Fire

Fire By Kristin Cashore Summary from Wikipedia When a mysterious archer wounds Fire, she accompanies Archer to a fort nearby, partly to request assistance from the army and partly to meet the lovely and accepting Queen Roen. Once there, she meets the two heirs to the throne: King Nashdell and Brigan, the exalted, not to mention young commander of his brother's military. The two brothers take to her completely differently. Nash falls immediately in lust with Fire, while Brigan hates her on sight. Mostly for her beauty and power, she also reminds him of her dead father, the man that twisted the dead King Nax's mind and drove the kingdom to ruin. Fire, used to being hated and desired, avoids them. When the army is in danger and many lives are at stake, Fire risks herself and saves many, earning her status among the soldiers. After returning to the North Brigan arrives, inviting her on Nash's orders to come to King's City to help squash the unknown trespassers who have been plaguing the royal family. Fire agrees, and begins to make the long road to the capital, along the way coming to an uncomfortable but desired truce with Brigan. Once there, she finds herself overwhelmed with the gorgeous city, and likewise the city is awed by her. And frightened. Nash, unable to control himself, succumbs to his passion and frequently throws himself at Fire, much to her dismay. While turning him down coldly, rumors spark of their hidden affair. Fire also meets the two illegitimate twins of King Nax, Clara and Garan, the two gifted spymasters of the Dells. They convince her after a time to begin questioning those involved in the resistance, but she has limits. Thoughts of her father continue to torture her, so she resists forcing the truth out of people, only using her presence to intoxicate the prisoners into honesty. While doing this unwanted but necessary duty, she comes across Hanna, a young girl who is skilled at picking fights with large groups of kids twice her size. Hanna is revealed to be Brigan's daughter by a stable girl and the third heir to the throne. The two quickly become friends, and Fire becomes increasingly closer to Brigan. After some time in King's City, Archer arrives, ruining the peace Fire has found with his furious jealousy. She halts their relationship, causing Archer to become involved with several women in the city. This results in two pregnancies by two women: one by Clara and one by Fire's guard, Mila. Fire is furious, but also jealous. Not because of their relationships with her ex-lover, but because of their upcoming children. Fire, despite her intense desire for some of her own, decides the best thing she can do as a monster is to make sure none other exist. She takes a drug Clara suggested that will prevent her from ever having children, much to her sorrow. When an upcoming gala between the three factions arrive, Fire is planned to play a major role as an assassin of the enemies leaders. Archer is extremely against it and the two clash, which eventually leads to him blurting out in spite the secret Fire wished never to be said: that she killed her own father. While Fire loved Cansrel, she also recognized his evil heart and twisted mind. She takes it upon herself to murder him and make it look like suicide, knowing she's the only one who can stop him. Fire is ashamed when this secret is revealed for many to hear, and she flees, eventually meeting the mother of her mother she never knew she had. Archer arrives soon after, disgusted by himself. He confesses he needs escape and time to think, so he goes in search of a young boy that has bothered Fire immensely. With his red eye, casual cruelty, and a voice that hurts her but entrances everyone else, she links him to the strange and thoughtless men that have been bothering her and the royal family with increased frequency. No one gives her much heed except Archer, who sees it as his responsibility after he wronged Fire. He leaves with her forgiveness and love. Soon after the gala arrives, and with Fire's help two leaders of the rebels are killed and much information is found. Primarily about a joint attack set by both rebel groups on King's City. Brigan had enough time to arrange his forces in response, and in the mayhem of the gala Fire is kidnapped. She is captured, drugged, and continuously shot on the mysterious boy's orders, who is revealed at one point to be a young Leck, the main antagonist in "Graceling". He confides that he wants to rule the Dells with Fire as his partner and equal. She refuses and escapes, only to find Archer's body. In rage she burns down Leck's estate, killing his mind slaves in the process. Alone and without supplies or heat she wanders, eventually meeting Leck. They struggle, and Leck tells her of a land across the mountains that hold many people like him, his home country which is the stage for "Graceling". In their struggle he falls into a crack in the mountain, and Fire prays he is finally dead. She wanders aimlessly afterward, caring little for her own life, and is saved by a horse, then rescued by villagers. She falls unconscious and reawakens among friends. Her hands are frost bitten and she has lost two fingers, and she despairs because she believes she will never play the fiddle again. She is transported back to King's City, and she remembers the name of the archer who killed Archer, a criminal named Jod. She recalls that he was indeed Archer's sire, having raped Brocker's wife on orders from King Nax. Fire arrives at a Fort Flood which is under attack, and meets Brigan. The two confess they are in love with each other, but Fire refuses to give into her feelings because she doesn't want to love him if he's "only going to die." He leaves for battle once more, and Fire is rocked with agony and worry for his safety. After living in relative seclusion while trying to process Archer's death and the loss of her fingers, Fire is brought to life again thanks to Garan. He convinces her to begin working in the hospitals relieving people of their pain and helping doctors with minor tasks. She comes to meet Nash, who she also wants to disconnect from because of his status as a soldier. He informs her that she is being silly, because death will come to all for many different reasons, not just war. She and Nash talk, coming to terms with the love they feel, even for their fathers. Fire meets Roen and Brocker who confide in her that Brigan is not really Nax's son but Brocker's, Roen and him having an affair that led to his banishment and the abuse he suffered on Nax's account. Fire, after fighting with this, comes to accept it. She meets Brigan at Fort Flood and the two reconcile, making love and coming to terms with all that they've lost and gained. Soon after, the rebels request a meeting under the pretense of peace. During they ask for Fire to be given to them, and after being refused Nash is shot. He lives and Brigan's army conquers, returning the Dells to relative peace. Fire returns to King's City hailed as a hero, much to her embarrassment. A ceremony to mourn Archer is held at Brocker's estate, and many return there to grieve his passing including Clara and Mila with their newborn babies, Aran and Liv, respectively. Mila tells Fire she has begun a relationship with Nash, and Fire is pleased, though she is uncommonly happy due to Archer's two babies. At Archer's ceremony she mourns both him and her father who she misses, but she also forgives herself for his murder. She plays a song on her fiddle that she has fought so hard to once again play. With one tune she lets out her sadness for those she cares about, dead and living.

Charactors The protagonist of the novel, Fire is a 'monster', the last human remaining of her kind. She holds the power to control minds, however she fears becoming the tyrant her dead father Cansrel was, and so she is unwilling to invade the minds of innocent people. She is known for her love of her horse, Small, and for children. Like all monsters, Fire is described as incredibly beautiful and alluring. Her flaming hair of primarily red, with streaks of gold, copper, and small stands of pink, combined with her appearance, drives all but the most strong minded mad with want. Fire's childhood friend, lover and devoted companion. He was thought to be born as the result of his mother (Brocker's wife, Aliss) being raped by the archer Jod on King Nax's orders, but at the end Brocker reveals the truth. He is desperately in love with Fire but she refuses to marry him. He can be incredibly jealous and guards Fire all the time. Archer is known for his incredibly skills with all types of bows. He is described as tall, light colored hair, and incredibly handsome. Archer is killed by an arrow in the stomach by Jod the archer, who was acting upon Leck's command. He fathers Clara and Mila's children. Former army commander in the service of King Nax until it was revealed that he was having an affair with Queen Roen, (Brigan being the result). Nax then had Brocker's legs shattered by multiple blows with a mallet and sent the archer Jod to rape his wife. He acts as Fire's guardian and foster father for most of her life. He is portrayed as wise, compassionate, and sensible. The Queen of the Dells and wife of the late Nax. Roen is seen by Fire as intelligent, strong, and caring. She often assumes an almost motherly role for Fire. She has black hair, and in short in height. Fire's love interest and commander of the King's army Braches. He is the son of Lord Brocker and Queen Roen. As a child, he was very mischievous and laid traps for his brother Nash. Soldiers would fall head over hilt to die for him because of his love and care his shows them. When they first meet, Brigan hates Fire but quickly opens up to her and falls deeply in love with her. Also, he admits after a while that he fell in love with her when she cried into her horse because he found her sadness beautiful. He has grayish like eyes, and a daughter named Hanna,whom he loves dearly. Roen's and Nax's son and King of the Dells. At first, like most men, he has difficulty resisting Fire's beauty but eventually he manages to control himself. Although he does not always use common sense, he is a fair and good king. Nax's daughter and Garan's twin; is described to be vivacious and full of life. She has an affair which Archer, which results in a child, but ends the relationship out of regard for Fire. Nax's son and Clara's twin; is described as sickly (after having caught a fever as a child). Fire's father, a human monster with dark blue eyes and silver hair with blue highlights. He was an advisor to King Nax and is most remembered for his cruelty and insanity, partly caused by unspecified drug abuse. He kept monster predators as pets, starving and tormenting them. One day Fire uses her mind control to convince Cansrel that his monster child is locked inside one of the cages. He opens it, releasing the real occupant, a dark blue leopard monster with gold spots, which kills him. Cruel King of the Dells and the father of Nash, Clara and Garan. It is mentioned that Nax had the potential to be a good king, but allowed Cansrel to control his mind and actions. She is Brigan's six-year-old daughter, born out of a rushed union between Brigan and Rose, a stable worker. She is a tomboy who often tries to avoid her lessons. Born Immiker, the Graceling son of a game warden in Monsea. He makes a comparison to his similarity to Fire, because they both killed their fathers. Fire considers this an unfair argument because their reasons were vastly morally different. He is the same sadistic King Leck from Graceling. He is Archer's real father. (Cansrel sent him to get Brocker's wife pregnant)
 * Fire**
 * Archer**
 * Brocker**
 * Roen**
 * Brigan**
 * Nash**
 * Clara**
 * Garan**
 * Cansrel**
 * Nax**
 * Hanna**
 * Leck**
 * Jod**