Customer Reviews

Wildfire: A Novel

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

 

 

When we last saw Firethorn, she had resolved to follow Sire Galan to war rather than retreat to the country house he had provided her. As _Wildfire_ opens, she does just that. But the gods aren't finished with Firethorn yet. Before she reaches the city of Lanx, where she will be reunited with Galan, Firethorn is struck by lightning.

She survives, but not unscathed. Firethorn comes away from the incident with several ailments, most notably aphasia. She often says one word when she means another. What I found most interesting about her speech disorder is that it sometimes reveals uncomfortable truths, such as when she accidentally refers to the bloodthirsty Queen Mother, whose name is Caelum, as "Callous."

Firethorn does reunite with Galan, but their time together is short. She falls into the custody of Prince Corvus, who is fleeing into exile in the neighboring country of Lambanein. He finds Firethorn's prophetic dreams useful and takes her along. In the treacherous mountains that separate the two kingdoms, and later in Lambanein as a servant, she faces new dangers and the continued meddling of the gods.

If _Firethorn_ was the story of Firethorn and Sire Galan, _Wildfire_ is Firethorn's story alone. Throughout the novel, her quest is to discover what the gods want with her, and what sort of person she should strive to become. We follow her as she tries to help others, bargains with gods, and sometimes loses her way.

Like _Firethorn_, _Wildfire_ is not for the faint of heart. It's gritty, often gruesome. There's one scene in particular, right at the end, that I hope fades from my memory soon! However, I found _Wildfire_ rewarding. I enjoyed the beautiful writing and the heroine's personal journey. As the novel ends, Firethorn has a renewed sense of purpose, but I know there will be more twists and turns ahead for her in the third book. I'm looking forward to reading it, and hoping there's some peace or contentment at the end of Firethorn's road.

I'm not great at reviewing books, and some of the other reviewers here have done a much better job, but I'll give it a try since there are so few reviews of this book thus far. Like everyone else who loved Firethorne, I waited five long years for the sequel -- I absolutely loved Firethorn and I can't believe it was Sarah Micklem's first book. Wildfire was definitely worth waiting for -- a long lasting and luxurious read. Now I can't wait for the third and final book, but if it takes her another five years to write another novel this wonderful, like Firethorne I will find the strength and patience to endure! (And I hope it's just as long or even longer -- I don't want this series to end!) And I plan to reread Firethorn and Wildfire in anticipation of it's release. I always wondered and imagined what life must have been like for a woman living in medieval times and I wondered how a woman could have possibly survived if she wasn't born rich or entitled, "dark" and "gritty" don't even begin to describe how awful and hard it must have been, and I think the story of Firethorne's life explains how it could have been endured -- it seems likely that back then people must have burned much more brightly in the short amount of time that they had on this earth. I'm an older fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and to me Firethorne and Wildfire are the first fantasy novels that have even come close to duplicating that kind of far-ranging adventure. Now if we could just convince Peter Jackson to produce the film version . . .

One thing for sure about Sarah Micklem, she does not write a predictable story. Not one page, paragraph or sentence. It's as if her fingers take over and then say 'ok Sarah, write yourself out of this plotline'. This second book takes a completely different path about 1/3 of the way in. Perhaps it is because I am not usually a reader of sci/fi / fantasy books that I did not find about 2/3 of the story as interesting as I did the first book "Firethorn" since it dealt more in a sci/fi / fantasy world than Firethorn did. I'm sure I would not have continued reading the book if it had been a stand alone book and if not for wanting to know what was going to happen with a certain relationship (I don't want to give anything away). Also, Sarah Micklem's writing did not let down. It was her excellent/skilled writing that kept me turning the pages. The last 60 pages had me riveted -- it's like all that middle stuff was setup for this. I just wish the middle stuff had been more interesting to me. I do plan to read the final book in the trilogy.

I also waited five long years for the anticipated sequel to my favorite novel of all time, Firethorn. Although Wildfire was an excellently written novel, it was not as good as its predecessor. At the end of the novel I felt as if the plot hadn't really progressed. It seemed to me that Micklem wanted to write about Firethorn in various situations without having a final goal in mind (we will have to wait until the final novel to see where she is going). In fact, many parts of the novel were long and drawn out with seemingly no purpose. Normally in trilogies, the reader has some idea of the main character's ultimate goal which will be clarified in the third book. Wildfire leaves one baffaled. Does Firethorn want to go back to Galan or to stay with King Corvus? Is she some important part of an impending war? What exactly does Wildfire and the other gods want with her? Overall the book is written with extreme care and Micklem's beautiful writing style leaves the reader wondering that it only took her 5 years to write Wildfire and not longer. I enjoyed the novel, but the plot was not as strong as Firethorn's. Hopefully the wait until the third book is shorter than the last one.

