Author: Rhonda Denise Johnson
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Year Published: 2018
Nerdection Rating:
“Nerdection Must Read”
Spoiler-free Plot of Fire Master
This is Book 2 of the Nanosia series, and it tells the story of a young man called Loby, who happens to be a journeyman that finds himself in Nanosia, a kingdom that belongs in the quantum realm. There his life changes forevermore.
However, as he is learning his trade to become a Fire Mage, and one of the Elemental Mages, his master passes away, and the kingdom is in need of causing a volcano to deal with the low temperatures that are slowly killing their people, but Loby doesn’t know the secret of fire because his late master hadn’t taught him that yet.
My take on Fire Master
I have gone on record saying that the first book of the series, Queen of the Quantum Realm, was a very strong read, but I have to say that Fire Master manages to take this even further. This is demonstrated by the fact that the storytelling, the descriptions, the worldbuilding, and so on have become a lot stronger, adding an element of natural flow that can make you read the book without a care in the world for a couple of days. At almost 300 pages is very possible.
The main character is Loby, and he is put in a very difficult situation from the get-go. The death of his master puts him in a very awkward place where he has to perform and help save the kingdom, but he still doesn’t have the necessary abilities and skills to do so. This is a very strong subvert of expectations of the classic trope of the wise old mage in fantasy fiction: a novice mage that doesn’t know all the tricks. It’s great.
From that position, Loby is set up as the underdog and you, as the reader, want to see him thrive and succeed. This is due to the fact that nothing is handed to him and he has to prove his worth at every single chance, which, in return, makes him a much more compelling and enthralling main character, thus making the entire journey of the Fire Master feel a lot more interesting as you go through the pages.
Much like in the first book of the series, there is a lot of emphasis on science, and the story as a whole feels more like a mix of sci-fi and fantasy rather than just the latter, as it is usually advertised as. However, this is a good thing because it adds to the story and it makes it feel a lot more unique when compared to other fantasy series out there.
Author Rhonda Denise Johnson, much like she did during the first book, wastes no time in giving a lot of details about the science side of things, which can be quite interesting because it is explained in a way that doesn’t feel overly complex or adds unnecessary information to the story, which is something that is often welcomed.
Another great part about the book is that it has many plot threads, including characters such as Pyck, who is often quite mysterious in his actions, thus making the story feel a lot more vast and complex. There are a lot of different points of view and arguments, which is something that adds to the realistic feel of the worldbuilding that Johnson has crafted with this series.
Overall, Fire Master definitely benefits from the ground that Queen of the Quantum Realm created, but it added a lot more depth, variety, and know-how to the story, making the equation feel a lot more complete. It is a natural successor to what has been established before while adding a lot of new stuff that is going to be quite enjoyable for new readers.
About The Author Of Nanosia series
When the writer in Rhonda Denise Johnson meets the reader in you, there is magic. An idea percolates in her head telling her a story is there, and she must write it. Rhonda imagines you, the reader, smiling, laughing, hollering at her characters, or remembering something in your life, and she gets a good feeling. It’s like when you know your purpose in life, and it’s something that affects people in a good way.
As a reader, Rhonda is fascinated by well-written fantasy novels. As a writer, She finds that magic naturally works its way into her stories.
