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The Harp and Ring Sequence #2
Fire Dance
Palace intrigue, dark magic, and terrifying secrets drive the beautifully written standalone novel Fire Dance, set in the world of Last Song Before Night.
Espionage, diplomacy, conspiracy, passion, and power are the sensuously choreographed steps of the soaring new high fantasy novel by Ilana C. Myer, one woman's epic mission to stop a magical conflagration.
Lin, newly initiated in the art of otherwordly enchantments, is sent to aid her homeland's allies against vicious attacks from the Fire Dancers: mysterious practitioners of strange and deadly magic. Forced to step into a dangerous waltz of tradition, treachery, and palace secrets, Lin must also race the ticking clock of her own rapidly dwindling life to learn the truth of the Fire Dancers' war, and how she might prevent death on a scale too terrifying to contemplate.
Myer's novel is a symphony of secret towers, desert winds, burning sands, blood and dust. Her prose soars, and fluid movements of the politically charged plot carry the reader toward a shocking crescendo.
Espionage, diplomacy, conspiracy, passion, and power are the sensuously choreographed steps of the soaring new high fantasy novel by Ilana C. Myer, one woman's epic mission to stop a magical conflagration.
Lin, newly initiated in the art of otherwordly enchantments, is sent to aid her homeland's allies against vicious attacks from the Fire Dancers: mysterious practitioners of strange and deadly magic. Forced to step into a dangerous waltz of tradition, treachery, and palace secrets, Lin must also race the ticking clock of her own rapidly dwindling life to learn the truth of the Fire Dancers' war, and how she might prevent death on a scale too terrifying to contemplate.
Myer's novel is a symphony of secret towers, desert winds, burning sands, blood and dust. Her prose soars, and fluid movements of the politically charged plot carry the reader toward a shocking crescendo.
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2018
26 people are currently reading
1326 people want to read
About the author
Ilana C. Myer
3 books151 followersIlana C. Myer has written for the Globe and Mail, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, and the Huffington Post. Previously she was a freelance journalist in Jerusalem. She lives in New York City.
Fire Dance, the sequel to Last Song Before Night, will be released in April 2018.
Last Song Before Night is a standalone novel, but there IS a sequel (two actually!) forthcoming. Details here: https://ilanacmyer.com/2015/11/10/the...
UPDATE MAY 2018: Yes, there will be a sequel to FIRE DANCE. Details here: https://ilanacmyer.com/2018/05/the-se...
Fire Dance, the sequel to Last Song Before Night, will be released in April 2018.
Last Song Before Night is a standalone novel, but there IS a sequel (two actually!) forthcoming. Details here: https://ilanacmyer.com/2015/11/10/the...
UPDATE MAY 2018: Yes, there will be a sequel to FIRE DANCE. Details here: https://ilanacmyer.com/2018/05/the-se...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 10, 2018
Without getting into spoilers, I think this novel is poetry.
This may not be self-evident, but when we deal with poets and an academy of poets who may or may not grow into magicians, anything might happen.
It begins with death, from a highly-placed demise inside the academy to the deeply shaded returning character of Lin from A Song Before Night to the gruesome demise of many melted people. It's a lightly-stepped dance between light and shadow, life and death.
The writing is gentle and nuanced. Don't expect harsh plotting. Expect winding and weaving and storytelling that's more about paths and discoveries and the darkness that lays ahead, the light behind.
I said it was more like poetry than a novel. And it is.
For a fantasy, and specifically for being a sequel, it feels like a departure in tone and events. There were some things I missed and some things that were explored much better in this one, but I'm afraid that these are purely personal preferences.
In all, this is an exceptional novel of personal discovery within the academy and from without, following along with students on one hand and back with an older, wiser, and beset Lin on the other.
Settle in for a long tale that deserves a leisurely read or at the very least a careful one. Much can be missed by moving too fast, but know that it is worth it in the end.
More will come. The fire doesn't end in absolute ashes. :)
This may not be self-evident, but when we deal with poets and an academy of poets who may or may not grow into magicians, anything might happen.
It begins with death, from a highly-placed demise inside the academy to the deeply shaded returning character of Lin from A Song Before Night to the gruesome demise of many melted people. It's a lightly-stepped dance between light and shadow, life and death.
The writing is gentle and nuanced. Don't expect harsh plotting. Expect winding and weaving and storytelling that's more about paths and discoveries and the darkness that lays ahead, the light behind.
I said it was more like poetry than a novel. And it is.
For a fantasy, and specifically for being a sequel, it feels like a departure in tone and events. There were some things I missed and some things that were explored much better in this one, but I'm afraid that these are purely personal preferences.
In all, this is an exceptional novel of personal discovery within the academy and from without, following along with students on one hand and back with an older, wiser, and beset Lin on the other.
Settle in for a long tale that deserves a leisurely read or at the very least a careful one. Much can be missed by moving too fast, but know that it is worth it in the end.
More will come. The fire doesn't end in absolute ashes. :)
January 21, 2020
That, he believed, was the essence of what it meant to be a poet. Not to work magic. Rather it was to see, and weave verse from, life's manifold truths. Even if they hurt.
They nearly always did.
This book is a triumph. A masterwork of character and prose that wind through your soul like the final trembling notes of a song. Myer's debut, Last Song Before Night, was brimstone and fire and icy winds and music that rumbled low through your body. Fire Dance plays out like a haunting ballad that recounts a yearning for a time and place long lost and bone-deep loneliness.
I can honestly say there's no one who writes quite like Ilana Myer. The genius of her writing isn't in the way her individual sentences are constructed (though they are very lovely); you won't find many quotable one-liners in her books. It's the way the sentences combine together to evoke emotions in you. There's just so much sadness running through them. But there's also music. And poetry. And the inviolate truths of life and all the wonder and beauty that's wrought from them. I feel the same way reading her stories as I do listening to Damien Rice songs. Like my soul has been gently lifted and carried off on a journey. And if the journey hurts? Well, that's part of life, too.
Though Fire Dance is marked as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Last Song Before Night first, as half of the main cast are characters from the first book and much of their past rear their heads in this one. The story is split between Eivar, a country of poetry and music, and their neighbouring ally, Kahishi, which is a land of magicians and prophecies divined from the stars. Lin Amaristoth, Court Poet and Seer (which is pretty much the highest recognition you can get as a poet in Eivar), travels to Kahishi to aid their court against the mysterious Fire Dancers. While Lin mires herself in politics and intrigue, three other characters become caught up in strange magical matters at the Academy (for aspiring poets) back in Eivar.
The contrast between lush and vibrant Kahishi and the grey austerity of the Academy is utterly fascinating. Myer has a talent for dragging out the best that a setting has to offer, and her descriptions of the major landmarks within Majdara, the capital of Kahishi, left me breathless with wonder:
Lin's gaze was drawn up, to the walkways that ran alongside the walls in three levels, accessible by staircases of porphyry and gold. The walls that were entirely glass, clear as air, so that along the walkways burned countless stars.
All this overseen by an arched ceiling like a second sky, adorned with stars and spheres. Against a backdrop of black crystal, jewels made the constellations.
Myer cites Robin Hobb as a major inspiration, and this is readily apparent in her writing because she writes some of the best layered characters in fantasy. You peel away at them throughout the course of the story and find there's yet still more...and more. Morever she is fantastic at writing tortured characters. And I say that, from the bottom of my heart, as a compliment. All her characters have gaping holes. Hunger desperate to be filled with something--friendship, love, recognition, power. The specifics of their hunger may be different, but they all seem to share a common root: loneliness. And often times we see that loneliness twists into something uglier. Sharper.
Like jealousy.
Resentment.
Despair.
They are a symphony of warring longings and pains, and it's this internal struggle that keeps you so completely--helplessly--enthralled, more so than any strange magical happenings or political intrigues.
