Hell Fire

Corine Solomon #2

by Ann Aguirre

"I’m still a redhead. Before we left Texas, I touched up the roots with Garnier Nutrisse 64-R, and then I had some tawny apricot highlights put in. I guessed that meant I intended to keep this color for a while. Symbolic—I’d made a commitment, at least to my hair."

As a handler, Corine Solomon can touch any object and know its history. It’s too bad she can’t seem to forget her own. With her ex-boyfriend Chance in tow—lending his particularly supernatural brand of luck—Corine journeys back home to Kilmer, Georgia, in order to discover the truth behind her mother’s death and the origins of her “gift.”

But while trying to uncover the secrets in her past, Corine and Chance find that something is rotten in the state of Georgia. Just a few miles away, no one seems to know Kilmer exists. And inside the town borders there are signs of a dark curse affecting the town and all its residents—and it can only be satisfied with death…

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Romance, Mystery, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2010

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre has been a clown, a clerk, a savior of stray kittens, and a voice actress, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in Mexico with her family. She writes all kinds of genre fiction, but she has an eternal soft spot for a happily ever after.

Reviews

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Hell Fire by Ann Aguirre, #2 in Corrine Solomon series
I really like Ann Aguirre’s writing style. I enjoy the worlds she creates and the characters that inhabit those worlds. I really do like a lot about this book, this series but for some reason this book and this series does not click with me. I cannot figure out why. Maybe a list will help.

What I love about this book (and this series):

1. The setting. In Hell Fire the setting is a small remote town in the middle of a forest, literally – it is surrounded by forest on a sides, in Georgia. The town is a character in the book, not just a location. It is very creepy, a scary place to be and Aguirre writes it well.

2. The side characters. I don’t mean the supporting cast, but the people the main characters run into on the street, at the library, etc. These side characters are funny, scary and add to the story.

3. The supporting cast, like in Sirantha Jax, Corrinne is surrounded by a group of unusual but interesting people with their own agenda, but who gather together to fight for a specific battle. She does this well and I liked these people a lot.

4. The storyline – scary and surprising.

5. The talent/superpowers – very unique and creative. Not a copy of other urban fantasy books and there are huge costs to each of the powers. Well done.

What I don’t like about this book (and the series):

1. The throw in romance. It is not believable, the characters just don’t seem to sync, I don’t care enough about them as a couple and this storyline is so poorly done it is just a distraction from the main story.

2. The love triangle. See above.

3. The main character’s temper tantrums. Over the top, not consistent with her character. I can’t imagine friends and lovers putting up with this stuff.
I am not sure if I will read #3. It took move 15 months to move on to #2 in this series.

For more on this series check out Badass Book Reviews

[Katyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Auuuuuuugggggggghhhhhh!!!

I am so pissed!

This book was solid 4 stars until the last 2 goddamn pages. I just... I just want to shake Corine, slap some sense into her! Because that was bullshit.

I am throwing in the towel. I can't follow a story where the heroine is a selfish asshole.

Ugh! Ugh! I wish I could delete this series from my brain.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment, or maybe it's just my love of Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series that made me decide to go against my previous decision of not reading this book.

Yet again, I am having trouble with the rating for this one. I love Aguirre's writing, and I thought that the storyline in this one was MUCH better than the storyline in the last one. A creepy haunted town, mysterious deaths, curses etc.. All cool.

And yet... the relationship aspect really bothers me. As I stated in my review of the previous book, I HATE Chance. I find nothing redeemable about him, and overall he just gets on my nerves. So imagine my disgust when he tags along in this journey back to Corrine's hometown. The inability for the two to make a decision about each other just grates on my nerves. I'm not really sure why, because I see this all the time in other books I read. I think it's my apparent dislike of Chance that helps fuel my irritation in the once dysfunctional relationship and the now maybe/possibly love triangle.

::sigh:: confused about what I'm recommending and what I think? Yeah.. me too. My suggestion would be to read it anyway and decide for yourself if for no other reason than to read the FANTASTIC excerpt from Killbox that's at the end of the book!!:)

[Literary Lusts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooooooh... so the big mystery of Corine's past is somewhat resolved. And some big things with her relationships too. My only nag is towards the middle I felt like it lagged a bit but it picked up towards the end. The ending sorta leaves it wide open for anything to happen in the next book. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I wasn't disappointed with this and certainly never expect to with Ann Aguirre's writing. Also includes a bonus chapter of the next in her Sirantha Jax series. Woot!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aguirre has a wonderful knack for writing true ensemble fiction. Whether it is her Corine Solomon or Sirantha Jax series, she creates amazing characters, people who are gifted and interesting and easy for the reader to relate to. The reader ends up rooting for her characters and I have found myself doing so much quicker than is normal in these types of fiction. I tend to like one or two characters, the main character if the series is worth reading, but I rarely find a series where I like every single character. It does not matter who is in which scene in Aguirre's books, as I will like a scene regardless of the who is in it. I never read Aguirre's books fast, as I do not want them to end and I want to savor every little bit.

