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Blue Fire
From the author of the acclaimed fantasy trilogy The Masks of Agyrima, published by DAW Books, comes another epic YA fantasy adventure Centuries ago, the people of Nevyana were forced to leave their old kingdom across the sea after it was devastated by the War of the Twelve Gods. The only three gods to survive that war, Vekrin of the Earth, Arrica of the Sun, and Ell of the Moon, agreed they would thenceforth cease to meddle in the affairs of humans – but first, each of them gave their followers a final magical gift. In different ways, Vekrin and Arrica gave their followers the gift of Blue Fire, a force that could provide light, heat, and protection – or be turned into a powerful weapon. But Ell, who had fought against the other two in the war, chose instead to utterly transform her followers into the Nightdwellers, nocturnal creatures with fur, teeth, and claws. Enmity quickly arose among the three groups. Now, the Nightdwellers rule the night, killing any ordinary humans they find after sunset. Vekrin’s followers became the Citydwellers, sheltering each night behind stout walls of stone, guarded by the Blue Fire-powered firelances of the priests. And Arrica’s followers became the Freefolk, travelling the wilderness, camping within a fence of Blue Fire but always in danger of Nightdweller attack. When sacred objects for channelling Blue Fire are stolen, three sworn enemies, Petra of the Citydwellers, Amlinn of the Freefolk, and Jin of the Nightdwellers, set out to find them, and their paths converge on a collision course with the truth. Can they bridge the centuries-old divisions among their communities? Or will Blue Fire, turned to destruction, bring Nevyana crashing down in chaos and bloodshed?
- GenresFantasy
424 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2016
About the author
E.C. Blake
6 books59 followersE.C. Blake was born in New Mexico, “Land of Enchantment,” and the state’s nickname seems to have rubbed off: he started writing fantastical stories in elementary school and wrote his first fantasy novel in high school. He’s been a newspaper reporter and editorial cartoonist, a magazine editor, a writing instructor and a professional actor, and has written (under another name) more than 30 works of nonfiction, ranging from biographies to science books to history books, but his first love has always been fantasy. He now lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, with his wife and a daughter whose favorite stories all involve “sword-fighting princesses.” Come to think of it, so do his.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 7, 2021
An exotic fantasy world opens – and welcomes!
Canadian author E.C. Blake is not only an award winning science fiction and fantasy and non-fiction author, he also is a journalist and freelance writer, having served as communications officer for the Saskatchewan Science Centre. In addition, Blake is a professional actor and singer, performing in plays, musicals and operas! He hosts a podcast – The Worldshapers: Conversations with science fiction and fantasy authors about the creative process. He lives in Regina, Saskatchewan.
BLUE FIRE magically blends fantasy with science fiction in a manner that produces a genuine felling of credibility! Blakes’s suggested audience is Young Adults (ages 12 – 18), but the writing is so rich that ‘older readers’ will find this excursion fascinating. One of the many reasons Blake’s prose works so well is his unfailing desire to communicate relationship themes of the coming of age nature along side moral issues such as truth and courage and responsibility. But to get to those heights, Blake creates a vivid landscape populated with well-sculpted characters about whom we genuinely care.
His nonchalant manner of opening this story gives evidence of his concern for the reader’s preparation for a unique journey: ‘”Oof!” With a grunt, Petra lifted another basket full of cabbages to shoulder-height, wondering how every basket could be heavier than the one before when they all held the same number of cabbages. He lugged the basket to the storewagon. As he dumped the vegetables into the wagon bed, he gave Cort a glare that should have called down Blue Fire from Vekrin and fried the other boy on the spot. But Cort, his fellow Priest-Apprentice, his roommate, and supposedly his friend, remained disappointingly unfired.’
The plot is delightfully complex as the summary reveals: ‘Centuries ago, the people of Nevyana were forced to leave their old kingdom across the sea after it was devastated by the War of the Twelve Gods. The only three gods to survive that war, Vekrin of the Earth, Arrica of the Sun, and Ell of the Moon, agreed they would thenceforth cease to meddle in the affairs of humans – but first, each of them gave their followers a final magical gift. In different ways, Vekrin and Arrica gave their followers the gift of Blue Fire, a force that could provide light, heat, and protection – or be turned into a powerful weapon. But Ell, who had fought against the other two in the war, chose instead to utterly transform her followers into the Nightdwellers, nocturnal creatures with fur, teeth, and claws. Enmity quickly arose among the three groups. Now, the Nightdwellers rule the night, killing any ordinary humans they find after sunset. Vekrin’s followers became the Citydwellers, sheltering each night behind stout walls of stone, guarded by the Blue Fire-powered firelances of the priests. And Arrica’s followers became the Freefolk, travelling the wilderness, camping within a fence of Blue Fire but always in danger of Nightdweller attack. When sacred objects for channelling Blue Fire are stolen, three sworn enemies, Petra of the Citydwellers, Amlinn of the Freefolk, and Jin of the Nightdwellers, set out to find them, and their paths converge on a collision course with the truth. Can they bridge the centuries-old divisions among their communities? Or will Blue Fire, turned to destruction, bring Nevyana crashing down in chaos and bloodshed?’
All of the myriad aspects of E.C. Banks talent are obvious in this terrific blend of fantasy, references to great literature and history, and imagination proffered with a keen comedic sensitivity. He here further establishes his stance as one of our more important authors. Highly Recommended.
Canadian author E.C. Blake is not only an award winning science fiction and fantasy and non-fiction author, he also is a journalist and freelance writer, having served as communications officer for the Saskatchewan Science Centre. In addition, Blake is a professional actor and singer, performing in plays, musicals and operas! He hosts a podcast – The Worldshapers: Conversations with science fiction and fantasy authors about the creative process. He lives in Regina, Saskatchewan.
BLUE FIRE magically blends fantasy with science fiction in a manner that produces a genuine felling of credibility! Blakes’s suggested audience is Young Adults (ages 12 – 18), but the writing is so rich that ‘older readers’ will find this excursion fascinating. One of the many reasons Blake’s prose works so well is his unfailing desire to communicate relationship themes of the coming of age nature along side moral issues such as truth and courage and responsibility. But to get to those heights, Blake creates a vivid landscape populated with well-sculpted characters about whom we genuinely care.
His nonchalant manner of opening this story gives evidence of his concern for the reader’s preparation for a unique journey: ‘”Oof!” With a grunt, Petra lifted another basket full of cabbages to shoulder-height, wondering how every basket could be heavier than the one before when they all held the same number of cabbages. He lugged the basket to the storewagon. As he dumped the vegetables into the wagon bed, he gave Cort a glare that should have called down Blue Fire from Vekrin and fried the other boy on the spot. But Cort, his fellow Priest-Apprentice, his roommate, and supposedly his friend, remained disappointingly unfired.’
The plot is delightfully complex as the summary reveals: ‘Centuries ago, the people of Nevyana were forced to leave their old kingdom across the sea after it was devastated by the War of the Twelve Gods. The only three gods to survive that war, Vekrin of the Earth, Arrica of the Sun, and Ell of the Moon, agreed they would thenceforth cease to meddle in the affairs of humans – but first, each of them gave their followers a final magical gift. In different ways, Vekrin and Arrica gave their followers the gift of Blue Fire, a force that could provide light, heat, and protection – or be turned into a powerful weapon. But Ell, who had fought against the other two in the war, chose instead to utterly transform her followers into the Nightdwellers, nocturnal creatures with fur, teeth, and claws. Enmity quickly arose among the three groups. Now, the Nightdwellers rule the night, killing any ordinary humans they find after sunset. Vekrin’s followers became the Citydwellers, sheltering each night behind stout walls of stone, guarded by the Blue Fire-powered firelances of the priests. And Arrica’s followers became the Freefolk, travelling the wilderness, camping within a fence of Blue Fire but always in danger of Nightdweller attack. When sacred objects for channelling Blue Fire are stolen, three sworn enemies, Petra of the Citydwellers, Amlinn of the Freefolk, and Jin of the Nightdwellers, set out to find them, and their paths converge on a collision course with the truth. Can they bridge the centuries-old divisions among their communities? Or will Blue Fire, turned to destruction, bring Nevyana crashing down in chaos and bloodshed?’
All of the myriad aspects of E.C. Banks talent are obvious in this terrific blend of fantasy, references to great literature and history, and imagination proffered with a keen comedic sensitivity. He here further establishes his stance as one of our more important authors. Highly Recommended.
July 27, 2021
Ok, so this is my first book review, but I enjoyed this book and I thought it deserved a good review.
Blue Fire is a standalone epic fantasy novel by E. C. Blake. The novel centers around three main characters from different groups: Petra of the Citydwellers, Amlinn of the Freefolk, and Jin of the Nightdwellers. These groups are separated by certain gifts given to them by the God/Goddess they follow, such as Blue Fire, so when these gifts of Blue Fire are stolen from the Freefolk and Citydwellers, the three protagonists must work together to prevent destruction, or else their people will die.
I enjoyed this story mostly because of the worldbuilding and characters. The characters I most enjoyed were Petra and Jin, along with Denthold, a secondary character. Petra was a likeable main character, and so was Jin, because they both had views on their world that they were willing to change (they were open minded, I guess I could say). Meanwhile, Denthold was interesting because he broke away from society's beliefs and standards and he was willing to change later on, even after he had settled his own beliefs and ideals. While these were great characters, the worldbuilding was beautiful and structured, which made the novel easy to read. The story itself kept me guessing, although some parts were predictable, though I won't say which ones. The book did make me laugh in some scenes (and cringe!) because of Amlinn's and Petra's relationship (they were awkward at the start, oh gosh). Their relationship was probably one of the highlights of the story.
For the little less flattering points, I felt some of the scenes could have been more gripping, but that could just be me. Like I said, some parts were a little too predictable, but the characters and setting made up for that.
Overall, I thought this was a good YA read for a teen such as myself. The story would charm people of any age, since there were characters of all ages in the novel itself. For readers who love epic fantasy, this is a diamond among coals, since I've found that it's really a hit and miss with YA novels now. There's so many more coals than diamonds. Anyways, this is worth the read, and I highly recommend it.
4.5 Stars
Blue Fire is a standalone epic fantasy novel by E. C. Blake. The novel centers around three main characters from different groups: Petra of the Citydwellers, Amlinn of the Freefolk, and Jin of the Nightdwellers. These groups are separated by certain gifts given to them by the God/Goddess they follow, such as Blue Fire, so when these gifts of Blue Fire are stolen from the Freefolk and Citydwellers, the three protagonists must work together to prevent destruction, or else their people will die.
I enjoyed this story mostly because of the worldbuilding and characters. The characters I most enjoyed were Petra and Jin, along with Denthold, a secondary character. Petra was a likeable main character, and so was Jin, because they both had views on their world that they were willing to change (they were open minded, I guess I could say). Meanwhile, Denthold was interesting because he broke away from society's beliefs and standards and he was willing to change later on, even after he had settled his own beliefs and ideals. While these were great characters, the worldbuilding was beautiful and structured, which made the novel easy to read. The story itself kept me guessing, although some parts were predictable, though I won't say which ones. The book did make me laugh in some scenes (and cringe!) because of Amlinn's and Petra's relationship (they were awkward at the start, oh gosh). Their relationship was probably one of the highlights of the story.
For the little less flattering points, I felt some of the scenes could have been more gripping, but that could just be me. Like I said, some parts were a little too predictable, but the characters and setting made up for that.
Overall, I thought this was a good YA read for a teen such as myself. The story would charm people of any age, since there were characters of all ages in the novel itself. For readers who love epic fantasy, this is a diamond among coals, since I've found that it's really a hit and miss with YA novels now. There's so many more coals than diamonds. Anyways, this is worth the read, and I highly recommend it.
4.5 Stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2021
Welcome to the fantasy world of Nevyana in this wonderful YA book by E. C. Blake (Edward Willett)! Journey along as Petra of the Citydwellers, Amlinn of the Freefolk, and Jin of the Nightdwellers are forced to examine the strict beliefs each group has gown up with and consider opening themselves up to working together in their quest to save their people. An interesting book that combines physical adventure and philosophical growth. I was drawn into each characters world and wouldn’t have minded this being a series to dive deeper into each experience. Overall: great book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 21, 2021
The Review
What a truly incredible and rich fantasy world the author has crafted. The exploration of this world does a great job of highlighting how belief systems and those in power can often lead people to see enemies where only allies stand and create a divide that doesn’t need to exist. Utilizing a brilliant YA adventure, the author is able to convey deep and complex themes of setting aside differences, seeking allies instead of enemies, and leaving the past behind to build a brighter future.
The two key components to this novel have to be world-building and character development. The author showcases a wide range of emotion and interaction amongst the characters early on, giving three very different protagonists who must overcome the fear and mistrust and even in some cases hatred they’ve had instilled in them from an early age. Meanwhile, the world-building is detailed and engaging, giving readers a rich history and mythology to delve into throughout the entirety of the novel.
The Verdict
A fascinating, entertaining, and evenly-paced read, author E.C. Blake’s “Blue Fire” is a must-read YA fantasy. An epic tale of rich mythology, deep and thoughtful protagonists, and twists and turns that challenge the heroes as they navigate a rapidly changing world, fans of the YA fantasy and sci-fi genre will absolutely love this amazing read. Be sure to grab your copy today!
What a truly incredible and rich fantasy world the author has crafted. The exploration of this world does a great job of highlighting how belief systems and those in power can often lead people to see enemies where only allies stand and create a divide that doesn’t need to exist. Utilizing a brilliant YA adventure, the author is able to convey deep and complex themes of setting aside differences, seeking allies instead of enemies, and leaving the past behind to build a brighter future.
The two key components to this novel have to be world-building and character development. The author showcases a wide range of emotion and interaction amongst the characters early on, giving three very different protagonists who must overcome the fear and mistrust and even in some cases hatred they’ve had instilled in them from an early age. Meanwhile, the world-building is detailed and engaging, giving readers a rich history and mythology to delve into throughout the entirety of the novel.
The Verdict
A fascinating, entertaining, and evenly-paced read, author E.C. Blake’s “Blue Fire” is a must-read YA fantasy. An epic tale of rich mythology, deep and thoughtful protagonists, and twists and turns that challenge the heroes as they navigate a rapidly changing world, fans of the YA fantasy and sci-fi genre will absolutely love this amazing read. Be sure to grab your copy today!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews