Fire with Fire

Caine Riordan, Book 1

By: Charles E. Gannon

Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau

2105, September: Intelligence Analyst Caine Riordan uncovers a conspiracy on Earth's Moon - a history-making clandestine project - and ends up involuntarily cryocelled for his troubles. Twelve years later, Riordan awakens to a changed world. Humanity has achieved faster-than-light travel and is pioneering nearby star systems. And now, Riordan is compelled to become an inadvertent agent of conspiracy himself. Riordan's mission: travel to a newly settled world and investigate whether a primitive local species was once sentient - enough so to have built a lost civilization.

However, arriving on site in the Delta Pavonis system, Caine discovers that the job he's been given is anything but secret or safe. With assassins and saboteurs dogging his every step, it's clear that someone doesn't want his mission to succeed. In the end, it takes the keen insights of an intelligence analyst and a matching instinct for intrigue to ferret out the truth: that humanity is neither alone in the cosmos nor safe. Earth is revealed to be the lynchpin planet in an impending struggle for interstellar dominance, a struggle into which it is being irresistibly dragged. Discovering new dangers at every turn, Riordan must now convince the powers-that-be that the only way for humanity to survive as a free species is to face the perils directly - and to fight fire with fire.

©2013 Charles E. Gannon (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Confusing

While listening to this audiobook it was very easy to get confused and lost. I had to start over and re-listen to the whole book.

Throwback sci-fi with alien intrigue

Charles E Gannon's Fire with Fire is the first installment in his Caine Riordan series.Caine is an investigative reporter who is 'frozen' for 14 years while working a story. After he is thawed, he has lost the last 4 days. He gets suborned for secret agent work to investigate odd behaviors on a colony world with ancient ruins. He discovers a coverup by a corporate entity attempting to exterminate native intelligent life. This leads to a world government on Earth as indications suggests other intelligent life out there. Of course, there are, and he leads a delegation to negotiate. It's all a setup and the story ends with preparations for the next installment. Mysteriously, someone is trying to kill him, all the time.

Gannon sets up a real throwback adventure tale with a polymath whizkid (Caine) who manages to figure everything out, no matter how convoluted. There are very few players who call all the shots with mystery assassins who kills by consuming olives. Caine convinces world leaders to create new world order based exclusively on his hypothetical conclusions without the need for confirmation. And of course, the same small group goes off to negotiate the fate of the world with unknown aliens. Most of the characters are stereotypes and Caine always figures everything out. The aliens are anthropomorphized caricatures.

The narration is good with decent character distinction and smooth pacing. The story has the feel of 40's or 50's era sci-fi.

Misleading Cover

So the cover of this book is really misleading. It is not a military scifi with lots of action where Caine Riordan rains fire down upon his enemies from his combat drop ship. It is a thriller and a spy novel more than anything else. Think journalist Jack Ryan in space. It is a bit slow at times and Caine is almost always the smartest person in whatever room he happens to step into, but I liked it regardless.

The characters, even the ones I happened to strongly dislike, were believable, with real motivation and the story was intriguing enough that by the end of book two I found myself quickly searching for when book three would come out.

Epic doesn’t begin to describe it.

Gannon delivers an epic performance. It is the Game of Thrones on a galactic scale.

Fun story EXCELLENT Narration

Enjoyed the story. Has several unpredictable twists.

But the narration was one of the best I've heard for a science fiction novel. Really made the story come alive.

Sat in my Wish List for way too long

I am ashamed to have let this wonderfully narrated story sit in my wish list for so long. This became one of my easy favorites right away. The story is complex with deep political intrigue. The characters are relative and equally complex.

Someone said "Jack Ryan in Outer Space"

If you could sum up Fire with Fire in three words, what would they be?

Jack Ryan Meets Aliens, I know it's 4 but that is as close as you can get.

What did you like best about this story?

It did have a Tom Clancyesque framework, you cans ee the story starting early in, but the twists and plots make it worthwhile. Although you do have to wonder how such a super spy organization can't figure out someone outside is messing with them.

Have you listened to any of Kevin Pariseau’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not sure, I have a few hundred books, but the guy does a really good job.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nope, just like to listen to a good story as I drive my 1.5 hour commute.

Any additional comments?

Good book, good story, well presented.

Poor start but it grows on you.

Any additional comments?

I almost put the book down several times in the first half but experience tells me the first book in a series is often difficult at first so it's usually worth sticking with it. The narrator was mediocre at best in the beginning but seems to have found his "voice" by mid way. The second half made up for everything. Action sequences and interesting conceptual twists helped the story along while the communications between characters gradually became more natural and the narrator improved. By the end, I was caught up in the story enough that I will be getting the second book.

Wonderful sci-fi series

Fire by Fire follows the story of Caine Riordin, a reporter turned intelligence agent in the far future. Riordin is awoken from cold sleep and sent to investigate reports of exosapiens (aliens) on a distant planet colonized by Earth. And that is just the beginning of the story.

When I started listening to this I had no idea what to expect...I didn't even read the synopsis. And I was absolutely pleasantly surprised. Not only is this full of action, twists, mysteries, technology, and aliens, but Caine comes across as a very well spoken and incredibly intelligent character. It is a pleasure to follow his thoughts and the way he handles every situation and person.

I really loved listening to this audiobook and was disappointed when it ended (of course, I'm going to start book 2 right away). If you like science fiction, you should love this one.

The narrator was absolutely amazing. One of the best I have heard in any audiobook and he did a great job of covering all characters and making us believe they were real.

NOTE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

A sophisticated story

What did you love best about Fire with Fire?

Excellent story line, believable characters, plenty of action.

What about Kevin Pariseau’s performance did you like?

Great narrator and no mistakes in pronunciation or emphasis. Really enjoyable from start to finish.