The only thing that prevents me from giving this a perfect score (10/10) is the ending, where the story halts just a bit too prematurely for my liking. The book definitely feels like a Part One of a larger story, and while the main storyline is wrapped up, there are still many questions newly posed or left unanswered.
Read this (but read Last Song Before Night first). It's like eating chicken noodle soup and watching the ending of Brokeback Mountain at the same. It will heal your soul and simultaneously break it.
~
Find my reviews and rambles at Pages Below the Vaulted Sky
May 31, 2018
The sequel to Last Song before Night reads like you are building a fire of your own. The start of the novel is when you are gathering the kindling, a slow process but an important one if you want a successful blaze. Myer takes her time building all of the core parts of the novel which did make the start a little slow and dry but was well worth the payoff in the end. By setting up the intricate webbing of characters, which was and still is the series' strongest points, Myer's buildup of all of the separate pieces makes you wonder how their stories will inevitably weave together by the end. Once the novel is in motion readers are treated to a tale that quickly consumes you like a roaring flame.
Fire Dance is a worthy sequel that leaves you longing for so much more once the fire dies down to quiet embers. I greatly look forward to seeing how the character's journeys continue to unfold and transform in the next book.
Fire Dance is a worthy sequel that leaves you longing for so much more once the fire dies down to quiet embers. I greatly look forward to seeing how the character's journeys continue to unfold and transform in the next book.
December 9, 2018
Myer definitely has a way with words; picking up from where Last Song Before Night leaves off, Fire Dance is an exercise in grace and beauty, of lilting prose made only more poignant by the subject of her series; Poets, who depending on landscape take the form of Magicians and or Seers. Each and every sentence is composed of beautiful, complex meaning and it is a testament to Myer that she trusts that her readers will spend the time needed to discern truth and understanding. Even though I could spend sentences waxing on about her use of language to create wonder and that she once again has crafted and intricate and beautiful tale, I find that Fire Dance is a bit more flawed in its presentation than its predecessor.
Fire Dance is composed of double edged swords, in that things I once found to be strengths (and still can be considered so) now fluctuate for me between that and weaknesses. Take for example her prose which I spent time to clearly illustrate how lovely it is. The issue lies as we progress through the story, her ability to illustrate rather than explain becomes tiresome. I found myself just wanting her to get to the point and explain concepts that are left free to interpretation. For instance the relationship between Poets and Enchantments, In Last Song Before Night we learn that enchantments have been lost to Eivar and all that remains is the music that once fueled their creation. Lin and Darien, in a mad dash through Eivar do the impossible, restoring what was once lost to the land. Now understandably with any 'new' concept there will be a learning curve. Clearly these people have spent a long time without enchantments and thus may have little knowledge of their use, but within Fire Dance we have a strange dichotomy of people who act as if they have never been without power, Elissan Diar, and those that even with the title of Seer, never use it, Lin. And even as Elissan Diar uses his enchantments there is no actual description of what is happening. No words invoked or manifestation of power, only result. For me this created a vague understanding of what was actually going on. How are these enchantments used? What do they look like? How are Elissan and his chosen calling upon it? How can novices use that which they have never encountered? The flip side to that is how is our newly crowned Court Poet not able to figure these enchantments out? Where is her music? How does she hold her position without the physical manifestation that she is actual able to do something, anything, even write a song. I really was just waiting for the time where Myer would quit the lilting descriptions and simply say: "Elissan discovered this enchantment in the crypt of Almyria and in speaking the words a glow emanated from within, capturing the spirits of his chosen and creating a *insert magical result*" I just wanted a trade off of eluding and explaining. Just tell me something concrete.
Just as the story lacks concrete explanations (and that is not to say the story does not make sense, it does, but it also leaves one with the feeling of 'do I truly understand' as you race to put the pieces together and remember the names), but it also lacks characterization. In Last Song Before Night, I felt, and this could be a rosy effect cast by hindsight, that we had a great understanding of Lin and at the time, the motivations of Darien. Lin to me was such a raw character, like a untamed wolf clawing her way through each and every trial and tribulation. I didn't get the same feeling this time around. In fact I didn't have much feeling for her or the other characters at all. I was missing growth for her. How the unearthing of the enchantments have changed her especially since she is tied to the knowledge that their unearthing of the Path has drastically shortened her lifespan. In Fire Dance I couldn't really get a sense of Lin as a person. It was almost as if the Myer's drive to weave together her, at times, overly complicated plot, detracted from her character growth section. We had no time to spend with Lin as she learns of the powers she has been grandfathered into. And we don't really get to see her do anything. Instead she is pulled along as she attempts to follow the world's most complex breadcrumb trail set in concentric circles, spiraling towards the ending.
It is not just Lin missing the essential coping/resolution characterization stage before moving on to become more; it is that there is a large cast, mostly new, in Fire Dance, and aside from their primary motivations they, as a whole, do not contain much substance. This makes it hard to tell people apart and remember their roles. I don't know how many times I had to reread the names Edrien Letrell and Etherell Lyr, two vastly different characters, which when reading in one's head sound seem rather similar. In fact, Myers seemed to spend more time on the fluidity of romantic relations between all the characters then giving them defining characteristics. I had next to no interest in Julien and Dorn, who don't even have that big of an impact on the plot, yet comprise at least a third of the book. And before anyone wants to argue Julien's importance, note that her importance lies solely on the shoulders of a character whose death allows her to do one thing, a thing that could have been accomplished by said dead character and would have been much more interesting because at least dead character had characterization. Couple together Myer's bad habit of killing characters with half a personality and her failure to intern heart into the remaining and the cast is left listless and uninspiring.
If you can't tell already I struggled through the middle of the book, through the constant shifting POVs which added plot but didn't create drive, and truthfully I may have given this book a lower rating if not for Myer's ability to pull her plotlines together. I didn't think they were going to all fit and although I wasn't a fan of everything I was happy to see how every POV became, at least, minimally useful. Along with the fact that the Lin/Edrien resolution creates promise for more development for Lin in the future. I have hopes that if Myer can focus more on her main characters and dial back her featuring of every person ever, (along with killing every other character) she may be able to streamline the final book and bring back some of the magic lost in Fire Dance. I'm definitely going to finish this series, and I would definitely try another series by her if Myer decides to write one, but I was nowhere near as star struck as I was when I finished Last Song Before Night. ***3.5 conflicted stars***
Fire Dance is composed of double edged swords, in that things I once found to be strengths (and still can be considered so) now fluctuate for me between that and weaknesses. Take for example her prose which I spent time to clearly illustrate how lovely it is. The issue lies as we progress through the story, her ability to illustrate rather than explain becomes tiresome. I found myself just wanting her to get to the point and explain concepts that are left free to interpretation. For instance the relationship between Poets and Enchantments, In Last Song Before Night we learn that enchantments have been lost to Eivar and all that remains is the music that once fueled their creation. Lin and Darien, in a mad dash through Eivar do the impossible, restoring what was once lost to the land. Now understandably with any 'new' concept there will be a learning curve. Clearly these people have spent a long time without enchantments and thus may have little knowledge of their use, but within Fire Dance we have a strange dichotomy of people who act as if they have never been without power, Elissan Diar, and those that even with the title of Seer, never use it, Lin. And even as Elissan Diar uses his enchantments there is no actual description of what is happening. No words invoked or manifestation of power, only result. For me this created a vague understanding of what was actually going on. How are these enchantments used? What do they look like? How are Elissan and his chosen calling upon it? How can novices use that which they have never encountered? The flip side to that is how is our newly crowned Court Poet not able to figure these enchantments out? Where is her music? How does she hold her position without the physical manifestation that she is actual able to do something, anything, even write a song. I really was just waiting for the time where Myer would quit the lilting descriptions and simply say: "Elissan discovered this enchantment in the crypt of Almyria and in speaking the words a glow emanated from within, capturing the spirits of his chosen and creating a *insert magical result*" I just wanted a trade off of eluding and explaining. Just tell me something concrete.
