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Country Saga #1
Fire Country
In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely.
Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.
Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with.
As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.
Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.
Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with.
As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.
398 pages, ebook
First published January 23, 2013
194 people are currently reading
4977 people want to read
About the author
David Estes
80 books2,673 followersGet a FREE short story from David Estes' #1 Amazon bestselling epic fantasy series, Fatemarked, when you sign up for his mailing list: https://www.subscribepage.com/b2v6v3
David Estes has written more than 40 science fiction and fantasy books. He loves chatting with his readers, all of whom he considers to be his friends. David lives in Hawaii with his beautiful Aussie wife, Adele, his moody cats, Bailey and Luna, and his rambunctious sons, Beau and Brody.
Join 3,000+ David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite in David Estes' official fan group at:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/7...
Books by David Estes:
-The Fatemarked Epic- For fans of A Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and The Way of Kings! Four kingdoms. A century-old war. One ancient prophecy that could change everything.
-The Kingfall Histories- a follow up series to the #1 Amazon bestselling series, The Fatemarked Epic
-Strings- “A wonderful retelling of the Pinocchio story…I simply couldn’t put this book down.”—Rysa Walker, bestselling author of TIMEBOUND
-The Dwellers Saga and the Country Saga. Voted books to read if you enjoyed the Hunger Games on Buzzfeed and Listopia.
-Salem's Revenge trilogy- the witch apocalypse begins!
-Slip Trilogy- "Someone must die before another can be born..."
-The Adventures of Nikki Powergloves- Kid superheroes? 'Nuff said.
David Estes has written more than 40 science fiction and fantasy books. He loves chatting with his readers, all of whom he considers to be his friends. David lives in Hawaii with his beautiful Aussie wife, Adele, his moody cats, Bailey and Luna, and his rambunctious sons, Beau and Brody.
Join 3,000+ David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite in David Estes' official fan group at:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/7...
Books by David Estes:
-The Fatemarked Epic- For fans of A Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and The Way of Kings! Four kingdoms. A century-old war. One ancient prophecy that could change everything.
-The Kingfall Histories- a follow up series to the #1 Amazon bestselling series, The Fatemarked Epic
-Strings- “A wonderful retelling of the Pinocchio story…I simply couldn’t put this book down.”—Rysa Walker, bestselling author of TIMEBOUND
-The Dwellers Saga and the Country Saga. Voted books to read if you enjoyed the Hunger Games on Buzzfeed and Listopia.
-Salem's Revenge trilogy- the witch apocalypse begins!
-Slip Trilogy- "Someone must die before another can be born..."
-The Adventures of Nikki Powergloves- Kid superheroes? 'Nuff said.
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September 27, 2016My new YA dystopian novel (a Dwellers sister novel), is now available in ebook and print! Personally, it was my favorite book to write of all 11 novels I've written. The main character, Siena, has a very strong voice and is about as normal as anyone I've ever written. She basically wrote herself, and spoke to me night and day for the 4 weeks I was writing the book (and still speaks to me now!). Anyway, I hope you all enjoy Fire Country and I can't wait to see your reviews :)
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February 22, 2015
After finishing David Estes' Dweller trilogy, I found out he was working on a sister series called Country Saga. I was extremely excited to hear this as I really loved his world building in The Dwellers and knew that I must have more! Well my friends, Estes did not disappoint! Although set in the same world, now we are on top and not deep below!
The Heaters tribe live in a hard cruel world full of toxic air that gives them each a life expectancy of about 32 years. Siena is a 15 year old girl who is a pre-bearer and will become a Bearer shortly after her 16th birthday. The story follows Siena's journey and at times I laughed out loud at her antics, especially conversations with her friend "Perry". And, dang you, Estes... I cried like a baby at other parts of Siena's hard journey!
Estes' creative descriptive writing talent had me gagging, sweating, laughing and crying right along with his wonderful characters. And the slang he's created had me giggling and I've even found myself using bits and pieces of the Heaters' more unsavory terms myself. ;-)
You have done it again, David Estes! Fire Country was amazing and I think it's the best of your books yet!
If you haven't read any of The Dwellers trilogy, don't fret. You don't need to have read it first! But I bet you will rush to read it soon after reading Fire Country! ;-)
Ok, Estes... Bring it on! Can't wait for Ice Country!! Well done, sir! Very well done!!!
The Heaters tribe live in a hard cruel world full of toxic air that gives them each a life expectancy of about 32 years. Siena is a 15 year old girl who is a pre-bearer and will become a Bearer shortly after her 16th birthday. The story follows Siena's journey and at times I laughed out loud at her antics, especially conversations with her friend "Perry". And, dang you, Estes... I cried like a baby at other parts of Siena's hard journey!
Estes' creative descriptive writing talent had me gagging, sweating, laughing and crying right along with his wonderful characters. And the slang he's created had me giggling and I've even found myself using bits and pieces of the Heaters' more unsavory terms myself. ;-)
You have done it again, David Estes! Fire Country was amazing and I think it's the best of your books yet!
If you haven't read any of The Dwellers trilogy, don't fret. You don't need to have read it first! But I bet you will rush to read it soon after reading Fire Country! ;-)
Ok, Estes... Bring it on! Can't wait for Ice Country!! Well done, sir! Very well done!!!
February 7, 2013
Quick review:
Cover: Pretty
Rating: R
Thumbs Up: 5
Overall: David is fast becoming one of my fav authors.
Characters: Well Done
Plot: Don’t conform, and at the very least save yourself.
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Absolutely
Recommend: Absolutely
Book Boyfriend: Circ
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
By the time I was finished with this book, I wasn’t sure which series the Dwellers or this one I liked best. This dystopian series is going to be awesome because this book just rocked. I was engaged from beginning to end. David just keeps writing them better and better.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
Cover: Pretty
Rating: R
Thumbs Up: 5
Overall: David is fast becoming one of my fav authors.
Characters: Well Done
Plot: Don’t conform, and at the very least save yourself.
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Absolutely
Recommend: Absolutely
Book Boyfriend: Circ
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
By the time I was finished with this book, I wasn’t sure which series the Dwellers or this one I liked best. This dystopian series is going to be awesome because this book just rocked. I was engaged from beginning to end. David just keeps writing them better and better.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
February 20, 2014
I discovered this book accidentally: one of my groups was voting for a BOTM, and Fire Country was among others on the list. I checked it out, and the blurb made this story seem both horrendous and morbidly fascinating. And just look at the very first paragraph of the book:
THE LAW
*****
In its original form, as approved by the Greynote Council
Article 56
A Bearer shall, upon reaching the appropriate age of sixteen years old, be Called to a man, no younger than eighteen years old, to Bear children, immediately and every three years thereafter.
Sounds awful, right? I thought so too and decided to investigate ☺
I haven’t read many YA books written by male authors. In fact, I haven’t read any at all. Since so many female authors fail to portray guys/love interests realistically in 1st person narration, I was really curious how a male author was going to tackle a teenage girl’s point of view. Well, my compliments to David Estes for accomplishing that feat, because to me Siena felt very real.
As a main character, she is a welcome reprieve from all the super-special snowflakes and mary sues of the YA variety, who are usually drop-dead beautiful, have a destiny to save the world and a herd of gorgeous guys panting after them, ready to declare their eternal love.
Like I said, Siena is very real. She is no one special, just a girl, one of the many in her village who are about to turn 16 and become Bearers, i.e. get paired up with some random guy to produce a baby, and she is scared shitless. She is scrawny and is often ridiculed for it by her peers. She is not really good at anything except running and daydreaming in Learning, and not particularly social to have many friends.
One of her friends, Veeva, is already a Bearer with a child, and the things she says about the whole business scare poor Siena even more. Actually, Veeva is a fun character who brought certain lightness and humor to the story.
Then there is Circ, Siena's childhood friend, who, as she recently found out, she might also be in love with.
Circ is an awesome guy, and the romance is very cute. I'm usually not a fan of the friends-turned-lovers thing, but this time it just seemed so right, so natural and perfect. And there is no love triangle either!
As the story unfolds, Siena is gradually coming into her own. She doesn’t become magically all-powerful, but rather slowly develops confidence and strength, both physically and spiritually, as, along with some other girls, she tries to fight the status quo and get more freedom. She makes mistakes too.
It is not easy for her to change:
"I take a deep breath. Okay. No more thoughts about being Runty, or Scrawny, or Skinny. By trying not to think them, I start thinking them more. I pound the heel of my hand against my forehead, trying to dislodge the thoughts, but now they’re all I can think. Skinny. Scrawny. Runty. Skinny. Scrawny. Runty.
Time’s a-wasting, but how I can I safely climb back down when my mind’s full of all this blaze? I gotta replace it with other thoughts, better thoughts."
But she manages:
"I skirt along the edge of the village, feeling reckess and dangerous and so out of control that I start to feel in control. More in control than I've felt in a long time."
Siena’s POV is fun to read. She has a good sense of humor and her inner monologue had me snorting many times. The slang and manner of speaking she and other characters use may take a bit of time to get used to, but it all added to the atmosphere of the story. I think it very clever on the author’s part to replace modern cursing words with some made-up substitutes. Since in YA books cursing is either forbidden or frowned upon, the author managed to accomplish two things at once: he made the context clear of any dirty words, but at the same time some characters would put sailors to shame with their language. It didn’t take me long to make the parallels:
Blaze = shit, crap
Bullshit = tugblaze
Scorch = hell
Searing and burning = fucking
It all made for some funny expressions, like:
“He wants to burnin’ talk to you,” Skye says. “But I tol’ ’im he could shove it up his blaze shooter.”
All in all, a very interesting read.
On the downside, the ending felt too rushed and the reasoning behind the 'spiracies, as Siena called them, required certain suspension of disbelief on my part. Some things just didn't add up.
And even if life expectancies were low in the Fire Country and women had to start reproducing at 16 (which I heartily disagree with!) to replenish the population, I still don't get why they had to be assigned to random guys and not the ones they chose. It doesn't make sense to me.
I'm certainly going to continue with the Country Saga and read the next book Ice Country soon.
THE LAW
*****
In its original form, as approved by the Greynote Council
Article 56
A Bearer shall, upon reaching the appropriate age of sixteen years old, be Called to a man, no younger than eighteen years old, to Bear children, immediately and every three years thereafter.
