Customer Reviews

Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's been the better part of a decade since husband and wife Peter Dickinson and Robin McKinley last teamed up to write Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits. Now they have once again joined forces to produce another collection of short stories, this one focused on fire. Unlike their previous attempt, in which McKinley's efforts clearly outshined Dickinson's, in Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits, both authors put forward amazing fantasy stories that run the gamut from an eerie ghost story to a heartbreakingly bittersweet prehistoric fable, but all of which share the common thread of fire.

There are five stories in this collection, three by Dickinson and two substantially longer ones by Mckinley:

--Phoenix, by Dickinson, tells the story of an elderly British gamekeeper who discovers a phoenix, and as a result, begins to age backwards. Despite being placed first in the book, and having the best beginning, Phoenix is the weak link of the collection, and has a disappointing and anticlimactic ending. Still, don't get discouraged if you read this tale and find it lacking; the other four stories are significantly better.

--McKinley's Hellhound is a nail-biting account of a young woman and her hellhound who find themselves forced into a confrontation in a haunted graveyard. McKinley's love of animals shines in this story, as the bulk of it takes place at a riding stable, and cats, horses, dogs, and birds are practically everywhere.

--Dickinson's Fireworm is a prehistoric fable about a group of cavedwellers who must fight off their ancient enemy the fireworm. The line between heroes and monsters is completely wiped away, and midway through it's clear that regardless of the outcome, this is going to end in tragedy. I haven't read all of Dickinson's work, but of what I have read, this is by far the best.

--Salamander Man, also by Dickinson, is a nice story about a young man enslaved to a kindly dealer of magical items. When he suddenly finds himself sold to a magician he's never met, his life takes an unexpected turn. While there is perhaps a bit too much exposition towards the end of the story, this is still a solid and entertaining tale.

--First Flight is the final and longest (at over 100 pages) story in the book. Here, McKinley writes of unlikely hero Ern, an awkward and clumsy young man who prefers to hide in corners rather than be noticed. But when Ern's brother, in training as a dragonrider, comes home livid that a beloved injured dragon has been assigned a task it can't possibly complete, the local wizard suggests Ern accompany his brother back to the training academy. Certain that there is nothing he can do to help, but unwilling to risk defying the wizard, Ern and his pet Sippy head off to the academy to provide what moral support they can.

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in high quality fiction, and especially encourage anyone who enjoys a good fantasy story (or several good fantasy stories) to read this collection. McKinley and Dickinson both shine, and their stories complement each other wonderfully.

I'm surprised at all the glowing reviews for this collection. Both terrific authors in their own right, Robin McKinley and husband Peter Dickinson team up on Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits to give us five new stories of fantastical worlds. Unfortunately it remains a half-baked collection. Robin McKinley's and Peter Dickinson's Water collection was not perfect but a joy nonetheless, all the stories well crafted and full of interesting surprises. Fire, their latest installment in the projected elementals series, is not as strong. The stories suffer from being under- or overwritten, some confusing plot holes, and in some cases a real lack of cohesion.

The first story is "Phoenix" by Peter Dickinson, in which an elderly man finds a phoenix and interesting things happen as a result. The story didn't particularly grip me but I realize this is more of a personal preference, so I will say it is at least well written. It also touches upon some thought-provoking themes of rebirth, hope, and religion.

In "Hellhound" by Robin McKinley, a teen girl who works on her family horse ranch buys a new dog that is more than he seems. This one was also well written and easy to read. The hellhound was lovable, the family dynamic engaging, and the suspense really nail-biting at times. All in all a strong story.

"Fireworm" by Peter Dickinson was a great premise. A young man in a prehistoric setting must fight off a fireworm that consistently steals the tribe's fire. The collection goes downhill from here. It's not the subject matter; I adore prehistoric fiction, such as Maroo of the Winter Caves and Boy of the Painted Cave. The mythos in this story evoked Native American mythology. But I didn't much like that the women, even so early on in history, just sat around not doing or saying much of anything; they existed purely as possessions to the men. Surely every member of a prehistoric clan was important to the tribe's survival, yet here all the women do is cook, sit in the cave and wait for the men to barter them off in marriage. More to the point of the story, I didn't have a clear sense of why the fireworm was such a danger to the humans. The whole story hinged on the need to kill the creature, but it never came across as a real threat to their survival.

In "Salamander Man" by Peter Dickinson, a young man is sold to an enigmatic new master and the salamanders (mystical fire beings in this story) have a task for him. I was very invested in this story, in the touching relationship between the boy and his former owner, the strong characterizations. But it was much too short. A whole string of events happens, then the salamanders explain some hefty backstory, and just like that, the tale is over. Love is in the offing in the future, but it means nothing because I never spent enough time with these characters or saw much of their world.

In "First Flight" by Robin McKinley, a young man accompanies his elder brother to the dragon-riding Academy when he learns that his brother's first flight (a rite of passage) may not work due to the dragon's injury. This is the longest story in the book at over 120 pages and it certainly lags in places. The world is enticing but haphazardly sketched, the characters largely peripheral. The only character I thoroughly loved was Sippy, the narrator's little pet dragon. The narrator himself has little backbone as well as severe social anxiety, and his deer-in-headlights behavior does not improve by the end, even when important things are at stake. Much of the really interesting material is told to us via the narrator's rambling style, rendering the tale static and distant. To be fully effective, the story needed either to be fleshed out into a full novel or have all the filler cut and show us the important events in scene. When you feel that any of the characters would have made a better protagonist than the narrator, you know something isn't working for the story.

The first two stories are well written and plotted. Unfortunately there are only five stories; one was over before it started and the remaining two lagged. I hate to be so harsh on this book as I was really looking forward to it. Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors, and while the only Dickinson I've read so far were his Water stories, I enjoyed those just as much as McKinley's. In this collection, both authors needed to spend more time on their stories. I only hope they manage better in the remaining two books of the elementals series.

McKinley is one of my favorite authors and once again, she and Peter Dickinson have put together a lovely little collection of stories. My only wish would be that she had included a tale of Damar like she did in their book "Water." Oh well - it's still a great book.

I've admired both these writers for decades, for very different reasons. That they should be married to each other, and work together on projects like this, is a near-miraculous gift of fate. Dickenson, in my opinion, is one of the best writers at communicating unexpected and strange ideas in a way that makes them understandable and exciting, while McKinley has an ability to create characters and societies that ring true at every turn. Both skills are on display in this collection.

In my opinion the strongest stories are the first and the last--each dominated by a fire-creature which is so much a part of mythical tradition it might seem nothing new could be said about either. Yet Dickenson's phoenix, and the people who serve it, are not like any other phoenix-legend I know. The story is perhaps most notable for having no real antagonist, except the natural consequences of time and death. This is very appropriate, since the legend of the phoenix has always been about time, death and renewal. If you're looking for blood and thunder, you won't find much of that here--but a quieter, more inquiring mind will find much to consider. And if the world seems a little too good and beautiful to be real--well, the phoenix has that effect on ordinary mortals, and time and death become more terrible when what they destroy is loved and loveable.

McKinley's dragon story is less original--dragonriding is a well-worn trope of fantasy--but it is no less charming, and in many ways much more gritty. Again, there is no real antagonist; the struggle is against circumstance and disability, and the natural human reluctance to admit weaknesses. McKinley brings a large number of people to life and gives us a good understanding of the society in which they live--hinting at much more than she ever needs to show us. I wanted to learn more about this world; my main criticism of the story is that its abrupt ending leaves so many questions needing answers.

Of the remaining three stories, two are fairly conventional fantasies (one set in modern times, the other in a timeless premodern land about which we learn surprisingly little) with more conventional sources of conflict. Their strength lies in the excellent characterization. The third story--another one by Dickenson--is noteworthy for being set in prehistoric times, where spirit-walkers and story-tellers help tribes of hunter-gatherers to survive in a harsh environment. Much of the fascination of this story is in seeing the interaction between "real" and spirit-world, and the way in which a shaman's individual heroics in the spirit-world are translated by a group of men working together into similar success in the physical world. Anyone who has been fascinated by Dickenson's other stories exploring how hominids developed into modern man will enjoy this short, unsparing tale as well.

None of these stories is among either writer's very finest work--several of them have an air of incompleteness and all of them could have been expanded into longer pieces. For admirers of either author, however, there is much to enjoy and treasure, and I recommend this collection warmly.

Synopsis
A collection of short stories based around the magical element of Fire. A companion novel to Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits.

Review
I should start with the fact that I fell in love with Robin McKinley's writing when I was first given her Blue Sword novels in 7th grade. This compilation is no exception, though my problem with her short stories is that I never want them to end... I also enjoyed Peter Dickinson's stories, though I've never read a full novel written by him.
Here are my thoughts on the five stories in the collection.
Phoenix by Peter Dickinson - A story about the way a phoenix changes the lives of the people it meets in England. While I enjoyed this story, I did find some of the dialect a bit difficult to follow. I also thought that all of the characters, with the exception of Dave to be a bit flat.
Hellhound by Robin McKinley - The adoption of a really ugly dog changes a young woman forever. I really enjoyed this story, with it's slight dip into the modern, paranormal world. I wish that the story could have continued and shown what other situations could have been conquered.
Fireworm by Peter Dickinson - In a time when fire is the greatest technology, an outcast young man must save his clan from a fireworm. My favorite of Peter Dickinson's stories. I really enjoyed the bittersweet aspects of the story, and that Peter allowed us to know the other side of the coin.
Salamander Man by Peter Dickinson - A young slave is taken from the only home he has known and left alone is a bare room. I enjoyed the interactions of the slave and his owner, but the middle of the story fell a little bit flat for me.
First Flight by Robin McKinley - Ern wants to heal and help people in a land where healers are considered disreputable because no one should admit to needing healing. When his brother, a dragon rider cadet, comes home with the news that he has been assigned to a broken dragon for his First Flight, Ern must stop hiding himself to help his brother and dragon, finding a place for himself in the process.
This is the longest story in the collection, and could have easily gone on to become a whole book. I definitely did not want this story to stop when it did, and wanted to know what kind of place Ern made for himself in the world. I loved it.

My Recommendation
I really enjoyed this book, and will read it again. The stories are all family friendly. If you enjoyed Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits you will also enjoy Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits. 4/5 Wait for a coupon.

As a long-time McKinley fan, I devoured her work. Peter Dickenson's stories, although well written, I cared for less. That's a personal preference, not a judgment on the work itself.

I love McKinely's voice so regardless of the story itself I'm enthralled. Her ability to weaving a world that you just sink into, where the words disappear from the page within the first paragraph, is truly a gift. "Hellhound" was a bit scary me, but I'm an admitted lightweight when it comes to anything spooky. "First Flight" left me wishing that a full length book in this world & about these characters might follow. It was by far my favourite of the collection.

Dickenson is not my particular cup of tea, so how much I liked the story was dependent on the story elements themselves. For instance, I really liked his "Phoenix" story, but was meh on "Fireworm".

Would I recommend this collection? Yes. I'm even likely to reread it at some point.

Is it my favourite book ever? No, not by a long shot, but short stories aren't really my thing. (My favourite book ever, by the way, is a Robin McKinley.)

"Phoenix" by Peter Dickinson. In Britain elderly caretakers Dave and Ellie begin to care for the ancient Egyptian Phoenix, who struggles with the change in climate; the pair is rewarded for their kindness in an unexpected way.

"Hellhound" by Robin McKinley. Miri rescues the red-eyed dog from a shelter; not anticipating her kindness will be reciprocated when her canine stands at her side during a confrontation with an evil spirit in a graveyard.

"Fireworm" Peter Dickinson. The fireworm threatens the Home Cave of the dwelling clan. Tandin challenges the beast on the spirit plain, but is stunned to realize the enemy has a mate that it protects from the cave-dwellers.

"Salamander Man" by Peter Dickinson. Tib the orphan is sold to a mage, which leads to his turning into a blazing giant freeing the salamanders and the city residents from the abusive magicians.

"First Flight" by Robin McKinley. Ern prefers to hide in the shadows as he is the subject of ridicule when he is out in the open. His extroverted brother Dag comes home fuming because an injured dragon is assigned to a task that the beast cannot accomplish, yet encouraged by a wizard Ern enables the beast to enter Flame Space.

The sequel to Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits contains five fine fiery fantasy fables that young high school students will enjoy.

Harriet Klausner

The tales are both exciting and fun to read. Sometimes, I would stop and think, now is this Robin or Peter. I never read short stories much but I certainly make an exception of this book. It's a good book to pick up when you know you only have a short time to read.

Each of the 5 stories in this book are very different.

Pheonix - what if someone happened on the amazing creature from Egyptian theology after a museum burnt down? What would happen over time on the British countryside?

Hellhound - Robin McKinley embraces her dogs... hardworking girl adopts dog with red eyes who turns out to not be a dog, really, but is best able to handle inherent trouble...

Fireworm - Zip back in time, live in a cave w/ ancient beliefs and troubles where the unexpected raises to the challenge. Dickinson passes right by the obvious "save the humans" to examine the threat on a personal level, too. Thought-provoking!

Salamander Man - Totally trippy. From the perspective of someone seeing events as they happen and understanding afterwards. Become a slave in an old, magical world where nothing is as it seems.

First Flight - Wow! Dragon academy w/ beautiful, HUGE beasts working for the military... enter inconsequential boy w/ pet. The colors & scenes (and totally different world) are embedded in my memory forever! Not too surprisingly, this short story is 117 pgs. long... how was McKinley going to limit herself to "short"?! (In fact... I wonder if Chalice was supposed to be a short story for this book that expanded w/ a mind of it's own? There is an elemental priest of fire in it who sees bees as sparks... and core of the story is short if the diversions are intricate... ?)

This book is a collection of mediocre stories written by the authors alternately. The most intriguing story (by McKinley) unfortunately suffers from her 'new' writing gambit of the Totally Implausible Rescue at the End with No Foreshadowing or Even Connection to the Plot. Compared to the power and subtlety of McKinley's earlier works, and even Water Elementals, this book is a serious disappointment. I went into it not expecting much as I feel McKinley has been going downhill as an author for some time, but I thought she might recapture grace in a shorter format. Even so I can only give it 2 stars. I don't have much to say about Phillip Dickinson as I have not followed his work in the past. However he also co-authored Water Elementals and it was a stronger collection.