Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits is a collection of five stories, two by Robin McKinley – “Hellhound” and “First Flight,” and three by Peter Dickinson – “Phoenix,” “Fireworm,” and “Salamander Man.” As a topic, these “fire elementals” make for a great story collection. As for the stories themselves, there is a major difference in the two authors’ styles, and this makes for an uneven collection.

“Phoenix,” the opening story, is an interesting tale of a phoenix and his keeper, and a girl who is asked to help. Dickinson presents the mythology of the phoenix in a unique way, but the dialect used makes the story a bit hard to follow. Next is McKinley’s “Hellhound.” This story of a girl and her rescue dog (who is not really a canine), starts off slow but builds to a scarily satisfying conclusion. Dickinson’s “Fireworm” is probably the weakest story in the collection. It seems to be a Native American or Aborigine legend, but the tale is hard to understand, which is not helped by its plodding pace. The last entry from Dickinson is “Salamander Man.” Of his stories, this was the best, or at least the first half was. In it, a slave boy is bought by a magic seller shortly after she purchases a salamander adornment. Little do either know that the salamander is real and that its siblings are kept by other magicians, waiting to be freed. The exposition, rising action, and resolution are all highly engaging, but the climax seems disjointed from the rest of the story.

Of all five stories, the best was saved for last. McKinley’s “First Flight” is high fantasy containing wizards, dragons, and a strange creature called a foogit. Ern is the youngest of three sons. As such, he is expected to become a wizard. Ern does not mind this career path, but the type of wizard he wants to be, a healer, is a job that is frowned upon as no one is ever supposed to be sick.

Ern has a little time, though, before he must be apprenticed, but his oldest brother, Dag, is well on his way to becoming a Dragon Rider, especially after being skipped a year at the Academy. Before Dag must make his First Flight to join the ranks of Dragon Riders, he comes home for the break between terms. His family knows at once that something is wrong. It turns out that Dag is assigned to Hereyta, a well-decorated, retired war dragon. The reason Hereyta retired, though, is that she lost one of her three eyes in battle, and dragons must have three eyes in order to enter the Firespace. Seeking help wherever he can get it, Dag agrees with the village wizard’s advice to take Ern and his pet foogit, Sippy, with him. Ern and Sippy agree, but neither of the boys can see exactly what part Ern and Sippy will have in helping Dag pass his First Flight.

“First Flight” is everything that a good fantasy story should be. Even though it is short, McKinley expertly builds the world in which Ern lives. The plot is highly engaging and moves at just the right pace. The characters are also sympathetic and this makes it really easy for the reader to identify with them.

If you like tales of fire creatures or are a fan of either Peter Dickinson or Robin McKinley, Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits will be right up your alley. If you are looking for a wonderful fantasy about dragons and wizards, pick this book up for McKinley’s “First Flight” – it is worth the cost of the collection.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ace Trade; Reprint edition (September 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-0-441-01919-9
• ISBN-10: 0441019196

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