Sounds awful, right? I thought so too and decided to investigate ☺
I haven’t read many YA books written by male authors. In fact, I haven’t read any at all. Since so many female authors fail to portray guys/love interests realistically in 1st person narration, I was really curious how a male author was going to tackle a teenage girl’s point of view. Well, my compliments to David Estes for accomplishing that feat, because to me Siena felt very real.
As a main character, she is a welcome reprieve from all the super-special snowflakes and mary sues of the YA variety, who are usually drop-dead beautiful, have a destiny to save the world and a herd of gorgeous guys panting after them, ready to declare their eternal love.
Like I said, Siena is very real. She is no one special, just a girl, one of the many in her village who are about to turn 16 and become Bearers, i.e. get paired up with some random guy to produce a baby, and she is scared shitless. She is scrawny and is often ridiculed for it by her peers. She is not really good at anything except running and daydreaming in Learning, and not particularly social to have many friends.
One of her friends, Veeva, is already a Bearer with a child, and the things she says about the whole business scare poor Siena even more. Actually, Veeva is a fun character who brought certain lightness and humor to the story.
Then there is Circ, Siena's childhood friend, who, as she recently found out, she might also be in love with.
Circ is an awesome guy, and the romance is very cute. I'm usually not a fan of the friends-turned-lovers thing, but this time it just seemed so right, so natural and perfect. And there is no love triangle either!
As the story unfolds, Siena is gradually coming into her own. She doesn’t become magically all-powerful, but rather slowly develops confidence and strength, both physically and spiritually, as, along with some other girls, she tries to fight the status quo and get more freedom. She makes mistakes too.
It is not easy for her to change:
"I take a deep breath. Okay. No more thoughts about being Runty, or Scrawny, or Skinny. By trying not to think them, I start thinking them more. I pound the heel of my hand against my forehead, trying to dislodge the thoughts, but now they’re all I can think. Skinny. Scrawny. Runty. Skinny. Scrawny. Runty.
Time’s a-wasting, but how I can I safely climb back down when my mind’s full of all this blaze? I gotta replace it with other thoughts, better thoughts."
But she manages:
"I skirt along the edge of the village, feeling reckess and dangerous and so out of control that I start to feel in control. More in control than I've felt in a long time."
Siena’s POV is fun to read. She has a good sense of humor and her inner monologue had me snorting many times. The slang and manner of speaking she and other characters use may take a bit of time to get used to, but it all added to the atmosphere of the story. I think it very clever on the author’s part to replace modern cursing words with some made-up substitutes. Since in YA books cursing is either forbidden or frowned upon, the author managed to accomplish two things at once: he made the context clear of any dirty words, but at the same time some characters would put sailors to shame with their language. It didn’t take me long to make the parallels:
Blaze = shit, crap
Bullshit = tugblaze
Scorch = hell
Searing and burning = fucking
It all made for some funny expressions, like:
“He wants to burnin’ talk to you,” Skye says. “But I tol’ ’im he could shove it up his blaze shooter.”
All in all, a very interesting read.
On the downside, the ending felt too rushed and the reasoning behind the 'spiracies, as Siena called them, required certain suspension of disbelief on my part. Some things just didn't add up.
And even if life expectancies were low in the Fire Country and women had to start reproducing at 16 (which I heartily disagree with!) to replenish the population, I still don't get why they had to be assigned to random guys and not the ones they chose. It doesn't make sense to me.
I'm certainly going to continue with the Country Saga and read the next book Ice Country soon.
February 17, 2013
FIVE STARS!!! The best moment in reading is when you find that one special, unforgettable story you've been madly searching for...thank you David Estes for delivering it in Fire Country!
Although I really enjoyed The Dweller Series, Fire Country stands in a league of its own and here is the reason...the brilliantly flawed heroine Siena. For me Siena is to Fire Country what Saba is to Blood Red Road and what Alex is to Ashes, or dare I say what Katniss is to The Hunger Games. Siena is the kind of character that you cry and cheer for and feel strangely sad when the story ends because Siena is no longer in your literary world. Hats off to David Estes and his talent in writing a character that evokes such deep feeling.
Circ as Siena's soul mate and best friend is the kind of relationship so many YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories get wrong. For once, there is absolutely no love triangle! Siena knows who she loves even after she feels like she lost Circ forever. Such dedication speaks volumes about Siena. I seriously went into the ugly cry when Siena looks up at Circ's star and says "Hi." Another one of my criteria for a favorite book...I actually get moved to tears.
Besides Siena and Circ, Fire Country is full of tribal, unique, troubled, evil, brave, comical supporting characters, all of which make this story a stand out, including the famous Perry the Prickler, a cactus (you have to read the story).
I can't possibly give Fire Country the praise it deserves. My only fear is that everything I read from now on will pale in comparison and I will be back to searching for that perfect story and character once again...sigh.
Although I really enjoyed The Dweller Series, Fire Country stands in a league of its own and here is the reason...the brilliantly flawed heroine Siena. For me Siena is to Fire Country what Saba is to Blood Red Road and what Alex is to Ashes, or dare I say what Katniss is to The Hunger Games. Siena is the kind of character that you cry and cheer for and feel strangely sad when the story ends because Siena is no longer in your literary world. Hats off to David Estes and his talent in writing a character that evokes such deep feeling.
Circ as Siena's soul mate and best friend is the kind of relationship so many YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories get wrong. For once, there is absolutely no love triangle! Siena knows who she loves even after she feels like she lost Circ forever. Such dedication speaks volumes about Siena. I seriously went into the ugly cry when Siena looks up at Circ's star and says "Hi." Another one of my criteria for a favorite book...I actually get moved to tears.
Besides Siena and Circ, Fire Country is full of tribal, unique, troubled, evil, brave, comical supporting characters, all of which make this story a stand out, including the famous Perry the Prickler, a cactus (you have to read the story).
I can't possibly give Fire Country the praise it deserves. My only fear is that everything I read from now on will pale in comparison and I will be back to searching for that perfect story and character once again...sigh.
December 21, 2014
I'm so relieved that I liked this book, the only other book that I have read from this author was The Moon Dwellers, which is a good book don't get me wrong but I'm not sure that it was for me. When I found out about the country series I was drawn in, although hesitant as it was a sister series to the Dwellers. But the good news is I liked this book!
It took me quite a while to get into however, the first 50% of the book felt pretty slow and the dialect writing took a bit of getting used to, I also felt that there was an overwhelming abundance of similes in this book and I was not a fan of that.
Now onto what I liked:
- I enjoyed the setting of Fire Country, I've read a lot of Dystopians but this world was different than many others that I have visited. The imagery was so strong in this book that I needed a glass of water nearby when I read it.
- I felt that the characters were realistic and the plot kept me interested.
- Also the cover is gorgeous.
I would recommend this book if you're looking for a fresh read.
Note: This author often has great sales on the kindle versions of his books,so be sure to keep an eye out if you are interested.
September 24, 2014
That was tremendous! David's best book yet! You bet your tug blaze it was! SHUT UP PERRY!
I received an eARC copy of this book from the author to read and give an honest review. This in no way has influenced my review or opinion of the book.
Blurb from Goodreads:
In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely.
Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.
Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with.
As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.
I honestly have no idea where to start with this book! I love David's writing. So, after reading the Dwellers series, there was no way on earth I could not dive into this sister series without knowing I was going to be head over heals for it. And I love that this is a sister series to The Dwellers. I'm interested to see how David ties them together.
The cover, well, it's gorgeous. I just love Regina Wamba's work. I have seen many of her covers and have no been disappointed with any of them. So why would this be the exception, right? I think my favorite part of this book cover is that it so puts you right in the thick of the world that David builds. The colors make me all warm, just as I imagined the characters to be in the warmth of the desert. So right away I was sucked into the world before I even started reading.
The characters are great. I love that Siena is so young. You can total see all of her 15 years in the way she talks and acts, how she carries herself, and how she feels around her peers. Because, while the landscape is very different from what we know now, the way teens act towards and with each other is so relatable. I loved Siena right away. Especially the way she spoke in her slang speak throughout the book. And she's a bit of a rebel right from the get go, which makes me understand her plight and feelings so much more. Even more intriguing is her willingness to come to terms with her feelings for a boy, a boy who she has no right to have feelings for because she's a bearer and will be placed with someone with whom she'll bear children, rather than having the choice.
And what can I say about Circ. He's an amazing friend. He is loyal and you can totally tell that he would fight tooth and nail to keep Siena safe. And yet, Mr. Estes wait for a while until he reveals that there may really be any real romantic potential between Circ and Sie. We get to watch him stand up for her. We get to watch him help her. But why else would he do these things if he didn't have a love deep down in his soul for her? I just love his strength and his willingness to fight, it certainly makes me see him as someone who will go after what he wants and get it!
And my favorite character by far? PERRY! Yup, I won't go into too much because I don't want to spoil his presence in the book. So let's just say he is certainly a bristly and sharp fellow who has a flare for the sarcastic!
And the story, well, it's amazing. Really, so different from anything else I have read. The different groups of people (Icies, Wilds, Marked) that keep themselves separated and fight each other for power. It's like watching wars between countries, but within such a short span of distance. And the scenery is amazing. David's ability to describe exactly what you see in your mind blows my MIND! I felt the world building up, I saw the tents in fire country, the sand that was the surrounding deserts, the cages where they kept the prisoners. the rocks jutting out of the ground where the wilds live, the cactus type "pricklers" that crept up in large groups. I walked with Sie on her journey, felt the pain she endured, felt the fear she had.
As for the writing, well, pretty much I can say that David has a knack of really just taking things to perfection. The words flowed so easily. And with each chapter he left you with a bit of a cliffhanger, how could you not want to move on and read the next chapter? I definitely stayed up reading way beyond my normal bed time to get to spend more time with Siena!
With a unique world, awesome writing, amazing world building, and a general knack for knowing how to keep readers engrossed in a story, David has created a story that is well above and beyond any other that he has done so far. I am very much looking forward to seeing where the journey takes us in the next installment of this series.
I received an eARC copy of this book from the author to read and give an honest review. This in no way has influenced my review or opinion of the book.
Blurb from Goodreads:
In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely.
Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.
Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with.
As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.
I honestly have no idea where to start with this book! I love David's writing. So, after reading the Dwellers series, there was no way on earth I could not dive into this sister series without knowing I was going to be head over heals for it. And I love that this is a sister series to The Dwellers. I'm interested to see how David ties them together.
The cover, well, it's gorgeous. I just love Regina Wamba's work. I have seen many of her covers and have no been disappointed with any of them. So why would this be the exception, right? I think my favorite part of this book cover is that it so puts you right in the thick of the world that David builds. The colors make me all warm, just as I imagined the characters to be in the warmth of the desert. So right away I was sucked into the world before I even started reading.
The characters are great. I love that Siena is so young. You can total see all of her 15 years in the way she talks and acts, how she carries herself, and how she feels around her peers. Because, while the landscape is very different from what we know now, the way teens act towards and with each other is so relatable. I loved Siena right away. Especially the way she spoke in her slang speak throughout the book. And she's a bit of a rebel right from the get go, which makes me understand her plight and feelings so much more. Even more intriguing is her willingness to come to terms with her feelings for a boy, a boy who she has no right to have feelings for because she's a bearer and will be placed with someone with whom she'll bear children, rather than having the choice.
And what can I say about Circ. He's an amazing friend. He is loyal and you can totally tell that he would fight tooth and nail to keep Siena safe. And yet, Mr. Estes wait for a while until he reveals that there may really be any real romantic potential between Circ and Sie. We get to watch him stand up for her. We get to watch him help her. But why else would he do these things if he didn't have a love deep down in his soul for her? I just love his strength and his willingness to fight, it certainly makes me see him as someone who will go after what he wants and get it!
And my favorite character by far? PERRY! Yup, I won't go into too much because I don't want to spoil his presence in the book. So let's just say he is certainly a bristly and sharp fellow who has a flare for the sarcastic!
And the story, well, it's amazing. Really, so different from anything else I have read. The different groups of people (Icies, Wilds, Marked) that keep themselves separated and fight each other for power. It's like watching wars between countries, but within such a short span of distance. And the scenery is amazing. David's ability to describe exactly what you see in your mind blows my MIND! I felt the world building up, I saw the tents in fire country, the sand that was the surrounding deserts, the cages where they kept the prisoners. the rocks jutting out of the ground where the wilds live, the cactus type "pricklers" that crept up in large groups. I walked with Sie on her journey, felt the pain she endured, felt the fear she had.
As for the writing, well, pretty much I can say that David has a knack of really just taking things to perfection. The words flowed so easily. And with each chapter he left you with a bit of a cliffhanger, how could you not want to move on and read the next chapter? I definitely stayed up reading way beyond my normal bed time to get to spend more time with Siena!
With a unique world, awesome writing, amazing world building, and a general knack for knowing how to keep readers engrossed in a story, David has created a story that is well above and beyond any other that he has done so far. I am very much looking forward to seeing where the journey takes us in the next installment of this series.
April 24, 2013
I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review.
I had high expectations for this book, but the book was even better than I expected. It has that dystopia feel to it, even more than the dwellers series did. The story is awesome, original, fast paced and I just couldn’t stop reading it!
The story is great, it start off as a great dystopia book already, but it so much more. I love reading Siena’s story, she is an awesome main character and even though she isn’t perfect she is strong inside. I loved reading about the world in which she lived and about everything that happened. There were moments where I thought “no this can’t be happening”, I was surprised so often by all the twist and turns that I didn’t know what to expect anymore.
Siena is an awesome main character, she has so many flaws, but it is also obvious she is strong inside. I loved that she wasn’t perfect and had her own flaws and her own strengths. She felt like a real person. Some of the side characters also were really thought out, I loved getting to know Circ, Lara and the other characters. Although I do think that some characters motivations weren’t as clear.
The world building is awesome, David Estes created an awesome world in this book and even the little details are thought out. I would almost believe this world really exist. The world is thought out and I loved every piece of information I got about it and wanted to know even more about it. I really liked the fact the different language and word the people used, the words were chosen well and most of the times I immediately understood what the word meant, although I did had some problems figuring out the meaning of one or two words. There is also much about the world we still didn’t know and I want to know more about it, but I guess that means there is still space to learn more about the world in the next books in this series.
To conclude: the fire country surpassed my expectations, the story was awesome, I love the characters and the world building was done so well. I just want to read more and can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Re-Read: I love this book even more now. The characters are just so amazing and the Fire Country slang makes you feel like you really are in Fire Country. And Siena is such an awesome narrator! And Perry is awesome too! Really I love this book!
I had high expectations for this book, but the book was even better than I expected. It has that dystopia feel to it, even more than the dwellers series did. The story is awesome, original, fast paced and I just couldn’t stop reading it!
The story is great, it start off as a great dystopia book already, but it so much more. I love reading Siena’s story, she is an awesome main character and even though she isn’t perfect she is strong inside. I loved reading about the world in which she lived and about everything that happened. There were moments where I thought “no this can’t be happening”, I was surprised so often by all the twist and turns that I didn’t know what to expect anymore.
Siena is an awesome main character, she has so many flaws, but it is also obvious she is strong inside. I loved that she wasn’t perfect and had her own flaws and her own strengths. She felt like a real person. Some of the side characters also were really thought out, I loved getting to know Circ, Lara and the other characters. Although I do think that some characters motivations weren’t as clear.
The world building is awesome, David Estes created an awesome world in this book and even the little details are thought out. I would almost believe this world really exist. The world is thought out and I loved every piece of information I got about it and wanted to know even more about it. I really liked the fact the different language and word the people used, the words were chosen well and most of the times I immediately understood what the word meant, although I did had some problems figuring out the meaning of one or two words. There is also much about the world we still didn’t know and I want to know more about it, but I guess that means there is still space to learn more about the world in the next books in this series.
To conclude: the fire country surpassed my expectations, the story was awesome, I love the characters and the world building was done so well. I just want to read more and can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
Re-Read: I love this book even more now. The characters are just so amazing and the Fire Country slang makes you feel like you really are in Fire Country. And Siena is such an awesome narrator! And Perry is awesome too! Really I love this book!
June 19, 2013
Wow. Was that good! Why is this guy an Indie author? I'll try to be cohesive about this, but I'm still just sitting here absorbing it all. I'll just go over a few bullet points, since there are a lot of reviews for this one already.
* World building - holy smokes. This must have been hard because it is EXTENSIVE. From the setting to the dialect, language, terminology, different groups, etc., I can't even imagine how much work went into this. The only thing that confused me about the dialect was that it seemed only Siena spoke this way. Why? And even though I'm happy about the fact that she spoke differently, sometimes she seemed to be of less intelligence because of the way she spoke.
*There was a moment in this book (and those of you who read this know what it is) I almost had to quit reading. I was actually really upset. But I kept on because...well....I couldn't help it, and I was rewarded.
*I wish this book had a glossary, like for real.
*Clever exchanging new terminology for swear words. Author gets to convey what could come off as real deal people talking without being vulgar. Like I said, clever :)
*Characters. Loved them. This is the big reason I knew it was getting five stars. I fell in love with Siena and Circ and had a big distaste for the bad guys, which I am supposed to.
I read in the foreword that the author might still be in a cubicle if it hadn't been for his wife. So, thank you, Adele, the literary world is better for it.
Overall, I think everyone who likes to say Indie authors don't do their homework or crank out professional work, they should start here on this book. Estes gives the Indies a good name. I'm finding a lot of them lately. Another good one, Toxicis also refreshing on the Indie scene.
* World building - holy smokes. This must have been hard because it is EXTENSIVE. From the setting to the dialect, language, terminology, different groups, etc., I can't even imagine how much work went into this. The only thing that confused me about the dialect was that it seemed only Siena spoke this way. Why? And even though I'm happy about the fact that she spoke differently, sometimes she seemed to be of less intelligence because of the way she spoke.
*There was a moment in this book (and those of you who read this know what it is) I almost had to quit reading. I was actually really upset. But I kept on because...well....I couldn't help it, and I was rewarded.
*I wish this book had a glossary, like for real.
*Clever exchanging new terminology for swear words. Author gets to convey what could come off as real deal people talking without being vulgar. Like I said, clever :)
*Characters. Loved them. This is the big reason I knew it was getting five stars. I fell in love with Siena and Circ and had a big distaste for the bad guys, which I am supposed to.
I read in the foreword that the author might still be in a cubicle if it hadn't been for his wife. So, thank you, Adele, the literary world is better for it.
Overall, I think everyone who likes to say Indie authors don't do their homework or crank out professional work, they should start here on this book. Estes gives the Indies a good name. I'm finding a lot of them lately. Another good one, Toxicis also refreshing on the Indie scene.
Read
September 27, 2016Thank you all for your patience as my publisher worked to produce this audiobook! The award-winning Dwellers/Country Saga continues with Fire Country, narrated by Khristine Hvam! Hope you all enjoy the listen :)
Here is the rest of the planned release schedule for The Country Saga audio series:
Ice Country- end October 2016
Water & Storm Country- mid November 2016
The Earth Dwellers- TBD
Here is the rest of the planned release schedule for The Country Saga audio series:
Ice Country- end October 2016
Water & Storm Country- mid November 2016
The Earth Dwellers- TBD
September 5, 2013
This review has been posted on my Happy Indulgence Blog. Check it out for more reviews, and a free copy of Fire Country until 15 September 2013!
Fire Country swept me away with the strength of the main character, Siena, the imaginative dystopian setting based on different tribes, and the language and slang used within the book to demonstrate the cult-like, tribal setting of the Heaters of Fire Country.
Siena is a 15 year old girl who has been brought up within the strict laws of Fire Country by her dad, one of the ruling Greystones. When she turns 16, she will take part in the momentous event called The Calling, where she is matched with a partner to bear his children. At the ages of 19 and 22, she will have another child, while her partner takes on more wives, her call sisters. There’s no choosing who your partner will be or being with the one you love. That is the law.
Siena is a strong, brave character who is just beginning to question her rights and the treatment of women in her village. Through Siena’s beliefs, teachings, and brave nature, David Estes does a great job in showing how the laws of Fire Country affect Siena and her friends. With her Calling just around the corner, she undergoes discord in her life with an unusual tomboy hinting at choice and independence, and her father’s treatment of her best friend Circ who cares for her deeply.
Her father Roan, is a great villain who rules with an iron fist. Not only does he beat Siena, send her to Confinement (or jail), and match her up with the most disgusting guy around, he sets up rulings that are harmful to the villagers and that only benefits himself.
