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World on Fire
When shy Cole Saunders sets out for Nowheresville, Colorado, to interview a reclusive artist, it’s mostly to prove he’s capable of doing the job. He doesn’t expect a house and garden so elaborate and secluded that he’s forced to rely on his subject, Lucian Thomas, for anything he needs.
While Cole is trying to get a read on his host, Lucian turns the tables on him, knowing more about Cole than should be possible, wielding an uncanny ability to draw Cole out of his shell. And something even stranger is happening in the garden, which seems to rearrange itself at its master’s whim. Lucian claims he wants to set Cole’s world on fire, but all Cole can see smoldering is the tension between them.
While Cole is trying to get a read on his host, Lucian turns the tables on him, knowing more about Cole than should be possible, wielding an uncanny ability to draw Cole out of his shell. And something even stranger is happening in the garden, which seems to rearrange itself at its master’s whim. Lucian claims he wants to set Cole’s world on fire, but all Cole can see smoldering is the tension between them.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2012
2 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Hayley B. James
10 books125 followersHayley B. James grew up living in her fantasies but never writing any down, but after she found M/M slash online she wanted to form her incoherent daydreams into something others could read and enjoy.
On holidays she can be seen taking gifts to the fire and sheriff departments by her house. Hayley is fascinated by law enforcement but is happy working inside of a small office and writing during her spare time.
You can reach Hayley at hayley.b.james@gmail.com
Find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HayleyBJames
On holidays she can be seen taking gifts to the fire and sheriff departments by her house. Hayley is fascinated by law enforcement but is happy working inside of a small office and writing during her spare time.
You can reach Hayley at hayley.b.james@gmail.com
Find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HayleyBJames
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 3, 2012
This was a strange story. I'm not quite sure how to describe it beyond that. I was confused a lot but I still didn't want to put it down. It's a unique story, though, in the sense that everything is always changing.
Cole Sanders is a man who works for a magazine and sent to interview a reclusive brilliant artist, Lucian Thomas. When he first meets Lucian he thinks he's met a man who is not all there in the head, who constantly talks in riddles and evades questions left and right which makes him believe Lucian and he could not be more different. Slowly Cole realizes the easy interview he was supposed to give has turned into something way more when everything Cole encounters in Lucian's strange world changes almost every time he turns his back and Lucian's random questions start to actually make sense. With each day Lucian keeps Cole there, Cole's barriers start to crumble and he realizes he may not be so different from Lucian after all.
It's easy to say that Cole and Lucian are very different people. While Cole is plain, boring, meek and completely unremarkable, Lucian is extravagant, full of life and love; he takes things as they are and amuses himself with everything with an almost childlike personality. I actually found these two pretty funny together. Lucian would unknowingly insult Cole somehow, Cole would get angry and then he'd apologize for his outburst which would make Lucian astonished and sad. Really, these two are vastly different in the beginning. I did not understand Lucian's logic or his questions at all. He talked to animal meat before he cooked it, danced with lobsters before realizing he didn't want to eat them after all but instead to keep them as pets and name them. Lucian is just downright strange. Cole's attitude suggested tolerance of Lucian's flighty and unexpected behavior but overtime Cole actually started to understand Lucian's personality and where it all came from. And in that time, Lucian helped Cole discover who he really truly is beneath all of the barriers Cole has created around his true self. So, I kind of found these two cute. Don't ask me why, they just are.
If you're looking for a book that has a lot of conflict, this won't be one of them. The story is actually pretty slow moving because you have to understand who Lucian and Cole are and their actions. The book follows the few days Cole stays with Lucian for his interview. We get to know these two, why Lucian is the way he is and why he requested Cole as his interviewer. You slowly start to understand what is so weird about this world the story is set in, even though it's contemporary, and all the confusion in the beginning is explained away mostly by the end. You understand Lucian is a creator and Cole is an absorber, what it all means and how it all falls into place.
