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Slains #2
The Firebird
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2013)A new time-slip romance adventure from award-winning, New York Times, and USA Today bestselling author
Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes glimpses those who have owned it before. When a woman arrives with a small wooden carving at the gallery Nicola works at, she can see the object's history and knows that it was named after the Firebrid-the mythical creature from an old Russian fable.
Compelled to know more, Nicola follows a young girl named Anna into the past who leads her on a quest through the glittering backdrops of the Jacobites and Russian courts, unearthing a tale of love, courage, and redemption.
Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes glimpses those who have owned it before. When a woman arrives with a small wooden carving at the gallery Nicola works at, she can see the object's history and knows that it was named after the Firebrid-the mythical creature from an old Russian fable.
Compelled to know more, Nicola follows a young girl named Anna into the past who leads her on a quest through the glittering backdrops of the Jacobites and Russian courts, unearthing a tale of love, courage, and redemption.
545 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
2036 people are currently reading
24326 people want to read
About the author
Susanna Kearsley
32 books8,940 followersNew York Times, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is a former museum curator who loves restoring the lost voices of real people to the page, interweaving romance and historical intrigue with modern adventure.
Her books, published in translation in more than 20 countries, have won the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, a RITA Award, and National Readers’ Choice Awards, and have finaled for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year and the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
She lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
(Aka Emma Cole, a pseudonym she used for one novel, Every Secret Thing, a thriller which at the time was intended to be the first of a trilogy featuring heroine Kate Murray, and which may yet be finished, some day. Meantime, Every Secret Thing has been reissued under Kearsley's name, and the Emma Cole pseudonym is no longer in use.)
Her books, published in translation in more than 20 countries, have won the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, a RITA Award, and National Readers’ Choice Awards, and have finaled for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year and the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
She lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
(Aka Emma Cole, a pseudonym she used for one novel, Every Secret Thing, a thriller which at the time was intended to be the first of a trilogy featuring heroine Kate Murray, and which may yet be finished, some day. Meantime, Every Secret Thing has been reissued under Kearsley's name, and the Emma Cole pseudonym is no longer in use.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,081 reviews
October 9, 2021
All the stars for this Susanna Kearsley dual timeline (of course) novel, which takes us from Scotland to Belgium to Russia, with a brief stop in France, as our two modern characters, Nicola and Rob, who both have strong psychic abilities, follow the trail of Anna, a young girl in the early 1700s (and the daughter of the couple in The Winter Sea). The McGuffin in this story is the eponymous firebird, a wood carving of a bird that may have come from the tsarina of Russia back in the day. Nicola, with the help of her ex-boyfriend Rob - who’s clearly still carrying a torch for her - is trying to prove the provenance of the firebird carving to help a woman who needs the money it would bring.
The modern timeline is okay, but the historical story of Anna is fantastic, especially if you’ve read The Winter Sea. Not all of my GR friends agree with me, but this is my favorite of Kearsley’s novels (though I still have a few to go).
Oct. 2018 buddy read/reread with Dichotomy Girl, since we had fun with The Winter Sea. Upping my rating from 4 stars to 5 because I'm in love with this book. Susanna Kearsley at her best! Full review to come.
The modern timeline is okay, but the historical story of Anna is fantastic, especially if you’ve read The Winter Sea. Not all of my GR friends agree with me, but this is my favorite of Kearsley’s novels (though I still have a few to go).
Oct. 2018 buddy read/reread with Dichotomy Girl, since we had fun with The Winter Sea. Upping my rating from 4 stars to 5 because I'm in love with this book. Susanna Kearsley at her best! Full review to come.
February 28, 2013
Rating Clarification: 2.75 Stars
This is a hard review to compose, because all my GR friends know how much I love Susanna Kearsley's books.
Let me reiterate:
I.Love.Susanna.Kearsley's.Books.
They make me smile.
They make me cry.
They (sometimes) make me gasp in surprise over her clever plot twists.
They educate me on less known periods of history.
They allow the romantic in me to squee over the characters and their struggles, and cheer these fictional people on.
They even allow the cynic in me to swallow improbable concepts like ghosts, time travel, and time slip.
They comfort me with their clean, cozy charm.
Sad to say, The Firebird did none of these things this time around, and for that this reader and fan is sad indeed.
I will accept some of the blame for the disappointment, because I've come to expect alot from Kearsley's stories. Understand, this isn't a horrible book, but IMO it comes no where close to The Winter Sea, The Rose Garden or Mariana in terms of storyline, historical content or that elusive thing I call "reader/character/story engagement". While it is a continuation of The Winter Sea, and loose ends from that novel are tied up in this one, there's not a good deal of historic "meat" to gnaw on regarding the Jacobite rebellion of the early 18th century (as it pertains to Russia's slight involvement). With that rich historic context and backdrop, I was (rightly) expecting a great story with engaging characters, a good "twist", a good 2-hanky cry and an emotive resolution to the journey of some of the characters begun in The Winter Sea. Instead, I found the past-life plotline of The Firebird just a string of incidences involving .
But my biggest complaint with this book is a personal one that might not be shared by other readers, and it is the present day storyline involving
In conclusion, I hope other readers have a more positive reading experience with The Firebird then I had. I really do. And while this was a disappointing chapter in my fan girl love affair with Kearsley's stories, I'm still a big fan, and eagerly await her next book.
**A huge thanks to Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*'s loan of her won copy. She was so kind to send her un-read copy over the border so that I could read it before the US release date.
This is a hard review to compose, because all my GR friends know how much I love Susanna Kearsley's books.
Let me reiterate:
I.Love.Susanna.Kearsley's.Books.
They make me smile.
They make me cry.
They (sometimes) make me gasp in surprise over her clever plot twists.
They educate me on less known periods of history.
They allow the romantic in me to squee over the characters and their struggles, and cheer these fictional people on.
They even allow the cynic in me to swallow improbable concepts like ghosts, time travel, and time slip.
They comfort me with their clean, cozy charm.
Sad to say, The Firebird did none of these things this time around, and for that this reader and fan is sad indeed.
I will accept some of the blame for the disappointment, because I've come to expect alot from Kearsley's stories. Understand, this isn't a horrible book, but IMO it comes no where close to The Winter Sea, The Rose Garden or Mariana in terms of storyline, historical content or that elusive thing I call "reader/character/story engagement". While it is a continuation of The Winter Sea, and loose ends from that novel are tied up in this one, there's not a good deal of historic "meat" to gnaw on regarding the Jacobite rebellion of the early 18th century (as it pertains to Russia's slight involvement). With that rich historic context and backdrop, I was (rightly) expecting a great story with engaging characters, a good "twist", a good 2-hanky cry and an emotive resolution to the journey of some of the characters begun in The Winter Sea. Instead, I found the past-life plotline of The Firebird just a string of incidences involving .
But my biggest complaint with this book is a personal one that might not be shared by other readers, and it is the present day storyline involving
In conclusion, I hope other readers have a more positive reading experience with The Firebird then I had. I really do. And while this was a disappointing chapter in my fan girl love affair with Kearsley's stories, I'm still a big fan, and eagerly await her next book.
**A huge thanks to Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*'s loan of her won copy. She was so kind to send her un-read copy over the border so that I could read it before the US release date.
April 8, 2015
It does stand to mention that although this book continues with characters from earlier works,
The Winter Sea
and
The Shadowy Horses
The Firebird can easily be read as a stand alone. You don't necessarily need to read them in any order.
UPDATE 02 May 2013
Yes, a real review, HUZZAH! I couldnt put this down. Love, love, love. Fantastic. Beautiful. Everything I anticipated.
I first started reading Susanna Kearsley after I found Gabaldon's Outlander series. GR recommended similar books and Kearsley was a new name to me, so GR gets two gold stars AND an A+ for that recommendation.
And you Canadian authors? Get on with your bad self. I think they come out of the womb with a cap and gown and best seller already written in their hand.
This is historical fiction at it's best. Engaging. Betrayal. Attraction. Mystery. Love. Twisty. A tissue or five. Kearsley grabs your attention and shows, not tells, her story. This is why she remains one of my favorite authors.
One of my first pet peeves in historical fiction is being told a biblical genealogical portion, ...a mountain of facts and history. For example: From period dress of colorful, purple-red, tightly-woven, fine-fitted for fall, brushed gabardine and heralding its merits of sturdiness (or lack of) once washed vigorously and hung to dry by the maid who is 22, blond, busty and also very much 9 months pregnant by some unfaithful, lazy sot with an even lazier eye and unfortunate overbite..... to regaling lengthy descriptions of the majestic, sweeping, gentle rolling of wind off the whispering reeds of the pond, across the hills to the tickling effects on each and every insects' ear, energetic hatching offspring, and entomological abode nestled in the blades and twisted roots of rich, green, dewy grass.
Its like watching paint dry.
Susanna Kearsley expertly avoids this trap. She keeps you engaged and balances her stories, without the dreaded info dump. The reader is handed piece meal bits of history that draw the reader along: English history, Russian history, art, and The Jacobite Rising. I COULD NOT put it down (note appropriate use of SHOUTY CAPS). Who needs sleep and study time when you are testing for legal aspects of medicine? Not me, no sirreee.