The vivid, dystopian world that David has created is compelling and unique. I’ve never read anything like Fire Country, and I love how the slang and language used within the book is easy to pick up without actually saying what these words are. The language really captures the heart of being in hot, heated Fire Country, with its deserts and cactus, with words such as blazin’, wooloo, and scorch. What the scorch do these words mean? You’ll just have to read to find out why I’m so wooloo about this story.
Fire Country also features the greatest inanimate character I’ve ever encountered - Perry the prickler! Perry speaks to Siena when she has no one else by her side and she’s personified him throughout the book. “I wonder how Perry looks now, whether he’s changed. Probably not – in my memory he’ll always be the brittle-brown wisecracker I know”.
I loved the strong character development with how Siena grew as a person. She starts off young, innocent and law abiding but slowly begins to question the world around her. She’s been bullied by her peers who call her scrawny, bony and unattractive, but as she develops throughout the course of the novel with some positive influences, this negative self talk dissipates.
David’s writing has gone from strength to strength since his previous series, the Moon Dwellers. It brings forth vivid imagery of this tribal village and the laws they must abide by in emotions, world building, and strong characters. Many authors focus heavily on either one of these elements. David excels in all three.
If you love dystopians with strong character development and amazing world building, definitely pick up Fire Country. The unusual world and language takes a bit of getting used to but in no time, you’ll be drawn into a deep and vivid story.
I received a review copy of this book from David and the Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books group, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
Fire Country swept me away with the strength of the main character, Siena, the imaginative dystopian setting based on different tribes, and the language and slang used within the book to demonstrate the cult-like, tribal setting of the Heaters of Fire Country.
Siena is a 15 year old girl who has been brought up within the strict laws of Fire Country by her dad, one of the ruling Greystones. When she turns 16, she will take part in the momentous event called The Calling, where she is matched with a partner to bear his children. At the ages of 19 and 22, she will have another child, while her partner takes on more wives, her call sisters. There’s no choosing who your partner will be or being with the one you love. That is the law.
Siena is a strong, brave character who is just beginning to question her rights and the treatment of women in her village. Through Siena’s beliefs, teachings, and brave nature, David Estes does a great job in showing how the laws of Fire Country affect Siena and her friends. With her Calling just around the corner, she undergoes discord in her life with an unusual tomboy hinting at choice and independence, and her father’s treatment of her best friend Circ who cares for her deeply.
Her father Roan, is a great villain who rules with an iron fist. Not only does he beat Siena, send her to Confinement (or jail), and match her up with the most disgusting guy around, he sets up rulings that are harmful to the villagers and that only benefits himself.
The vivid, dystopian world that David has created is compelling and unique. I’ve never read anything like Fire Country, and I love how the slang and language used within the book is easy to pick up without actually saying what these words are. The language really captures the heart of being in hot, heated Fire Country, with its deserts and cactus, with words such as blazin’, wooloo, and scorch. What the scorch do these words mean? You’ll just have to read to find out why I’m so wooloo about this story.
Fire Country also features the greatest inanimate character I’ve ever encountered - Perry the prickler! Perry speaks to Siena when she has no one else by her side and she’s personified him throughout the book. “I wonder how Perry looks now, whether he’s changed. Probably not – in my memory he’ll always be the brittle-brown wisecracker I know”.
I loved the strong character development with how Siena grew as a person. She starts off young, innocent and law abiding but slowly begins to question the world around her. She’s been bullied by her peers who call her scrawny, bony and unattractive, but as she develops throughout the course of the novel with some positive influences, this negative self talk dissipates.
David’s writing has gone from strength to strength since his previous series, the Moon Dwellers. It brings forth vivid imagery of this tribal village and the laws they must abide by in emotions, world building, and strong characters. Many authors focus heavily on either one of these elements. David excels in all three.
If you love dystopians with strong character development and amazing world building, definitely pick up Fire Country. The unusual world and language takes a bit of getting used to but in no time, you’ll be drawn into a deep and vivid story.
I received a review copy of this book from David and the Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books group, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
February 14, 2024
Fire Country is Book 1 in the Country Saga written by the talented David Estes. Fire Country is a book based around a girl named Siena who lives in Fire Country, which is essentially a desert-type terrain that stays hot for much of the year.
This book was truly phenomenal. David has created a unique world, realistic characters, a new governing body, and even a fitting language for the setting. Fire Country is a breath of fresh air after all of the unfinished products I seem to have read recently. There was amazing flow, I didn't have to worry about constant interruptions with typos and grammar issues, and it was easy to get lost in this world as I was rooting for Siena and wanting her to rise above her social status and find a way to find true happiness in life.
Fire Country happens in a somewhat post-apocalyptic world where the population is much less than it was, and the life expectancy is much lower with the average person dying at age 30. As someone who turned 30 this year, I found this crazy to think about that this could be my last year. Due to these circumstances, the fire people have rules enacted that involve girls turning 16 to become bearers for the tribe. Once a quarter every girl at the age of 16 must attend a "call" ceremony. This means that she will be paired with a randomly selected man over the age of 18 to become his "bearer" and to bear his children. Once having a child, she will be expected to bear another child ever three years after, until the household is full. A normal full household has 3 "bearers" and nine children. Siena is a "scrawny" girl prone to daydreams and has no interest in becoming a bearer and no choice in who her call will be. Unfortunately for her, her father is in high-level leadership in the tribe. Through her slight rebellions, she comes to discover unimaginable secrets, and just when you think the scandal of the tribe is enough for the book, there is a new and crazy turn of events.
David has made such a brilliant story with Fire Country, and each character comes to life, from Siena to her family, friends, and even the ancillary characters. Even when in a depression, I couldn't help but chuckle at Siena's dry and witty humor and her sometimes conversations with Perry. Siena shows the world that even a skinny young girl can stand up against what she feels is wrong and find herself in the process.
I give this book 5/5 stars and cannot wait to read book two in the saga. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys getting lost in a story. Within these pages, you will find intrigue, hope, rebellion, betrayal, love, independence, and growth. This book is more than fiction; it is entertainment at its finest. Don't wait to pick this one up.
This book was truly phenomenal. David has created a unique world, realistic characters, a new governing body, and even a fitting language for the setting. Fire Country is a breath of fresh air after all of the unfinished products I seem to have read recently. There was amazing flow, I didn't have to worry about constant interruptions with typos and grammar issues, and it was easy to get lost in this world as I was rooting for Siena and wanting her to rise above her social status and find a way to find true happiness in life.
Fire Country happens in a somewhat post-apocalyptic world where the population is much less than it was, and the life expectancy is much lower with the average person dying at age 30. As someone who turned 30 this year, I found this crazy to think about that this could be my last year. Due to these circumstances, the fire people have rules enacted that involve girls turning 16 to become bearers for the tribe. Once a quarter every girl at the age of 16 must attend a "call" ceremony. This means that she will be paired with a randomly selected man over the age of 18 to become his "bearer" and to bear his children. Once having a child, she will be expected to bear another child ever three years after, until the household is full. A normal full household has 3 "bearers" and nine children. Siena is a "scrawny" girl prone to daydreams and has no interest in becoming a bearer and no choice in who her call will be. Unfortunately for her, her father is in high-level leadership in the tribe. Through her slight rebellions, she comes to discover unimaginable secrets, and just when you think the scandal of the tribe is enough for the book, there is a new and crazy turn of events.
David has made such a brilliant story with Fire Country, and each character comes to life, from Siena to her family, friends, and even the ancillary characters. Even when in a depression, I couldn't help but chuckle at Siena's dry and witty humor and her sometimes conversations with Perry. Siena shows the world that even a skinny young girl can stand up against what she feels is wrong and find herself in the process.
I give this book 5/5 stars and cannot wait to read book two in the saga. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys getting lost in a story. Within these pages, you will find intrigue, hope, rebellion, betrayal, love, independence, and growth. This book is more than fiction; it is entertainment at its finest. Don't wait to pick this one up.
March 17, 2013
Spoiler Free
I rarely give five stars in a book. Divergent and Hunger Games (Yes, they got the same, I mean.) yes.
"Aaaahhh. Fire Country is goooooood."
Mr. David Estes, your narrative is stunning and very effective. Define effective - the fact that you write it clearly and the pace is good enough to make the readers, no doubt, turn the pages without thinking twice. This kind of dystopia actually burns deep inside me,like "burn, baby, burn baby. This girl is on fire..." type of feeling and I rarely give sympathies in a character or the characters. But you know. I feel entirely like this about them that I can't ignore the book, right now!.
And this happened when I have my copy that I ignored my mom from doing my daily chores like feeding my dog and go out cleaning the lawn and I ended up, dramatically, while waving the book...
It's like actually watching a film when you read books like this, and "Aaawww, Mr. David..." this happens to me...
And sure, David Estes is my new favorite author.
KUDOS!!
I rarely give five stars in a book. Divergent and Hunger Games (Yes, they got the same, I mean.) yes.
"Aaaahhh. Fire Country is goooooood."
Mr. David Estes, your narrative is stunning and very effective. Define effective - the fact that you write it clearly and the pace is good enough to make the readers, no doubt, turn the pages without thinking twice. This kind of dystopia actually burns deep inside me,like "burn, baby, burn baby. This girl is on fire..." type of feeling and I rarely give sympathies in a character or the characters. But you know. I feel entirely like this about them that I can't ignore the book, right now!.
And this happened when I have my copy that I ignored my mom from doing my daily chores like feeding my dog and go out cleaning the lawn and I ended up, dramatically, while waving the book...
It's like actually watching a film when you read books like this, and "Aaawww, Mr. David..." this happens to me...
And sure, David Estes is my new favorite author.
KUDOS!!
August 24, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, so here it is! (keep in mind - I'm a reader, not a writer)
I absolutely loved this book. David Estes creates a wonderful story in a dystopian world in which the characters are extremely relatable, and have you turning the page until the very end.
I went woo-loo over this book, I stayed up all night to finish it, talking to Perry the Prickler the entire time. Yes Perry, I wrote the review
I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Dystopian novels, or is already a fan of David Estes (who is becoming one of my favourite authors of all time) or anyone who loves a good book :)
I absolutely loved this book. David Estes creates a wonderful story in a dystopian world in which the characters are extremely relatable, and have you turning the page until the very end.
