The Element of Fire by Martha Wells

The Element of Fire

by Martha Wells

Description	Reviews	Map
Online Edition	Finding Copies

See other excerpts from:
The Death of the Necromancer
Wheel of the Infinite
City of Bones
Books of the Raksura
The Cloud Roads
The Serpent Sea
The Fall of Ile-Rien Trilogy
Book One: The Wizard Hunters
Book Two: The Ships of Air
Book Three: The Gate of Gods
Stargate
Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary
Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement

(copyright © 1993 Martha Wells)

Original edition: Hardback: Tor, July 1993, ISBN 312-85374-2, $23.95. Paperback: Tor, July 1994, ISBN 812-52097-1, $4.99. Cover art by Eric Peterson. Italian edition: Fantacollana Nord Volume 134, September 1995. Polish edition: Rebis 1998.. Russian edition: Bek Dpakoha 1997. French Edition: l'Atalante 2002. Spanish edition: Bibliopolis. French Mass Market Edition: Points.

Revised edition: Trade paperback, November 2006, ISBN 978-0-6151-3571-7.

Finding Copies of the Revised 2006 Edition
Now available at Lulu.com, Barnes and Noble, Mysterious Galaxy, Borders, Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon.ca, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, or an independent book store near you through IndieBound.

Available for free download in multiple eBook formats at ManyBooks.net or for sale Amazon US Kindle Edition, Amazon UK Kindle Edition, Barnes and Noble NookBook.

Foreign Editions
French edition: Trade Paperback or in Mass Market. Translated by Patrick Couton.
Spanish Edition: Trade Paperback. Translated by Carlos Gardini.

The Potter's Daughter
A prequel short story, "The Potter's Daughter," is now online here. It was originally published in the Tsunami Relief anthology Elemental and in The Year's Best Fantasy 7.

The original map of the palace in Vienne,
drawn by artist Scott McCullar.

Click on the small image to get a larger version.

Description

The kingdom of Ile-Rein lies in peril, menaced by sorcerous threats and devious court intrigues. As the weak King Roland, flattered and misled by treacherous companions, rules the country, only his ruthless mother, the Dowager Queen Ravenna, guards the safety of the realm. But now rumors arise that Urbain Grandier, the dark master of scientific sorcery, has arrived to plot against the throne. And Kade, bastard sister of King Roland, appears unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true desires are cloaked in mystery. Is she in league with the wizard Grandier? Or is she laying claim to the throne?

It falls to Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard and Ravenna's former lover, to sort out who is friend, who is foe in a deadly game to keep the Dowager Queen and the kingdom she loves from harm. But is one man's steel enough to counter all the magic of fayre?

Reviews

: "A rich fantasy debut . . . Skillfully blending the fantastical and the mundane, Wells delights with deft and sympathetic characterization while demonstrating a fine touch for adventure."; - Publishers Weekly; "When Jayne asked me if I would be willing to review one of my favorite books for Dear Author, the trick was choosing which one of yours to review. You consistently create rich, unique worlds, complex heroines and heroes who are both real and extraordinary, and your books are impossible to put down. These are fantasy novels, but in every book of yours there is a strong and often discreet thread of romance that always leaves me longing for more of this couple."; - Laura Florand, DearAuthor.com; "Fans who appreciate ingenious plotting, witty dialogue, and fascinating characterization will find this tale a truly wonderful adventure in reading."; - Rave Reviews; "The Element of Fire is a powerful fantasy."; - Locus; "A fascinating read . . . I had to finish it up in one fell swoop, staying up until 2:30 to do so, and hadn't known I'd spent that much time in her world!"; - Anne McCaffrey; ". . . a lively swashbuckler perfectly integrated with a thoughtful, down-to-earth character study -- not just a fantasy homage to Errol Flynn movies, but to high Shakespearean drama as well . . . A remarkable new book from a remarkable new writer."; - Dragon Magazine; ". . . a powerful new force in fantasy."; - Sense of Wonder; A finalist for the 1993 Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award.; A runner-up for the 1994 Crawford Award.

Online Edition

Linked below is the complete text of The Element of Fire, revised by the author in 2006. It is also available for free download in multiple eBook formats at ManyBooks.net.

Chapters 1-8

Chapters 9-16

Chapters 17-20