Cold Fire, by Tamora Pierce

Daja and Frostpine have traveled north to the city of Kugisko in Namorn. They stay the winter in the house of the Bacanors, whom Frostpine knew a long time ago. While they stay, Frostpine does magework for the local magistrate, and Daja discovers that the twin daughters of the Bacanors have ambient magic: Nia with carpentry, and Jory with cooking. Now she must find teachers for them and in the meanwhile teach them meditation. Daja has also made a friend in Ben Ladrudun: local firefighter and son of a merchant family. After his wife and children died in a fire, he devoted himself to stopping fires and studied with Pawel Godsforge, a legendary mage. Daja admires his bravery and wishes she could help him. Fires start popping up all around the city, and it is soon discovered that it is no accident: they were set. But by whom? Who would want to set fires in a city mostly made of wood, and for what purpose? Daja wishes she knew, for to her it seems a personal attack on Ben Ladrudun, and Daja will not have anyone hurting her friends.

This is a very clever and surprising book. There is danger and sadness and betrayal all mixed together. The plot is exciting and gives a fast paced read. It is difficult to grow up a normal child, let alone a child with an extraordinary gift that can cause her to be singled out and shunned. Usually this would apply to Tris more, but in Cold Fire we see that it happens to Daja as well. Fire is a smith’s friend, and Daja usually treats it pretty casually. But most people are not used to seeing a young girl holding fire, or walking through a burning building and coming out unscathed. I don’t quite understand why the common people in the novel react so strongly to such magic: magic surrounds them daily as well as mages. One more incredible thing should almost seem commonplace. Some people have talents in different places: why are they so frightened? I’d think that people in the real world would be more frightened than the people in Daja’s world by such a display of magic, but it seems that is not the case. But human nature being what it is, maybe it should not be so surprising.

I find it quite amusing how Frostpine hates the cold. There is a wonderful conversation in which Daja explains why he took the name Frostpine when he hates the cold that much. Apparently he liked the way Frostpine sounded, and thought it would be a pretty tree, not considering how cold ‘cold’ really was. It is the little bits of cleverness in Pierce’s writing that makes me keep coming back to read and reread her books. The writing is as lively as the characters, and just as comforting. For some reason when I read her books I think of Christmas time and fresh baked cookies. Maybe it is that feel of excitement that both events bring to me: I get that feel when I read her books. And sometimes that is exactly what I need.