The Fire

I seem to be at odds with lots of reviewers of this sequel to The Eight - those who have reviewed it as far inferior to the original! I loved it!! Loved catching up with characters I've loved for over 2 decades now; loved the history and parallel stories of the second generation in this latter stage of "The Game". But, what I loved the most is the overriding theory that we humans are all connected; regardless of color, race, religion, creed, location, age, sex, we CAN live together in harmony if we DECIDE to do so. As I enter my 7th decade here on Mother Earth, I guess that I'm reading more into this book than just a superlative thriller. I'm reading about the rise and fall of civilizations; of ideas; of parallel thoughts that transcend time - if we stop, listen, and decide that we have much more in common than we have to disagree about! Just my personal take on the book. Loved it, and enjoyed it just as much as I did The Eight.

After taking on the prodigious scholarship and intricate plotting of "The Eight", no wonder it's taken 20 years for Ms. Neville to write a sequel. And what a sequel it is! "The Fire" picks up the tale of the Montglane Service twenty years after "The Eight" and introduces Cat Velis' daughter Alexandra--who is, of all things--sous chef in a Basque restaurant. Surrounded by quirky and attractive new characters such as Nokomis Key and Rodo Boujoron, and some old friends from "The Eight", Alexandra needs all the help she can get to solve one puzzle after another as she attempts to thwart the greedy plans of conspirators out to retrieve the elusive Black Queen of the Montglane Service for their own ends. No one is who her or she seems to be, and Alexandra's wits are constantly tested, though it's nice she can take advantage of technology that wasn't around in the early 1970s of the first book. A back story set in the 1820s and populated with some of the same familiar historical characters as "The Eight" as well as some new ones--Shelley and Byron, the chef Careme, and Ali Pasha--as well as world events both new and old--the breakups of the Soviet Union and the Ottoman Empire, "The Fire" is just as engrossing and erudite as "The Eight", just different. Ms. Neville's ability to incorporate vast research on a wide ranging variety of subjects into a cracking good story is stunning. Covering a much shorter time period than "The Eight" and much more character driven, Ms. Neville didn't need to reinvent her wheel. For readers familiar with "The Eight", this is a further, equally satisfying adventure. For readers who aren't--this is a great stand-alone historical/arcane/adventure thriller which is my favorite kind of book!

Years before there was a DA VINCI CODE or a NATIONAL TREASURE there was THE EIGHT, a book that has been selling well for the last twenty years. The story goes back and forth between the centuries, with the past playing an important part in a mystery in the present (1973). The Montglane Service (a chess set encrusted with jewels and a secret code which is the key to awesome power) is dispersed throughout Europe to prevent it's power from falling into the wrong hands. This long and gorgeously good book held me captive for about a week when it came out. Now after two decades we have the sequel. Alexandra Solarin, chess playing daughter of Cat Velis and chess Grand Master Alexander Solarin (from THE EIGHT) discovers her mother has gone missing and she must follow cryptic clues to find her, if she can. This book, like the last one follows two timelines centuries apart, now we're going back and forth between 1822 and 2003 and like the last book, I was drawn into each, completely absorbed, so much so that I found myself getting upset every time we jumped away from the current story to get into the other one centuries apart, because I couldn't wait to see what happened next, just like I did so long ago. If you're a fan of conspiracy theories, and who isn't, then you're going to love this book. If you loved THE EIGHT, and if you read it, you did, then you're going to love this book. If you mysteries, then you're going to love this book. Can you tell I loved this book. Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

I hadn't read THE EIGHT like so many had, but I decided I needed to before reading this book and I'm glad I did, otherwise I would have had to make do with the Ms. Neville's quick and dry recap and I would have missed the story and what a story, a story about a quest for the Montglane Service, a chess set that once belonged to Charlemagne and which holds a power that powerful men and women are willing to kill for. The story spans centuries and mixes history into the plot, which is full of treasure hunts, clues, riddles and more clues, which leads the reader from century to century, from continent to continent. It's now 2003 and Alexandra Solarin, daughter of Alexander Solarin and Cat Velis from THE EIGHT, goes to her family's Colorado home for her mother's birthday only to find her missing and before long unexpected guest begin arriving. That, along along with some mysterious clues, leads Alexandra and company to suspect a sinister hand at play. Thirty years earlier Alexander and Cat had scattered and buried the pieces of the Montglane Service around the world, making it impossible for someone to get and abuse their power, the power of everlasting life. They new they would someday be found, but Cat figured it would take a thousand years and maybe mankind would have changed into something better by then. But was she wrong? Did a thousand years turn into thirty? Is someone trying to assemble pieces? Is the Game afoot again. Like THE EIGHT, this book is two stories in one, taking place in different centuries and each story is perfectly plotted with characters who will keep you clued to the story. And like in THE EIGHT, you'll learn quite a bit of history as Ms. Neville is quite adept at weaving historical events into her plot. A plot which will keep you clued to your chair, because yes, the game is afoot again.

Katherine Neville wrote one of my all time favorite books - The Eight. When I heard that after 20 years she was writing a sequel to The Eight, I was thrilled. The Eight has quite a following in itself to this day - been a bestseller for 20 years, printed in more than 30 languages over the world, and countless reprints here in the States. Not many books have that kind of pedigree. Dealing with a magnificent chess service that was given to Charlemagne that had the means to make people in its possession want to obtain power, it also has the means to creating an elixir for immortality. What if this power landed in the wrong hands? For centuries, there has been a literal human chess game happening - vying for power. The book is amazing and there is a dual story back and forth from the (then) present to around the French Revolution. Combines action, romance, history, chess strategy that makes an unforgettable book. Now comes The Fire. Its actions take place exactly 30 years after The Eight, both present and after the French Revolution. Main characters' (Cat Velis and Alexander Solarin) daughter, Alexandra 'Xie' is at the forefront. The Eight's beloved characters (Lily Rad, Ladislaus Nim) are also featured as well as the colorful historical characters - Talleyrand, Lord Byron, etc. The plotting of creating a new game of living chess is handled brilliantly by Ms. Neville. In spite of its length, it is a fast, exciting read. The Fire has enough backstory that I think those who have not read The Eight will be able to join in on the ride. Although, I did reread The Eight to refresh my memory to better enjoy this new book. Indeed, people will probably go out and read The Eight simply because it is such a wonderful premise they'll want to be in the atmosphere of this story more. I am always awed when I read a well planned, beautifully written book that is exquisitely plotted. Ms. Neville loves her characters and respects the story. It comes through brilliantly in The Fire, as it did in The Eight. Fans of historical fiction, The French Revolution, chess, adventure novels, romance should tear into this book. It is definitely worth the wait. And after 20 years' time, that time melts and places you in the action and another exciting read by Katherine Neville. It is something an author always wishes to have - a legacy to be remembered by with words of beauty - that people will want to read and reread.