Fire is the third in a series of four individual stories with different narrators, which will comprise a literary quartet of Water, Earth Fire, and Air which form the superb four-novella sequence The Elements.

‘The elements – water, fire, earth, air – are our greatest friends, our animators. They feed us, warm us, give us life, and yet conspire to kill us at every juncture.’

In Fire our narrator is Dr Freya Petrus, an accomplished and dedicated burns specialist. At just 36 years old she is recognised in her field, has a plush apartment, drives a sports car and lacks no material needs. Freya has no close friends; no real warm relationships in her life. She is curt with her staff and somewhat stand-offish. She’s probably closest to her secretary/assistant, Louise who is about to retire.

When her intern, Aaron, asks her why she chose burns as her specialism she responds:

‘The elements destroy everything. Think of water. When someone drowns, and their body floats back to shore, their features are so bloated it can be difficult to identify them. Think of earth. When a body is buried, it starts to decompose immediately. Think of air. If we’re deprived of it for even a few minutes, we die. Then think of fire. When someone’s physical appearance is damaged by burns, we turn away, repulsed. We don’t want to know.’

Outwardly cool and composed, Freya’s exterior persona conceals a burning inner rage that eats away at her. She is inflamed by the fire of retribution and as she states starkly early in her narrative:

‘A doctor in the burns unit should know better than to play with fire.’

Freya had a difficult childhood; abandoned by her mother, Beth, who was a teenage mum. She was brought up in Norfolk by Hannah, her grandmother, herself only 36. Every year, Freya was sent to Cornwall to stay with her mother for the summer. Beth, however, didn’t want to know her daughter. She was more interested in whichever boyfriend was in tow at the time and Freya always felt as if her mother wanted her to turn round and go home as soon as she arrived.

Left to her own devices she runs into the older twin boys who are 14 to Freya’s 12 and whose father lives in a nearby grand house which is undergoing renovations. Pleased to have someone to talk to Freya does her best to fit in with the twins, even to the extent of pretending she agrees with everything they tell her. It is her eagerness to please and her need to have friends that stops this very young and girl from realising just how cruel these boys are.

Boyne raises the nature or nurture debate, but there’s no doubt that what happened to Freya that summer coloured who she became. And she became a monster.

Fire is a dark book and as with the previous two, continues the theme of damage and abuse and how this impact on the characters in these books. Though you can read each as a stand-alone, reading them in order allows you to see that there is one character that features in every book and that another character hands the baton on to a character in the next book. This link is both deliberate and fascinating.

Is John Boyne telling us that like seeks out like or demonstrating that victims will, more often than not, become the perpetrator? Or perhaps that the ripple impact of abuse brings it closer to us than we care to imagine?

This device evokes echoes of Freya’s response to why she chose burns ‘When someone’s physical appearance is damaged by burns, we turn away, repulsed. We don’t want to know.’ That’s also true when we confront a perpetrator of abuse. Do we not also turn away, repulsed? How many of us want to know what brought an abuse victim to turn perpetrator. How much sympathy would we have for them? Then there’s the issue of gender; abuse is not solely confined to the male species.

Fire is a read that you will not find comfortable. 12-year-old Freya’s horrific experiences shaped her adulthood. Her lack of parental care and concern also helped shape who she became. It’s impossible not to feel so sorry for her, but that leads us to wonder how much we can also feel sympathy for her subsequent actions. It’s appropriate, too, to remember that it is Freya who is telling this story. How much of what she tells us is designed to make us feel sympathy for her?

Verdict: As ever John Boyne’s writing is sharp, succinct and very challenging. Long after I had finished reading, I’m still thinking about it. Fire is a powerful and thought-provoking work with depth and nuance. Utterly compelling and I can’t wait for Air, due out next May.

John Boyne can do no wrong! Thank you to the publishers for kindly sharing an ARC with me. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous two instalments in this series, and this one was no different. I can’t wait for next!

Fire is the third book in John Boyne’s Elements series. A traumatic incident, perpetrated by the fourteen-year-old twin sons of her mother’s landlord when she was twelve, sees burns unit specialist Dr Freya Petrus exacting a sort of revenge by proxy on other fourteen-year-old boys she encounters until, with one boy, it seems to backfire rather badly.

After a childhood that no one would envy, Freya is now a wealthy, respected surgeon with a beautiful home and a flash car. She doesn’t put up with the boy’s shenanigans for too long: she takes care of it, coldly and efficiently, the way she has always handled things. But maybe she’s in for a surprise…

This story is loosely linked to the first two stories in the series by the mention of Evan Keogh and his fate, and the appearance of Rebecca Corvin, daughter of Vanessa and Brendan. A dark and compelling tale with a chilling twist.

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld.

Fire is the third installment in John Boyne's Elements series and while his writing never disappoints or fails to draw me in, it made for some uncomfortable reading. The story follows Freya who is both a victim and perpetrator of sexual abuse. It is controversial and morally complex and explores to what extend we are a product of our past. The content is dark and challenging and for the most part I couldn't honestly say I enjoyed it, but it also had me transfixed from start to finish and redrew the boundaries of what I believed would be a compelling read. Yes, it's horrifying and deeply unsettling but, if you can stomach it, it's also an astounding piece of writing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another excellent novel from John Boyne. I've had the pleasure of reading the others in this series and looking forward to the last installment once available. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy

The Fire is the third of four planned installments in John Boyne’s The Elements series, but can be read as a stand alone. As the other books in the series, The Water and The Earth, it is a powerful and unforgettable read. The author’s masterful storytelling shines through his meticulous pacing, depth of every character, and skillful plot development, making this novel impossible to put down. The story captivates and pulls you in with an intensity that’s both haunting and compelling—like witnessing a car crash - harrowing but impossible to turn away from. With its powerful impact and emotional depth, The Fire is a remarkable piece in this unforgettable series and I can’t wait to read The Air.

Another excellent addition to Boyne‘s ‘Elements‘ series of books, this time about a plastic surgeon, dealing with burns victims.

Again, like Water and Earth, a very tough subject matter. I love how we get little hints and links to the other books in the series.

I still think the first book is my favourite, but they‘re all so good and I‘m already looking forward to Air, with an idea about which character it will be about.

Wow, this was dark, with a hugely unlikeable main character, but I was in equal measure horrified and fascinated. The writing is sublime, layered and enticing. Abuse is a central theme, and I’m not going to lie it is thematically a tough read. But from a psychological and human perspective it is brilliant.

Fire is the third of a planned quartet of books by John Boyne and what a series it is turning out to be. The previous two were both superb and, if anything, this latest instalment is even better. None of them have been easy reads due to the subject area of abuse that links them, each dealing with a person affected differently by it either directly or indirectly, but they are beautifully written and say so much. As with the others, this is a short book but it packs an almighty punch. It’s now a few days since I finished reading it but I haven’t stopped thinking about it and seeing new aspects all the time.

Fire tells the story of Freya, a burns specialist, who is outwardly quite a cold character but inwardly absolutely burning with rage. I don’t really want to give away too much of the plot as it unfolds in a very powerful way that absolutely knocks you for six, but suffice to say it made me look at a lot of things in new ways and shifted my sympathies repeatedly. Freya is 100% not a likeable character but there is enough there for you to question how she became the person she is and how the behaviour of others has caused her to act as she does.

John Boyne is a superb writer and I’ve loved all his works but these are extraordinary. The decision to split it into four separate shorter books rather than one long was brilliant – it would have been impossible to give quite so much space and complexity to each main character in a single volume – but I particularly enjoy the way the characters from each book are popping up as background as the larger story unfolds. There is an obvious connection between all the stories, however distant, and it’s fascinating to see it all unfold.

For anyone coming fresh to this book, I would absolutely recommend that you read the other two as well. It’s not essential in order to follow this one but it’s very much worth doing and it definitely adds to the story. And I cannot wait for the fourth and final book to complete this amazing series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Just when you think it can't get any darker than Earth and Water, John Boyne gives us Fire. My jaw dropped open quite early on and didn't close until the end.

Fire is the story of Freya, a surgeon with a great reputation. She is beautiful, wealthy and seems to have everything anyone would desire. However, her past is what drives her private life, which is not at all what you'd expect. The question is, will what happened to her as a child mean she can never live a normal life.

I certainly didn't expect any of what happened in this book. Boyne takes the shocks to a new level and I was completely blindsided by the end. it may be short but its incredibly powerful.

Loved it. Highly recommended. You don't need to read the first two to enjoy this but why wouldn't you - they were excellent too - and there are parts of Fire that hark back to both Earth and Water. I'm really looking forward to Air.

Thankyou very much to Penguin Random House for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.

Freya is a respected clinician specialising in burns reconstruction surgery. She has all the trappings of wealth and should be happy, but she has a darker manipulative side that will leave the reader chilled.

In this third of John Boyne’s elements quartet, he takes us on a sinister and disturbing journey, asking questions about the nature of Freya’s shocking obsession and whether its roots lie in her nature or are deeply imbedded in the trauma she suffered in childhood. Told in Freya’s voice makes her actions even more shocking, but it’s a compelling read and one that’s difficult to turn away from.

I love the way Boyne has interconnected the novels through the appearance of a minor character in the preceding novel taking the place as the main character in the next one. It will be fascinating to see how he intends the final of the quartet, Air (publishing May 2025) rounding out the series.

I have read the other two books in this Elements series and Fire was exceptional. A fascinating and disturbing read but so beautifully written it really had me hooked from start to finish. This series of books is absolutely phenomenal and not to be missed.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

This is the third book I have read of the quartet and I think it is the best yet! It is called Fire but the main character must be one of the iciest characters I have read about in a long time. You can hardly bear to read on as you are filled with dread about what Freya is going to do next. No spoilers but in the first book Willow is an unwitting victim, in the second book, Evan was sort of swept along into his crime but Freya knows what she is doing and plans it all. Much credit is due to the author, however, that the reader can still feel sorry for Freya, largely due to her awful childhood and her her skill in her current profession.

I really liked the way the characters from the other books and their later lives are woven in to this story. I can hardly wait for the last volume.

This is the third book in the Elementals series and by far the most harrowing in my opinion. It has links to the previous books and is beautifully written.
There are a number of difficult and disturbing aspects that some might find upsetting. I found it difficult and yet the main character was fascinating.
The whole series would make for a perfect book club read, as there is so much to unpack and think about.

Fire
By John Boyne

So chilling, this is the third in the Elements series, and Freya has the most disturbing narrative voice I have come across since the bould Maurice from A Ladder to the Sky.

If you are already invested in this series, you won't need to know anything about the details other than that Boyne goes the extra mile to knock you out of your comfort zone with this tale of sinister vengeance, where age and gender create opportunities for vulnerability to exploit entitlement.

If you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of the truly damaged, what drives the thirst for revenge, Boyne lifts the lid with a first person chronicle and a cat and mouse game of power dynamics.

If you haven't read the other books in this series yet, Water or Earth, it's not absolutely necessary to read them in order (so far), and they cross pollinate in interesting places, but Freya has a role in Earth, so ideally you should read it before Fire. But I highly recommend reading all anyway.

Another 5 stars from me for this masterful episode in what is building to be a powerful series.

Publication date: 7th November 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #penguinrandomhouse for inviting me to review this title

Does nurture or nature make someone evil? Freya, a hospital doctor at the burns unit, is not the tireless professional she appears to be. She has a dark secret. Did a trauma in her childhood make her the way she is or was it in her nature? A strong story, shocking at times but compelling reading. What is unusual is that it is in the first person, so she is telling the reader her life story herself, which has real impact.

‘Only one of the four elements was missing that night, but its time would come.’

Fire by John Boyne will publish November 7th with Doubleday and is the third volume in THE ELEMENTS series. Fire is described as a story that ‘takes the reader on a chilling, uncomfortable but utterly compelling psychological journey to the epicentre of the human condition, asking the age-old question: nurture – or nature?’ and is possibly one of the most unsettling, yet strangely, compelling books I have ever read.

Water and Earth, the first two books in this series, were both challenging and powerful reads, with each focusing on the life of one particular character. In Water, Vanessa Carvin was escaping her home life and needed a place to reflect on where she was at, so she sought peace on an island off the coast of Ireland. Vanessa herself was not directly guilty of anything but someone close to her was. In Earth, young Irishman Evan Keogh faces a serious trial for sexual assault in the UK. He is a tormented soul who is aware of his part in this terrible assault and is ravaged by the guilt.

In Fire we meet Dr. Freya Petrus, a very successful surgeon working in the burns unit. From the opening lines we are aware that Freya’s trajectory in life has all been based on a secret.

‘When I was twelve years old, I was buried alive within the grounds of a construction site’

This dark past has influenced every decision Freya has ever made. Very respected within the medical field, Freya is constantly aware that people gossip about her but she pays no heed to it. Her personality is quite off-putting to many. She is abrasive, cold and precise in her every action. She is excellent at what she does but Freya is different. Her personal life is poisoned by her past and her decisions are quite disconcerting which, as a reader, can be quite distressing.

In the three novellas so far, Fire is the one that I am struggling the most to review. Freya’s childhood years were traumatic. The behaviour of those around her impacted her every step into adult life. In her mind her behaviour is justifiable and she sees the end game as been worth the suffering achieved. Her guilt is momentary and she moves on. Freya is guilty of wrongdoing, Her sinister and dark behaviour is very disturbing and utterly despicable, yet what makes Fire so compelling is the narrative. It’s Freya who is telling us her story. She is attempting to justify her Machiavellian behaviour by colouring our perception of her as she recalls her past life and the harrowing experiences that resulted in her now presenting as this cruel person.

John Boyne asks of us to consider nurture v nature. Did the events of Freya’s early years shape her or was she born this way? Fire is a short read but it packs an almighty and incomprehensible punch. Air is the final book in this series which is due for publication in May 2025 and is described as ‘a contemplative story about one man trying to move forward from the trauma of his youth to become a better father to his son.‘ As with all four books the main character is someone who we have already crossed paths with. In a very smart move, John Boyne has intersected these four books by interweaving specific individuals into his work, A brief appearance of a certain character in one book leads to them taking centre stage in the next one. This clever detail ties all the book together so I would recommend that you start your journey with The Elements from the beginning.

Admittedly, I felt all out of sorts when I finished reading Fire yet, I had to acknowledge the pure power of John Boyne’s writing and his ability to stir up such unease and discomfort in such a compact piece of work. Fire is a chilling and psychological exploration of human nature. It is an extremely provocative piece of work that will perplex, challenge and demand the attention of the reader.

Childhood trauma continues to haunt in adulthood.

Freya is a surgeon. Her speciality is skin grafts. She lives in a beautiful flat and drives a fast car. However, it seems that the deeply disturbing trauma she suffered as a young child at the hands of twin boys aged fourteen, affected her in ways that causes bizarre and dangerous behaviour.

John Boyne is truly a phenomenal author. Fire makes the reader look at how trauma at a young age can come back to haunt and even distort behaviour later in life.

Rony
Elite Reviewing Group.

Another success for Boyne. I will miss these stories, the links to previous stories are cleverly included and feel like a reward to those following the series. Yet each story easily stands alone. Freya is a character it would be easy to demonise, but Boyne as always creates a multi-dimensional character. Very satisfying read

Published 7 November 2024. Wow! Another 5* from John Boyne for this - the third in the Elements series. Water and Earth looked at guilt, culpability, but this one is so much darker. I'll give a warning now for child sexual abuse. Freya - who we met briefly in Earth - is a highly renowned burns specialist. When asked by an intern on why she specialised in burns she makes a comment that when people think of fire, they think of how 'someone’s physical appearance is damaged by burns, we turn away, repulsed. We don’t want to know.' She seems to be a woman in control of her life - career, reputation, money in the bank. However, she has a much darker side. She is a woman seeking revenge for something that happened to her when she was 12. Freya is telling us her story and although you feel disgusted by her, you feel sympathy for her as well. She endured horrific trauma when she was a child of 22 and now she is repaying the world for allowing that trauma to happen. She is both a victim and a perpetrator with all the layers in-between. A case of nature or nurture? You feel that she was not born 'evil' but that circumstances moulded her into the person that she became. What happened to her stopped her from ever having a normal life. As a teacher in my past life, I have had meetings with parents who would insist that their child was an angel - but for all children, for all adults, I believe that no one will ever know what they are capable of if suddenly their life is turned upside down after enduring an unspeakable event. The dichotomy here is that in her work Freya does so much good, helps so many people, but - in her private life ... This is excellent and while you don't need to have read Water and Earth - this one does refer back to Earth, so spoilers are in here. Such a dark read and totally thought provoking. Really looking forward to Air when it is published but will be so sorry that it will be the final book of the quartet.