Prince of Fire
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4.3 • 955 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva presents "a first-rate thriller" (Rocky Mountain News) featuring art restorer—and reluctant spy—Gabriel Allon.
After an explosion in Rome destroys the Israeli embassy, Gabriel Allon makes a disturbing discovery—the existence of a dossier in terrorist hands that strips away his secrets, and lays bare his history. Drawn into the heart of a service he’d once forsaken, Allon finds himself stalking a master terrorist across a bloody landscape generations in the making. But soon, Allon will wonder who is stalking whom.
When the final showdown comes, it won’t be Allon alone who is threatened with destruction. For it is not his history alone that has been exposed...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Silva's latest novel to feature art restorer/Israeli agent Gabriel Allon (after 2004's A Death in Vienna) is a passionate, intelligently crafted entry that cements the series' place among today's top spy fiction. The structure is classic the semireluctant spy, Gabriel, is pulled from his cover to hunt down terrorists who have committed a horrific crime, in this case the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Rome. The mastermind behind the bombing is French archeologist Paul Martineau, aka "Khaled, son of Sabri, grandson of Sheikh Asad. Khaled, avenger of past wrongs, sword of Palestine." Orphaned as a child after his father is killed by the Israelis, Khaled is also the adopted son of Yasir Arafat, who has now activated Khaled to wreak vengeance on his mortal enemies. Gabriel assembles a team of crack young agents and sets out to find when and where Khaled will strike next. The determined team tracks down the terrorist, but when Gabriel goes in for the kill the plot takes a stunning twist; the lives of all, plus hundreds of innocent bystanders, are threatened. Gabriel is a complex character with a rich past. His wife, Leah, is confined to a psychiatric hospital in London, mentally damaged and physically disfigured from the bombing that killed their son. He lives with the beautiful Chiara, whom he can't marry out of loyalty to Leah, even though she seems to barely know him. Silva hints at further entries in the series in which Gabriel must step up and assume new duties: "Gabriel, you are the mightiest," his former mentor tells the agent. "You're the one who defends Israel against its accusers. You're the angel of judgment the Prince of Fire."
Customer Reviews
Great book
Will not disappoint
Another great book…
Though not my favorite book so far by Silva, it’s an amazing read! The story draws you in an ensures that you are captivated to the very end.
The Path to Closure
It’s 2022 and I’m reading the Gabriel Allon series in order for the first time. This book, The Prince of Fire, is the 6th.
I didn’t mind the long backstories and setup in Prince of Fire. I enjoy the quasi-historical motivations of all relevant sides. However, I thought the payoff should have been better.
It’s also unpleasant to deal with the emotional roller-coaster presented within the Team Chiara vs. Team Leah narrative. I wish we could pick an interest and move on.
Additionally, the story and endings in this series are starting to feel formulaic.
Tragedy + Back Story + Operation Setup + Shamron/Lev meddling + Operational Failure + Gabriel beating + Gabriel Escape + Rushed, Unsatisfying Ending = Story
Overall a good book, but I’d rank it 5th out of the first 6 in the series- only in front of the first.