Shady Lady was recently released so I meant to just do a simple flip through this book to refresh my memory but I ended up rereading over half of it. I'm happy I did.

The ending of this book made me very sad. Don't get me wrong, it was a great ending, leaving potential for repurcussions due to Corine's choices within this story. Through book 1, I remember being a little annoyed with Chance but by the end of book 2, I was rooting for him. I loved the mystery of this book, the explanations of what was going on, and I really love the alternate-reality world Aguirre has created, full of people who can do some amazing things. I hope this is further explored. I loved the addition of Shannon. I can see her going down a different path and I love the possibilities. I've also always had a softspot in my heart for empaths, so Jesse is also a winner with me. I am excited to see what happens next in the series.

[marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am going to be in the minority of this one and say i loved it. i have a thing for Chance what can i say?

this story picks up pretty much where we left off in book one. corine is looking for what/who killed her mother and trying to use Chance's luck to help her find it.

woven throughout the plot is the ongoing arc of corine's personal life and the somewhat triangle between herself, Chance, and Jessie. this is here you start to loose me. being with chance is risky. it could be deadly. that is a lot to weigh in on any type of deciding factor. i get that. i really, really do. jessie is safe. he is the white picket fence boyscout. that has its appeal. i see that too. making out with one and then 2 hours later the next is not ok. especially when you have two completely damaged men on your hands. jessie is still seemingly torn up over his ex, the pyro. chance is so in love with corine that he thinks smothering his own gift, sacrificing that part of himself for her is something worth doing. playing with these two is just mean.

the story of Kilmer itself is rather scary. scary in a way books like this seldom are. most don't put goosebumps down your arms. this was a genuinely creepy tale of a town that was forsaken. this book had a large unknown factor. we didn't get to see the bad guys or the monster till pretty far in to the tale. that added an eeriness to the overall story.

great read even if i wanted to smack corine from time to time.

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I didn't finish it I guess I have to give it one star. I wanted to give this series another try because there is certainly nothing wrong with the story telling, urban fantasy aspect of the writing. But, this book started out with more of the whining and obsessive negative self talk about Corine and Chance. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't bear to read a whole book while inside the lead character's head while she vacillated back and forth on her previous feelings for this man. It completely detracted from the story and made this book come perilously close to being a wallbanger.

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cliche ridden is the very least of this books problems. Ooo--we have spooky small town in deep South where Corine's mother died in bad circumstances. If you've read one book with that factor, well, you've read this one too. And then there's Corine's love life--torn between two guys former lover Chance and Texan Jesse. Page after page after page of Corine dithering and hand-wringing. I could not take it any more!
Sorry Ms Aguirre, you lost me.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accompanied by her supernaturally lucky ex-boyfriend Chance, Corine is headed to her tiny hometown of Kilmer, Georgia, to find the truth about her mother's death and her own peculiar gift. But something's not right about this town which, according to the rest of the world, doesn't appear to exist. Something decidely sinister is going on, with people going missing and some sort of dark power at work.

I really wish we could dispense with the romance (Must we, with the love triangle? Must we really?), but otherwise this creepy second book in the series provided solid entertainment and kept me hooked.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very spooky setting as the heroine goes back to her hometown to investigate the long-ago murder of her mother. Good pacing and short chapters made this a quick read.

[Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Between you and me, little one, I get tired of the whole I-will-devour-your-soul routine. Sure, I feed off the visceral terror, but where's the spontaneity, you know?"


In "Blue Diablo" Chance agrees to use his talents to assist Corine in discovering the reasons behind her mother's death in exchange for her help in locating his mother, Min.

So as "Hell Fire" begins, Corine and Chance are off to Kilmer, GA where they are confronted with a mysterious evil that seems to encompass the entire town.

As they cross into Kilmer, they are immediately presented with what Corine considers to be a bad omen.... and she's right.

They begin to investigate her mother's death and question the residents of Kilmer while trying to maintain a low profile.

Jesse Saldana and Booke are eventually brought back into the story, while Chuch and Eva are mentioned briefly during phone conversations. We are also introduced to some new characters that seem to be ones that will stick around for future installments.

Corine and Chance's relationship is still rocky, at best, and Saldana makes subtle declarations of his feelings for Corine. He's made it known that he's willing to further explore whatever may be going on between the two of them.

