'Fire' is the third in John Boyne's 'Elements' quartet, all of which (so far) have featured people involved in a crime, often in an accessory/accomplice type role. The books are loosely connected but all stand alone, so you could read them out of order without it affecting your enjoyment/understanding of each. However you would get some spoilers if you did - this one in particular 'spoils' the outcome of 'Earth' so it would be preferable to read that one first. They are all (so far) excellent books so reading them all is no hardship.

The protagonist of 'Fire' is Freya, a plastic surgeon with some dark secrets that become apparent over the course of the book. Freya is not a particularly sympathetic character, but she is interesting and compelling to read about. Boyne is an author who can tell a great story in a relatively small word count, which is one of the things I admire about him. When the trend is for longer and longer novels, or the occasional novella with a premise as thin as the print version, Boyne demonstrates again and again that a good book can be 200-300 pages long without any compromise on quality.

The story is compelling and I wasn't sure how things would turn out. It does include some upsetting topics, particularly sexual abuse of minors, and readers who want to avoid that topic therefore should not choose this book. As with all of the series so far, it isn't always comfortable reading and makes you think about right and wrong - although in this case there is less ambiguity around the guilt (or the extent of the guilt) of the main character than in the other two so far. It's the most chilling of the series to date, despite it's hot title.

If you enjoy well written fiction, particularly if you have an interest in crime, justice and ethics as topics, then I would highly recommend the Elements series, including 'Fire'. I am very intrigued about how Boyne will conclude the series, and have every confidence he will do so well.

This third instalment in Boyne’s Elemental series has left me completely devastated. It’s uncomfortable, disturbingly dark, and yet undeniably compelling.

Boyne’s writing style is immaculate. I first encountered his work when we read The Heart’s Invisible Furies for our book club a couple of years ago, and since then, I've been trying to catch up on his impressive back catalog. I haven’t found a single book of his that I would critique negatively.

“He has nothing to fear. If anything, it’s me who should be afraid. After all, a doctor in the burns unit should know better than to play with fire.” This quote appears on page 11, and from that moment on, I was completely hooked. It’s an intense literary revenge thriller that toes the line of urban horror.

Boyne paces the story brilliantly, revealing information slowly and teasingly, leading us on a dark, rollercoaster ride. The attention to detail is superb - I loved that one of the characters was called Vidar (Norse God of Revenge). Most chapters end on cliffhangers that keep you turning the pages (I finished this novella in one sitting).

Our main character, Freya, is a renowned burns specialist surgeon living a life of luxury and privilege. She’s highly esteemed by her colleagues because she dedicates herself to rescuing those deeply scarred by the devastating effects of fire. She poignantly remarks, “When someone’s physical appearance is damaged by burns, we turn away, repulsed. We don’t want to know,” in response to a question about why she chose her specialty.

I have so much to say, but it’s hard to do without giving too much away. I’ll say this, the content can be quite hard to digest and may be triggering for some, but Boyne handles these sensitive topics with great skill. It was rewarding to spot references to the previous two novellas—like Freya serving on the jury for the Earth’s footballers rape trial and discovering that another character is Willow’s daughter from Water . These connections made me reflect on how our choices can have ripple effects that extend far beyond our immediate circles.

I can’t wait to see what the final instalment of this series brings!

A big thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for the advance reader's copy.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the invite to read this eARC.

John Boyne has fast become one of my favourite authors over the last couple of years. I love his writing style and his witty slant on serious subjects. This book was very different but still excellent. Definitely the darkest character I can recall from any of the books of his I’ve read. I liked the links into the previous Elements books.

I found some parts of this very difficult to read, and others I wanted the more background and substance. The balance was almost perfect throughout though.

Overall, another amazing book from Boyne but I just wanted a little bit more! But maybe that’s just because I never want these books to end.

Well this was dark! I think John Boyne is a fantastic author and this the third instalment in the Elements series is amazing. It is so well written and thought provoking but an extremely uncomfortable read at times. Looking forward to the next book!

4.5*
This is described as ‘disturbing and compelling’, and that pretty well sums it up.
The subject matter is dark, extremely dark in places. Not a read for anyone easily triggered.
I love John Boyne’s writing style; he could make a recipe for scrambled eggs into a compulsive read. Here I found myself in a continuous state of anticipation as he teases you with dark hints and gradually unfolds Freya’s life. The story is told entirely from her viewpoint and she is a complex mix of ….. no- no spoilers!
I read this in a few hours, but like Water and Earth (the latter of which was a recent choice for my Book Club) it could spark hours of discussion.
My only little niggle is Freya at the age of twelve; her ‘voice’ was sometimes a bit too adult.

This third book in the author’s Elements Quartet series is not for the fainthearted. It’s dark, disturbing, and deeply affecting. But it’s also compelling and brilliantly written.

The themes of nature versus nurture, lingering effects of abuse and trauma, an intermingling of victim and perpetrator, and compulsions caused by past experiences are all addressed here.

In keeping with the element of fire, the unlikeable protagonist, Freya, is a renowned burns specialist surgeon who has been permanently scorched and scarred herself by neglect, rejection, trauma and childhood abuse.

Now she lives a life of luxury and privilege and is highly esteemed by her colleagues because she seeks to rescue people seriously impacted by the searing heat of fire and its devastating consequences.

“The elements destroy everything…think of fire. When someone’s physical appearance is damaged by burns, we turn away, repulsed. We don’t want to know.’

Freya is heavily invested in caring for her patients. They have no idea that she’s a cold, clinical woman who plays with fire herself as a victim turned perpetrator, hellbent on seeking revenge in seriously shocking ways.

When those compulsive urges involving vulnerable teenage boys come closer to the surface, they risk visibility to others that might put her life and reputation at risk, destroying the image she’s worked so hard to create. How will she escape?

There is tough and triggering content to navigate here, held as it is in the hands of a consummate storyteller. After this intense dive into the darker side of the human psyche, I’m hoping for some necessary air and light with the next novella in this superb series. Grateful thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for the eARC.

I was gripped from the first page.
It’s actually quite a dark and disturbing story and although the main character, Freya isn’t a person that I warmed to, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Having a difficult childhood certainly has repercussions for her.
Of course I loved it, it’s written by John Boyne who can do no wrong in my opinion.

This is the darkest book in the Elements series and explores how far we are willing to excuse heinous behaviour if it is the result of an earlier trauma. Freya, a respected surgeon had a traumatic childhood and as an adult has become a predator. It's hard to read in parts but really makes you examine your own moral judgements. A tough but enlightening read. Can't wait for the final installment.

On the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after development, and a flash car. But it wasn’t always like this. Hers is a life founded on darkness.

Another great book from John Boyne. His mastery of characters is brilliant in this story. Superb story full of twists with a killer ending.

Fire, the third instalment of the Elements series, follows Freya a doctor wih a golden life, a dark past and an unforgiveable pastime

Like the previous two in the series the writing is just top notch and the characters and storyline push you to consider difficult issues and your own morals and beliefs.

I feel Boyne pushes the reader closer and closer to the edge of what we can forgive or accept with every book in the quartet. The main character gets more and more unlikeable and morally gray pushes further into evil black

It’s certainly the case with this book as Freya preys on young teenage boys, pushing them into sex with her as some sort of revenge for her own troubled past and she seemingly does it without a flicker of remorse. She's definitely a cold fish with few redeeming features and it makes for uncomfortable reading.

As before there are small links with the the other books which are cleverly tied in with the story

Another excellent, if challenging read from Mr Boyne

'Fire ' is the third release in John Boyne's Elements series. What can I say. I read this novella pretty much in one sitting, couldn't put it down. It is certainly the darkest and most disturbing of the series so far. It ties in well with the previous books as there are subtle references to characters that you would recognise. Nonetheless it can be read as a standalone.
Dr Freya Petrus is a hospital burns specialist. However her life has a dark side as she is continually taking 'revenge' for an abuse that happened to her as a child which turned into a covert obsession.
John Boyne's writing is exquisite as usual. He so well understands to paint a picture of the human psyche, in this case does nature or nurture drive Freya to the acts of violence she commits.
Now I can't wait for the last of the Elements books to be released.
Many thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for providing me with an ARC.

If John Boyne’s intention in writing this novella was to shock, then he has succeeded. But, peel away the stomach-churning sensationalism, and you’ll find an absorbing continuation of his incisive and thought-provoking exploration of morality and the human psyche.

While the previous two books in this ‘Elements Quartet’ examined themes of complicity, culpability and conscience, and focused on characters who were enablers rather than the perpetrators of misdeeds, Fire widens the discussion to the age-old debate of nature versus nurture and features a protagonist who is very much the miscreant.

Fire also challenges the assumption that all predators and abusers are male, explores the idea that an individual can be both the victim and perpetrator of abuse and questions if the former can mitigate the latter.

All of this is contained in the story of burns specialist Dr Freya Petrus, who has devoted her career to treating patients with life-changing disfigurement. On the face of it, she leads a gilded life, the epitome of professionalism and compassion.

Underneath is a different story.

Irreparably damaged by a neglectful childhood and horrifying abuse by two teenage boys, Freya is consumed by darkness and a burning desire for revenge, which she exacts without shame.

It’s a deeply disturbing read, with a shock factor that’s off the scale. I found my feelings towards Freya vacillating between sympathy for the abandoned, lonely child desperate for friends, and abhorrence at the cold, malevolent predator she became.

I’m not normally a fan of ambiguous endings, but here it felt right to be left wondering which way Freya would jump when faced with exposure.

Despite the controversial subject matter, I remain in awe of Boyne’s ability to squeeze so much into such a slender volume. It’s only 176 pages long but contains enough material to keep a book club discussion going for weeks.

Kudos to my favorite author for this bold, triumphant piece of writing. It’s my favorite of the series so far.

This is the third book in the Elements series (all of which I've thoroughly enjoyed). All books are standalone but I did enjoy the subtle links that give you the aha moment as characters or places intermingle. In Fire, we meet Freya a burns specialist, and some dark subject matter that is well written. The writing is perfect in a way that Boyne does so well taking subject matters and brutality and weaving them into a narrative that while dramatic and shocking is unputdownable. I can't wait to read the next and final book in this Elemental series.

I have read each of John Boynes books in the Elements series and can say each is unique and a terrific thoughtful read. They are stand alones but there is a subtle link between them all. He writes so well that it is a pleasure to read every word. Fire is toe curling at times as we follow the activities of the beautiful, successful Freya. A well regarded hospital consultant, she has a dark side. The suspense is held throughout.

This is the third novella in John Boyne's Elements series and is another brilliant read. It is, without doubt, a somewhat chilling read, definitely disturbing and very uncomfortable but at the same time a compelling story that the reader will probably devour in one sitting. While the subject matter is dark, it is an incredible piece of writing once again from John Boyne, who manages to craft his characters in a unique way, that is, they are both the perpetrator and the victim.
While a lot of the narrative is traumatic to read, it is unputdownable. I loved it.....whatever that say's about me!

Brutal, dramatic and shocking. Another excellent book in the Elements series, exploring what leads a person to commit horrible crimes. Tough reading at times, but another phenomenal read, I didn't want to put it down.

5★
“…from the moment we arrive on the planet the universe is against us, conspiring to drown us, set us on fire, bury us in the earth, our spirits floating off into the atmosphere.”

I’m convinced John Boyne can write anything from anyone’s point of view. Here he has thirty-six-year-old Dr Freya Petrus, an acclaimed burns specialist, narrate her tale of revenge, and what a vengeful woman she is… with good reason. The book opens with:

“When I was twelve years old, I was buried alive within the grounds of a construction site.”

This is the FIRE part of Boyne’s ELEMENTS QUARTET which begins with WATER and EARTH. So far, (in my words), not only are the elements conspiring against us, we have used them to drown our sorrows, bury our past, and burn our bridges to bad memories. AIR is still to come.

The books are loosely connected, so reading them out of order would give some spoilers to the previous books, although each story is self-contained.

Freya narrates her story in the first person, as if she’s addressing us, the reader. Her tone seems to shift between showing off her cleverness and explaining why she has been driven to do what she does – regularly – to make up for the damage done during the summer she was twelve.

She lived with her grandmother, Hannah, because her mother, Beth, couldn’t cope so moved away to share her life and bed with a series of short-term boyfriends.

“Hannah was only thirty-two when I was born and thirty-three when my mother, Beth, moved to Cornwall, leaving me in her care.
. . .
Both had become pregnant when they were teenagers and, thinking this was the natural order of things, I assumed that I would be a mother myself at sixteen, but, thankfully, I knew better than to bring a child into this world.”

She sure did know better. She was sent to Cornwall every summer to spend two months with her mother, but the only people who were interested in her were the fourteen-year-old twin boys who lived in the rather grand house nearby. Mum had her own life.

“ Instead of feeling welcome in her home or being over-compensated for her lack of maternal affection across the other ten months of the year, I always went to bed on my first night aware that she was counting down the days until I could be despatched back to Norfolk.”

As for finding out about her father, grandmother Hannah had told her all that she knew.

“That he was a lad from the year above Beth in school, a wrong ’un from a family of tinkers who were no better than they ought to be, and he’d just shrugged his shoulders when Beth told him that he’d got her up the spout, saying it was nothing to do with him if she was the town bike and how did she know it was his anyway? Half the school first eleven had had her.

‘Which they hadn’t,’ she insisted. ‘Not half, anyway.’”

Freya was always smart and is known as a good, thorough doctor, but a bit cold and hard. She is admired but not liked. In a conversation with her medical student, whom she was surprised had chosen to work with her in spite of her difficult reputation, they are discussing why she chose burns as a specialty.

“ ‘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.’”

She’s mysterious and dangerous with a fascinating compulsion.

Boyne writes from the perspective of both perpetrators and victims (often the same person at different times of their life). There are reasons people become perpetrators and reasons they select the victims they do. The public has a tendency to choose sides quickly when crimes are committed, and I like seeing Boyne shake that up.

I always love his writing, and I particularly I like the connections between these short books. They have all been dark, exposing people’s vulnerabilities as they do, but they are insightful and thought-provoking. Could I have done some of these things?

I remember a primary school principal telling me that parents insist “MY child would NEVER do or say such a thing”.

She would reply that “ANY child, given the right set of circumstances, will do or say almost anything.” (I may have added the “almost”.)

It’s more of a thriller than I expected, but it makes perfect sense. He is showing us those “circumstances” and what keeps happening in every generation because we haven’t managed to create better “circumstances”.

Thanks to NetGalley and Transworld/Doubleday for the copy for review from which I’ve quoted.

Fire is the third book in the element’s series by John Boyne and darker than the previous books in this series.
Freya is a specialist surgeon in a burn’s unit. She a good doctor and a caring one. She does everything she can to help people. But she had a troubled childhood with now results her picking up young teenage boys seduces them.
John Boyne has outdone himself with fire. Although quite a grim tale of Rape, abuse and childhood Abandonment. This is a fascinating tale that had me hooked from the very first page. 5 stars.

Fire is the third in Boyne’s Elements Quartet. Like its predecessors, Water and Earth, it is a darkly compelling and unnerving, though short, read.

You could easily read Fire as a standalone book, but threads linking this book to its predecessors enrich the overall narrative. I advise reading them in order: Water, Earth, Fire, Air.

Fire centres on cold, aloof, 36-year-old Freya, a renowned plastic surgeon specialising in burns. With this comes the trappings of wealth—a penthouse flat and flashy sports car. But Freya did not come from a life of privilege; no, hers was a childhood of discontent and neglect. At twelve, one summer brought a whole new level of fear and trauma upon her. And now she is out to seek revenge, and hers is an extremely dark path of retribution spiralling into a sinister realm that contrasts sharply with her caring profession.

Was this cataclysmic childhood moment enough to turn her into a monster, or was she always destined to be that person? Was she born with cruelty in her heart, or did something force it into being?

As with the previous books in the series, the symbolism of the ‘element’ plays a significant role—fire is a life-sustaining element, but it has fierce destructive power, a devastating blaze that could easily destroy everything and everyone in its path.

Fire is a chillingly disturbing examination of the complexities that contribute to what makes a human being. However, the story is cloaked in such a suffocating level of horror that it makes for highly uncomfortable reading.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it; I did, but Boyne has delved deep into the darkest corners of the psyche here, and it's utterly chilling.

Consider yourselves warned, do ask me if you’d like more information about the multiple trigger warnings. 4.5⭐

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Fire is out next month.

On the surface, Freya appears to live a life of luxury and privilege: a respected surgeon specializing in skin grafts, residing in a beautiful flat, and driving a flashy car. Yet beneath this gilded exterior lies a dark past, one that shapes the woman she has become. In Fire, John Boyne delves into the chilling and complex psychological landscape of Freya, prompting readers to ponder whether her cruelty was inherent or forged by the traumatic events of her childhood.

As the third instalment in Boyne's Elements Quartet, Fire takes readers on an uncomfortable but utterly captivating journey into the heart of the human condition. Boyne skillfully raises the age-old question of nature versus nurture, forcing us to grapple with our perceptions of victimhood and perpetration.

The narrative unfolds in such a way that it demands to be read in one sitting. Freya's story, laden with horrific childhood experiences, reveals her dark path of retribution as an adult. While she dedicates her professional life to healing burn victims, her personal life spirals into a sinister realm that contrasts sharply with her surgical prowess.

Freya’s work is supported by her secretary, Louise, and a new intern, Aaron, whom she tolerates with reluctance. Yet, as she navigates the complex dynamics of the hospital, we begin to see the depths of her internal struggles and the darkness that shadows her existence.

Boyne pushes societal boundaries, challenging readers to confront their discomfort with personal tragedies and the punishments that ensue. His manipulation of our thoughts and emotions blurs the lines between victim and perpetrator, making it difficult to discuss the plot without revealing crucial spoilers. However, threads linking this book to its predecessors, Earth and Water, enrich the overall narrative and invite further reflection.

Fire is sure to spark debate and introspection, lingering in readers’ minds long after the last page is turned. Boyne’s masterful storytelling illuminates the often-ignored realities faced by victims of violence while also exploring the psychological toll on those who inflict harm.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.