Customer Reviews

The Fire's Stone (Daw science fiction)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fire's Stone transcends my expectation and I am very pleased to have acquired this out-of-print fantasy from Amazon market place. The plot and magic is there but it is the 3 main characters and their relationship with each other that truly shines. Aaron, Darvish and Chandra are definitely not stereotypes. They have depth and they are unique, convincing and vividly alive. My favorite is Aaron, the thief tormented by his past. I found myself caring about what happen to this enigmatic character next. The relationship development between Aaron and Darvish is beautifully conceived and emotionally rewarding. Chandra's role as their sometimes buffer and mediator provide some humorous moments. My only regret is that there is no sequel and Fire's Stone definitely cries for one. This is one book which should not be out of print!

The one thing I love the best about many of Tanya Huff's books (this one included) is that she puts no barrier on love. You simply love whom you love. The world she creates is somewhat typical, but far from boring. Her cities each have a unique feel to them, and you can tell she did a damned good job of planning out each culture that plays a role.

Best of all, and the reason this book took my highest mark, are the amazingly developed and never-endingly interesting characters. Tanya teases you with glimpses into each character's heads as she tosses the point of view around. She gives you enough to get a comfy feel for the characters and what makes her or him tick, but not so much that you loose a sense of wonder about what they'll do next.

My favorite was Aaron, the thief with a past. *sigh* He's so dreamy. Aaron is a pale, lithe thief from a distant land who has a death grip on his own emotions. When the one person (an old female gem cutter) in Ischia he begins to trust in passes away he vows to steal her most prized work off the royal staff and adorn her tomb with it or die trying. Little did he know that this would end him in the arms of Darvish, third in line to the throne of Ischia.

Prince Darvish is the spoiled son of a King, but he's third in line so he lives a life of no royal importance. Long ago he gave his life away to drinking and whoring, but when this beautiful thief lands on his balcony he begins to take a second look at how he's run his life. This introduces an interesting side story dealing with alcoholism and what happens when you go into withdrawal. We live day to day with Darvish has he battles cravings, madness, and fear all brought on by the lack of drink. For someone who reads tons of fantasy books I find it impressive that an author chose to tackle such a difficult topic. It was an original way to give the reader a nitty gritty look at a character's development.

Chandra was a beautiful and strong heroine to add to the group. I completely adored the love/friendship triangle that existed between these three characters. And, what I find truly amazing, is that Tanya did not give in to writing a standard story and pairing up the prince and his betrothed to become friends and then lovers. You know, the "oh we hated each other's guts but now we love each other blah blah blah" line. Chandra wanted nothing to do with Prince Darvish from the get go as she has dedicated her life to wizardry and had no room for a relationship arranged or otherwise. But, at the end of the story when Chandra and Darvish have grown close to each other and do decide to marry, they only do it to solidify a truce between their countries. Chandra insists that Aaron come live with her and Darvish as she'd never dream of separating the two of them. No contrived love here! Chandra plays the part of mediator between Darvish who openly desires Aaron, and Aaron who can't quite come to terms with his feelings for Darvish. Her role is perfect.

The plot may have been a little easy: The Stone is the only thing holding the river of lava inside "The Lady" (a local volcano in Ischia) at bay, oops the stone is stolen, go find it! But the characters and rich settings make the story an unforgettable read.

I read this book years ago, I was stunned and exhilerated. This is why I read fantasy and science fiction. So that the story can grab me and the characters can touch me. Tanya Huff has written one of my favorite novels of all time with Fire's Stone. I've re-read it, it was ruined, I re-bought it. If she ever decides to write about this world again, I will be the first in line for it. I am a true Tanya Huff devoté!

I love Aaron. He's mysterious, enigmatic and so darn quiet. His relationship with Darvish develops slowly and surely at just the right pace. Each not knowing what the other is thinking. I don't think even homophobics should be too critical, the romance is just too gentle. Chandra is however, one of the other main charactar, and she's quite pig-headed and stubbon at the beginning - most annoying. But she does become more favourable as the story goes on.

Throughout all this, the plot of the story is woven in nicely. The sidelines...Darvish's drunkeness, all of them trying to prove something to their indvidual father (well, Dar and Chandra is)...is apart of and part of the story. The ending was a bit short, finishing off when you want it to continue. We can always hope there'll be a sequel. Bringing those same people into another adventure.

The first of, and one of the first book I've read from Tanya Huff, has got me searching for her others, needless to say, now that I'm interested in her books, I can never find them. Maddening.

