An ancient cave newly unearthed in Yemen.
A scientific research facility in the Norwegian Arctic.
A fertile valley, home to an isolated tribe in prehistoric Kenya.
In book two of The Children of Sarah series, Dr Eloise Kluft is wrenched from her new-found happiness to join the battle against an emerging biological threat.
In a distant era, an ageing shaman must pit her hard hard-earned wisdom and the gifts of her bloodline against the terrifying dangers she has foreseen for her family.
Looking to an uncertain future, a hopeful young couple navigate the fraught path to parenthood in a world where little makes sense but the courage to love.
The Fire in Their Eyes follows characters first encountered in Bone Lines, as they negotiate life’s risks and joys... and as the heritage of our remarkable human journey is passed along.
I'm delighted to be sharing my thoughts about The Fire in Their Eyes today. Many thanks to Stephanie Bretherton and Breakthrough Books for sending me a digital copy of the novel.
I read Bone Lines, the first book in Stephanie Bretherton's The Children of Sarah series back in 2018 and although it's been a long wait for this sequel, it really was such a pleasure to be reunited with Dr Eloise Kluft as well as the offspring of 'Sarah'. It isn't necessary to have read Bone Lines but I would recommend doing so to fully appreciate how the storyline has been developed. I wish I'd had more time to have re-read it but Stephanie Bretherton weaves enough of the backstory into proceedings for new and returning readers to be able to catch up with what went before.
The expansion of characters here is particularly effective and as much as I welcomed meeting up with Eloise again, it's fascinating to see how other characters react to various discoveries and predicaments too. As with Bone Lines, this is a dual timeline novel, with chapters taking place in both contemporary and prehistoric times. In the modern day sections, the perspectives are now shared between different characters who are all linked in some way or another.
Eloise, of course, is still a major focus here and as a returning reader, it's fascinating to see how her life has moved on while still noting just what her special relationship with the ancient skeleton nicknamed Sarah continues to mean to her. Her expertise is called upon again but this time, the stakes are much higher after research into the ice core pulled up for a geological survey in the Norwegian Arctic provides a stark reminder that humans aren't as invincible as we perhaps allow ourselves to believe. The tense atmosphere which comes about working and living in such an inhospitable environment is portrayed superbly throughout The Fire in Their Eyes; the day-to-day practicalities, the claustrophobic loneliness and the pressure of having to find answers quickly to prevent a global catastrophe are all described with empathetic insight.
Stephanie Bretherton cleverly examines the relations between various characters to seamlessly illustrate how we are all interconnected, while also presenting them with difficult situations to react to. Both Eloise and Jess share a mutual acquaintance, the Reverend John Evesham and their letters allow for some thoughtful philosophical discussions throughout the book. Jess has another link to Sarah, through her work as a psychiatric nurse, while her husband found Sarah's long buried bones following an accident. He is hopeful that he will be able to build a successful media career on the back of it and although it would be easy to dislike Max, who is undoubtedly arrogant at times, the astrophysicist clearly adores his wife, Jess. As the novel progresses, I was moved by his attempts to try to understand her, in spite of his doubts and later fears.
The scenes set in the past introduce us to The Old Woman, Sarah's daughter who is nearing the end of her own life but is still aware she has much vital knowledge to impart. When a stranger enters their village, she believes her stories are more vital than ever but despite his striking eyes, can she really trust the man, especially when other outsiders gather nearby? The sense of place throughout the novel is excellent but particularly in these interludes which are described with such vibrant authenticity.
Throughout the book, The Fire in Their Eyes considers some thought-provoking discussions and analysis of real-life topics; the book is set after the Covid pandemic and many of the political, and societal issues which arose during that time are covered with insight and obvious anger at some points. Likewise, the climate emergency and the fallout from Brexit – especially what it means to the scientific community – is examined with stark honesty here. Stephanie Bretherton also explores the dichotomy between science and religion and she continues to emphasise that we still have more in common than that which divides us – whether in the present or in our connections to the past. However, this also proves to be a tense thriller with the three main strands of the storyline all having their dramatic moments. The Old Woman has some tough decisions to make in order to protect her village but with tensions already running high, will she be able to use her stories to persuade everyone to trust her judgement and to pass on her wisdom? Eloise is driven to both her physical and mental extremes as she is forced to make life-changing decisions which could signal the end for humanity if the terrible new development in the Arctic spreads beyond the carefully controlled conditions, and if no cure can be found. With questions raised about consent amidst the potential looming disaster and the awful suffering already happening at a local level, her anguished soul-searching is almost palpable. Meanwhile, as Jess and Max look forward to the next stage in their lives, they also face a number of challenges which threaten to pull them apart but Jess is in more danger than they both realise...
Provocative, intelligent and heartbreaking, The Fire in Their Eyes is a richly characterised, complex and compelling read. I highly recommend it.
The Fire in Their Eyes is published by The Breakthrough Book Collective and can be purchased from their website, which allows you to directly support indie authors and publishers.
About the Author
Before returning to her first love of writing fiction, Stephanie spent many years pursuing alternative forms of storytelling, from stage to screen and media to marketing. Meanwhile, an enduring love affair with words has led her down many a wormhole on the written page.
Drawn to what connects rather than separates, Stephanie is fascinated by the spaces between absolutes and opposites, between science and spirituality, nature and culture. This lifelong curiosity (and occasional conflict) has been channelled into her debut novel, Bone Lines, a Kindle bestseller, and its follow-up, The Fire in Their Eyes, book two in The Children of Sarah series.
Stephanie also writes short stories, such as Human Error and Entropy published in Breakthrough Books’ Taking Liberties and Order and Chaos anthologies respectively, and The Right Kind of Medicine for Sunshine Superhighway from J Henge. Various other works in progress keep her busy with authorly procrastination.
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