Customer Reviews

Firefly Island (Five Star Science Fiction and Fantasy Series) (Five Star Science Fiction & Fantasy)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's hard to describe everything that's going on in the novel, because it has a complex plot with a lot going on at once. It reads like an epic fantasy, with multiple main characters, but is more tightly written than most epic fantasies, fitting nicely into one (admittedly rather long) book. If you enjoyed the complexity of epic fantasies but could never make it through multiple 700+ page books, you'll definitely enjoy this book.

The gist of it is that Firefly island is divided up into four distinct races (and countries). Each race has its own distinctive look and ability. One race is telepathic, one can manipulate stone, one can heal, and the last can (I think) turn into animals. Each race has a "firechild". One firechild is born every 100 years, and the firechild is gifted with abilities far above the other members of their race. Fireflies glow with a particular color when a firechld is alive, so, say, when there are four living firechildren, fireflies come in four different colors.

So that's kind of the background. The plot of the novel is fairly simple -- one firechild has set himself up as king over his people, and has turned himself into stone. No one can hurt him -- except the Esiren (telepathic) firechild, who can make him feel what she's feeling, so he can't kill her. When the fireflies indicate the Esiren firechild has been born, the king sends his son (Prince Lale) to slaughter all the Esirens, in the hopes of killing the firechild through sheer dumb luck, I guess (there's nothing physically by which you can differentiate a firechild from a regular person). Anyhow, one way or another, Prince Lale manages to get the whole island embroiled in war, and the book tells the stories of the four firechildren and a few secondary characters as they try to protect their homelands and kill the evil king.

The world Mr. Arenson has written is complex and deep. He's clearly put a lot of thought into it. The plot is efficient and masterfully timed, with few extraneous scenes. A few well placed flash backs contribute to plot and character development without revealing too much. Most of the characters are well fleshed out and not annoyingly powerful. The battle scenes are gory, but don't revel in it, and a few unexpected twists kept me turning the pages.

My (few) problems with the book are how easily some of the characters, previously untrained in fighting, defeat seasoned warriors. And while most the characters are enjoyable, the book flags a bit when focusing on Aeolia, the Esiren firechild. She possesses a curious sort of self-centered insecurity (All these people died for ME and I'm not worth it) which I found rather grating. Similarly, the few instances of romance were somewhat awkward, and the sooner they were over, the better.

If I could give the book 4.5 stars, I would, since overall it was extremely enjoyable. If you enjoy fantasy at all, particularly epic fantasy, it's definitely worth picking up.

Daniel Arenson writes a fantastic tale of horror, friendship, love, and triumph intertwined in the lives of the four fire children struggling with the burden of their destiny. The unpredictable twists and turns of Firefly Island left me eagerly turning the page to learn the fate of characters I came to adore. Most admirable, is the way the author moves through feelings of utter desolation to exuberant triumph; highlighting both the injurious and encouraging aspects of human nature. I would recommend this book to fantasy and non-fantasy readers alike.

Oriana Reynaud

I would have preferred to write up a review for this book a month ago, but whenever I've sat down to write it I couldn't come up with the words to use that actually displayed my thoughts on this book. At this point I've just given up and am writing it anyways. But I enjoyed this book enough that that was my response to it - wanting to write up a good review for it and not being sure how to get across what I enjoyed.

One thing I found that it excelled at was developing a world. It's not as in depth as the masters, but I don't expect anything to the level of Tolkien's world development from anyone who isn't a linguist before a writer. However even such, there was a world to go with the plot, not a plot that sat in an undeveloped world. The world as a whole definitely influenced my thoughts on the book, because it made the entire story more real.

The characters were also real. I enjoyed their flaws and how they were brought out. The magic that was involved mixed well with the characters who possessed it. It didn't define them, as I've found it does in some fantasy, but develops the character further.

The plot is simple, but well written enough that it keeps the pages turning. There are twists, some of which I really enjoyed to the point where I shared them with my boyfriend. An individual take on a simple plot without being straightforward was solidly enjoyable.

If you enjoy epic fantasy, then this book is absolutely worth picking up. If you enjoy fantasy in general, but don't find epic fantasy your favorite, it would still be worth picking up. I found the writing style one which would not be difficult to follow for people who don't enjoy the extreme epic fantasies as well as solidly enjoyable for those of us who do enjoy those.

I would consider this one of my favorite books. 5 stars.

Life, when we sit back and look at it from a certain point of view, is all about pain, our reaction to it, and the transitions that help us overcome it. From this perspective, there are sacrifices every person must make in order to reach that place in existence where we can appreciate love, joy, security, and even sorrow and death. In many ways we are defined by the choices we make. And, at the end of the day, we must forgive ourselves for making the wrong ones, because if the final result is an inner peace and sense of community and togetherness, then those bad decisions had just as much to do with our accomplishments as the good ones.

Firefly Island, the breathtaking novel by Daniel Arenson, is all about decisions. It's all about pain and torment and horror and, at the end of the day, love. It's a dark fairy tale about the lengths we will go to in order to prove our devotion to our siblings, our friends, our communities, our fathers. And, finally, it's about mistakes. Horrible, world-shattering mistakes whose ramifications reach far and wide, affecting even those on the periphery we wouldn't expect.

