Discussion: Buried Fire

[Michelle]

I know a couple have already started this one.. please share your thoughts here.

[Michelle]

I love the opening line to this one:

Under the old king's barrow, in a hollow place hidden from the winter mists and the summer sun, a dragon coils.

 

So far I'm enjoying this book.. it seems to be set at a good level for teens, and a good storyline seems to be evolving.

 

It's lacking the humour that I'm used to from Stroud, but it probably wouldn't fit this book so well anyway.

[Kell]

I've just finished this one tonight. I've never read any of Stroud's other books, so he's a new author to me & I had no expectations. I'm not usually a fan of dragon books, as that avenue of the fantasy genre just always seems a little too unrealistic to me, but I really enjoyed this one. I think the fact that it drew from British folkloric accounts of dragon slayers, such as St. George & the Dragon, & The Lambton Worm, gave it more of a basis in the realms of the almost-possible. It also gives the perfect setting for a battle between good & evil, as looking back at fokelore, dragons were usually representations of the devil.

 

I also enjoyed how it explored the theme of power having a price - and a hefty one at that - as well as the changes that occur as you grow up, all swirling emotions & outbursts, which cuold be represented by the manefestation of the four "gifts" that have to be brought under control. It also draws from the adage, often used politically, of "absolute power corrupts absolutely" which is always interesting.

 

I really liked how the language was never too complex, but didn't condescend to the reader either. The chapters were all short enough that you could read a couple of them in a short break & still feel that you were making headway, as well as feeling that the story was advancing at a decent pace, as something was always happening, which would probably appeal to those not used to sitting for long reading sessions & would help to draw them back to the book till it's finished.

 

I did feel it was more aimed towards boys, having the two main characters being brothers, & never really exploring emotions too deeply, which might have been off-putting to lads, yet not completely avoiding the subject, which means it will still appeal to girls too.

 

I think I will probably read more of Strouds books now, where I wasn't really tempted all that much before. This is definitely a good introduction to his work, from my point of view.

[Michelle]

Kell, we keep telling you to read The Amulet of Samarkand - I really do think you'd like it.

[Kell]

I think I quite possibly will at some point now, Michelle - i may have been convinced!

 

 

I forgot to mention, though, I thought that Buried Fire ended slightly abruptly & I really wanted to know more about how the characters got through the aftermath of such climactic events - was almost like getting to the top of the mountain & then being told you can't paraglide down after all & end up having to trudge all the way back to the bottom - I wanted to be able to jump off & soar, but it just sort of stopped.

 

[Kell]

Just wanted to add that as I've finished this one now, if anyone else would like to read it & join in the discussion, I can pass it on to you for the price of postage...

 

... In fact, on second thoughts, it's only about 55p, so if you want it, it's up for grabs for the princely sum of 0p (I'll even post overseas if you want it badly enough!) on the condition that you read it & make a post here to let us know what you thought of it. Just drop me a PM if you're interested.

[Michelle]

Same goes for my copy.

 

I'll be back with some more comments later...

[Kell]

I know that michelle, mong others, have previously read other books by Jonathan Stroud. How does Buried Fire compare with those other books? Are there similar themes & characters, or is this one completely different? Is Stroud's style pretty much consistent, or are there differences in his "voice" between his books?

 

Also, i was wondering how many others had read other books involving dragons & how Buried Fire campares with them - similarlities, differences, new ideas, etc?

[Michelle]

I agree with most of Kell's points above, however..

the ending was fine for me. I would imagine that with it being a teen book, there wouldn't be so much interest in the aftermath for the characters?

 

 

I do think it built up the pace nicely, and was rather gripping.

 

As for comparison, this is a different 'voice' to the 'Bartimaeus Trilogy', basically because the humour is missing. He still writes interesting anf gripping books, but with an injection of Pratchett style humour.

[Lilywhite]

It took me a while to get into this book and a few attempts as it just didn't grip me from the start. I'm about half way through it now and it is starting to pick up for me but I'm still quite disapponted with it, compared to The Bartemaeous Trilogy. I am going to persevere with it though because I do still have some faith in Stroud to entertain me.

[Michelle]

After reading reviews of some of his other books, I don;t expect anything to be as good as that trilogy. As I say, it's a different 'voice' altogether.

[Kell]

... I'm about half way through it now and it is starting to pick up for me but I'm still quite disapponted with it, compared to The Bartemaeous Trilogy.

Perhaps it would have seemed better if you'd read this one first? The Bartemaeous books seem to be very popular. Which was written first, does anyone know off-hand? Was Buried Fire an earlier novel, or was the trilogy written beofre it?

[Michelle]

I have a feeling his teen books came first.

[Sugar]

According to Fantastic Fiction, Strouds books were published in this order:

 

Buried Fire (1999)

The Leap (2001)

The Last Siege (2003)

 

and then Bartimaeus

1. The Amulet of Samarkand (2003)

2. The Golem's Eye (2004)

3. Ptolemy's Gate (2005)

[Kell]

Hmm, so the more humorous approach came later then? Interesting...

[Lilywhite]

I did wonder about that twenty pages in and had a look at the front of the book. I have to admit I'm not doing so well with this one, I've just lost interest in it. If I had an uninterrrupted couple of hours I would probably have finished it but unfortunately I'm having difficulty keeping up with it.

 

One of my problems is not being able to distinguish between the brothers, they have just merged into one person in my head. I've got to grips with the other characters, it's just them.

[Kell]

One of my problems is not being able to distinguish between the brothers, they have just merged into one person in my head. I've got to grips with the other characters, it's just them.

I actually wondered if the brothers were almost meant to be two halves of a whole, actually, as one seemed to be all good & the other edging towards all bad, whereas putting the two of them together would perhaps make one whole "normal" boy. I'm not sure that other characters were perhaps given enough time, though. Tom, for example, despite being a main character, seemed to come across quite weakly, as did the sister, Sarah. In fact, I just had to go back & double-check their names!

[Janet]

I've finally finished reading this!

 

I found it to be a little slow moving... until I was about a third of the way through, and then the pace of the book quickened.

 

I thought the story was quite clever and I liked the good/evil balance - neither were too over the top.

 

Having read other comments about the brothers, I personally found it quite easy to work out which brother was which. I can't remember if it's said in the book, but I guess that Michael was about 14 and Stephen about 15/16?

 

The middle of the book was the best bit and once I'd got past about page 100 I read to the end in one afternoon. I quite enjoyed the ending. I guess it was a bit rushed, but that was okay - it did what it had to do without dragging it on and on.

 

I've never read any books from the 'fantasy' genre before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not sure I'll rush to read any others, but I enjoyed my dabble with it!

 

I'm guessing it's aimed at young teenagers, and I'd say that was about right for them. My son, who is 12, would probably enjoy it - sadly he's not much of a fiction reader and much prefers his non-fiction. I also think the story would appeal much more to boys than to girls.

 

Just one complaint - the cover is truely awful! To me, it doesn't seem to relate to the story that much, and it certainly wouldn't inspire me to buy the book. I'd much rather buy it with this cover, which I think is the American version:

 

 

It looks much more exciting!

[Michelle]

I agree about the cover. I had trouble working out his age, because the boy on the cover looks so young.

[Lilywhite]

my first impressions on the cover weren't great either, then I told myself off about judging books and all that

 

I did see a nicer copy in Borders the other day, it seems like they realised it wasn't so great and made a nicer one.

[Lilywhite]

I have passed my copy over to Hannah and Madcow for a read now, so I hope you enjoy it guys.

[madcow]

Aarrggghhhh, cheers babes, don't know when I'm going to get chance to read it . Hopefully sometime soon (ish) lol

[Tiger]

I'll be starting Buried Fire as soon as I finish my current book ("....Startled by his furry shorts). I can't wait to see what it is like for myself

[Kell]

I hope yo'ull enjoy it, Tiger - I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

[Tiger]

Well, what can I say? This book was fantastic. It was magical, and very detailed. I liked the idea of the story, and I think that Mr. Stroud did fairly well pulling it off! I'd love to find one of his other books, as reading this one has made me want to read more of his books and see what they're like.