The Long Fire

Golden Daughter #3

by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

The Emperor of Noorhitam, plagued by dreams of disaster, sends out a plea for help from any Dream Walker able to offer interpretation and aid. Little does he realize that his salvation even now languishes in the dungeons beneath his own temple.

A scholar travels from a distant city to fulfill a mission of murder at the command of his new masters. But, through cunning and craft, Sairu has hidden her mistress where no one will think to look for her. Lady Hariawan, lost in the torment of her mind, sinks into darkness beyond Sairu’s protective reach. Shadows of both this world and the other creep ever closer, shadows which Sairu cannot fight with mortal weapons.

As the Dragon’s fire flames brighter in the hearts of men, can anything prevent the impending destruction of the emperor’s city . . . and of the heavens themselves?

Genres: Fantasy, Christian, Dragons

184 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 12, 2016

About the author

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of the TALES OF GOLDSTONE WOOD, which currently includes seven novels and two novellas, with plenty more works due to release over the next few years. Her novels HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, and DRAGONWITCH have each been honored with a Christy Award, and STARFLOWER was voted winner of the 2013 Clive Staples Award.

Reviews

[Bess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew...what a ride! Next book, please.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting series. Sometimes I am enthralled by it and sometimes I just don't understand it! LOL! The first two stories seem to be setting up the characters and the setting and the story line - I felt lost and wondered where the story was going as I read the first two stories. Then things started to fall into place as I read Long Fire. We see more of Lume, the true God in this story, and we see His Son. We see the Greater Dark in his true form and his plan. The sides are now forming up. I still don't understand why a warrior of God would take the form of a cat, but I appreciate the humor that he brings to the story, otherwise it would be a rather dark story - but Monster gives us a bit of a break from that with his wit and humor. I'm excited to begin book four.

[Anna Catherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Long Fire reminded me once again of just why I enjoy Tales of Goldstone Wood. The heroic good vs evil always apparent, but not always obvious to those within the story. The darkness contrasted with the forgiveness, the hope. The Christian themes become more apparent as each book nears its end, the allegory-type threads cleverly hidden and yet still there.
And the dragons! I forgot just how much I like this analogy; the rage and fury of a person, fed by fire from the Dragon, the Greater Dark, wreaking havoc on their lives and the lives of others, giving up their very heart, their very soul, to evil. It's haunting, as we see one of the characters turned into a creature virtually unrecognizable, and yet it really shows the contrast between good and evil, right and wrong; God and Satan; it highlights the importance of forgiveness, and trust, and love; the superiority and holiness of the "Song Giver" and His ways.
I'm still not quite sold on the "dream walkers", or the Dara, or the Imps, or many other rather bizarre aspects of the world and this story in particular, but I'm anxious to finish and very much looking forward to this Tale's resolution.

[LaShunda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The die has been cast!

Decisions decisions! Everyone has choices to make and each choice opens up a path with many more decisions. What choices will rule the heart and destiny of our heroine who will she follow and what of the dreams of our young warrior?... A truly consuming read!

[Cela Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please see my review of all four volumes under The Crouching Shadow.

[Shasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!

Part 3 of this fantasy was full of plots intersecting and coming together. And that ending! I'm off to read the last book!