The title character in Kristin Cashore鈥檚 fantasy "Fire" is an outcast human monster 鈥� the last of her kind 鈥� who is so beautiful that she must hide her hair to avoid attack. Fire lives in the Dells, a war-ravished land readers know from Cashore鈥檚 first novel 鈥淕raceling,鈥� a top book on last year鈥檚 list. In a plot considered more complex and adult than that of "Graceling," Fire grapples with her father鈥檚 fearsome legacy, complicated relationships, and a fateful wartime role. Fire is a strong female character readers admire for her courage in a violent, cruel world.