By the time the story concludes, they manage to solve the mystery surrounding the town and her mother's death, but have managed to unleash a whole new set of problems. And Corine has seemed to at least have made a partial decision regarding her relationship status.

I'm excited to find out what happens in "Shady Lady", but "Devil's Business" is here and Jack Winter comes first. But don't worry Corine, I'll join you soon.

"So long, and thanks for all the fear."

[Keli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this better than the first book. Maybe by Shady Lady I'll have gotten into the series and they'll get solid four star ratings. There's something about the telling and not the story that hasn't gelled with me. I like the characters, enough. The story was definitely interesting and fairly well told. There were times that a scene ended abruptly or conversations seemed to move to something different which jarred a bit. Still, there's something that just doesn't hook me or excite me in the way that other UF does. But, like I said, it was a solid story, a charming new character was introduced and Butch the chihuahua is still cute as hell. When I read the bits with him I picture a cross between Ren, from Ren and Stimpy, and Jenna Marbles's Marbles. Too cute.
Anyway, it's a, solid 3.5 and worth the time. I've got book 3 on the way.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second in the Corine Solomon urban fantasy series revolving around Corine, a woman Gifted with the ability to read the history of any object.


My Take
There are two objectives in this story. Corine must decide how she feels about Chance---the ex-boyfriend who wants her back in his life---and bring those responsible for her mother's death to justice. And, oh man, does Aguirre take us for a ride!

The primary storyline is discovering the secret of what is terrorizing the forest and why so many are disappearing in it. Interspersed with it is Corine's thinking about the relationship she had with Chance. The good. The bad. What she hopes for the future. Right along with her thoughts about being with Chance. With Jesse. The life she has built for herself in Mexico City. Battling the manners she learned half a lifetime ago with her need for happiness. Contending with Chance and Jesse's male expectations.

We do learn what happened that night when Corine's mother died and the house burned down. Not quite what Corine had thought. But close enough. With a bit of misdirection thrown in by Aguirre. And a very odd demon with whom Aguirre sets Corine up for a future encounter.


The Story
The closer Corine and Chance get to Kilmer, the eerier the countryside becomes and the more agitated Corine gets. Twelve people are responsible for murdering her mother for being a witch, burning down her home, and abandoning Corine to a foster system that merely tolerated her.

They make a start with the library with its archive of old newspapers and then interviewing Corine's foster parents. A daunting task made worse when someone tries to run Corine down in the street. And they need to find a new place to sleep. After finding that line of herbs surrounding their room along with the accompanying eeriness, there is no way either of them will stay at the Kilmer Inn. It's Phil Regis who rents them old Mrs. Everett's farmhouse. It should be more private. Easier to protect. Even it it does welcome Corine home with a bloody-seeming message.

Shortly after that, it's divide and conquer when the sheriff throws Chance in jail and Corine retreats to the farmhouse to set the wards. Lucky for Corine that Jesse shows up to save her life and rescue Chance. As all three rescue Shannon and deliver those who were betrayed.


The Characters
Corine Solomon is collecting on the debt Chance owes her from the help she gave him in Blue Diablo . Together, they will find the twelve people responsible for her mother's death 14 years before. She will use her Gift of psychometry to learn what she can. They intend that Chance's Gift of luck will ease their hunt. Butch is a chihuahua they "inherited" in their last adventure in Laredo. He seems to have a gift for communication and finding evil. Jesse Saldana has the Gift of empathy and is mentoring Corine about the Gifted world. He was the detective in charge of Mina's disappearance in Blue Diablo. He's also a rival of Chance's for Corine.

Ian Booke is an English Internet friend of Chuch's with an expertise in hermetic magic and astral projection. Not that it's much use in this town! Chuch and the pregnant Eva Obregón stayed behind in Laredo but try to keep in touch by phone. Well, when Corine and Chance are in a warded space anyway.

Edna is the evil librarian while Mr. McGee is its handyman with a warning for Corine. The scary Sandra Cheney has inherited her aunt's inn where Corine and Chance first stay and soon flee when someone begins to lay down a ward around their room. Her husband Jim is terrified and their daughter Shannon soon runs away from home and to Corine and Chance. A Gifted daughter who uses her talent to speak with ghosts. Miz Ruth is another foster parent; her husband Glen has been missing since he went on a hunting trip two weeks ago. The cat disappeared a year ago. Phil Regis is the realtor who rents them the house despite all the efforts of his enamored secretary, Agnes Pettigrew, to prevent them seeing him. Augustus England runs the newspaper. Harlan Cooper is the new school principal. He also seems to be England's bodyguard. Sheriff Robinson does his best to jail either or both of them. Lucky for them that Jesse showed up.

Miss Minnie is the only foster parent Corine remembers with any affection. It's after dinner with Miss Minnie, that she has a premonition loaded with clues for the quartet. The hippie-ish Dale Graham is a reporter on the town newspaper. He's been tracking the odd events that have wracked Kilmer for the past few years. The man who tries to rob or kill Miss Minnie, Curtis Farrell, provides some critical clues.

Montoya is a drug dealer out for blood after Corine, Chance, and Jesse destroyed his plans in Blue Diablo.


The Cover
The cover is greens and reds with a curious Corine dressed in her concha-belted, low-slung jeans, and cropped top leaning against Chance's cherry red Mustang when it's parked at the city limits to Kilmer along a winding highway, massive trees lining the road.

The title is another drink that Corine favors.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book of the Corine Solomon series picks up exactly where the first books leaves off. (No cliffhanger from book 1, this just continues the story after the resolution in book 1.) Chance is going to follow through on his promise to Corine to use his gift to help her find out what happened the night her mother died. Turns out there's more wrong in the small Georgia town than just a simple murder of the local witch. I definitely liked it better than the first book, but there's still something keeping me from loving this series as much as I want to. I love the concept. It's something with the execution. I like the story enough, I plan to finish all 5 books of this complete series.

[Laur Laur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very eerie and suspenseful, couldn't put it down. Only complaint is the love triangle, I felt bad for both men as she came across as leading both of them on. That's the only thing holding me back for the next book as it looks like another guy will be chasing after her. A quadrangle? But I know I'll read it, because the world the author has created is fascinating.

[Michele Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

bought this book.

It's no secret that science fiction and fantasy often strives to be socially relevant, to a make a point about our future, our society or just the human penchant for quests and underdogs. Often slipping through the cracks of those books deemed of literary merit, urban fantasy at its worst is considered a pornographic bestiary with a bitchy female lead. At its best though urban fantasy is becoming a microcosm, where the rest of the genre is a wide angled view, focusing on how people deal with tragedy, often amplified by supernatural complications to the already dark nature of the world.

On the surface Ann Aguirre's latest UF novel, Hell Fire (book two in her Corine Solomon series) is the story of a woman torn between two men who travels home to find the truth about her mother's tragic death. Underneath it's a story about being unable to go home again and trying to face down trauma and emotions themselves in an effort to gain justice at best, and control at the least. The complication of Hell Fire is that Corine isn't just trying to figure out what evil lurks in the small (and, mysteriously, completely unknown) town she grew up in, she's trying to fight her own overwhelming emotional tempest when it comes to her mother's murder and her upraising. There's also the fact that literally everything in Kilmer is working against Corine and her crew, and she starts the book so far out of the loop of the plot that for a while she has to grab at strings and bear through grim and vague warnings instead of proper clues.

Compared to the break neck speed of the mystery in many urban fantasies, and the heavy traditional romantic tone to others, readers stuck in a rut that demands a speedy, linear, clues-falling-into-the-hero's-lap plot and a resolution to the romance right now will find less enjoyment in Corine's stories than others. Readers should also be prepared for some heavy horror influences, in the form of creepy lost-in-the-woods scenes and a more sinister monster than today's vampires and werewolves offer. But if you love in urban fantasy why I do, the tales of ordinary and not-so-ordinary people dealing with both personal tragedy and a world spiraling out of control under the influence of the unpredictable addition of magic and magical beasties, then you'll find Hell Fire emotional, dark, heroic and an excellent read.

[Cronache di Betelgeuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione pubblicata su Cronache di Betelgeuse

Toccare ogni oggetto e provare dolore, mentre si scoprono alcuni momenti di vita del suo proprietario, non è una bella sensazione. Corine ci deve convivere da molto tempo ed è decisa a scoprire qualcosa in più sulla sua famiglia e, in particolare, sulla morte di sua madre. Vuole mettere chiarezza sul suo dono e non è disposta a lasciarsi trasportare dalle emozioni come in passato. Si fa accompagnare dal bello e tenebroso Chance e, nonostante qualche tentennamento qua e là, riesce a tenere saldo il suo obiettivo.

I ragazzi però le fanno continuano a ronzare intorno, come mosche attirate dal miele. Sia Chance che Jesse Saldana vorrebbero approfondire il rapporto con lei e non rimanere solo amici. Chance però ha dei grossi problemi a fidarsi degli altri e a rivelare qualcosa sulla sua famiglia e suoi sentimenti. Per quanto si impegni a cambiare per il bene di Corine, ha davanti a sé una strada molto difficile. Jesse invece ha assunto il ruolo di mentore, pronto a raggiungere e difendere la donna da qualsiasi pericolo. Ho trovato la sua presenza molto rassicurante, perché sembra essere veramente interessato a Corine e vorrebbe il meglio per lei.

