Buried fire is a young adult book fantasy book based on the 20nth century. In Ireland young Michael McIntyre slumbers on the hill of Wyrm overlooking the town of Wyndham. At the same time, an ancient Celtic cross is dug up in the church yard .He awakes with a hot, burning, sensation in his eyes. He heads home thinking he has had a sun stroke. He eventually learns that he has been given special powers. With these 4 gifts that he soon ascertains that he has two fates. Join the enemy to discover his true extent of his power, then to release the dragon from the earth. Or protect his family from his enemies who he holds dear.Summary:Micheal McIntyre chooses the help his enemies to free the dragon. His mind is clouded by the dragon and influences his decision to release him. His brother, Stephen is given the power as well from the dragon but he resists his influence. He tries to change Michael’s decision but he fails. Michael learns his power from the enemy who also seeks to free the dragon. Michael and the enemy attempt to free the dragon. Meanwhile the town figures that the cross binds the dragon to the earth. Stephen is also trying to thwart the enemy he creates a spear of metal to kill the Monster. The dragon is summoned but cannot escape for the magical hold of the cross. Stephen charges the dragon while Michael and his enemies are on the ground thriving from their master’s power. He slays the dragon by thrusting the spear down its throat. The metal head cuts up its insides which then destroys the Dragon. Michael snaps out of the dragons control on him and reverts to his normal self. The world is saved from Stephen’s actions.Here are a couple quotes that I liked in the book. “Stephen shifted from one foot to another. “You’re no longer like me, Michael. In the field . . . your soul was melting. Changing shape and color. Becoming like the others.”“Michael got up, his head reeling. The dragon was almost out of the ground. The long neck merged into the slender body, dull white like maggot’s flesh. A sudden nausea came over him as he looked at it, in sudden knowledge of its alien nature and the malign will that had kept it alive and waiting for untold centuries out of the sun. He know, in that instant, how cursed they all were he, Cleever and even Hardraker, to think that with their petty powers they could hold themselves up before the worm and expect its thanks. He felt it draw on his strength as he stood there and the hopelessness of the situation gouged his heart.”The theme of the book is: Your saviors can often be your demise.Overview:I rate this book at 3 stars. I would recommend this book to all readers, the book is appropriate for all audiences. The book is a little tough to understand the vocabulary, but otherwise it is a good book. This story has some good strong points like you can predict what path the characters take. A problem with the book is that you seem to jump in the middle of the book. The book also has a hard stop and the last bit of the book doesn’t make very much sense. It is hard to keep up without thinking what just happened too. The uniqueness of the book was that Michael basically joined the ‘darkside’ in middle of the book. He eventually becomes himself in the end. The only advice for the book would be for the characters to have more depth with a better ending.
Michael hält ein kleines Nickerchen auf dem Dorfhügel, als ihn eine dunkle Kraft erfasst. Zur selben Zeit wird auf dem Friedhof ein altes keltisches Kreuz geborgen. Für Michael verändert sich die ganze Welt, hat er doch jetzt Kräfte, die weit über die Fähigkeiten eines normalen Menschen hinausgehen, doch er ist nicht allein mit dieser Gabe und die Lage im Dorf spitzt sich zu.Geschickt hat Jonathan Stroud eine düstere Geschichte um einen im Hügel schlafenden Drachen gewoben. Die Gabe, die der Drache manchen Menschen gewährt, ist für diese gleichermaßen Segen als auch Fluch. Michael verändert sich sehr schnell unter dem Einfluss des Drachen. Es giert ihn nach Macht und er möchte sich von jeglicher Bevormundung befreien. Anfangs ist er noch bereit seinen Bruder Stephen auch die Möglichkeit zu verschaffen, diese Fähigkeiten zu bekommen. Die Geschichte ist in einem angenehm flotten Tempo erzählt und wird sehr schnell spannend. Ich mochte besonders die Zusammenflechtung der alten Dorfgeschichten, mit dem modernen Leben, dass eigentlich nur ein Lächeln für die alten Legenden übrig hat. Wie schnell Menschen dann aber wieder bereit sind an die Märchen ihrer Ahnen zu glauben, kommt in dem Buch gut herüber. Es ist aber nicht nur eine Geschichte über den verderblichen Einfluss und die Gier nach übernatürlichen Kräften, es geht auch um brüderliche Rivalität.Das Buch dürfte nicht nur Jonathan Stroud Fans gefallen. Wer allerdings auf den bissigen Humor aus den Bartimäus-Büchern wartet, der hofft vergebens. Wer sich für Drachen und englische Dörfer und ihre mystischen Geheimnisse interessiert, wird Drachenglut sicher mögen.
What do You think about Buried Fire (2004)?
This was a real "wasted potential" book. The basic idea was really kind of cool - a dragon has been lying dormant beneath an English village for centuries, and periodically people will stumble close to its lair and receive the "gifts of the dragon" (the ability to see auras, pyrokinesis, flight, and telepathy, abilities which manifest themselves gradually). And now the dragon is going to be set free, which sounds very exciting.The book suffers from so many technical problems that it's hard to enjoy it, though. He has major issues with shifting POV, the characters are 2-dimensional, and the pacing is off. Add to that the fact that there are only two female characters and they're both extremely passive, and I wasn't really a happy camper.I would recommend picking up the Bartimaus Trilogy, but steering clear of Buried Fire. This is very much an early novel, before he and his editors really worked things out.
—Rhiannon
Probably my least favorite of Stroud's so far, simply because the ending seemed to be wrapped up too quickly and neatly for all the previous storytelling. The impact of the dragon's influence was very well described, and I could see the progress. But then there was no recovering progress, just a quick fix. I would have liked to see the characters overcome the dragon's influence, or at least work against it, or realize themselves somehow, not suddenly be saved from the situation. Anyway, still an interesting book.
—Tara
I found it to be a little slow moving... until I was about a third of the way through, and then the pace of the book quickened.I thought the story was quite clever and I liked the good/evil balance - neither were too over the top.The middle of the book was the best bit and once I'd got past about page 100 I read to the end in one afternoon. I quite enjoyed the ending. I guess it was a bit rushed, but that was okay - it did what it had to do without dragging it on and on.I've never read any books from the 'fantasy' genre before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not sure I'll rush to read any others, but I enjoyed my dabble with it!
—Janet