Like I said, it's a strange book and it won't appeal to a lot of people because nothing extravagant happens until the end. BUT I think that was one of it's charms for me. It was a slow book, that focused on understanding a man who had an extraordinary talent who possibly is not at all sane. I'm actually not quite sure why I enjoyed this book so much but I know every time I put it down I wanted to pick it back up and continue reading. I think it was Lucian's random questions and statements that had a part in that.
So, my advice on this book would be to decide if you'd like a slow moving story. If you would, give it a try. Decide for yourself if it's something that might peak your interests because I do believe this story is well-written and if you allow it to, the characters might charm you enough to keep reading like they did me. :)
Cole Sanders is a man who works for a magazine and sent to interview a reclusive brilliant artist, Lucian Thomas. When he first meets Lucian he thinks he's met a man who is not all there in the head, who constantly talks in riddles and evades questions left and right which makes him believe Lucian and he could not be more different. Slowly Cole realizes the easy interview he was supposed to give has turned into something way more when everything Cole encounters in Lucian's strange world changes almost every time he turns his back and Lucian's random questions start to actually make sense. With each day Lucian keeps Cole there, Cole's barriers start to crumble and he realizes he may not be so different from Lucian after all.
It's easy to say that Cole and Lucian are very different people. While Cole is plain, boring, meek and completely unremarkable, Lucian is extravagant, full of life and love; he takes things as they are and amuses himself with everything with an almost childlike personality. I actually found these two pretty funny together. Lucian would unknowingly insult Cole somehow, Cole would get angry and then he'd apologize for his outburst which would make Lucian astonished and sad. Really, these two are vastly different in the beginning. I did not understand Lucian's logic or his questions at all. He talked to animal meat before he cooked it, danced with lobsters before realizing he didn't want to eat them after all but instead to keep them as pets and name them. Lucian is just downright strange. Cole's attitude suggested tolerance of Lucian's flighty and unexpected behavior but overtime Cole actually started to understand Lucian's personality and where it all came from. And in that time, Lucian helped Cole discover who he really truly is beneath all of the barriers Cole has created around his true self. So, I kind of found these two cute. Don't ask me why, they just are.
If you're looking for a book that has a lot of conflict, this won't be one of them. The story is actually pretty slow moving because you have to understand who Lucian and Cole are and their actions. The book follows the few days Cole stays with Lucian for his interview. We get to know these two, why Lucian is the way he is and why he requested Cole as his interviewer. You slowly start to understand what is so weird about this world the story is set in, even though it's contemporary, and all the confusion in the beginning is explained away mostly by the end. You understand Lucian is a creator and Cole is an absorber, what it all means and how it all falls into place.
Like I said, it's a strange book and it won't appeal to a lot of people because nothing extravagant happens until the end. BUT I think that was one of it's charms for me. It was a slow book, that focused on understanding a man who had an extraordinary talent who possibly is not at all sane. I'm actually not quite sure why I enjoyed this book so much but I know every time I put it down I wanted to pick it back up and continue reading. I think it was Lucian's random questions and statements that had a part in that.
"Have you seen an elephant wear swimming trunks?"
"What are bears without ears?"
"A dinosaur eating a dog."
"Dog riding a horse."
"I'm fond of catfish. I like to picture that they meow underwater and scare the other fish."
So, my advice on this book would be to decide if you'd like a slow moving story. If you would, give it a try. Decide for yourself if it's something that might peak your interests because I do believe this story is well-written and if you allow it to, the characters might charm you enough to keep reading like they did me. :)
February 17, 2012
Reviewed on Hearts On Fire... http://heartsonfirereviews.com/
Reading this book was like falling down the rabbit hole. After reading Water Waltz, I was expecting a lot from this book but I was disappointed. Cole Saunders is a shy and socially withdrawn reporter who is assigned to interview the fairly famous artist, Lucien Thomas. Lucien is a total recluse who lives in a world of his own making. Cole is anxious to do the interview but Lucien is overly evasive almost to the point of driving Cole off. Lucien would much rather pull Cole out of his shell and teach the man how to live happily. I found Lucien to be a very annoying character. He was like a hummingbird in the way he jumped from one subject to another trying to get Cole to feel something. Cole was just so dim and caught up in society's properness that he became a bore. I really did not like or care about either man much. The story's concept was a good but Ms James did not pull it off well in my opinion. The reader needs to invest quite a bit of time in this book to feel anything. With so many good paranormal books out there, I recommend you skip this book.
