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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780615135717
ISBN number: 0615135714
Label: Martha Wells
Manufacturer: Martha Wells
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 320
Printing Date: November 13, 2006
Publishing house: Martha Wells
Release Date: November 13, 2006
Sale Popularity Level: 492939
Studio: Martha Wells
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
The Element of Fire was very first published in the US by Tor Books in 1993, and has been published in six languages. It was a finalist for the 1993 Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award and a runner-up for the 1994 Crawford Award. This new edition has been revised by the author.
The kingdom of Ile-Rien is in peril, menaced by magical threats and court intrigue. As the weak King Roland, misled by treacherous companions, rules the country, only his ruthless mother, the Dowager Queen Ravenna, truly guards the safety of the realm. But now Urbain Grandier, the dark master of scientific sorcery, has arrived to plot against the throne and Kade, bastard sister of the king, has appeared unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true goals 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 and who is foe in a deadly game to keep the Dowager Queen and the kingdom she loves from harm.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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As others here have noted, Ms. Wells produces a very interesting, and probably unique, brand of fantasy. I don't think she gets the recognition she deserves. This is one of her earlier efforts, so it has some minor shortcomings (the pace gets a little frenetic at times and the focus on the details of the castle seem unecessary). However, the plot is intricate, character development is excellent and I found myself really caring what happens to them. I would probably give this 4.5 stars, but I rounded up...
The book has finally been reprinted and apparently somewhat revised. This is fine, but the price for the new version seem rather high. Luckily, I was able to find a used copy of this older version at a much more reasonable price. Hopefully the new version will eventually come out in a mass paperback version, which may help create a wider audience for her talents.
Rated by buyers -
I reread this book in the new and revised edition and I'm still as pleased as I was when I read the very first edition. Martha Wells manages to grab onto the feel of Dumas' 17th century swashbuckling Musketeers and translate it into a world where magic works and humanity is constantly threatened by the denizens of Fayre. And not just Fayre threatens the City of Vienne but the politics engaged in by the rulers and the upper class.
It's a fast paced and fun adventure novel with very appealing descriptive writing. I would have loved to have seen an illustrated edition of this book. The whirling hosts of the Unseeley Court, the Castle of Knockma, a reflection in a magic lake of a castle in the human world, the Court of Ravenna all demand to be experienced not just in the imagination.
Ms Wells has written other books that I have enjoyed-- all of them actually, but this book has a special place on my shelf.
Rated by buyers -
The original edition of Element of Fire was loads of fun, and this revised version is even better. Ms Wells has tightened the writing even further and eliminated a few inconsistencies (left over from earlier drafts?).
The setting resembles the 17th century Paris of The Three Musketeers, but with sorcery, magic, and the perils of Faery added. The result is a rich, original and fascinating background. Add a break-neck plot and a cast of cynical, witty and fully realised characters, and you have an instant classic.
Rated by buyers -
Martha Wells is really the best fantasy writer of our time. The plot is engaging and the characters are well developed. Set in a medeival backdrop, Martha Wells creates a believable world where magic and wit play into the power struggle of a kingdom.
I am really grateful that the publishers finally decided to reprint this book after it had been out of print for several years. After reading Wheel of the Infinite, I immediately fell in love with her style of writing. She is witty and intelligent and so are her characters. Best of all, the plot takes several twists and turns that make the book hard to put down.
I would give it 6 stars if I could.
Rated by buyers 
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I'm glad I read "Death of the Necromancer" first, or I probably wouldn't have given Wells a second look after this book. The characters are ok, the writing is well done and the fantasy world is different enough to be interesting, but it never quite gets beyond 'good.' There's a bit too much action which, combined with the fast pacing, makes it a bit difficult to follow. Some of the settings and locations feel a bit tacked-on and I'm still not sure I completely understand what Kade's castle looks like or how the secret passages in the palace work. This is a minor issue that's easily ignored during the very first half of the book and easily countered by the interesting characters, witty dialogue and complex intrigues. However, by the time the protaganists are fleeing a battle (their 6th) on an urgent mission (their 4th) through a poorly-described setting (the 27th) while nursing their wounds (dozens each) in order to thwart the new villain (the 3rd so far) it starts to wear a bit. The book is definitely worth reading, but after charging out of the gate it plods to the finish in an unexceptional and workmanlike manner.
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