Review: Fire Play

Title: Fire Play
Author: Dany Sirene
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publication Date: 3 January 2012
Reviewed Format: ebook
Length: 190 pages

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review: Lau is a demiurge, cast into the human world as punishment for his casual disregard for human life. Jesse is a college student who has come out of his shell since leaving his oppressive home. He's supposed to be a plaything for Lau, something to break and watch squirm, but things don't quite go according to plan. Will love be enough to overcome all the hurdles that stand before them, or will it be too little, too late?

Lau is a conflicted character, arrogant and uncaring. Aware of his history as a demiurge but unable to access his powers, he regards humans as inferior despite now being one of them, entertainment and nothing more. He grows interestingly as a character once he meets Jesse, showing a vulnerable side that's really quite touching, redeeming him from his previous sociopathic behavior. His protective urges in particular made him quite an appealing character, showing a level of development that definitely fit.

Jesse is much more straightforward, but still layered interestingly. He's playing goth since moving to Montreal for college, dying his hair black and piercing his lip--and finally acting on the attraction to men he hid throughout high school. When presented from outside points of view, he actually comes across as confused and a little pathetic, playing with things he really doesn't understand. Despite that, he's charming in his forthrightness, sticking to his guns and by Lau even as their world begins to fall apart.

The dynamic between Lau and Jesse starts as wildly unbalanced, but quickly equalizes as Lau comes to understand certain things about himself. Things between them are about do much more than just the sex, though sex is definitely a frequent part of their interaction. It's quite interesting to see the evolution of their relationship, as they learn about themselves and each other.

The supporting cast is fairly small and sometimes fleeting; Holly and Rui are the largest secondary players, though others do make brief appearances. Holly is a character I'm torn about, as her later behavior doesn't make sense to me, even with Rui's influence. Rui, on the other hand, is easy to hate, even when the revelation of the past he shares with Lau adds another layer to his quest for vengeance.

The story itself is mostly strong, if rather bleak. The ending was a bit of a letdown for me, though, with Lau's final revelation not quite jiving with previous statements by other characters. It was a sweet ending, it just seemed a little rushed and pat. I could have done without the epilogue as well, but it did tie Holly's thread up fairly well. The writing was well-done with few errors, which made it easy to get sucked in to the world.

Overall, this is not a happy story, darker than I usually prefer, but it worked. Complex characters in particular made this an interesting read, if not a light one, and the growth they demonstrated kept everything moving along at a good clip. In the end, I'm glad I took a chance on it and would recommend it to anyone looking for something that puts you through the wringer before delivering that happily ever after.