Strange Fire

So many books that are out there contain the same plot over and over again. It was refreshing to come across a book with an unusual protagonist and an original plot. The writing was also quite good. My only complaint is that the book seemed to go downhill a bit towards the end. There's a rape scene which just doesn't make any sense, and we lose our compassion for what had been a sympathetic character. Finally, the end (you notice that I didn't give away any plot points at all) boils down to a hackneyed action sequence with the hero saving the day.All in all, however, it was nice to read a book that didn't fit the usual mode.