Well-written, poorly plotted. The characters, dialog, and descriptions are nicely done - but for the first 2/3rds of the book, by far the largest problem is his parents refusing to talk to him...about stuff that is obviously already a problem (but they _promised_ each other they'd wait until he was 14). Not to mention that if they had (been able to) waited until he was 14 and then shoved him off into the mountains it would have been an utter disaster - with half a year of training he still barely makes it. Except of course, magically, everything comes right, and HEA. One thing that rings really really false, for me, is that a 12- and 13-year old is seriously considering who he's going to marry and being attracted to different women (girls, around his age). And both times, there's a jealous other man (boy) involved which causes more problems...this is just silly. If he'd been 18, or even 16, I might have been able to swallow it, but at 13-year-old boy should not be thinking about this stuff. Even when people married early - a 13-year-old girl might be ready for marriage, a boy would usually marry when he was 20 or older. The obstacles were too contrived, the solutions were too magical and running on rails. The thing with the mute girl was the most realistic part of it (well, that and his grandmother's attitude). Not a winner. ( )

WOW. Great book. Very powerful reading. The ending is a cliff hanger with the possibility of a sequel.

Firegold by Dia Calhoun belongs to an ever-increasing tradition of what I have begun to call "fantasy without magic". The novels often have the basic elements of fantasy - alien lands, elaborate belief systems, and coming of age. However, they don't have any overt magic. They are not science fantasy as in Silverberg's Maijpoor Chronicles as the world is clearly pre-industrial. In Firegold, people go on quests and see visions, but they don't actually practice magic.

People in fantasy often stand out because of an unusual trait, but Dia Calhoun picks an ordinary one - blue eyes. All the people in the Valley, North and South, have brown or black eyes. Jonathon Brae is thus dubbed a "loony-blue" and is distrusted. It is a given that we will eventually get to find out why he is different and he will come of age. But, despite the familiar storyline, Firegold is a wonderful book. Both the mountains and the orchards of the valley are perfectly detailed, and the people in the book are realistic without being preachy. This book has a lot to say, but leaves most of it up to what happens, and not by moralizing. White Midnight, a prequel to the book, is also much worth reading. Calhoun's Windward books (Aria of the Sea and The Phoenix Dance) are also excellent, although they are much more overt fantasy, with magic.

Firegold is the story of Jonathon Brae. Jonathon is a misfit among the brown eyed valley fold. He has blue eyes which have traditionally been linked to adult insanity. As Jonathon grows toward adulthood he is shunned more and more and is confronted by differences between himself and his family and their neighbours. He finds that he has a connection to the barbarian Dalriada and travels to find out if he has a place among them.

Jonathon learns a lot about the history of the people in both valley and mountains and his own family. Can he find a place for himself in the story?

I recommend this highly! The language is beautiful, the characters are solid, and the story meshes into the scenery.

All the brown eyed boys of the valley gang up against Jonathon, whispering behind his back of how he’s going to be a “loony-blue” when he turns of age. For the thing that separates Jonathon from valley folk are his blue eyes, the eyes of supposedly the barbarian Dalriadas of the Red Mountains. Dia Calhoun creates this young adult piece of fantasy with the message of growing up in between the lines. It is a hard thing to find your place in life, especially when you are separated from the rest of the population because of a certain different characteristic. This theme is conveyed through Jonathon, and it is done with a magnificent twist of magic. This page flipper will bring young adults into Jonathon’s world, and they will come out with hope that they will be able to find themselves in the adult world.