Hands of Flame

By C.E. Murphy

War has erupted among the five Old Races, and Margrit is responsible for the death that caused it.

Now New York City's most unusual lawyer finds herself facing her toughest negotiation yet. And with her gargoyle lover, Alban, taken prisoner, Margrit's only allies–a dragon bitter about his fall, a vampire determined to hold his standing at any cost and a mortal detective with no idea what he's up against–have demands of their own.

Determined to rescue Alban and torn between conflicting loyalties as the battle seeps into the human world, Margrit soon realizes the only way out is through the fire. . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jun 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781408936726

C.E. Murphy

C.E. Murphy is the author of more than twenty books—along with a number of novellas and comics. Born in Alaska, currently living in Ireland, she does miss central heating, insulation and—sometimes–snow but through the wonders of the internet, her imagination and her close knit family, she’s never bored or lonely. While she does travel through time (sadly only forward, one second at a time) she can also be found online at www.cemurphy.net or @ce_murphy on Twitter

Reviews for Hands of Flame

[jami_leigh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Utterly adored this series. Went in a bit skeptical, because even though I adore her Walker Papers series, I am hard on Urban Fantasy, as a genre.

Only thing? THE END. Oh. My. Effing. Deities!!

There needs to be more of this world. Seriously. The last, oh, 5 pages or so, left these threads spread out so wide that I ache to find out What Happens Next. And really, I rarely want to know what happens after the book/series ends. This one? Need more. *grumbles at being only a trilogy* Maybe someday second trilogy? Will totally bribe with cookies, Catie! <3

[bgknighton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A strong end to a good series. Leaves me wanting the next trilogy for Margrit and Alban. The whole trilogy is stronger than the parts in this case. It develops the personality traits of the different supernatural types without robbing the individual characters of theirs. She has set up nice conflicts for the next trilogy: vampire vs dragon, old vampire vs vampire, full-bloods vs half-bloods, djinn vs selkie, and where will humans fit in?

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In which friendships are strained, love conquers (sort of) gargoyles get chained, secrets get revealed, and Margrit blows numerous Old Race expectations clear out of the water. Cryptic enough? Let's just say there's lots going on and you'd be better to start with the first installment. Jumping in here may lead to massive confusion. Not to mention frustration - the ending isn't exactly a series wrap. Hopefully Murphy will revisit Margrit's gritty streets soon!

[bookaphile · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was dissapointed in the last installment of The Negotiator series. By the end of the book I disliked Margrit the main charcter and once that happens I don't care what happens to her. For all her principles she turned against everyone she supposedly held dear, breaking apart every connection they had. Very dissapointing.

[teharhynn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sad to see the end of the trilogy. I hope that C. E. Murphy will come back to these books sometime. She does suggest that it's a possibility on her website. I'm not sure that her other series appeals to me, but I would definitely like to see more of the characters in these books!

[ladycato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The final book of The Negotiator trilogy picks up not long after the second book. Margrit Knight, a New York City lawyer, has fallen in deep with the Old Races hidden within the city. So deep that one of their deaths is on her hands - and civil war is about to break out because of it. If that's not enough, Grit's gargoyle lover, Alban, has been chained and is subject to a gargoyle tribunal. The dragon Janx and vampire Daisani also have their place in events, calling in favors owed by Margrit - favors at a very high cost. It's up to Grit to utilize her lawyer skills and newfound talents to keep those she loves alive, and try to save those she dislikes as well.Hands of Flame is a good book, and an excellent end to the trilogy. The secrets and plot twists were so deft they were hard to follow at times, but it was an enjoyable ride all the way through. Note that this isn't a stand-alone book - if you want to read the series, begin with Heart of Stone, otherwise nothing will make sense. Great urban fantasy series, though I still love Murphy's Walker Papers books the most.

[randirousseau · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How much fun would it be to find out creatures of myth and fantasy are real? Well.... it might not be so much fun. BUT it sure would be interesting!This series of books addresses (sort of) what happens when a very human lawyer discovers such fantastical creatures as Gargoyles, Dragons, Selkies, Vampires and Djinns are real and living among us. And how even fantasy has a political climate and uneasy alliances!This is the third book of the series, and the Old Races political climate is hanging in tatters, threatening to spill over into the mortal realm. Margrit must move fast to contain the threat, renegotiate treaties, and fulfill promises. Excellently paced, although at times a bit convoluted beyond reason (even for a fantasy).