Book Review: Fire by Kirstin Cashore
Title: Fire (Graceling Realm Book 2)
Author: Kirstin Cashore
Narrator: Xanthe Elbrick
Published: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, 2009
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 400
Total Page Count: 204,240
Text Number: 626
Read Because: continuing the series, audiobook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Fire is a Monster, born with an otherwordly beauty that makes her dangerously compelling. She must decide if she's willing to use her powers to help her country stave off civil war. The plot is adequate but not amazing, and the romance and love interest aren't as engaging as in Graceling (although I continue to appreciate Cashore's portrayal of sexual relationships). But the overall quality is so significantly improved over Graceling as to balance out a number of weaknesses, and the ethical explorations of Fire's abilities are subtle and complex. This is a significantly improved experience, more challenging, better written; I'd enjoy it just for the opportunity to watch Cashore's technical skill improve, but I also appreciate the tropes at play. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I think a lot about Fire's river mare, and while I'm aware this may be the least important interaction in a book all about consent/intimacy/telepathy/bonding, it does directly engage the companion animal trope and, uh, I really like that trope.
Most companion animal bonds begin when a magical/telepathic animal chooses a human companion; the "higher purpose" of the partnership is usually dictated by the animal's abilities or social role, but the bonded pair's purpose is directed by human will. As such, companion animals are wish-fulfillment: they mark the human partner as special, chosen, but in control; the companion animal is simultaneously an unconditional friend and subservient.
Fire engages all these things, but sideways. The book is about the balance between Fire's acceptance of her powers and her reluctance to violate others, but this balance breaks down after Cutter's house is destroyed and she begins to a broadband broadcast that compels humans and animals to aid heran effect which obviously lingers, b/c the river mare's bond becomes permanent (and is certainly based on Fire's powers, not their private relationship, since they really don't have one). So rather than the mare choosing, Fire compels the choice. And then Fire insists on allowing the mare agency, refusing to have her domesticatedbut the mare has no agency, ignoring all her instinct & personal desires to follow Fire. The end result has that same sort of wish-fulfillment, of a creature who has chosen Fire specifically, whose love is unconditional but subservient, but with a particular fulfillment that appeases Fire's anxieties regarding her abilities: this creature has been compelled by Fire's Monster attraction, but Fire has chosen to respect her agency and independence, proof that she can use her powers to manipulate others and still maintain certain boundaries, can still be "good"; that she can take responsibility for her effect on others.
#that said! Fire's Monster abilities are also a metaphor for the way that women's bodies 'compel' sexual aggression/jealousy/etc #so the conversations of ability & consent are way more complicated than explored in this particular dynamic #Juu reads #Graceling series #Juu needs an AI (and companion animal) tag #I sure do have a lot of half-finished posts in drafts & OneNote; here's one
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Author: Kirstin Cashore
Narrator: Xanthe Elbrick
Published: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, 2009
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 400
Total Page Count: 204,240
Text Number: 626
Read Because: continuing the series, audiobook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: Fire is a Monster, born with an otherwordly beauty that makes her dangerously compelling. She must decide if she's willing to use her powers to help her country stave off civil war. The plot is adequate but not amazing, and the romance and love interest aren't as engaging as in Graceling (although I continue to appreciate Cashore's portrayal of sexual relationships). But the overall quality is so significantly improved over Graceling as to balance out a number of weaknesses, and the ethical explorations of Fire's abilities are subtle and complex. This is a significantly improved experience, more challenging, better written; I'd enjoy it just for the opportunity to watch Cashore's technical skill improve, but I also appreciate the tropes at play. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I think a lot about Fire's river mare, and while I'm aware this may be the least important interaction in a book all about consent/intimacy/telepathy/bonding, it does directly engage the companion animal trope and, uh, I really like that trope.
Most companion animal bonds begin when a magical/telepathic animal chooses a human companion; the "higher purpose" of the partnership is usually dictated by the animal's abilities or social role, but the bonded pair's purpose is directed by human will. As such, companion animals are wish-fulfillment: they mark the human partner as special, chosen, but in control; the companion animal is simultaneously an unconditional friend and subservient.
Fire engages all these things, but sideways. The book is about the balance between Fire's acceptance of her powers and her reluctance to violate others, but this balance breaks down after Cutter's house is destroyed and she begins to a broadband broadcast that compels humans and animals to aid heran effect which obviously lingers, b/c the river mare's bond becomes permanent (and is certainly based on Fire's powers, not their private relationship, since they really don't have one). So rather than the mare choosing, Fire compels the choice. And then Fire insists on allowing the mare agency, refusing to have her domesticatedbut the mare has no agency, ignoring all her instinct & personal desires to follow Fire. The end result has that same sort of wish-fulfillment, of a creature who has chosen Fire specifically, whose love is unconditional but subservient, but with a particular fulfillment that appeases Fire's anxieties regarding her abilities: this creature has been compelled by Fire's Monster attraction, but Fire has chosen to respect her agency and independence, proof that she can use her powers to manipulate others and still maintain certain boundaries, can still be "good"; that she can take responsibility for her effect on others.
#that said! Fire's Monster abilities are also a metaphor for the way that women's bodies 'compel' sexual aggression/jealousy/etc #so the conversations of ability & consent are way more complicated than explored in this particular dynamic #Juu reads #Graceling series #Juu needs an AI (and companion animal) tag #I sure do have a lot of half-finished posts in drafts & OneNote; here's one
Dreamwidth entry mirror. Comment count:
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