For readers and viewers of The Perfect Storm, opening this long-awaited new work by Sebastian Junger will be like stepping off the deck of the Andrea Gail and into the inferno of a fire burning out of control in the steep canyons of Idaho. Here is the same meticulous prose brought to bear on the inner workings of a terrifying elemental force; here is a cast of characters risking everything in an effort to bring that force under control.
Few writers have been to so many desperate corners of the globe as has Sebastian Junger; fewer still have provided such starkly memorable evocations of characters and events. From the murderous mechanics of the diamond trade in Sierra Leone to the logic of guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan and the forensics of genocide in Kosovo, this new collection of Junger's nonfiction will take you places you wouldn't dream of going to on your own.
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"Kristin Cashore is a very talented writer. This stand alone story was so engrossing and romantic and I was actually interested in the fantasy world she created. Usually I get annoyed or bored with the world building aspects of fantasy lit. But she is such a skillful writer. A real pleasure to read."
— Kristy (4 out of 5 stars)
“Magnificently conceived, lovingly written, perfectly evocative of a place, a time, a passion.”
— Atlantic“Propelled by dynamic reporting that reads as fluidly as great fiction.”
— Maxim“The topics are compelling, and the writing is fine.”
— Booklist“Junger [is] a man with an appetite for the ragged edge of life and the ability to write about it with restrained power.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)" pretty good for an easy read, i found the main heroine to be a bit overly sensitive to my taste. the theme of free love and not settling down to a "woman's life" so often found in y.a./fantasy books was refreshing. "
— Anne, 2/1/2014" This was my least favorite out of the series "
— Lara, 1/31/2014" I love the idea of the world Cashire has created, but every time I read her books I feel like she is using them to forward her very liberal sexual agenda. Nowhere is there a strong, equal, monogamous relationship. While sex is handled discreetly, characters are going off with whoever strikes their fancy and getting pregnant with partners who aren't interested in long term relationships. The "strong" female characters are immature, impulsive, and often reckless. The overall message feels like "Watch out for number one at all times and enjoy the passing fancy of whoever captures your attention at this particular moment." "
— Jennifer, 1/15/2014" sooo good recommend to ANY ONE the power of fire is amazing I LOVE IT!!!!!!!! "
— Pippity, 1/9/2014" I'll admit, I didn't give this book much of a chance. But it seemed to be setting up to be a repeat of Graceling. I can't get into the the anti-marriage, girl doesn't need a man (except for casual sex). "
— Keri, 1/4/2014" This has been my favorite book OF ALL TIME, for quite a while. It has just the right amount of intrigue, adventure, romance, and humor. It is everything a book needs, and I love the fantasy aspect of it (you know, with kinds and kingdoms). "
— Ani, 1/2/2014" I loved this book. It is different from Graceling, but still obviously from the same awesome ilk. This is my absolute favorite kind of story. I can't wait to read Bitterblue! "
— M.G., 12/18/2013" I may be giving this one more star than it really deserves, but Cashore nailed the ending. Full review to come. "
— Liz, 12/1/2013" The ending was the best part. "
— Danica, 10/19/2013" not as good and graceling "
— Mel, 9/26/2013" I liked the character but I didn't think this book was anything special, and that's that. "
— Gina, 7/29/2013" meh, it was pretty good. very romance-y "
— Ridwana, 2/13/2013" Definitely happy I read this as book 3 instead of book 2 after Bitterblue. "
— Elaine, 2/16/2012" 4.5/ 5 stars. I fell in love with all these characters so much. The story, although, was a little boring at some points, but I loved it regardless. "
— Halee, 6/8/2011" Fire is a human monster, graced with such unearthly beauty that just looking at her can drive men to violence. YA. Feminist. Fantasy. In other words, right up my alley. "
— Amber, 5/25/2011" Not as tense as Perfect Storm but a number of interesting essays on everything from firejumping to whaling to Bosnia. <br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> "
— Deb, 3/1/2011" Somewhat misleading - starts out about firefighting, turns into essays about dangerous jobs, ends up just as various essays, usually about war corresponding. Always interesting, but not totally what I signed up for. "
— Erin, 2/9/2011" I loved the chapters on the titular fires, but found most of the other chapters not having the same impact. "
— Victoria, 1/30/2011" Somewhat interesting essays about covering dangerous stuff (forest fires, Kosovo), but too episodic for my taste. And the piece from Afghanistan is really dated since it covers EARLY 2001. "
— Yak, 1/6/2011" A book about dangerous situations, war and atrocities that was interesting in places, but I thought the writing style was too dry. I found a lot of it was like reading a text book and it really didn't grip me at all. "
— Anita, 12/13/2010" Didn't make it all the way through this collection of essays. "
— Jeff, 11/10/2010" Good set of short essays, but more in his formative stages. Save it for Perfect Storm. "
— Mark, 8/25/2010" Enjoyable read, but a little bitty / uneven in quality of stories. "
— Alex, 8/16/2010" Started slow but then I couldn't put it down. Excellent world building. "
— W., 5/22/2010" This is actually a collection of his articles previously published. I only read the first one regarding forest fires. "
— Ariana, 2/22/2010" Couldn't get through this. If you want to read Junger, then choose a more popular book like The Perfect Storm. "
— Alicia, 2/19/2010" Some good short stories about wildland firefighting, and one unsettling story from Kashmir that throws off the subject of the book. All were well written and an emjoyment to read. "
— Eddie, 11/25/2009" What I learned from this book: if you are female and around other females while reading, they will always comment on the author photo on the back cover. As in "He's a te-MAY-tuh!" (New Jersey) "
— Michele, 11/10/2009Sebastian Junger is the New York Times bestselling author of several books. Together with Tim Hetherington, he directed the documentary Restrepo, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and has been awarded a National Magazine Award and an SAIS Novartis Prize for journalism.
Kevin Conway has appeared in numerous films and on Broadway, including roles in Slaughterhouse Five, The Scarlet Letter, Gettysburg, and Gods and Generals. He has also narrated several audio books, including titles by Matthew Shaara, John MacDonald, and Peter Maas.