Just as the story lacks concrete explanations (and that is not to say the story does not make sense, it does, but it also leaves one with the feeling of 'do I truly understand' as you race to put the pieces together and remember the names), but it also lacks characterization. In Last Song Before Night, I felt, and this could be a rosy effect cast by hindsight, that we had a great understanding of Lin and at the time, the motivations of Darien. Lin to me was such a raw character, like a untamed wolf clawing her way through each and every trial and tribulation. I didn't get the same feeling this time around. In fact I didn't have much feeling for her or the other characters at all. I was missing growth for her. How the unearthing of the enchantments have changed her especially since she is tied to the knowledge that their unearthing of the Path has drastically shortened her lifespan. In Fire Dance I couldn't really get a sense of Lin as a person. It was almost as if the Myer's drive to weave together her, at times, overly complicated plot, detracted from her character growth section. We had no time to spend with Lin as she learns of the powers she has been grandfathered into. And we don't really get to see her do anything. Instead she is pulled along as she attempts to follow the world's most complex breadcrumb trail set in concentric circles, spiraling towards the ending.
It is not just Lin missing the essential coping/resolution characterization stage before moving on to become more; it is that there is a large cast, mostly new, in Fire Dance, and aside from their primary motivations they, as a whole, do not contain much substance. This makes it hard to tell people apart and remember their roles. I don't know how many times I had to reread the names Edrien Letrell and Etherell Lyr, two vastly different characters, which when reading in one's head sound seem rather similar. In fact, Myers seemed to spend more time on the fluidity of romantic relations between all the characters then giving them defining characteristics. I had next to no interest in Julien and Dorn, who don't even have that big of an impact on the plot, yet comprise at least a third of the book. And before anyone wants to argue Julien's importance, note that her importance lies solely on the shoulders of a character whose death allows her to do one thing, a thing that could have been accomplished by said dead character and would have been much more interesting because at least dead character had characterization. Couple together Myer's bad habit of killing characters with half a personality and her failure to intern heart into the remaining and the cast is left listless and uninspiring.
If you can't tell already I struggled through the middle of the book, through the constant shifting POVs which added plot but didn't create drive, and truthfully I may have given this book a lower rating if not for Myer's ability to pull her plotlines together. I didn't think they were going to all fit and although I wasn't a fan of everything I was happy to see how every POV became, at least, minimally useful. Along with the fact that the Lin/Edrien resolution creates promise for more development for Lin in the future. I have hopes that if Myer can focus more on her main characters and dial back her featuring of every person ever, (along with killing every other character) she may be able to streamline the final book and bring back some of the magic lost in Fire Dance. I'm definitely going to finish this series, and I would definitely try another series by her if Myer decides to write one, but I was nowhere near as star struck as I was when I finished Last Song Before Night. ***3.5 conflicted stars***
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May 30, 2018A while back I decided that, as an author, I didn't know how to approach Goodreads. My participation here began on the understanding that it was a platform for readers to flag good books to fellow readers, but then as my immersion in the world of publishing deepened, my view of this platform morphed into a fear that it's a tool that can have an important impact on fellow authors. That is why I stopped giving star ratings on books ... who was I to render a verdict on a colleague, especially one who has certainly had greater success than me. It seemed presumptuous, if not arrogant. Also, my ratings make sense to me, but what if someone I know whose work I read has a different view on the weight my rating carries? I don't want this forum to impact such relationships.
So, with the above in mind, to this book. Full disclosure: I have met the author and have great esteem for her. This work carries on the series begun by Last Song Before Night, though it is structured differently and doesn't hide the fact that there is another volume coming to advance the broader narrative. I have no problem with that and, indeed, it gives me something to look forward to.
I very much enjoyed Fire Dance. The writing is technically of high quality. The story is an interesting one, with the narrative carried forward by intriguing characters who have their own strengths and weaknesses as well as particular motives that are credible. As in her previous work, the author allows us glimpses of certain facets of the characters' personalities that eventually come into play at the end in surprising ways.
I suggest picking it up, but be sure to pick up Last Song Before Night first.
So, with the above in mind, to this book. Full disclosure: I have met the author and have great esteem for her. This work carries on the series begun by Last Song Before Night, though it is structured differently and doesn't hide the fact that there is another volume coming to advance the broader narrative. I have no problem with that and, indeed, it gives me something to look forward to.
I very much enjoyed Fire Dance. The writing is technically of high quality. The story is an interesting one, with the narrative carried forward by intriguing characters who have their own strengths and weaknesses as well as particular motives that are credible. As in her previous work, the author allows us glimpses of certain facets of the characters' personalities that eventually come into play at the end in surprising ways.
I suggest picking it up, but be sure to pick up Last Song Before Night first.
January 25, 2020
"The fire has made of you
A bright steel blade, a golden chain
A light that blinds.
I would have you walk in light,
Not become it."
The back cover blurb by Seth Dickinson encapsulates this book perfectly: "Sings of the atrocities of kings, the conspiracy of sorcerers, and the silk poison of palace intrigue."
Fire Dance is the standalone sequel to Last Song Before Night - which I loved, despite its misgivings. It is a competent sequel which, in my opinion, has a lot to offer for both newcomers and those who are familiar with Myer's debut novel. I have read it as a sequel but most of the characters are new, the setting is new, and the main conflict is only distantly related to the events of book 1. Though, of course, events and characters from book 1 are important and knowing the context will always enrich the reading experience.
I really liked Fire Dance. I loved some parts of it, but as a whole it lacked the spark that elevated its predecessor to the 5-star rating.
Lin is, as always, great as a protagonist, and her storyline is that of her slow unraveling. Despite her coldness and detachment from her... predicament, the emotions underneath the mask are raw and the portrayal of grief for herself and those she had lost was painful to witness. Her dreams themselves STABBED ME IN THE HEART.
"Moonlight through the tent flap, slender as a rapier, split the wall between them. Lin was still. She felt to cross that line would signify the end of something."
Fucking. Kill me now. That hurt so much.
The secondary characters were a mixed bag for me. I never cared much for Valanir so was ambivalent about his fate in this book. Zahir was... interesting? He had his moments but I never really felt strongly about him. Julien was fine, I did enjoy her dynamic with Sendara Diar for the most part. Dorn and Etherell, oof. That scene from chapter 17 gave me chills. Definitely excited to see where they go. Eldakar and Rihab and Mansur and Nameir were delightful and I sure hope I get to see them again in the final book. And then, there's Ned.
"I came to the Zahra to conquer and was, myself, conquered."
The queen storyline, I thought, was so good. But, to think we could have had Rianna in Ned's place, having an even more glorious storyline with Rihab. This is the kind of change that could have singlehandedly elevated this book to 5 stars for me. Highlighting the supposedly strong bond between Lin and Rianna? Check. Intriguing and homoerotic tension with the queen? Check. But alas, different choices were made. We got Ned, who the author insists on featuring in prominent roles despite him having the charisma of a potato.
Another criticism is, honestly, why does everyone need to fall in love with Lin and vice versa. I found it jarring. This series' obsession with making everything about desire and romantic love has been one of my biggest peeves since book 1.
Last, but not least, to end this review on a good note: the writing is stunning and I could not get enough of it. I believe it is part of the reason why this took me really long to read.This book, to me, was like liquid honey: rich and sweet but can only be consumed a spoonful at a time. It is only fitting that a book about poets and music be beautiful and lyrical.
"Her heart was a broken-winged bird that staggered in circles. Outside, the windowless hallway seemed to beckon to her, its bleak recesses the only place she belonged."