A few fans claim this book does not have as much rich history to the story as her other works, but I disagree. Out of the two storylines, present and past, the focus is that witnessing or living the history itself was a catalyst for the characters. You need interesting, real, engaging characters to do this, you need character development and interaction.
The Firebird carries on dual story lines: the historical storyline involves a young woman named Anna, separated from her family due to their political entanglements.
Life is not miserable for Anna, in fact she is very blessed. She is surrounded over the years by caring family (adopted or otherwise), friendships, and yes, a young man or two. Along the way, Anna also experiences in as many forms trust, heartache, faith, and hope that comes with love.
The present day storyline is a continuation of Rob "Robbie" from Kearsley's The Shadowy Horses and our main character, Nicola.
Rob is grown now, handsome, charming, and altruistic in his talents. He has been open about his mind reading abilities. This to the betterment of his job as a policeman, a rescue volunteer, and also to those living in his quiet village. When approached by Nicola, a woman from his past with similar abilities, he jumps right in to help her solve her mystery. A mystery involving provenance of a historical artifact linking to the past, to Anna(thus the crossing of story lines).
It was clear that Rob was also driven by his and Nicola's mutual attraction, and growing relationship. Although, growing in which direction? As Nicola complains, why does he have to be such a gentleman?!
This tension ramps up with each turn and twist of the story although, I do wish there was more love story and romance elements throughout the story and not put off until the end of the book. Anyway, back to Rob...he encourages Nicola in her budding abilities, pushing her but he also knows when to patiently hold back and allow Nicola make up her own mind, at her own pace. And an intelligent, gorgeous, patient but broody Scot is definitely swoony in my book. Add a Scots brogue and Nicola is lost...or is she? You'll have to read it to find out.
I highly recommend this for readers who enjoy historical fiction, mystery, romance, and a bit of paranormal. I'd also recommend her other works, if you are so inclined.
*******
Huzzah! Saw the cover art revealed on Susanna Kearsley's FB page. So very, very lovely.
Now that we have a story synopsis, I'm already in love with this book. She's combining characters from Shadowy Horses and Winter Sea.
IM SO EXCITED....SO EXCITED I'M EVEN USING MY AWESOME SHOUTY CAPS!!
SHOUTY CAPS, I SAY!
The Winter Sea
and
The Shadowy Horses
The Firebird can easily be read as a stand alone. You don't necessarily need to read them in any order.
UPDATE 02 May 2013
Yes, a real review, HUZZAH! I couldnt put this down. Love, love, love. Fantastic. Beautiful. Everything I anticipated.
I first started reading Susanna Kearsley after I found Gabaldon's Outlander series. GR recommended similar books and Kearsley was a new name to me, so GR gets two gold stars AND an A+ for that recommendation.
And you Canadian authors? Get on with your bad self. I think they come out of the womb with a cap and gown and best seller already written in their hand.
This is historical fiction at it's best. Engaging. Betrayal. Attraction. Mystery. Love. Twisty. A tissue or five. Kearsley grabs your attention and shows, not tells, her story. This is why she remains one of my favorite authors.
One of my first pet peeves in historical fiction is being told a biblical genealogical portion, ...a mountain of facts and history. For example: From period dress of colorful, purple-red, tightly-woven, fine-fitted for fall, brushed gabardine and heralding its merits of sturdiness (or lack of) once washed vigorously and hung to dry by the maid who is 22, blond, busty and also very much 9 months pregnant by some unfaithful, lazy sot with an even lazier eye and unfortunate overbite..... to regaling lengthy descriptions of the majestic, sweeping, gentle rolling of wind off the whispering reeds of the pond, across the hills to the tickling effects on each and every insects' ear, energetic hatching offspring, and entomological abode nestled in the blades and twisted roots of rich, green, dewy grass.
Its like watching paint dry.
Susanna Kearsley expertly avoids this trap. She keeps you engaged and balances her stories, without the dreaded info dump. The reader is handed piece meal bits of history that draw the reader along: English history, Russian history, art, and The Jacobite Rising. I COULD NOT put it down (note appropriate use of SHOUTY CAPS). Who needs sleep and study time when you are testing for legal aspects of medicine? Not me, no sirreee.
A few fans claim this book does not have as much rich history to the story as her other works, but I disagree. Out of the two storylines, present and past, the focus is that witnessing or living the history itself was a catalyst for the characters. You need interesting, real, engaging characters to do this, you need character development and interaction.
The Firebird carries on dual story lines: the historical storyline involves a young woman named Anna, separated from her family due to their political entanglements.
Life is not miserable for Anna, in fact she is very blessed. She is surrounded over the years by caring family (adopted or otherwise), friendships, and yes, a young man or two. Along the way, Anna also experiences in as many forms trust, heartache, faith, and hope that comes with love.
The present day storyline is a continuation of Rob "Robbie" from Kearsley's The Shadowy Horses and our main character, Nicola.
Rob is grown now, handsome, charming, and altruistic in his talents. He has been open about his mind reading abilities. This to the betterment of his job as a policeman, a rescue volunteer, and also to those living in his quiet village. When approached by Nicola, a woman from his past with similar abilities, he jumps right in to help her solve her mystery. A mystery involving provenance of a historical artifact linking to the past, to Anna(thus the crossing of story lines).
It was clear that Rob was also driven by his and Nicola's mutual attraction, and growing relationship. Although, growing in which direction? As Nicola complains, why does he have to be such a gentleman?!
This tension ramps up with each turn and twist of the story although, I do wish there was more love story and romance elements throughout the story and not put off until the end of the book. Anyway, back to Rob...he encourages Nicola in her budding abilities, pushing her but he also knows when to patiently hold back and allow Nicola make up her own mind, at her own pace. And an intelligent, gorgeous, patient but broody Scot is definitely swoony in my book. Add a Scots brogue and Nicola is lost...or is she? You'll have to read it to find out.
I highly recommend this for readers who enjoy historical fiction, mystery, romance, and a bit of paranormal. I'd also recommend her other works, if you are so inclined.
*******
Huzzah! Saw the cover art revealed on Susanna Kearsley's FB page. So very, very lovely.
Now that we have a story synopsis, I'm already in love with this book. She's combining characters from Shadowy Horses and Winter Sea.
IM SO EXCITED....SO EXCITED I'M EVEN USING MY AWESOME SHOUTY CAPS!!
SHOUTY CAPS, I SAY!
August 14, 2013
“It just seemed a thing worth following, your Firebird.”
How to recap the plot when the book description does it so nicely? I'm going to take the lazy way out and bypass that and just talk about the reading experience.
The Firebird is a sequel to The Winter Sea, and while it could stand alone, I strongly urge that TWS be read first. Fans of Kearsley are familiar with her dual time storylines, and the paranormal elements she incorporates to take the contemporary characters into the past. In this case it's ESP with Nicola Marter (whose skills are less developed), working with old friend/flame Rob McMorran (from The Shadowy Horses) whose skills at mind reading and seeing into the past/future are very strong.
From reading reviews from fellow friends and readers, it's pretty clear that the ESP element isn't going to work for everyone, so if you can't buy into it, this may not be the book for you. If you can accept it and go with it (as I did), this is a great story with plenty of twists and turns. I'd also caution that the heroine in the past is a young girl for a good part of the first of the book, and once she's in St. Petersburg there's not much freedom for young ladies to come and go, so the action might be a bit slow for some readers. YMMV.
Kearsley is great at setting a scene and making you feel like you're there. Loved the St. Petersburg setting, and the way she incorporated so many real historical characters into her story. I was surprised at the active Jacobite community in St. Petersburg, a new to me factoid. All in all a very rewarding read for me, with plenty of twists and turns and jaw-dropping surprises at the end (I did not see that coming!).
My copy obtained via library loan.
How to recap the plot when the book description does it so nicely? I'm going to take the lazy way out and bypass that and just talk about the reading experience.
The Firebird is a sequel to The Winter Sea, and while it could stand alone, I strongly urge that TWS be read first. Fans of Kearsley are familiar with her dual time storylines, and the paranormal elements she incorporates to take the contemporary characters into the past. In this case it's ESP with Nicola Marter (whose skills are less developed), working with old friend/flame Rob McMorran (from The Shadowy Horses) whose skills at mind reading and seeing into the past/future are very strong.
From reading reviews from fellow friends and readers, it's pretty clear that the ESP element isn't going to work for everyone, so if you can't buy into it, this may not be the book for you. If you can accept it and go with it (as I did), this is a great story with plenty of twists and turns. I'd also caution that the heroine in the past is a young girl for a good part of the first of the book, and once she's in St. Petersburg there's not much freedom for young ladies to come and go, so the action might be a bit slow for some readers. YMMV.
Kearsley is great at setting a scene and making you feel like you're there. Loved the St. Petersburg setting, and the way she incorporated so many real historical characters into her story. I was surprised at the active Jacobite community in St. Petersburg, a new to me factoid. All in all a very rewarding read for me, with plenty of twists and turns and jaw-dropping surprises at the end (I did not see that coming!).
My copy obtained via library loan.