Reading this book was like falling down the rabbit hole. After reading Water Waltz, I was expecting a lot from this book but I was disappointed. Cole Saunders is a shy and socially withdrawn reporter who is assigned to interview the fairly famous artist, Lucien Thomas. Lucien is a total recluse who lives in a world of his own making. Cole is anxious to do the interview but Lucien is overly evasive almost to the point of driving Cole off. Lucien would much rather pull Cole out of his shell and teach the man how to live happily. I found Lucien to be a very annoying character. He was like a hummingbird in the way he jumped from one subject to another trying to get Cole to feel something. Cole was just so dim and caught up in society's properness that he became a bore. I really did not like or care about either man much. The story's concept was a good but Ms James did not pull it off well in my opinion. The reader needs to invest quite a bit of time in this book to feel anything. With so many good paranormal books out there, I recommend you skip this book.
January 31, 2012
The story was a bit strange, but with slow pace this developed story pulled me in. As a reader, I started to really enjoy all those weird chats between Cole, Lucian, Henry and Victoria. The plot was mysterious and well developed. I really enjoyed the weirdness and Cole's awkward behavior with Lucian.
dnf
February 20, 2012DNF - 2/22/12 @ 35%
I'm not going to say that this is terrible. I can't authoritatively say that my opinion of this book is bad, but it really just isn't for me. I had to constantly force myself back to the story. I kept playing with my cat and "accidentally" catching a late night episode of Friends instead of reading. After a few days of punishing myself I figured that there was no reason for me to keep pushing myself into reading something that I'm not interested in.
So see for yourselves. The story is very slow paced in the sense that the answers of any kind are VERY slow in coming. Also, the plot and dialogue bounces all over the place and I had a hard time not getting frustrated just because I felt I was being purposely led around and around. Rabbit Hole indeed. I still have no clue what the hell was going on! And I don't really care about figuring it out.
I can see readers liking this, but it will definitely be to a specific person's taste. It was not to mine at all.
I'm not going to say that this is terrible. I can't authoritatively say that my opinion of this book is bad, but it really just isn't for me. I had to constantly force myself back to the story. I kept playing with my cat and "accidentally" catching a late night episode of Friends instead of reading. After a few days of punishing myself I figured that there was no reason for me to keep pushing myself into reading something that I'm not interested in.
So see for yourselves. The story is very slow paced in the sense that the answers of any kind are VERY slow in coming. Also, the plot and dialogue bounces all over the place and I had a hard time not getting frustrated just because I felt I was being purposely led around and around. Rabbit Hole indeed. I still have no clue what the hell was going on! And I don't really care about figuring it out.
I can see readers liking this, but it will definitely be to a specific person's taste. It was not to mine at all.
July 26, 2020
Interesting book, i enjoyed writer´s crazy questions, especially if you knew they have some hidden meaning, but it got too long too soon. Also main character has reason for not showing emotions, but i wouldn´t even realise if we were not told that, same as him being shy, he just seemed too polite for his own good. While it is not book to read twice, i will try some else from this author.
November 30, 2012
2 1/2 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Cole is a wallflower that has been overlooked his entire life and he prefers it that way, when he is asked to interview renowned reclusive artist Lucian he is surprised. Lucian is the very essence of eccentric artist and as Cole asks questions in vain, he learns that maybe beneath his own shield he isn’t really all that different.
This is a well written if frustrating story. As we get to know both Cole and Lucian we begin to understand that they are both completely nuts… okay maybe not nuts but just out of whack with the rest of the world. Cole has had problems from when he was very small and they have caused him to build a shell around himself and to effectively cut himself off from people whilst still interacting with them. Lucian has a gift that while it adds an interesting aspect to the story makes Lucian come across as nuttier the squirrel poo, I was beginning to question my own sanity as I tried to follow one of Lucian’s conversations. So Lucian is living in a remote location in his own little world with his neighbour’s Victoria and Henry, both of who are stranger than they seem.