December 12, 2020
I may finish this later, but it's just soooooooo dull, I can't stand it. None of the fun characters are back, and I just don't caaaaaare.
April 26, 2018
This is a sequel to Last Song Before Night. I loved the first novel and was very glad to return to that world and its characters. While the first novel came to a satisfying conclusion (while leaving the door open for more to come), Fire Dance ends with many remaining loose ends, and to some degree is a cliffhanger (though not to the same extent as V.E. Schwab's Gathering of Shadows, 2nd in the Shades of Magic trilogy). When I learned about this sequel coming out, I wondered if this would be a trilogy, but was still mostly expecting a somewhat conclusive ending. The lack of one doesn't diminish my enjoyment of this book, but does make me wonder how long I'll have to wait for the next installment...
May 2, 2018
Fire Dance, the sequel to Ilana C. Myer debut novel Last Song Before Night is an intricate and exciting fantasy novel. Lin Amaristoth, court poet returns in this one venturing to northern Kahishi to stop the dreaded fire dancers.
I don't generally read fantasies, but because Meyer's first novel was so intriguing. I felt compelled to read this one as well and I'm glad I did.
I don't generally read fantasies, but because Meyer's first novel was so intriguing. I felt compelled to read this one as well and I'm glad I did.
Want to read
May 1, 2021May 2021
So my library put the this book in my science fiction mystery-book bag. Though I haven’t read book 1 I think I’m intrigued enough to give it a shot
I do wonder why they thought this was science fiction though ... hmmm, was it the cover ??
So my library put the this book in my science fiction mystery-book bag. Though I haven’t read book 1 I think I’m intrigued enough to give it a shot
I do wonder why they thought this was science fiction though ... hmmm, was it the cover ??
November 30, 2022
The lines between inscrutable character motivations and incoherent character motivations, between numinous magic and plot-convenient magic, can be thin ones, and unfortunately this book fell on the wrong side of those lines for me.
March 29, 2020
Beautiful writing, slow reading.
July 1, 2018
This is the book that has finally made me realize I need to take notes on books in a series unless I'm reading them one right after another. I started reading it and some bits were familiar, but other bits were not. I finally realized it's because it follows the book Last Song Before Night - but it took me most of the book to realize this and I, of course, couldn't remember the specifics about the first book. Not that that was a huge problem, you could certainly read this book on it's own; but having read the first does give you more depth of character regarding Lin (and Valanir Ocune). Of course, I'm not writing this immediately after reading the book, so lets see what I can remember (and it's not much)
Lin (Kimbralin Amaristoth): is now the court poet of Eivar, under King Harold, and a Seer. She is also host to ??? (Darien, maybe) within her because of the sacrifice made in the last book. She also spends most of the book believing she is going to die within a year, because of the "ghost" she hosts - no one person can contain two beings without being stretched thin, to death. In the end, the fire dance sends the "ghost" out of her, so she's just herself again.
Lin is asked to go to Kahishi (an ally of Eivar) to help figure out why the Fire Dancers from the north are suddenly attacking and massacring towns of Kahishi - and why the Fire Dancers suddenly seem to have more power.
Valanir Ocune: a poet and a Seer (works magic). He made Lin a Seer in the first book, even though women aren't supposed to be poets or Seers. He ends up dying when he tries to save Lin (remotely, through magic, because it turns out there is some sort of direct link between the person who made an individual a Seer and that individual).
Valanir suspects things are happening at the poet Academy that maybe aren't on the up-and-up, so he decides to go back there (without explaining it all to Lin, 'cause he wants to keep her out of it).
Archmaster Elissan: the new Archmaster of the Academy, after the previous one dies under suspicious circumstances. Has a daughter, Sendara. Tries to bring more magic and power to the Academy and wants the Academy to rule Eivar. I cannot remember how he ends up. Either 1) he dies or 2) he ends up fine and now has an elemental/demon bound to him (you'd think I could remember if he died, but no).
Sendara: daughter of Elissan. Starts out friends with Julien, then ends up treating her like shit. Is in love with Etherell. Don't remember at all how she ends up.
Etherell: a student at the Academy. Well-liked. Good-looking. Everyone thinks he's the son of a Lord. However, it turns out that Etherell is actually a tool of Valanir. He had been a rich person's plaything for his childhood and Valanir bought him and promised him freedom if he worked for Valanir by spying during his time at the Academy. The real Etherell is cold and doesn't trust anyone, he's just been positioning himself with Sendara and Elissan for better spying. Also don't remember how he ends up, think he ends up on his feet (fine & dandy).
Julien: is one of the few girls at the Academy, and she does really want to become a poet, but she is ignored by the other (male) students and (male) teachers. Has a sister, Alissa, that we never meet but is mentioned a lot. Has a crush on Etherell. Thinks about leaving the Academy, but then she starts getting involved in Valanir's spying. Valanir makes her a Seer as he's dying. She also gains some of his knowledge. I think she ends up on her feet too.
Dorn: is Etherell's roommate and in love with him, but such feelings are not welcome in this world, so he doesn't tell Etherell this. He's also not from a higher class family and stoic, so not well-liked. I think he ends up on his feet.
Dorn & Julien end up getting sent through a portal (to another level? world? dimension?) that Elissan and his cronies & students have opened up. They end up learning the truth about the city of Vesperia. It turns out the King of Kahishi (father of Eldakar & Mansur) made a deal with a magician to destroy the city and kill all the residents so that the dead residents could serve as his army and be unbeatable.
King Eldakar: the oldest son of the previous king. A kind man who would like to be a poet but instead is the King. Ends up escaping Kahishi as it falls to the "fire dancer" soldiers.
Queen Rihab: supposedly a slave girl that the king ends up marrying (instead of the woman he was supposed to marry; the daughter of some other king that would solidify the two kingdoms ties), so there are many rumors that she cast some sort of spell on him. Turns out she is the daughter of the actual fire dancer king and was sent there to spy. She does actually fall in love with Eldakar, though, and sad that she can't convince him to leave the city before it gets attacked. She ends up revealing who she is and taking over the undercity (illegal trade, thieving, etc).
Ned Alterra: friend and head of Lin's spy network. Married to Rianna (and, I think, has a kid with her). Lin asks him to spy on the Queen, and he realizes he has a thing for her (the Queen). He helps her escape the city before it gets attacked. He goes hunting for the Queen, to make it up to Lin. The book ends with the Queen (now queen of the undercity) asking him to join her team.
Zahir Alcavar: the first magician. a close friend (and former lover) of the king's, taught Valanir in magic. Shows Lin the Magicians Tower of Glass and their prophecies. Lin discovers Zahir has been keeping an elemental/demon. He says it is all in service to the kingdom. He tells Lin he's the sole surviver of Vesperia. Julien "visits" Lin and tells her that Zahir has vowed destruction of the (last) King's reign, no matter what it takes (and it take him basically selling his soul to an elemental/demon).
Zahir also makes a deal with Elissan. He'll help Elissan learn how to do more magic so that Elissan can take over the Eivar throne - in return, Elissan's "magic training" with his students are actually the disappearing/reappearing "fire dancers" that the Kahishi have been fighting. They are on the Academy island and it is magic that makes them "appear" in Kahishi cities and kill everyone. (Of course, Elissan tells the students they're not actually killing real people somewhere else.)
Zahir tries to convince Linn to join him. Linn refuses. He decides for a noble last act and tries to stop Elissan, but dies in the process.
Prior to dying, Zahir & Lin are taken by Aleira to a Fire Dance Prophetess. She says to prevent the portal openings that Elissan has been creating, a fire dance that has (possibly) never been performed before will have to happen. In the center of that dance will have to be the "magician" and the ??? (poet? queen? woman?) - which will be Zahir & Lin - and one of them will die.
