Fire Country (The Country Saga, #1) in Shut Up & Read

Jan 22, 2013 Cheer Papworth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, romance, dystopian, ya, post-apocalyptic, favorites-of-2013-so-far

FIVE STARS!!! The best moment in reading is when you find that one special, unforgettable story you've been madly searching for...thank you David Estes for delivering it in Fire Country!

Although I really enjoyed The Dweller Series, Fire Country stands in a league of its own and here is the reason...the brilliantly flawed heroine Siena. For me Siena is to Fire Country what Saba is to Blood Red Road and what Alex is to Ashes, or dare I say what Katniss is to The Hunger Games. Siena is the kind of ...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Think rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-loved, own-e-book, 2013-reads

Originally posted at Thinks Books http://thinksbooks.blogspot.com/2013/...

David Estes has done it again! Fire Country is a blazin’ success!

Fire Country is a story of love, pain, loss, and hope. As usual, the writing of David Estes brought Fire Country to life. I could almost feel the heat coming off of my Kindle. LoL It is highly interesting to me that Estes’ seems to do so well with Dystopian themed novels. I mean, he looks like such a happy guy!

The story of Siena is a heartbreaker. Siena was Originally posted at Thinks Books http://thinksbooks.blogspot.com/2013/...

David Estes has done it again! Fire Country is a blazin’ success!

Fire Country is a story of love, pain, loss, and hope. As usual, the writing of David Estes brought Fire Country to life. I could almost feel the heat coming off of my Kindle. LoL It is highly interesting to me that Estes’ seems to do so well with Dystopian themed novels. I mean, he looks like such a happy guy!

The story of Siena is a heartbreaker. Siena was an excellent female lead that grew from “scrawny” to strong right in front of my eyes. She struggles with the prospect of becoming a "Bearer" that is required to breed at age 16 with a man selected at random from the village. Should she do what she has been taught is right or follow her heart? This question appears repeatedly throughout the novel and I enjoyed Siena's inner struggle with "right and wrong."

The relationship between Circ and Siena had such an honest existence. They will do anything to protect each other, including putting their own lives in jeopardy. I thought the story that existed between them was the best part of the book.

Fire Country was an assault to the senses. The world that Estes created was a scorcher full of sandstorms and blazin' heat. Fire Country is a harsh world with stubborn laws and impossible odds of avoiding the inevitable. The life expectancy in Fire Country is about 30 years. This is because people catch the Fire, a horrible, feverish death.

Overall, this book is darker than The Dwellers Saga. But, Estes covers even some brutal subject matter with a gentle hand. The only thing that sort of confused me was the way Siena would talk in slang sometimes and then be very sophisticated at other times. Maybe it was just me, but it was as if her inner struggle was also with being a child (slang) or an adult (sophisticated). Well, no matter what, David Estes still got my attention and made me think. That is what I love about his work so much. It makes me think.

5 stars to Fire Country. ...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Karla BookAddict2 rated it it was amazing

deleting reviews if you want to take a look at them you can do so on my blog, link on my profile

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Jul 18, 2014 Sheri rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviews

Fire Country, the first book in the Country Saga, is the story of the Heaters, a tribe of people struggling to survive in a world where if breathing the air doesn't kill you, then certainly the unrelenting heat, the Killers, or the Glassies will. Fifteen-year-old Siena is on the cusp of becoming a Bearer, a woman who is of the age to be Called to bear children for the survival of the tribe. Even though the Call is a requirement for every young girl, Siena is not sure this is the life for her.

I ...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Olivia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2013-books

Siena who is quickly coming of age to be a Bearer/ Breeder. At 16 no less. You are just following her thoughts on growing up what is expected of her in life and what she never realized she always wanted. Finding out who she really is. The story line is quite captivating! Your heart breaks for her on so many levels. But out of the ashes she becomes a stronger sure footed young woman. The growth she under goes is great to bare witness too.

I am absolutely wooloo over this latest book by David Est ...more

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Jul 07, 2013 Yzabel Ginsberg rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult, post-apocalyptic, dystopia, requested

(Book provided by the author through ARR #118 in the We ♥ YA Books! group, in exchange for an honest review.)

A solid 3.5 stars for this one.

It took me a few pages to get used to Siena's voice; however, it quickly grew on me, and soon I found myself quite appreciating it. She sounds authentic, with a unique voice, and her own way of viewing the world, even though she's struggling here against beliefs hammered into her since childhood.

The world depicted by David Estes is frightening in itself. It (Book provided by the author through ARR #118 in the We ♥ YA Books! group, in exchange for an honest review.)

A solid 3.5 stars for this one.

It took me a few pages to get used to Siena's voice; however, it quickly grew on me, and soon I found myself quite appreciating it. She sounds authentic, with a unique voice, and her own way of viewing the world, even though she's struggling here against beliefs hammered into her since childhood.

The world depicted by David Estes is frightening in itself. It immediately conjured in my mind pictures of a burning sun, of deserts, of tribes trying to scrape a living with few resources in the little time they had (thirty, thirty-five years, maybe fourty at the very most?). In that regard, the role of women as Bearers—or, rather, as "breeders"—totally made sense, although it's a concept that scares me personnally. I really wouldn't want to find myself in such a situation, having to face such prospects.

The plot is woven progressively, from day-to-day life to discoveries and challenges, in a coming-of-age story interspersed with hints of darker secrets. I also appreciated that there was no love triangle here—those are becoming so common, and for no reason except "it sells", in way too many YA novels these days! The budding love between Siena and Circ, growing from "childhood friends" to "souls calling to each other, but forbidden to meet", felt completely natural, and this was great.

On the other hand, it may be because the book is the only first one in the series, and more will be explained later on, but I kept having a feeling of "pocket universe". I admit I'm still not sure whether the Fire Country is made up of several tribes scattered in several villages, or of one, big village that, considering the amount of people involved, would actually be more of a large town. This was a bit confusing, as if there were at once too many people and not enough.

I was a bit perplexed at the overall picture, too. Why did Roan act the way he did? We may never know if it was out of selfish desire, or if he had other schemes in mind, but couldn't bear them to fruition nor tell anyone about them. I wondered also what was the whole deal with the Ice Country as well as the Glassies. The Fire Country people were described as quite backwards, like a tribe with very basic tools and weapons, and I didn't understand what kind of interest the Glassies may have in them. (Having read the Dwellers saga, I feel safe in my knowledge of who *they* are, and perhaps this is why I couldn't really understand?) Knowing the author's skills in weaving his stories over several volumes, I suspect answers will be brought sooner or later. Yet I still think this may be perceived as a weakness by other readers.

Conclusion: Definitely a good beginning to a series, but I hope the following books bring more answers. ...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Renuka rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, romance, e-book, survival, reviewed, my-fictional-boyfriends, fav-couples

I was given a copy of this book from Mr. Estes in exchange for an honest review :D

OK WOW. I liked this even better than the Dwellers series. Quite honestly, it was really, really amazing. Fire Country takes place in a harsh world, ravaged by the sun. The same world the Dwellers live underground in, far from the troubles of the Heaters.

It follows the tale of Siena, a fifteen year old "pre-bearer." When she turns 16, she will be handed off to a random man, chosen for her, and forced to bear childr I was given a copy of this book from Mr. Estes in exchange for an honest review :D

OK WOW. I liked this even better than the Dwellers series. Quite honestly, it was really, really amazing. Fire Country takes place in a harsh world, ravaged by the sun. The same world the Dwellers live underground in, far from the troubles of the Heaters.

It follows the tale of Siena, a fifteen year old "pre-bearer." When she turns 16, she will be handed off to a random man, chosen for her, and forced to bear children every three years. It is the Law. What a horrifying prospect! Yet, Estes manages to convey the awful situation of the women, without being repulsive. In fact, it nearly made me want to jump in and start a revolution. Siena is a wonderful main character, full of uncertainty and doubt, yet filled with all the wonderful qualities that make her so interesting. Courageous, intelligent, fiery (hehe see what I did there?), loyal, and determined; her life shackled to the rules fills her with a desire to break free of her chains, and to help the others around her.

The other characters were also fascinating. Siena I already talked about, but then there were Circ, Skye, her mother and father, Wilde, Brione, Crya, Feve, Hawk, etc. They were all so engaging, and intense. Siena and Circ were especially adorable, and I hope we get to see more of them! They had such a real relationship, their connection was almost tangible. Her mother was so strong and brave, and her relationship with her fierce sister was amazing. Roan, her father, was pretty terrifying. I hope we learn more about their pasts.

It is definitely a very mature book, much more so than the Dwellers series, but I liked the increased intensity a lot more. It was very engrossing, and forced the reader to contemplate different gender roles in a society. It really was scorchin' wonderful! The one thing I felt confusing was the different groups that were suspected or involvement. The Glassies, the Killers, the Wild Ones, the Icers, the Marked? It was a little perplexing, but Siena eventually clears it up by drawing a mental map out. I am still confused by some of the motives (of both some of the groups and of certain people), and I hope we get to learn more about the different peoples living out on the surface.

The writing was wonderful, and descriptive; I liked the above world even more than the underground. The description of the heat was nearly making me sweat. The burning hot sun, the bloody crimson sky, the constant sand storms and the beat down tent village were so easy to visualize. The slang was so funny, but understandable. It was easy to read, and works perfectly as a unique aspect of their language. Overall, Fire Country is a grim, unforgiving place but it has new hope rising with Siena.
...more

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