I love this book. Since the first time I read this story I enjoyed it, how the stone becomes missing in the first place and what they do to get it back. How Darvish comes into Aaron's life and Chandra's, how they are forced together to return it and the bonding that follows. All the characters mingle nicely. I have read it so many times that I now have to purchase another because I wore this one out. The characters could be put into any century. They intertwine so nicely. Aaron's true feelings finally come out towards Darvish and the reaction is wonderful. The story line keeps you going. The adventure keeps you on the edge of your seat. I don't want to go into too much detail to spoil the plot but Tanya can always write a wonderful story. I wish there was a sequel made on this on how they get along later and what happens to Chandra later with Aaron and Darvish. Maybe get them into another adventure. This book was too good to stop at one.

The Fire's Stone is a fun and well-written little adventure story, with just enough to set it apart from the host of other fantasy novels to keep it interesting. The characters are well-realized and memorable, and the adventure unfolds at a brisk and consistent pace. It's just a nice story.

The down side is that it's also fairly shallow; there's almost nothing in the way of subplots, and the setting is only just different enough from a typical fantasy world to keep it from getting boring. The characters come up with plans which work out more or less as expected every time, and it's easy to predict most of the major plot points and the ending almost from the very beginning. And while the two male leads are fleshed-out and interesting, the heroine is exactly as grating as you would expect from a wizard princess rebelling against an arranged marriage.

But this novel clearly wasn't meant to be an obtuse tome that kept you guessing - it's closer in tone and style to a well-known legend being retold, and the predictability isn't the problem you might expect from a novel this short and simple. The characters develop and change in gratifyingly direct ways, and the adventure is both sensible and sensibly paced - a longer novel would have suffered terribly from the above flaws, but in a work this short the simplicity works to its advantage.

Overall it's a pleasurable read that, while not exactly surprising or particularly groundbreaking, will certainly fill a few afternoons of light reading, and is particularly well-suited to young teens. Honestly, though, the only real reason to hunt it out from the host of other similarly well-paced fantasy novellas is the gay content, which is integral to the story and handled with grace.

I have read this book several times over. I am in love with these characters! The relationship between Aaron and Darvish is *intensely* romantic. Chandra's evolution from spoiled brat to brave woman is well spun, and as I've always found with Tanya Huff, the surrounding world and people are vividly alive. I've always appreciated seeing that women soldiers, wizards, and assassins are commonplace in these other worlds. She always pulls it off with style. To return to "The Fire's Stone": maybe it was just the disappointment of coming to the end of a book whose characters I was in love with, but the ending seemed just a tiny bit rushed. Still, I recommend this book without hesitation, and will continue wishing for a sequel, or perhaps just another book set in this fascinating world!...and in the meantime, I'll surely read this book again.

I read the Fire's Stone many years ago when it was first released. It was a radiant, heartrending experience which moved me nearly to tears in the joy of the magnificent tale and the wrenching sadness of its romantic ending. More than just the sum of its parts-- the passion of Dharvish, the enigma of Aaron, the power of Chandra, it is a tour de force of love, homosexuality and sensuality, interwoven in the tension of an otherwise standard fantasy plot. Having read scores of sci/fantasy novels, the plot lines have become a bit trite. In Fire's Stone you won't find anything extraordinarily innovative in style or substance, but you will find a story that is graceful, exquisitely executed, which leaves you craving for the sequel that has never come. (Shall we beg Tanya Huff?) Read Fire's Stone if your heart has ever felt the pull of a tender love for which you would or have sacrificed anything.

This book's plot is pretty average. Three strangers meet up and set out on a quest to retrieve a stolen magical object. What made this book enjoyable was the three main characters. Aaron is a runaway prince turned thief. Darvish is a drunken prince who turns out to be a pretty decent guy after he drys up a bit. Chandra is a princess who's not happy about her betrothal to Darvish because all she wants to do is wizard about. The characters are all pretty likeable and well developed for such a small book. If you are looking for a decent but light fantasy story with a bit of slash thrown in then this is a good choice.

I read this book because I'd read and loved Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light years ago, and went on a spree of every Tanya Huff book I could find. The Fire's Stone is my favorite of them all. It is a gorgeously woven story. The end had me crying from a mixture of happiness that it had worked out so beautifully, and misery that I would no longer be able to see the characters in their further lives. By now I've had to buy at least three copies of it, because everyone I lend it to, if they don't buy their own copy, moves away with mine.