Customer Reviews

Cold Fire (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Circle Opens)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In recent years, Tamora Pierce has not written a bad or even mediocre book. "Cold Fire," third in the "Circle Opens" series, is no exception. The series continues where the "Circle of Magic" books left off: the four mages are now fourteen, and have left Discipline Cottage in Emelan to travel with their teachers.

"Cold Fire" tracks Daja Kisubo, metal-mage and Trader, as she and her teacher, Frostpine, travel north to Kugisko in the Namorn Empire, where they stay with old friends of Frostpine's. During their visit, an arsonist sets fires all through Kugisko: it is up to Daja to find the perpetrator and, ultimately, help bring him to justice.

The most compelling part of the book was the intense psychological portrait of the criminal. Pierce portrays his rationalization of his crimes so well that the reader almost believes it - though not quite, of course.

The characterization was very good here, too: that of the arsonist, and others, too! I particularly liked Nia and Jory, Daja's twelve-year-old students (beginning mages themselves). Daja's character was matured and developed, as well. There was a slight problem, though: the "Circle Opens" books are supposed to take place four years after the "Circle of Magic" books begin - which would make Daja fifteen, as she was eleven in "Sandry's Book." But she is fourteen in "Cold Fire"! That can be ignored, though, and it's such a tiny quibble.

One of the best things in this book was the vivid picture of Kugisko: the costumes, the frozen canals, the people, and the customs. Namorn, I have figured out, is loosely based on Russia, and my mother assures me that her Russian grandfather did indeed drink his tea from a glass and strain it through a mouthful of sugar or cherry preserves - a ritual depicted in "Cold Fire," and one that disgusts Daja! This is one of the reasons I like the "Circle Opens" books: I get to learn about realistic cultures filled with both the magic of mages, and that of different peoples.

The "Circle of Magic" books are my favorite of Tamora Pierce's, and I have read every one of the author's works. But I love "The Circle Opens" almost as much, and "Cold Fire" is a welcome addition to my bookshelf. It combines the wry sense of humor in Pierce's earlier books with the eye for detail in her later ones to make a wonderful read and the best book in its series.

I don't know why this book does't have awesome reviews, because I loved it! Out of all the Circle Opens books written so far, Cold Fire is without a doubt my favorite.

Like the other adventures of our infamous mages, this book follows the story of just one mage, Daja. While not my favorite character, I do like Daja's sensible outlook on life. She has a tendency to calm even Tris' rages with her adult, rational perspective and sure-fire appoach to problems. However, Daja's serenity is tested when an arsonist beginst to attack the town where Daja and Frostpine are wintering. With two young (twin) mages to find teachers for and teach meditation to, even Daja's patience is wearing thin. But when she begins to investigate the source of the fires with her fire-fighting friend Ben, she learns that not even she is immune to the lies and trickery of an arsonist.

The reason I like this book so much is because it doesn't gloss over important topics that yes, might be inappropriate for younger readers. But since most of Tamora Pierce's fans are young adults or older, I personally thought it was interesting - in a macabre sort of way - to read the reasons that the arsonist used to rationalize his/her actions. Without the point of view of the arsonist, this amazing book would have lost much of its appeal.

The only complaint I would lodge with the author is the absolute lack of romance, but because of the lack thereof in the earlier quartet Circle of Magic, I have grown to expect this non-romantic vein of Pierce's writing.

Being a smith mage, Daja is experienced in working with fire. And as we saw in Daja's book she also knows how to work against it. But in this book Daja has a bigger problem than ever before, and this time she doesn't have her Sandry, Briar or Tris to help her.

In the beginning of the book Daja and Frostpine are living with Frostpine's old friend who has twin daughters, Nia and Jory. Daja discovers that the twins are ambient mages, with powers in carpentry and cooking. Soon Daja is teaching them meditation tactics, which turns out to be much harder than she thought and has started looking for teachers around the city. Unlike Briar and Sandry Daja has no trouble finding them teachers but she finds trouble elsewhere.

Fires are occurring like crazy all over the city, fires that Daja and Frostpine get dangerously involved with. Daja befriends a local fire fighter, Ben, and even works to help make him special gloves that will repel fire. But as she becomes more involved with the fire she discovers that they seem too perfect, maybe even set. Soon she is after a deadly arsonist. Can she stop him before it's too late?

Just like the rest of the book in the series, Cold Fire has proved to be suspenseful and filled with fun and interesting characters. Daja and Frostpine make wonderful returns and we also get introduced to new great characters like the two very different twins, Jory and Nia. If you're a fan of any of the two Circle quartets read this book. Though it's not as good as Street Magic, in my opinion the best in the series so far, it's still a great book!

