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Fire Above, Fire Below
"Fire Above, Fire Below" is about the crisis that the dying of a dragon living below a major city causes, and the pact made many years earlier to deal with such a situation.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2013
9 people are currently reading
989 people want to read
About the author
Garth Nix
236 books15k followersGarth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, to the sound of the Salvation Army band outside playing 'Hail the Conquering Hero Comes' or possibly 'Roll Out the Barrel'. Garth left Melbourne at an early age for Canberra (the federal capital) and stayed there till he was nineteen, when he left to drive around the UK in a beat-up Austin with a boot full of books and a Silver-Reed typewriter.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
Despite a wheel literally falling off the Austin, Garth survived to return to Australia and study at the University of Canberra. After finishing his degree in 1986 he worked in a bookshop, then as a book publicist, a publisher's sales representative, and editor. Along the way he was also a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving in an Assault Pioneer platoon for four years. Garth left publishing to work as a public relations and marketing consultant from 1994-1997, till he became a full-time writer in 1998. He did that for a year before joining Curtis Brown Australia as a part-time literary agent in 1999. In January 2002 Garth went back to dedicated writer again, despite his belief that full-time writing explains the strange behaviour of many authors.
He now lives in Sydney with his wife, two sons and lots of books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
December 6, 2016
4 Stars
I first same across Garth Nix when I read the first in his Abhorsen series, Sabriel, at CQ’s behest. And to say that I truly enjoyed the way he weaves a tale is an understatement. Even so, I had my reservations about how effectively his style would work in a short story….
This was wonderful!
The imagery and world-building was spot on for such a short trip. And while his hypnotic writing is still at work here, it has the faster pace necessary for a story of this length. A great little voyage into another world where dragons exist and the dragonborn protect our world from dying dragons burning our world to a crisp.
I especially liked that Nix incorporated a unusual cost to such an alliance.
I first same across Garth Nix when I read the first in his Abhorsen series, Sabriel, at CQ’s behest. And to say that I truly enjoyed the way he weaves a tale is an understatement. Even so, I had my reservations about how effectively his style would work in a short story….
This was wonderful!
The imagery and world-building was spot on for such a short trip. And while his hypnotic writing is still at work here, it has the faster pace necessary for a story of this length. A great little voyage into another world where dragons exist and the dragonborn protect our world from dying dragons burning our world to a crisp.
I especially liked that Nix incorporated a unusual cost to such an alliance.
April 25, 2017
3.5 stars
Entertaining story and characters. I love stories with dragons and this one also has Dragonborn (half dragon, half human). Interesting story concept, but I wasn't crazy about the ratio between narrative and dialogue. Too much dialogue, especially in the second half of the story, but maybe it's just me. If it had more balance, it would have been four stars. I still enjoyed the story and writing enough that I'd read a Garth Nix novel.
If you want to read this Tor short for free, you can read it here.
Entertaining story and characters. I love stories with dragons and this one also has Dragonborn (half dragon, half human). Interesting story concept, but I wasn't crazy about the ratio between narrative and dialogue. Too much dialogue, especially in the second half of the story, but maybe it's just me. If it had more balance, it would have been four stars. I still enjoyed the story and writing enough that I'd read a Garth Nix novel.
If you want to read this Tor short for free, you can read it here.
January 30, 2019
This was a delightful short story about a dying dragon living underneath a city, and in its efforts to leave the underground and go to its final resting place, has caused fires of massive proportions in the city.
I am really digging on some short stories lately as they require less time commitment and are readily available on the interwebz. I also use these online shorts as a way to find new authors as they are a great little interview into an author's style and voice, and Garth Nix has both that I enjoy very much. His worldbuilding and characterization were spot on which is sometimes difficult to do with only so much real estate to take up in a story. This story is imaginative and clever and deals with pacts, and secrets, and sacrifices, and the perfect blending of real and fantasy.
The most important thing is that we have to reaffirm the pact. The mayor and the fire chief together. We personally guarantee it, with our lives.
I have had Nix's Sabriel on my shelves for a few years but this story is my first encounter with this author, and after reading this little introduction to his style, I look forward to reading his other works. Plus dragons are my favorite fantasy vehicle.
Read this little gem on tor.com for free
https://www.tor.com/2013/05/08/fire-a...
I am really digging on some short stories lately as they require less time commitment and are readily available on the interwebz. I also use these online shorts as a way to find new authors as they are a great little interview into an author's style and voice, and Garth Nix has both that I enjoy very much. His worldbuilding and characterization were spot on which is sometimes difficult to do with only so much real estate to take up in a story. This story is imaginative and clever and deals with pacts, and secrets, and sacrifices, and the perfect blending of real and fantasy.
The most important thing is that we have to reaffirm the pact. The mayor and the fire chief together. We personally guarantee it, with our lives.
I have had Nix's Sabriel on my shelves for a few years but this story is my first encounter with this author, and after reading this little introduction to his style, I look forward to reading his other works. Plus dragons are my favorite fantasy vehicle.
