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Fire City
Twenty-five years ago the world changed forever. A great war, which had raged for three years ended, and the reign of the Demons began...
Within the crumbling walls of Fire City, fifteen-year-old Martha is a member of the resistance, a small band of humans fighting for freedom in a lawless and horrifying new world. Amidst the chaos of battle arrives Jonah, a handsome stranger with a thirst for revenge and a power to destroy the Demon rulers.
As Martha and Jonah’s lives collide, the future of the resistance is altered forever. The battle for humankind will now begin. An epic story of catastrophe, survival and the power of humanity.
THE HUNGER GAMES meets TERMINATOR with Demons, by multi-award winning author Bali Rai
Within the crumbling walls of Fire City, fifteen-year-old Martha is a member of the resistance, a small band of humans fighting for freedom in a lawless and horrifying new world. Amidst the chaos of battle arrives Jonah, a handsome stranger with a thirst for revenge and a power to destroy the Demon rulers.
As Martha and Jonah’s lives collide, the future of the resistance is altered forever. The battle for humankind will now begin. An epic story of catastrophe, survival and the power of humanity.
THE HUNGER GAMES meets TERMINATOR with Demons, by multi-award winning author Bali Rai
496 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 2012
2 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Bali Rai
79 books73 followersBali Rai was born in 1971 and grew up in Leicester. As a child, Bali wanted to be a footballer or to write stories. Always an avid reader, he hails Sue Townsend, Douglas Adams and Robert Swindells as his writing heroes. Bali grew up reading Dr Seuss and Meg and Mog and his first book purchase was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. He realised he wasn't good enough to play for Liverpool F.C. and after gaining a politics degree in London he returned to his home city and combined a variety of jobs in pubs and clubs with completing his first novel. Bali set about writing a story he had been thinking about for many years. He wanted to write accessible material for children of all ages and backgrounds and realising there were no British Asian authors writing for children, he saw a gap. Bali hopes his novels capture the unique ethnic mix of the UK, of which he is proud to be a part.
Bali writes stories inspired by his working class Punjabi/Sikh background, but his aim was always that his writing should be enjoyed by readers everywhere, irrespective of class or culture. His has the ability to tackle the harsh realities of growing up in the UK and blend this with humour and often a overriding optimism. Bali visits schools and libraries in every major UK city, averaging 70 school and library events a year.
His first book, (un)arranged marriage, created a huge amount of interest and won many awards, including the Angus Book Award and the Leicester Book of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase first novel award. Rani and Sukh and The Whisper were both shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.
All of Bali’s teen titles have been short-listed for awards across the UK, including twice making the Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist. His third novel Rani and Sukh has represented the UK at the International IBBY awards and this title has its own Facebook tribute group set up by fans. Bali’s first three novels appear in The Ultimate Teenage Book Guide. Bali also writes shorter novels for Barrington Stoke, his first book, Dream On, was selected for the Booktrust’s inaugural Booked Up list. He also writes the hugely popular Soccer Squad series for younger readers.
Bali writes stories inspired by his working class Punjabi/Sikh background, but his aim was always that his writing should be enjoyed by readers everywhere, irrespective of class or culture. His has the ability to tackle the harsh realities of growing up in the UK and blend this with humour and often a overriding optimism. Bali visits schools and libraries in every major UK city, averaging 70 school and library events a year.
His first book, (un)arranged marriage, created a huge amount of interest and won many awards, including the Angus Book Award and the Leicester Book of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase first novel award. Rani and Sukh and The Whisper were both shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.
All of Bali’s teen titles have been short-listed for awards across the UK, including twice making the Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist. His third novel Rani and Sukh has represented the UK at the International IBBY awards and this title has its own Facebook tribute group set up by fans. Bali’s first three novels appear in The Ultimate Teenage Book Guide. Bali also writes shorter novels for Barrington Stoke, his first book, Dream On, was selected for the Booktrust’s inaugural Booked Up list. He also writes the hugely popular Soccer Squad series for younger readers.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 7, 2012
My first Bali Rai read, received as a proof. An interesting read set in an England (presumably whole world) that has been taken over by demons. It has a slow start, but gets better as it goes along. Some ideas are a bit vague or not believable, but Rai has set up a fascinating world.
