Publisher: HarperVoyager.
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages.
ISBN 10: 0007289634
ISBN 13: 978-0007289639
Reviewer: Victoria
Copy: Purchased on-line.
On the Back of the Book. . .
A secret grave enough to kill for. . .
The isolated island of Jago, encircled by the magma ocean of the Fire Sea, faces an uncertain future as its inhabitants emigrate to greener climes, leaving the basalt plains and raging steam storms far behind them. . .
Jago is the only home Hanna Conquest has ever known. But her carefree existence comes to an abrupt halt when her guardian, Archbishop Alice Grey, is brutally murdered.
Someone desperately wants to suppress a secret kept by the archbishop, and if the attempts on Hannah's own life are any indication, the killer believes that Alice passed the knowledge of it onto her warn before her head was separated from her neck.
But it soon becomes clear that there is more at stake than the life of on orphan, for a deadly power struggle is brewing on Jago. And it's beginning to look as if the deaths of Hannah's archaeologist parents shortly after her birth were very far from accidental either.
As she digs deeper into the mystery, assisted by two rather different detectives, Hannah must race to unravel a chain of ancient riddles in order to save not just her own life, but her island home itself. . .
Stephen Hunt has impressed me. With every book he has written, he has gotten better and better. While his books might not be for everyone, I find that they contain excitement, fun characters, a massive dose of imagination and a mischievous irreverence for his characters; you never know who is going to live or die. Secrets of the Fire Sea is no different.
I did find the description on the back of the book a bit misleading, though. While Hanna Conquest is a major player, she receives less face time than a favourite reoccurring character of mine: Commodore Black. If you have read Hunt's previous books, you'll recognize quite a few of Secrets of the Fire Sea's characters. Some of which who were minor players before, but are given the limelight in this novel.
I know that some people think that Hunt's characters lack depth, but I disagree. While he might not make us privy to all their thoughts, they all have legitimate pasts and motivations. The more of his books you read, the more you learn about his cast of characters, but he does not always provide the same intel in his next book. Information I learned about some characters in Rise of the Iron Moon, for instance, was not mentioned in Secrets of the Fire Sea. Each of Hunt's novels contain a little piece of a character's puzzle, and it is up to the reader to put it all together. While each of his novels are stand alones plot wise, characters grow and learn and evolve in each one. This is something I find refreshing. I've always found it irritating when I read books that have reoccurring characters and am bombarded with reiterations about them. The constant repetition causes me to groan and put my Skimming Hat on.
The steampunk world Stephen Hunt has created is unbelievably interesting. It's a mix of post-apocalypse, French revolution, Restoration and Victorian periods. While all the other novels have been set in the country of Jackals, this novel is set in the mentioned, but never before seen, island of Jago. The island is surrounded by a steaming, volcanic sea, appropriately named the Fire Sea. The island's underground population is dwindling and is finding itself in desperate times, due to the fact that its trade route is now obsolete. Trade ships can now bypass the dangerous waters of the Fire Sea, by a newly discovered route, that is much more safe.
What I loved about this novel is that it told part of the world's story that had been mentioned in his first novel, The Court of the Air, but never in a lot of detail. Secrets of the Fire Sea gives more glimpses into the ice age that covered the surface of the planet. While most humans were farmed by the mysterious empire that ruled the earth, the residents of Jago hid on their island in their underground cities. They were kept warm by utilizing the steam of the Fire Sea. While it has never been said in any of the novels thus far, I strongly suspect that Hunt's world is in fact ours, but after a nuclear fallout, or at least, some other catastrophic event. The other species that he has created really suggest to me that they are products of humans, and other intelligent species, mingling with a little too much radiation.
Another aspect of his world that I really like, is the religion of his protagonists, or rather, the lack thereof. There are churches and priests, but they're 'relgion' is based on mathematics and science, and all gods are considered blasphemy. People die, become part of the aether, and then are reborn. The followers of this mathematical philosophy are aptly called Circlists.
Hunt's style is a blast and makes for entertaining reading. It's a mixture of classic pulp, adventure, comics and Dickens. Many chapters leave you with a cliffhanger and a smart remark. His characters have great snappy, and often witty, dialogue and his action sequences are succinct, efficient and easy to follow. I do know that others have criticized him for his lack of description, but I think that's a positive aspect of his writing. He provides enough information that I get the gist of things, and allows me to use my imagination to fill in the rest. I can't say for sure, but I really think that Hunt wants to get the reader more involved in the reading process. His books are not going to provide you with every little detail. If you take the time to picture everything and put in your own personal touches, you'll be rewarded.
Secrets of the Fire Sea is a fast paced, fun adventure set in an underground city surrounded by a boiling sea. It has smart, fully realized characters, it holds many surprises, and kept me glued to its pages. If you're willing to really be involved in the reading process, and really imagine the scenes and the characters, I think you'll get it. If you don't, well, I don't think you'll like it.
Characterization: 7.5
Style: 9
Plot: 8
Overall Rating: 8
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