{Deep Thoughts}:FIRE by Kristin Cashore

I've posted about FIRE before, but today I'm just hitting on my "deep thoughts", or things that struck me while reading FIRE.

~I think FIRE should have been the first book in trilogy as its chronologically first, but, while I still love it, it is weaker and may not have drawn in the readers/following as GRACELING.

~Did Fire and her father (Cansrel) have inappropriate relations?  There were things that made me think "Yes", but then others that made me think "No".  What did you think of their relationship?

~Obviously, Leck plays a part in later books, but I felt like his entrance and departure from The Dells was too contrived; almost like his whole thing was just added to keep the continuity between the books.  FIRE would have been a fine story without him.

~Way too much time spent talking about Fire's time of the month.  I get it, she's attacked by monsters because they can smell her blood, but a mention every month was a little much!

~I understand why Fire took those herbs, but I don't know if I could do that.

~I wish Fire had a chance to make things right with Archer before he left.  There isn't much worse than that feeling of guilt she carried around for so long.

~And speaking of Archer, I didn't really care for him.  He was a jealous butthead who used his love to manipulate Fire.  I don't know why, but here is who I pictured playing him:

 

(click picture for link to original source)

I'm sure Kellan Lutz is a lovely person, but I'm pretty sure he can play the jealous butthead well.

~So, even though I didn't care for Archer, he was important to Fire.  Nobody needs to carry around that guilt (especially for a butthead).