June 22, 2015
Well that was all kinds of disappointing and terrible. It was sexist, obsessed with race and a tad racist in the obsession and completely the last book I would give to a teen (or anyone for that matter). Every single man in this leers at a woman at some point - good guys, bad guys it just doesn't matter, each one objectifies a woman at least once. It ranges from commenting on a chest, suggestive remarks and thinking about taking them to bed to a guy who would have a restraining order against him and uses the rapist argument of "she wants me she just doesn't know it". If he had the chance that is where that character was going. Then we move into the slightly incestuous, completely unbelievable . He was vile. It was uncomfortable, contrived and badly written - how many times does a character "reveal" something or "parry" something in situations where those words do not fit what is actually happening in the slightest. Answering a question by agreeing is not parrying... Then we have the constant need to describe the skin tone of every non-white character. I get that it the author is putting more diversity in YA fiction, fine, but you can't do it by calling someone "oriental" and saying they have "angular, tapered eyes" - are you actually kidding me?! This was at least 100 pages after he had been called "oriental"...was the author wanting to remind us with a visual clue?!
On the surface this should be a decently average post-apocalypse/dystopian/demon vs human fantasy but the characterisation is badly done and something I would expect to find in a bad pulp adult book. I kept reading in sheer disbelief that it got worse the more it went on! I shall leave you with one of my favourite lines that just was wow.....(and I'm paraphrasing as the book has left my possession, shame) "Stone missed the army like people missed dead parents". Yeah....
On the surface this should be a decently average post-apocalypse/dystopian/demon vs human fantasy but the characterisation is badly done and something I would expect to find in a bad pulp adult book. I kept reading in sheer disbelief that it got worse the more it went on! I shall leave you with one of my favourite lines that just was wow.....(and I'm paraphrasing as the book has left my possession, shame) "Stone missed the army like people missed dead parents". Yeah....
April 5, 2019
As someone who often reads dystopian/fantasy YA, this book was such a disappointment. I’m on page 161 and honestly don’t think i can bring myself to suffer through one more page.
Firstly, the world and the story is flat - demons have taken over, humans are fighting for their survival, some humans are superior to other, and there was a war. Sounds familiar? There was nothing interesting in this story, from the way that Martha has a superior stepfather that she hates, the secret rebellion gets found out, a mysterious person names Jonah turns up, and suddenly there’s a revolution. For god’s sake, can’t it be a little more original? I was so bored by this book, i have to stop reading it.
Okay, secondly: love triangle. Why.
My impression - Martha only has feelings for Jonah, and sees Aron as her brother, and Aron loves Martha AND IS SO INSENSITIVE HE TRIES TO KISS HER. Seriously, you just can’t do that.
More about that - both Aron and Jonah are (i think) really bad heroes. Aron is arrogant, insensitive, and is selfish. And Jonah. The guy everyone is supposed to love. Well I just don’t. I’m sorry.
And on top of all this, the book is really sexist! About every 5 pages, a guy looks at a girl like he ‘wants to eat her up’. It was frankly disgusting. And it just didn’t fit the story.
As well as this, I didn’t like the way Rai built the world. In the first chapter, he gives a full description of everything. It was about 4 pages of information about a world, and that’s it. I would’ve enjoyed the story lots more if the story was dropped in and I didn’t find out everything so fast.
I thought it was badly written overall, and I just feel so disappointed. This is just my opinion, and given the fact that I have read a lot in the dystopian genre, I’m possibly just comparing this book to books that I’ve read and I have found a lot better.
But if you read a lot of YA dystopia/fantasy like, for example, The Mortal Instruments series, then I recommend you don’t read this book. You probably won’t like it.
Firstly, the world and the story is flat - demons have taken over, humans are fighting for their survival, some humans are superior to other, and there was a war. Sounds familiar? There was nothing interesting in this story, from the way that Martha has a superior stepfather that she hates, the secret rebellion gets found out, a mysterious person names Jonah turns up, and suddenly there’s a revolution. For god’s sake, can’t it be a little more original? I was so bored by this book, i have to stop reading it.
Okay, secondly: love triangle. Why.
My impression - Martha only has feelings for Jonah, and sees Aron as her brother, and Aron loves Martha AND IS SO INSENSITIVE HE TRIES TO KISS HER. Seriously, you just can’t do that.
More about that - both Aron and Jonah are (i think) really bad heroes. Aron is arrogant, insensitive, and is selfish. And Jonah. The guy everyone is supposed to love. Well I just don’t. I’m sorry.
And on top of all this, the book is really sexist! About every 5 pages, a guy looks at a girl like he ‘wants to eat her up’. It was frankly disgusting. And it just didn’t fit the story.
As well as this, I didn’t like the way Rai built the world. In the first chapter, he gives a full description of everything. It was about 4 pages of information about a world, and that’s it. I would’ve enjoyed the story lots more if the story was dropped in and I didn’t find out everything so fast.
I thought it was badly written overall, and I just feel so disappointed. This is just my opinion, and given the fact that I have read a lot in the dystopian genre, I’m possibly just comparing this book to books that I’ve read and I have found a lot better.
But if you read a lot of YA dystopia/fantasy like, for example, The Mortal Instruments series, then I recommend you don’t read this book. You probably won’t like it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2012
This review was originally posted on my blog on 18th September, here
The Demons Arrive
As soon as I heard about Fire City, I was instantly intrigued and simply had to get my hands on a copy. I am so glad that this intrigued ended up with me reading a great book that I would easily recommend to others. It was the first Bali Rai book that I have ever read so that fact that it is his first dystopian did not phase me. It was so easy to read and the style made me know why so many others have loved his other books. He is now an author whose books I will be going out to look for and read because I want to read more of his style. It was a great book, and this is the reasons why I felt this way.
The World Changes
Whenever a writer sets about to start a novel in the dystopian genre, they have to acknowledge that a large proportion of their book has to be dedicated to world building. It would be impossible to simply send the reader off into this unknown place without any true bearings. This can often be the part of writing that many authors struggle with because finding the balance to create the perfect description is often incredibly difficult but somehow Bali Rai has managed it. I loved his way of describing the world, the place they were staying in and everything else that was going on around it. It was never too much but it wasn’t given all at once either. The reader was always given just enough information to get them through a particular chapter.
But really it was the very first chapter that caught my attention. Written in the first person, you were pulled straight into the action and you could just imagine the entire chaos around you. At each point the necessary details were given for the reader to imagine what was happening without being given the full picture. And then he turned up and suddenly our narrator isn’t omnipotent. It was such a lovely moment and really made me want to read on. It is the perfect example of everything this book has to offer.
The People Stand
Really, all I want to do here is tell you about every single character that was mentioned in this novel but I know that if I did that we’d be here for an incredibly long time. While the ‘cast’ is long, and it can take a while to get a head around who is who to begin with, I found myself liking - or disliking as the case came to be - almost everyone who was mentioned. Bali has managed to make the characters feel more like real people then just plot points. The actions of the characters, which in turn made ripple effects in the plot, didn’t feel forced but felt like actions of what someone in that situation would do. It was great to read and made it really enjoyable and emotional throughout the book.
My favourite character was Jonah. With his mysteriousness at the beginning of the book, to his reveal and his past and just everything else, I found myself really enjoying his presence. He had ulterior motive but he was also passionate and protective and he just cared about this people. He tried not to let his emotions get the better of him but sometimes he couldn’t help it. I also really liked the Mace. A giant, called so due to his overbearing size but you really shouldn’t let that fool you because underneath it all he’s an absolute sweetheart of a character with a heart of gold and I just want to give him a great big bear hug a lot of the time! Oscar and Tyrell were also golden characters who I was really interested in reading and I really hope to see more of them in the next book!
Chaos Overcomes Them
Twisting and turning at so many different points, there was barely a moment in this book that was slow. There was always something going on and with so many characters to deal with, you can understand why. The plot really kept me entertained and intrigued with a lot of curious holes that needed to be uncovered. Unfortunately the book did leave a lot of questions when it finished but this has just left me wanting to read the second one straight away! I really enjoyed the pace of the book and while there wasn’t a lot of focus on it, you could see that this book has a lot to see about friendships in the face of adversary and it looks like a rather interesting romantic plot could come into play very soon.
It would be impossible to finish this review without noting the style of the book. In fact, the style of it is so difficult to actually describe in a review. It starts out as a first person book, jumping from one POV to another but then it switches to third person for a bulk of the book, going back to first person every now and again. At first this style was difficult to get on board with but once I got a handle on it, it was one that I actually really enjoyed. Naturally I’m a bit of an attention jumper, easily distracted and easily bored but with this writing style, I was able to appreciate the book that much more. However, I can definitely tell that this would not be everyone’s cup of tea. This is a style of writing that I am really interested in seeing more of and so really, I cannot wait to read more of Bali’s books to see if he does the same across his works.
Will It End?
All in all, this book kept me entertained. I fell in love with the characters and the plot and the writing style and I just need to know what happens next. There were some great emotions spread throughout the book that had me gasping, laughing and crying and I was just fully invested in it. Fire City tells the tale of a city under corrupt ruling and how people try to find their voice and their strength to fight back. It is also the tale of a community of people all fighting towards the same goal, having each others’ backs and doing everything they can. It is a brilliant novel that I would easily read again and again. I know there is probably so much more to say but I don’t want to go on for too long. All I can say is that I hope you go out and get a hold of this book to try it for yourself.
** I received this copy in return for an honest review **
The Demons Arrive
As soon as I heard about Fire City, I was instantly intrigued and simply had to get my hands on a copy. I am so glad that this intrigued ended up with me reading a great book that I would easily recommend to others. It was the first Bali Rai book that I have ever read so that fact that it is his first dystopian did not phase me. It was so easy to read and the style made me know why so many others have loved his other books. He is now an author whose books I will be going out to look for and read because I want to read more of his style. It was a great book, and this is the reasons why I felt this way.
The World Changes
Whenever a writer sets about to start a novel in the dystopian genre, they have to acknowledge that a large proportion of their book has to be dedicated to world building. It would be impossible to simply send the reader off into this unknown place without any true bearings. This can often be the part of writing that many authors struggle with because finding the balance to create the perfect description is often incredibly difficult but somehow Bali Rai has managed it. I loved his way of describing the world, the place they were staying in and everything else that was going on around it. It was never too much but it wasn’t given all at once either. The reader was always given just enough information to get them through a particular chapter.
But really it was the very first chapter that caught my attention. Written in the first person, you were pulled straight into the action and you could just imagine the entire chaos around you. At each point the necessary details were given for the reader to imagine what was happening without being given the full picture. And then he turned up and suddenly our narrator isn’t omnipotent. It was such a lovely moment and really made me want to read on. It is the perfect example of everything this book has to offer.
The People Stand
Really, all I want to do here is tell you about every single character that was mentioned in this novel but I know that if I did that we’d be here for an incredibly long time. While the ‘cast’ is long, and it can take a while to get a head around who is who to begin with, I found myself liking - or disliking as the case came to be - almost everyone who was mentioned. Bali has managed to make the characters feel more like real people then just plot points. The actions of the characters, which in turn made ripple effects in the plot, didn’t feel forced but felt like actions of what someone in that situation would do. It was great to read and made it really enjoyable and emotional throughout the book.
My favourite character was Jonah. With his mysteriousness at the beginning of the book, to his reveal and his past and just everything else, I found myself really enjoying his presence. He had ulterior motive but he was also passionate and protective and he just cared about this people. He tried not to let his emotions get the better of him but sometimes he couldn’t help it. I also really liked the Mace. A giant, called so due to his overbearing size but you really shouldn’t let that fool you because underneath it all he’s an absolute sweetheart of a character with a heart of gold and I just want to give him a great big bear hug a lot of the time! Oscar and Tyrell were also golden characters who I was really interested in reading and I really hope to see more of them in the next book!
Chaos Overcomes Them
Twisting and turning at so many different points, there was barely a moment in this book that was slow. There was always something going on and with so many characters to deal with, you can understand why. The plot really kept me entertained and intrigued with a lot of curious holes that needed to be uncovered. Unfortunately the book did leave a lot of questions when it finished but this has just left me wanting to read the second one straight away! I really enjoyed the pace of the book and while there wasn’t a lot of focus on it, you could see that this book has a lot to see about friendships in the face of adversary and it looks like a rather interesting romantic plot could come into play very soon.
It would be impossible to finish this review without noting the style of the book. In fact, the style of it is so difficult to actually describe in a review. It starts out as a first person book, jumping from one POV to another but then it switches to third person for a bulk of the book, going back to first person every now and again. At first this style was difficult to get on board with but once I got a handle on it, it was one that I actually really enjoyed. Naturally I’m a bit of an attention jumper, easily distracted and easily bored but with this writing style, I was able to appreciate the book that much more. However, I can definitely tell that this would not be everyone’s cup of tea. This is a style of writing that I am really interested in seeing more of and so really, I cannot wait to read more of Bali’s books to see if he does the same across his works.
Will It End?
All in all, this book kept me entertained. I fell in love with the characters and the plot and the writing style and I just need to know what happens next. There were some great emotions spread throughout the book that had me gasping, laughing and crying and I was just fully invested in it. Fire City tells the tale of a city under corrupt ruling and how people try to find their voice and their strength to fight back. It is also the tale of a community of people all fighting towards the same goal, having each others’ backs and doing everything they can. It is a brilliant novel that I would easily read again and again. I know there is probably so much more to say but I don’t want to go on for too long. All I can say is that I hope you go out and get a hold of this book to try it for yourself.
** I received this copy in return for an honest review **
June 24, 2020
I'm writing this review some months after completing the book and can still remember the scenes and storyline fairly vividly which is normally a good sign!
I found the storyline engaging and enjoyable and better than a lot of YA fantasy I've tried. However, there weren't any characters that I felt emotionally tied to enough to become really enthused about it. Demons, battle scenes, superpowers and well-written character building all make this book worth a read though if you are a fan of the fantasy genre!
I found the storyline engaging and enjoyable and better than a lot of YA fantasy I've tried. However, there weren't any characters that I felt emotionally tied to enough to become really enthused about it. Demons, battle scenes, superpowers and well-written character building all make this book worth a read though if you are a fan of the fantasy genre!
January 10, 2021
I enjoyed it.
Want to Read
June 21, 2012I have a deep affection for his work.
I'll admit, I'm a little anxious with him heading into Dystopian territory.
Plus, it has a guy named JONAH.
Instant WIN (!!)
Please blow me away :)
Update: just not doing it for me right now. after a 100 pages or so have decided to give something else a go :/. might come back to this later.
-----------------
honestly, i don't think i have ever tried so hard to get through a book.
very fucking annoying.
I'll admit, I'm a little anxious with him heading into Dystopian territory.
Plus, it has a guy named JONAH.
Instant WIN (!!)
Please blow me away :)
Update: just not doing it for me right now. after a 100 pages or so have decided to give something else a go :/. might come back to this later.
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honestly, i don't think i have ever tried so hard to get through a book.
very fucking annoying.
April 11, 2013
Bali Rai writes yet another wonderful, thought-provokibg book of astonishing imagination. In a world were demons rule there is a small resistance in Fire City a working area fir the Unwanted (people who are not rich and live in poverty). An unlikley member of this resistance is a 15 year old girl named Martha a girl who works at a bar and is the step daughter of the Mayor. When a hlf demon half human boy comes along tgings change. Forever........
September 17, 2013
Whilst clearly aimed at a teenager audience (the hero and heroine are about sixteen years old), this post-apocalyptic fantasy is gritty enough for adults too. The author is uncompromising in his depictions of the brutality of life after the demons arrive. The violence isn't gratuitous, but there is quite a bit of it; characters die with some regularity. It is an unflinching look at the struggle for survival when humans are no longer at the top of the food chain.
October 22, 2013
A great book, I read this and the graphic novel version, which was pretty cool. But this was my first Bali Rai read. An interesting read set in an England (presumably whole world) that has been taken over by demons. It has a slow start, but gets better as it goes along. Some ideas are a bit vague or not believable, but Rai has set up a fascinating world.
March 5, 2014
Amazing book! Thoroughly enjoyed it and it has a great plot, wonderful characters and really gets you pulled into the story line.
Really enjoyed it for a future novel where humans and demons had joined together to rule the world with a few humans offering resistance against them all.
Enjoyed it so much
Really enjoyed it for a future novel where humans and demons had joined together to rule the world with a few humans offering resistance against them all.
Enjoyed it so much
September 28, 2014
This is NOT the Hunger Games. Not at all. For a start, it's fantasy. It's just one book. But it is still as good, if not better. It's different, more post-apocolyptic than dysotopian, considering the cause of the world downfall is demons.
Perfect for anyone who wants something else to read other than The Hunger Games or Divergent.
Perfect for anyone who wants something else to read other than The Hunger Games or Divergent.
January 1, 2013
He comes into our school and this was the first book by him I have ever read and so Farr its amazing and I'll definitely read more of his books. I can't wait to read more of his books and The more I read this one the more I want to read it!
August 13, 2013
A very good "post apocalyptic-ish", dystopian type of story It would be very nice if this book would have a sequel though. I want to know what happens to Martha and Jonah!
February 9, 2016
Too gruesome to continue even though I got 3/4 of the way through. It is a shame as I liked the characters but there was too much human flesh being picked out of teeth for my liking
August 6, 2016
It was a fantastic book with a great story I recommend it for young teenagers
September 26, 2012
gripping. pretty easy reading for something with an ace storyline
October 27, 2013
A pretty awesome book! I definitely would recommend it
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews