Force of Fire: A Kingdom Beyond Novel
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Force of Fire is a prequel of sorts to the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond trilogy featuring the origin story of a rakkhosh fire demon named Pinki, who lives in the Kingdom Beyond. Like the trilogy, Force of Fire is inspired by folk tales and folklore from West Bengal, India. Also like the trilogy, it has plenty of magical fighting with elemental magic (fire, earthquakes, wind, water) and lightning wielded by evil snake beings who rule the Kingdom Beyond. The main good guys suffer pain and worse but are magically healed, while a lot of snake soldiers are killed and some ghosts are wiped out of existence. There are also tense flying scenes on horses and chariots where characters almost fall to their death. Children are kidnapped, their voices are stolen, and they're held in cages, and a father hits his son and makes his face bleed. As for positive messages, the hilarious name of chapter 20 says a lot: "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work, Blah, Blah, Rainbows and Unicorn Farts and All That Sappy Stuff." So yes, teamwork is very important, as is friendship. Pinki learns to rely on others, to trust her own power, and to fight for freedom against the snakes who want to strip away their language and heritage. Note that rakkhosh demons like Pinki, her classmates, and cousins are supposed to enjoy thievery and eating humans. There are plenty of jokes about it, but no humans are eaten here, not even their delicious toes.
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What's the Story?
In FORCE OF FIRE: A KINGDOM BEYOND NOVEL, Pinki loses her cool in rakkhosh demon school -- literally, by setting half the forest on fire with her wild fire power -- and runs off into the woods to hide from the consequences. Her three young and adoring rakkhosh cousins follow her there, where it's dangerous for rakkhosh and humans alike to wander. They are reminded of the peril quickly when her youngest cousin, Deembo, trips the rope of a trap. As they dangle upside down, the snake overlords come for them, led by Sesha, the slippery son of the snake Governor-General. Sesha offers to let them go if Pinki makes a deal with him. He wants her to bring him lost moonbeams; in exchange, he will help Pinki reign in her fire magic and save her from more embarrassment at school. While Pinki knows that she'd be helping the enemy, it's an offer she can't refuse. Little does she know that her quest will turn her classmates against her and put her poor cousins in serious danger.
Is It Any Good?
With high adventure, humor, and lots of fiery magic, this story inspired by West Bengal folklore will have you rooting for a truly unique demon-girl hero. As Force of Fire begins, you may not be so inclined to root for Pinki -- in fact, you may be a little confused. I mean, she enjoys classes on thievery, talks about how much she hates humans, and is an angry loner willing to make a deal with someone even more despised, the snake prince Sesha. Also, she tries to trick her mom, the goofy Ai-Ma, whom so many readers will fondly remember from the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond trilogy.
But the way Pinki protects her cousins says a lot about what's behind those horns and fangs. She's willing to team up with a whole host of frenemies to save them and even -- gah -- dress up and attend a garden party with human royals and not eat their toes as appetizers. Through her love for her cousins, she finds closeness to others and her true fire power. She also comes to love the cause of freedom more than herself. It's the deep touches mixed with some wacky characters that keep this story surprising and worthwhile. The only real disappointment is a pat ending. It feels more like a summary of what could have been an exciting new series. And now that we're all warmed up to a certain fiery demon, it's sad to see her gone so soon.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what kind of main character Pinki is in Force of Fire. Can she be the female hero and still sing rhymes about delicious human toes? Can she be the female hero and be an angry loner? How does she change in the book? Does she turn into a hero you usually read about, or is there still something different about her?
Did you read the author's note at the end of the book? How do hints of the Indian revolution show up in this story? Where does DasGupta get her idea to have the children in this story lose their voices? What does it symbolize?
Are you satisfied by the ending? What more could have been added? Why do you think the author is not making this into a trilogy?
Book Details
- Author: Sayantani DasGupta
- Illustrator: Vivienne To
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Activism, Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Press
- Publication date: June 1, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: June 24, 2021
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