The story takes place on an island split into five separate and (oftentimes) warring states. Each state is unique, in that the different populaces hold different abilities, or "magic", as it's called. The isolateded communities look down on interracial breeding. In some places, those that do are outcast because they create "impure" offspring, children who hold fragments of the abilities both their parents have. In each community there is born, once a century, a "Firechild" (dubbed so because of the belief that the fireflies inhabiting the island have imbued the people with these magics). These are beings whose powers are the penultimate of their individual races.

Aeolia, a sixteen-year-old slave girl, is one of these Firechildren. She has the ability to merge minds (and possibly even souls) with any person within close vicinity. Whatever she feels, they feel. If her body dies, theirs does, too. In the novel, she is sold into slavery by her callous father very early on, and grows up for the next ten years, until the bulk of the tale begins, never knowing freedom, until one day, in an intense and heartbreaking scene, she achieves it by doing the one thing she promised she would never do - breaking a vow to a person she loves more than anything.

Along her travels after achieving freedom, she meets others much like her. This is a fast-moving novel, and sometimes their interactions can feel rushed, but in the end it works because author Arenson understands that in a fantasy tale like this, it's the scope of the adventure that matters and not the minutia that can bog a story down. He handles it beautifully - we understand that Aeolia will fall in love with a man she's just met because she's never known love, only pain and despair. We know that two other characters will become romantically entangled, though they've never met, because they've dreamed of each other and this is a work of fantasy. And in fantasy if a vision tells you something, you believe it. Hell, this happens in real life sometimes, as well.

As I said earlier, however, this is a novel about pain. It drips from virtually every page. The awfulness people do to each other is affecting and oftentimes purely evil. We see five different communities all battling amongst each other, all on the brink of civil war, and in certain cases look at the others as being lesser than themselves. If there's a better allegory for the dangers of racism, xenophobia, and jingoism, I haven't seen one.

As I said, there are a LOT of horrors acted out in this book, but that doesn't mean there isn't beauty, as well. As a character, Aeolia embodies what it means to be human. She is at the same time weak, strong, lost, cowardly, brave, indecisive, firm, forlorn, and lustful. She's a living contradiction. The choices she makes (here we are talking about choices again) in the name of decency are often times not so decent, and it is this sort of dichotomy that makes a story interesting and real. And yet she is a gorgeous person. We can see this, and we want her to succeed. She's not perfect - not even close - and yet neither are any of the other characters. In fact, one could look at even the villains of the piece and find, at some point in their development, a sense that you might want to root for them. This makes for great conflict, as well as tension. Not to mention it's simply great writing.

What I also appreciated about this particular example of fiction is the way it plays with genre conventions. It is fantasy, of course, and yet it has more of a historical feel, even though there are monsters and magic. There are promises made between characters, clichéd promises you've seen a thousand times since the onset of that little ring-carrying person with hairy feet, and yet Arenson doesn't always allow those promises to be fulfilled. There are so many twists and turns, so many characters, that you truly don't know what to expect. And yet, when you finish and look back on it, you realize that the directions he took make perfect sense. Even the end, which I found to be a bit formulaic at first, I grew to appreciate and even love when I went back and read it again. There is so much darkness held within these pages, so many atrocities, that the characters deserved to finish up with a respite of sorts. The author has a message to tell, and it comes through loud and clear, and it wouldn't have worked if the story had ended any other way. Again, that's just great writing.

My only problem with the book isn't really a problem, but a longing for more. I wanted to know the history of Firefly Island. I wanted to know the legacy of the Firechildren throughout history. If they come about every hundred years, are the outcomes always the same? Have the Stonesons (those who control minerals) always hated the Esirens (psychic types like Aeolia)? Was there once a single monarchy that split, weakening the masses by isolating individual talents? Again, these are questions that could be answered in another book, or not at all if Arenson so chooses, because this particular novel works without these things being explained. So why did I mention it? Probably because it's not in my nature to go through an entire review without being at least a little critical.

To wrap it all up, I LOVED THIS BOOK. I'm not usually one for fantasy, but I couldn't stop reading it. It's really that good.

Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Overall: 5 Stars

Plot/Storyline: 4 3/4 Stars

While the plot was a bit on the trite side, poor slave girl finds out she is mega important to the world all along, the storyline offered enough variation on the theme to keep me interested enough to not want to put the book down. For instance, the "slave master" of the girl was a giant troll. That was new and different.

The opening scene was heartbreaking, yet intriguing. I really love a good opening scene that makes me want to keep reading. Mr. Arenson could not have started his novel in a more alluring manner. The storyline was straightforward, mostly linear, and filled with plenty of intrigue and action.

My only detraction was that I got a little tired of Aeolia's whining a few times. Not that she didn't have good reason, especially early in the book. It was more that she just kept expounding on the same issues both verbally and mentally a few too many times.

