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The Fire Artist
A forbidden romance literally heats up in this new fantasy from acclaimed author Daisy Whitney.
Aria is an elemental artist—she creates fire from her hands. But her power is not natural. She steals it from lightning. It’s dangerous and illegal in her world. When she’s recruited to perform, she seizes the chance to get away from her family. But her power is fading too fast to keep stealing from the sky. She has no choice but to turn to a Granter—a modern day genie. She gets one wish at an extremely high price. Aria’s willing to take a chance, but then she falls in love with the Granter . . . and he wants his freedom. Aria must decide what she’s willing to bargain and how much her own heart, body, and soul are worth.
In a world where the sport of elemental powers is the most popular form of entertainment, readers will be swept away by a romance with stakes higher than life and death.
Aria is an elemental artist—she creates fire from her hands. But her power is not natural. She steals it from lightning. It’s dangerous and illegal in her world. When she’s recruited to perform, she seizes the chance to get away from her family. But her power is fading too fast to keep stealing from the sky. She has no choice but to turn to a Granter—a modern day genie. She gets one wish at an extremely high price. Aria’s willing to take a chance, but then she falls in love with the Granter . . . and he wants his freedom. Aria must decide what she’s willing to bargain and how much her own heart, body, and soul are worth.
In a world where the sport of elemental powers is the most popular form of entertainment, readers will be swept away by a romance with stakes higher than life and death.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
4 people are currently reading
1810 people want to read
About the author
Daisy Whitney
10 books464 followersBy day, Daisy Whitney is a reporter and ghostwriter. At night, she writes novels for teens and is the author of THE MOCKINGBIRDS and its sequel THE RIVALS (Little, Brown). Her third novel WHEN YOU WERE HERE releases in June 2013 (Little, Brown), and her fourth novel STARRY NIGHTS (Bloomsbury) hits shelves in September 2013. When Daisy's not inventing fictional high school worlds, she can be found somewhere north of San Francisco walking her adorable dog, watching online TV with her fabulous husband or playing with her fantastic kids. A graduate of Brown University, she believes in shoes, chocolate chip cookies and karma. You can follow her writing blog and new media adventures at DaisyWhitney.com. (I don't rate books on GoodReads, nor do I check the site so please friend me on Facebook instead.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 17, 2021
1 star
Oh boy. When I heard that The Fire Artist would be at BEA, I wasn't entirely sure I should pick it up. I hadn't heard the best things about Daisy Whitney, but I have this thing with elemental magic that I find very hard to turn down. So when I coincidentally ended up at the Bloomsbury booth during the galley drop, I was like "YES." *sigh* Ultimately, I should have listened to my instincts because this... this just wasn't very good.
The Fire Artist tells the story of Aria, a - you guessed it - fire artist, who lives in an alternate version of our world where some people are born with the gift of elemental magic. It's a rare gift that can open the doors to money and power, which could ultimately give Aria freedom from her abusive father and save her family. Unfortunately, she wasn't actually born with the gift. She stole it from lightning, and it's running out. So she turns to another route to keep her magic... jinnis.
That all sounds well and good, but the world building is so bizarre. So towards the end of the book, it comes out that more than 99% of the population does not have magic. Yet it seems like the whole world is oriented around the existence of it. There's "Leagues" that recruit magic users but... for what? From what I can tell, they only put on circus-type shows, displaying tricks with the various elements. With Leagues, I would think it's like a sport, with competitions but... no. Yet the Leagues are competitive. How? Also, the Leagues took over almost all sports facilities. They regularly train on baseball fields and took over a massive sports complex in NYC - but GUYS. Seriously, the existence of magic would not KILL sports, especially if less than 1% of the population has magic. It all just feels so shallow and convenient and WHY NOT. The only thing that did make sense was magic users being recruited to the Look Outs, or whatever, that protect the world from environmental disasters. The fact that this extremely rare gift of magic is otherwise only being used for entertainment is just... blah.
The characters are super bland. I did not feel anything for any of them. At a certain point, Aria keeps saying that this character and this character are sarcastic and snarky, and I was just like, "WHAT?" I didn't get any personality, especially not awesome witty types, from any of them. This is not a character-driven novel at all, and the plot couldn't make up for that absence. Aria bored me. Taj bored me. Their romance was insufferable. It starts out within 10 pages, that Aria is cyberstalking pictures of him online and referring to him as "the beautiful boy". From that point on, you already know how it's going to go. It's classic paranormal instalove, and the writing makes it torture, because it's giving into this trope, recognizing the trope, and at the same time trying to prove to you that I'M THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE BECAUSE NO HERE THEY REALLY DO LOVE EACH OTHER IN SPITE OF ONLY KNOWING EACH OTHER FOR DAYS AND HAVING NO ACTUAL CHEMISTRY.
Oh, and did I mention that the writing was bad? It's really really bad. And lazy. And bad. And I'll just let it speak for itself.
THAT IS NOT AN EXPLANATION. THAT IS LAZY. WTF.
And for the rest, the plot is just your usual contrived dribble. Clichés upon clichés. I figured out every plot twist before it happened, and in the end, it's just the usual "LOVE TRANSCENDS ALL RULES" bullshit. Nothing original to see here. Move along.
Summing Up:
I feel like this review is lazy, but that's because this book was lazy. Predictable, poorly written, and boring, to top it all off. The only real positive? It's short, and it reads quickly. But I think you'd be better off spending your money on some other book. And if you really want elemental magic and jinnis, go pick up Exquisite Captive instead. If you want jinnis and adorable romance, go pick up The Art of Wishing. Just save yourself from this headache.
GIF it to me straight!
*An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review.
Oh boy. When I heard that The Fire Artist would be at BEA, I wasn't entirely sure I should pick it up. I hadn't heard the best things about Daisy Whitney, but I have this thing with elemental magic that I find very hard to turn down. So when I coincidentally ended up at the Bloomsbury booth during the galley drop, I was like "YES." *sigh* Ultimately, I should have listened to my instincts because this... this just wasn't very good.
The Fire Artist tells the story of Aria, a - you guessed it - fire artist, who lives in an alternate version of our world where some people are born with the gift of elemental magic. It's a rare gift that can open the doors to money and power, which could ultimately give Aria freedom from her abusive father and save her family. Unfortunately, she wasn't actually born with the gift. She stole it from lightning, and it's running out. So she turns to another route to keep her magic... jinnis.
That all sounds well and good, but the world building is so bizarre. So towards the end of the book, it comes out that more than 99% of the population does not have magic. Yet it seems like the whole world is oriented around the existence of it. There's "Leagues" that recruit magic users but... for what? From what I can tell, they only put on circus-type shows, displaying tricks with the various elements. With Leagues, I would think it's like a sport, with competitions but... no. Yet the Leagues are competitive. How? Also, the Leagues took over almost all sports facilities. They regularly train on baseball fields and took over a massive sports complex in NYC - but GUYS. Seriously, the existence of magic would not KILL sports, especially if less than 1% of the population has magic. It all just feels so shallow and convenient and WHY NOT. The only thing that did make sense was magic users being recruited to the Look Outs, or whatever, that protect the world from environmental disasters. The fact that this extremely rare gift of magic is otherwise only being used for entertainment is just... blah.
The characters are super bland. I did not feel anything for any of them. At a certain point, Aria keeps saying that this character and this character are sarcastic and snarky, and I was just like, "WHAT?" I didn't get any personality, especially not awesome witty types, from any of them. This is not a character-driven novel at all, and the plot couldn't make up for that absence. Aria bored me. Taj bored me. Their romance was insufferable. It starts out within 10 pages, that Aria is cyberstalking pictures of him online and referring to him as "the beautiful boy". From that point on, you already know how it's going to go. It's classic paranormal instalove, and the writing makes it torture, because it's giving into this trope, recognizing the trope, and at the same time trying to prove to you that I'M THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE BECAUSE NO HERE THEY REALLY DO LOVE EACH OTHER IN SPITE OF ONLY KNOWING EACH OTHER FOR DAYS AND HAVING NO ACTUAL CHEMISTRY.
But it feels like I have known Taj for longer. I'm sure that's what everyone says when they start to fall for someone. But maybe it's a cliché for a reason. Because when it happens to you, it's no longer a cliché. It's the truth. I do feel as if I've known Taj for a long time, and it's because he knows so much more about me than almost anyone.
ARC of The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney
It occurs to me that it would be far to early in a normal relationship to suggest running away with a boy. But this isn't a normal relationship by any stretch, so I don't feel clingy or needy by asking him. I feel as if I'm taking charge of my own fate.
ARC of The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney
Oh, and did I mention that the writing was bad? It's really really bad. And lazy. And bad. And I'll just let it speak for itself.
I exhale, my shoulders falling, and I realize I've been holding my breath since I left Florida. Of course, I'll probably be holding my breath again until the next renewal. I suppose I am always holding my breath.
ARC of The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney
"But I didn't find you. I thought granters had to be found," I say.
[...]
He rolls his eyes, then speaks slowly, as if he doesn't expect me to get it. "We are found. We are found in the wanting, and blah-blah-blah."
ARC of The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney
THAT IS NOT AN EXPLANATION. THAT IS LAZY. WTF.
"You know the queen of England?"
"Not personally."
