Review: The Element of Fire, Martha Wells

Title: The Element of Fire (2006 edition)
Author: Martha Wells
Date Begun: February 9, 2007
Date Completed: February 10, 2007

I love reading Martha Wells. There's a feeling I get, when I read her books, that there is someone else out there who looked at the fantasy book shelves and thought "Enough with the goddamn druids already" and decided to do something about it. (No, really.) Reading her books always makes me want to go and find more of hers, and luckily I've got a few. Of course, now I'm thinking about getting into Stargate so I can read her tie-in novel and that's dangerous territory, there.

The fact that two of her books open with the hero breaking into someone else's house may also have endeared her to me. In fact, I had a recent conversation about The Element of Fire with my sister which went something like this:
HER: There's a new Martha Wells book?
ME: Not exactly.
HER: Is it good?
ME: I don't know yet. But the opening scene has breaking and entering so...
HER: You were powerless to resist.
What can I say, I'm easy.

Like all the Ile-Rien books, the setting is a major benefit. Vienne, however, is not quite the minor character it is in Death of the Necromancer. The characters are not quite the characters Wells is capable of writing. Despite the revisions, this is very obviously a first novel. It is neither as tight nor as well-drawn as her later work. But it's a decent book, and I enjoyed it.

Actually, I really enjoyed the female lead the most, and I never like the girls. Seriously. But she's quite interesting and, I think, well done.

Really, I'm torn. I don't know if I'd suggest you start with this book because it's only okay, it's not great. I definitely enjoyed Death of the Necromancer more. For one, because it's funnier. The Element of Fire is quite dark and quite political. It's also probably worth a second read. Maybe my feelings will be clearer then.

The Element of Fire on Amazon. Martha Wells' website.