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Black Fire
What color is the fire of your soul? It's been seven years since the life shattering event that Eddie Farris thinks of as The Showdown, the night he killed his father in self-defense. Seven years since his world was almost completely destroyed. Seven years of trying to put his life back together and trying to put the past behind him. But sometimes the past doesn't want to stay dead. And sometimes the dead come back to haunt you... In Eddie Farris's case, the dead are coming back with a vengeance. Who is the strange, mysterious figure who seems to be following Eddie, taunting him, threatening him? He can't be the person Eddie thinks he is. That man's been dead for seven years. Ever since the night of The Showdown, when Eddie killed him... Nothing in Eddie's world is quite what it seems to be, and he will soon discover that you never really escape your destiny; it burns within the fire of your soul...
339 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
1 person is currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
James Kidman
2 books1 follower"James Kidman" is a pseudonym used by author Brian James Freeman.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 24, 2013
Let me tell you all a little something about myself, a tidbit if you will; I love disorder. I’m the kind of person, who as a kid, always twirled in a circle just to get that brief head rush. As I got older I couldn’t get away with it, so I had to downgrade to just getting up really fast. I went into this book with a presumption of what to expect and assumed I knew whom the bad guy was. I couldn’t have been more wrong. What unfolded was a chilling story that left me in a state of intoxication. I thank you, Mr. Kidman, for giving me my fix for the week!
The plot relies heavily on psychological distortions and shadowed panic. I loved it! Throughout the story you’re never really sure exactly what is real and what is the mind of an ageless child. Both original and genuine in the telling, this story thrives on suspicious terror. The pace in the book is tight and never fails to swerve from the flow of the book. You move right along with the main character, experiencing them as he does. The atmosphere in the book is alluding and muddled. You move through as if you were in a haze of fear and anxiety.
The style of writing is concise, delicate and awe-inspiring. Kidman, which is a pseudonym for Brian freeman, has premiered his first novel with skill and precision. He writes with intensity and determination. The characters in the story were deplorable, angst-ridden and completely realistic. Kidman never holds back on the flaws and perfection of each player, granting his cast a heart and a soul. Tossing aside the current trend of perfect heroes and evil incarnate villains, here is a book where reality and the surreal blend into obscurity.
My rating? I give this book a 5 . Debuting with intrigue and anticipation, this book is a must have. Go out and buy it new, NOW!
-As reviewed for Horror-Web.com
The plot relies heavily on psychological distortions and shadowed panic. I loved it! Throughout the story you’re never really sure exactly what is real and what is the mind of an ageless child. Both original and genuine in the telling, this story thrives on suspicious terror. The pace in the book is tight and never fails to swerve from the flow of the book. You move right along with the main character, experiencing them as he does. The atmosphere in the book is alluding and muddled. You move through as if you were in a haze of fear and anxiety.
The style of writing is concise, delicate and awe-inspiring. Kidman, which is a pseudonym for Brian freeman, has premiered his first novel with skill and precision. He writes with intensity and determination. The characters in the story were deplorable, angst-ridden and completely realistic. Kidman never holds back on the flaws and perfection of each player, granting his cast a heart and a soul. Tossing aside the current trend of perfect heroes and evil incarnate villains, here is a book where reality and the surreal blend into obscurity.
My rating? I give this book a 5 . Debuting with intrigue and anticipation, this book is a must have. Go out and buy it new, NOW!
-As reviewed for Horror-Web.com
January 27, 2016
James Kidmans first novel (written as the pseudonym for author Brian Freeman) is a dark, disturbing offering utilizing three methods to get the story across. The reader is treated with the past history of the character, the present, and journal tidbits. This manner leads to a convoluted, confusing tale that kept
my mind dancing along the edges of sanity as I followed in the footsteps of the mains characters trials.
While the tale is exciting, foreboding, and filled with dark memories of the past, certain things weighed it down, including slower paced introductory chapters, a little too much middled leading, and not much on the side of scares.
The protagonist, Eddie, is a well written character with a hellacious life. I felt for him the whole time, and enjoyed being in his head - his personality held chemistry with mine. There weren't that many other characters involved, but the ones that were did their job. The book is a very solitary tale, told in a first person point of view, a form not used as often these days. I, however, love it when this POV is used, as long as it's done well. I felt a stronger bond with Eddie because of it, and the atmosphere came across as confusing (in a good way!), dramatic, and creepy.
