Fire
Kristin Cashore
 When a mysterious archer wounds Fire, she accompanies Archer to a fort nearby, partly to request assistance from the army and partly to meet the lovely and accepting Queen Roen. Once there, she meets the two heirs to the throne: King Nashdell and Brigan, the exalted, not to mention young commander of his brother's military. The two brothers take to her completely differently. Nash falls immediately in lust with Fire, while Brigan hates her on sight. Mostly for her beauty and power, she also reminds him of her dead father, the man that twisted the dead King Nax's mind and drove the kingdom to ruin. Fire, used to being hated and desired, avoids them. When the army is in danger and many lives are at stake, Fire risks herself and saves many, earning her status among the soldiers. After returning to the North Brigan arrives, inviting her on Nash's orders to come to King's City to help squash the unknown trespassers who have been plaguing the royal family. Fire agrees, and begins to make the long road to the capital, along the way coming to an uncomfortable but desired truce with Brigan. Once there, she finds herself overwhelmed with the gorgeous city, and likewise the city is awed by her. And frightened. Nash, unable to control himself, succumbs to his passion and frequently throws himself at Fire, much to her dismay. While turning him down coldly, rumors spark of their hidden affair. Fire also meets the two illegitimate twins of King Nax, Clara and Garan, the two gifted spymasters of the Dells. They convince her after a time to begin questioning those involved in the resistance, but she has limits. Thoughts of her father continue to torture her, so she resists forcing the truth out of people, only using her presence to intoxicate the prisoners into honesty. While doing this unwanted but necessary duty, she comes across Hanna, a young girl who is skilled at picking fights with large groups of kids twice her size. Hanna is revealed to be Brigan's daughter by a stable girl and the third heir to the throne. The two quickly become friends, and Fire becomes increasingly closer to Brigan. After some time in King's City, Archer arrives, ruining the peace Fire has found with his furious jealousy. She halts their relationship, causing Archer to become involved with several women in the city. This results in two pregnancies by two women: one by Clara and one by Fire's guard, Mila. Fire is furious, but also jealous. Not because of their relationships with her ex-lover, but because of their upcoming children. Fire, despite her intense desire for some of her own, decides the best thing she can do as a monster is to make sure none other exist. She takes a drug Clara suggested that will prevent her from ever having children, much to her sorrow. When an upcoming gala between the three factions arrive, Fire is planned to play a major role as an assassin of the enemies leaders. Archer is extremely against it and the two clash, which eventually leads to him blurting out in spite the secret Fire wished never to be said: that she killed her own father. While Fire loved Cansrel, she also recognized his evil heart and twisted mind. She takes it upon herself to murder him and make it look like suicide, knowing she's the only one who can stop him. Fire is ashamed when this secret is revealed for many to hear, and she flees, eventually meeting the mother of her mother she never knew she had. Archer arrives soon after, disgusted by himself. He confesses he needs escape and time to think, so he goes in search of a young boy that has bothered Fire immensely. With his red eye, casual cruelty, and a voice that hurts her but entrances everyone else, she links him to the strange and thoughtless men that have been bothering her and the royal family with increased frequency. No one gives her much heed except Archer, who sees it as his responsibility after he wronged Fire. He leaves with her forgiveness and love. Soon after the gala arrives, and with Fire's help two leaders of the rebels are killed and much information is found. Primarily about a joint attack set by both rebel groups on King's City. Brigan had enough time to arrange his forces in response, and in the mayhem of the gala Fire is kidnapped. She is captured, drugged, and continuously shot on the mysterious boy's orders, who is revealed at one point to be a young Leck, the main antagonist in "Graceling". He confides that he wants to rule the Dells with Fire as his partner and equal. She refuses and escapes, only to find Archer's body. In rage she burns down Leck's estate, killing his mind slaves in the process. Alone and without supplies or heat she wanders, eventually meeting Leck. They struggle, and Leck tells her of a land across the mountains that hold many people like him, his home country which is the stage for "Graceling". In their struggle he falls into a crack in the mountain, and Fire prays he is finally dead. She wanders aimlessly afterward, caring little for her own life, and is saved by a horse, then rescued by villagers. She falls unconscious and reawakens among friends. Her hands are frost bitten and she has lost two fingers, and she despairs because she believes she will never play the fiddle again. She is transported back to King's City, and she remembers the name of the archer who killed Archer, a criminal named Jod. She recalls that he was indeed Archer's sire, having raped Brocker's wife on orders from King Nax. Fire arrives at a Fort Flood which is under attack, and meets Brigan. The two confess they are in love with each other, but Fire refuses to give into her feelings because she doesn't want to love him if he's "only going to die." He leaves for battle once more, and Fire is rocked with agony and worry for his safety. After living in relative seclusion while trying to process Archer's death and the loss of her fingers, Fire is brought to life again thanks to Garan. He convinces her to begin working in the hospitals relieving people of their pain and helping doctors with minor tasks. She comes to meet Nash, who she also wants to disconnect from because of his status as a soldier. He informs her that she is being silly, because death will come to all for many different reasons, not just war. She and Nash talk, coming to terms with the love they feel, even for their fathers. Fire meets Roen and Brocker who confide in her that Brigan is not really Nax's son but Brocker's, Roen and him having an affair that led to his banishment and the abuse he suffered on Nax's account. Fire, after fighting with this, comes to accept it. She meets Brigan at Fort Flood and the two reconcile, making love and coming to terms with all that they've lost and gained. Soon after, the rebels request a meeting under the pretense of peace. During they ask for Fire to be given to them, and after being refused Nash is shot. He lives and Brigan's army conquers, returning the Dells to relative peace. Fire returns to King's City hailed as a hero, much to her embarrassment. A ceremony to mourn Archer is held at Brocker's estate, and many return there to grieve his passing including Clara and Mila with their newborn babies, Aran and Liv, respectively. Mila tells Fire she has begun a relationship with Nash, and Fire is pleased, though she is uncommonly happy due to Archer's two babies. At Archer's ceremony she mourns both him and her father who she misses, but she also forgives herself for his murder. She plays a song on her fiddle that she has fought so hard to once again play. With one tune she lets out her sadness for those she cares about, dead and living.