Ask the Fire

by Dennis Paddie

Ask the Fire blends the high tech culture of modern espionage and the highly politicized social culture of Washington, D.C., the capital of the world, with the secret of the Knights Templar, Freemasonry in the architecture of the D.C. streets. Add a dash of 60s hippiedom, and plenty of urban gay and post-gay culture, and readers will discover the birth of a new trans-mythological, but deeply spiritual, vision of the meaning of human life in the charged world of the 21st century.

''I had a friend who was a spy.'' -- So begins a story of terrorism and espionage, featuring a brilliant, almost enlightened, but emotionally jaded and politically cynical secret agent, a gay Mati Hari who'd seduced secrets out of Arab rulers and now struggles to prevent the start of the Terrorist Wars. It's a story with a vast sweep that places spying and spiritual vision within the larger history of heresy and homosexuality in Western culture from the Crusades to contemporary Islamic fundamentalists.

Genres: M M Romance

ebook

First published June 5, 2010

Reviews

[Jason Bradley]

So, I struggled with wordy, rambling, pointlessness until I really couldn't take it anymore. As I read further, I grew more confused, with more characters being introduced when I still had no idea about the ones already being mentioned. Timothy Leary would have totally understood this book. I am totally not Timothy Leary.

[Feliz]

This book refused to be read. Confusing, convoluted, no actual plot, preachy, heavy-handed---you name it. Is this supposed to be literarily valuable? One thing for sure, this book is not for me.

[Tejas Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

My initial impetus for reading Ask the Fire by long-time Austinite Dennis Paddie was because the author is a personal friend, whose creativity, intellect, and congenial nature always make for an entertaining and refreshing time whenever we meet socially.

I was pleased to discover that Ask the Fire likewise possesses many of these same attributes. That said, do not approach this expecting an easy book to read or instantly comprehend. Rather, it is one to unwrap slowly and appreciate as a puzzle to be explored and savored.

The story successfully interweaves elements of mythos and spirituality into a unique psychological thriller. It serves as a counterpoint to the mainstream paradigm of human sexuality by elevating homoeroticism in an unexpected, imaginative way, drawing upon the esoteric history of Freemasonry and the Knights Templar.

Paddie’s writing is a pleasure to read for those, like me, who share a love of language, archetypal psychology, and dialecticism. The characters are richly drawn and the action shifts from present to past and back again, principally between the capital of Texas in its hippie hayday to the US capital in the immediate weeks and days leading up to the 9/11 attacks.

[Chris]

I THINK this was spy thriller with delusions of literary grandeur... Trying to read it hurt my brain - I made it through the Prologue and a chunk of the first chapter, but I just couldn't wade through the byzantine language and plot any more.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the storyline, the characters interesting enough, however I was disappointed with the writing. In my opinion, it was as if the author was trying to impress the reader with his command of vocabulary. The prologue was confusing and so were many of the chapters. It was if the draft went right to publishing; never rewritten. A good editor would have made a world of difference.