"Right. Well, neither do I. Know her personally, that is. Though I know many other heads of state, but that's a conversation for another time. Point being, she's a figurehead." He gestures carelessly to the [genie's] lamp. "And that's a figurehead."
"Like an anachronism," I say, and he taps his index finger to his nose.
ARC of The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney
And for the rest, the plot is just your usual contrived dribble. Clichés upon clichés. I figured out every plot twist before it happened, and in the end, it's just the usual "LOVE TRANSCENDS ALL RULES" bullshit. Nothing original to see here. Move along.
Summing Up:
I feel like this review is lazy, but that's because this book was lazy. Predictable, poorly written, and boring, to top it all off. The only real positive? It's short, and it reads quickly. But I think you'd be better off spending your money on some other book. And if you really want elemental magic and jinnis, go pick up Exquisite Captive instead. If you want jinnis and adorable romance, go pick up The Art of Wishing. Just save yourself from this headache.
GIF it to me straight!
*An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review.
December 14, 2014
Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for sending me this copy for review.
DNF at 45%.
When I read a fantasy book, I expect more than vague references to magic and an attempt at making the protagonist seem well-developed by hinting at some horrible event in the past. Sorry, that won't make me empathize with her. But what made me really decide to set the book aside was the douche-y guy who, based on Aria's description, would be a love interest later on.
No thanks.
DNF at 45%.
When I read a fantasy book, I expect more than vague references to magic and an attempt at making the protagonist seem well-developed by hinting at some horrible event in the past. Sorry, that won't make me empathize with her. But what made me really decide to set the book aside was the douche-y guy who, based on Aria's description, would be a love interest later on.
No thanks.
October 15, 2014
I finished this book in less then 2 days and really liked the book! After finishing reading the book, I read some reviews of the book and I was disappointed in the people writing some of the bad reviews! First of all most of the people reviewing the book seem to have forgotten this was a book written for younger audiences and not really for grownups, second this book is only the third by Daisy Whitney and considering this I feel like her book is really really good and can't wait for my daughter to read it! The book had more then Aria being a Fire Artist it also sent a message of hope, determination, and love. I think that people forget sometimes to read between the lines and see what kind of message our children will learn from a book. As we get older we want to be taken to somewhere else when we read but, as a mother I am hoping when my children read, they will learn something good from the book. In the Fire Artist I believe there are things in the book my daughter can learn about like trusting someone, telling someone when someone is hurting them, and believing in your heart and this is just naming a few. I think that Daisy Whitney did a good job writing this book and feel as she continues to write that she will improve with each book she writes! I look forward to reading future books by Daisy Whitney and will continue to encourage my daughter to read books written by her! Thank you very much for reading my review and hope you take it into consideration whem buying this book for your children! Roxanne
October 22, 2014
The Fire Artist started off strongly for me and I was very curious about the world that Whitney had created. As the book progressed however, I found my attention waning. Mid-way through, I decided this just wasn't going to be the book for me and I abandoned it. My lack of interest in The Fire Artist stemmed from the fact that I could not for the life of me emotionally connect with Aria, the protagonist. She felt so insipid and lacked any spark. I felt similarly about the secondary characters and when I'm unable to connect with any character, then the book just isn't for me. It also didn't help that the world building was fuzzy and weak. And the romance that supposedly going to sweep you away? It was boring and lacked any chemistry. It's a shame because this book definitely had some unique and intriguing ideas that could have made for a decent fantasy book.
September 20, 2014
Wow.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's books, for this free book to review!
What I liked:
1. The plot. Lean and mean, baby.
2. Aria. Also lean, mean, and quite a fighting machine. Her life sucked and she was pretty bitter, and yet she was still a likable heroine. She felt a lot of feels, which made me feel them too.
3. The idea. I really like fire, okay? Fire Artist is like Frozen gone berserk.
What was meh:
1. Aria was set on fire repeatedly as a child. How is she not dead?
2. It sure is convenient that the granter rules make exceptions for true love.
3. Taj is perfect, too perfect. At least he was (forced to be, as a granter) polite.
Would I read other books by Daisy Whitney? Absolutely! I fell in love with the writing and I want MOOOOOOOOOORE.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's books, for this free book to review!
What I liked:
1. The plot. Lean and mean, baby.
2. Aria. Also lean, mean, and quite a fighting machine. Her life sucked and she was pretty bitter, and yet she was still a likable heroine. She felt a lot of feels, which made me feel them too.
3. The idea. I really like fire, okay? Fire Artist is like Frozen gone berserk.
What was meh:
1. Aria was set on fire repeatedly as a child. How is she not dead?
2. It sure is convenient that the granter rules make exceptions for true love.
3. Taj is perfect, too perfect. At least he was (forced to be, as a granter) polite.
Would I read other books by Daisy Whitney? Absolutely! I fell in love with the writing and I want MOOOOOOOOOORE.
January 12, 2019
The cover and the synopsis for The Fire Artist looked so pretty, I had cover fever for a few seconds while trying to decide between 5 plus other books (I planned on walking away with 3 books for 4 weeks, not 100 books).
And the fact it was one of the newest residents at the library and when you own nearly zilch books (two), getting your hands on a shiny copy of a book is a wondrous feeling and a rarity.
The Fire Artist gets straight to the point from the very beginning – there's really no stalling going on here. Whitney reveals early on that Aria has problems as a fire artist, and that it needs to be replenished often if she wants to keep her control and not face her father's wrath. But then Aria is recruited by the M.E. Leagues, the highest honor an elemental artist can get, and she has to find another way to continue keeping her fire powers.
The world building here is amazing – the peace in the Middle East isn't just "there" simply because someone in a prestigious family did something while everyone else went down to rock bottom, said someone succeeded and as a result, everyone respects the person and bows down to them. The history of how the Middle East came to be – in accordance to the book – seems to be based off current events in the Middle East, making the book seem a little realistic rather than utmost fantasy. The granters Whitney portrays throughout The Fire Artist aren't just "there" (though they are just "there") for everyone's beck and call – the granters seemed to be unified with rules and whatnot rather than each granter working individually on their own.
The romance between Taj and Aria also isn't one that rushes quickly – it's slowly developing as the book progresses and it doesn't overshadow the overall plot (a huge peeve of mine). The conversations between the two are entertaining enough that despite the fact Aria takes her time in making her wish, I personally don't mind because I'm too busy enjoying the book to even care.
I do, however, have a little peeve against Aria for stalking the dude before they even met. Surely that never goes well if the dude actually finds out.
Though to be honest, if Aria had made her wish too early in the book instead of stalling awhile, the book would have ended much too quickly. The world building and character development would have been terrible – no one (aside from the author) would ever know precisely how the peace in the Middle East really came to be (oh, so everyone just whipped up a treaty?) or gotten the chance to really know Aria and Taj as characters.
There are no regrets in reading this – The Fire Artist is as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
And the fact it was one of the newest residents at the library and when you own nearly zilch books (two), getting your hands on a shiny copy of a book is a wondrous feeling and a rarity.
The Fire Artist gets straight to the point from the very beginning – there's really no stalling going on here. Whitney reveals early on that Aria has problems as a fire artist, and that it needs to be replenished often if she wants to keep her control and not face her father's wrath. But then Aria is recruited by the M.E. Leagues, the highest honor an elemental artist can get, and she has to find another way to continue keeping her fire powers.
The world building here is amazing – the peace in the Middle East isn't just "there" simply because someone in a prestigious family did something while everyone else went down to rock bottom, said someone succeeded and as a result, everyone respects the person and bows down to them. The history of how the Middle East came to be – in accordance to the book – seems to be based off current events in the Middle East, making the book seem a little realistic rather than utmost fantasy. The granters Whitney portrays throughout The Fire Artist aren't just "there" (though they are just "there") for everyone's beck and call – the granters seemed to be unified with rules and whatnot rather than each granter working individually on their own.
The romance between Taj and Aria also isn't one that rushes quickly – it's slowly developing as the book progresses and it doesn't overshadow the overall plot (a huge peeve of mine). The conversations between the two are entertaining enough that despite the fact Aria takes her time in making her wish, I personally don't mind because I'm too busy enjoying the book to even care.
I do, however, have a little peeve against Aria for stalking the dude before they even met. Surely that never goes well if the dude actually finds out.
Though to be honest, if Aria had made her wish too early in the book instead of stalling awhile, the book would have ended much too quickly. The world building and character development would have been terrible – no one (aside from the author) would ever know precisely how the peace in the Middle East really came to be (oh, so everyone just whipped up a treaty?) or gotten the chance to really know Aria and Taj as characters.
There are no regrets in reading this – The Fire Artist is as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
June 14, 2015
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MY THOUGHTS
I've seen this book around blogs for the past few weeks, but it just didn't catch my attention. I'm not a fan of the cover and then when I started to read the synopsis, I saw "forbidden romance" and instantly ran away in the other direction. I eventually read the full synopsis and thought, "Oh, this book has a really interesting idea!" I really wanted to know more about this girl who steals fire from the sky and I ended up really enjoying this book!
What I really liked about this book is the unique ideas and interesting storyline. This book takes place in an alternate world where certain people can be born with elemental abilities (fire, water, wind, earth, ice, etc.). Aria did not receive any elemental abilities, but her father constantly abused her by burning her hands in order to bring out her elemental abilities (which, again, she did not have). So, she devises a way to steal fire from the sky: getting hit by lightning, directly in the heart. But this fire only lasts a limited amount of time, so she must repeatedly get hit by lightning, slowing killing her.
See? How can this not be interesting! And that's one of the things that I firmly believe about this book: It is not just a "forbidden romance". Yes, she does eventually fall in love with a guy and, while it's not really forbidden, it is hard for them to be together. But I felt that the romance took more of a back seat. The main plot of this book was Aria trying to become a pure fire artist, and to stop her dad from his abuse .
Now, I did have a few issues with this book.
The romance was a bit unbelievable to me. It was kind of insta-love and then there's the whole true love thing. The guy can only be free if he finds true love. That is just so cliche and while I did think they were cute together, I did not get the true love vibe from them
My other issue is how the whole dad thing was resolved
IN CONCLUSION
This is a unique and interesting standalone! It's a perfect quick read! I enjoyed reading it, even though some things seem out of the realm of possibility.
I will definitely be looking into other books by this author.
I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MY THOUGHTS
I've seen this book around blogs for the past few weeks, but it just didn't catch my attention. I'm not a fan of the cover and then when I started to read the synopsis, I saw "forbidden romance" and instantly ran away in the other direction. I eventually read the full synopsis and thought, "Oh, this book has a really interesting idea!" I really wanted to know more about this girl who steals fire from the sky and I ended up really enjoying this book!
What I really liked about this book is the unique ideas and interesting storyline. This book takes place in an alternate world where certain people can be born with elemental abilities (fire, water, wind, earth, ice, etc.). Aria did not receive any elemental abilities, but her father constantly abused her by burning her hands in order to bring out her elemental abilities (which, again, she did not have). So, she devises a way to steal fire from the sky: getting hit by lightning, directly in the heart. But this fire only lasts a limited amount of time, so she must repeatedly get hit by lightning, slowing killing her.
See? How can this not be interesting! And that's one of the things that I firmly believe about this book: It is not just a "forbidden romance". Yes, she does eventually fall in love with a guy and, while it's not really forbidden, it is hard for them to be together. But I felt that the romance took more of a back seat. The main plot of this book was Aria trying to become a pure fire artist, and to stop her dad from his abuse .
Now, I did have a few issues with this book.
The romance was a bit unbelievable to me. It was kind of insta-love and then there's the whole true love thing. The guy can only be free if he finds true love. That is just so cliche and while I did think they were cute together, I did not get the true love vibe from them
My other issue is how the whole dad thing was resolved
IN CONCLUSION
This is a unique and interesting standalone! It's a perfect quick read! I enjoyed reading it, even though some things seem out of the realm of possibility.
I will definitely be looking into other books by this author.
September 30, 2014
Nose Graze — Book reviews & blogging tips
I started out LOVING The Fire Artist . The idea of elemental magic as a performance art—almost like a sport actually—was very interesting. Then you bring Genies into the mix and it's almost like baseball and steroids.
Then an abuse element was introduced. Aria's father tried to force her to become a fire artist by burning her and trying to convince her that it didn't really hurt. Obviously that's horrible, but I thought it was a really unique and interesting way to introduce abuse. He never hit her, but he was so desperate to have a family full of elemental artists that he tried to force her to become a fire artist. Very interesting!
But then when she's recruited, things went downhill for me. The whole fire artist thing was put on the back burner while the romance dominated.. and the romance was pretty insta-lovey.
I think I just thought the book would be a lot more epic than it ended up being. In fact some of it was just pretty silly . The whole thing came down to a half-baked romance. It would have been cooler if there was some kind of epic, elemental war.
Overall it was okay, but I think it could have been a lot better, especially since it started out so great!
On another note, the synopsis pretty much sums up 90% of the whole story, which is why I put some of it in spoiler tags. Luckily I didn't read it right before I read the book, so it wasn't totally ruined for me. But keep that in mind if you're considering picking this up.
I started out LOVING The Fire Artist . The idea of elemental magic as a performance art—almost like a sport actually—was very interesting. Then you bring Genies into the mix and it's almost like baseball and steroids.
Then an abuse element was introduced. Aria's father tried to force her to become a fire artist by burning her and trying to convince her that it didn't really hurt. Obviously that's horrible, but I thought it was a really unique and interesting way to introduce abuse. He never hit her, but he was so desperate to have a family full of elemental artists that he tried to force her to become a fire artist. Very interesting!
But then when she's recruited, things went downhill for me. The whole fire artist thing was put on the back burner while the romance dominated.. and the romance was pretty insta-lovey.
I think I just thought the book would be a lot more epic than it ended up being. In fact some of it was just pretty silly . The whole thing came down to a half-baked romance. It would have been cooler if there was some kind of epic, elemental war.
Overall it was okay, but I think it could have been a lot better, especially since it started out so great!
On another note, the synopsis pretty much sums up 90% of the whole story, which is why I put some of it in spoiler tags. Luckily I didn't read it right before I read the book, so it wasn't totally ruined for me. But keep that in mind if you're considering picking this up.
October 14, 2014
This and other reviews are on my site My Friends Are Fiction
My Thoughts:
The Fire Artist was an entertaining book with some unique elements but overall felt a bit forgettable. It started off strong with Aria’s introduction and learning about her ability to use fire. I was very interested in learning about how magic was used in this novel and the idea that Aria was able to ‘steal’ her fire was a really great twist.
I felt that Aria’s backstory and reasons behind stealing her power were incredibly strong and moving and gave her character immense depth. Sadly, as the story progressed it became more and more typical though it was still fast paced and easy to read.
I loved that Aria lived in an alternate reality that was very similar to our own. I felt that the setting was described well and was easy to imagine (especially since it was mostly like our current world but with added magic).
Once the romance set in things became more predictable but not bad. I could get a sense of the chemistry between Aria and her love interest though I felt that the outcome was pretty easy to spot.
Final Thoughts:
My review is brief but honestly this was a fairly short novel. I felt that it was unique in the magic abilities of the characters and I enjoyed that it took place in a alternate world to our own. I wished that the story hadn’t been so easy to predict towards the end. Overall this was an easy, fast read that was entertaining.
My Thoughts:
The Fire Artist was an entertaining book with some unique elements but overall felt a bit forgettable. It started off strong with Aria’s introduction and learning about her ability to use fire. I was very interested in learning about how magic was used in this novel and the idea that Aria was able to ‘steal’ her fire was a really great twist.
I felt that Aria’s backstory and reasons behind stealing her power were incredibly strong and moving and gave her character immense depth. Sadly, as the story progressed it became more and more typical though it was still fast paced and easy to read.
I loved that Aria lived in an alternate reality that was very similar to our own. I felt that the setting was described well and was easy to imagine (especially since it was mostly like our current world but with added magic).
Once the romance set in things became more predictable but not bad. I could get a sense of the chemistry between Aria and her love interest though I felt that the outcome was pretty easy to spot.
Final Thoughts:
My review is brief but honestly this was a fairly short novel. I felt that it was unique in the magic abilities of the characters and I enjoyed that it took place in a alternate world to our own. I wished that the story hadn’t been so easy to predict towards the end. Overall this was an easy, fast read that was entertaining.
June 19, 2015
I enjoyed this story a lot. I found the world pretty awesome. I'd love to get to see an element show in real life. The characters where likeable and I loved Aria as a lead. I loved how she would do anything to protect her sister from her father and give up her life and freedom to keep her sister from going through the same thing she did. It was a simple easy to read fast paced story that anyone could enjoy. The granters are really fascinating and I would love to read more about them.:)
Want to read
May 31, 2014This sounds really cool!
I can't wait for this fantasy novel, because I loved The Mockingbirds!
EDIT
A COVER!!!!! Hehehehe!!!
I saw this through my emails and went, huh? I though The Break-up Artist was a stand-alone and I didn't think I wrote a review for it...
Straight as I realised what it was, I got overly excited again!!!!!
Oh Daisy Whitney...
I can't wait for this fantasy novel, because I loved The Mockingbirds!
EDIT
A COVER!!!!! Hehehehe!!!
I saw this through my emails and went, huh? I though The Break-up Artist was a stand-alone and I didn't think I wrote a review for it...
Straight as I realised what it was, I got overly excited again!!!!!
Oh Daisy Whitney...
January 27, 2014
Intense, smart, emotional and imaginative!!!
January 15, 2019
I thought the book was quite interesting in terms of plot development and concept. The whole thing about elemental magic was pretty basic, but I enjoyed the part with the Granters quite a lot. In my opinion the main character was fleshed out pretty well, but I would have liked to have seen more character development for people like Jana, Elise, Gem and Taj.
The ending was lowkey cliché, as these books sometimes are. I felt that the book could have ended better if the ending wasn't such a predictable one.
I give this book 4 stars because i thought the ending killed off my vibe. I thought certain action scenes could be more developed, and I would liked the book more if it had more visual description. Overall an interesting read, worth your time!
The ending was lowkey cliché, as these books sometimes are. I felt that the book could have ended better if the ending wasn't such a predictable one.
I give this book 4 stars because i thought the ending killed off my vibe. I thought certain action scenes could be more developed, and I would liked the book more if it had more visual description. Overall an interesting read, worth your time!