La cittadina in cui si svolge tutta la vicenda è a dir poco inquietante. Circondata da boschi impenetrabili, sembra essere il classico paesino in cui ambientare un film horror. Gli abitanti si conoscono gli uni con gli altri, ma nonostante questo sembrano esserci segreti mortali, di cui non si deve mai parlare. Corine si ritroverà così ad affrontare la mentalità chiusa di una città da cui era scappata, con momenti di vera difficoltà emotiva in cui solo la sua determinazione la fa rimanere al suo posto.

Il libro è ben strutturato, con la trama che riesce a rimanere solida e senza punti morti. E’ un peccato però che il finale crolli su se stesso come un castello di carte al vento. Ciò che succede sembra essere senza nessuna ragione apparente, una nota stonata rispetto al resto della storia.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com

HELL FIRE picks up just weeks after the events that occurred in Blue Diablo as Corrine and Chance are returning to her hometown of Kilmer, Georgia to get the truth about her mother's murder thirteen years earlier. With Chance's luck, Corrine is determined to finally be able to bring the killers to justice.

The paranormal world in this series is populated with ghosts, demons, witches, and 'The Gifted' (individuals with varying abilities; everything from psychics, empaths, and mediums). Most Gifted are born with their abilities, others like Corrine, acquire them through different means. And then there's Chance. He is something entirely other able to use 'luck' the way we might use a computer.

Ann Aguirre has an amazing ability to make the reader breath in the air of her location, in HELL FIRE, the little town of Kilmer, Georgia is every bit as much the main character as Corrine, maybe even more so. I felt like I was tasting Miz Ruth's dumplings, smelling the fetid air of the damp forest, enduring the searing pain of Corrine's Gift when she handled a charged object. Reading HELL FIRE is a completely sensory experience that wouldn't be half as immersive in the hands of a lesser writer.

The love triangle between Corrine, Jesse and Chance was not my favorite part of the book. I lost some respect for Corrine as she seemed to fall into whoever's arms were closest at the time without a thought for the other guy who, often as not, was in the other room. I don't understand why either of the guys put up with it. And I hated the choice Corrine ends up making.

The pacing problems I had with Blue Diablo did not plague HELL FIRE in the slightest. The story moved along swiftly with every scene contributing something significant either to the characters or plot. If you enjoyed Blue Diablo, HELL FIRE is even better. I can’t even imagine what Ann has in store for us when Shady Lady (Corine Solomon, Book 3) comes out in April 2011.

Sexual Content: References to sex. A scene of mild sensuality.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine installment in the Corine Solomon series! This time Corine travels to her hometown, Kilmer Georgia, in an attempt to find out the truth behind her mother's murder. With her is her supernaturally gifted ex, Chance, and her devoted Chihuahua Butch; they are soon joined by policeman Jesse Saldana, panic-stricken when his gift of empathy tells him Corine is danger. Oh yeah, and Kilmer, Georgia? Isn't recognized by his GPS or the citizens of any neighboring towns. Corine finds that her mother's death isn't the only mystery in Kilmer; and that she and her gifted friends may be lucky to escape with their lives.

Hell Fire is spooky in a way that urban fantasies rarely are for me, but then again, the Corine Solomon series never has been your run-of-the-mill urban fantasy. I loved the eerie atmosphere of Kilmer, how well it blended the sinister with the daily minutiae of small-town life. There was a Gothic feel that reminded me of Twin Peaks and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"; it was the perfect setting for Corine to be coming to terms with her past, and solving the mysteries of the present.

At the center of Corine's story is a love triangle, and I must admit, I've never found that particular plot device very compelling. It often feels like it should be wish fulfillment, but the idea of two men competing for one woman strikes me as less flattering and more robbing her of choice. However, I recently read (on Carrie Ryan's blog, if you're curious) that in a good love triangle shows the character at its center really trying to decide who s/he wants to be, that each potential lover represents one aspect of his or her personality or what s/he wants out of life. I can see that going on with Corine, as she tries to decide between Chance, whose supernatural good luck puts her at risk, and Saldana, whose protective nature can be stifling. I know I can't wait to see who Corine ends up with, but until she does, I'm just happy to be along for the ride.

[April Steenburgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Aguirre is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Hell Fire was one of those books I didnt really want to read when home alone at night, but I did anyway, as the only other option was putting it down and waiting to finish it later. It was urban fantasy, with horrific overtones, and the horror was done perfectly. It made my flesh crawl with goosebumps and every little noise made me twitch.