I went woo-loo over this book, I stayed up all night to finish it, talking to Perry the Prickler the entire time. Yes Perry, I wrote the review
I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Dystopian novels, or is already a fan of David Estes (who is becoming one of my favourite authors of all time) or anyone who loves a good book :)
February 9, 2017
Having read Fire Country twice before in print, I still wasn't prepared for the breathtaking performance of Khristine Vham as Siena. This is without a doubt my favorite audiobook EVER!
I was driving home from a late night work meeting when I got to those final chapters. The emotional depth of Khristine's performance was so brilliant and I was so immersed in this world and her voice that I almost missed my turnoff. Plus to make it worse, my eyes were leaking and full of water. I'm surprised I made it home in one piece, not even counting that I was an emotional wreck. Such a beautiful story even without the incredible narration.
So what's this story about? From my first review from my print read: The Heaters tribe live in a hard cruel world full of toxic air that gives them each a life expectancy of about 32 years. Siena is a 15 year old girl who is a pre-bearer and will become a Bearer shortly after her 16th birthday. The story follows Siena's journey and at times I laughed out loud at her antics, especially conversations with her friend "Perry". And, dang you, Estes... I cried like a baby at other parts of Siena's hard journey!
Estes' creative descriptive writing talent had me gagging, sweating, laughing and crying right along with his wonderful characters. And the slang he's created had me giggling and I've even found myself using bits and pieces of the Heaters' more unsavory terms myself. ;-)
Now I have to wait a couple of weeks before the audio of Ice Country is released. I'll be pacing waiting for the audio to drop into my audible app! Based on the sample we got a taste of at the end of Fire Country, I'm in for another ride!! Can't wait!!
I was driving home from a late night work meeting when I got to those final chapters. The emotional depth of Khristine's performance was so brilliant and I was so immersed in this world and her voice that I almost missed my turnoff. Plus to make it worse, my eyes were leaking and full of water. I'm surprised I made it home in one piece, not even counting that I was an emotional wreck. Such a beautiful story even without the incredible narration.
So what's this story about? From my first review from my print read: The Heaters tribe live in a hard cruel world full of toxic air that gives them each a life expectancy of about 32 years. Siena is a 15 year old girl who is a pre-bearer and will become a Bearer shortly after her 16th birthday. The story follows Siena's journey and at times I laughed out loud at her antics, especially conversations with her friend "Perry". And, dang you, Estes... I cried like a baby at other parts of Siena's hard journey!
Estes' creative descriptive writing talent had me gagging, sweating, laughing and crying right along with his wonderful characters. And the slang he's created had me giggling and I've even found myself using bits and pieces of the Heaters' more unsavory terms myself. ;-)
Now I have to wait a couple of weeks before the audio of Ice Country is released. I'll be pacing waiting for the audio to drop into my audible app! Based on the sample we got a taste of at the end of Fire Country, I'm in for another ride!! Can't wait!!
January 19, 2015
Fire Country is FREE on Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Country-Sa...
___________________________________
Actual rating: 3.75
I read The Moon Dwellers just a few days ago and I can see improvement in the author's writing and character development. One of the high points of this book is how Siena evolved from a little scrawny girl whose only purpose was to carry children to a strong, decided girl brave enough to confront her own father and overcome the lost of the ones she loved.
The writing style may have been difficult for some people, but Siena's voice was not an issue for me, you should read Blood Red Road for some insane poetically minimal writing style. I believe one of David Estes' strengths are creating this amazing dystopian worlds. The fire country is a dangerous place, the life expectancy is no more than thirty-five and the village is in danger of extinction. So there's a rule, the Law and a bunch of eldest's only purpose is to make sure every man is provided of three young girls (Bearers) to have babies. Isn't that pretty? So it's with this unequal power relationship between women and men that Siena grows up and realizes of a conspiracy inside and outside of the village.
There's a lot of the story that I really enjoyed. There's no insta-love, thank goodness. Circ is strong, skillful, sweet and unexplainably in love with Siena. I know, she evolves, she gets beautiful... but she's none of this things at first. I really don't know what he sees in her, she's flawed and totally insecure. I don't know how many references about how scrawny, skinny and weak are pointed out by herself along the first chapters.
"Skinniest, Scrawniest, Runtiest!"
Give yourself a break.
Another thing I really liked was the twist. But wouldn't have been even cooler if Siena lost a lot of people, friends and family but one of the things that I couldn't understand was how well she managed all of that. I guess a little of depression and mourning would have made it more realistic.
It feel too long sometimes, I found some scenes unnecessary. The Wildes were total badasses and it was a good thing they appeared, because I was losing my patience with all the "go to prison", "come back from prison", mom's cryptic message, Raja and the Keeper... but I loved Perry though! that really made me smile.
Let's talk about the ending, shall we? I'm not sure I liked it. I guess the way everything ended with her father was not enough for me. I was a little confused with the Glassies and the Icers... what do they want? why did they want to invade? Another convenient sandstorm?
There's a lot of things obviously prepared for the second book, the open ending, the remaining questions and the strange reorganization of the village is going to be for sure the main subject in the next installment. But I couldn't help to have the feeling of a pocket universe. I was a little confused with so many tribes and villages and I had to ask myself several times who were this guys? what was their deal? were they the bad guys? yeah, I was confused.
This was a good story, I'm intrigued about this sister series thing, it seems pretty cool. I'd love to keep reading about David Estes in the future.
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Country-Sa...
___________________________________
Actual rating: 3.75
I read The Moon Dwellers just a few days ago and I can see improvement in the author's writing and character development. One of the high points of this book is how Siena evolved from a little scrawny girl whose only purpose was to carry children to a strong, decided girl brave enough to confront her own father and overcome the lost of the ones she loved.
The writing style may have been difficult for some people, but Siena's voice was not an issue for me, you should read Blood Red Road for some insane poetically minimal writing style. I believe one of David Estes' strengths are creating this amazing dystopian worlds. The fire country is a dangerous place, the life expectancy is no more than thirty-five and the village is in danger of extinction. So there's a rule, the Law and a bunch of eldest's only purpose is to make sure every man is provided of three young girls (Bearers) to have babies. Isn't that pretty? So it's with this unequal power relationship between women and men that Siena grows up and realizes of a conspiracy inside and outside of the village.
There's a lot of the story that I really enjoyed. There's no insta-love, thank goodness. Circ is strong, skillful, sweet and unexplainably in love with Siena. I know, she evolves, she gets beautiful... but she's none of this things at first. I really don't know what he sees in her, she's flawed and totally insecure. I don't know how many references about how scrawny, skinny and weak are pointed out by herself along the first chapters.
"Skinniest, Scrawniest, Runtiest!"
Give yourself a break.
Another thing I really liked was the twist. But wouldn't have been even cooler if Siena lost a lot of people, friends and family but one of the things that I couldn't understand was how well she managed all of that. I guess a little of depression and mourning would have made it more realistic.
It feel too long sometimes, I found some scenes unnecessary. The Wildes were total badasses and it was a good thing they appeared, because I was losing my patience with all the "go to prison", "come back from prison", mom's cryptic message, Raja and the Keeper... but I loved Perry though! that really made me smile.
Let's talk about the ending, shall we? I'm not sure I liked it. I guess the way everything ended with her father was not enough for me. I was a little confused with the Glassies and the Icers... what do they want? why did they want to invade? Another convenient sandstorm?
There's a lot of things obviously prepared for the second book, the open ending, the remaining questions and the strange reorganization of the village is going to be for sure the main subject in the next installment. But I couldn't help to have the feeling of a pocket universe. I was a little confused with so many tribes and villages and I had to ask myself several times who were this guys? what was their deal? were they the bad guys? yeah, I was confused.
This was a good story, I'm intrigued about this sister series thing, it seems pretty cool. I'd love to keep reading about David Estes in the future.
May 5, 2014
Plot- 7.5/10
Characters- 9/10
Writing- 8.5/10
World Building- 9/10
Total- 8.2/10 *This review is not entirely spoiler free, though I don't give anything away directly.
Quickie Review- Fire Country is one of the most emotionally compelling reads I have experienced this year. David Estes ripped my heart out many times and shoved it back in again throughout the course of the novel. I found that Estes was realy working the world building and the unique language style at the beginning of the book, which, while it provided readers with a better grasp of Siena's world, made the plot a bit sluggish at first. It was only about halfway in did something quite significant happen. From then, as he always does, Estes took the plot and heightened it to a new level. He ramped up the action, the intensity, the suspense, and built it up to a stunning climax. Estes' strength once again was his characters. Siena was a terrific main character, and I thought her point of view was refreshing, admirable, and realistic. Circ was a phenominal character, not unlike the Dwellers series' Tristan in temperament and attitude. I loved him just the same, and even only halfway in, I shipped Siena and Circ so hard. When I reached that point in the middle (all you people who read the book know what I'm talking about) I nearly lost it. For the last 50 pages, David had really been developing Siena and Circ's relationship, and I initially found it particularly confusing that he threw all that away during the middle. It all made sense in the end, however, and I totally understand what he was doing. Siena's father was absolutely hatable, which made the book even more compelling on an emotional level. I also loved the side characters, but I think that there is definitely room for development. The writing was similar to the writing in the Dwellers series, but I appreciated that the tone was a lot more serious in parts that were supposed to be more serious. I found the new swear words hard to adjust to at the beginning, and I thought that introducing new swear words without any previously known connotations (to the reader) would take away their whole purpose, which is the intensity and fury behind those words. I almost found it funny when the chaaracters swore, and that kind of detracted from the purpose of sware words in general. The world building was very nicely done. I found that I was able to draw some parallels to other series. For example, the world itself resembled the Blood Red Road series, and also, the Wilde Ones resembled the Freehawks in that series as well. Also, the Cure and its story resembled the Noise Cure in Chaos Walking. But David did enough to set his world apart from others. I also caught some nicely integrated ties back to the Dwellers series. For example, at the end, Circ says to Siena, "You're mine until the sun, the moon, and the stars fall from the sky." No way that's a coincidence. It's funny, because in the other series, the sun, the moon, and the stars end up rising from the ground, and not falling from the sky. Overall, Fire Country was a really engaging book, that, while it started slow, ended up being really worthwhile in the end. I look forward to getting Ice Country soon.
Characters- 9/10
Writing- 8.5/10
World Building- 9/10
Total- 8.2/10 *This review is not entirely spoiler free, though I don't give anything away directly.
