Fire Song

by Roberta Gellis

Book Overview

Fenice d’Aix and Aubery of Ilmer both had unhappy first marriages. Both had guilty secrets related to those marriages, but each found in the other what had been lacking in their first union. Each... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0515075299
• ISBN13: 9780515075298
• Release Date: April 1984
• Publisher: Jove Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Another good Gellis

I've been reading her since I was a teenager and I ended up giving this one away. Now I want it again. I like her romances because they give you alot more history than many other types. You can get a good sense of general history just by reading Roberta Gellis. This story, like her others, is more 'sensible' and deals with adult issues that plague all of us. Problems of self-worth, confidence, and doubt rattle Auburey and Fenice. They're a sweet couple, though; if examples of the time they live in. He's all masculine male, she the lady of the manor. A satisfying, realistic read with romance. You see Auburey again in the Roselynde books, I think, but he's much older. Read Roberta ...I really like her for a solid, sensible romance. (She also does some good sci/fi too, though -and mystery.)

incomparable Gellis fare

Seeing only one review of this lovely story, I was compelled to add another. Roberta Gellis has been one (of only 3) of my favorite authors for more decades than I will ever admit. Fire Song is the third in a group (not really a series, since each stands alone)of novels set in France and England of the 13th century during the reign of Henry III. Once again, Gellis gives us a completely admirable, strong heroine who is nonetheless, utterly feminine. True to the hallmark of Gellis' literary method, which is to interweave fictional members of the upper gentry into the lives and events of real royalty in a turbulent period of history, this is the tale of Aubery of Illmer, the son of Elizabeth (of Marlowe, in Siren Song), and Fenice, "natural" (illegitimate) daughter of Raymond d'Aix (hero of Winter Song). Aubery and Fenice are recently the widow[er]s of fatally flawed spouses. Fire Song is the tale of their growing attraction, occasional misunderstandings, dangerous adventures and ultimate love. The couple are contracted to marry by the arrangement of their respective parents, whose intentions are to form a family alliance, transfer property, and to encourage their beloved offspring to move on from their previous, unhappy and unsuccessful relationships. As the story unfolds against a backdrop of medieval history, Fenice struggles with her feelings of inferiority, unworthiness, and a crippling timidity, and Aubery battles to overcome his own sense of failure, inadequacy as a lover, and deep sexual inhibitions that he simultaneously loathes yet clings to---a remnant of his unhappy relationship with his first wife. Indeed, Fenice's sexual experience (that being the only thing not lacking in her first marriage) and eagerness in the bedroom cause some rather amusing reactions in her new spouse. Their adventures together are both exciting and entertaining, and as always with Gellis' novels, the reader learns quite a bit of real history in the process. The book is well worth reading if only for the priceless, terse and pointed lecture delivered by Aubery's step-father, William, to Aubery, upon hearing his complaint against Fenice. She has successfully executed a truly selfless and heroic plan to rescue her new husband from a band of unsavory town officials, but in the process, has offended Aubery's inflexible ideal of frail, delicate womanhood. Aubery's resultant capitulation and humble apologies to his gem of a wife make for a delicious denouement. Fans of Ms. Gellis' work will not be disapointed.

Excellent pick-me-up when your're down in the dumps!

A favorite of mine. I've read it many times over the years. It is a book that gives hope and leads one to realize that there are always options out there, even in the toughest of times. The heroine is a young lady in times when women had few rights. The book follows her growth from a timid girl to an imaginative woman that we can admire. Roberta Gellis's book Fire Song is filled with pathos and hope, laughter and humour. She takes us on a journey of discovery of ourselves and how we appear to others, and how we see others. I definitely recommend this book.