy. Much of it is derivative and badly written; some is well written and singular. Among the rare and glorious successes is Laurie J. Marks's Fire Logic, an original, skillfully written, powerfully imagined novel of war and intrigue, a high fantasy that owes little to Tolkien's trilogy, though both are intelligent, adult works that may also be enjoyed by younger readers.

In the world of Fire Logic, the rare individuals born with magic talent are known as elementals, because they possess the power of fire, earth, air, or water. The fire elemental Emil is a Paladin, a Shaftali soldier-scholar who is about to embark on his most desired studies when the invading Sainnites capture the capitol and kill the wizard ruler, leaving no heir; now Emil must become a war commander in the remnants of the Shaftali army. Another fire elemental, Zanja na'Tarwein, is the Ashawala'i Speaker, but she cannot convince her own people of the full danger of the Sainnites. Karis, a half-giant blacksmith, has tremendous earth powers that might defeat the Sainnites--if she weren't addicted to a potent, deadly drug that steals her will. Her guardian, Norina the Truthken, is an air elemental able to see through any lie, yet she is blind to dangerous truths about both her half-giant charge and Paladin treachery. --Cynthia Ward --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The use of magic to combat war has been used to drive fantasy plots since the genre began some with tepid results, and some, as in this case, with compelling effectiveness. In her first novel since Dancing Jack (1993), Marks has created a work filled with an intelligence that zings off the page. The land of Shaftal, occupied by the nasty Sainnites, has just lost its Earth witch ruler and, in doing so, has seemingly lost the magic that the witch held. What follows is bitter guerilla warfare. Into this war comes Zanja na'Tarwein, speaker for the people of the Ashawala'i, a woman who holds the power of elemental fire. What was not her war suddenly becomes personal when the Sainnites turn on her people and obliterate them in one night's battle. As sole survivor, Zanja becomes a resistance fighter, aiding the Shaftali with her premonitions (the gift of fire elementals) and her determination to survive. Zanja is not alone in her quest she becomes friends with other magicians who play vital parts in the war effort: Emil Paladin, a fire elemental; Norina Truthken, an air elemental and a reader of truth; the seer Medric, whose magic may be fire; and the mage Karis, whose very life is a puzzle. It's a neat trick to make the main character die (mostly) and then be "reborn," but it takes an author who can manipulate emotions skillfully to do it more than once. This beautifully written novel avoids the holes in logic typical of most stories of this nature and includes enough blood and adventure to satisfy the most quest-driven readers.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: San Val (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417723904
• ISBN-13: 978-1417723904
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,053,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written with finesse, achieving multi-climactic satisfaction, July 31, 2002

By 

Katya Reimann (Saint Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire Logic (Hardcover)

I struggled with the first hundred or so pages of this book, adrift in the world Marks was creating and unsure how to orient myself to the characters. Yes, I could see who the 'main' characters were going to be--but I just couldn't work out where Marks was going with them.

I kept reading.

By the time I set the book down, Marks's world and vision had utterly seduced me. Looking back--what had seemed to be a "confused" start was neither a problem nor a weakness. *Fire Logic* is about a land at war--and war *is* confusing and chaotic (particularly a war fought without the benefits of modern communication technology). Until the moment enemies can manuver into a position in which they can engage each other, it *should* be hard to see the form that will come together. Marks recognizes this and incorporates it into a plot strength for her book.

I don't want to be too clever here--the book is a fun read, the characters are engaging, the choices that they face are moving. It's the kind of book that can be read very fast, just for the enjoyment of it, without elaborate philosophical analysis.

However, the deeper levels are there, which for me as a reader is highly rewarding.

*Fire Logic* reads like a great battle is fought and won--much marshalling of troops and gathering of courage, followed by a great push and achievement.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, May 3, 2002

By 

Silver (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire Logic (Hardcover)

Fire Logic is a masterful novel that works as both a riveting adventure and an in-depth look at character and the relationships between people. The tight plotting kept me turning pages late into the night. Marks brings a depth of understanding to her characters that enables them to come alive on the page. There are no wooden, two-dimensional characters in this book, and for me realistic characterization is a must. The system of magic used in Fire Logic is also well thought out and has a gritty realism that I loved. Since I read Dancing Jack, I've been in love with Laurie Marks' work and have eagerly waited for another book. I wasn't disappointed! Silver, writer and magazine editor

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good fantasy that makes you stretch a bit, January 27, 2006

By 

Everett Harper (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fire Logic (Elemental Logic) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had the distinct impression that the author first wrote the book, then went back and flipped a coin to determine the gender of each of the characters; rewriting the gender-specific pronouns as needed.

Reading the novels caught me offguard numerous times and made me realize just how much I think in stereotypes. An example is when a group is struggling along in a harsh winter and come to a small farm. They are met by the farmer who lets them sleep in the barn. It is casually revealed that the farmer is female. I had to erase and rewrite the pictures in my head!

Within the books, gender does not determine strength of body or character, nor does it determine roles in society. Very refreshing.

Similarly, some characters have dark skin, some light. Neither gender nor skin color is of any significance whatsoever to the characters in the novel. Yes, there is some reference to sexuality in the books. However, it is never either salacious or explicit. Some is casual and friendly, some is committed. Nothing much is made of it in either instance. Sexual contact is presented as an extension of friendship with never a hint of exploitation, dominance, or control entering into it. Yes, a lot of the sex is between same-gender persons, but so what?

Another dominant theme is that of "family." In the books a family is a committed group of friends who share purpose and share parenting of any children in the group. All women are Mother, all men are Father.

A good read with careful plotting and very well developed characters.