Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Element of Fire
    Unavailable
    The Element of Fire
    Unavailable
    The Element of Fire
    Ebook488 pages8 hours

    The Element of Fire

    By Martha Wells

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    The kingdom of Ile-Rein lies in peril, menaced by sorcerous threats and devious court intrigues. As the weak King Roland, flattered and misled by treacherous companions, rules the country, only his ruthless mother, the Dowager Queen Ravenna, guards the safety of the realm. But now rumors arise that Urbain Grandier, the dark master of scientific sorcery, has arrived to plot against the throne. And Kade, bastard sister of King Roland, appears unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true desires are cloaked in mystery. Is she in league with the wizard Grandier or is she laying claim to the throne?

    It falls to Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard and Ravenna's former lover, to sort out who is friend, who is foe in a deadly game to keep the Dowager Queen and the kingdom she loves from harm. But is one man's steel enough to counter all the magic of fayre?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMartha Wells
    Release dateJan 30, 2015
    ISBN9781507090770
    Author

    Martha Wells

    Martha Wells is the author of five previous novels: The Wizard Hunters, the first book of the Fall of Ile-Rien, The Element of Fire, City of Bones, Wheel of the Infinite, and The Death of the Necromancer, which was nominated for the Nebula Award. She lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband.

    Read more from Martha Wells

    Related to The Element of Fire

    Related ebooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Shards Of Earth

      May 19, 2021

      Shards Of Earth
      2 min read

    • Article

      Quotients

      May 7, 2020

      Quotients
      8 min read

    • Article

      The naked TRUTH

      Oct 27, 2021

      The naked TRUTH
      3 min read

    • Article

      What A Bray Day!

      Dec 4, 2019

      What A Bray Day!
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Governess

      Dec 30, 2020

      The Governess
      10 min read

    • Article

      The Governess

      Dec 27, 2020

      The Governess
      10 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Apr 15, 2024

      While its garden is well-trodden, Prospect Cottage’s interiors remained largely private after Derek Jarman, the artist and gay activist, died aged 52 in 1994 from an Aids-related illness. The photographs and essays in my book explain my experience of

      3 min read

    • Article

      Stalking Diary

      Aug 3, 2022

      Stalking Diary
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Inquisitor

      Dec 11, 2023

      The Inquisitor NEED TO KNOW RELEASE February 2024 DEVELOPER The Dust PUBLISHER Kalypso Media LINK theinquisitor.game Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, and it's fair to say this one was fairly unanticipated too. There's a backstory to The Inquis

      5 min read

    • Article

      If Sheep COULD FLY…

      Aug 3, 2022

      If Sheep COULD FLY…
      6 min read

    • Article

      Garth Marenghi: ‘Many Writers Cite Me As An Influence ... And I Will Be Suing Them All’

      Oct 29, 2022

      Horror writers don’t come much more elusive than Garth Marenghi, AKA “the dream weaver”, AKA the “titan of terror”. The author (who bears an uncanny resemblance to comedian Matthew Holness) is best known for his 1980s hospital horror “dramamentary” G

      6 min read

    • Article

      Guerrilla Thriller

      Feb 5, 2023

      Guerrilla Thriller
      4 min read

    • Article

      What To Read This Halloween And Beyond

      Oct 31, 2022

      It’s that time of the year again. Spooky season, goth Christmas, All Hallow’s Eve. Whatever you call it, Halloween is traditionally when attention turns to the scarier end of the bookshelf. For horror fans it’s a period of fun and frustration. On the

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Inquisitor

      Dec 7, 2023

      The Inquisitor
      5 min read

    • Article

      Cut And Run

      Oct 9, 2023

      The earth shook violently as the enormous metal monster closed in. It was 100m away, 50, 20 … then it was on me. As I watched its giant steel tentacle, with its whirling, screaming blade, stretch down towards me, I was conscious less of the fear of a

      2 min read

    • Article

      In 'Hiddensee,' Gregory Maguire Gets Under The Shell Of 'The Nutcracker'

      Dec 3, 2017

      Author Gregory Maguire made his name re-writing fairy tales. Now, he's taken on The Nutcracker — a beloved holiday classic, yes, but one that Maguire says makes no sense as it's usually performed.