Wildfire: A NovelI waited five long years for the second book by Sarah Micklem, the first book being Firethorn, but it was well worth the wait. Well written and not afraid to write about violence and other aspects of war, this book is dark fantasy and not for everyone, however I think Micklem has written another gem.

I reread Firethorn before reading Wildfire, so it was fresh in my mind and from that I can say that I enjoyed Wildfire much more than Firethorn. A big plus is that Sire Galan is not present for most of the book causing trouble, though Firethorn is very capable of causing trouble herself. Without Galan's presence we got to see how Firethorn handles things on her ownThe book had many twist and turns that kept me on my toes and wanting more. We are introduced to many new characters including the King of Incus, whom they were going to war against. Also, Firethorn gets many more abilities and talents through out the book, making her more than just a greenwoman/sheath. I can't wait for the next book to see how the trilogy is concluded and if Firethorn life finally settles down.

I must start by saying that I am an absolute fan of the author's first book in the series, Firethorn. I discovered Firethorn after it was already in paperback but when Wildfire came out I couldn't wait and so purchased it in the hardcover. What a disappointment!

I don't mind so much the story's departure from the plot that was laid out in the first novel. She is of the servant class and as such her life is at the mercy of forces around her, she goes where the wind takes her and survives. The heroine makes some major choices that are frustrating as a reader to watch but are believable errors considering her personality and her station in life.

Although the book isn't what I expected the story itself was fairly compelling, the aspect of this book that ensures I will absolutely *not* read it again is that on the ship across the water, Firethorn is struck by lighting and that affects her speech so whenever she speaks it comes out all wrong. As a plot device this may have been acceptable for a couple chapters but it goes on almost through the whole book. It is frustrating and irritating and made the book excruciating for me to read!

Having said that, if Sarah Micklem ever comes out with another book in the series I will buy it because I really like her heroine, Firethorn, and I really want to know what happens to her.

WOW! Not just a story to enjoy, it's a world to explore . characters who develop, relationships that grow ... A great read! I keep re-reading it, and it's fresh every time

The depth of study and absolute intelligence that went into creating a thunderstruck Firethorn is phenomenal. The storyline takes some turns that are unexpected and Micklem has once again created cultures within cultures in Firethorn's world- all brand new and utterly flawless in detail. I found this sequel even better than Firethorn's first adventure. Loved it (and I am stingy with my praise of novels.) I made my husband read them both and we were in agreement- Micklem is so very talented! Can't wait for the next one...

Wildfire is a lovely book, surpassing even its predecessor in my estimation to earn a full 5 stars. The only downside to this book is that it isn't standalone: Firethorn should be read first, and we are still awaiting the third installment.

My favorite aspects of this trilogy are its focus on the lives of women, particularly in the lower classes, and its worldbuilding. Both are prominent here. The heroine Firethorn travels to new lands with fully realized cultures, including one that's reminiscent of ancient Egypt. I don't know if the author has an anthropology background or not, but I'd be willing to believe that she does; rarely have I seen worlds as unique yet believable as this. However, this is still a gritty fantasy and doesn't shy away from the harsher aspects of the cultures it examines. It raises questions about how women and the lower classes have been treated throughout history and provides plenty of food for thought.

Furthermore, I would say the characterization improves with this book: Firethorn becomes a more morally ambiguous character, and a variety of other interesting characters are introduced. I agree with other reviewers that the plot meanders a bit: more happens in this installment than the last (as it should, since it's noticeably longer), but Micklem seems at least as interested in thematics and taking us through her world as she is in the destination. I wouldn't recommend this book to those who require lots of action scenes. Finally, the quality of the writing is very good; I wouldn't expect even literary readers to have complaints on that score. As far as fantasy elements go, as in the first book the supernatural remains mostly in the background.

In sum, Micklem is one of the best new fantasy authors I've found, and I hope she doesn't keep us waiting too long for the conclusion to this trilogy. Highly recommended.