Rating: 
Summary: The best book we've ever read...
Review: I read Fire Bringer to my 4th grade class - and they loved it! There were many days in which I couldn't put it down and by the end, the kids were so excited, I read aloud for hours at a time. One student was so into it that he got his own copy and read ahead. David Clement-Davies weaves a tale inticately and unpredictably and captures the heart of young and old alike.
Rating:
Summary: A good, goooood book!
Review: A great thriller and suspense-keeper. Mr.Davies did an excellent job. He deserves the fame nd credit that Rowling gets. I really hpe Mr. Davies writes another book just like this. Every one should read this. Definatley every one.
Rating:
Summary: Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is an EXCELLAANT book!!!!!!!!!!!. NOT A COPY CAT!!!!!!!!!!! On page two there is a reason why, a perfectly VALID reason why. BETTER THAN HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Fire Bringer
Review: Fire Bringer is a book that deserves to be widely read. Anyone who loves animals and has a vivid imagination will have to use great will-power to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book I've ever read!!
Review: This book was an action-packed adventure which I couldn't put down.Clement-Davies did a super job with this book and I hope he writes another one just as good.
Rating: 
Summary: A terrific book!
Review: This book is absolutley amazing! It's all about these deer, and they are ruled by a harsh leader. There is a prophecy that says that one day a new deer with a oak leaf design on his forehead will save the deer. Well, he came, but had to escape before he was killed by the deer on the leader's side. This book has a lot of twists and turns, and is very exciting. You have to know a lot about deer to read the book, including a lot of different deer breeds. Overall, this book is really great. :)
Rating:
Summary: A Legend is Born!
Review: The term 'instant classic' is over-used, but here is a truly worthy candidate for that honorific. The author takes elements of the Arthurian legend, the myth of Prometheus, the story of Moses, and the life of Christ, and blends them into a can't-put-it-down adventure/quest novel that is appropriate for children from 9 to 109. David Clement-Davies also takes Mary Shelley's thesis from 'Frankenstein' and boldly restates it: science and reason, without love and soul, become dangerous. Is this also an allegory of World War II, as some people feel is 'The Lord of the Rings'? That case could be made as well.Some will say this is a copy or knock-off of 'Watership Down'. I see it as an upgrade, even though I loved 'Watership Down'. But, even without all of the possible deeper meaning to it, this book is a well-crafted emotional roller-coaster with well-written characters. It remembers what Hollywood often forgets - a good story doesn't have to have a completely happy ending. When the movie is made (Bet on it!), I hope that it isn't softened and instead retains the tragic beauty of this wonderful work. If you understand the etymology of the term 'masterpiece' you will recognize this book as fitting into that category. I hope that this is just the beginning of a long line of books from David Clement-Davies.
Rating:
Summary: Not a copycat!
Review: I just wanted to respond to a previous reviewer - I am the editor of this book in the UK. Wildcatpawprints implied that we had borrowed the title and story of Fire Bringer from a trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. Firstly, neither David Clement-Davies or I have read (or, I have to admit, heard of) this trilogy. Sorry! Secondly, I'm the person responsible for the title, not the author. David, my colleagues and I spent about three months in meetings, sending e-mails, drinking lots of coffee, trying to find a title for this book. We picked Fire Bringer - which refers to a specific incident in the book, and is particularly strong because of its powerful mythic resonances. We think it's a good title. Clearly, Meredith Ann Pierce did too. As for plot similarities with Ms Pierce's trilogy - all fantasy and allegorical writing draws on our shared cultural heritage, on history, myth and legend, and on the many great stories which inform our literary tradition. Some elements of Fire Bringer - a prophecy fulfilled, a world torn apart by tyranny, a character born to save his own kind - are present in stories since storytelling began. But David Clement-Davies has created a novel of heart-stopping power which is very much his own - and is, I think, a great achievement. Wildcatpawprints, did you actually read the book? I hope lots of other people will.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not original
Review: Although this is a well-written and gripping story, I'm surprised by how similar it is to WATERSHIP DOWN, by Richard Adams. This includes the plot, with the prophecy, the long journey, the deer raised and culled by humans, and the battles between deer tribes; the structure of the deer society, with its militaristic Draila ("Owsla" in WATERSHIP DOWN) and its language and folklore (along with the trickster hero); and even the ending. I'm especially surprised that Richard Adams endorsed this book on the back cover, but, as the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so he must be very flattered. All in all, this is a good book and a worthwhile read, but WATERSHIP DOWN fans shouldn't be shocked if the story seems oddly familiar.
Rating:
Summary: Loved It...Wanted to Love It Even More
Review: This is a compelling, sometimes sweeping epic. Clement-Davies takes us into a world of deer in conflict and manages to make us care. I was taken by the grandeur and honor represented in the opening scenes. The writing, though suitable for most older children, is rich in detail and character. In particular, I liked the author's choice of names. They fit characters well. I enjoyed the blending of spiritual and more universal themes with the Prophecy regarding Rannoch. Rannoch is the reluctant prophet/healer, and his soul-searching seemed genuine. Clement-Davies does withhold a few surprises through the story. Sgorr's secret was particularly jarring, but fitted perfectly. A number of scenes still linger in my thoughts--Rannoch's confrontation with the wolf; Rannoch's vision in the valley mist; the meetings with the sea otter, Nurl. This is a fun, but thoughtful story. Despite my enjoyment of this book, I ran across sections that seemed forced, maybe in need of more foreshadowing. I also found the viewpoints annoying at times. On the same page, I was taken from the thoughts of Rannoch (the good deer) to the thoughts of Sgorr (the bad deer) to the musings of others in the herd. This style used to be more popular, but it definitely distracts from feeling closer to any particular character. Overall, I wanted to like the book even more than I did. Clement-Davies is working on a second novel, from what I hear. I look forward to reading it. Perhaps it'll read a bit smoother, perhaps not. Regardless, I know he'll hold my interest and provide a memorable reading escape. I loved the story, flaws and all.
|