Ever wandered through one of those small towns that appeared to have been overlooked by the passing of time? The location in which Hell Fire takes place is one of those little towns- where everyone knows everyone, and what everyone is doing. And that isnt always a good thing. Where standing out really can be the death of you.

We return to the hometown of Corine Solomon, the protagonist of Blue Diablo (go. read. now.), as she returns to solve the mystery behind the death of her mother. Her mother's death? One of the less viscerally creepy reveals in the book. There is such a brilliant build of tension and horror and the last few chapters literally fly as everything comes to a brilliant, terrifying end.

Loose ends are no longer loose, but it is most definitely one of those 'I won, but at what cost' situations.

Brilliant book. I am getting firmly attached to Aguirre's writing and have a fond affection for how she weaves sexy, believable romance into the thick of her action. Her characters make human decisions, not always the best, but the ones that make sense. Her prose is witty and fun and the cast of supporting characters she weaves into every book honestly add to the story. She also has a great sense of power with cost, which always makes a book feel richer.

If you haven't yet, grab a copy of Blue Diablo, the first in the series, and then launch into Hell Fire. Fun, fast-paced reads!

[Kiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, Corine is a bit of a waffler when it comes to relationships. But I didn't mind it. I kind of like her emotional immaturity. It humanizes her for me.

I did have a problem with Chance wanting her back so badly despite the fact that his luck may be the death of her. He doesn't want to give up the luck, even though he says he will, and he doesn't want to give her up. Selfish? Yeah. There has to be more to this than what we are seeing because how can he feel about her what he says and then want to risk her life by his luck. It just makes no sense. Surely, Corine has to be feeling this? Amazingly, this is not her problem with him or at least its not one that she lets herself think about.

Personally, I think one of the reasons she waffles between these two guys so much is neither of them is really right for her. She keeps thinking that she "could" love Saladan and that she does love Chance. But her love for Chance has a ton of qualifiers, and personally, I think it always bodes bad for a relationship if you think you "could" love someone. It starts to feel like you are trying to talk yourself into loving them. The whole thing with Chance doesn't work for me because of the inherent selfishness of his love. It has to be selfish for him to risk her life like he wants to do. However, I keep hoping for a wake up call about this issue for both of them.

That being said I gulped this book down. I loved the dark creepiness of it. The demon became one of the most interesting characters in the book rather quickly.

The ending was a little too pat, but for the quality of the rest of the book I was willing to overlook it.

I also think they should have done better shopping at the grocery store. All those peanut butter sandwiches and the 'just to get by' food made me feel ill for them. They had an entire kitchen for goodness sakes. Why didn't they actually use the dang thing?

[Jill Dunlop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell Fire is book two in the Corine Solomon series. In this book Corine Solomon narrates the story. She heads home to southern Georgia to determine the circumstances of her Mother's death. Corine has always suspected that there were supernatural reasons associated with her Mother's death and they all stemmed from the town itself. She takes Chance, her former boyfriend back to Georgia with her to find out what really happened.

Hell Fire is an excellently written book. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did Blue Diablo, the first in the series. This mostly stemmed from the direction or lack there of that Hell Fire went in terms of romance. It seems Hell Fire has more questions instead of answers when it comes to Corine and her men, Chance and Jesse. Corine is at a crossroads in her life and she can't seem to make up her mind on who will fit in her life better. I think it is obvious, but she will walk that path with or without anyone's help.

Okay, so back onto the plot, which was excellent by-the-way. I loved the dark mysterious setting. There is plenty of tension and Aguirre knows how to set the mood. There is something dark and mysterious about the town and this book is about getting to the bottom of that. I love how Corine references that her team almost equals that of Scooby Do and she even goes as far as making a reference to "those meddling kids".

I think this is a series to watch. The writing is excellent. I just would like to know where the romance is going. You know me. I am totally romance driven!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

While in some ways, Hell Fire didn't have the same fireworks as Blue Diablo (read: no zombie armies) it still was a compelling and exciting read. I didn't want to put it down, and was anxious to get back to it when I did have to stop reading.

In Hell Fire, Corine explores her past in Kilmer, GA and finds out what really happened to her mother. I feel like I learned a lot about her as a character through seeing where she comes from.

The book also furthers her relationships with both Jesse and Chance, and she comes to some necessary insights about them. I love how the author doesn't come to any easy solutions with regards to the men in Corine's life, but makes Corine's decisions based on what's consistent with (and best for her character.

