Firesong [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

William Nicholson (Author), Samuel West (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2003 | Age Level: 9 and up

It is the time of cruelty. The Manth people have left the ruined Mastery to seek their homeland, in the face of starvation, blizzards and the evil of the Morah. Only Ira Hath can lead them there. She grows weak... Kestrel dreads reaching the homeland. She is afraid of what it will mean for her mother--and of something else. Why does she feel so alone? Bowman eagerly awaits the summons from Sirene. He prepares to makes the final sacrifice for his people, his family. But first he must be trained by the great Albard. And all the while, the wind is rising... The final part of the bestselling "'Wind on Fire' trilogy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With Firesong, author William Nicholson brings the Wind on Fire trilogy, begun with The Wind Singer, to a close. Led by their prophetess mother, twins Bowman and Kestrel travel with the Manth people to their promised land, struggling along the way Bowman with desire, and Kestrel with the troubling realization that she cannot foresee life beyond this journey. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-This concluding volume of the trilogy features fast-paced action, poetic language, and carefully constructed characters. The first half of the book describes the journey of twins Bowman and Kestrel, their family, and the remnants of the Manth people to their ancestral homeland. They face an attack by bandits, who take Kestrel and other young women captive; a "passion fly" that brings out the hidden sides of people's natures; and a valley in which happiness is the greatest danger of all. As the time of "the wind on fire" begins, the focus shifts to Bowman's preparation for what he thinks will be his role in moving the world from cruelty and danger to the time of kindness. The twins' relationships with one another and with other characters give emotional depth to the action and Nicholson's sure use of detail gives even minor characters clear personalities and a role in exploring the book's themes. While Firesong will have an especially strong appeal to fans of The Wind Singer (2000) and Slaves of the Mastery (2001, both Hyperion), enough background is provided to make this an independently powerful fantasy that will appeal to fans of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy (Knopf).
Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: BBC Audiobooks (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0754064409
• ISBN-13: 978-0754064404
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,324,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, September 28, 2007

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wind Singer (Wind on Fire Trilogy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Children's books about the horrors of standardized testing are increasingly popular these days. From Edward Bloor's well-intentioned, Story Time to The Report Card by the otherwise talented Andrew Clements, these books have attempted to capture the dangers of this destructive teaching tool. Both books have fallen short, leaving some people to wonder if there could ever be a book that discusses this controversial subject well. What few people know is that there's a fantastic well-written and beautifully put together fantasy series that begins with the horrific results of what happens when a society bases all decisions on testing. Regular methodical testing. In William Nicholson's, "The Wind Singer", (the first in his "Wind On Fire" trilogy), the term "distopia" takes on a whole new look and meaning. In a book that is simultaneously wise, beautifully penned, and deeply moving, "The Wind Singer", gets to the bottom of rigid test-based communities and show us a great worst-case scenario.

Aramanth is a community that loves its tests. Living by the daily pledge, "I vow to strive harder, to reach higher, and in every way to seek to make tomorrow better than today", its citizens embody the ultimate caste system. Based on strict standardized testing, people live according to how well they test. The nicest homes belong to those members of society that answer quizzes effectively and intelligently. For those people who don't like tests or don't do well on them for a variety of reasons, they live on the bottom rungs of society. There's very little rebellion in Aramanth due to its rigid control of any possible insubordination on the part of its citizens. That is, until the day little Kestrel Hath decides that she doesn't want to live in a world based on testing anymore. Suddenly she's endangered her family and herself. There seems no escape from Aramanth's rules and regulations, until the ancient Emperor, a disused ruler, tells Kestral about the Wind Singer. This gigantic and ancient construction of pipes that towers over the town was once given the ability to sing to its citizens, calming their hearts and making them happy. When the key to the Wind Singer's voice was stolen, the society became cold and hardened into its current state. With her twin brother Bowman and their initially unwanted tagalong Mumpo at her side, Kestral and company embark on a quest to save Aramanth from itself once and for all.