Quickie Review- Fire Country is one of the most emotionally compelling reads I have experienced this year. David Estes ripped my heart out many times and shoved it back in again throughout the course of the novel. I found that Estes was realy working the world building and the unique language style at the beginning of the book, which, while it provided readers with a better grasp of Siena's world, made the plot a bit sluggish at first. It was only about halfway in did something quite significant happen. From then, as he always does, Estes took the plot and heightened it to a new level. He ramped up the action, the intensity, the suspense, and built it up to a stunning climax. Estes' strength once again was his characters. Siena was a terrific main character, and I thought her point of view was refreshing, admirable, and realistic. Circ was a phenominal character, not unlike the Dwellers series' Tristan in temperament and attitude. I loved him just the same, and even only halfway in, I shipped Siena and Circ so hard. When I reached that point in the middle (all you people who read the book know what I'm talking about) I nearly lost it. For the last 50 pages, David had really been developing Siena and Circ's relationship, and I initially found it particularly confusing that he threw all that away during the middle. It all made sense in the end, however, and I totally understand what he was doing. Siena's father was absolutely hatable, which made the book even more compelling on an emotional level. I also loved the side characters, but I think that there is definitely room for development. The writing was similar to the writing in the Dwellers series, but I appreciated that the tone was a lot more serious in parts that were supposed to be more serious. I found the new swear words hard to adjust to at the beginning, and I thought that introducing new swear words without any previously known connotations (to the reader) would take away their whole purpose, which is the intensity and fury behind those words. I almost found it funny when the chaaracters swore, and that kind of detracted from the purpose of sware words in general. The world building was very nicely done. I found that I was able to draw some parallels to other series. For example, the world itself resembled the Blood Red Road series, and also, the Wilde Ones resembled the Freehawks in that series as well. Also, the Cure and its story resembled the Noise Cure in Chaos Walking. But David did enough to set his world apart from others. I also caught some nicely integrated ties back to the Dwellers series. For example, at the end, Circ says to Siena, "You're mine until the sun, the moon, and the stars fall from the sky." No way that's a coincidence. It's funny, because in the other series, the sun, the moon, and the stars end up rising from the ground, and not falling from the sky. Overall, Fire Country was a really engaging book, that, while it started slow, ended up being really worthwhile in the end. I look forward to getting Ice Country soon.
September 9, 2013
This seriously is one of the best YA dystopians I have ever read. No lie. I will try to hold myself back from gushing out too much praise, but no promises. I'm afraid this will be a pretty raving review!
First of all, let's talk a little about Fire Country. Fire Country is a very harsh environment to live in. Life expectancy is somewhere in the 30s, and the heat is unforgiving. Daily life is a struggle. Added to this is the cruel laws of the land. The world building was great in this, I could almost feel the heat, and had no issues imagining any of it in my head.
The story starts with our MC, Siena, about to turn 16 and basically losing all her freedom. She only wants to be with her best friend, Circ. I LOVED Siena. She is one of my favorite MCs ever! I love her name, and how she seems like she's the runt of the society, but she has a strong mind and personality. I could really relate to Siena, and it was so easy to understand her and her thoughts. Circ was also awesome, and the two made such a great pair in this story.
Siena's father, Roan, meanwhile is the perfect villian of the story, and I hated him with every fiber of my being. There are a few other villians I also loved to hate, but Roan really takes the cake for despicable creatures.
The other awesome character in this story was a big fun surprise--a prickler (cactus) named Perry. He's basically alive in Siena's imagination, and helps her through some tight spots. Perry the Prickler made me giggle. And those giggles were needed to balance out the dark turns the story was taking!
There are some horribly bleak and dark moments in this one, and there were several places I was terrified for Siena and was holding my breath. Along with a few tears in certain places. I won't give away any spoilers, but this book made me feel a huge range of emotions.
And like all David Estes books I've read, I didn't know what to expect! I did not guess most of the twists, although there was one that I saw coming. But I was surprised a lot and I love that!
The best part of the story for me was Siena and her journey. She goes through so much, but she has a lot of spirit. I think this is a great story for teens to read, and they could get a lot out of it. And like I said, this is one of my favorite dystopians now! If you love dystopians, I really recommend this one!
First of all, let's talk a little about Fire Country. Fire Country is a very harsh environment to live in. Life expectancy is somewhere in the 30s, and the heat is unforgiving. Daily life is a struggle. Added to this is the cruel laws of the land. The world building was great in this, I could almost feel the heat, and had no issues imagining any of it in my head.
The story starts with our MC, Siena, about to turn 16 and basically losing all her freedom. She only wants to be with her best friend, Circ. I LOVED Siena. She is one of my favorite MCs ever! I love her name, and how she seems like she's the runt of the society, but she has a strong mind and personality. I could really relate to Siena, and it was so easy to understand her and her thoughts. Circ was also awesome, and the two made such a great pair in this story.
Siena's father, Roan, meanwhile is the perfect villian of the story, and I hated him with every fiber of my being. There are a few other villians I also loved to hate, but Roan really takes the cake for despicable creatures.
The other awesome character in this story was a big fun surprise--a prickler (cactus) named Perry. He's basically alive in Siena's imagination, and helps her through some tight spots. Perry the Prickler made me giggle. And those giggles were needed to balance out the dark turns the story was taking!
There are some horribly bleak and dark moments in this one, and there were several places I was terrified for Siena and was holding my breath. Along with a few tears in certain places. I won't give away any spoilers, but this book made me feel a huge range of emotions.
And like all David Estes books I've read, I didn't know what to expect! I did not guess most of the twists, although there was one that I saw coming. But I was surprised a lot and I love that!
The best part of the story for me was Siena and her journey. She goes through so much, but she has a lot of spirit. I think this is a great story for teens to read, and they could get a lot out of it. And like I said, this is one of my favorite dystopians now! If you love dystopians, I really recommend this one!
February 7, 2013
Originally posted at Thinks Books http://thinksbooks.blogspot.com/2013/...
David Estes has done it again! Fire Country is a blazin’ success!
Fire Country is a story of love, pain, loss, and hope. As usual, the writing of David Estes brought Fire Country to life. I could almost feel the heat coming off of my Kindle. LoL It is highly interesting to me that Estes’ seems to do so well with Dystopian themed novels. I mean, he looks like such a happy guy!
The story of Siena is a heartbreaker. Siena was an excellent female lead that grew from “scrawny” to strong right in front of my eyes. She struggles with the prospect of becoming a "Bearer" that is required to breed at age 16 with a man selected at random from the village. Should she do what she has been taught is right or follow her heart? This question appears repeatedly throughout the novel and I enjoyed Siena's inner struggle with "right and wrong."
The relationship between Circ and Siena had such an honest existence. They will do anything to protect each other, including putting their own lives in jeopardy. I thought the story that existed between them was the best part of the book.
Fire Country was an assault to the senses. The world that Estes created was a scorcher full of sandstorms and blazin' heat. Fire Country is a harsh world with stubborn laws and impossible odds of avoiding the inevitable. The life expectancy in Fire Country is about 30 years. This is because people catch the Fire, a horrible, feverish death.
Overall, this book is darker than The Dwellers Saga. But, Estes covers even some brutal subject matter with a gentle hand. The only thing that sort of confused me was the way Siena would talk in slang sometimes and then be very sophisticated at other times. Maybe it was just me, but it was as if her inner struggle was also with being a child (slang) or an adult (sophisticated). Well, no matter what, David Estes still got my attention and made me think. That is what I love about his work so much. It makes me think.
5 stars to Fire Country.
David Estes has done it again! Fire Country is a blazin’ success!
Fire Country is a story of love, pain, loss, and hope. As usual, the writing of David Estes brought Fire Country to life. I could almost feel the heat coming off of my Kindle. LoL It is highly interesting to me that Estes’ seems to do so well with Dystopian themed novels. I mean, he looks like such a happy guy!
The story of Siena is a heartbreaker. Siena was an excellent female lead that grew from “scrawny” to strong right in front of my eyes. She struggles with the prospect of becoming a "Bearer" that is required to breed at age 16 with a man selected at random from the village. Should she do what she has been taught is right or follow her heart? This question appears repeatedly throughout the novel and I enjoyed Siena's inner struggle with "right and wrong."
The relationship between Circ and Siena had such an honest existence. They will do anything to protect each other, including putting their own lives in jeopardy. I thought the story that existed between them was the best part of the book.
Fire Country was an assault to the senses. The world that Estes created was a scorcher full of sandstorms and blazin' heat. Fire Country is a harsh world with stubborn laws and impossible odds of avoiding the inevitable. The life expectancy in Fire Country is about 30 years. This is because people catch the Fire, a horrible, feverish death.
Overall, this book is darker than The Dwellers Saga. But, Estes covers even some brutal subject matter with a gentle hand. The only thing that sort of confused me was the way Siena would talk in slang sometimes and then be very sophisticated at other times. Maybe it was just me, but it was as if her inner struggle was also with being a child (slang) or an adult (sophisticated). Well, no matter what, David Estes still got my attention and made me think. That is what I love about his work so much. It makes me think.
5 stars to Fire Country.
September 2, 2016
This book was such a heart drowning, heart shattering and heart warming adventure that I could not put it down. I have to say that David Estes works will never cease to amaze me. Fire Country was a novel built upon treachery and tears - it digs deep into your soul. That's the best way that I can word it. I swear, the author has this magical ability to make you feel everything that Siena does. She was the absolute optimal MC a reader could ask for - I was so attached to her (more so than any of the previous Dweller MC's and that means a lot) maybe it's because Siena started out as weak that I grew this imaginary bond to her but as the plot thickens Siena begins to shake off her hatchling shell.
Another aspect that I truly believed was the most heart warming was that of Circ and Siena - if there were ever two people made for each other it would be these two. Such a golden couple -
The plot was brilliant, Siena's father was a monster and was in fact a vile, disgusting man who only saw women as essentially livestock. The mystery of the Wilde was also a key factor that was interesting - and who can forget Perry? My god, I laughed a lot at this one (especially later in The Earth Dwellers!) It was a great addition - as weird as it may sound. The introduction of the other characters was also quite enjoyable - however, my favorite were the Siena and Circ portions.
Overall, Fire Country was a beautifully written novel that I adored with every fiber of my being. In the end, we see the "weak, skinny, runt" of a girl become stronger and evolve from a child into a woman who knows how to stand up for the rights of her people, The Heaters. Once again, some of the most genuine story telling I've ever had the pleasure to experience and recommend it to all.
