Customer Reviews

Hands of Flame (The Negotiator)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm going through Old Races withdrawl right now...I can hardly believe the trilogy is over and I wish I had read this book more slowly!

In my opinion "Hands of Flame" is the best of the three. There's lots of action and mystery right from the beginning, none of which lets up until the very satisfying conclusion (which leaves you happy but also desperate to know what happens next - several interesting events are revealed at the end that I want desperately pursued in the near future).

This last volume deals with Margrit (a human woman) acting fully in the role as Negotiator between the bickering Old Races, whether she wants to or not. There are plotlines dealing with the rivalries between Alban and Biali (gargoyles), Selkies + Djinn, Janx (dragon) + Daisani (vampire), and various humans, in all the combinations you can think of. These, and other new developments (hinted at in the previous books - *children*) are resolved with a healthy mixture of suspense, mystery, and of course, action. The conflicts are very complex, but you don't get lost: you get completely immersed in the book and devoted to the world that Murphy creates, hence the withdrawl I am currently going through.

I suggest you read the first two books in the series first; they just get increasingly better, and this last book is positively explosive. If the idea of gargoyles, dragons, selkies, djinn, and vampires all together in one series of books is interesting to you, then I can't recommend "The Negotiator Trilogy" enough.

***P.S.***
I LOVED that reference to the Disney cartoon "Gargoyles" on page 222. That show is one of the best animated series ever produced, and deserves to have at least a mention in a fantasy series that has gargoyles as its main mythological creature. It's hard not to imagine Alban as Goliath ;)

The 3rd and final book (although I hope there are more to come) was perfect. All of my burning questions were answered and a few new ones replaced them but yet closure was still given. The book presented a Happy Ever After ending which I love! There was wonderful character developement in the book and the book was fast paced yet steady. There was so much happening in the book I could hardly put it down. Right from the start action takes off. I hope that more books will come there are alot of burning questions and storylines that could follow the old races. If you are a fan of the sci fi, urban fantasy, or paranormal romance genre this series is a must have!

Margrit Knight's life has been... complex... since the gargoyle Alban Stoneheart asked for help back in the first book, revealing a secret world of five Old Races: Gargoyles, Vampires, Djinn, Dragons, and Selkies. It turns out that the Old Races, marginalized and secretive, still need someone, an outsider, to help negotiate amongst them--for instance, to forestall a war that could further diminish their numbers AND put them in danger of discovery by humans. Margrit, despite her career as a defense lawyer at LegalAid and the extreme danger of a human caught between powerful magical creatures, likes the challenge and the thrill (she regularly runs in the Park at night). And she's involved with Alban, so the hidden world is now a part of her life.

The story starts in a fast clip as Margrit is drawn back into danger as Alban's enemy, Biali, sweeps her away in order to capture Alban so he can pay for killing another gargoyle. She still owes Janx, the dragon and crimelord, favors, and he's currently angry over losing his base of operations (in the last book), and those temporarily sheltering him want Margrit to get him out. The selkies and the djinn are on the verge of open warfare over territory at the docks. Margrit herself is in danger of a deadly retribution after a Djinn was killed in the last book. And there's an old secret between Daisani the Vampire, Janx and Alban, that still has repercussions in the current time.

There are the characters from the previous books and some fun new characters. Plenty of crosses and double-crosses and favor-trading goes on... and characters doing horrible things and yet not being totally despicable... or at least not to Margrit, who seems to be able to deal with all comers with astounding equanimity (perhaps related to her ability to defend criminals?). The action is non-stop and as wild a roller-coaster as any of the earlier books. My one quibble would be that I'd have liked to have seen more interaction between Magrit and Alban on a personal level, but what there was was still good enough. And the wrap-up at the end was nicely satisfying. Those who enjoyed the previous books should enjoy this one, too.

I'll admit that after reading the first book, I thought the series was going to be interesting, but not up to five star quality for me. The second book changed my opinion as I flew through the book. Now the third book continued the rush I felt from the second and ended with no real loose ends for the main characters, while leaving plenty of room for favorite second characters.

The writing style is clear and easy to follow, dappled with humor, both dry, sly, and situational. Well-described action, emotion, and tension make this final installment end way too soon.

I am satisfied with how Margrit, Alban, Janx, and other beloved characters end up (and am going to have to wait anxiously for another story in this world). Many secrets and stories that have been piquing my curiosity have been answered.

I have no real complaints about this book. I just want more of this world. (If you're looking for more in this world, you can check out the author's website for information about a short story in an anthology and one online.)