I nominate this book for the title, Perfect Distopian Novel. I've not fallen for a fabulous fantasy in a long time, and this book has everything you could want in it. A great (and little used) moral. Characters you care about deeply. A gripping plot. Everything. I greatly appreciated that the parents of the heroes in this book were not only both alive (not usually the case in fantasies) but also active, amusing, and subversive aids to their kids' efforts. Too often parents fret and flail in children's novels, adding nothing to the story but woe. In this book Mr. and Mrs. Hath recognize the quest their children are on and decide to raise a little hooplah in Aramanth on their own. The results are quite fabulous. I was also impressed by the character of Mumpo. A developmentally challenged boy who loves the Hath twins desperately, Mumpo could easily have been a kind of mock-Forest Gump character, spouting simple platitudes and giving everyone around him a patented new lookout on life. Ugh. There's a little of that, but Nicholson is clever enough to know how to give Mumpo more complexity than Mr. Gump. His character learns and grows (sometimes frighteningly) through his experiences and his very existence makes the twins kinder people through his presence.

There are an awful lot of other great moments in this story, though. For one thing, I think it contains the scariest evil army I've ever read. You can keep your The Lord of the Rings-type orcs and goblins. I personally believe that the army of the Zars, a relentlessly cheery troop of endless, young, white-suited, peppy people given to singing "Kill Kill Kill" at the top of their voices, is the most horrifying group to ever appear in a children's book. The Zars are rivaled in evil, however, by a prematurely old group of children with the ability to suck the youth out of anyone they touch. Worst of all is the evil spirit-lord, the Morah. The Morah has long since convinced the citizens of Aramanth that he's a myth. It reminds me of the quote, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist". With these incredibly awful foes, it's a wonder Kestrel and Bowman keep their wits about them. Finally, the book has a deep emotional core that I think will be appreciated by all readers. The Hath family is very loving and caring. The bond between the twins is deep and Nicholson deftly portrays the depths of Mumpo's loneliness and despair. Plus the book has an amazing array of different worlds through which the kids travel. From the deep mud world below Aramanth to a traveling city on wheels (somewhat similar those found in the more recent Hungry City Chronicles by fellow Brit, Phillip Reeve), Nicholson creates new fantastical universes out of thin air. The result is a book that'll have you continually reading for hours on end, unable to stop even part way through.

The most recommended fantasy book in schools nation-wide is undeniably Lois Lowry's, The Giver. I suggest that, as good as it is, we give, "The Giver", a break for once and encourage our kids to read "The Wind Singer" instead. Those children that suffer under the strain of repeated testing will appreciate the book's strong message. Children who like great action sequences and heightened danger will fall for the book's fast-paced escapes and battles. And those children that simply like a good story with good writing will be entranced. I say with conviction that this is probably one of the strongest British fantasy book for children written in the twenty-first century. It's simply the best.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now THAT is a good book!, April 26, 2003

By 

Sarah Gilmour (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Firesong - Book Three of the Wind on Fire Trilogy (Nicholson, William. Wind on Fire, Bk. 3.) (Hardcover)

Ok im only 13 years old and it wasnt a struggle to read at all. I cant write very good rewievs, so make sure you read all the other ones written by intelligent and extremely helpful people. I just want to say if you are thinking of buying this book go RIGHT AHEAD! i guarantee you will not be dissapointed. The characters are all brilliant. I have written books myself but i have never got so involved witht he characters emotions and feelings before. It even made me cry- which i dont often do. I keep reading it again and again and again. Im still not bored of it just sad that it's ended.I rate this book a well deserved 5 out of 5! It is extremely gripping, adventurous and jam packed with stuff. PLEASE read it, especially if you have read the other two in the trilogy. If you like teen books like artemis fowl, his dark materials ect you will LOVE this. It is even better! The ending isn't absolutely great as it is a bit soppy but who cares??? Its... its... its...amazing! INGENIOUS!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Cruel, Undying, April 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Firesong - Book Three of the Wind on Fire Trilogy (Nicholson, William. Wind on Fire, Bk. 3.) (Hardcover)

This book is insane.

There's no point trying to read the third book without the first two, because they build to the beauty of the trilogy. Actually, I read the first book in fourth grade when I was nine and I loved it because it was funny and awe-inspiring. Last year, at age eleven, I remembered the first book and I came here to buy the other do, impulsively. The second book was not immature. Each scene was beautiful in its own way, with titles like "Terror at Dawn" that were very symbolic in deeper ways. You started to see the beauty of Kestrel and Bowman's connection and how much they needed each other. The action wasn't what turned me on about the book, but the pure beauty of what was happening. The third book was a great ending. The Wind of Fire was so beautiful it made me cry. You must find out what that is.

One word to describe this book: beautiful.

WHERE BROOKLYN AT!