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rachelini's review
3.0
The 3 stars is for the second half of the book. The beginning didn't really grab me - it was violent and sort of miserable, plus I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story but yet nothing was happening. But as the the book went on, it relaxed, there was more story, a little dark humour, and I quite enjoyed it by the end.
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
4.0
I believe I saw this from a rec on Felicia Days' GR account. I d/l it for the Kindle and then didn't think too much of it. By the time I got to it, I'd forgotten anything about it. To be perfectly honest, I'm somewhat prejudiced with books. I tend to lean toward the ones with mainly female protagonists. And those are usually written by female writers. So I wasn't terribly anxious to pick this one up since I'd forgotten most everything about it...and isn't there an action or thriller author with the last name Connelly? I might have mistaken this one for him, leading me to wonder why I got it in the first place.
Anyway, after all that, I did finally start it and I liked it a LOT! In the beginning, it didn't feel like the first in a series, despite the fact that Ray had just gotten out of prison. I even went and checked to make sure this was the first one. There were some things that weren't really explained (like that the heck the Twenty Palaces Society even IS), but they didn't detract too much from the story and just made me want to read more. I don't mind the sexy times that usually appear in books like this, but it was nice to have one without any sexual tension at all that was still very entertaining. I REALLY hope they aren't going to go there for Ray and Annalise because I'm really not feeling that. I'll definitely be reading more of these in the future. For sure.
Anyway, after all that, I did finally start it and I liked it a LOT! In the beginning, it didn't feel like the first in a series, despite the fact that Ray had just gotten out of prison. I even went and checked to make sure this was the first one. There were some things that weren't really explained (like that the heck the Twenty Palaces Society even IS), but they didn't detract too much from the story and just made me want to read more. I don't mind the sexy times that usually appear in books like this, but it was nice to have one without any sexual tension at all that was still very entertaining. I REALLY hope they aren't going to go there for Ray and Annalise because I'm really not feeling that. I'll definitely be reading more of these in the future. For sure.
lauraexplorer's review
2.0
It’s different and that is great, but the characters just didn’t grab me. It just wasn’t for me.
minotaursmaze's review
3.0
Interesting I like the magic rules. I'm interested in where this story could go.
a_chickletz's review
2.0
Perhaps I am like the other readers, expecting something like the Dresden Files. It is silly to make me feel that the book series is the ‘be-all, end-all’ of Urban Fantasy. So, when GoodReads recommend this book, I jumped at a chance to read it. The summary and the accolades by a screen writer (Terry Rossio) and author (Jim Butcher) had me thinking that this would be enjoyable.
Child of Fire is a very, very difficult book to write a review about. I think the biggest problem with the book is character development and the authors’ consistent pleasure of ‘withholding’ information. You are given two characters and by the end of the book, you find out not much about them as you did in the first chapter. What is the back-story on the Twenty Palaces? How did Ray and Annaliese first meet? What is Annaliese? You never find out any of this, and I truly think this hurts the characters. Some books are able to get away with details like this, but that’s only if you know a good deal about who the characters are and how they interact in the world. Annaliese and Ray were two shells that were supposed to be ‘main characters’. By the end of the book, Ray ends up being more of a main character than Annaliese (doing most of the crime solving, ass-kicking, shagging, etc.). What’s the point?
Another problem is something that another reader brought up and explained in their review. You feel as though you missed the first book or a book about these characters somewhere down the line. ‘Child of Fire’ is the first book of the series, so how could you miss anything? So, again, I blame it on the lack of character development and information ‘withholding’.
Maybe this isn’t important, but you are given no physical description of Ray anywhere in the story. Perhaps I missed it, and I would be grateful for a point out. The only thing I knew about Ray was the type of clothes he was wearing and the tattoos on his forearms and back. So, I took the cover art as a ‘basis’ for what he could resemble.
Lastly, Ray is a bit of a perfect hero. He hardly ever gets hurt, hardly ever gets ‘stumped’, hardly ever gets ‘mislead’. Everything happens to him is precise, perfect and at no point do you feel as though he is in any danger. For someone who isn’t a trained magician, and is always relying on his ‘ghost knife’, he shouldn’t be that skillful.
I really, really wanted to like the book. I guess I’m just too picky. Maybe down the line, I’ll give the second book a chance. As of right now, I’m not looking forward to continuing on.
Child of Fire is a very, very difficult book to write a review about. I think the biggest problem with the book is character development and the authors’ consistent pleasure of ‘withholding’ information. You are given two characters and by the end of the book, you find out not much about them as you did in the first chapter. What is the back-story on the Twenty Palaces? How did Ray and Annaliese first meet? What is Annaliese? You never find out any of this, and I truly think this hurts the characters. Some books are able to get away with details like this, but that’s only if you know a good deal about who the characters are and how they interact in the world. Annaliese and Ray were two shells that were supposed to be ‘main characters’. By the end of the book, Ray ends up being more of a main character than Annaliese (doing most of the crime solving, ass-kicking, shagging, etc.). What’s the point?
Another problem is something that another reader brought up and explained in their review. You feel as though you missed the first book or a book about these characters somewhere down the line. ‘Child of Fire’ is the first book of the series, so how could you miss anything? So, again, I blame it on the lack of character development and information ‘withholding’.
Maybe this isn’t important, but you are given no physical description of Ray anywhere in the story. Perhaps I missed it, and I would be grateful for a point out. The only thing I knew about Ray was the type of clothes he was wearing and the tattoos on his forearms and back. So, I took the cover art as a ‘basis’ for what he could resemble.
Lastly, Ray is a bit of a perfect hero. He hardly ever gets hurt, hardly ever gets ‘stumped’, hardly ever gets ‘mislead’. Everything happens to him is precise, perfect and at no point do you feel as though he is in any danger. For someone who isn’t a trained magician, and is always relying on his ‘ghost knife’, he shouldn’t be that skillful.
I really, really wanted to like the book. I guess I’m just too picky. Maybe down the line, I’ll give the second book a chance. As of right now, I’m not looking forward to continuing on.
raygina's review
1.0
I just couldn't get into it. I may try it again later but the hook wasn't there for me.
drey72's review
3.0
Child of Fire is a very fast-paced read about a guy who gets hauled out of jail to help out on a mission that's strictly need-to-know.
The plot isn't too complicated--there's something going on in the little town of Hammer Bay, and Ray is volunteered to tag along to find out what it is. Unfortunately for Ray, investigations aren't his "thing" and he ends up rousing a hornets' nest of trouble, which brings up more questions about the residents of Hammer Bay. And his "boss" Annalise, isn't too enthused about letting him in on what she's looking for, or why. Then again, why would she? In Annalise's eyes, he should cease to exist, and she's 100% willing to help him get there.
The story gets a tad violent, but what else would you expect from hanging out with power-hungry cops, gangs, and money-grabbing fools? Then again, Ray himself ain't no saint... But he'll still get you rooting for him to save those he can, and get out alive...
Child of Fire is a pretty good first offering from Harry Connelly, and I'll be finding out how Ray fares in the next installment, Game of Cages.
The plot isn't too complicated--there's something going on in the little town of Hammer Bay, and Ray is volunteered to tag along to find out what it is. Unfortunately for Ray, investigations aren't his "thing" and he ends up rousing a hornets' nest of trouble, which brings up more questions about the residents of Hammer Bay. And his "boss" Annalise, isn't too enthused about letting him in on what she's looking for, or why. Then again, why would she? In Annalise's eyes, he should cease to exist, and she's 100% willing to help him get there.
The story gets a tad violent, but what else would you expect from hanging out with power-hungry cops, gangs, and money-grabbing fools? Then again, Ray himself ain't no saint... But he'll still get you rooting for him to save those he can, and get out alive...
Child of Fire is a pretty good first offering from Harry Connelly, and I'll be finding out how Ray fares in the next installment, Game of Cages.
rixx's review
Rejoice, there is Urban Fantasy without romance. [via](https://www.eblong.com/zarf/bookscan/review/connolly_harry_child_of_fire.html)
mspris's review
5.0
This was an interesting and complicated world. The main character is an ex-con who's traded prison for a dangerous (likely suicide) mission and things turn semi-Lovecraftian from there...