The setting was filled with imagination. The ending was a little gingerbread-ish, but satisfying.

Character Development: 5 Stars

One thing about myself I have discovered is that when a book is told from multiple viewpoints, I tend to get bored with one or more of them and have a "favorite" that I just wish the entire book centered around. So, I am always very pleased to find a book with multiple viewpoints where each of them are equally enjoyable. Each of the viewpoints in this novel were entertaining and fascinating. I do admit to having "Aeolia" as a favorite, even with her whining, but it did not detract from my enjoyment of the others.

All of the characters were equally well developed. Mr. Arenson insured that the reader got to know all of them equally and empathized with each. Mostly, the characters were logical and believable.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

I really enjoyed the flow of the writing style. The action scenes were exceptionally well written, leaving no room for confusion. The dialogue was good. The descriptions were especially concise for a fantasy novel. That was definitely a refreshing change.

Firefly Island is a book that you will finish within a week simply because you can't put it down. It's exciting and addictive. However, before you pick up this epic novel you should know what you're getting into.

This novel DOES NOT have a happy ending, no matter what someone else might tell you. Lots of horrible things happen, and if it weren't for the last, say, 3 pages, then it would undeniably be a tragedy. However, unlike classic tragedies, it doesn't really teach you anything, or cause you to reflect on how you would have acted in a similar situation. There isn't a moral to the story. While the author gives some of the "evil" characters some redeeming moments, they are still evil. I didn't get any particular insight from this book about guilt or pain. Of course, it's a fantasy, and that's not necessarily the point.

The character development is really strong. Strong enough that if you don't cry (a lot), then you're probably a sociopath. If you ever laugh, the same applies. I really wanted these characters to be happy: their back stories have depth.

The novel is incredibly well written and has strong entertainment value (especially for the price! I love my Kindle). There's plenty of love and adventure. The characters do have some successes. There are some themes reminiscent of World War Two. If you read the novel, you won't ever forget it.

Review in a Nutshell: I would recommend this to anyone who likes epic fantasy or dark fantasy, but NOT for someone who reads fantasy to laugh or feel better. It is a very good book, but a dark one.

A beautiful fantasy adventure filled with the most unforgettable characters. Firefly Island tells the story of four unique friends striving to defeat a common enemy, King Sinther of Stonefort. A cruel and malicious ruler, the king resides deep beneath the earth and slowly turns himself to stone, making him both impenetrable and invulnerable. These four individuals, each with their own harrowing exploits, unite in an effort to save their nations against this tyrannical monarch.
During this time of struggle, a legend becomes reality in the form of a young girl, Aeolia, who, at first, is unwilling to accept her destiny. But through love, friendship, and even betrayal, she takes her rightful place as the Firechild that will unify and ultimately save the five nations.

This is a book that I will most definitely reread. It is tale filled, not only with adventure, but wit and humor. It is a tale that I have started reading to my own children a few pages at a time just before they go to bed, only to have them say "Just one more page..." when lights are ready to go out. I would have no problems with having my young teen read this book, but parents should of course use discretion with the younger children as there are violent scenes and one intimate encounter. Do as I plan to do and omit these sections when reading to them. I guarantee it will be a story they will remember!

Hmm...now I wonder if we can get the author to do a Firelfly Island 2?

Now I'm not normally too into fantasy. I'm more Star Trek than Lord of the Rings if you know what I mean. But I really loved this book. It transported me to Firefly Island and I felt Aeolia's pain...which was exactly what her powers were. Good job, girl. This book is filled with action and adventure, but what I loved most is the characters and how I really cared about what happened to them. I especially loved Aeolia. Anyway, definitely go pick this book up as soon as you can. -Priscilla (created by Sybil Nelson)

On the whole I found this book to be very enjoyable. The magic system used was unique with each race having its own specialty and once a century a master of their magic is born. Each magic also has a specific color of firefly that lets the world know that the master of that kind of magic is alive.

For the most part I found the characters to be very enjoyable and for the most part very likable. There was a part near the end when the personality of one seemed to change radically, but she went back to normal before the story ended.

I'm not going to summarize the plot of the book or anything so I will just say that I highly recommend this book. This is one author I will keep an eye on, if their first offering is this good the sky is the limit.

This is the first book I've read thanks to Kindle's new lending feature. I tend to prefer swords and sorcery or a good fantasy romance over epic fantasy with lots of POV characters but I thought this was a good debut novel. Four stars instead of five because the writing/scene construction was a touch awkward in places. Also I prefer strong female characters, and Aeolia wasn't that. I found myself skimming some of her sections and wishing she'd just get over herself.

Those are relatively minor grievances though and overall this is a solid read, much better than one usually gets with indie authors.

The plot was engaging and fun. If you've read a lot of epic fantasy, you've seen most of these elements before, but the author weaved them together in a way that was original. A lot of awful things happen to the characters but that is much of what makes this a compelling read. You want to see how they're going to survive and continue onward.

The description and vivid world building details were among the high points in the book. From the very beginning, I felt like I was there in the scenes with the characters.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys epic fantasy.