August 10, 2014
2.5 stars. I finally finished! I really grooved on this one at the beginning, but then it fell flat for me. The main characters in the present storyline were just too wooden and annoyingly perfect (him) or weak and dependent (her), and I just couldn't find the will to care about them. The characters in the past were more interesting, and their storyline picked up for me during the last 100 pages or so, but not to the point that I can give this one a high rating.
I'm finding out something about long books, since I'm doing a chunky challenge this year. It takes a lot of talent to write any book well, but triple that for long books. There's nothing better than a long book that you wish would never end (like The Count of Monte Cristo, for example), but when you pick up a book that's over 500 pages long and it doesn't wow you, it's like slogging through quicksand with a lead weight attached to all your limbs. You just wanna throw the book across the room, but you can't even summon the energy to do it. This is what this book was like for me, for nearly half the book. If I wasn't reading it for a challenge, I'd have abandoned it.
This is the next book in the series after The Winter Sea, which I do recommend. I really enjoyed that book. The characters were more fleshed out and felt like real people and you couldn't help but care about them! Plus, I enjoyed learning a little about the historical period. I tend to feel like this book is the watered-down version of that one.
I also want to add that the audiobook version of this should be avoided! It's very singsong and treacly sweet, which makes the writing even harder to stomach.
I'm finding out something about long books, since I'm doing a chunky challenge this year. It takes a lot of talent to write any book well, but triple that for long books. There's nothing better than a long book that you wish would never end (like The Count of Monte Cristo, for example), but when you pick up a book that's over 500 pages long and it doesn't wow you, it's like slogging through quicksand with a lead weight attached to all your limbs. You just wanna throw the book across the room, but you can't even summon the energy to do it. This is what this book was like for me, for nearly half the book. If I wasn't reading it for a challenge, I'd have abandoned it.
This is the next book in the series after The Winter Sea, which I do recommend. I really enjoyed that book. The characters were more fleshed out and felt like real people and you couldn't help but care about them! Plus, I enjoyed learning a little about the historical period. I tend to feel like this book is the watered-down version of that one.
I also want to add that the audiobook version of this should be avoided! It's very singsong and treacly sweet, which makes the writing even harder to stomach.
March 7, 2018
5 knave stars
“If we cannot be what we were born to be, the whole of it, we die a little on the inside, every day we live the lie.”
So many happy tears. So many feely feels.
The Firebird is one of my favorite books of all time. This was the first book of Ms. Kearsley's that I inhaled before going on a binge of all her books a couple of years ago. Whereas every single one of her books are fantastic and I recommend them all, this one in particular has a very special place in my heart. Perhaps it is the emotion of Anna's journey to finding herself, or Nicola's journey to embracing herself. Either way, it resonated with me and officially has a place of honor on my bookshelf and in my heart.
Nicola Marter is an art collector who lives and works in London. She has a special ability that allows her to touch an object and see it's history (um HOW COOL IS THAT. Seriously how many times have I wanted to be able to do that? Too many to count, for sure). However, through many negative experiences in her past, she hides her ability and does not allow others to know what she can do. The story starts with her meeting a woman with whom she has a connection with, and a mysterious firebird carving that leads her on a journey from Scotland to Russia to find out it's past.
This is a dual-storyline type of novel. We get Nicola's story, and through her journey to find out the firebird's past we meet Anna Moray. Anna's story is my favorite part of this novel, and the part that the author spends the most time exploring. We get to see Anna grow up from a young child of eight to a young woman of eighteen. Her character is fantastic. She has flaws, no doubt about it, but her personality is real and her struggles are heartfelt, to the point where her struggles were becoming my own because I was so invested in her emotions.
And the ROMANCE. It SLAYED me. Oh gosh IT IS SO GOOD. However, if you don't like slow burn, this book may be a struggle for you. I really appreciate that The Firebird SHOWS you the characters falling in love, rather than TELLING you, but it does takes a while to get there. However, the results are so worth it. Nicola's romance was nice, but Anna's romance...*insert my death here*. THE CHEMISTRY. THE ANGST. THE EMOTIONS. THE PASSION. Can Anna and her man just have their own novel? I'll read anything if it has the two of them in it.
Basically
To sum it all up
If you haven't figured it out yet
I am 1000% in love with this book. I have been in love with it from the first time I read it, and don't ever see that love diminishing in the future. Nicola and Anna's story is just so dear to me, and I will cherish it always ❤
PS: um THE COVER IS EFFING GORGEOUS TOO AMIRITE
----------------
Rereading this gem because it's one of my all time favorites, a comfort read, and omg EDMUND <3 <3
“If we cannot be what we were born to be, the whole of it, we die a little on the inside, every day we live the lie.”
So many happy tears. So many feely feels.
The Firebird is one of my favorite books of all time. This was the first book of Ms. Kearsley's that I inhaled before going on a binge of all her books a couple of years ago. Whereas every single one of her books are fantastic and I recommend them all, this one in particular has a very special place in my heart. Perhaps it is the emotion of Anna's journey to finding herself, or Nicola's journey to embracing herself. Either way, it resonated with me and officially has a place of honor on my bookshelf and in my heart.
Nicola Marter is an art collector who lives and works in London. She has a special ability that allows her to touch an object and see it's history (um HOW COOL IS THAT. Seriously how many times have I wanted to be able to do that? Too many to count, for sure). However, through many negative experiences in her past, she hides her ability and does not allow others to know what she can do. The story starts with her meeting a woman with whom she has a connection with, and a mysterious firebird carving that leads her on a journey from Scotland to Russia to find out it's past.
This is a dual-storyline type of novel. We get Nicola's story, and through her journey to find out the firebird's past we meet Anna Moray. Anna's story is my favorite part of this novel, and the part that the author spends the most time exploring. We get to see Anna grow up from a young child of eight to a young woman of eighteen. Her character is fantastic. She has flaws, no doubt about it, but her personality is real and her struggles are heartfelt, to the point where her struggles were becoming my own because I was so invested in her emotions.
And the ROMANCE. It SLAYED me. Oh gosh IT IS SO GOOD. However, if you don't like slow burn, this book may be a struggle for you. I really appreciate that The Firebird SHOWS you the characters falling in love, rather than TELLING you, but it does takes a while to get there. However, the results are so worth it. Nicola's romance was nice, but Anna's romance...*insert my death here*. THE CHEMISTRY. THE ANGST. THE EMOTIONS. THE PASSION. Can Anna and her man just have their own novel? I'll read anything if it has the two of them in it.
Basically
To sum it all up
If you haven't figured it out yet
I am 1000% in love with this book. I have been in love with it from the first time I read it, and don't ever see that love diminishing in the future. Nicola and Anna's story is just so dear to me, and I will cherish it always ❤
PS: um THE COVER IS EFFING GORGEOUS TOO AMIRITE
----------------
Rereading this gem because it's one of my all time favorites, a comfort read, and omg EDMUND <3 <3
July 4, 2013
Step 1. Read The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley.
Step 2. Read The Firebird.
Step 3. Squeal with delight.
I was so happy to find out this is the rest of Anna's story. I'm properly addicted to her books now.
Step 2. Read The Firebird.
Step 3. Squeal with delight.
I was so happy to find out this is the rest of Anna's story. I'm properly addicted to her books now.
November 23, 2015
This one was not as good as the Winter Sea (Not comparing the books., just stating my humble opinion). The story was slow in some parts and lacked the tension of the previous but all in all, I did enjoy the journey, and getting to know Nicola/Rob and Anna/Edmund and seeing some 'old friends' pop in again... including a clever one who hid in plain sight, the devil :) (And no, I don't care if that's a run-on sentence :-P)
I enjoyed seeing what became of Anna and her journey through life. The woman she became is impressive and her parents would be very proud of her.
Rob and Nicola, I loved watching them together. This connection they have/had is so powerful and true, but Nicola wasn't quite ready back then and fled from everything with Rob and her gifts. When we meet her, she is still resisting her gifts and wanting to have a "normal life" when the Firebird comes in her workplace and sends her on a journey to prove its provenance, with Rob coming with her.
Nicola learns more about herself along the way, with Rob's gentle guidance. His patience with her, what a good guy. Nicola herself annoyed me most of the time but I also understood why she was scared/reluctant and waited for her to discover confidence in herself.
And when she does, I was very proud of her, that's all I will say :).
The historical timeline follows what The Winter Sea started, I would advise not reading them too far apart so your memory is fresh. It's not hard to follow the events once the story gets going and you'll love most of the new faces coming in.
The modern timeline continues from Shadowy Horses, but this is more Rob's story from what I hear. This I didn't discover until I had read these two books (since I read no reviews before jumping in).
Take a looksie at the lovely
Brittain (Tara Belle Talking)'s review She explains the connections better, and to boot... its a lovely review :).
Recommended readin order as I know now haha:
Shadowy Horses
Winter Sea
Firebird
----
A few characters aren't what they seem and will surprise in different ways... have fun!
The writing is as always, gorgeous... I fell in love with Rob right away, despite not knowing his whole story. Sweet, caring, patient, understanding... no flaws I could see;-) He is a good soul and a good match for our leading lady.
Each character comes alive on the page and it feels like you are there in the room with them, spending time together. Every book I have finished by this author has left me satisfied, yet always missing my new friends when I turn the last page.
Would recommend, cannot recommend highly enough! <3
Side note: I love how I could 'hear' everyone's accents without being put into dialects (right word?) that I couldn't understand.
I enjoyed seeing what became of Anna and her journey through life. The woman she became is impressive and her parents would be very proud of her.
Rob and Nicola, I loved watching them together. This connection they have/had is so powerful and true, but Nicola wasn't quite ready back then and fled from everything with Rob and her gifts. When we meet her, she is still resisting her gifts and wanting to have a "normal life" when the Firebird comes in her workplace and sends her on a journey to prove its provenance, with Rob coming with her.
Nicola learns more about herself along the way, with Rob's gentle guidance. His patience with her, what a good guy. Nicola herself annoyed me most of the time but I also understood why she was scared/reluctant and waited for her to discover confidence in herself.
And when she does, I was very proud of her, that's all I will say :).
The historical timeline follows what The Winter Sea started, I would advise not reading them too far apart so your memory is fresh. It's not hard to follow the events once the story gets going and you'll love most of the new faces coming in.
The modern timeline continues from Shadowy Horses, but this is more Rob's story from what I hear. This I didn't discover until I had read these two books (since I read no reviews before jumping in).
Take a looksie at the lovely
Brittain (Tara Belle Talking)'s review She explains the connections better, and to boot... its a lovely review :).
Recommended readin order as I know now haha:
Shadowy Horses
Winter Sea
Firebird
----
A few characters aren't what they seem and will surprise in different ways... have fun!
The writing is as always, gorgeous... I fell in love with Rob right away, despite not knowing his whole story. Sweet, caring, patient, understanding... no flaws I could see;-) He is a good soul and a good match for our leading lady.
Each character comes alive on the page and it feels like you are there in the room with them, spending time together. Every book I have finished by this author has left me satisfied, yet always missing my new friends when I turn the last page.
Would recommend, cannot recommend highly enough! <3
Side note: I love how I could 'hear' everyone's accents without being put into dialects (right word?) that I couldn't understand.
October 13, 2021
Past and present mingle deliciously in the newest novel from Susanna Kearsley, whose “time-slip” novels such as Mariana, The Winter Sea, and The Rose Garden have amassed quite a devoted following. Her books tend to blend a modern-day storyline with a gripping historical thread, to create a whole that’s emotional, dramatic, and always steeped in meticulously researched historical detail.
In The Firebird, we open with main character Nicola Marter, a specialist in Russian art and artifacts with a very big secret: psychometry, the ability to “read” an object’s past by simply touching it. Nicola was raised from childhood to never reveal her gifts, lest she be branded a freak or subjected to abuse or discrimination. When a dying woman comes to Nicola’s office with a family heirloom, hoping it’s of enough value to enable her to enjoy what time is left to her, Nicola can tell by touching the small carved bird that it was a gift to the woman’s ancestor from Empress Catherine I of Russia — but sadly, there’s no other proof. And without proof, the object has no monetary value. Enlisting the aid of her former love interest and immensely gifted psychic Rob McMorran, Nicola is determined to help the poor woman, even if it means using her gifts to figure out the carving’s origins.
There’s much, much more to the story: As it turns out, the ancestor who received the gift from the Empress was a young woman named Anna, who was raised near Slains Castle in Scotland before ending up in St. Petersburg. Readers of The Winter Sea should now be sitting up and paying close attention: Yes, it’s that Anna! If you, like me, felt saddened and even upset by the resolution of The Winter Sea, fear not! The story isn’t over; in The Firebird, we learn much more about Anna, and it isn’t what you might have expected.
I love Susanna Kearsley's writing, and her amazing ability to blend contemporary and historical storylines in a way that completely engages the reader. The Firebird is a wonderful addition to the author's previous works, and can be read either as a sequel to The Winter Sea or as a stand-alone novel. Highly recommended.
(For more, see my review at Bookshelf Fantasies.)
In The Firebird, we open with main character Nicola Marter, a specialist in Russian art and artifacts with a very big secret: psychometry, the ability to “read” an object’s past by simply touching it. Nicola was raised from childhood to never reveal her gifts, lest she be branded a freak or subjected to abuse or discrimination. When a dying woman comes to Nicola’s office with a family heirloom, hoping it’s of enough value to enable her to enjoy what time is left to her, Nicola can tell by touching the small carved bird that it was a gift to the woman’s ancestor from Empress Catherine I of Russia — but sadly, there’s no other proof. And without proof, the object has no monetary value. Enlisting the aid of her former love interest and immensely gifted psychic Rob McMorran, Nicola is determined to help the poor woman, even if it means using her gifts to figure out the carving’s origins.
There’s much, much more to the story: As it turns out, the ancestor who received the gift from the Empress was a young woman named Anna, who was raised near Slains Castle in Scotland before ending up in St. Petersburg. Readers of The Winter Sea should now be sitting up and paying close attention: Yes, it’s that Anna! If you, like me, felt saddened and even upset by the resolution of The Winter Sea, fear not! The story isn’t over; in The Firebird, we learn much more about Anna, and it isn’t what you might have expected.
I love Susanna Kearsley's writing, and her amazing ability to blend contemporary and historical storylines in a way that completely engages the reader. The Firebird is a wonderful addition to the author's previous works, and can be read either as a sequel to The Winter Sea or as a stand-alone novel. Highly recommended.
(For more, see my review at Bookshelf Fantasies.)
May 22, 2013
Initial thoughts on finishing, May 11th: *sigh* Susanna Kearsley is one hell of a storyteller. I'm honestly not sure what my final rating for this one will be - 4, 4.5, or 5. On a purely emotional level, it would be 5 stars. I bawled like a baby (happy tears) through the last 30 pages or so, and I really connected with the story and characters emotionally after having just recently read and loved The Winter Sea. BUT looking at it from a more critical point of view as a blogger/reviewer, it wasn't perfect - it started out kind of slow and dragged terribly in places (it took me almost two weeks to read it), so I have to take that into account. But then throw in the fact that Anna was an incredible character, plus the swoonworthyness of Rob and Jamieson and Edmund, and...ugh...this is going to be a hard review to write! Will try to have it up by next week.
Full review, May 22nd:
This review was originally posted on my blog, Ramblings of a Daydreamer. You can find it, and many more reviews at the blog.
4.5 stars
You guys. This book. My heart. *sigh*
I honestly don’t know where to begin. I guess first I’d like to thank the amazing Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this book as an unsolicited ARC because if they hadn’t, I might never have read The Winter Sea, and in turn, never read The Firebird, it’s companion. And that would be a crime because these books…I honestly don’t think I can do them justice in a review. I attempted a coherent review with The Winter Sea, but having just finished The Firebird, I’m a jumble of emotions, and it’s so rare that a book can do that these days.
I said in my review of The Winter Sea that the book single-handedly rekindled my love of historic fiction. I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in another of Kearsley’s worlds, knowing the setting would be rich and vibrant, and as I journeyed with both Nicola and Anna through time and multiple countries, I fell in love with Kearsley’s writing all over again. She has a gift for seamlessly weaving the present with the past and creating a story that is breathtaking in its details, revelations, and characters.
And, oh, the characters. I thought it would be hard to top the characters in The Winter Sea, but I think I might just like Anna even more than I liked Sophia. Anna was strong, fearless, and selfless. She would do anything for the people she loved, and even sacrifice her own happiness to protect them. I was so happy to be reunited with Colonel Graeme and see his affection for Sophia pass to young Anna. Captain Jamieson was sweet and gentle with an air of mystery about him, and I loved his interactions with Anna as a little girl, and the promises he made to her (I get choked up just thinking about it). I won’t mention other characters by name because it seems a bit spoiler-y, but it was nice to see other familiar faces as well, and I adored Edmund as Anna’s love interest. He challenged her in more ways than one - he spoke freely and wasn’t the gentlemanly sort she was used to, but I liked that he was a bit rough around the edges, and I found myself falling for the sexy, roguish Irishman. He challenged Anna, and it was clear she was up for the challenge.
As with The Winter Sea, the historic aspects of The Firebird were my favourite. I couldn’t wait to be transported back to eighteenth century Russia to be reunited with Anna and learn her fate. I enjoyed the present-day parts too. Nicola was a great character, and while I thought Carrie’s story in The Winter Sea was more of a vehicle for Sophia’s story, it felt like Nicola’s story was really thought-out and fleshed out. She started out uncertain and embarrassed by her abilities, but with Rob’s help and encouragement, she grew to not only accept her gifts, but hone them, and it was nice to see. I also really enjoyed the romance between them, and I felt their connection from the very beginning. It’s no secret I’m a sucker for a Scotsman, and I fell hard for the ones in this book.
On a purely emotional level, I would give The Firebird 5 stars. I loved it so much, and I know these characters and their stories will stay with me for a long time. However, on a more critical level, I don’t feel I can actually give it those full 5 stars. The story started out a bit slow and there were times when it really dragged. It took me almost two weeks to read this book, and I’d like to say it was because I was savouring each detail, but it was more because there were times I felt like I was slogging through. I enjoyed the whole story, don’t get me wrong, but it felt like it could have been shorter. However, the last half or so of the book really picked up and it got to the point where I didn’t even want to go to bed because I was finally enjoying the story so much and I wanted to find out what was going to happen.