She meets Tarik, the 2nd magician, who obviously hates her. He also doesn't like Zahir or Eldakar and is scheming with another kingdom to overthrow Eldakar. He ends up dead.
Aleira: a bookseller & a Galician. She spent a number of years as a servant/slave of the real Fire Dancers. She says there's no way the Fire Dancers are behind the attack. She can also read prophecies of the magicians (if she can get her hands on them, cause they don't like to share). I think she ends up on her feet - and with the real Fire Dancers.
There are not many Galicians, as their (I think, island) country was destroyed. People think that's cause they worshiped the wrong god(s) and think Galicians are bad luck, so Galicians are often the scapegoats in times of trouble.
Garon Senn: Lin's head guard and fighting trainer. Lin discovers he was a mercenary and had waaay too much fun raping and pillaging in his past. But she doesn't get rid of him or punish him, because she decides to use him to spy on Tarik. I don't remember if he ends up on his feet or dead (i'm thinking dead)
Mansur: King Eldakar's brother and head of the army. The story implies he ends up dead in the last fight against the "fire dancers".
Nameir: Mansur's right-hand-man; who is actually a woman, but hides that fact (although pretty much everyone seems to know). She is also a religion that isn't welcome in Kahishi (I don't remember the name of the religion or god(s)). Nameir convinces Eldakar to escape and the story implies Nameir dies in the last fight.
Bizarrely, I cannot remember what happens to the Academy people. It's one of the main points in the story, but can't remember. I know they don't get the throne of Eivar. I don't know if magic is taken out of the Academy. I don't know if the leaders are punished or killed or survive and are fine.
Lin does end up with the real Fire Dancers. They go to do the never-before-performed dance but Zahir is already dead, so they put Linn (and their king?) in the center of the dance, knowing Linn will die. However, as it turns out, the dance actually separates the "ghost" that had been living inside her - so Lin survives.
I never managed to get straight the different countries (and what cities go with what countries) nor the various religions (and what countries they go with).
Lin (Kimbralin Amaristoth): is now the court poet of Eivar, under King Harold, and a Seer. She is also host to ??? (Darien, maybe) within her because of the sacrifice made in the last book. She also spends most of the book believing she is going to die within a year, because of the "ghost" she hosts - no one person can contain two beings without being stretched thin, to death. In the end, the fire dance sends the "ghost" out of her, so she's just herself again.
Lin is asked to go to Kahishi (an ally of Eivar) to help figure out why the Fire Dancers from the north are suddenly attacking and massacring towns of Kahishi - and why the Fire Dancers suddenly seem to have more power.
Valanir Ocune: a poet and a Seer (works magic). He made Lin a Seer in the first book, even though women aren't supposed to be poets or Seers. He ends up dying when he tries to save Lin (remotely, through magic, because it turns out there is some sort of direct link between the person who made an individual a Seer and that individual).
Valanir suspects things are happening at the poet Academy that maybe aren't on the up-and-up, so he decides to go back there (without explaining it all to Lin, 'cause he wants to keep her out of it).
Archmaster Elissan: the new Archmaster of the Academy, after the previous one dies under suspicious circumstances. Has a daughter, Sendara. Tries to bring more magic and power to the Academy and wants the Academy to rule Eivar. I cannot remember how he ends up. Either 1) he dies or 2) he ends up fine and now has an elemental/demon bound to him (you'd think I could remember if he died, but no).
Sendara: daughter of Elissan. Starts out friends with Julien, then ends up treating her like shit. Is in love with Etherell. Don't remember at all how she ends up.
Etherell: a student at the Academy. Well-liked. Good-looking. Everyone thinks he's the son of a Lord. However, it turns out that Etherell is actually a tool of Valanir. He had been a rich person's plaything for his childhood and Valanir bought him and promised him freedom if he worked for Valanir by spying during his time at the Academy. The real Etherell is cold and doesn't trust anyone, he's just been positioning himself with Sendara and Elissan for better spying. Also don't remember how he ends up, think he ends up on his feet (fine & dandy).
Julien: is one of the few girls at the Academy, and she does really want to become a poet, but she is ignored by the other (male) students and (male) teachers. Has a sister, Alissa, that we never meet but is mentioned a lot. Has a crush on Etherell. Thinks about leaving the Academy, but then she starts getting involved in Valanir's spying. Valanir makes her a Seer as he's dying. She also gains some of his knowledge. I think she ends up on her feet too.
Dorn: is Etherell's roommate and in love with him, but such feelings are not welcome in this world, so he doesn't tell Etherell this. He's also not from a higher class family and stoic, so not well-liked. I think he ends up on his feet.
Dorn & Julien end up getting sent through a portal (to another level? world? dimension?) that Elissan and his cronies & students have opened up. They end up learning the truth about the city of Vesperia. It turns out the King of Kahishi (father of Eldakar & Mansur) made a deal with a magician to destroy the city and kill all the residents so that the dead residents could serve as his army and be unbeatable.
King Eldakar: the oldest son of the previous king. A kind man who would like to be a poet but instead is the King. Ends up escaping Kahishi as it falls to the "fire dancer" soldiers.
Queen Rihab: supposedly a slave girl that the king ends up marrying (instead of the woman he was supposed to marry; the daughter of some other king that would solidify the two kingdoms ties), so there are many rumors that she cast some sort of spell on him. Turns out she is the daughter of the actual fire dancer king and was sent there to spy. She does actually fall in love with Eldakar, though, and sad that she can't convince him to leave the city before it gets attacked. She ends up revealing who she is and taking over the undercity (illegal trade, thieving, etc).
Ned Alterra: friend and head of Lin's spy network. Married to Rianna (and, I think, has a kid with her). Lin asks him to spy on the Queen, and he realizes he has a thing for her (the Queen). He helps her escape the city before it gets attacked. He goes hunting for the Queen, to make it up to Lin. The book ends with the Queen (now queen of the undercity) asking him to join her team.
Zahir Alcavar: the first magician. a close friend (and former lover) of the king's, taught Valanir in magic. Shows Lin the Magicians Tower of Glass and their prophecies. Lin discovers Zahir has been keeping an elemental/demon. He says it is all in service to the kingdom. He tells Lin he's the sole surviver of Vesperia. Julien "visits" Lin and tells her that Zahir has vowed destruction of the (last) King's reign, no matter what it takes (and it take him basically selling his soul to an elemental/demon).
Zahir also makes a deal with Elissan. He'll help Elissan learn how to do more magic so that Elissan can take over the Eivar throne - in return, Elissan's "magic training" with his students are actually the disappearing/reappearing "fire dancers" that the Kahishi have been fighting. They are on the Academy island and it is magic that makes them "appear" in Kahishi cities and kill everyone. (Of course, Elissan tells the students they're not actually killing real people somewhere else.)
Zahir tries to convince Linn to join him. Linn refuses. He decides for a noble last act and tries to stop Elissan, but dies in the process.
Prior to dying, Zahir & Lin are taken by Aleira to a Fire Dance Prophetess. She says to prevent the portal openings that Elissan has been creating, a fire dance that has (possibly) never been performed before will have to happen. In the center of that dance will have to be the "magician" and the ??? (poet? queen? woman?) - which will be Zahir & Lin - and one of them will die.
She meets Tarik, the 2nd magician, who obviously hates her. He also doesn't like Zahir or Eldakar and is scheming with another kingdom to overthrow Eldakar. He ends up dead.
Aleira: a bookseller & a Galician. She spent a number of years as a servant/slave of the real Fire Dancers. She says there's no way the Fire Dancers are behind the attack. She can also read prophecies of the magicians (if she can get her hands on them, cause they don't like to share). I think she ends up on her feet - and with the real Fire Dancers.
