A fun read, a compelling story, an intricated,
fast-paced final. That's what "Cold Fire" is, if you wanted it to be wrapped
up in a few words. Here's what it is all about :
Jim Ironheart is definitely a mysterious guy. He's got a shadowy past and
a troubled present, but what's even more astounding is that every now and then,
following an undefinable yet compelling drive, he is forced to save people from
a violent death. Holly Thorne, instead, is a jaded journalist with a
particularly determined edge, and she happens to be on the spot of one of
Ironheart's miraculous deeds while he saves a kid from a road accident. That's
when the fuse catches fire, and that's the beginning of a deep, tormented
relationship which will take them on a risky tour, wading through many a danger
up to the core of Ironheart's secrets.
Moving deeper and deeper through the novel, what most definitely emerges
is that this looks like a deeply thought-out, accurately conceived work. It
builds up like a puzzle, and at first you might feel like the pieces will have
a hard time finding the right collocation. Don't despair, though. You just keep your hopes high
and let good old Dean lead you through the maze and toward the complex ending
he's created. Using one of the narrative choices he feels most comfortable
with, in fact, --- shifting the scene at every chapter, following
alternatively Jim and Holly…until they finally follow the same road --- Koontz
weaves a plot that's likely to delight you with some breath-takingly
adventurous stunts. A long, nail-biting scene is set on an airplane, for
instance, while the whole final part will make you look with a different eye at
the next windmill you happen to see. As for the other parts I didn't
mention….they're equally riveting.
As for the characters, they are among the most multi-faceted that ever
came out of DK's pen, with much more intricated, blurred-edged personalities
than we are accustomed to. Their choices are not so predictable, and their
behavior is usually the result of an inner struggle that you're not likely to
see in run-of-the-mill, two-dimensional characters.
The supernatural element is obviously behind the corner, and it
vigorously comes out right from the few lines of the bare plot. As a result, if you're
the kind of reader who doesn't want to have his/her feet pulled off the ground
for too long, you might not experience such a great fun with this book. On the contrary, if
you think that your ability to suspend your disbelief is sufficiently trained,
then you can hopefully plunge in this "Cold Fire"…you'll be
pleasantly burned!
8 / 10