Firewalker

Oh gosh. Firewalker is another thrilling ride! Just as we left Lily in Trial by Fire possibly speaking to her schizophrenic mother we arrive at the beginning of Firewalker with Lily and Rowan in our real world. Lily's mum and Juliet come to meet them in exactly the right place, proving Lily's mum isn't so batty after all.

While Lily recovers from her total body burns, Rowan becomes quite at home in her house with her mum and sister. He takes care of Lily and gets her to full health. The FBI have been harassing Tristan and Lily's mum about her disappearance so Lily knows she has to go back to a semi-normal life albeit...school, where she learns some surprising things. Tristan is no longer the centre of attention thanks to his misdemeanours after the party, he only has a couple of friends. Lily already knows Breakfast (real name Stuart) but gets to know Una. Together the four, plus Rowan form a friendship and soon after Rowan tells Lily they could all be mechanics (carers of a witch.) Rowan starts to train them but thanks to a surprising appearance by Carrick, Rowan's half brother and Lillian's head mechanic, they all realise their time on our world is sure to end. When Scot dies they all make the decision to go back to Rowan's world to fight the other Lillian.

The reunion when they get to the other version of our world is short lived. Lily has been communing with Lillian who has been showing her why she's made the decisions she has. The hangings, the constant killing, and the death of Rowan's father. Lily hasn't got the heart or the guts to show any of this to Rowan. While he admits he loves her he also knows Lily is keeping something from him. When it all comes out sides are chosen. And Rowan isn't on Lily's side. In fact, he rips off her will-stones and lets her starve. The others can't put up with it any longer. They plot an escape to the Woven land out west. Lily told them she has a weird feeling that the woven are at the heart of all their problems. The instinct for these other-worlders is to kill Woven but Lily wants to study them. Find out why they're the way they are.

The whole story is cinched with a heartbreaking amount of romance and dedication. I was willing Rowan and Lily to stay together and trust each other more. Rowan is by far the best character in the story but I really love how Lily has become the leader she is now. Only a few months ago she was the girl with allergies who couldn't even look out of a window without catching something awful. Breakfast and Una make an exciting blend and they show no deviation from everything Rowan taught them. They show their loyalty to Lily is absolute. The two Tristan's were cute too but I wonder what will happen now that Lily has lost her Tristan.

I'm also pleased with the amount of modern day science that's being used too. The heart of the story is about nuclear verses natural and it balances on both sides to the good and bad. Definitely a lot to get you thinking about in our real world.

The pace was good in Firewalker but at times I was worried the story was rushing a little too much, especially towards the end. There are a decent amount of flashbacks for you to grasp why the other Lillian went all bad. But at the end you know every character is now broken in some way. They all have to heave themselves up for the last book. I'm excited to see how the next one pans. I have a feeling something really big is going to happen to one of the sidekicks and it isn't going to be good.