The story takes place in a series of Normanese islands where most houses are wooden. Recently some unexplained fires have occured and Bennat Ladradun, a widower fire fighter, is the islands only protection. Meanwhile Daja discovers that the Bancanors', her hosts', twins are ambient mages. Jury has cooking magic, and Nia has carpentry magic. Daja sets them up with teachers,for everything except meditation.
After seeing the sometimes-futile attempts of the firefighters, Daja tries to help them fires by using her magic, and in the process befriends Ben. When the conclusion that the fires have been set is made, Daja has to to suspect someone who had done so much for the Kusigu Islands, Ben.
This book simply blows away books 1 and 2 of the Circle Opens. I think it's partially because there are two young mages instead of one. However, it would have been better if Daja had taught them more than meditation. Overall, though, it is an excellent book, and one of Pierce's best.

This was a fascinating book in which Tamora Pierce explores a unique culture in such detail and with such vibrancy that it's difficult to believe it is truly fantasy. This is perhaps my favorite of The Circle Opens series so far - the character development of two such beloved personalities as Daja and Frostpine was handled beautifully. I would like to say however, that these books are NOT meant for elementary school readers - another review comments on this, and I agree that this is for more advanced readers, though I am puzzled by a comment that other books from this series are 'suitable' for the elementary library - because other instalments deal with such topics as child-poverty, deadly illness and assasination. I wouldn't let a small child read them. I would, however, recommend them to any of the voracious readers that I teach, and indeed, to any children in my family. Well done Ms Pierce.

Daja and Frostpine have come to stay with an old friend in the city of Kugisko in Namorn. Here Daja is learning the art of fine metal work and spends her time making fine jewellery for her hosts. Then she discovers that the twin daughters of her hosts are mages - and she has to teach them or find them teachers. In the background of all this is Daja's growing friendship with a man who fights the increasingly dangerous fires that threaten the city. Daja's living metal can help him fight the fires - but there is something sinister about the fires themselves.

I loved this book. I think that so far this is the best book in the Circle Opens quartet because it shows one of the original four students (Daja) facing one of the biggest emotions (betrayal). Without ruining the story Daja forms a friendship with a man who has taken on the task of teaching the people of Kugisko how to fight the fires that are so dangerous to their wooden city. To help him Daja creates a pair of fire proof gloves from the living metal that comes from her skin.

Woven into the story is the second strong storyline of Daja discovering that the twin daughters of her hosts have ambient magic - and it is Daja's responsibility to either teach them how to control their magic - or find teachers for them who can teach them. Daja is also a student as they try to teach her how to skate on the frozen canals of their city. I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the fourth book to come out.

Cold Fire, third in Tamora Pierce's quartet, The Circle Opens. It was a rather disapointing read for me, but, then again, Daja was never one of my favourite characters. In this book, Daja and Frostpine travel to the frosty country of Namorn to stay with Frostpine's friends.
The main plot of the story was interesting, but some of the ideas, once introduced, were not supported.
I didn't think that the characters were so well- developed in this book as they were in Magic Steps and Street Magic (which I thought were much better). Since there were two students for Daja, Nia and Jory, we didn't get to know them very well, unlike Evvy and Pasco.
Daja's relationship with Ben was very confusing, and not very well thought out (not to mention kind of scary). A little romance would have been nice, but Daja seemed rather unfeeling throughout much of the book.
Aside from all of that, Tamora Pierce has done a good job in keeping with the idea of the Circle Opens Quartet, and Daja is more mature and still as calm as in the The Circle of Magic series.

I really would not vote this as best book of the year.

1. CHANGE THAT PLOT!
1st book: Just fine, i like it!
2nd book: Ok, remind me again why does it have the same plot?
3rd book: This is getting boring... why in the world is Tamora Pierce want to repeat all this?
4th book: ZZZzzzZZzzZzzZz

2. If this book is supposed to have a mystery, make the mystery actually like one. Sure, the person who's the culprit is like the last person you'd expect, but the book told us who, so what's the point? Seriously, if you want villain POV, use all pronouns, and say 'the' firefighters instead of 'my' firefighters. So while reading this people are mentally yelling: STOP MAKING EXCUSES DAJA AND FREAKING FIGURE OUT THAT BEN IS SETTING THOSE FIRES! Or something like that. Not guessing a mile away from the true culprit, which I would think a solve-the-puzzle should be aiming at. Point is, telling us the culprit early on is taking the fun out of it.

