I loved everything about this book, from the lyrical storytelling that made me feel like I was sitting around the fire, to the concise prose that didn't waste a syllable. This is a don't blink or you might miss a few days (or years) kind of book and the narrative voice took some getting used to, but the depth of character was intense and lovely and pulled me through just about every emotion I have. It normalizes gender queerness and though there is a soft focus on the magic, the true magic of the book shines through in character growth.

Definitely read this one. It's going on my favorites list! ( )

first book in a tetralogy. this corner of a world is depicted fifteen years after a country was occupied by invaders who had no home to return to, and they prevailed. the defending army has turned to guerilla tactics, which are failing too. meanwhile the occupiers have become more oppressive over time, so the whole culture has become unstable. the worldmaking is notably sturdy; the characters feel very real, the plot dynamic, the magic well-crafted. the book hinges on elementals, and elemental magic, as a healing force, collecting and sharing power to rearrange a whole culture. it feels already like a classic work in progress that i am delighted to find. ( )

This is an ER book I've had around for yonks because I couldn't get into it. Having realized I never will, I did plow through in order to figure out why the story didn't take hold of me. The book is well written, the world-building is fine if dependent on the work of Moon, Hobbs and others (which is OK with me as long as there is some flair involved), the characters have plenty of potential . . . so why, for me, no spark? The answer is, I don't know. The best I can come up with is that I couldn't sense an underlying pressure to tell this particular story? Not only is that vague, but it feels like an unfair thing to say because of the work Marks has put into the story. I'm giving the book *** stars, mainly for craftsmanship. I suspect this is a story that will either work for you or it won't. *** ( )

This is a wonderful fantasy novel. It's well-written, with strong characterization and plotting. I loved it because of the many queer characters, the fascinating political themes, and the interesting use of magic.

I think Fire Logic would be a particularly enjoyable read for anyone who's interested in considering how contemporary hot topics (the justification of war and violence, especially) can be rethought given a fantasy context.

Update after re-read, 7-28-19:
So, all of that is still true, but evidently I forgot just how many terrible things happen to Zanja in this book. Like, every possible bad thing. Some good things do happen too, but wow, does she go through three kinds of hell over and over again first. So, be warned. Also, drug use is a major plot point, something like but not exactly like an opiate.

And finally, I should perhaps be worried about myself, because I liked Norina a lot more on this re-read than I ever liked her before. (I guess that's not a bad thing, since I'm doing a re-read now in anticipation of reading the fourth book, Air Logic, which is in all likelihood focused on Norina.) ( )

What a great book! It didn't take too long for me to get into it. All the characters were wonderful and the story was very interesting. I'm not saying it was the most amazing book but it was satisfying and entertaining in a way that makes it worthy of five stars. I mean, brown women-loving women being boss. What more do I want out of a book? ( )