Read this little gem on tor.com for free
https://www.tor.com/2013/05/08/fire-a...
April 26, 2022
A very gripping modern dragon story.
I loved it.
I loved it.
December 24, 2014
Different but interesting and original. Check it out here.
Una grata sorpresa. La verdad cualquier cosa que tenga dragones llama mi atención, y la ilustración que Tor le dio a la historia es muy linda y colorida, no pude evitarlo, tenia que leerla. Es que vean esta ilustración tan hermosa!!!
Para quien traiga ganas de leer algo sobre el tema, con un toque muy particular y original, pero sin mucha sustancia. Excelente lectura de Domingo diría yo :D
Una grata sorpresa. La verdad cualquier cosa que tenga dragones llama mi atención, y la ilustración que Tor le dio a la historia es muy linda y colorida, no pude evitarlo, tenia que leerla. Es que vean esta ilustración tan hermosa!!!
Para quien traiga ganas de leer algo sobre el tema, con un toque muy particular y original, pero sin mucha sustancia. Excelente lectura de Domingo diría yo :D
June 9, 2021
Urban dragon lore? Very cool, here for it! But all of the characters were, at best, poorly developed and at worst insulting to me as a woman (to plagiarize a friend’s shelf title) or unrealistically fine with giving up their human life and goals to become a dragon with no forewarning (???). So overall, I’d love to see someone take this idea and write it differently 🙃
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2021
I really, really liked this modern dragon story, by the inestimable Garth Nix. I need to read more of his work. In this tor.com freebie short, a modern city is in jeopardy of a dying dragon's breath, and needs to call on an old pact to try to fix things. The ending was superb and unexpected.
June 29, 2021
📚
Free short story from Tor
📚
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
This story wasn't as Super Extra Exciting (SEE™) as I thought would be but:
+
=
Not bad and stuff.
Approx. reading time: 30 minutes.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
This story wasn't as Super Extra Exciting (SEE™) as I thought would be but:
+
=
Not bad and stuff.
Approx. reading time: 30 minutes.
September 21, 2025
A dragon is dying beneath the old town and an ancient compact must be renewed before the entire city catches fire.
A short tale full of a cynical wonder. Nix's characters are mostly wallpaper, but the two central characters are brought yo life with excellence.
A short tale full of a cynical wonder. Nix's characters are mostly wallpaper, but the two central characters are brought yo life with excellence.
June 9, 2021
Come for the cool dragon urbanist premise, leave because of the written-by-a-man sexy dragon lady and truly awful presentation of (the lack of) consent.
May 8, 2013
A solid little short story with an amazingly poetic premise and some nicely-worked prose. It's hard to talk about a short story without giving half of it away in a paragraph. I think this has some of the really brilliant language and imagery that I love about Nix, without some of the nihilism that I don't find as appealing. In the end, this is a story about environmental homeostasis, and I love that about it.
Read if: You love dragon mythos. You like a good hidden-secrets story. You wonder about the reasons behind secret societies.
Skip if: You are looking for emotional connection/satisfaction. This is very much a what-happened story.
Also read: Discount Armageddon for the dragon mythos.
Read if: You love dragon mythos. You like a good hidden-secrets story. You wonder about the reasons behind secret societies.
Skip if: You are looking for emotional connection/satisfaction. This is very much a what-happened story.
Also read: Discount Armageddon for the dragon mythos.
August 6, 2015
A Tor.com novelette. The city is burning from above and below as dragons meet up against firefighters and unexpected deals are made. I liked the premise, but one of the main characters seemed a bit too typical of standard Fantasy fare. All in all, an exciting read, especially if you like dragons.
August 29, 2016
Garth Nix is one of my favourite authors, especially insofar as his ability to mix magic into the real world goes; this is a great example of that, though the story kind of seemed pointless until the very end. Worth a read, though.
September 4, 2019
wow
read for free on tor.com
read for free on tor.com
February 12, 2017
Fire Above, Fire Below is exactly as the synopsis has it. A major city is struggling after the loss of several buildings to a horrible fire that could have resulted in many deaths. The mayor soon learn through the chief of the fire department that the cause is a dying dragon trapped below. And danger is still imminent. For years city has kept a pact with a race know as the Dragonborn, a half-breed. In exchange for their protection, they assist the city when events such as this arise. Now the mayor and chief of the fire department must be willing to renew the Compact.
Review here.
Review here.
May 9, 2013
There's something about the short story format than lends itself to being either frighteningly dull or exceptionally brilliant. It's a short sharp taste as opposed to a meal or degustation and so I often find that a short story will either do nothing for me, or I will enjoy it immensely. This one tastes absolutely delicious. Always been a fan of dragon-lore but of course it can easily be mishandled or over cliched. It wasn't.
I wish it existed in hard copy, I'd get it onto my real life bookshelf rather quickly.