The Circle Opens quartet deals with the ongoing adventures of the four Winding Circle students as they themselves become the teachers to new (and even younger) apprentices. Sadly, one of the prerequisites of this teaching experience is that the four friends are separated, as became clear in Magic Steps, in which we learn from Sandry that Briar, Tris and Daja have left on far-flung journeys with their respective teachers in order to improve their own magical crafts. As such, the wonderful friendship that was the heart and soul of the previous quartet (Circle of Magic) is put on hiatus as the four make new friends, become teachers and deepen the relationship between themselves and their mentors.

Daja (still sporting the copper-cover hand that she earned in Daja's Book) and her teacher Frostpine -- both metal-mages, whose talents lie in fire, metal-working, and the forge -- are wintering in the snow-locked Narmorn. Both southern creatures, Frostpine in particular is finding the weather troublesome, but Daja is keeping herself busy with her work and her friendship with the two twin daughters of the household she is staying in. Nia and Jory Bancanor are total opposites in personality and temperament, but when Daja notices that they both have dormant magic in them, tradition dictates that it's her responsibility to train the two girls until she can find more appropriate mages to hone their individual talents.

Meanwhile, the fire-dangers that come from living in a city that is built almost entirely of wood becomes clear after Daja makes the acquaintance of Ben Ladradun, a fireman who is training members of his community in the techniques of fighting fires. Daja is instantly impressed with the man's bravery -- because he isn't a mage he is in considerable more danger when he enters a burning building than one who can magically shield themselves from fire. Striking up a friendship, Daja is soon working on a pair of magical fire-proof gloves for him.

Between training the twins and working on her new project, Daja is kept extremely busy, and Pierce fills her story with plenty of moments of joy, hard work, companionship, frustration and challenges. Because the twins are so different, Daja must find separate techniques of training them that suits each individual personality, and -- in a nice touch -- the twins reciprocate the time and energy Daja puts into their training by teaching her how to ice-skate. Despite the absence of Sandry, Briar, Tris and the other teachers, it is heart-warming to see how much they weigh on Daja's mind, as she often thinks about them or alludes to them in conversation, displaying just how much she loves her foster-family and desires their presence.

In their absence, Tamora Pierce builds up a strong portrayal of a community, complete with the martial bliss of the twins' parents and the friendship they share with Frostpine, the busy workplaces of the hospital and carpenter's workshop that the twins are apprenticed to, and a general atmosphere of falling snow and sleigh-rides contrasted with the warmth and clutter of home. Naturally, Pierce doesn't ignore the ugly side that exists in every community: the snobbery of certain mages, the fear with which some people regard Daja and the domineering figure of Ben's mother, Morrachane. Instantly butting heads with the strict old woman, Daja pities Ben for the authority that Morrachane has over him -- although Pierce mixes in a shade of grey in establishing the very real affection that Morrachane holds for Nia and Jory.

But even more troublesome than Morrachane is the growing evidence that there is an arsonist on the loose in the city. With house fires popping up everywhere, growing more dangerous and difficult to control, Daja and Frostpine find themselves volunteer fire-fighters in the attempt to control the blaze. Unfortunately, it is in this sub-plot that Pierce missteps. The arsonist's identity is revealed too quickly, and made known to the reader (through several paragraphs told from the culprit's point of view) long before Daja herself figures it out. This not only destroys the possibility of a whodunit aspect to the story, with a sense of mystery and suspense as to the arsonist's identity, but makes the reader frustrated that Daja is so slow on the uptake. However, others have pointed out that revealing the culprit's identity early on gives Pierce a chance to get inside his head, and make the reader privy to the fire-bug's POV. Your mileage may vary on how well it works.

However, despite this problematic handling of the story, there is enough here for Cold Fire to recommend itself. The bond between Daja and Frostpine is as touching as ever, as is Pierce's ongoing theme of fulfillment being found in hard work and honest dealings with fellow human beings. Though not my favourite of the Winding Circle foursome, Daja is a cool-headed and determined young heroine, and probably goes through the most dramatic changes than all of her foster-siblings in her own "spin-off" adventure, having to deal with the pain of needless death, the crush of disillusionment, and the sting of betrayal.

In my opinion, Cold Fire is more interesting than Magic Steps and Street Magic, simply because it introduces new concepts and themes into Tamora Pierce's writing. One such is traitorism. You know it's going to happen, but you dread it all the same. There is also more fear and suspense and less repetition than in the other books. It is a more complex novel. It may seem that Daja is an unfeeling character in the beginning because it is mostly written in denotation with no point of view behind her observation, but later in the novel, you'll find that this is not so. Daja shares memories of her past, and hints towards the future are apparant. The twins are amusing and Frostpine down to earth. There is a satisfying plot. It's great!