The Firebird is a beautifully written story with characters that practically leap off the pages, a story that alternately broke my heart and healed it, and a pair of romances (or a trio, more accurately) that made me fall in love. This book made me laugh, made me cry (I seriously bawled happy tears through the last 30 or so pages), and made me certain that Susanna Kearsley has a talent like no other.
Full review, May 22nd:
This review was originally posted on my blog, Ramblings of a Daydreamer. You can find it, and many more reviews at the blog.
4.5 stars
You guys. This book. My heart. *sigh*
I honestly don’t know where to begin. I guess first I’d like to thank the amazing Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this book as an unsolicited ARC because if they hadn’t, I might never have read The Winter Sea, and in turn, never read The Firebird, it’s companion. And that would be a crime because these books…I honestly don’t think I can do them justice in a review. I attempted a coherent review with The Winter Sea, but having just finished The Firebird, I’m a jumble of emotions, and it’s so rare that a book can do that these days.
I said in my review of The Winter Sea that the book single-handedly rekindled my love of historic fiction. I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in another of Kearsley’s worlds, knowing the setting would be rich and vibrant, and as I journeyed with both Nicola and Anna through time and multiple countries, I fell in love with Kearsley’s writing all over again. She has a gift for seamlessly weaving the present with the past and creating a story that is breathtaking in its details, revelations, and characters.
And, oh, the characters. I thought it would be hard to top the characters in The Winter Sea, but I think I might just like Anna even more than I liked Sophia. Anna was strong, fearless, and selfless. She would do anything for the people she loved, and even sacrifice her own happiness to protect them. I was so happy to be reunited with Colonel Graeme and see his affection for Sophia pass to young Anna. Captain Jamieson was sweet and gentle with an air of mystery about him, and I loved his interactions with Anna as a little girl, and the promises he made to her (I get choked up just thinking about it). I won’t mention other characters by name because it seems a bit spoiler-y, but it was nice to see other familiar faces as well, and I adored Edmund as Anna’s love interest. He challenged her in more ways than one - he spoke freely and wasn’t the gentlemanly sort she was used to, but I liked that he was a bit rough around the edges, and I found myself falling for the sexy, roguish Irishman. He challenged Anna, and it was clear she was up for the challenge.
As with The Winter Sea, the historic aspects of The Firebird were my favourite. I couldn’t wait to be transported back to eighteenth century Russia to be reunited with Anna and learn her fate. I enjoyed the present-day parts too. Nicola was a great character, and while I thought Carrie’s story in The Winter Sea was more of a vehicle for Sophia’s story, it felt like Nicola’s story was really thought-out and fleshed out. She started out uncertain and embarrassed by her abilities, but with Rob’s help and encouragement, she grew to not only accept her gifts, but hone them, and it was nice to see. I also really enjoyed the romance between them, and I felt their connection from the very beginning. It’s no secret I’m a sucker for a Scotsman, and I fell hard for the ones in this book.
On a purely emotional level, I would give The Firebird 5 stars. I loved it so much, and I know these characters and their stories will stay with me for a long time. However, on a more critical level, I don’t feel I can actually give it those full 5 stars. The story started out a bit slow and there were times when it really dragged. It took me almost two weeks to read this book, and I’d like to say it was because I was savouring each detail, but it was more because there were times I felt like I was slogging through. I enjoyed the whole story, don’t get me wrong, but it felt like it could have been shorter. However, the last half or so of the book really picked up and it got to the point where I didn’t even want to go to bed because I was finally enjoying the story so much and I wanted to find out what was going to happen.
The Firebird is a beautifully written story with characters that practically leap off the pages, a story that alternately broke my heart and healed it, and a pair of romances (or a trio, more accurately) that made me fall in love. This book made me laugh, made me cry (I seriously bawled happy tears through the last 30 or so pages), and made me certain that Susanna Kearsley has a talent like no other.
October 11, 2021
These books usually come out every two years. So, after reading "The Vanished Days," the latest prequel to what now is a trilogy, I was happy to be able to re-read all of them back-to-back. It was so much easier to recall certain characters and their stories that appear in all three books because they were all still fresh in my mind. This is Anna's story, who was born in "The Winter Sea." Also very interesting and of note is that most of the characters were real life people in history, as were the events included in all the books. It is a great series.
May 16, 2018
"I'm no feart."
Wow.. I loved this. Almost as much as the first one. I think I am completely sold on Kearsley's writing. It doesn't hurt that I am also in love with Scotland, and a wee bit of a Jacobite myself. These stories are very romantically written. They include a good bit of history in them as well. And honestly, the things people sacrificed for the love and protection of their king and country just leaves me speechless.
The actual romances, for which there were several going on simultaneously, were slow to unfold and torturously painful at times. But oh so divinely satisfying to witness. I loved these characters. I loved the story.
If you are thinking of starting this series, I highly recommend you start with book 1, The Winter Sea. This book ties into the historical story brought forward in the first book, and explains what happened to the characters as their lives moved on. After reading this, I can't imagine not knowing.
June 23, 2013
This was probably more of a 2.5/3 for me. Susanna Kearsley writes compelling characters, and her stories have a certain charm, a lightness that seems to guarantee a happy ending. Maybe it's because I've read so many of her books within the last year, but I found this one formulaic. I liked both storylines, but I'm not really sure they needed each other. I found myself wishing that Kearsley would abandon her signature framing device and separate the stories rather than forcing them together in a way that weakened the plot for both. The connection between the two story lines, the telepathy, the psychometry? I don't know. It seemed a little silly to me, and considering the author's explanation, it didn't exactly make sense how the present-day characters could not only see the character from the past, but also feel her feelings. Why couldn't they see into everyone's heads? .
The Firebird tied up some loose ends from a previous book, and revisited a favourite character from another book, so in that sense, I enjoyed it, but if you haven't read any Susanna Kearsley before, I'd start with one of her other books first.
The Firebird tied up some loose ends from a previous book, and revisited a favourite character from another book, so in that sense, I enjoyed it, but if you haven't read any Susanna Kearsley before, I'd start with one of her other books first.
July 11, 2020
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. 😭😭😭
So much pain. But also good. ANNA. 😭
So much pain. But also good. ANNA. 😭
November 14, 2014
Don’t let the Slains #2 fool you….this book could easily be a stand a lone book. I happened to have read The Winter Sea which is Slains #1 and there wasn’t anything in this book that made book #1 necessary to this story. In fact I was kind of wondering why even bother with the Slains #2 part of the title? When The Winter Sea ended I wasn’t under the impression that there was any need for a follow up book.
This book was magical. I loved Anna much more than Nicola though. Nicola was so wishy-washy for me and I just could never sympathize with her throughout the novel.
I always felt like she was feeling sorry for herself and would never accept her gifts. Even if she eventually reconciled them, I think it would be hard to believe it because she was almost too resentful and set against her gifts for me to believe that she could accept them.
For me, this was the biggest issue in the book and the reason I didn’t give it five stars. I was too annoyed by Nicola to care how she developed as a character. On the flip side, I loved Anna.
Every time that I had to stop Anna’s story to go back to the present, I was so annoyed! The author always ended Anna’s story in a great place, leaving the reader begging for more. Anna was charming and tough. She was so strong and charismatic that I just wanted to know everything about her.
I enjoyed the love story that developed for Anna…..but I was hoping for more romance in Anna’s story. There was some tension and build up but I wanted more. Maybe I just wanted more of Anna’s story….I’m not sure but the romance between Anna and Edward left me wanting more, more and more because it was so good.
For me personally, I liked The Winter Sea better. I think mostly because the sea and setting added so much atmosphere in the story that I just felt differently about it.
This book because it was in multiple areas, I didn’t get the same atmospheric feel as I did with The Winter Sea. I also liked all the characters in The Winter Sea better….but that said there was a lot to like in The Firebird and it was uniquely its own story. I loved it all the same….it might be because The Winter Sea was my first experience with Kearsley’s books but both were good and worth reading for different reasons.
See my full review here
This book was magical. I loved Anna much more than Nicola though. Nicola was so wishy-washy for me and I just could never sympathize with her throughout the novel.
I always felt like she was feeling sorry for herself and would never accept her gifts. Even if she eventually reconciled them, I think it would be hard to believe it because she was almost too resentful and set against her gifts for me to believe that she could accept them.
For me, this was the biggest issue in the book and the reason I didn’t give it five stars. I was too annoyed by Nicola to care how she developed as a character. On the flip side, I loved Anna.
Every time that I had to stop Anna’s story to go back to the present, I was so annoyed! The author always ended Anna’s story in a great place, leaving the reader begging for more. Anna was charming and tough. She was so strong and charismatic that I just wanted to know everything about her.
I enjoyed the love story that developed for Anna…..but I was hoping for more romance in Anna’s story. There was some tension and build up but I wanted more. Maybe I just wanted more of Anna’s story….I’m not sure but the romance between Anna and Edward left me wanting more, more and more because it was so good.
For me personally, I liked The Winter Sea better. I think mostly because the sea and setting added so much atmosphere in the story that I just felt differently about it.
This book because it was in multiple areas, I didn’t get the same atmospheric feel as I did with The Winter Sea. I also liked all the characters in The Winter Sea better….but that said there was a lot to like in The Firebird and it was uniquely its own story. I loved it all the same….it might be because The Winter Sea was my first experience with Kearsley’s books but both were good and worth reading for different reasons.
See my full review here
March 6, 2022
I've really enjoyed this author's storytelling!! I did enjoy The Firebird, but it seemed to drag a bit, and there was relationship drama that I felt was unnecessary. But that's just me. Other readers may thoroughly enjoy it. I did, but not as well as I enjoyed Ms. Kearsley's other books.
May 16, 2015
The Firebird is a small wooden objet D'art that Nicola Marten has come across in her line of work. Brought to her for appraisal, its owner is hoping it is valuable so she can sell it and take a cruise. When Nicola touches it, there are flashes of historical memory that lead her to believe it came from the Empress Catherine of Russia.
She is unsure of her gift for seeing the past, so she enlists the help of her friend (an former love) whose gift she believes is stronger and more reliable than hers.Together they travel to Russia to learn the back story of the small wooden bird.
The story line is a dual one alternating between the Nicola's present and Anna Moray's life in the past. Although this is a sequel to The Winter Sea, it stands alone just fine. It had been quite a while since I read The Winter Sea, and I had no trouble investing in the characters and picking up the threads of the the first book. This author educates and fascinates me with her writing style and grasp of little known passages of history.
She is unsure of her gift for seeing the past, so she enlists the help of her friend (an former love) whose gift she believes is stronger and more reliable than hers.Together they travel to Russia to learn the back story of the small wooden bird.
The story line is a dual one alternating between the Nicola's present and Anna Moray's life in the past. Although this is a sequel to The Winter Sea, it stands alone just fine. It had been quite a while since I read The Winter Sea, and I had no trouble investing in the characters and picking up the threads of the the first book. This author educates and fascinates me with her writing style and grasp of little known passages of history.
November 28, 2024
I enjoyed the first book in this series and decided to try this one. I ended up liking it better than the first.
I am not a big fan of magic, fantasy, time travel and supernatural books but I’ve started reading a few and I am slowly warming to the idea of putting belief aside and enjoying the story.
The Firebird involves a woman who can touch objects and see their past. The storyline is about trying to find the monetary worth of a carved bird that was supposedly owned by Peter the Great. It was an interesting story. I found myself more interested in the story from the past and wanted to skip passed the current story. The ending made me smile so it was worth it!
Like her previous book, Susanna Kearsley based her book on real people and real events.
I am not a big fan of magic, fantasy, time travel and supernatural books but I’ve started reading a few and I am slowly warming to the idea of putting belief aside and enjoying the story.
The Firebird involves a woman who can touch objects and see their past. The storyline is about trying to find the monetary worth of a carved bird that was supposedly owned by Peter the Great. It was an interesting story. I found myself more interested in the story from the past and wanted to skip passed the current story. The ending made me smile so it was worth it!
Like her previous book, Susanna Kearsley based her book on real people and real events.
July 3, 2024
Re-Read June 2024:
This hit just as hard the second time around! The way I cried when Kearsley built the two timelines with such skill. I still struggle with Nicola’s embarrassment about her ability and wanting to keep it a secret but it made a certain amount of sense given what her grandfather had been through. Rob had a completely different experience and so it made sense that they’d approach their abilities differently as well. He was so patient with her while she practiced and figured everything out. I loved seeing psychometry in action, as well as Rob’s other psychic abilities. I wouldn’t mind having a quarter of that ability myself, if I’m being honest.
Original Review 11/5/17:
I read The Winter Sea last year and absolutely loved it. And then for some reason, I didn't read anything else by Susanna Kearsley until now. Unacceptable. Reading The Firebird cemented the fact that I must make my way through Kearsley's entire backlist as soon as possible. I was enthralled while reading this!
From Nicola and Rob's psychic abilities to the way the Jacobite revolution is connected in the past storyline to what a dreamboat Rob is, I could not get enough of this story. I had no idea Jacobites were in Russia so I learned a ton via the past storyline. Sometimes when you're reading a past-present novel, you're more into one storyline but in this case, they both held my attention. Reading about Anna's upbringing and how she ultimately landed in Russia (and then met swoon-worthy Ned) was fascinating. There were a few twists that really brought out the angst and I was here for it, especially because of how Kearsley brought it all together.
Reading about Rob and Nicola trying to piece together Anna's past and learn the origin of an artifact was equally compelling, especially because of their psychic abilities. Rob was so good for Nicola and I loved how he forced her to figure out more of her ability. The two of them together was magical. I could not get enough of either storyline and I was genuinely sad when it ended because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters. Now that's the sign of a good book!
Characters: Nicola is a white British psychic and art dealer in her early to mid-20s. Rob is a white Scottish psychic, police constable, and lifeboat volunteer. From 1717-1725, we follow Anna, age 8 to 17, a white Scottish lady’s companion. Edmund is a white Irish Jacobite, around 30 years old. This is set in London, Eyemouth, Scotland, Ypres, Belgium, and St. Petersburg, Russia.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (Anna slaps Edmund twice during an argument; Edmund intervened when his neighbor was being beaten up by her husband [off-page]) infected leg injury from gunshot wound (secondary character), needle used to treat infected wound (off page), minor character is dying, past whipping, asthma (secondary character), period-typical sexism, fatphobia, fatshaming, body commentary, diet culture, family separation, adoption, past death of secondary characters’ children, past miscarriages (secondary character), secondary characters in the military, past war, discussion of past shipwreck and cannibalism by survivors, FMC’s mom and her family fled the Soviet Union when she was 10, past torture of secondary characters in Russia, past forced medical experimentation on FMC’s grandfather in Russia, ghost, injured bird, past death of pet dog, past death of secondary character’s wife, past death of secondary character’s brother and mother (war, MS), pregnant secondary character, off page sex, alcohol, inebriation, pipe (secondary character), gender essentialist language, ableist language
This hit just as hard the second time around! The way I cried when Kearsley built the two timelines with such skill. I still struggle with Nicola’s embarrassment about her ability and wanting to keep it a secret but it made a certain amount of sense given what her grandfather had been through. Rob had a completely different experience and so it made sense that they’d approach their abilities differently as well. He was so patient with her while she practiced and figured everything out. I loved seeing psychometry in action, as well as Rob’s other psychic abilities. I wouldn’t mind having a quarter of that ability myself, if I’m being honest.
Original Review 11/5/17:
I read The Winter Sea last year and absolutely loved it. And then for some reason, I didn't read anything else by Susanna Kearsley until now. Unacceptable. Reading The Firebird cemented the fact that I must make my way through Kearsley's entire backlist as soon as possible. I was enthralled while reading this!
From Nicola and Rob's psychic abilities to the way the Jacobite revolution is connected in the past storyline to what a dreamboat Rob is, I could not get enough of this story. I had no idea Jacobites were in Russia so I learned a ton via the past storyline. Sometimes when you're reading a past-present novel, you're more into one storyline but in this case, they both held my attention. Reading about Anna's upbringing and how she ultimately landed in Russia (and then met swoon-worthy Ned) was fascinating. There were a few twists that really brought out the angst and I was here for it, especially because of how Kearsley brought it all together.
Reading about Rob and Nicola trying to piece together Anna's past and learn the origin of an artifact was equally compelling, especially because of their psychic abilities. Rob was so good for Nicola and I loved how he forced her to figure out more of her ability. The two of them together was magical. I could not get enough of either storyline and I was genuinely sad when it ended because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters. Now that's the sign of a good book!
Characters: Nicola is a white British psychic and art dealer in her early to mid-20s. Rob is a white Scottish psychic, police constable, and lifeboat volunteer. From 1717-1725, we follow Anna, age 8 to 17, a white Scottish lady’s companion. Edmund is a white Irish Jacobite, around 30 years old. This is set in London, Eyemouth, Scotland, Ypres, Belgium, and St. Petersburg, Russia.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (Anna slaps Edmund twice during an argument; Edmund intervened when his neighbor was being beaten up by her husband [off-page]) infected leg injury from gunshot wound (secondary character), needle used to treat infected wound (off page), minor character is dying, past whipping, asthma (secondary character), period-typical sexism, fatphobia, fatshaming, body commentary, diet culture, family separation, adoption, past death of secondary characters’ children, past miscarriages (secondary character), secondary characters in the military, past war, discussion of past shipwreck and cannibalism by survivors, FMC’s mom and her family fled the Soviet Union when she was 10, past torture of secondary characters in Russia, past forced medical experimentation on FMC’s grandfather in Russia, ghost, injured bird, past death of pet dog, past death of secondary character’s wife, past death of secondary character’s brother and mother (war, MS), pregnant secondary character, off page sex, alcohol, inebriation, pipe (secondary character), gender essentialist language, ableist language
August 14, 2017
I think I can safely say that Susanna Kearsley is now my favourite author. This book is the sequel to The Winter Sea, but also features a character who was introduced in The Shadowy Horses so I'd recommend reading both to get the best reading experience. I LOVED this story.