Another aspect that I truly believed was the most heart warming was that of Circ and Siena - if there were ever two people made for each other it would be these two. Such a golden couple -
The plot was brilliant, Siena's father was a monster and was in fact a vile, disgusting man who only saw women as essentially livestock. The mystery of the Wilde was also a key factor that was interesting - and who can forget Perry? My god, I laughed a lot at this one (especially later in The Earth Dwellers!) It was a great addition - as weird as it may sound. The introduction of the other characters was also quite enjoyable - however, my favorite were the Siena and Circ portions.
Overall, Fire Country was a beautifully written novel that I adored with every fiber of my being. In the end, we see the "weak, skinny, runt" of a girl become stronger and evolve from a child into a woman who knows how to stand up for the rights of her people, The Heaters. Once again, some of the most genuine story telling I've ever had the pleasure to experience and recommend it to all.
February 10, 2013
Actual Rating 4.5
I changed my review up to 4.5 from a 4 considering the great thoughts I have about it. The only thing keeping it from a 5 is a more of a emotional impact.
Disclosure I received this book as a Beta Reader in Exchange for an honest review.
The story of a tribe stuck in its own ways, that punishes others out of greed, fear and ignorance, was absolutely engaging. But this was also a story about a family,about sisters. About the oh so mysterious others and how we react and learn to deal with them. The Glassies, The Icers, the Wildes, the Marked all hold a lot more backstory and intrigue which I am excited to read and learn more about.
The heart felt moments came across as real, and not corny, but actually how someone on such tragic situations would react.
Character development. I cared about these characters and what happened to them. None of these people described seemed overly cartoonish and all of the characters, including the father were described in a three dimensional way.
The fight scenes: I like that people got hurt, really hurt, and afterwards they had to recover. Other books I have read have had characters recover very fast and ruined my stake that I held within the story. People died and that is part of war, and I'm glad the book included burying the bodies or burning them after such losses occurred, because it didn't just glaze over their deaths. The weapons used and way that they fought was something that I could imagine,which made me more invested in those scenes.
World Building: The way that the book slowly alluded to the many different things that are happening around fire country where Sienna is and allowed the setting to become it's own character was awesome. I hope there's more backstory to the spirituality once we learn more about the world this takes place in.
The Pacing: Everytime I picked it up, I didn't find myself stopping or taking breaks because of any slow parts of the story and I thought that was great.
I'm looking forward to what the sequel in this series explores
I changed my review up to 4.5 from a 4 considering the great thoughts I have about it. The only thing keeping it from a 5 is a more of a emotional impact.
Disclosure I received this book as a Beta Reader in Exchange for an honest review.
The story of a tribe stuck in its own ways, that punishes others out of greed, fear and ignorance, was absolutely engaging. But this was also a story about a family,about sisters. About the oh so mysterious others and how we react and learn to deal with them. The Glassies, The Icers, the Wildes, the Marked all hold a lot more backstory and intrigue which I am excited to read and learn more about.
The heart felt moments came across as real, and not corny, but actually how someone on such tragic situations would react.
Character development. I cared about these characters and what happened to them. None of these people described seemed overly cartoonish and all of the characters, including the father were described in a three dimensional way.
The fight scenes: I like that people got hurt, really hurt, and afterwards they had to recover. Other books I have read have had characters recover very fast and ruined my stake that I held within the story. People died and that is part of war, and I'm glad the book included burying the bodies or burning them after such losses occurred, because it didn't just glaze over their deaths. The weapons used and way that they fought was something that I could imagine,which made me more invested in those scenes.
World Building: The way that the book slowly alluded to the many different things that are happening around fire country where Sienna is and allowed the setting to become it's own character was awesome. I hope there's more backstory to the spirituality once we learn more about the world this takes place in.
The Pacing: Everytime I picked it up, I didn't find myself stopping or taking breaks because of any slow parts of the story and I thought that was great.
I'm looking forward to what the sequel in this series explores
November 5, 2016
Re-read on audio Oct. 2016 - while I thought this was a solid read when I read in on my Kindle I will say that the audiobook narration really adds to the enjoyment of the book. The narrator did a great job becoming Siena and I think her accent and portrayal were spot on. Great pick!
Original review - 3.5 stars. Solid start to a new series. I am a huge fan of strong female leads so of course I just loved Siena. Having read the Chaos Walking series it was very easy for me to jump into the strange dialect here and think it added to the world building. Speaking of world building, I really liked the world Mr. Estes created and was able to picture it in my mind easily. I do feel there is still a lot of unexplained portions of this "new world" but then again this is the first book in the series and I am more than certain we will get some answers as the books progress. I liked the humor thrown in and enjoyed all the main characters. I did feel . All in all a solid read. My goal is to finish this series in 2015 so one book down
Original review - 3.5 stars. Solid start to a new series. I am a huge fan of strong female leads so of course I just loved Siena. Having read the Chaos Walking series it was very easy for me to jump into the strange dialect here and think it added to the world building. Speaking of world building, I really liked the world Mr. Estes created and was able to picture it in my mind easily. I do feel there is still a lot of unexplained portions of this "new world" but then again this is the first book in the series and I am more than certain we will get some answers as the books progress. I liked the humor thrown in and enjoyed all the main characters. I did feel . All in all a solid read. My goal is to finish this series in 2015 so one book down
July 12, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I LOVE books with s dystopian feel to them so before reading I knew this was one of those books meant to be read.
I will admit it. I have not yet read The Moon Dwellers. I have been wanting to read something by David Estes for a long time and when I saw this one I immediately went for it. Especially after witnessing how amazing this book was, I will have to get to the Moon Dwellers. I was saving it but now I am afraid I can't.
I loved the characters. It was great to read about a character like Siena (the protagonist) for a change. We do NOT read enough about characters like her these days. The world building was ah-may-zing. I had adapted to the characters' way of speaking by the end of the first chapter and understood the world and setting very quickly. The setting was described really well and easy to picture.
I would definitely recommend this book. A seriously great read.
5/5 stars
I will admit it. I have not yet read The Moon Dwellers. I have been wanting to read something by David Estes for a long time and when I saw this one I immediately went for it. Especially after witnessing how amazing this book was, I will have to get to the Moon Dwellers. I was saving it but now I am afraid I can't.
I loved the characters. It was great to read about a character like Siena (the protagonist) for a change. We do NOT read enough about characters like her these days. The world building was ah-may-zing. I had adapted to the characters' way of speaking by the end of the first chapter and understood the world and setting very quickly. The setting was described really well and easy to picture.
I would definitely recommend this book. A seriously great read.
5/5 stars
March 21, 2013
Holy freaking wringer. Excuse me, David? I would like my heart back. This first book in the sister series to the Moon Dwellers was spot on. I fell in love with all the characters, even the crazy ones and odd ones (read Perry)
Sienna is the reason for the saying it's not the size of the dog in a fight but the size of the fight in the dog. Sienna is small. She is teased by everyone, well everyone but Circ. When she reaches 16 she is to become a bearer to whomever is chosen for her. And our poor girl definitely gets the short straw there.
This world that David Estes has created is so enthralling. I can picture desert landscapes where people are trying to survive. You suffer along with them. Just like with most societies there are secrets and the consequences for those secrets are painful. I cannot wait for the next chapter in this series.
Sienna is the reason for the saying it's not the size of the dog in a fight but the size of the fight in the dog. Sienna is small. She is teased by everyone, well everyone but Circ. When she reaches 16 she is to become a bearer to whomever is chosen for her. And our poor girl definitely gets the short straw there.
This world that David Estes has created is so enthralling. I can picture desert landscapes where people are trying to survive. You suffer along with them. Just like with most societies there are secrets and the consequences for those secrets are painful. I cannot wait for the next chapter in this series.
February 11, 2013
I've always loved books with a strong female character. This time, David packed it in with a whole lotta female power. Go Wilde Ones!
This book got me emotionally invested on some characters that I actually felt so sad when they died, (or not actually die). This book introduced me to another world, and as usual, David was able to take my imagination to another level. I even had to create my own wiki notes about who's who and what's what. Killers, Cotees, Tugs. Icers, Glassies, Heaters, Wild Ones.
The world of Siena and Circ is the blaze! I can't wait for Ice Country!
Well done, Mr. Estes! As usual :)
This book got me emotionally invested on some characters that I actually felt so sad when they died, (or not actually die). This book introduced me to another world, and as usual, David was able to take my imagination to another level. I even had to create my own wiki notes about who's who and what's what. Killers, Cotees, Tugs. Icers, Glassies, Heaters, Wild Ones.
The world of Siena and Circ is the blaze! I can't wait for Ice Country!
Well done, Mr. Estes! As usual :)
January 31, 2013
Why can I only give a book 5 stars????? I need way more for this one!!!! This had every single thing I love in a book!!!!!! Too tired to do a full review now. Must. Get. Some. Sleep.
August 16, 2013
A copy of Fire Country was kindly sent to me by David Estes in exchange for an honest review.
(This review’s going to be pretty vague as I don’t want to spoil anything).
David Estes has done it again. Fire Country is, quite simply, brilliant. Once again I was reduced to sending fangirling messages over Goodreads telling him how brilliant he is and how much I love his characters. I really enjoyed reading his take on a dystopian world and seeing how the vastly different communities of Heaters, Glassies, Killers etc. co-existed; for me it was a completely new take on dystopia and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Although the storyline was a little predictable at times (I was fairly certain how everything would unfold) it is written in such a way that it doesn’t really matter, and there are couple of twists that will shock you to the core. Unpredictable plot be damned, give me a well written predictable one any day, and Fire Country is certainly that - I could practically feel the heat searing through the desert as I read Fire Country, the atmosphere and descriptions used were fantastic, but it was definitely the characters that made this such a good book, in my opinion, and some seriously badass women.
A few pages in and I was already entirely invested in Siena and her story (and Circ and his muscles, swoon), and completely gripped by everything that was happening to and around her. Her development throughout the novel is brilliant to read as well, she goes from being quite meek and obedient to strong and sure of herself in a way that is not only believable but very gratifying. There was not a single moment when I didn’t care what happened to her. The characters really get under your skin and into your soul in the most wonderful way; they are exceptionally crafted and so believable that I really felt like I was going through everything with Siena. Siena is honestly one of the best female protagonists I have ever come across. Some of the language used is quite bizarre to read at first as there is a lot of slang, slang related to fire, but after a while I got used to it and found that it really added to the story, especially as it was consistently used.
I think this is a story that most anyone could like as the characters and their stories are so well crafted and vividly portrayed. Some books are carried more by their plots, some by their characters; this one has both in equal measure. Fire Country is an all-round excellent novel, and I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series (and everything else David ever writes. Ever.).
(This review’s going to be pretty vague as I don’t want to spoil anything).
David Estes has done it again. Fire Country is, quite simply, brilliant. Once again I was reduced to sending fangirling messages over Goodreads telling him how brilliant he is and how much I love his characters. I really enjoyed reading his take on a dystopian world and seeing how the vastly different communities of Heaters, Glassies, Killers etc. co-existed; for me it was a completely new take on dystopia and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Although the storyline was a little predictable at times (I was fairly certain how everything would unfold) it is written in such a way that it doesn’t really matter, and there are couple of twists that will shock you to the core. Unpredictable plot be damned, give me a well written predictable one any day, and Fire Country is certainly that - I could practically feel the heat searing through the desert as I read Fire Country, the atmosphere and descriptions used were fantastic, but it was definitely the characters that made this such a good book, in my opinion, and some seriously badass women.
A few pages in and I was already entirely invested in Siena and her story (and Circ and his muscles, swoon), and completely gripped by everything that was happening to and around her. Her development throughout the novel is brilliant to read as well, she goes from being quite meek and obedient to strong and sure of herself in a way that is not only believable but very gratifying. There was not a single moment when I didn’t care what happened to her. The characters really get under your skin and into your soul in the most wonderful way; they are exceptionally crafted and so believable that I really felt like I was going through everything with Siena. Siena is honestly one of the best female protagonists I have ever come across. Some of the language used is quite bizarre to read at first as there is a lot of slang, slang related to fire, but after a while I got used to it and found that it really added to the story, especially as it was consistently used.
I think this is a story that most anyone could like as the characters and their stories are so well crafted and vividly portrayed. Some books are carried more by their plots, some by their characters; this one has both in equal measure. Fire Country is an all-round excellent novel, and I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series (and everything else David ever writes. Ever.).
January 31, 2013
My first ARC!! Hurray! I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
In a few words: I loved it! This book reminded me of an awesome combination of Matched and The Maze Runner. The characters were strong, the worldbuilding was intriguing (great slang!), and you just can't put it down. This is clearly a winning combination.
Before I go any further, I will say that halfway through the book I was like "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" When you get to that point of the book, you will know. (this moment was gif-worthy, I assure you, but I am digitally inept, and so you will just have to use your imagination). I was also a bit in denial for the rest of the book, not going to lie.
But I digress. One of the key parts of this book that I found notable was that the characters were real-I found myself rooting for Siena throughout the book. She has flaws, like any good character, but you see her work through them as she adapts to the idea that the world she has known her whole life is not the only way of living. I think there is something to be said about a strong female character, and Siena embodied that concept. In addition, I loved watching her relationship with her mother evolve.
And Circ. For a character that really wasn't the main focus of the story, he really resonated with me. We saw him through Siena's "lens" and while she does idealize him a bit, you learn that there is more to him than we see at the beginning of the book. I appreciate any time I can see a character change and develop as a person. And who knew cacti were so witty?
I can't wait for the next installment in this series: Ice Country (the book isn't out yet, and already I can't wait for the next book! My my, I am impatient!)! I want to know more about how Siena's world came to be! What is this disease that kills people in their 30s, and what is the connection to the Glassies and the Icies that we don't know about?! I suppose only time will tell, but until that time, I will wait with baited breath!
In a few words: I loved it! This book reminded me of an awesome combination of Matched and The Maze Runner. The characters were strong, the worldbuilding was intriguing (great slang!), and you just can't put it down. This is clearly a winning combination.
Before I go any further, I will say that halfway through the book I was like "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" When you get to that point of the book, you will know. (this moment was gif-worthy, I assure you, but I am digitally inept, and so you will just have to use your imagination). I was also a bit in denial for the rest of the book, not going to lie.
But I digress. One of the key parts of this book that I found notable was that the characters were real-I found myself rooting for Siena throughout the book. She has flaws, like any good character, but you see her work through them as she adapts to the idea that the world she has known her whole life is not the only way of living. I think there is something to be said about a strong female character, and Siena embodied that concept. In addition, I loved watching her relationship with her mother evolve.
And Circ. For a character that really wasn't the main focus of the story, he really resonated with me. We saw him through Siena's "lens" and while she does idealize him a bit, you learn that there is more to him than we see at the beginning of the book. I appreciate any time I can see a character change and develop as a person. And who knew cacti were so witty?
I can't wait for the next installment in this series: Ice Country (the book isn't out yet, and already I can't wait for the next book! My my, I am impatient!)! I want to know more about how Siena's world came to be! What is this disease that kills people in their 30s, and what is the connection to the Glassies and the Icies that we don't know about?! I suppose only time will tell, but until that time, I will wait with baited breath!
February 5, 2013
It's been a few hours since I finished reading Fire Country and let me tell you, I've read several of David Estes books and his writing just keeps getting better and better. I was originally given this book by the author for an honest review, but half way through it was released to the public and I than outright bought it.
The authors imagination, it makes me think that he'd be fun as all get out at a party, brought me right into the land of Fire Country. I laughed a few times, just from the sheer outrageous things that the author came up with that fit so well with the story line. Not only did I laugh from that, but I laughed with the characters. I was angry with them, embarrassed with them, tortured with them and I cried with them.
This story touches on some other stories I've read, but doesn't feel like a rehash. Our world years after a meteor hit shows a civilization not unlike our Indian ancestors. Villages ruled by the men who makes the rules as they see fit, who some view women as nothing more than breeders. Forced "marriages", true love scorned, nothing but what's "best" for the village.
Our main character Siena endures so much through this book. A girl we meet as a Youngling but by the end of the book has matured not only in her status but with life experiences. She deals with the ultimate betrayals from someone who she knew could be cruel, but never thought he could be quite that cruel. The losses she endures is made up in the gains she earns, one by one.
There are plenty of twists in this book, a big one that I did not see coming, but David, thank you for it. I'm sure you know which one it is. It truly tore me up, tears of joy streaked my cheeks and a heaviness I didn't realize I was carrying during reading was quickly and tenderly lifted.
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good read. You have action, romance, stubbornness, conflicts, all while enjoying a new world that is perfectly painted before you.
On a last note, David, you thought I'd think you lost it with Perry. I didn't, I loved it. I think all of us can say that at one time or another we've had a Perry in our lives.
The authors imagination, it makes me think that he'd be fun as all get out at a party, brought me right into the land of Fire Country. I laughed a few times, just from the sheer outrageous things that the author came up with that fit so well with the story line. Not only did I laugh from that, but I laughed with the characters. I was angry with them, embarrassed with them, tortured with them and I cried with them.
This story touches on some other stories I've read, but doesn't feel like a rehash. Our world years after a meteor hit shows a civilization not unlike our Indian ancestors. Villages ruled by the men who makes the rules as they see fit, who some view women as nothing more than breeders. Forced "marriages", true love scorned, nothing but what's "best" for the village.
Our main character Siena endures so much through this book. A girl we meet as a Youngling but by the end of the book has matured not only in her status but with life experiences. She deals with the ultimate betrayals from someone who she knew could be cruel, but never thought he could be quite that cruel. The losses she endures is made up in the gains she earns, one by one.
There are plenty of twists in this book, a big one that I did not see coming, but David, thank you for it. I'm sure you know which one it is. It truly tore me up, tears of joy streaked my cheeks and a heaviness I didn't realize I was carrying during reading was quickly and tenderly lifted.
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good read. You have action, romance, stubbornness, conflicts, all while enjoying a new world that is perfectly painted before you.
On a last note, David, you thought I'd think you lost it with Perry. I didn't, I loved it. I think all of us can say that at one time or another we've had a Perry in our lives.
February 7, 2013
Fire Country is an outstanding, memorable story. I couldn't put it down.
Set 500 years into a post-meteor apocalyptic future, Fire Country follows Siena, the 15 year old daughter of one of the oldest and most powerful men in her small tribe.
Age is important in her society due to the incredibly short lifespan of its inhabitants. Due to a fatal illness called the Fire, men usually only live to be 30, while women usually succomb by the age of 32. To keep from rapidly dying out, the tribe mandates that all young women be assigned a mate (Call mate) at the age of 16. Love, personal choice, and prior connections are disregarded, and the young woman must bear a child every three years until she meets a quota designed to fill each family to the ideal size.
Naturally, Siena has a problem with this arrangement and struggles with the conflicting desire to obey the law, help her people, and stay true to herself as well.
Although the story is packed with serious themes, conflict, and love, David Estes still manages to sprinkle in some humor in a natural and endearing way. Keep an eye out for Perry when you get your copy. He's one of the most memorable supporting characters I've ever read in a book.
Another thing I like is the perspective from which the story is told. It feels like Siena is talking to you, bringing you right into the action with her and making it really easy to empathize with her.
Finally, I am particularly impressed with the strong female characters in this book: Siena, her mother, and countless others. Not many books ring true to me from a female perspective, but this one did.
Set 500 years into a post-meteor apocalyptic future, Fire Country follows Siena, the 15 year old daughter of one of the oldest and most powerful men in her small tribe.
Age is important in her society due to the incredibly short lifespan of its inhabitants. Due to a fatal illness called the Fire, men usually only live to be 30, while women usually succomb by the age of 32. To keep from rapidly dying out, the tribe mandates that all young women be assigned a mate (Call mate) at the age of 16. Love, personal choice, and prior connections are disregarded, and the young woman must bear a child every three years until she meets a quota designed to fill each family to the ideal size.
Naturally, Siena has a problem with this arrangement and struggles with the conflicting desire to obey the law, help her people, and stay true to herself as well.
Although the story is packed with serious themes, conflict, and love, David Estes still manages to sprinkle in some humor in a natural and endearing way. Keep an eye out for Perry when you get your copy. He's one of the most memorable supporting characters I've ever read in a book.
Another thing I like is the perspective from which the story is told. It feels like Siena is talking to you, bringing you right into the action with her and making it really easy to empathize with her.
Finally, I am particularly impressed with the strong female characters in this book: Siena, her mother, and countless others. Not many books ring true to me from a female perspective, but this one did.
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