I must admit that I had a vague idea about Lucian and what he could do, although Cole baffled me completely. Lucian and Cole are both portrayed well, although I am very glad that Cole began to stand up for himself and come out of his shell, because honest to god even a doormat would have beaten him to death in frustration at one point. Lucian was very whimsical and I have to say kinda reminded me of the Mad Hatter at times. The sex between them was very hot although most of the time Cole ruined the moment afterwards (he really did need to learn how to just let go).
So with this one I have found it hard to figure out who to recommend it to and the best that I can suggest is that it’s for those who like the strange and whimsical, with a strange dash of love, the weird and wonderful and a happy ever after for two of the weirdest characters that I have come across. In a way this book reminded me of The Doors Of Time so if you liked that then you might like this.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Cole is a wallflower that has been overlooked his entire life and he prefers it that way, when he is asked to interview renowned reclusive artist Lucian he is surprised. Lucian is the very essence of eccentric artist and as Cole asks questions in vain, he learns that maybe beneath his own shield he isn’t really all that different.
This is a well written if frustrating story. As we get to know both Cole and Lucian we begin to understand that they are both completely nuts… okay maybe not nuts but just out of whack with the rest of the world. Cole has had problems from when he was very small and they have caused him to build a shell around himself and to effectively cut himself off from people whilst still interacting with them. Lucian has a gift that while it adds an interesting aspect to the story makes Lucian come across as nuttier the squirrel poo, I was beginning to question my own sanity as I tried to follow one of Lucian’s conversations. So Lucian is living in a remote location in his own little world with his neighbour’s Victoria and Henry, both of who are stranger than they seem.
I must admit that I had a vague idea about Lucian and what he could do, although Cole baffled me completely. Lucian and Cole are both portrayed well, although I am very glad that Cole began to stand up for himself and come out of his shell, because honest to god even a doormat would have beaten him to death in frustration at one point. Lucian was very whimsical and I have to say kinda reminded me of the Mad Hatter at times. The sex between them was very hot although most of the time Cole ruined the moment afterwards (he really did need to learn how to just let go).
So with this one I have found it hard to figure out who to recommend it to and the best that I can suggest is that it’s for those who like the strange and whimsical, with a strange dash of love, the weird and wonderful and a happy ever after for two of the weirdest characters that I have come across. In a way this book reminded me of The Doors Of Time so if you liked that then you might like this.
March 13, 2013
I love when a book takes me surprise, yet unfortunately the phenomenon is uncommon (made especially so by my tendency to read spoilers and endings ahead of time). Yet World on Fire achieved that rare feat of keeping me on my toes in the best possible way.
After reading a summary that talked of visiting a reclusive artist in his ever-changing mansion, my mind conjured images of a somber, gothic-style atmosphere, yet World on Fire refuses to conform to any sort of conventional mold. Instead of a dark and brooding character, protagonist Cole is greeted by the delightful, ever-so-slightly insane Lucian. As Cole struggles to complete his assignment to interview the mysterious artist, Lucian continues to thwart his guest’s efforts with increasingly peculiar antics and seemingly disjointed dialogue. Down the rabbit hole, indeed, yet while some readers have criticized the ambiguous, slowly developing plot and dialogue, I found Lucian’s character completely fascinating yet still totally relatable in his possible madness. While Cole lacks Lucian’s overtly interesting demeanor, he nevertheless serves as a sympathetic narrator to this whimsically unordinary tale.
James takes her time in revealing the workings of her strange world, and I delighted in unraveling the layers bit by bit. It’s a testament to her writing skill that James completely sold me on Lucian and Cole’s chemistry despite the short amount of time and unusual circumstances in which they get to know each other. As the story reaches its crescendo and all the pieces start to fall into place, James does little to dispel readers’ belief that her characters are just this side of sane, yet ultimately it doesn’t matter. I’ll gladly read another title by James in the future and hope that she doesn’t allow her next work to be any more conventional than this unique work.
http://abookandashortlatte.wordpress....
