Product Description

Led by Hanno and Ira Hath, thirty-two mostly Manth survivors of the fall of the Mastery search for the fabled Homeland. Ira knows that as long as she feels the warmth on her face, despite the wintry conditions, they are heading in the right directino. She also knows that, according to the prophecy, she will die when they reach the homeland. She grows weaker with every step. Hanno must keep up the spirits of the marchers on the gruelling journey. There is dissent, wretched hardships and terrifying brushes with death. Violent bandits abduct the young women; Captain Canobius attempts to poison them; evil passion flies, lives are lost and all the time, they know they must reach the homeland before the wind on fire, which will scorch the land, purging it of the evil brought by the Morah. But there is also love in the air: Sisi loves Bowman; Pinto loves Mumpo; and other new friendships and relationships are forged Mean while, Bowman waits for a summons from the people of Sirene. It is a call that will mean he must leave his beloved family and make the ultimate sacrifice to save his people. Kestrel, too, waits. But she doesn t know what for, and she dreads it. Eventually, the summons comes. But, to his surprise, before being taken to Sirene, Bowman must be trained - by none other than the Master, who was rescued by Jumper, one of the Singer people of Sirene, when the Mastery was destroyed, in order to train Bowman for his future role. Also, Kestrel is to join him. Neither is sure why Bowman thinks his future role is to join the Singer people in their ultimate sacrifice, but in an electrifying mind duel with Kestrel he discovers he is wrong: it is Kestrel who is to give up her life to save their people; Bowman must live to rule them. Just as Kestrel is consumed in the ecstasy of the wind on fire, her people reach the Homeland and Ira dies. Bowman and Sisi marry and rule the kingdom of Gang. Years later, we see the marchers happily settled in their new homeland.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #92045 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Firesong is what publishers like to call an "event" book. Launched with huge razzmatazz, this weighty--at 350-plus pages--yet highly readable novel is a fitting conclusion to the story of the Manth people, and their long, dangerous and imaginative journey, Moses-like in scale, to a new and promised land. Highly-anticipated final books in big fantasy trilogies don't come much bigger than this and, reassuringly, William Nicholson's concluding instalment of his Wind on Fire sequence lives up to the immense expectation established by its excellent and award-winning predecessors The Wind Singer and Slaves of the Mastery.

The story picks up with the flight of the Hath family, and their crew of other willing Manth families and friends, away from the ruined Mastery. After the defeat of the Master, alone and displaced, they seek a new homeland but have no real destination and very little food. Ira Hath leads the way, prophesising their eventual success but also her own, sad demise. Bowman and Kestrel Hath, brother and sister, carry burdens of their own. Bowman, in particular, is anxious. He awaits a summons from the Sirene, and must make a great sacrifice for his people. The journey is long, and his preparation is tough--especially in the unforgiving hands of an unexpected teacher.

As with the previous two volumes, there are some wonderfully exciting moments of action, as well as vivid landscapes and colourful characters. Last time it was Mumpo in gladiatorial combat--this time it is the dramatic attempted rescue of the Manth women who fall into the grubby hands of a desert people.

So after all of this, the ending is definitely worth waiting for--and very emotional. There are some surprising twists and turns, and a truly satisfying conclusion. Yet, despite all three books being so immensely well-written and popular, it remains to be seen whether or not this author will continue to write novels for children as well as screenplays for Hollywood (his other job). Write to your MP if he doesn't, but make sure you read his next book if he does. (Ages 10 and over) --John McLay

Customer Reviews

A stunning conclusion to a magnificent trilogy
The Wind on Fire trilogy is truly wonderful. In the Publishing Aftermath of the enormous success of the Harry Potter books, many less great books have been published, with Potter-esque storylines, and other assorted fantasy elements. Most of these books are terrible. The Wind on Fire trilogy stands out among these. It is obviously not trying to cash in on Potter's success, and it is original and far more epic than Potter. The first book works on many levels. It is a enthralling adventure, layered with myth and magic. It was also part satire, with much comedy and brilliant character detail. The second book far topped it, with inspired new characters such as the princess Sisi, and wonderful developments of already known characters. It also had astonishing locations, such as the Mastery compound and scenes of pure tension, such as the final attack and Bo's confrontation with the Master. I thought there was no way the first two books could be topped. And then I picked up Firesong.

It surpasses the first two books hugely. It manages to contain as much of the thrilling action of the first two, while acquiring an emotional edge, which culminates in a finale which would draw tears from the most hard-hearted of readers. It is beautiful and poetic, and the entire book is full of sly jokes, metaphors, and clever imagery, brilliantly evoked by Nicholson's warm, generous writing style. It is a masterful, magical, totally compelling conclusion to a trilogy which is distinctive, original, and will hopefully join the ranks of modern fantasy classics.

best book ever!!!
'The Wind On Fire' trilogey is my all time favourite when it comes to fantasy books. It consists of 3 books, 'The Wind Singer', 'Slaves of the mastery', and 'Firesong'.

It follows the tale of two twins, Kestrel and Bowman, children of the prophet Ira Manth and they are gifted with special powers of the Singer people. It also follows the story of the rest of their family and the Manth people from the city of Aramanth, who always manage to stick together no matter what. I'm not going to give the plot away, you'll find it out for yourself.

They are extremely imaginative and easy to understand. The only bad thing about it is that once you start reading it, you can't put it down!!! And even after you've read them once you'll probabily end up reading it again and again.

Adults and children alike will find this book great fun to read and you'll probabily find yourself crying with sadness at some parts and with happiness and laughter at others. I give these books an all time high of 10/10 (and I only give these in exceptional circumstances!!!)

The perfect end to a perfect trilogy.
From the very first moment in 'The Wind Singer' I was enthralled. William Nicholson writes unlike any other author, creating characters you really love or hate.
But 'Firesong' has to be my favourite out of the three. I though the journey to the homeland was well written and was fraught with just the right amount of hidden dangers and unexpected joys. What Bo and Kestrel learn from Albard is magical and is magically told. The end of the book left me sobbing for Kestrel, Ira and all the characters I love. In 'Firesong' William Nicholson has created a world of wonder that cannot fail to enchant!