Ready to discover another great book for this 2023? Take a look…
The Fires by Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Rating: 4/5
Amazon, Waterstones, Hive
About The Book
After an eight-hundred-year slumber, the volcanoes in Iceland’s most populated region are showing signs of life. Earthquakes dominate the headlines. Echoes of the devastating eruptions in the past stir unease in the people.
Volcanologist Anna Arnardóttir has spent her entire life studying the volcanic powers under the earth’s crust, but even she cannot fathom the catastrophe at hand.
As a series of eruptions threaten most of Iceland’s population, she’s caught off her rational guard by the most terrible natural disaster of all—love. The world as she knows it is about to fall apart, and so is her heart.
Caught between the safety of a nation and her feelings for her children, her lover, and her past, Anna embarks on a dangerous journey to save the lives of the people she loves—and her soul.
My Thoughts
I’ll start by saying from the beginning that I studied Geology and I am fascinated with volcanoes and their science. So, assume that maybe my review is biased because of my love for the geology world… 😉
I am saying this because there’s quite a lot of information about volcanoes and their formation and story in Iceland; I loved every page of it, but I don’t know if anyone reading the book would be as interested as I am. I think it’s always interesting to learn new things while you are reading a book, but I am aware that not everyone loves it or can get bored. But, the story is so well written and the volcanology background so interesting, that maybe even if you are not fascinated by these old creations you could be intrigued by them!
Also, we can’t forget that the personal story of the volcanologist Anna Arnardóttir is really interesting and quite easy to lose time while you keep wondering how she will put her life up again… Married and with two children, she never really experienced love, but when love knocks on her door, she didn’t ever expect it to be storming in her life like a volcano and drag everything with it. Her life as it was will change forever, but will she have the love that she deserves in the end? Or like the lava of the volcano everything will burn down leaving only ashes?
You’ll have to read the book to discover what really happens with Anna and the volcanoes, but be prepared for a very human and realistic story!
Ready to enter “The Fires”?
About The Author
Icelandic author Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir studied history in Reykjavík and Salamanca and journalism at Columbia University in New York and previously worked in Copenhagen before moving back to Reykjavík, where she lives with her husband, children, and stepchildren. Her bestselling debut, Island (2016), was nominated for the Icelandic Women’s Literature Prize in 2017. Her highly anticipated third novel, The Fires, is a bestseller and viral hit in Iceland.
Larissa Kyzer is a writer and translator of Icelandic literature. She holds an MA in literary translation from the University of Iceland
as well as an MS in library and information science and a BA in comparative literature. Her translation of Kristín Eiríksdóttir’s A Fist or a Heart (Amazon Crossing) was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s 2019 translation prize. The same year, she was one of Princeton University’s translators in residence.
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