There are not many Galicians, as their (I think, island) country was destroyed. People think that's cause they worshiped the wrong god(s) and think Galicians are bad luck, so Galicians are often the scapegoats in times of trouble.
Garon Senn: Lin's head guard and fighting trainer. Lin discovers he was a mercenary and had waaay too much fun raping and pillaging in his past. But she doesn't get rid of him or punish him, because she decides to use him to spy on Tarik. I don't remember if he ends up on his feet or dead (i'm thinking dead)
Mansur: King Eldakar's brother and head of the army. The story implies he ends up dead in the last fight against the "fire dancers".
Nameir: Mansur's right-hand-man; who is actually a woman, but hides that fact (although pretty much everyone seems to know). She is also a religion that isn't welcome in Kahishi (I don't remember the name of the religion or god(s)). Nameir convinces Eldakar to escape and the story implies Nameir dies in the last fight.
Bizarrely, I cannot remember what happens to the Academy people. It's one of the main points in the story, but can't remember. I know they don't get the throne of Eivar. I don't know if magic is taken out of the Academy. I don't know if the leaders are punished or killed or survive and are fine.
Lin does end up with the real Fire Dancers. They go to do the never-before-performed dance but Zahir is already dead, so they put Linn (and their king?) in the center of the dance, knowing Linn will die. However, as it turns out, the dance actually separates the "ghost" that had been living inside her - so Lin survives.
I never managed to get straight the different countries (and what cities go with what countries) nor the various religions (and what countries they go with).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2020
A beautifully written though ultimately dark character-driven fantasy story full of secrets, mysteries, twists and magic.
Fire Dance continues from where Last Song Before Night left and continues in a similar vein. You can read either one without reading the other, but I recommend starting with Last Song, whether you continue to this one or not. It's slightly better, and reading this one first will spoil things about it.
Like Last Song, Fire Dance is a character-driven story about magic – but with more actual magic and slightly less interesting characterisation. Relatively speaking, that is; Last Song really excels in characterisation, and it's no weak point here either. Fire Dance takes characters from Last Song from where they were left last time, when they were finally relatively all right, and faces them with new challenges that eventually push them as much to their limits and beyond as in the first book. This also means it's a dark book, like the previous one. Of course, new characters are also introduced, and their characterisation continues the theme of the last book in surprising you totally when you thought you had them figured out.
The surprises from the characters are tied to the surprises of the plot, which is one of mystery and intrigue as much as anything else. It's a pleasure to read a mystery where you get the sense that the author really did know everything from the start so that the solutions make perfect sense when they arrive.
Much of the story is set in a new, exotic place with many remarkable sights, and the text does quite a good job invoking them without the aid of visuals – verging on breathtaking at best. I especially enjoyed it when I realised I was reading about the place pictured on the beautiful cover, and when I looked at the cover again after this realisation, the picture came to life in a new way. Actually visiting another country only briefly touched in the first book also gives the world a greater sense of scope, and it helped me appreciate the world-building more.
The ending, with its very nice twist, successfully combines partial resolution with the obvious need for a sequel.
Fire Dance continues from where Last Song Before Night left and continues in a similar vein. You can read either one without reading the other, but I recommend starting with Last Song, whether you continue to this one or not. It's slightly better, and reading this one first will spoil things about it.
Like Last Song, Fire Dance is a character-driven story about magic – but with more actual magic and slightly less interesting characterisation. Relatively speaking, that is; Last Song really excels in characterisation, and it's no weak point here either. Fire Dance takes characters from Last Song from where they were left last time, when they were finally relatively all right, and faces them with new challenges that eventually push them as much to their limits and beyond as in the first book. This also means it's a dark book, like the previous one. Of course, new characters are also introduced, and their characterisation continues the theme of the last book in surprising you totally when you thought you had them figured out.
The surprises from the characters are tied to the surprises of the plot, which is one of mystery and intrigue as much as anything else. It's a pleasure to read a mystery where you get the sense that the author really did know everything from the start so that the solutions make perfect sense when they arrive.
Much of the story is set in a new, exotic place with many remarkable sights, and the text does quite a good job invoking them without the aid of visuals – verging on breathtaking at best. I especially enjoyed it when I realised I was reading about the place pictured on the beautiful cover, and when I looked at the cover again after this realisation, the picture came to life in a new way. Actually visiting another country only briefly touched in the first book also gives the world a greater sense of scope, and it helped me appreciate the world-building more.
The ending, with its very nice twist, successfully combines partial resolution with the obvious need for a sequel.
December 7, 2023
I haven't finished yet, but I doubt my rating will change. This book is ok. I liked the first in this series despite its flaws, but this one is just meh. I am having trouble motivating myself to finish it... I put it down and forget to read it for a couple of days and I don't miss it. It lacks urgency. It shouldn't, given the plot line, but it does.
Finally finished. Still did not care for it. Plot is pretty thin.... theoretically based on some great quest for revenge, but not told well enough that I actually cared. relationships between the characters, are fairly unbelievable, but they are supposed to be super deep and meaningful... because reasons? Altogether very disappointing.
Finally finished. Still did not care for it. Plot is pretty thin.... theoretically based on some great quest for revenge, but not told well enough that I actually cared. relationships between the characters, are fairly unbelievable, but they are supposed to be super deep and meaningful... because reasons? Altogether very disappointing.
May 13, 2018
It was just fine. It was a perfectly adequate boring trope-filled fantasy. With overly flowery language. Ultimately a snoozefest. I admit to skimming a lot. But I’m sure someone out there will love the troops and the cliches and the ridiculous language.
May 14, 2018
Overly dense with a lot of characters to keep track of. Plot moves painfully slowly too.
November 21, 2018
Muddled in the middle, stronger at the end. Looking forward to third.
December 19, 2018
This was a hard book to stay interested in. It had a twist to it that I did not see. It ended but was not finished so we know there will be a sequel at some time from now.
April 6, 2020
Book 2 (please read book 1 first or this will not make any sense). I enjoyed this story which takes place some time after book 1, but with many returning characters.
June 19, 2020
This was sort of a sequel, sort of a standalone. And maybe a bit disappointing after the first novel. But some of the plot lines were great and I was hooked in by the end.
September 21, 2018
A breath of fresh air! Particularly after the last couple of kinda "meh" books, but even on its own. I think I may have allowed myself to forget some of the winning points of the first book, LAST SONG BEFORE NIGHT.
This second installment in Ilana C. Myer's epic fantasy series opens several years later, at least from the start of the first book. Alas, I may have forgotten some plot points, too, but the author did her best to keep us abreast of what we needed to know. Still, I wish I'd re-read it, and could feel more of the emotional connection here.
In the present day, Lin is the new Court Poet and she's called away to aid a neighboring kingdom under attack from an unknown magical nemesis. This kind of made me excited on its own because it generally mirrors the plot from my favorite Tamora Pierce novel, EMPEROR MAGE. But in this case, we're not just in Lin's POV. We also have storylines in the poet's academy, on the battlefield and elsewhere. And Lin is struggling with her own bout of fatal dark magic from the previous novel. It definitely felt less straightforward than the questing narrative that took up much of the last book.
Myer's writing is so descriptive that I had to read some passages twice, particularly when she was describing the intricacies of geography and architecture. She also built up a metaphysical, historical and cultural world, expanding her music-based magic system and introducing the new kingdom of Kahishi. Once made up of feuding lands that the current king's father united, there's a lot of battleground for enemies who may want to sic deadly magic on the capital. Admittedly, occasionally I found it difficult to follow all of the characters and their allegiances, though sometimes that was because they had ulterior motives. I don't necessarily think that most of the characters were overly interesting beyond the needs of the plot, but it was a rather juicy plot and backstory. And I also appreciate that all of the "good" and "evil" wasn't confined to one baddie.