C. E. Murphy stuns again in her third book of the Negotiator series.

Hands of Flame begins a few weeks after the end of the last book House of Cards. At this point we are well-entrenched in the series and it's not recommended to read this book as a standalone novel.

Margrit Knight has only known of the Old Races (Dragons & Djinn, Gargoyles & Selkies and Vampires) for a scant three months but her life has been immeasurably affected by her knowledge. Having quit her old job as a lawyer at Legal Aid, Margrit is poised to begin a new job as Eliseo Daisani's secretary which would give her considerable freedom to pursue "jobs" for the Old Races.

In the previous book Margrit found herself sitting on a quorum as the representative of her race. In this book Margrit takes her role as token human to a higher level of respect within the Old Races. In this novel she continues to push the Old Races to change their centuries-old traditions in favor of new governances that will help them survive the ever-shifting world of humans. Margrit negotiates a peace agreement on the docks between the Selkies and Djinn and faces Alban's detractor Biali in a gargoyle trial in an effort to win Alban back into the Gargoyle's gestalt.

As usual it's a complicated plot fraught with financial politics and pitfalls. Trading "favors" (destroying an empire, removing a dragon, stopping a war) seems to take up much of Margrit's time and her quick mind seems to catch on much faster to the intricacies of the problems than I would have had I been in her shoes.

My only real complaint is that Alban kept to shadows, showing up to protect Margrit or push the plot along with little jabs. Margrit handles almost all of the action - including a few fights scenes. It's really quite impressive when comparing her character through the duration of the series, but I miss some of Alban's quirks.

I was disappointed in the last book of this trilogy. It fell flat for me. It seemed to be hurriedly written without much thought put into it. I was intrigued with the world of vampires, genies, gargoyles and dragons that had been created and was enjoying the story. Too bad that this last book was lacking. That is, in my so humble opinion.

Five Old Races negotiator Margrit Knight has macro and micro worries. The big issue is war is imminent between the five Old Races and in spite of her vocation she feels helpless to prevent it. Making matters more complex for the lawyer is the micro concerns that are personal to her though not on the grand scale of the war. Her lover Alban Korund the gargoyle is incarcerated and her family and friends, so innocently human, are expendable pawns.

As she tries to negotiate a peaceful settlement, obtain Alban's release and keep the troubles from harming her loved ones, she feels all alone. However, she has met three questionable associates who on the one hand want to help her, but also two of them seem to have hidden agendas that might prove deadly to Margrit. Janx the dragon is angry and acrimonious as he wants return to the soaring highest of his species running a major underworld criminal activity not live in a hovel underground and Eliseo Daisani the billionaire vampire feels slighted as he dreams of biting respect. Finally the NYPD detective thinks gang warfare on the streets of the city is out of control. Adding to Margrit's woes the paranormal pair appears to look forward to the war.

The third Negotiator urban fantasy is a fast-paced, action-packed tale with spins and twists that make Broadway look like Lombard St. Margrit is courageous, perhaps too much so, as she dives head first into one dangerous mess after another with three goals to fuel her adrenaline: prevent the war, liberate her daytime HEART OF STONE lover, and keep her family safe even as she sees her world collapsing like a HOUSE OF CARDS. HANDS OF FLAME is an engaging tale that sub-genre fans will enjoy.

Harriet Klausner

"Hands of Flame" is the third and final installment in the Negotiator Series. It wraps up Margrit's transition from the human world to her total involvement in the world of the Old Races. In this book, Margrit is called upon to negotiate an agreement between two of the Old Races as their war threatens to spill over to the human world and jeopardize the secrecy of the races.

Frankly, I had a hard time getting through this book. It lacked something and I'm just not sure what it was. There was plenty of action; as Margrit was almost killed several times throughout the book, plenty of secrets and revelations were revealed, and most of the questions were wrapped up before the last page.

So what's my problem? Well, mainly the lack of character connection. The characters were there but it felt that they were just going through the scenes to get to the ending. This book was more driven with plot and structure than with the actual characters.

Overall, Hands of Flame is well written, with both the plot and structure well thought out and explained. I just felt the "heart" of the book was missing.

They may have graced her with the title of Negotiator, they may have acknowledged her as a representative of her race, but they are and forever will be Other.

New York City hasn't seemed the same to Legal Aid lawyer Margrit Knight in the months since she was pulled into the world of Old Races. She hasn't seemed the same, even to herself, especially in the two weeks since the actions she took against the djinn Malik to protect dragon crime lord Janx directly led to Malik's demise. Nightmares of fire and death stalk her sleep, and out of a desperate need for time to come to terms with the recent past she keeps Alban at arm's length and stops herself from looking up as she jogs through Central Park at night.

Turns out that act of self preservation wasn't enough to keep Alban's old rival Biali from snatching her up and flying away with her. Before she can cry foul, Biali's move to draw Alban into a fight over the death of the halfling gargoyle...and crazy murderer Ausra has yanked Grit right back into Old Race politics.

As Margrit prepares to defend Alban in a battle he refuses to fight for himself, she further thrusts herself from the familiar human world and into that of the gargoyle she's come to love. Inherently dangerous, industriously devious, unapologetic in their machinations, the Old Races are both tempting lure and cautionary tale. Embracing them and their world means forever walking a dangerous tightrope between gargoyle, vampire, selkie, dragon, and djinn, currying favor and carrying secrets and doing deals. The slightest misstep, the briefest bobble, and it won't simply be an issue of losing a case, it'll be a matter of forfeiting her very life.

The Negotiator trilogy draws to a close in this complex and thorough third book, and in so doing, evidences just what I like most about trilogies. When done particularly well, as in this case, the first and second books set up the characters, the world, and the many layers of plot, and by the third, readers can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of the author's labor as impending conflicts are realized, questions are answered, and resolutions are reached.

Hands of Flame doesn't suffer from the slow start of Heart of Stone or the slightly ponderous plot details of House of Cards. It hits hard and fast, picks up the action and the continued dramatics of the Old Races, and builds off what came before as it spirals towards a tenser and tenser conclusion. So many delicious lingering plot threads are tidied up, so many interesting mysteries are revealed. Margrit is still the quintessential Don Quixote, tilting at her Old Race windmills, but the stakes are ever so much higher with beloved characters on the line in new and scary ways.

I love this trilogy, and most of the reasons why are in this book. The depth given to the characters is so appealing, and as I prefer shades of gray as opposed to a strict black-and-white philosophy, the delightful moral ambiguity of best friends and fiercest rivals Janx and Daisani, dragon and vampire, offered me some of the best, if not THE best, interpersonal conflicts between secondary characters I've ever read. Of course Margrit is the central character of the trilogy, with Alban a close second as the rock-solid male lead (no pun intended...really), and I liked them both. Yet while I enjoyed the journey of their relationship as it evolved over the three books, I have to admit, without the two bad boys, the trilogy wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining for me, and there are definitely some positively delicious developments with them in this book.

There's a lot of yum in the story as a whole in this book, actually. Even after reading the first two, I wasn't fully prepared for the full scope, imagination, and originality of the many-headed monster that is Hands of Flame, and I was struck anew by Murphy's ability to weave such a richly developed and intricate trilogy with such attention to detail and continuity. I sort of loved everything about it, and the end - the epilogue - well, a special kernel of more-than-love is awarded to that bit of it. I positively adored how everything was tied up. I even appreciated those strands of complication or development that weren't quite tied, but at least given a nod, because it struck me as realistic and believable.

Though I know The Negotiator is a completed trilogy, and C.E. Murphy has been firm about Margrit and Alban's story being done, I can't help but thirst for more novels set in their world featuring the characters that I've come to love. Maybe we'll see more of the Old Races some day. I, for one, hope for more than the occasional short story that Murphy offers through her website, stories that delve into the past of such beloved characters as Janx and Daisani. I hunger to see what happens next, far more than what came before, and while I'm sure that makes me greedy, for the sort of layered, complex, and brilliant writing that I found in this trilogy, I'm more than okay with that label.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

I have to start off by saying I am/was very surprised at how good and addicting this Trilogy became...I'll be honest and also say that I didn't see it coming.

The first started slow, but them BAM! I was hooked before I new it. I broke one of my main personal rules with this one. I read all 3 back to back to back, and I never got bored. Murphy answered (almost) every question she put out there...BUT I'm still wondering about Chelsea though (for anybody that's read this...did we ever find out what she was?).

I'll not do a play by play (there are those of you that are so much better at doing that), but what I will say is that this series has it all. Action, adventure and romance.

I already find myself missing my new friends of the Old Races...but Murphy did leave A LOT of doors open for (maybe) future series, so I'll cross my fingers and hope she decides to one day revisit these to cool characters.

Although these didn't quite make it into my "All-Time Favorites" I still say that this was an excellent series