December 21, 2016
4.5 stars
I read this short book in 2 days and enjoyed every minute of it. The world that the author has created and the magic rulings and entire world is just amazing. The characters were well developed and the main character cares a lot about the people around her which could be annoying at times but not too over-the-top. It resembles the Element Benders from Avatar but it is still a very good short read for anyone who wants to get out of a reading slump or a good fast read.
I read this short book in 2 days and enjoyed every minute of it. The world that the author has created and the magic rulings and entire world is just amazing. The characters were well developed and the main character cares a lot about the people around her which could be annoying at times but not too over-the-top. It resembles the Element Benders from Avatar but it is still a very good short read for anyone who wants to get out of a reading slump or a good fast read.
May 13, 2016
Review:
Protagonist: Aria steals fire from the sky. She does this because it's the only way to keep her family together. However the process to take the fire isn't always reliable and after she's transferred to big leagues for her elemental artistry she needs to find a more sustainable and long lasting solution to her problem. The only other way to achieve a fire artist's abilities other than being born with it or taking it from the sky is to find a Granter and wish for the ability. However all Granter's require a price, is Aria willing to pay hers? I actually really liked the character of Aria, she isn't resigned to a single trope or stereotype, instead she comes off as a very realistic character, she cares about her family, her friends, and it's her protectiveness that leads her every move in this book. Over the course of this book Aria gets even stronger becomes a more fully developed character.
Romance: Going into this book, I felt that a large majority of it would focus on the romance, and with this being a fairly short standalone, I didn't find that unreasonable. However, there is very little of this book, comparatively, that focuses on the romance. Another thing I'm going to stick in here, I know that the synopsis is usually written by the publisher and not the author so I won't take any stars off for it, but this isn't a forbidden romance, at least not in the traditional sense. There are aspects to the romance that if you squint hard enough could be called forbidden, but the romance itself isn't. Anyway, my biggest problem is that since this is a standalone, the "L" word is going to inevitably come up, and my deal is; if it feels earned by the time the words come out, sure I'll roll with it and if not then hey they're just kids it's not like it's true love. However by the time it comes up, since there isn't all that much romance beforehand and this book is so short, it doesn't feel earned, I was actually hoping that the author would find a way to not even have to use the word love when describing these characters feelings but alas it just didn't feel right.
World-Building: If you get to the halfway point of this book, you'll probably feel that while there is a decent amount of world-building there isn't a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but hey, it's a standalone so there doesn't need to be an abundance of world-building. The things is though, that in the back half of this book there's a lot more world-building to discover. I'm not necessarily angry at the abundance of world-building, more that with as much as there was, I could have easily seen this book become a series. I felt like with all that we learned in the back half, it wouldn't be very hard at all to extend some things, add some things and develop the world and characters just a bit more and then there would be plenty of content for more book set in this world. Again, I'm not mad that the world is so complex by the end of the story, I'm more just a bit disappointed that there was a missed opportunity.
Predictability: This book was actually really unpredictable. There was a fair amount of foreshadowing, some that it was easy to tell that, while I may not know how that will pop up again, I'm sure it will, and some that I didn't even realize until it was too late that it was important. There was even some misleading foreshadowing that made it seem like something was a big deal or that it would make a larger impact later, only for it to sort of not come to a head. Overall I really enjoyed the unpredictability of this book, of course there were a few times when I was able to catch onto things before they were revealed, but you kind of want that in a book, you don't want to feel like the author totally pulled the wool over your eyes, or at least I don't.
Ending: The ending of this book was really weird. Like I said before with so much world-building introduced toward the end of this book, I could have easily seen it becoming a series, and toward the end there was a perfect place for a crazy cliffhanger ending. However since this is a standalone it moves on past that to tie things up at the end so that there are no loose ends. I did really enjoy the way things turned out, and I didn't necessarily think they were rushed or squeezed together in an awkward way, but at the same time, it just feels off. I can't quite put my finger on what but while it didn't feel rushed it sort of felt a bit too convenient maybe. Regardless, I enjoyed the ending, but there was just something about it that didn't completely sit right with me.
Rating:
On the whole I really enjoyed this story. It is a little bit of a slow start, the romance should have been given more page time and been developed a lot more, and there were a few parts in the book that were a tad confusing, but in the end I really enjoyed the world and the characters and look forward to what's next from this author.
Protagonist: Aria steals fire from the sky. She does this because it's the only way to keep her family together. However the process to take the fire isn't always reliable and after she's transferred to big leagues for her elemental artistry she needs to find a more sustainable and long lasting solution to her problem. The only other way to achieve a fire artist's abilities other than being born with it or taking it from the sky is to find a Granter and wish for the ability. However all Granter's require a price, is Aria willing to pay hers? I actually really liked the character of Aria, she isn't resigned to a single trope or stereotype, instead she comes off as a very realistic character, she cares about her family, her friends, and it's her protectiveness that leads her every move in this book. Over the course of this book Aria gets even stronger becomes a more fully developed character.
Romance: Going into this book, I felt that a large majority of it would focus on the romance, and with this being a fairly short standalone, I didn't find that unreasonable. However, there is very little of this book, comparatively, that focuses on the romance. Another thing I'm going to stick in here, I know that the synopsis is usually written by the publisher and not the author so I won't take any stars off for it, but this isn't a forbidden romance, at least not in the traditional sense. There are aspects to the romance that if you squint hard enough could be called forbidden, but the romance itself isn't. Anyway, my biggest problem is that since this is a standalone, the "L" word is going to inevitably come up, and my deal is; if it feels earned by the time the words come out, sure I'll roll with it and if not then hey they're just kids it's not like it's true love. However by the time it comes up, since there isn't all that much romance beforehand and this book is so short, it doesn't feel earned, I was actually hoping that the author would find a way to not even have to use the word love when describing these characters feelings but alas it just didn't feel right.
World-Building: If you get to the halfway point of this book, you'll probably feel that while there is a decent amount of world-building there isn't a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but hey, it's a standalone so there doesn't need to be an abundance of world-building. The things is though, that in the back half of this book there's a lot more world-building to discover. I'm not necessarily angry at the abundance of world-building, more that with as much as there was, I could have easily seen this book become a series. I felt like with all that we learned in the back half, it wouldn't be very hard at all to extend some things, add some things and develop the world and characters just a bit more and then there would be plenty of content for more book set in this world. Again, I'm not mad that the world is so complex by the end of the story, I'm more just a bit disappointed that there was a missed opportunity.
Predictability: This book was actually really unpredictable. There was a fair amount of foreshadowing, some that it was easy to tell that, while I may not know how that will pop up again, I'm sure it will, and some that I didn't even realize until it was too late that it was important. There was even some misleading foreshadowing that made it seem like something was a big deal or that it would make a larger impact later, only for it to sort of not come to a head. Overall I really enjoyed the unpredictability of this book, of course there were a few times when I was able to catch onto things before they were revealed, but you kind of want that in a book, you don't want to feel like the author totally pulled the wool over your eyes, or at least I don't.
Ending: The ending of this book was really weird. Like I said before with so much world-building introduced toward the end of this book, I could have easily seen it becoming a series, and toward the end there was a perfect place for a crazy cliffhanger ending. However since this is a standalone it moves on past that to tie things up at the end so that there are no loose ends. I did really enjoy the way things turned out, and I didn't necessarily think they were rushed or squeezed together in an awkward way, but at the same time, it just feels off. I can't quite put my finger on what but while it didn't feel rushed it sort of felt a bit too convenient maybe. Regardless, I enjoyed the ending, but there was just something about it that didn't completely sit right with me.
Rating:
On the whole I really enjoyed this story. It is a little bit of a slow start, the romance should have been given more page time and been developed a lot more, and there were a few parts in the book that were a tad confusing, but in the end I really enjoyed the world and the characters and look forward to what's next from this author.
April 16, 2015
The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:
In the brave new world occupied by Aria Kilandros, the control of the elements is not only a very real thing but something that is revered, admired and, coveted. Science cannot explain why a certain number of people are born with the ability to control the elements but for those who can and are very adept with their abilities, there is fame and a fortune to be made. What science can explain is that the abilities tend to run in families, the gifts emerge around age thirteen if they are going to and taper off in the twenties. For those with elemental gifts, there is only a small window of opportunity to make their name and their fortune.
To become a famous elemental artist, one must have excellent control, a sense of showmanship and a great desire to achieve greatness. To that end, there are those among the artists who do not have a natural born gift but one that is manufactured, stolen. Aria Kilandros is one of those artists and every single day of her life, she lives in fear of being discovered. At just seventeen years old, Aria has made a name for herself as a fire artist and if her plans work out as she hopes they will, she will soon be able to leave the minor league shows for one of the larger, more prestigious leagues. Though she wasn’t born with the ability to control fire, Aria has acquired the ability and sees it as her ticket out of the hell that is her life. Her father is a controlling and abusive man, her mother is a broken shell of the woman she used to be, her brother is an ex-con and, she must rely on her best-friend to help her restore her abilities on an ever-increasing basis. Aria’s abilities are remarkable but they come at a very, very high cost. For years she and her best-friend have born that cost together but when Aria gets called up to the big leagues, she is forced to find a new means by which to replenish her abilities.
Life in New York is a mixed bag for Aria. On the one hand she is living her dream, she a player in the most prestigious elemental league and on the other hand, she is growing increasingly more desperate and her fire is waning and becoming unmanageable. Enter Taj, the most beautiful boy Aria has ever seen and the one person who can grant her greatest wish. Taj is an entity of legend and myth, a Granter and with the right words and the proper payment, he can secure Aria’s abilities and her future. Granters are, in many ways tricksters and though Aria is in desperate need of Taj and his abilities, she also has to be very, very careful. For several days, Taj and Aria spend every available second together. For his own reasons, Taj is no hurry for Aria to make her wish and for reasons of her own, Aria is in no rush to make her wish. Love was certainly never in the cards but Aria cannot help herself and as fate would have it, love may be the one and only thing that can save she and Taj. Oh, a snow-white gator might also come into play and do some saving as well.
The Bottom Line: As I was pulling my information for this post, I looked at the overall rating for this read on Goodreads and found myself completely confused. I even double-checked the title and author to be sure the low star rating is actually for the book I read. I find myself thoroughly confused and, it seems at odds with a great many reviewers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the elemental artists to the Granters and back again, I was sucked into this read and pleased with it from beginning to end. Aria is wise beyond her years and has had to go to extraordinary lengths to protect herself, her family and, her secret. Though her choices aren’t always the best, they are made and Aria is always willing to accept the consequences of her actions no matter how awful those consequences may be. Even more fascinating than Aria and her talents are the Granters and their abilities. I found the story of the Granters and their role in human events to be quite intriguing and perfect match for the world Whitney has created. Granters have enormous power and the ability to alter the very world humanity inhabits though many are loathe to take on the role. Aria and Taj are a fine pairing and though their path is very, very rocky they do get a fitting ending. I found myself very much hoping this story was going to go on into a second book but alas, the The Fire Artist is a fully completed novel which leaves no stone unturned and no question unanswered. At the end of the day, I find I am quite alright with being at odds with my fellow reviewers on this read and fully recommend giving it a try.
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:
In the brave new world occupied by Aria Kilandros, the control of the elements is not only a very real thing but something that is revered, admired and, coveted. Science cannot explain why a certain number of people are born with the ability to control the elements but for those who can and are very adept with their abilities, there is fame and a fortune to be made. What science can explain is that the abilities tend to run in families, the gifts emerge around age thirteen if they are going to and taper off in the twenties. For those with elemental gifts, there is only a small window of opportunity to make their name and their fortune.
To become a famous elemental artist, one must have excellent control, a sense of showmanship and a great desire to achieve greatness. To that end, there are those among the artists who do not have a natural born gift but one that is manufactured, stolen. Aria Kilandros is one of those artists and every single day of her life, she lives in fear of being discovered. At just seventeen years old, Aria has made a name for herself as a fire artist and if her plans work out as she hopes they will, she will soon be able to leave the minor league shows for one of the larger, more prestigious leagues. Though she wasn’t born with the ability to control fire, Aria has acquired the ability and sees it as her ticket out of the hell that is her life. Her father is a controlling and abusive man, her mother is a broken shell of the woman she used to be, her brother is an ex-con and, she must rely on her best-friend to help her restore her abilities on an ever-increasing basis. Aria’s abilities are remarkable but they come at a very, very high cost. For years she and her best-friend have born that cost together but when Aria gets called up to the big leagues, she is forced to find a new means by which to replenish her abilities.
Life in New York is a mixed bag for Aria. On the one hand she is living her dream, she a player in the most prestigious elemental league and on the other hand, she is growing increasingly more desperate and her fire is waning and becoming unmanageable. Enter Taj, the most beautiful boy Aria has ever seen and the one person who can grant her greatest wish. Taj is an entity of legend and myth, a Granter and with the right words and the proper payment, he can secure Aria’s abilities and her future. Granters are, in many ways tricksters and though Aria is in desperate need of Taj and his abilities, she also has to be very, very careful. For several days, Taj and Aria spend every available second together. For his own reasons, Taj is no hurry for Aria to make her wish and for reasons of her own, Aria is in no rush to make her wish. Love was certainly never in the cards but Aria cannot help herself and as fate would have it, love may be the one and only thing that can save she and Taj. Oh, a snow-white gator might also come into play and do some saving as well.
The Bottom Line: As I was pulling my information for this post, I looked at the overall rating for this read on Goodreads and found myself completely confused. I even double-checked the title and author to be sure the low star rating is actually for the book I read. I find myself thoroughly confused and, it seems at odds with a great many reviewers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the elemental artists to the Granters and back again, I was sucked into this read and pleased with it from beginning to end. Aria is wise beyond her years and has had to go to extraordinary lengths to protect herself, her family and, her secret. Though her choices aren’t always the best, they are made and Aria is always willing to accept the consequences of her actions no matter how awful those consequences may be. Even more fascinating than Aria and her talents are the Granters and their abilities. I found the story of the Granters and their role in human events to be quite intriguing and perfect match for the world Whitney has created. Granters have enormous power and the ability to alter the very world humanity inhabits though many are loathe to take on the role. Aria and Taj are a fine pairing and though their path is very, very rocky they do get a fitting ending. I found myself very much hoping this story was going to go on into a second book but alas, the The Fire Artist is a fully completed novel which leaves no stone unturned and no question unanswered. At the end of the day, I find I am quite alright with being at odds with my fellow reviewers on this read and fully recommend giving it a try.
February 12, 2015
I liked it. The Fire Artist is predictable, simple, familiar. There are no strange languages or original other-worldly beings, no scenarios that are so far outside the canon of fantasy that they would make a reader startle.
This book is accessible to all, and may be a good choice for introductory fantasy reading.
The characters are decently captured; you love some and you hate some. They are distinct from one another with everyman/everygirl qualities that will make them relatable to many readers.
While reading, I kept having the sensation that I had read this story before, that I already knew everything about it - knew the characters, the situation, the outcome.
I didn't; the book just gives that feeling.
It does ask a couple important questions:
Who are the victims in a domestic abuse situation? What constitutes abuse? Perhaps these seem to have common-sense answers; what happens when the environment is vastly different from one we know, when the very truth of existence is altered?
Because this is a fantasy novel, and the abuse in question concerns elemental magic, and many fantasy stories involve a cruel or terrible taskmaster and often include some sort of painful self-sacrifice or strict training regimens in order to enhance powers, I have to admit that it took me a bit to realize what I was actually reading. The torture Aria's father inflicts on her to "grow" her fire magic is not difficult training; it does not meet with acceptable standards of pushing physical boundaries and meeting limits. It is abuse, plain and simple.
The wish-bond he has placed on Aria's mother falls into the same category. How many people feel trapped in a loveless, painful relationship, are incapable of simply walking away from unhealthy commitments? Though there may not be a tangible force holding these men and women in place, the emotional, mental shackles do the job just as neatly.
The Taj-Aria dynamic makes me wonder if it is selfish to ask somebody to do what they are ...employed/trained/required by life to do? Taj is a granter (a genie/djinni). To exist in the tangible world, he must be needed by a wisher. As soon as the wish is concluded, he vanishes into a state of non-being until the next desperate need to wish in his vicinity summons him.
Aria becomes one of his wishers, and in a classic boy-meets-girl, girl-falls-in-love-with-boy, world-is-turned-upside-down-and-the-very-fabric-of-the-cosmos-is-rent-asunder scenario, begins delaying the moment of her wish in order to spend more time with him before he disappears. As she gets to know him and he explains more about himself and his life to her, she grows conflicted. Should she wish? Is she simply exploiting Taj? This kind of servitude is well-nigh extinct in the modern world (the closest thing to which I can compare it is, without trying to be too crass about it, workers in the sex trade), so it may be a nearly-moot point, but still the question intrigues me. Does it ever speak ill of the "wisher" in a scenario to ask the "granter" to fulfill his obligation?
All in all, this novel is neither unsurprising nor world-changing. It is fairly well-written, if simple in language and structure, and engaging, and even though the ending was an obvious one, the book is still enjoyable. There are even a couple surprises.
I liked the story. I liked the protagonist and her gaggle of supporting characters, I detested her villainous father, and I liked her love interest. I even liked their romance. It was, for a change, simple, and not as fraught with crossed stars and melodrama as many young adult story-relationships are, which in and of itself is refreshing.
This book is accessible to all, and may be a good choice for introductory fantasy reading.
The characters are decently captured; you love some and you hate some. They are distinct from one another with everyman/everygirl qualities that will make them relatable to many readers.
While reading, I kept having the sensation that I had read this story before, that I already knew everything about it - knew the characters, the situation, the outcome.
I didn't; the book just gives that feeling.
It does ask a couple important questions:
Who are the victims in a domestic abuse situation? What constitutes abuse? Perhaps these seem to have common-sense answers; what happens when the environment is vastly different from one we know, when the very truth of existence is altered?
Because this is a fantasy novel, and the abuse in question concerns elemental magic, and many fantasy stories involve a cruel or terrible taskmaster and often include some sort of painful self-sacrifice or strict training regimens in order to enhance powers, I have to admit that it took me a bit to realize what I was actually reading. The torture Aria's father inflicts on her to "grow" her fire magic is not difficult training; it does not meet with acceptable standards of pushing physical boundaries and meeting limits. It is abuse, plain and simple.
The wish-bond he has placed on Aria's mother falls into the same category. How many people feel trapped in a loveless, painful relationship, are incapable of simply walking away from unhealthy commitments? Though there may not be a tangible force holding these men and women in place, the emotional, mental shackles do the job just as neatly.
The Taj-Aria dynamic makes me wonder if it is selfish to ask somebody to do what they are ...employed/trained/required by life to do? Taj is a granter (a genie/djinni). To exist in the tangible world, he must be needed by a wisher. As soon as the wish is concluded, he vanishes into a state of non-being until the next desperate need to wish in his vicinity summons him.
Aria becomes one of his wishers, and in a classic boy-meets-girl, girl-falls-in-love-with-boy, world-is-turned-upside-down-and-the-very-fabric-of-the-cosmos-is-rent-asunder scenario, begins delaying the moment of her wish in order to spend more time with him before he disappears. As she gets to know him and he explains more about himself and his life to her, she grows conflicted. Should she wish? Is she simply exploiting Taj? This kind of servitude is well-nigh extinct in the modern world (the closest thing to which I can compare it is, without trying to be too crass about it, workers in the sex trade), so it may be a nearly-moot point, but still the question intrigues me. Does it ever speak ill of the "wisher" in a scenario to ask the "granter" to fulfill his obligation?
All in all, this novel is neither unsurprising nor world-changing. It is fairly well-written, if simple in language and structure, and engaging, and even though the ending was an obvious one, the book is still enjoyable. There are even a couple surprises.
I liked the story. I liked the protagonist and her gaggle of supporting characters, I detested her villainous father, and I liked her love interest. I even liked their romance. It was, for a change, simple, and not as fraught with crossed stars and melodrama as many young adult story-relationships are, which in and of itself is refreshing.
November 25, 2014
Featured in "Reading on a Theme: Fire Magic" on Intellectual Recreation.
The Fire Artist takes place in an alternate United States where some people have developed elemental magic. Many elemental artists aspire to working in a new entertainment industry that is kind of melding of professional sports and the circus.
Aria is a fire artist. She's been training with one of the smaller leagues and hoping to make it into the big time. Aria is different from other elemental artists; her magic is not born from within. She stole it from the sky. This secret puts her in danger because the leagues have a strictly no external magic use policy, which in this case means genies (think no steroids in sports). Aria's theft was kind of a last resort, something that could guarantee her and her family's safety, at least for a little while.
I have been wanting to read a book by Daisy Whitney for a while now, and I really enjoyed The Fire Artist. I love an alternate reality, and this one was certainly interesting. I liked the parallels between elemental magic and professional athletics. Daisy Whitney offers a satisfying twist on elemental magic, as well.
My favorite part about this book is how Aria's dilemma is carefully balanced. The reader really feels for Aria, as it seems that she has no good option. Circumstances, and her reactions to them, have painted her into a corner and consequences are inevitable. There's no way she's getting out of this situation unscathed. You really feel the events of the past catching up with her. However, Aria is one tough girl, and she is going to do everything in her power to fight back and take full responsibility for her mistakes.
Aria's relationship with the Granter (a genie) was just okay for me. The plot stalls a bit as Aria and Taj wander the city, but I did enjoy the infusion of genies into this alternate world.
The Fire Artist is out October 14th, 2014
Review copy from NetGalley.
June 28, 2015
What starts off as a very promising story devolves into hand-waving, plot holes, and deus ex machinas due to poor world-building. Characters fall flat, and there is no magic in the romance. I wish there were no genies.
Aria's backstory is poignant: an abusive father, criminal brother, and illness-stricken mother. I like the darkness and Aria's tenaciousness. She is a character I can get behind. But then her conflict gets distorted by the presence of genies, or "granters," and her needing fire is side-lined by magic and wish-granting. The climax comes down to Aria not using fire, which could have been an awesome moment considering Aria's fixation on fire is from a toxic relationship with her father BUT that isn't the reason at all, making the climax very... hollow. The lack of character development, combined with Aria being sharp but not sharp enough when it matters, made the journey unfulfilling.
When Taj is introduced, the story gets loaded with exposition. I can't tell you how many things made me roll my eyes, like there is an actual category of granters called Jackass, aka the ones who grant wishes literally. Taj is a "standard" granter, called mastered, which feels redundant when it's drilled to the reader that granters have no free will. Except Taj... somehow... because romance. And what bugged me was how Aria and Taj go through all the lovey-dovey motions but never attempt to talk through a wish that could benefit them both. I mean, not like communication is integral to chemistry or whatever. Then we're treated to Aria's clumsy attempt to save them both herself, which leads to more Genie 101 and me yelling Plot Hole (because, fuck you, that wish fixed the thing that then caused the problem the genies were being anal about, which means Aria's plan should have worked).
And while I can suspend my disbelief for a world that has elemental powers somehow embedded in DNA (though it's hinted that, no, not really), I can't get over the whole genie bit tying in with real world conflicts. You expect me to believe that the entire Middle East crisis was magically resolved by all the leaders coming together to make a wish for peace. How nice. If only religion didn't play a huge part in the actual conflict. Both Judaism and Islam condemn the use of magic, which would make this magical agreement highly unfavorable to the very people these leaders represent. Basically, this book touches upon politics that are too big for it to swallow.
I'm sighing so hard because this is a ripe example of magic ruining a premise. Aria's story was meant to go to a dark place, a place where she'd have to get over her fear of her father without the aid of crutches. We could have been shown creativity; instead we get more "scramble to do anything to survive, whoops, problems solved by convenience." I'm so over it.
{Check out this review at Entropy Alarm Reviews}
Aria's backstory is poignant: an abusive father, criminal brother, and illness-stricken mother. I like the darkness and Aria's tenaciousness. She is a character I can get behind. But then her conflict gets distorted by the presence of genies, or "granters," and her needing fire is side-lined by magic and wish-granting. The climax comes down to Aria not using fire, which could have been an awesome moment considering Aria's fixation on fire is from a toxic relationship with her father BUT that isn't the reason at all, making the climax very... hollow. The lack of character development, combined with Aria being sharp but not sharp enough when it matters, made the journey unfulfilling.
When Taj is introduced, the story gets loaded with exposition. I can't tell you how many things made me roll my eyes, like there is an actual category of granters called Jackass, aka the ones who grant wishes literally. Taj is a "standard" granter, called mastered, which feels redundant when it's drilled to the reader that granters have no free will. Except Taj... somehow... because romance. And what bugged me was how Aria and Taj go through all the lovey-dovey motions but never attempt to talk through a wish that could benefit them both. I mean, not like communication is integral to chemistry or whatever. Then we're treated to Aria's clumsy attempt to save them both herself, which leads to more Genie 101 and me yelling Plot Hole (because, fuck you, that wish fixed the thing that then caused the problem the genies were being anal about, which means Aria's plan should have worked).
And while I can suspend my disbelief for a world that has elemental powers somehow embedded in DNA (though it's hinted that, no, not really), I can't get over the whole genie bit tying in with real world conflicts. You expect me to believe that the entire Middle East crisis was magically resolved by all the leaders coming together to make a wish for peace. How nice. If only religion didn't play a huge part in the actual conflict. Both Judaism and Islam condemn the use of magic, which would make this magical agreement highly unfavorable to the very people these leaders represent. Basically, this book touches upon politics that are too big for it to swallow.
I'm sighing so hard because this is a ripe example of magic ruining a premise. Aria's story was meant to go to a dark place, a place where she'd have to get over her fear of her father without the aid of crutches. We could have been shown creativity; instead we get more "scramble to do anything to survive, whoops, problems solved by convenience." I'm so over it.
{Check out this review at Entropy Alarm Reviews}
October 23, 2014
Title: The Fire Artist
Author: Daisy Whitney
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Series: N/A
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The bottom line: A tale of elemental magic, romance that melted my heart, a badass main character I loved, and a dangerous world--I loved The Fire Artist and couldn't put it down!
This book was given to me by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have never read any of Daisy Whitney's work, but this book--this book!--just had everything for me. I really, really enjoyed the world-building, and the pacing. But most of all, I loved Aria, the fierce, fiery young woman who risks it al to try and rise above her own circumstances--highly recommended!
Aria is used to hiding, to faking it--she has to, after all. In a world where the world is no longer at war, but where elemental magic runs rampant in a society that longs for entertainment, she has to stoke her sputtering fire powers with lightning--literally. When she is offered a chase at performing--and at escape--she jumps at it. But when she has no other choice but to turn to a Granter--a modern word for genie--she makes a wish that has a price too steep to pay. Aria discovers that just plain old luck won't be able to help her now, and if she wants to be free, she has to fight harder than ever..
What I enjoyed:
-I loved the pacing of this novel--it was absolutely breakneck and I was quite reluctant to put it down
-The premise of this novel--a young elemental trying to break free of her confines and harness her powers--I really enjoyed it!
-The world-building--I liked the concept of the world being saved by magic--even if it wasn't intended in the best way
-Aria, the main character, was the real selling point for me in this novel--I really liked the way that she related to me as a reader, and as a young woman, but my favorite part of her was her character development--she really turned into a hero that I respected and really cared for
-Taj, the young man who wants to help Aria out in a tight pinch--but who also just might be hiding his own reasons for their partnership
-Elise
-Jana
-Xavier
-Aria's mother
-Gem
-I loved the ending--I really, really enjoyed this novel! Daisy Whitney has definitely made a fan of me!
What could've been better:
-I hated Aria's father
-Mariska
Overall, The Fire Artist was a book that I really enjoyed escaping into! Highly recommended for fans of fantasy fiction! Next on deck: Elemental Reality by Cesya Marae Cuono!
literatureobsessed.blogspot.com.
Author: Daisy Whitney
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Series: N/A
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The bottom line: A tale of elemental magic, romance that melted my heart, a badass main character I loved, and a dangerous world--I loved The Fire Artist and couldn't put it down!
This book was given to me by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have never read any of Daisy Whitney's work, but this book--this book!--just had everything for me. I really, really enjoyed the world-building, and the pacing. But most of all, I loved Aria, the fierce, fiery young woman who risks it al to try and rise above her own circumstances--highly recommended!
Aria is used to hiding, to faking it--she has to, after all. In a world where the world is no longer at war, but where elemental magic runs rampant in a society that longs for entertainment, she has to stoke her sputtering fire powers with lightning--literally. When she is offered a chase at performing--and at escape--she jumps at it. But when she has no other choice but to turn to a Granter--a modern word for genie--she makes a wish that has a price too steep to pay. Aria discovers that just plain old luck won't be able to help her now, and if she wants to be free, she has to fight harder than ever..
What I enjoyed:
-I loved the pacing of this novel--it was absolutely breakneck and I was quite reluctant to put it down
-The premise of this novel--a young elemental trying to break free of her confines and harness her powers--I really enjoyed it!
-The world-building--I liked the concept of the world being saved by magic--even if it wasn't intended in the best way
-Aria, the main character, was the real selling point for me in this novel--I really liked the way that she related to me as a reader, and as a young woman, but my favorite part of her was her character development--she really turned into a hero that I respected and really cared for
-Taj, the young man who wants to help Aria out in a tight pinch--but who also just might be hiding his own reasons for their partnership
-Elise
-Jana
-Xavier
-Aria's mother
-Gem
-I loved the ending--I really, really enjoyed this novel! Daisy Whitney has definitely made a fan of me!
What could've been better:
-I hated Aria's father
-Mariska
Overall, The Fire Artist was a book that I really enjoyed escaping into! Highly recommended for fans of fantasy fiction! Next on deck: Elemental Reality by Cesya Marae Cuono!
literatureobsessed.blogspot.com.
October 20, 2014
2.5/5 stars.
Originally posted on www.readingteen.net
The Fire Artist is quite the weird book; I wouldn’t say it all good or all bad, it’s just really weird. In this world, there are elemental artists who create beautiful displays and our main character, Aria, is one of them…. Kind of. You see, elements start to show around the age of thirteen but Aria was a late bloomer and she ended up stealing her fire from the skies (more on why in the next paragraph). Naturally, it’s killing her because that is what happens when your best friend (Elise, an air user) has to strike you in the heart with lightening. It’s an intriguing world that they live in.
The reason that Aria steals fire is because her father, a royal douchebag, took a match to her hands for years trying to coax the fire out of her. He promised her that fire doesn’t hurt fire users but that wasn’t true; her hands are scarred from years of torment and it’s really heartbreaking. Her older brother was sent to jail for setting cars on fire which meant that her father put all of his desperation onto Aria. It’s such a recognizable scenario, a parent who lost their dream forces their child into a life that they don’t want and it is just terribly sad. Aria was scared of her father but she tried to be strong because her mother was ill and she wanted to protect her younger sister from his evils. She was a really brave character and I appreciated that fact about her. Her scars run much deeper than her hands and the book talks about that a lot which was hard to read. Aria frequently referenced her trauma and since the author wrote about her abusive father, I was appreciative that she also mentioned her trauma that followed her around.
Aria has taken on so much responsibility to take care of her entire family and all of her actions are taken from that initial foundation that we were given. A series of events occur and she feels like in order to protect her family, she must find a granter (a genie) and ask for the natural gift of fire. Now here is where the real story begins; she meets a granter named Taj and they start to fall for each other. This book honestly isn’t even about her powers; it’s more about the granters. I read this more like Just One Wish than anything else. Things happen and craziest occurs with all of that but spoilers…
It was interesting at times but not entirely great as a whole. I felt like this novel was 40% abusive father, 40% genie love/drama, and only 20% fire artist which is odd considering the title…. If you really like genies, I think that this could be the book for you.
Originally posted on www.readingteen.net
The Fire Artist is quite the weird book; I wouldn’t say it all good or all bad, it’s just really weird. In this world, there are elemental artists who create beautiful displays and our main character, Aria, is one of them…. Kind of. You see, elements start to show around the age of thirteen but Aria was a late bloomer and she ended up stealing her fire from the skies (more on why in the next paragraph). Naturally, it’s killing her because that is what happens when your best friend (Elise, an air user) has to strike you in the heart with lightening. It’s an intriguing world that they live in.
The reason that Aria steals fire is because her father, a royal douchebag, took a match to her hands for years trying to coax the fire out of her. He promised her that fire doesn’t hurt fire users but that wasn’t true; her hands are scarred from years of torment and it’s really heartbreaking. Her older brother was sent to jail for setting cars on fire which meant that her father put all of his desperation onto Aria. It’s such a recognizable scenario, a parent who lost their dream forces their child into a life that they don’t want and it is just terribly sad. Aria was scared of her father but she tried to be strong because her mother was ill and she wanted to protect her younger sister from his evils. She was a really brave character and I appreciated that fact about her. Her scars run much deeper than her hands and the book talks about that a lot which was hard to read. Aria frequently referenced her trauma and since the author wrote about her abusive father, I was appreciative that she also mentioned her trauma that followed her around.
Aria has taken on so much responsibility to take care of her entire family and all of her actions are taken from that initial foundation that we were given. A series of events occur and she feels like in order to protect her family, she must find a granter (a genie) and ask for the natural gift of fire. Now here is where the real story begins; she meets a granter named Taj and they start to fall for each other. This book honestly isn’t even about her powers; it’s more about the granters. I read this more like Just One Wish than anything else. Things happen and craziest occurs with all of that but spoilers…
It was interesting at times but not entirely great as a whole. I felt like this novel was 40% abusive father, 40% genie love/drama, and only 20% fire artist which is odd considering the title…. If you really like genies, I think that this could be the book for you.
October 24, 2014
I really enjoyed this dark, fun fairytale. That's excatly what it is, a fairytale. It's set in an alternate not too distant future, but in this time and palce the main form of entertainment is no longer sports, but elemental magic. Instead of Major League Baseball, there are Leagues of magic users. In the past, they were considered sideshow freaks, but now they are on the main stage. Young men and women dazzle crowds by controling earth, air, fire and water, and even more rarely, ice. It is the dream of every boy and girl with elemental abilities to leave the minors and be recruited by the majors or to join the Lookouts, a group who protects the planet from dangerous weather conditions. This story is about a girl named Aria. Aria is a fire girl, but her abilities are not natural. Her cruel father was convinced that she would become a fire artist, so when she was younger he tried to coax the power out of her by burning her hands. In order to stop him from hurting her, she finds a way to steal fire from the sky with the help of her best friend, a wind artist. This stolen fire is painful, it must be renewed regularly and it could eventually kill her, but she's very good at wielding it, so it's her only chance to get noticed and get away from her abusive father and her shut-in mother. When she finally is recruited by the big leagues, she is determined to find a way to keep her fire from fading before anyone discovers she's a fraud. There is a way, but it involves a Granter, otherwise known as a Genie. She's sure this is the answer to her problems, but the she falls in love with her Granter. Now she's torn between saving this sad, beautiful boy who is basically a prisoner and getting her own wish fulfilled. There is more at stake than just her fire. Not only is her heart on the line, but if she is caught making a wish she could be thrown out of the League and if she's discovered as a fake she'll be shamed and exiled. Either way, if she loses her place in the League, she loses her chance to get her younger sister away from her father who is back to his sadistic ways, trying to coax powers out of her. Aria doesn't know who to trust, and she's right to be cautious. Everybody has secrets, including her. She must decide what she's willing to sacrifice and who she can save. The fire she desires may end up costing a lot more than she bargained for.
September 19, 2018
The world-building in this book is stupid as hell. These magic shows (which sound more like glorified Cirque de Soleil shows than anything) have become more popular than the entire sports industry? To the point that Yankee Stadium is primarily used for magic shows and when it is used for baseball, most of the seats go unused? No way. That's not believable at all.
And then there was the romance. At first I thought it was actually going to do something clever and subvert the whole "We've only known each other for a few days, but we're totally in true love with each other!" thing a lot of YA falls victim to. The MC gives herself up so that her love-interest doesn't have to be a granter anymore, and then he acts all "Ha ha! I was just using you to escape, dumbass." But then it turns out it was just a ruse to fool the higher-ups so he could find her again and free her. Because they really were in true love after like a week of knowing each other. Gag. Also, the romance starts when she's his Master and he can't really say no to what she wants. So it's not even an entirely consensual relationship. I don't know why the novel went out of its way to point out the consent issues and then didn't bother doing anything about them.
The reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one star is that I actually genuinely liked the section where the MC was working as a granter. It was fascinating seeing what people wished for and what they had to give up for it. If the author wrote another book, or even just a short story, with a granter as the main character I'd happily read it.
And then there was the romance. At first I thought it was actually going to do something clever and subvert the whole "We've only known each other for a few days, but we're totally in true love with each other!" thing a lot of YA falls victim to. The MC gives herself up so that her love-interest doesn't have to be a granter anymore, and then he acts all "Ha ha! I was just using you to escape, dumbass." But then it turns out it was just a ruse to fool the higher-ups so he could find her again and free her. Because they really were in true love after like a week of knowing each other. Gag. Also, the romance starts when she's his Master and he can't really say no to what she wants. So it's not even an entirely consensual relationship. I don't know why the novel went out of its way to point out the consent issues and then didn't bother doing anything about them.
The reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one star is that I actually genuinely liked the section where the MC was working as a granter. It was fascinating seeing what people wished for and what they had to give up for it. If the author wrote another book, or even just a short story, with a granter as the main character I'd happily read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2014
My Thoughts: I really wanted to love The Fire Artist but I just liked it.
We are introduced to Aria who comes from a family of many talented people. Her brother and her father both have their own gifts so Aria longs to have one too. She does get one, but in another way.
I liked Aria but I just never felt connected to her. I liked the idea of shooting fire out of her body but I just couldn’t see it in my head very easily. I did like learning about what she and her brother could do though.
I liked the concept of this one but I never felt like I really connected to the story or the characters very well. I thought it was an interesting story.
I have enjoyed the novels by Whitney I have read and will continue to read them!! She’s very talented!
Overall: I liked it enough but I just didn’t find myself in love with it. I think it was an interesting concept and had some interesting characters but I never really connected with the main character or even the love interest! Hopefully you’ll enjoy it more.
Cover: Its somewhat spooky! I like it!
What I’d Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
_______
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
We are introduced to Aria who comes from a family of many talented people. Her brother and her father both have their own gifts so Aria longs to have one too. She does get one, but in another way.
I liked Aria but I just never felt connected to her. I liked the idea of shooting fire out of her body but I just couldn’t see it in my head very easily. I did like learning about what she and her brother could do though.
I liked the concept of this one but I never felt like I really connected to the story or the characters very well. I thought it was an interesting story.
I have enjoyed the novels by Whitney I have read and will continue to read them!! She’s very talented!
Overall: I liked it enough but I just didn’t find myself in love with it. I think it was an interesting concept and had some interesting characters but I never really connected with the main character or even the love interest! Hopefully you’ll enjoy it more.
Cover: Its somewhat spooky! I like it!
What I’d Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
_______
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
March 30, 2016
Aria es una adolescente con la habilidad de crear y manipular fuego con sus manos. En un mundo donde una pequeña proporción de la población tiene nace con el poder de manipular elementos naturales, ella es más que extraordinaria: ella puede restaurar su fuego si logra que la parta un rayo. Tecnicamente el rayo debe atinarle al corazón, pero en varios momentos, pensé que atinarle a la cabeza parecía un mejor argumento.
La historia es melosa y con tintes melodramáticos: abuso psicológico de parte de su padre, deseo de venganza, desconfianza, madre enferma, hermano ex-con, hermana indefensa, deseo de libertad. Y una extraña obsesión por guardar fotos de chicos lindos a los que no conoce.. bajadas de internet... Y el bullying, la fama y dinero que buscaba en las ligas de artistas profesionales.
Como si esto fuera poco, encuentra a un genio (los de la lámpara pero sin la lámpara) sarcástico y muy atractivo que le hace sentir lo que nunca antes: esperanza de restaurar su poder y de enamorarse por primera vez.
Tiene un final feliz para los protagonistas, sin embargo, yo no estoy muy feliz con el resultado.
La historia es melosa y con tintes melodramáticos: abuso psicológico de parte de su padre, deseo de venganza, desconfianza, madre enferma, hermano ex-con, hermana indefensa, deseo de libertad. Y una extraña obsesión por guardar fotos de chicos lindos a los que no conoce.. bajadas de internet... Y el bullying, la fama y dinero que buscaba en las ligas de artistas profesionales.
Como si esto fuera poco, encuentra a un genio (los de la lámpara pero sin la lámpara) sarcástico y muy atractivo que le hace sentir lo que nunca antes: esperanza de restaurar su poder y de enamorarse por primera vez.
Tiene un final feliz para los protagonistas, sin embargo, yo no estoy muy feliz con el resultado.
August 13, 2014
Couldn't put it down!
Such a unique book mixing genies, romance, element control, and deep family issues all together.
Set in an alternate reality where certain people are born with the ability to create/manipulate the elements, 17 year old Aria is struggling with controlling her fire to make it into the M.E. Leagues to perform in high profile shows. Aria is one tough chick, who has a deep love for her family (exception - her father) and would do anything to protect them. Including making a bargain that changes her entire life.
This book reminded me (strangely enough) of a book Girl in the Arena - alternate realities, tough female protagonists doing anything for their family. They are flawed characters but only because of their fierce love and loyalty. There is a deep need in Aria, one that she doesn't acknowledge - she puts herself last in a seemingly selfish way.
I've not read anything else by Daisy Whitney, but for sure I will!
Such a unique book mixing genies, romance, element control, and deep family issues all together.
Set in an alternate reality where certain people are born with the ability to create/manipulate the elements, 17 year old Aria is struggling with controlling her fire to make it into the M.E. Leagues to perform in high profile shows. Aria is one tough chick, who has a deep love for her family (exception - her father) and would do anything to protect them. Including making a bargain that changes her entire life.
This book reminded me (strangely enough) of a book Girl in the Arena - alternate realities, tough female protagonists doing anything for their family. They are flawed characters but only because of their fierce love and loyalty. There is a deep need in Aria, one that she doesn't acknowledge - she puts herself last in a seemingly selfish way.
I've not read anything else by Daisy Whitney, but for sure I will!
June 18, 2015
The characters are (for the most part) awesome and have some great emotional depth. The concept is imaginative and the story is engaging. Often, stories focused on elemental powers do not depict their characters as performers in modern-day America. But that might have been why I had trouble fully connecting to it. It was...weird. It combines a modern-day dysfunctional family/abusive father AND the fantastical elemental powers granted to a select few AND the mythological wish-granting genies. And some romance. It's a lot to fit in! Thus, the book isn't smooth. There's jumps and convenient loopholes and plot breaks that give it the right ending. So, in the end, I did not really enjoy it. But some may. Up to you.
February 2, 2015
I feel awful giving any book a one star review, but this book completely lost me about halfway through. It opens with an interesting premise, but said interesting premise becomes so unbelievable once Aria moves to NY.
I could buy into the granters, but the whole wish granting from Taj and being in love with him was so rushed and convoluted. We never learn much about Taj or see any character depth apart from how handsome he is. Don't get me wrong- I love me some hot handsome boys in YA fiction, but to have nothing to go on apart from his looks was not enough for me to buy into their relationship.
The ending seemed rushed and some of the solutions (like with her father) were just too much.
I could buy into the granters, but the whole wish granting from Taj and being in love with him was so rushed and convoluted. We never learn much about Taj or see any character depth apart from how handsome he is. Don't get me wrong- I love me some hot handsome boys in YA fiction, but to have nothing to go on apart from his looks was not enough for me to buy into their relationship.
The ending seemed rushed and some of the solutions (like with her father) were just too much.
September 21, 2014
3.5 stars
This was a unique premise with a fast paced plot.
I liked Aria. The problem is interesting and I really enjoyed how she was willing to do whatever it took to keep her family safe. I loved the relationship with her sister and her BFF, Elise.
Taj was fantastically mysterious. The entire idea of a modern day genie in a bottle was explored well and kept me intrigued. There were a couple of pretty great twists that I didn't see coming and the ending was really satisfying.
All in all, a quick read that kept me turning the pages.
**Huge thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
This was a unique premise with a fast paced plot.
I liked Aria. The problem is interesting and I really enjoyed how she was willing to do whatever it took to keep her family safe. I loved the relationship with her sister and her BFF, Elise.
Taj was fantastically mysterious. The entire idea of a modern day genie in a bottle was explored well and kept me intrigued. There were a couple of pretty great twists that I didn't see coming and the ending was really satisfying.
All in all, a quick read that kept me turning the pages.
**Huge thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
November 4, 2014
Thanks to Netgalley.com and the publisher for access to this title.
There are so many things to love in this story. The romance. The magic. The chance for redemption. And an alligator that saves them all.
I really liked that this didn't start out as your typical genie story and that Aria tried to figure it out on her own before she tried to make a wish.
Although this has a little more grit, I would recommend this for fans of Janette Rallison and older fans of Lindsey Leavitt's Princess for Hire series.
There are so many things to love in this story. The romance. The magic. The chance for redemption. And an alligator that saves them all.
I really liked that this didn't start out as your typical genie story and that Aria tried to figure it out on her own before she tried to make a wish.
Although this has a little more grit, I would recommend this for fans of Janette Rallison and older fans of Lindsey Leavitt's Princess for Hire series.
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