Stealing Sacred Fire

The Grigori Trilogy #3

by Storm Constantine

Through the ancient magic of the Grigori, the rogue Anakim, Peverel Othman, is once again Shemyaza, king of the fallen angels, benefactor of humankind, who was once doomed to an eternity of torment and imprisonment. Now his soul is free and incarnate in the world, and as the millennium draws to a close, Shemyaza calls his followers to him for the final battle to decide who controls the fate of humanity.Along with his brother Salamiel and his human vizier Daniel, Shemyaza journeys to seek the place of his creation; Kharsag, the Garden in Eden. Along the way they fall in with the Yarasadi freedom fighters, who are inspired by a dynamic new leader whose identity is an enigma. In the mountains of these eastern lands, Daniel discovers a forgotten part of himself and begins to learn the secrets buried long ago by the forebears of the Anannage, the original angel race.In Babylon, a new human king has arisen, who believes he is the descendent of the angels and in an ancient buried city discovers a Watcher Lord who has been imprisoned for millennia. With the aid of this being, the king sends out the djinn to track down Shemyaza, who is essential to the schemes of the Babylon mages. Meanwhile, the assassin Melandra Maynard, driven by the creed of the cult in which she was raised, has been given the task of hunting down the king of the fallen ones and killing him.All these forces converge and combine in the mystical land of Egypt, where Shemyaza must make the ultimate sacrifice, bringing the Grigori trilogy to a breath-taking conclusion.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, LGBT, Supernatural, Magic, Science Fiction

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Storm Constantine was a British science fiction and fantasy author, primarily known for her Wraeththu series.

Since the late 1980s she wrote more than 20 novels, plus several non-fiction books. She is featured in the Goth Bible and is often included in discussions of alternative sexuality and gender in science fiction and fantasy; many of her novels include same-sex relationships or hermaphrodites or other twists of gender. Magic, mysticism and ancient legends (like the Grigori) also figure strongly in her works.

In 2003 she launched Immanion Press, based out of Stafford, England. The publishing company publishes not only her own works but those of new writers, as well as well-known genre writers, mainly from the UK.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked everything about this series except the ending. It was a bit "and everyone lived happily ever after" for my tastes.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this final book of the Grigori trilogy very much. It caught my interest in the first chapter and I found it difficult to put the book down after that. I was surprised that 5 years had passed from the end of Scenting Hallowed Blood until the beginning of this book and that so many of the characters really hadn't done anything much since the end of the last book. But it didn't take too much time for things to start happening. There were plenty of twists and turns to the plot and lots of exciting, peril filled moments. I think the author is really expert at having characters that start out as rather nefarious and end up being essential to the plot and maybe not so bad after all. I was concerned that this book would end in an ambiguous way, but I wasn't disappointed at all with the conclusion. I guess my only negative thought about the second two books of the series is with how the author introduced Owen in the first book, making him a pretty important to the plot, but then he was basically abandoned in the second and third book and really had not part in the plotting. I'm not saying that this was a thread that was dropped, but that he basically became a character with no purpose after the first book. However, I loved this trilogy as a whole and would highly recommend it.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the culmination of the last two books, the conclusion each has been guiding up towards. At times the prose flowed, enriching the characters, adding depth and intensity to their journeys. At others, it felt forced, almost formulaic. Some marvelous new characters, both strong and flawed; discovered themselves, playing a part in Shemyaza’s quest and destiny, like Tiy, Melandra, Sarpanita, not to mention Lily and Owen’s long-anticipated father, Kashday. Some of the moments with Shemyaza, Daniel, and Salamiel were stronger than they’ve ever been, holding me riveted. At others, they felt contrived in their actions and reactions. Lily’s part shrank, her daughter taking her place in the action, much of Owen’s own part shrank with each book. The setting was the world, the struggle was epic. Large chunks of the book were gorgeous, overall fulfilling the promise of the overall trilogy. If only there weren’t moments when names were dropped and used without personality, weight, and development behind them. In spite of this, it was an engrossing, strong read which held my interest more often than not. Definitely worth finishing.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third book of the Grigori series. Though good, not as satisfying as the previous two. However still makes me want more.

[MG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review here.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So joyfully surprised by "second chances"! A so called"evil angel" redeems himself and saves humanity again! This is the most prized upon my bookshelf!

[Alex Cain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Wrapped up a bit too quickly, a bit too neatly. That, and I was bothered by the never-reappearance of a favorite character from the first book.

[Christyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it ending and all. So full of peace and love uniting all people. It was awesome!