The ending of Black Fire stunned me; that alone made it worth the read. Although it's not flawless, it is a terrific debut, strong in plot and characterization, but a bit weak in pace.
my mind dancing along the edges of sanity as I followed in the footsteps of the mains characters trials.
While the tale is exciting, foreboding, and filled with dark memories of the past, certain things weighed it down, including slower paced introductory chapters, a little too much middled leading, and not much on the side of scares.
The protagonist, Eddie, is a well written character with a hellacious life. I felt for him the whole time, and enjoyed being in his head - his personality held chemistry with mine. There weren't that many other characters involved, but the ones that were did their job. The book is a very solitary tale, told in a first person point of view, a form not used as often these days. I, however, love it when this POV is used, as long as it's done well. I felt a stronger bond with Eddie because of it, and the atmosphere came across as confusing (in a good way!), dramatic, and creepy.
The ending of Black Fire stunned me; that alone made it worth the read. Although it's not flawless, it is a terrific debut, strong in plot and characterization, but a bit weak in pace.
August 13, 2011
This is a powerful tale of horror, suspense and emotional terror. I picked this book up in a store, thinking that it might help me with my horror fix. When I finished this book, it left such an emotional impression on me that I didn't stop thinking about the last sentence for days. This is an underated novel, it should get a lot more credit than it clearly deserved. It pulls you in, it doesnt let go and it makes you gasp for breath with every page turned. I dont know why more people havent read this magnificent piece of horror, I think a lot of the negative ratings are because the reader thought this novel was too dark. It is a dark novel, but that's what I love the most about it. I consider this one of my favourite novels, mainly due to the impact it had on me. A novel hasn't had such an impact on me since reading Matheson's I am Legend. I read a lot of horror, but this is a real piece of dark, suspensful horror. Sadly, this novel is overlooked by many people and it isn't nearly as big as it should be.
so I implore horror fans, go out and buy a copy, prepare for an emotional ride of terror that wont let you go 'til you scream your lungs raw.
so I implore horror fans, go out and buy a copy, prepare for an emotional ride of terror that wont let you go 'til you scream your lungs raw.
December 2, 2020
I borrowed a copy of this novel from my local library in 2008. It read it and absolutely loved it, so much so I immediately wanted to own a copy. It took me 'til 2017 to purchase one, and finally a month ago to take it off the shelf and begin the re-read.
I considered Black Fire a masterpiece in my twenties. Now that I’m older and wiser(?), I see the flaws. The protagonist, while sympathetic, lacks personality; the dialogue skews toward cliched/banal, especially the exchanges between the protagonist and his girlfriend; the plot twist at the end isn’t exactly unpredictable. Those are the cons, but there are certainly pros. Black Fire is rich with imagery, atmosphere, and emotion; as a “right-brained” individual, I find these qualities compensate for the novel’s shortcomings.
I considered Black Fire a masterpiece in my twenties. Now that I’m older and wiser(?), I see the flaws. The protagonist, while sympathetic, lacks personality; the dialogue skews toward cliched/banal, especially the exchanges between the protagonist and his girlfriend; the plot twist at the end isn’t exactly unpredictable. Those are the cons, but there are certainly pros. Black Fire is rich with imagery, atmosphere, and emotion; as a “right-brained” individual, I find these qualities compensate for the novel’s shortcomings.
June 17, 2021
What a crazy, wild ride.
December 29, 2023
A bit overwrought and just plain ridiculous.
September 22, 2014
This book has a very unusual structure to it. It comes off in much the same way as MEMENTO, and at first it's hard to figure out why. Rest assured, by the end you'll know the reason for this. Yet at the same time, the story is kind of predictable, so you'll probably figure it out halfway through. Even though you know where Kidman is going, you'll have fun along the way. It is the story of how cruelty can sometimes be passed from generation to generation, even if the recipient has no desire to have this knowledge. Speaking as someone who was abused as a child, this book hits me in the heart. In the guts. It goes for the throat. I recommend it as a journey-is-greater-than-the-destination kind of book.
May 6, 2010
This was a gut wrenching look into the mind of someone, that your not to sure where he's going. Or for that matter, Eddie is not sure either. Are the dead coming back to haunt him? A very well done first novel, that will leave you feeling a little dreadful & drained when your done.
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February 24, 2013Different
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews