Buried Fire

Rating:
Summary: Very good book by the author of the Bartimaeus trilogy
Review: After reading The Amulet of Samarkand, I had to read more Jonathan Stroud. Of course, his other books can't be found here in the U.S., so I ordered Buried Fire from the U.K.

Fortunately, the book arrived quickly. Unfortunately, the book was ruined during the torrential rainfall at the Kentucky Derby before I could finish it. Undaunted, I ordered a second copy. Thank God!

The premise of the story is that under a hill near a small English village, a dragon lies sleeping, held prisoner by an ancient spell. Although the dragon is comatose, its will is potent enough to possess and influence humans.

One day, a boy from the nearby village falls asleep on the hill and is consumed by the dragon's thoughts. He gains unnatural powers and begins to transform into something not quite human. Meanwhile, an ancient cross is discovered buried under the local churchyard. Evil happenings then occur.

The book completely possessed me. Except for the interruption of the ill-timed thunderstorm, I read the book straight through. The only (minor) complaint I have is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt. That being said, the book is a very satisfying read and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Very good book by the author of the Bartimaeus trilogy
Review: After reading The Amulet of Samarkand, I had to read more Jonathan Stroud. Of course, his other books can't be found here in the U.S., so I ordered Buried Fire from the U.K.

Fortunately, the book arrived quickly. Unfortunately, the book was ruined during the torrential rainfall at the Kentucky Derby before I could finish it. Undaunted, I ordered a second copy. Thank God!

The premise of the story is that under a hill near a small English village, a dragon lies sleeping, held prisoner by an ancient spell. Although the dragon is comatose, its will is potent enough to possess and influence humans.

One day, a boy from the nearby village falls asleep on the hill and is consumed by the dragon's thoughts. He gains unnatural powers and begins to transform into something not quite human. Meanwhile, an ancient cross is discovered buried under the local churchyard. Evil happenings then occur.

The book completely possessed me. Except for the interruption of the ill-timed thunderstorm, I read the book straight through. The only (minor) complaint I have is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt. That being said, the book is a very satisfying read and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: "Buried" lives
Review: Jonathan Stroud reached fantasy fame with the wizard-and-djinn Bartimaeus Trilogy, but it wasn't his first foray into the fantasy world. Recently rereleased is "Buried Fire," a simple but well-written fantasy adventure, with a dark lesson about arrogance and power.

In a small English village, a boy named Michael fall asleep on a hillside, and is consumed by the thoughts of a sleeping dragon deep underground. Elsewhere in the town, workmen come across a strange Celtic cross buried in the church's foundation -- with a dragon on it. Then Michael staggers home, suffering a strange fever and a drug-like high -- and claiming he can see INSIDE people. Unsurprisingly, the stodgy vicar Tom thinks he's on acid.

But when his brother Stephen follows Michael to the spot where he slept, he's given the same strange powers. At the same time, Tom. The boys have no time to savor their powers, because they are not the only ones who have them -- and the other people in the village who have the four gifts of the dragon are using them to try to bring the dragon back. Now Stephen and Tom may be the only ones to stop them -- and to save Michael from becoming one of them.

They say that power corrupts, and it corrupts quite a bit in "Buried Fire," where the magic and action literally starts on the first page. Stroud lightly sprinkles his story of ancient dragons and magic with a bit of old folklore, and carefully crafts a back-history for the mysterious "witches" that surround the dragon's influence.

"Buried Fire" starts slow, and takes some time to really get moving beyond Michael's strange powers. The ending, on the other hand, is extremely abrupt -- how about another chapter or two to round things out? But Stroud has a good prose style: detailed, rich and very intense. Particularly imaginative is the first power -- the "sight" -- and how it allows Michael and Steven to see the kind of souls that people have. This could have turned out silly, but Stroud adds an otherworldly feel to it.

Michael seems to be the lead at first, but later he shares the stage with his brother Stephen, who is not as powerful, but is not corrupted by the malevolent Mr. Cleever. Both are strong characters, with Michael falling victim to a longing for power and dominance, and Stephen desperately trying to save his brother. And the villains are all the more sinister because the dragon's thoughts seem to be warping them.

Think you knew dragons? Think again. Jonathan Stroud's "Buried Fire" is an intriguing, somewhat dark fantasy adventure, putting a few new twists in the stories of unexpected powers and hidden monsters.