      2 min read

    Reviews for The Element of Fire

    4/5

    19 ratings6 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      The Element of Fire is Martha Wells debut fantasy novel, which is she put up for free online after it became hard to find in the US. While I don’t think it’s the best Martha Wells novel I’ve read, it’s still an enjoyable read. The Element of Fire focuses on court politics in Il-Rien, a setting similar to 16th century European courts. Urbain Grandier, a powerful master of sorcery, is plotting against the throne of King Roland, who mainly leaves ruling to his mother, the Dowager Queen Ravenna. Meanwhile, Kade, the illegitimate daughter of the former king and a fairy queen, has also arrived in Il-Rien.My favorite part of The Element of Fire is the characterization of the central characters, in particular the two leads. The narrative alternates between the POV of Kade and Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen’s Guard. Kade manages to have something of the otherworldly Fey about her while still remaining a fully formed and intelligent lead. Thomas, Ravenna’s former lover, is dutiful and also has a wonderful wit. Ravenna was another stand out character for me. She is forceful and determined, an older woman who still remains at the center of power.While I liked the main characters, I did have some trouble keeping track of the secondary characters, especially in the first half of the novel. There’s still some plot points there I think I missed because of it. The Element of Fire begins in the middle of the action, which was exciting but meant that it took me a while to be able to figure out what was going on.While there weren’t any gaping holes in the setting, it felt a bit bare boned. There wasn’t the imagination you can see in many of Wells’ other settings, and it didn’t have the atmosphere of The Death of the Necromancer. The fairy elements especially could have used more exploration.While it could be slow moving in parts, I really enjoyed The Element of Fire for its complex characterization and likable leads. If you’re unfamiliar with Martha Wells, I’d suggest trying one of her later books first, but The Element of Fire is still a book I would recommend.Originally on The Illustrated Page.
    • 4/5
      I took four chapters -- and over two hours of the audiobook -- before becoming completely captivated. The beginning’s neither slow nor uneventful, and I liked the vibe of the worldbuilding, but I didn’t know why I should care. Thomas Boniface, captain of the Queen’s Guard, rescues one sorcerer, Dubell, from the clutches of another, Grandier. The latter continues to pose a threat. There’s palace intrigue: the young king is easily manipulated by his cousin; the dowager queen fiercely wields what power she can.But when the king’s half-sister, the Fay sorceress Kade, confronts her brother and his mother for the first time in nearly a decade, something clicked. Here is the story’s fraught, emotional heart. Soon after, the the palace is attacked and the tension skyrockets. That was the point where I decided that I need to read everything Wells has written.It would have been easy to begin the book with Kade, with her motives and her sympathetic qualities. If it had, I might have warmed to it faster. However, being introduced to her as others see her, mysteriously and dangerously powerful, and wondering -- as Thomas does -- about what she wants and whether she can be trusted, was actually very effective. I really enjoyed being surprised by Kade. I also enjoyed Thomas’ flashes of humour, and the interactions both of them have with members of the royal family. (It was interesting, seeing hints of dynamics here which are much more overt in the Raksura courts.) I have mixed feelings about what happens in the end, but that seems like the right reaction, somehow.I liked this so much more than I was expecting to.“Why would we want to deal with you, sister?” Contempt twisted his voice. “You've threatened us, ridiculed us--”“Threatened? Oh, what a King you are, Roland.” Kade clasped her hands dramatically and said mockingly in falsetto, “Oh, help, my sister is threatening me!” She looked down at her brother, lip curled in disgust. “If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead.”
    • 3/5
      This book shows a lot promise, a lot of elements which could have developed into a fine story. As it stands it is a bit jerky and depends on constant action and mostly well established relationships, with not quite believable interactions. Fortunately the author got much much better.
    • 4/5
      Martha Wells debut novel, the first in the Ile-Rein series.I found it a bit slow to get started but once I felt comfortable in the world and the pace picked up I enjoyed it tremendously. Lots of court intrigue, a young King who has no idea what he's doing, his mother the real brains behind the throne. When the country is attaced by Fairy, the fact that the king's half sister, a half fey herself, shows up and muddles the picture of just who is up to what, and who to trust.
    • 4/5
      The best fantasy I’ve read in at least a year. If you enjoy GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire series, you should pick this book up as well. The old king is dead. In his place rules his only living son, the weak and ineffectual King Roland, who is utterly at the command of his treacherous childhood friend. It falls to the dowager queen Ravenna and her faithful, but aging, Captain of the Queen’s Guard to keep the country together. Into this already explosive situation comes Roland’s bastard sister Kaid, who is the fey daughter of the Queen of Air and Darkness, and a serial killing renegade magician. Internecine court politics, well-rounded characters, and a whole lot of adventure combine to make this a truly enjoyable book.
    • 5/5
      Classic fantasy ideas with a twist -- like common sense, logic and realism. If you took the real world and real people with real motives, and put them all in an alternate historical earth with magic and fairies, packaged with a sense of humor and a sense of justice, it might look something like this. Swashbuckling without being mindless; smart, quick, and funny. Great for lovers of history, adventure, and fairy tales, all. But that's true of every Martha Wells book. This book in particular is about family, betrayal, deception, politics and love, with a wild fey sorceress, an evil sorcerer, dueling nobles, a canny queen, and a boy-king who needs to learn some lessons if he's ever going to rule. Read it for some intelligent and highly entertaining fantasy.

      1 person found this helpful