The big baddie--who wasn't the Fire Dancers that everyone blamed for the attacks--wasn't a surprise, but I appreciated that, too. The rreveal didn't feel like it was conjured out of thin air. No pun intended for all the magicians/poets in play. :P Myer organically wove in the baddie and his machinations. Maybe not his motivations, beyond mustache twirling, but most of the other characters had a little more dimension than that.
I came out of this more convinced than ever that the Galicians are this world's Jews. :P (I missed having Rianna as a narrator! ....though not as much as I did the complicated Marlen Humberleigh.) In this installment, we are introduced to a secretly female second-in-command of a military campaign and the sly owner of a bookshop in town, who explain that Galicians are exiled from their homeland and worship a different god (a god with no name) than their neighbors. They are also subject to violent attacks whenever their "host" countries feel ornery, much like with Jewish communities throughout history. I imagine that Myer, who is very Jewishly involved online and, it seems, offline, had this in mind.
With so much going on by way of varying characters and plots, I admittedly got lost in the weeds sometimes and had difficulty remembering details from each character POV. And I don't even think that was because I hadn't re-read book one. I'd definitely suggest reading the two books together, even if they are ostensibly standalones. Or is it really fair to call this one a standalone? Unlike the last, this one ends with the baddie still alive and powerful, and an epilogue where one character basically says to another, "care to join me in the finale?" :P I am very excited to read book three, which Myer recently referred to on her blog as THE POET KING. It's a lovely, evocative world, which focuses less on medieval style combat and more on court intrigues, aesthetic beauty and musical magic. I've been debating the idea of writing a fantasy novel(la?) myself for NaNoWriMo this year, and Myer has definitely inspired me.
This second installment in Ilana C. Myer's epic fantasy series opens several years later, at least from the start of the first book. Alas, I may have forgotten some plot points, too, but the author did her best to keep us abreast of what we needed to know. Still, I wish I'd re-read it, and could feel more of the emotional connection here.
In the present day, Lin is the new Court Poet and she's called away to aid a neighboring kingdom under attack from an unknown magical nemesis. This kind of made me excited on its own because it generally mirrors the plot from my favorite Tamora Pierce novel, EMPEROR MAGE. But in this case, we're not just in Lin's POV. We also have storylines in the poet's academy, on the battlefield and elsewhere. And Lin is struggling with her own bout of fatal dark magic from the previous novel. It definitely felt less straightforward than the questing narrative that took up much of the last book.
Myer's writing is so descriptive that I had to read some passages twice, particularly when she was describing the intricacies of geography and architecture. She also built up a metaphysical, historical and cultural world, expanding her music-based magic system and introducing the new kingdom of Kahishi. Once made up of feuding lands that the current king's father united, there's a lot of battleground for enemies who may want to sic deadly magic on the capital. Admittedly, occasionally I found it difficult to follow all of the characters and their allegiances, though sometimes that was because they had ulterior motives. I don't necessarily think that most of the characters were overly interesting beyond the needs of the plot, but it was a rather juicy plot and backstory. And I also appreciate that all of the "good" and "evil" wasn't confined to one baddie.
The big baddie--who wasn't the Fire Dancers that everyone blamed for the attacks--wasn't a surprise, but I appreciated that, too. The rreveal didn't feel like it was conjured out of thin air. No pun intended for all the magicians/poets in play. :P Myer organically wove in the baddie and his machinations. Maybe not his motivations, beyond mustache twirling, but most of the other characters had a little more dimension than that.
I came out of this more convinced than ever that the Galicians are this world's Jews. :P (I missed having Rianna as a narrator! ....though not as much as I did the complicated Marlen Humberleigh.) In this installment, we are introduced to a secretly female second-in-command of a military campaign and the sly owner of a bookshop in town, who explain that Galicians are exiled from their homeland and worship a different god (a god with no name) than their neighbors. They are also subject to violent attacks whenever their "host" countries feel ornery, much like with Jewish communities throughout history. I imagine that Myer, who is very Jewishly involved online and, it seems, offline, had this in mind.
With so much going on by way of varying characters and plots, I admittedly got lost in the weeds sometimes and had difficulty remembering details from each character POV. And I don't even think that was because I hadn't re-read book one. I'd definitely suggest reading the two books together, even if they are ostensibly standalones. Or is it really fair to call this one a standalone? Unlike the last, this one ends with the baddie still alive and powerful, and an epilogue where one character basically says to another, "care to join me in the finale?" :P I am very excited to read book three, which Myer recently referred to on her blog as THE POET KING. It's a lovely, evocative world, which focuses less on medieval style combat and more on court intrigues, aesthetic beauty and musical magic. I've been debating the idea of writing a fantasy novel(la?) myself for NaNoWriMo this year, and Myer has definitely inspired me.
May 20, 2025
This is closer to a 2.5. I bought this book not realizing it was the second in a series. When I realized it was book 2, I did some research and it was stated that this is a standalone sequel, and so I read on. Although I don't think you need book 1, it definitely would have helped. And given where this story ends, it is definitely not a standalone; you need to read book 3 after to finish the story.
Good things first, I loved the idea for this world. A blend of Celtic and Middle Eastern mythology is a very unique combination and creates an interesting world I haven't seen before. I do like some of the characters. Lin is perfectly fine as a lead and I liked her eventual partner in crime Zahir for most of the book. I also liked the idea of this being a story of political mind games and it works sometimes. The later quarter of this book is also quite exciting, it just takes a lot to get there. What I also really like is that this is a world where magic left it for a while and now it is back, but at what cost. Magic in this world only seems to cause pain and the graphic depictions that result from magic are awesome and haunting. There is also a large chunk of the story focusing on a teen in the magic academy named Julien, and those parts are decent as well.
My praises pretty much stop beyond concept and themes. This book is a SLOW burn, emphasis on slow. I did like the action at the end, but darn does it take a while to get there. Myer is also a very wordy narrator, often so wordy and lost in flowery language that it actually takes away from the scene and I couldn't always discern what was happening, at least for me. I also noticed a crazy overuse of similes. It felt like almost every body movement and facial expression was accompanied by an "as" simile that it started to get grating. The magic system wound up confusing as well; I still don't know what magic can and can't do in this world. After a certain point, I understood what was happening, but I rarely knew WHY anything was happening. Not sure if I totally got lost, but to my understanding, Lin is asked to come to the king's court to advise on this threat from the North, an army of people wielding dark and disturbing magic that slaughters innocents and levels cities. A war that the king's brother is on the front lines of. But aside from one formal discussion towards the beginning, there is no sense of urgency for this threat. Lin just kind of hangs around the castle, not advising on anything, like she's staying with a friend. She instructs her closest confidant to spy on the queen. And all I'm wondering is why? Why was she asked to be there? Why are they still housing her if no one is talking to her? Why is no one talking military strategy? Why is there a scene where the king is chilling and singing by a waterfall when his brother could be killed by this threat? Why is Lin spying on the queen when there is a war happening and there isn't any proof at first that the queen has anything to do with it? Maybe the answers were in the overly descriptive prose, but I couldn't find them.
Overall, great concept, great ideas, the action and more violent scenes are actually well done, but much of it is bogged down by overly descriptive prose and a confusing conflict that I couldn't determine the urgency of.
Good things first, I loved the idea for this world. A blend of Celtic and Middle Eastern mythology is a very unique combination and creates an interesting world I haven't seen before. I do like some of the characters. Lin is perfectly fine as a lead and I liked her eventual partner in crime Zahir for most of the book. I also liked the idea of this being a story of political mind games and it works sometimes. The later quarter of this book is also quite exciting, it just takes a lot to get there. What I also really like is that this is a world where magic left it for a while and now it is back, but at what cost. Magic in this world only seems to cause pain and the graphic depictions that result from magic are awesome and haunting. There is also a large chunk of the story focusing on a teen in the magic academy named Julien, and those parts are decent as well.
My praises pretty much stop beyond concept and themes. This book is a SLOW burn, emphasis on slow. I did like the action at the end, but darn does it take a while to get there. Myer is also a very wordy narrator, often so wordy and lost in flowery language that it actually takes away from the scene and I couldn't always discern what was happening, at least for me. I also noticed a crazy overuse of similes. It felt like almost every body movement and facial expression was accompanied by an "as" simile that it started to get grating. The magic system wound up confusing as well; I still don't know what magic can and can't do in this world. After a certain point, I understood what was happening, but I rarely knew WHY anything was happening. Not sure if I totally got lost, but to my understanding, Lin is asked to come to the king's court to advise on this threat from the North, an army of people wielding dark and disturbing magic that slaughters innocents and levels cities. A war that the king's brother is on the front lines of. But aside from one formal discussion towards the beginning, there is no sense of urgency for this threat. Lin just kind of hangs around the castle, not advising on anything, like she's staying with a friend. She instructs her closest confidant to spy on the queen. And all I'm wondering is why? Why was she asked to be there? Why are they still housing her if no one is talking to her? Why is no one talking military strategy? Why is there a scene where the king is chilling and singing by a waterfall when his brother could be killed by this threat? Why is Lin spying on the queen when there is a war happening and there isn't any proof at first that the queen has anything to do with it? Maybe the answers were in the overly descriptive prose, but I couldn't find them.
Overall, great concept, great ideas, the action and more violent scenes are actually well done, but much of it is bogged down by overly descriptive prose and a confusing conflict that I couldn't determine the urgency of.
June 15, 2021
An interesting read to say the least, while the prose is very well written I felt lost for most of the story until the last third.
I will admit I wasn't aware this was the second book in this setting. While I have read that the book can be read as a standalone, I feel that reading the first book in the series will dramatically enhance the experience of Fire Dance.
My experience was of the various characters re-iterating these epic trials and tribulations they ahd experienced and the deep emotional bonds they had. The issue for me was that it was all told and not shown. Which meant the first two thirds of the book felt like just trying to figure out what on earth was going on, who the characters were, how the world works and why should I care.
The book does eventually get there, and does so with such aplomb that I will probably read the sequel at some point, but on the other hand I have no inclination to read the preceding book.
The story does have a sense of dense, heady mysticism about it that lends a lot to its emotional weight. These moments are very well written and is a clear strength of the author. If you enjoy them the book will be great, as there a lot of them. I did.
I will admit I wasn't aware this was the second book in this setting. While I have read that the book can be read as a standalone, I feel that reading the first book in the series will dramatically enhance the experience of Fire Dance.
My experience was of the various characters re-iterating these epic trials and tribulations they ahd experienced and the deep emotional bonds they had. The issue for me was that it was all told and not shown. Which meant the first two thirds of the book felt like just trying to figure out what on earth was going on, who the characters were, how the world works and why should I care.
The book does eventually get there, and does so with such aplomb that I will probably read the sequel at some point, but on the other hand I have no inclination to read the preceding book.
The story does have a sense of dense, heady mysticism about it that lends a lot to its emotional weight. These moments are very well written and is a clear strength of the author. If you enjoy them the book will be great, as there a lot of them. I did.
June 11, 2019
I really loved the prequel Last Song of Night, and so was super-excited about this sequel. In general, I liked it and was interested in where the story was taking me.
But I also found it confusing a lot of the time. The book jumps perspectives a lot, and I had trouble knowing who was telling the story with some frequency. I had trouble keeping names straight and would have appreciated a glossary to help me know who was who. Also, there quite a few flashbacks and it's not always clear when you are in the story. Some scenes would have been way less confusing if they were told in a more straightforward manner.
I'd really like to know some of the main characters better. It looks like I'll get a chance because the book ended with quite a lot not wrapped up (despite being described as a stand-alone novel), and I'm guessing book 3 of the trilogy will pick up right where this one leaves off.
But I also found it confusing a lot of the time. The book jumps perspectives a lot, and I had trouble knowing who was telling the story with some frequency. I had trouble keeping names straight and would have appreciated a glossary to help me know who was who. Also, there quite a few flashbacks and it's not always clear when you are in the story. Some scenes would have been way less confusing if they were told in a more straightforward manner.
I'd really like to know some of the main characters better. It looks like I'll get a chance because the book ended with quite a lot not wrapped up (despite being described as a stand-alone novel), and I'm guessing book 3 of the trilogy will pick up right where this one leaves off.
May 30, 2019
Gorgeous writing did not compensate for the story itself. I only cared about two characters at the beginning, Julien and Dorn. Lin grew on me, if you could say that of a character that was so gloomy and detached (moreso than the rest of them). The motivation of the various characters shifted and changed unexpectedly and abruptly, as did the various threads of the story. Towards the end, I was wondering what exactly what was going on. One character declaring his love for another at the end (at knifepoint, no less) came out of the blue and seemed nonsensical. I was drawn in by the incomplete ending and will probably read the final book in the trilogy. I just hope that the flow of the story will match the beauty of the writing next time.
April 24, 2018
This is a beautifully written, deeply introspective fantasy novel.
A magic-based war is routinely slaughtering the people of Kashishi. The characters in this novel are trying (across 3 separate locations in 3 groupings) to prevent seismic political changes, at great personal cost. Each character carries their own darkness with them, and a recurring theme is how darkness is deeply personal--and often, kept private, to great cost. Many heroic fantasy narratives overlook or underplay the costs of heroism, while this novel emphasizes it.
This is a book that is worth your time when you are ready to go to a quiet, thoughtful place, and sit with it a bit. Thoroughly emotionally satisfying, and a bit bittersweet.
A magic-based war is routinely slaughtering the people of Kashishi. The characters in this novel are trying (across 3 separate locations in 3 groupings) to prevent seismic political changes, at great personal cost. Each character carries their own darkness with them, and a recurring theme is how darkness is deeply personal--and often, kept private, to great cost. Many heroic fantasy narratives overlook or underplay the costs of heroism, while this novel emphasizes it.
This is a book that is worth your time when you are ready to go to a quiet, thoughtful place, and sit with it a bit. Thoroughly emotionally satisfying, and a bit bittersweet.
did-not-finish
January 16, 2022Setting this one aside at 146 pages (a little into part 2). Myer's style is elegant and balanced, with gravitas and beautiful humanity and great emotional weight - the most like Guy Gavriel Kay I've ever read - but overall I just wasn't grabbed by this book, and it's not pulling me along. The problems are similar to those I had with the first - the concentration on characters slows the plot, but the characters feel quite distanced. I partly picked this one up in the hopes that the author would have got over those first-book hiccups to really nail the potential of her beautiful style, but... alas, not for me.
February 20, 2022
This is my favorite volume in the trilogy. The world building is gorgeous - both physically beautiful and politically complex. When I read it I heard echoes of Scheherazade's magic and themes, woven into a mystery, an adventure story, and one woman's struggle to find both truth and deliverance. I applaud Ilana C. Myer for not going easy on the heroine - this struggle should be hard and painful to be believe, to mean something. And it is in its very harshness that we glim also its subtle salute to courage, loyalty, perseverance, and grace.
May 18, 2018
This needs to be a short review. I don't know how I feel about this book yet. I loved the first one, have preached the greatness of Ms. Myer from here to the horizon. But I struggled for a while during this book. But Part Four... my goodness... I hope to give a better analysis in the future. When I do a re-read of both Last Song and Fire Dance.
For now, I think it is safe to say, Ilana C. Myer is a gem. Read her books. This is art.
For now, I think it is safe to say, Ilana C. Myer is a gem. Read her books. This is art.
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