I wish it existed in hard copy, I'd get it onto my real life bookshelf rather quickly.
May 19, 2016
Neatly illustrates why I've mostly fallen off the fantasy wagon in favor of science fiction. This is a fairly poetic story with some lovely images and ideas, but it hardly has a plot---events just happen one after another, the decisions aren't real decisions, and it couldn't have really gone any different. I like stories that ask "if this was true---then what?" This one just says "what if this was true, how cool would that be?"
August 29, 2015
Who knew that Garth Nix could write something I would actually like? Surprise, surprise, I actually enjoyed this short about a dying dragon, a half human-half dragon, and a full human fire-fighter.
Shout out to Kiersten for introducing me to tor.com shorts!
Shout out to Kiersten for introducing me to tor.com shorts!
January 7, 2015
Nicely done urban fantasy short story with dragon lore and a surprising ending.
October 17, 2018
Fakt podarené. Škoda dlhšieho úvodu, inak to nemalo chybu. Nixa ja mozem!
August 17, 2017
I keep forgetting then being reminded that goodreads can be a great way to find enjoyable free stories online. Though I probably shouldn't read too many since it will distract from all of the books I have out.
This is an enjoyable story from an author I tend to like. I think the ending could have been a bit better, since there is nothing to really foreshadow it, and it even raises questions about what really Dragonborn are in this setting; they are introduced as half-human/half-dragon, but I'm not really sure that makes sense. Still, the story moves at a good pace and is full of vivid, clearly described scenes and it was an enjoyable read with a different sort of fantasy world.
This is an enjoyable story from an author I tend to like. I think the ending could have been a bit better, since there is nothing to really foreshadow it, and it even raises questions about what really Dragonborn are in this setting; they are introduced as half-human/half-dragon, but I'm not really sure that makes sense. Still, the story moves at a good pace and is full of vivid, clearly described scenes and it was an enjoyable read with a different sort of fantasy world.
September 18, 2021
Eh. This story felt very unsatisfying and I didn’t like it. It felt incomplete, in a way. Whereas Nix’s other works are character-centric and you get to know the main character really well, this one was just a really dry style of narration. I don’t know anything about any of the characters except that the one guy is an orphan. Also I could not buy into the premise because it was never explored as to why the dying dragons have to come up to the surface before they die, and it wasn’t like the reason was obvious, either. So the entire story just fell flat for me. 2.5 stars.
November 18, 2020
I really appreciate Garth Nix's ability to write, in particular, lines like this:
Priorities.
This is a good short story; I like that it gives a good sense of the world while telling a story.
“So sort it out,” said the mayor. He took off his hat and wiped his forehead. Even this talk of very hot fires made him sweat, and the thought of another one like the Oldgate fire . . . It would finish his chances for reelection. Plus, a lot of people might die.
Priorities.
This is a good short story; I like that it gives a good sense of the world while telling a story.
March 11, 2023
Fire Above, Fire Below by author Garth Nix is a short story you can read for free on the Tor.com site https://www.tor.com/2013/05/08/fire-a...
“Fire Above, Fire Below” is about the crisis that the dying of a dragon living below a major city causes, and the pact made many years earlier to deal with such a situtation.
My ongoing quest to get current with the Tor short stories. Dragons! What’s not to love?
4 Stars
“Fire Above, Fire Below” is about the crisis that the dying of a dragon living below a major city causes, and the pact made many years earlier to deal with such a situtation.
My ongoing quest to get current with the Tor short stories. Dragons! What’s not to love?
4 Stars
November 3, 2018
Lovely little story
An interesting look at what might happen if dragons in some sense coexisted with us and what might happen if our apparently limitless desire to pave over everything got in the way of their life cycle. While this could be a full book, I like the questions left open as a short story. Nix is, as always, enjoyable to read.
An interesting look at what might happen if dragons in some sense coexisted with us and what might happen if our apparently limitless desire to pave over everything got in the way of their life cycle. While this could be a full book, I like the questions left open as a short story. Nix is, as always, enjoyable to read.
October 15, 2019
4.5 stars
This was awesome. Only it's so short!
It's only long enough to give a small -but wholesome!- slice of the world.
The only question - what happens when dragons die in the sky?
RECOMMENDED.
This was awesome. Only it's so short!
It's only long enough to give a small -but wholesome!- slice of the world.
The only question - what happens when dragons die in the sky?
RECOMMENDED.
March 25, 2024
I'm not typically a fan of short stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. In some ways, I want it expanded into a full novel, but at the same time, I'm afraid that would drag it out too long. I certainly want to know what happens next!
February 7, 2025
I love Nix's ideas, and intricate imagery! I want to rate it higher because of that. At the same time, I have to give it a mark down for some sloppiness with the plot... Can't go swallowing just anything just because it's a fantasy!
December 20, 2017
I think I will always love stories about dragons.
March 5, 2019
Interesting story about dragons.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews