Dragons under the village
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Michael, Stephen and Sarah live in a small English village. Sarah is the responsible older sister and the other two are her younger teenage brothers. The story opens with Michael out in a beautiful summer day, on a hollow on a hilltop, when a power sweeps through him and envelops him, setting fire to the book beside him. He's not sure what it is, but as he comes down the hill he finds himself seeing strange things, so his first thought is sun-stroke.
But it isn't, it's the power of a trapped dragon bubbling up and trying to find a way to help him escape the trap he was put in. The Dragon is helped by the fact that a stone has been unearthed and broken, a stone with runes and an intertwining dragon on it.
It's not up to the level of his Bartimaeus trilogy, but it's not a bad story of the meeting of the ordinary and magic. The ending feels a bit rushed and there would be space for a sequel here. These boys have been touched by the extra-ordinary and I'm not sure that the ordinary will ever really satisfy them.
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This will get them reading
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I'm not usually a fan of "dragon fantasy", but this one is a rare exception, as it draws strongly from British folklore of dragon slayers, such as the tale of St. George and the Dragon or the Lambton Worm, yet sets the action firmly in the present. It explores the themes of power at a price and the changes that occur as you grow up, meaning extra responsibility and the consideration of others in your actions, as well as exploring slightly supernatural themes. Stroud is very expressive and the language, although complex enough to engage older readers, is still simple enough to appeal to those just entering their teens.
The characters are slightly stereotypical, almost cartoonish, in places, but there remains a sense of grounded reality underneath, which keeps the plot anchored within the realms of the almost-possible. This is exactly the kind of fare that might entice boys to read a little more.
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Not stroud at his best but not terrible either
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This book was obviously well thought out as all the parts of the story came together nicely. but i still think that the ending was rushed and that the book could have been longer this is a good short read but does not compare to the amulet of samarkand. This book is about two brothers who discover the powers of a dragon but soon find they are not alone in their discovery. (a similar book to this is Dragon Fire by charles ashton it's three books in one and is much longer and much better) but overall i would give buried fire 7/10
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Not stroud at his best but not terrible either
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This book was obviously well thought out as all the parts of the story came together nicely. but i still think that the ending was rushed and that the book could have been longer this is a good short read but does not compare to the amulet of samarkand. This book is about two brothers who discover the powers of a dragon but soon find they are not alone in their discovery. (a similar book to this is Dragon Fire by charles someone it's three books in one and is much longer and much better) but overall i would give buried fire 7/10
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Enjoyable fantasy
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I discovered Jonathan Stroud through reading his wonderful Amulet of Samarkand, and wanted to read more of his work. Buried Fire is another fine example of Strouds imagination. The story centres on Michael, a young man who has fallen asleep on top of a large mound, under which is buried a dragon. As he sleeps he absorbs the dragons power, discovering that he has new abilities as a result. It is his coming to terms with what has happened to him and the discovery that he is not alone that keeps the story line moving along at a fast pace. He soon learns that he is not alone in gaining new powers, and learns that the others in the village have a sinister motive - to raise the dragon from its sleep. The story ultimately ends in a battle between good and evil. I found the storyline more simple than Amulet of Samarkand, with less character development, showing perhaps that either the author has matured in his writing or it was deliberately targetted at a slightly younger audience. Either way it was an entertaining story, well told, and well worth reading.
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