I loved the introduction of Savannah. She took the story to some interesting places, and revealed some interesting things about Corine. Though a well-developed character in her own right, Savannah was able to serve as a reflection of a younger Corine as well as bring out Corine's nurturing side.

While the action of the book is plot driven, the characters --especially that of Corine --are incredibly well developed.

I've read and enjoyed a number of Ann Aguirre's books, but with Hell Fire I'm begun to see a level of confident expertise in writing that I associate with two of my favorite authors, Kelley Armstrong and Jim Butcher.

I can't wait for Shady Lady, book 3 in the series.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. But the series moved away from the characters that I had grown to like. Maybe the whole returning home bit should have been saved for a different book not the second one in. Moreover, Chance has yet to grow on me. The constant sizzling attraction between the two seemed a little forced to me, and the love triangle thing just doesn't interest me. Why is that? Well, because no one possess a big enough pair to deviate from the usual path a love triangle takes. So I'd rather not deal with that and the heroine tasting lips like she's at a wine tasting event.

Not a bad series, but so far I am a bigger fan of Aguirre's Sci-Fi and YA series.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I read this without very high expectations because the first book was just okay. This one was slightly better.

Corine goes home to try to figure out who killed her mom and she finds out the whole town is screwy. I was a lot sick of her Chance/Jesse triangle, which wasn't really a triangle. She loves Chance but being with him could get her killed. And she's not sure of what she feels for Jesse. I felt so sorry for Chance by the end of the book, although I did understand the reason why she didn't go off with him.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. The sexual tension, and the suspense tension were well done. And the world did come to life.

[Kenya Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like the book but i didn't like Corine's treatment toward Chance who i am in love with, which is why I've taken a star away (petty I know)! Other than that excellent book!

[Mardel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ann Aguirre has been on my auto-buy list ever since her first Sirantha Jax novel came out (Grimspace). Hell Fire is a sequel to Blue Diablo, a very well written fantasy featuring Corinne Solomon. Corinne is a woman who doesn't control magic, yet she can read the history or recent history of an item like a button or piece of jewelry. These items usually give her a vision of a scene of the owner's life or event. Usually this causes her burns on the palms of her hands, leaving her scarred. She has a history with a man named Chance, who has extraordinary good luck, so extraordinary that bad things happen to someone close to him (to balance things out), this person used to be Corinne until she wised up and broke things off with him.

Hell Fire is the story of Chance keeping a promise to Corinne - that promise was to use his extraordinary good luck to find the killers of her mother, and bring some sort of justice to them. This was part of a deal where Corinne promised to use her gift to help find Chance's mother (Blue Diablo's story). In the previous book, things were left up in the air about whether these two might continue their rather angsty relationship or part ways. Compounding the issue is a man named Jesse, Corinne's new mentor in all things gifted, who is in love with Corinne; Corinne might be in love with him too, there's definitely some feelings there that she has to sort out.

It isn't necessary to read Blue Diablo to be able to enjoy Hell Fire, but it will definitely add to the whole reading experience. There are cameos by characters met in Blue Diablo. In case you have read Blue Diablo and are hoping to see more of ALL the characters here are the returning characters:

Hell Fire's plot, storyline, sub-plots and narration were all engaging and pulled me along for a ride of a story. Ann Aguirre does a great job with dialogue of characters. Each of the book's characters seem to have a unique voice. Shannon is very believable as a teenager, the sheriff sounded just like you would imagine a smalltime, suspicious sheriff to sound, and Sandra the owner of the bread 'n' breakfast sounded properly and mildly snotty. Ruth's mannerisms and dialogue was fun, reminding me of some of the energetic elderly ladies that I've always been in awe of (for their energy). Corinne's narrative was peppered throughout with zingers about other characters.

HOWEVER! Once in a while, Corinne would come up with a word in her narrative that yanked me out of the story - like cynosure. I had to look this word up. Now, I don't consider my self to be a super-brain, yet I'm not illiterate either. I've done a lot of crossword puzzles, and crossword puzzles almost have a dialect of their own (aka "crosswordese" = e're, o'er, din, elan, era, tern, etc) so I do know a lot of words that are a part of the English language, and yet are not used on a daily basis in everyday conversations....like "cynosure", abstraction, etc. Not a big deal, but enough for it to be at the back of my mind (thinking, who talks like this? professors). Anyway - small potatos compared to the rest of the book which was pretty kick-ass.

Kilmer is a creepy little town, with little progress - no internet, no fast-food chains, no growth.... The townspeople that Corinne comes across in the first half of the book are seriously creepy - in a small town-no-one's-stirring-after dark way. Chills and Goosebumps! Then there's the forest - with a heavy atmosphere of it's own. Some seriously good creepiness in the story. It reads like a bigger and better version of one of those old'fashined gothic mysteries...bigger and better! Ms Aguirre gives us plenty of descriptions that add to the build up of creepy/scary (repetitive use of "creepy" by me!) from the moment Corinne and Chance drive down the tree-lined street that leads to the town. Ann Aguirre has a way with words that gives a real feel of the place, even down to what it might smell like.

But then there's the relationship angst. It didn't bother me in Blue Diablo. It doesn't get to me in her Sirantha Jax novels - it fits, and is well blended into those novels. HOWEVER! It did start to feel a bit repetitive to me, the sheer number of times that Corinne mentioned that they would be better off without each other, there were reasons why things didn't work out between them, things would probably never work out between them, they were both so stubborn, he didn't open up, she didn't open up..... I understand that Corinne's character was working through her issues throughout the book, in the middle of an investigations, stewing over relationship problems while she's trying to work out what really happened to her mom all those years ago. A lot of us do this in real life, just stew over things day in and day out; and that's what it felt like here. Except in real life, it gets in the way of jobs, friendships, activities, etc. I know that a lot of people enjoy this, but I didn't, not in this particular case. I would have understood that Corinne was working her way towards her decision without all the (itemized) mentions throughout the book. It's possible that the author was doing this to show Corinne convincing herself why she could or couldn't be with Chance. For me, this detracted from the overall story, and I hate to admit this but a few times I actually rolled my eyes - in a kind of "here we go again" way. It's not the angst itself that bothered me, but the number of times that it was brought up. On the other hand, I have to admit that even though I thought there were too many mentions of "this can't work out", the many variations she was able to use were truly inspired.

The rest of Hell Fire was excellent for me. The build up of the creepy, thing's aren't right here atmosphere, the piling up of events and accidents, the difficulties of Corinne and Chance finding out any concrete facts, the almost impossibility of them to get in touch with the outside world, all added to the deliciously creepy, scary, dangerous feel of the novel. The ending - the showdown was bitter and much needed by Corinne. There is a bittersweet feel to the ending of the book, and Corinne has made another friend and put some old ghosts to rest. Corinne also finds out a little more of what she was supposed to be able to do.

Overall - even though I had a trouble with the angst and some "crosswordese" language, this was an excellent continuation of Corinne Solomon's story. I didn't like this book as much as I liked Blue Diablo, but I am looking forward to other books about Corinne, and hope to see (rather, to READ) more of her friends and maybe, hopefully a less numerous amount of "I can't be with Chance, It'll never work out between us" in future books. I prefer more action, and the relationship angst could have worked for me with just a few mentions.

[Lele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tutti gli elementi a favore che ho riscontrato nel primo libro sono presenti anche in questo secondo volume, quindi storia avvincente, personaggi ben costruiti e una buona gestione degli elementi soprannaturali. La storia raccontata qui in realtà mi ha intrigata anche di più rispetto alla precedente e mi è piaciuto vedere l'evoluzione dei rapporti tra i personaggi.
C'è però un grande problema: le coincidenze che sembrano seguire ovunque i personaggi, oltre a essere più presenti che mai, hanno perso quella che nello scorso libro era una parziale giustificazione, ovvero la fortuna innata della quale è dotato uno dei protagonisti. Contando che già nel primo libro, e con questo dono attivo, tutto quel susseguirsi di colpi di fortuna era fastidioso, figurarsi adesso. Quello poi che coinvolge il personaggio di Booke è praticamente una presa in giro.
Altra cosa che non mi ha convinta è nella parte finale il comportamento - inaspettato visto il suo modo di essere finora - di un nuovo personaggio, troppo insensibile e indifferente di fronte ad alcuni avvenimenti.
E aspetto sempre una spiegazione su Butch.

[Rhapsody Phoenix · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed some aspects of this story other expects not so much. Corine has a lot of maturing to do but that is to be expected when one is raised with a lot of instability and inconsistencies. I understand her ambivalence to recommit to Chance. It is difficult to invest wholeheartedly with an ex when his modus operandi is to consistently not show his true self. That feels like non-commitment and sends the message "you're not good enough" as such that barrier in addition not knowing his name translates as hurt. The remembered hurts keeps her keeping him at arm's length.

There was a lot of drivel I could have done without (I have a thing about excessive dialogue although I do you understand why it's done). That being said I am invested in this series premise. some may call that being a glutton for punishment, oh well we all have our Achilles heels. There are some things I would really love to see happen however going forward I will manage my expectations. Onward to 🕶️🕶️Shady Lady 3.

My actual star rating is 2.5 however there are no half star rating one can actually make hence the 2 ⭐⭐