After reading a summary that talked of visiting a reclusive artist in his ever-changing mansion, my mind conjured images of a somber, gothic-style atmosphere, yet World on Fire refuses to conform to any sort of conventional mold. Instead of a dark and brooding character, protagonist Cole is greeted by the delightful, ever-so-slightly insane Lucian. As Cole struggles to complete his assignment to interview the mysterious artist, Lucian continues to thwart his guest’s efforts with increasingly peculiar antics and seemingly disjointed dialogue. Down the rabbit hole, indeed, yet while some readers have criticized the ambiguous, slowly developing plot and dialogue, I found Lucian’s character completely fascinating yet still totally relatable in his possible madness. While Cole lacks Lucian’s overtly interesting demeanor, he nevertheless serves as a sympathetic narrator to this whimsically unordinary tale.
James takes her time in revealing the workings of her strange world, and I delighted in unraveling the layers bit by bit. It’s a testament to her writing skill that James completely sold me on Lucian and Cole’s chemistry despite the short amount of time and unusual circumstances in which they get to know each other. As the story reaches its crescendo and all the pieces start to fall into place, James does little to dispel readers’ belief that her characters are just this side of sane, yet ultimately it doesn’t matter. I’ll gladly read another title by James in the future and hope that she doesn’t allow her next work to be any more conventional than this unique work.
http://abookandashortlatte.wordpress....
April 16, 2016
I had a hard time getting into this book at first...it was nearly 3/4 through that I became truly invested in the whole story, but only about 1/3 before I was invested in the characters. I like Lucian's strangeness, am frustrated by Cole's persistent and knowing ignorance, I feel minor dislike for Keaton but am forgiving of his arrogance, and I straight up hate Mitchell. Victoria was annoying and I didn't mind Henry.
This is a terribly boring review, I apologize, but each character made me feel something, both bad and good, so I can honestly say I enjoyed the story more so because of that than for the story itself. The story itself was okay, but felt like that movie with Anne Hathaway called Passengers, I think, mainly because there was this vague sense of discomfort and unease for most of the story until the explanations became more clear, both the verbal and non-verbal.
The strange childlike questions that appear to be avoidance tactics quickly became charming and an integral part of why I like Lucian so much. He feels frustration and misery in the cage built by others as well as the cage he built for himself. Despite that, though, he seeks love and acceptance and has refused to become jaded and cynical. Cole, on the other hand, has done the opposite. He does have a cage of his own construction, but he's convinced that there's nothing more to life, love will never be for him, and he's convinced there are no emotions of his own. He suppresses everything and refuses to see the truth of himself because no one else has seen it, therefore the truth Lucian says he sees can't exist. The way they come together and bring Cole out from within himself is sweet and definitely takes patience to get to.
Ultimately it's because Cole and Lucian are so sweet together and how Cole changes for the better that I've rounded this up from 3.5 stars.
This is a terribly boring review, I apologize, but each character made me feel something, both bad and good, so I can honestly say I enjoyed the story more so because of that than for the story itself. The story itself was okay, but felt like that movie with Anne Hathaway called Passengers, I think, mainly because there was this vague sense of discomfort and unease for most of the story until the explanations became more clear, both the verbal and non-verbal.
The strange childlike questions that appear to be avoidance tactics quickly became charming and an integral part of why I like Lucian so much. He feels frustration and misery in the cage built by others as well as the cage he built for himself. Despite that, though, he seeks love and acceptance and has refused to become jaded and cynical. Cole, on the other hand, has done the opposite. He does have a cage of his own construction, but he's convinced that there's nothing more to life, love will never be for him, and he's convinced there are no emotions of his own. He suppresses everything and refuses to see the truth of himself because no one else has seen it, therefore the truth Lucian says he sees can't exist. The way they come together and bring Cole out from within himself is sweet and definitely takes patience to get to.
Ultimately it's because Cole and Lucian are so sweet together and how Cole changes for the better that I've rounded this up from 3.5 stars.
February 17, 2012
This book drove me crazy. It should've taken me just a couple hours to read, but I had to keep putting it down and it ended up taking me almost three days to read. The way the main character, Lucian, jumped from topic to topic just wasn't something I really liked reading. While I understood why he did it, it made me want to grab him and shake him. I didn't even really like either main character. Lucian was just to flippant and Cole was just boring. I did like Victoria and Henry and the way they interacted with both Lucian and Cole though. I guess this just wasn't my type of book because a couple reviews I've read were all 4 stars. So my advice is to read plenty of reviews before deciding if you'd like to read it.
May 5, 2012
I tried to finish this book, I really did. However, after 60 excruciatingly dull pages, I finally gave up. The plot was invisible, and the characters were just too much--Cole was too meek and boring, and Lucian was too weird. His neighbors, Lady Victoria and Henry were intriguing, but neither that nor the mystery of the rearranging garden was enough to make up for the meandering (read: nonexistent) plotline and annoying main characters.
This book was provided free of charge by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of this review.
This book was provided free of charge by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of this review.
February 1, 2013
2.5 stars!
I am not entirely sure as to why I didnt like this book. It is possible that I was in a strange mood and it colored my reaction to the book. The first half of the book left me really upset (no idea why) and I had to stop reading for a few hours before I could get into it. Looking back at the book, I thought the first half was a waste of time. Really, I learnt nothing about the plot, the MC's or even the strange world they were in. I felt that with a few extra paragraphs added to the second half, it could have been the whole story.
I am really glad they got a happy ending though.
I am not entirely sure as to why I didnt like this book. It is possible that I was in a strange mood and it colored my reaction to the book. The first half of the book left me really upset (no idea why) and I had to stop reading for a few hours before I could get into it. Looking back at the book, I thought the first half was a waste of time. Really, I learnt nothing about the plot, the MC's or even the strange world they were in. I felt that with a few extra paragraphs added to the second half, it could have been the whole story.
I am really glad they got a happy ending though.
November 5, 2013
This was definitely different, and I enjoyed that a lot. I will say it was plagued a bit by being too long for the point it was trying to make. But I liked Lucien's character a lot and the way he and Cole played off each other worked very well. I found myself waiting for something traumatic to happen, though, but it didn't. I think I've been reading too many angsty books and I wasn't prepared for more of a fluffy intellectual type of romance. So, the next time I read this, I need to remember that :-)
November 5, 2013
This book is very similar, in my opinion, to novels from the turn of the twentieth century. The use of passive voice, the attention to the turn of the phrases, which sometimes are reminiscent of the tone of a Henry James, however, may turn some modern-leaning readers off.
The romance of Cole and Lucian proves interesting. If you like the paradox of Henry James type of wit in sentence dialogue, with scene setting in a gay romance then this may be the book for you.
The romance of Cole and Lucian proves interesting. If you like the paradox of Henry James type of wit in sentence dialogue, with scene setting in a gay romance then this may be the book for you.
April 7, 2012
Maybe it's because I'm used to reading slash fanfic and this type of story is right up my alley, I don't know, but I found myself really enjoying it.
My review is here.
My review is here.
Read
February 28, 2017I'm halfway through and I'm getting bored. It isn't the books fault but it is a very slow story with answers slow coming. It is a lovely story though. With a lot of random questions. Which I liked :D
*** EDIT ***
Yeah I finished this one a long time ago. I just can't remember how it ended....
*** EDIT ***
Yeah I finished this one a long time ago. I just can't remember how it ended....
January 31, 2012
Hayley B. James really did good job with his story. Plot was well made and it did pull me in right away. I like both main characters.
February 14, 2012
I love when a book surprises me. World on Fire was definitely a bit weird, in the best possible way.
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November 5, 2013
Strange and different. Liked it.
Read
April 12, 2012DNF-25%
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews