The Boys of Fire and Ash

Reviewed by: Sally Holt - Raymond Village Library, Raymond, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 11, 2015

Review

There are no women in the Ikkuma Pit so the brothers must watch out for one another as they have no mother to do so. Leaving Day comes for them all eventually and each brother must head out into the unknown woods above. Cubby who is just a child has been kidnapped by monsters proclaims Blaze, a brother who has mysteriously and unexpectedly returned to the Ikkuma Pit.

Urgle is Cubby's older brother and as Cubby's protector he leaves the pit to find his brother.

Thus begin many situations and challenges that Urgle must overcome in order to bring Cubby home. This is a fast paced book but I found the multitude of characters and so many names confusing. For me this was a slow read. I did find it consistently poignant as Urgle searches relentlessly for Cubby. letting nothing stand in his way. There is a little romance and the book is rather dark feeling, though not violent. The ending is not a good one which leads me to believe that there my be some hope for a sequel. Recommend for a tween or teen embarking on fantasy fiction.

Overall Book Score: good