This book follows Nicola, a woman from London with a rare gift. When she touches objects she can, with varying success, see their history. When she meets a woman trying to sell a wooden carving called The Firebird, claiming it belonged to Russia's Empress Catherine, she has to help her. This story loosely follows the firebird folklore and I absolutely loved that. There is also a historical POV which I won't spoil, but if you've read The Winter Sea then you'll love it. The character development was brilliant in this book and I always love the main characters Kearsley writes and she really makes the reader feel their emotions.
This is the first of Kearsley book that I've read which isn't just set in Scotland. Though the book travels to a few locations in Scotland to begin with, and has Scottish main characters, it also takes us to Belgium and then Russia. I loved learning about these new places, especially Russia as I have never read any contemporary/historical set there. From what she wrote about Scotland, it is once again clear that she really took the time to research before she wrote. I didn't know much about the Scottish Jacobite community living in St. Petersburg so I learned something new whilst reading this book!
I usually don't love books that are contemporary or have romance, but there's just something about Kearsley's writing that I love. Her slow-burn romances are always wonderful and I love the way she writes about the modern world. I saw a few reviews saying that they disliked the way she wrote some Scottish accents but, though I'm not from the borders, I thought they were very realistic. Using certain phrases and ways of structuring sentences to show the accents.
A wonderful book with a very unique story-line and a brilliant romance. It made me cry more than once and I would definitely recommend!
This book follows Nicola, a woman from London with a rare gift. When she touches objects she can, with varying success, see their history. When she meets a woman trying to sell a wooden carving called The Firebird, claiming it belonged to Russia's Empress Catherine, she has to help her. This story loosely follows the firebird folklore and I absolutely loved that. There is also a historical POV which I won't spoil, but if you've read The Winter Sea then you'll love it. The character development was brilliant in this book and I always love the main characters Kearsley writes and she really makes the reader feel their emotions.
This is the first of Kearsley book that I've read which isn't just set in Scotland. Though the book travels to a few locations in Scotland to begin with, and has Scottish main characters, it also takes us to Belgium and then Russia. I loved learning about these new places, especially Russia as I have never read any contemporary/historical set there. From what she wrote about Scotland, it is once again clear that she really took the time to research before she wrote. I didn't know much about the Scottish Jacobite community living in St. Petersburg so I learned something new whilst reading this book!
I usually don't love books that are contemporary or have romance, but there's just something about Kearsley's writing that I love. Her slow-burn romances are always wonderful and I love the way she writes about the modern world. I saw a few reviews saying that they disliked the way she wrote some Scottish accents but, though I'm not from the borders, I thought they were very realistic. Using certain phrases and ways of structuring sentences to show the accents.
A wonderful book with a very unique story-line and a brilliant romance. It made me cry more than once and I would definitely recommend!
October 6, 2019
October 2019: It’s funny, how things change. This reread I find myself enraged that Rob didn’t say anything about the first editions right away, but instead chose to yank around two people.
Anna’s still darling, though.
August 2016: Bumping up to five stars. Whatever could I have been thinking, three years ago?
August 2013: The Firebird is an emotional journey - in fact, considering how slight the plot is, and how nonchalantly it concludes, it's amazing that the novel carries such emotional heft. A good part of that heft was earned in previous novels, and I think that prior knowledge is necessary to convey the importance of the historical events. Putting aside when the emotion was earned, though, The Firebird is a piece of lovely, well-written historical fiction with a dash of romance which states in all firmness that honesty and truth win out and that happily-ever-afters do exist.
Anna’s still darling, though.
August 2016: Bumping up to five stars. Whatever could I have been thinking, three years ago?
August 2013: The Firebird is an emotional journey - in fact, considering how slight the plot is, and how nonchalantly it concludes, it's amazing that the novel carries such emotional heft. A good part of that heft was earned in previous novels, and I think that prior knowledge is necessary to convey the importance of the historical events. Putting aside when the emotion was earned, though, The Firebird is a piece of lovely, well-written historical fiction with a dash of romance which states in all firmness that honesty and truth win out and that happily-ever-afters do exist.
April 5, 2018
Oh my heart I do love this series! I need more Susanna Kearsley books in my life!!!
November 4, 2021
Nicola Marten possesses the gift of psychometry, which enables her to see the history of any object she touches. While her skill seems practical for her job as an antique expert, she has never publicly shown her special ability for fear of being labeled ‘different’. One day, a woman brings in an old item to their art gallery, needing provenance: a wooden statue of Firebird, which is a Russian mythical bird.
Upon first touch, Nicola instantly glimpses a view of 18th century Russia and is drawn to the antique and its story. Eager to solve the mystery behind the item, and wanting to help the woman sell it as well, she seeks the help of Rob McMorran, a former flame with a similar 'gift' that he openly learns and uses to help others. Together, they are able to trace back the owner of the Firebird to a young woman named Anna Moray, and through a series of clues, are able to follow her journeys from Scotland to Belgium and St. Petersburg in Russia during the perilous years of the first Jacobite Rising. And as Anna suddenly finds love in one of her journeys, the estranged couple from the present also inadvertently finds love and second chances along the way.
This is a wonderfully woven story of love, loyalty, and choices, though I admit I only got engaged to the story after the introduction of the 18th-century characters. I didn’t like the present-day characters here as much as I did from The Winter Sea; Nicola and Rob somehow makes me think of X-Men every time they easily jump back in time just by touching something vintage, and for me, it doesn’t quite help with the realism the story is trying to achieve.
I heart fictional Anna’s love story with Irishman Edmund O’Connor, who is kin to a high-ranking military officer and Jacobite leader, but the more I read about this historical person the more I find out that he had a dubious past (he turned against the Jacobites and spied for the Hanover king). Miss Kearsley actually pointed this out in her afterword, although she still gave him the benefit of the doubt by giving him a righteous portrayal in her book. This doesn’t hold off my disappointment, though; I did like his character portrayal and was hoping real-life Edmund wasn’t completely stained at all.
I appreciate how the author tells her story: she writes clearly, seamlessly, and the historical outline is easy to follow. You get to see mental pictures from the words you read out of her, and I count that as talent. There are only a handful of authors who have made me see images or immerse in the story while reading; clearly, Miss Kearsley is one of them.
On the whole, this book gives a pleasant reading experience. This is also my second Kearsley read, and so far she doesn’t disappoint.
Upon first touch, Nicola instantly glimpses a view of 18th century Russia and is drawn to the antique and its story. Eager to solve the mystery behind the item, and wanting to help the woman sell it as well, she seeks the help of Rob McMorran, a former flame with a similar 'gift' that he openly learns and uses to help others. Together, they are able to trace back the owner of the Firebird to a young woman named Anna Moray, and through a series of clues, are able to follow her journeys from Scotland to Belgium and St. Petersburg in Russia during the perilous years of the first Jacobite Rising. And as Anna suddenly finds love in one of her journeys, the estranged couple from the present also inadvertently finds love and second chances along the way.
This is a wonderfully woven story of love, loyalty, and choices, though I admit I only got engaged to the story after the introduction of the 18th-century characters. I didn’t like the present-day characters here as much as I did from The Winter Sea; Nicola and Rob somehow makes me think of X-Men every time they easily jump back in time just by touching something vintage, and for me, it doesn’t quite help with the realism the story is trying to achieve.
I heart fictional Anna’s love story with Irishman Edmund O’Connor, who is kin to a high-ranking military officer and Jacobite leader, but the more I read about this historical person the more I find out that he had a dubious past (he turned against the Jacobites and spied for the Hanover king). Miss Kearsley actually pointed this out in her afterword, although she still gave him the benefit of the doubt by giving him a righteous portrayal in her book. This doesn’t hold off my disappointment, though; I did like his character portrayal and was hoping real-life Edmund wasn’t completely stained at all.
I appreciate how the author tells her story: she writes clearly, seamlessly, and the historical outline is easy to follow. You get to see mental pictures from the words you read out of her, and I count that as talent. There are only a handful of authors who have made me see images or immerse in the story while reading; clearly, Miss Kearsley is one of them.
On the whole, this book gives a pleasant reading experience. This is also my second Kearsley read, and so far she doesn’t disappoint.
July 4, 2021
Goodreads-Giveaway- I Won
Setting: Present day London & 1700 Russia
Nicola Marter can hold an object and "sense" its history.
She tells no one of this gift until a woman brings a small wooden carving to her boss, a dealer of Russian antiquities.
When he refuses to believe the woman's tale that this is the Firebird that belonged to the Empress Catherine, Nicola knows the woman is telling the truth because she felt it and wants to help the stranger.
Nicola decides to turn to her ex-lover, Rob McMorran for his help because like Nicola he also has the "gift".
Following the story of a young 18th century girl Anna, heir psychic and actual journeys take Nicola and Rob to the court of Peter the Great and draw them into a story of courage and selflessness and of the Russian involvement in the Jacobite Rebellion, and how Anna's friendship with Catherine led to the Firebird's legacy.
Though The Firebird is a follow-up to The Winter Sea (a must read!) and ties up many loose ends, it really stands alone as a wonderfully entertaining, non stop read.
I'm a big fan of past/present themes, and it takes skill for an author to masterfully merge the two together without one overshadowing the other or for the reader not to end up confused by the two. The author did a fine job at that in The Firebird, as well as adding paranormal elements with a fascinating historical setting.
The only thing that did bother me was I felt like Anna spent most of her time in the story going from one place to another and it made for me less of a solid "plot" and I would have liked a little more historical content of the past period, but that is just a personal reading pleasure of mine.
As for the paranormal and other elements in the story, they may not work for all but as I like these elements in a story as well once and awhile it worked for me.
Now The Firebird didn't give me the "wow" factor The Winter Sea did, but it was still a good entertaining read.
Setting: Present day London & 1700 Russia
Nicola Marter can hold an object and "sense" its history.
She tells no one of this gift until a woman brings a small wooden carving to her boss, a dealer of Russian antiquities.
When he refuses to believe the woman's tale that this is the Firebird that belonged to the Empress Catherine, Nicola knows the woman is telling the truth because she felt it and wants to help the stranger.
Nicola decides to turn to her ex-lover, Rob McMorran for his help because like Nicola he also has the "gift".
Following the story of a young 18th century girl Anna, heir psychic and actual journeys take Nicola and Rob to the court of Peter the Great and draw them into a story of courage and selflessness and of the Russian involvement in the Jacobite Rebellion, and how Anna's friendship with Catherine led to the Firebird's legacy.
Though The Firebird is a follow-up to The Winter Sea (a must read!) and ties up many loose ends, it really stands alone as a wonderfully entertaining, non stop read.
I'm a big fan of past/present themes, and it takes skill for an author to masterfully merge the two together without one overshadowing the other or for the reader not to end up confused by the two. The author did a fine job at that in The Firebird, as well as adding paranormal elements with a fascinating historical setting.
The only thing that did bother me was I felt like Anna spent most of her time in the story going from one place to another and it made for me less of a solid "plot" and I would have liked a little more historical content of the past period, but that is just a personal reading pleasure of mine.
As for the paranormal and other elements in the story, they may not work for all but as I like these elements in a story as well once and awhile it worked for me.
Now The Firebird didn't give me the "wow" factor The Winter Sea did, but it was still a good entertaining read.
October 23, 2018
Please do NOT judge this beautiful book by the audio version.
June 9, 2021
Review June 2021: This book just makes me so happy. I really love Rob and Nicola in the present day story line so much but then we go back in time to young Anna and her life and ugh. While it still hurts my heart that , the fact that she is loved by so many other people throughout her eighteen years of life really gets to me. Talk about found family, Anna has them in abundance.
This series is a favorite of mine and I never regret a re-read.
Review January 2018:
Still 5 stars. An absolute favorite.
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Review April 2014:
This series is a favorite of mine and I never regret a re-read.
Review January 2018:
Still 5 stars. An absolute favorite.
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Review April 2014:
January 29, 2015
Nicola has the gift. When she touches something she catches a glimpse of the history of the object. Despite her job dealing in Russian art and antiquities she refuses to use her gift, fearing ridicule and being made to look a fool.
Then one day a woman comes to her with a small hand carved wooden bird and a tale that it was a gift to one of descendents from Catherine I of Russia. Unfortunately the provenance of the firebird is almost impossible to prove. But having touched the firebird and knowing the story is true she embarks on a journey to uncover its history and the story of Anna, the Scottish woman to whom it was given.
There's a lot to like about this book. It's well written, the story is engaging despite the "story within a story" narrative device which I'm honestly not a fan of. The characters are mostly likeable and it's an interesting plot.
But...there are a few things that I didn't like.
Characters just disappear. They are there and then they're gone. Characters are set up to be important and end up being minor players. There were a lot of loose ends...sometimes leaving things unsaid works for a book but there is just too much of it in here.
And perhaps my biggest gripe and the main reason I'm giving this 3 Stars and not 4 Stars is the conclusion. Honestly, it's completely unsatisfactory. The whole catalyst for Nicola's story does not get revisited at the end. Instead we find ourselves being smacked over the head with James Bond books.
Then one day a woman comes to her with a small hand carved wooden bird and a tale that it was a gift to one of descendents from Catherine I of Russia. Unfortunately the provenance of the firebird is almost impossible to prove. But having touched the firebird and knowing the story is true she embarks on a journey to uncover its history and the story of Anna, the Scottish woman to whom it was given.
There's a lot to like about this book. It's well written, the story is engaging despite the "story within a story" narrative device which I'm honestly not a fan of. The characters are mostly likeable and it's an interesting plot.
But...there are a few things that I didn't like.
Characters just disappear. They are there and then they're gone. Characters are set up to be important and end up being minor players. There were a lot of loose ends...sometimes leaving things unsaid works for a book but there is just too much of it in here.
And perhaps my biggest gripe and the main reason I'm giving this 3 Stars and not 4 Stars is the conclusion. Honestly, it's completely unsatisfactory. The whole catalyst for Nicola's story does not get revisited at the end. Instead we find ourselves being smacked over the head with James Bond books.
January 1, 2019
To my surprise, I found myself with two more days left in this year and nothing I had to read; so I indulged myself, popped over to Overdrive and downloaded The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley. I knew I would love it. I always love Kearsley. She is my Mary Stewart substitute...new stories by an author that can paint a place until I feel that I am strolling through it and make me believe in romance again.
Imagine my delight to find one of my very favorite Kearsley characters waiting for me. Colonel Graeme captured my heart in The Winter Sea, and here he is again, making me smile to see him. Along with Graeme, who peopled the past in that novel, is Robbie McMorran, who peopled the present in The Shadowy Horses. I mean this was old home week! And, who doesn’t like to see the old year out with friends, Scottish friends to boot...Auld Lang Syne.
I’m not sure how Kearsley manages to spin her web around me. I am generally not a fan of romance, but her characters know how to be romantic vs. merely sex-driven, and I am not generally taken by the paranormal, but she makes her characters’ weavings through the past seem plausible somehow. Veggies are essential, and too many sweets will make you sick, but I suppose we all need a little chocolate every now and then.
Imagine my delight to find one of my very favorite Kearsley characters waiting for me. Colonel Graeme captured my heart in The Winter Sea, and here he is again, making me smile to see him. Along with Graeme, who peopled the past in that novel, is Robbie McMorran, who peopled the present in The Shadowy Horses. I mean this was old home week! And, who doesn’t like to see the old year out with friends, Scottish friends to boot...Auld Lang Syne.
I’m not sure how Kearsley manages to spin her web around me. I am generally not a fan of romance, but her characters know how to be romantic vs. merely sex-driven, and I am not generally taken by the paranormal, but she makes her characters’ weavings through the past seem plausible somehow. Veggies are essential, and too many sweets will make you sick, but I suppose we all need a little chocolate every now and then.
March 1, 2019
While I struggled on whether to rate the first book in this series a 3 or a 4, this second book is at least a solid 4 for me. The books' format is very similar. They both have two timelines. There are people in the present day stories that have supernatural gifts that enable them to see what happened in the past. I liked the gifts presented in the second book more. In the first book, the story was set in Scotland. In this one, only a small portion of the story is in Scotland, while the majority of it was set in Russia. There also wasn't the occasional history lesson in this story like there was in the first where one character would tell another character the history of Scotland, which I prefer. I prefer to learn about the history by reading what happened to the character. I also liked the characters in this one more. You can read this one without reading the first, but you would be missing a lot of the backstory which really enriched this story. Highly recommend.
October 13, 2017
ETA Oct. 13, 2017: THIS IS STILL SO GOOD. I liked it even more now that I've read the first book in the series as well. What an excellent book.
I loved this so much!!!!!
Both stories were SO GREAT. At the start, I was super into Nicola and Rob in the present, but as the book went on, I became so invested in Anna's story. ANNA!!!!!! WHAT A GREAT KID/YOUNG ADULT!!!! I love her so much.
I didn't quite see the twist at the end coming but it had me clutching at my face because I was hoping that that's what would happen/what it was.
I did think I'd be put off by Rob being able to ~read Nicola's mind, but it wasn't too bad when he allowed her access too. It's a strange thing to navigate with consent and whatnot, but oh my god, when she's like - IT WAS SO GREAT!! THEY WERE SO GREAT!!! I love them so much.
Yeah. I really loved this a lot, it was so great!!!
I loved this so much!!!!!
Both stories were SO GREAT. At the start, I was super into Nicola and Rob in the present, but as the book went on, I became so invested in Anna's story. ANNA!!!!!! WHAT A GREAT KID/YOUNG ADULT!!!! I love her so much.
I didn't quite see the twist at the end coming but it had me clutching at my face because I was hoping that that's what would happen/what it was.
I did think I'd be put off by Rob being able to ~read Nicola's mind, but it wasn't too bad when he allowed her access too. It's a strange thing to navigate with consent and whatnot, but oh my god, when she's like - IT WAS SO GREAT!! THEY WERE SO GREAT!!! I love them so much.
Yeah. I really loved this a lot, it was so great!!!
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