Prince of Fire (Gabriel Allon Book 5)

Good read

The book is very informative as well as suspenseful. I enjoyed reading about Gabriel Allon and his flawed and brilliant mind. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about the Palestinian and Israeli strife.

The first 25% of this very well-written novel, Daniel Silva's "The Prince of Fire," is an historical summary of modern-day hatred, war, murder and terrorism between the Arab world (mainly the Palestinian Mid-east) and the Jewish world (mainly Israel). This unusually long historical backdrop-introduction in a novel of this sort (terrorism and counter-terrorism), while interesting, becomes tedious. It serves to reveal starkly Silva's hand as an unabashed Israeli apologist. Try to remember while reading this book that it is fiction. Despite Silva's attempt on the epilogue to justify and mitigate his particular take on history, the book remains fictional.At about 31% through the book (Kindle version, so it is impossible to cite a page number) is this passage spoken by Shamron, Israeli terrorism mastermind, "We would never have come back to this land if we weren't pushed here by the hatred of Europe's Christians, and now that we're here, they won't let us fight, lest we antagonize the Arabs in their midst." The real-life character of Yasser Arafat figures prominently in this book. Of course in the end, Gabriel Allon survives numerous near-death experiences to heal and kill another day. The usual large number of characters is summarily assassinated."Prince of Fire" is not a typical Silva-Allon story. It is filled with enough hatred and pathos for 10 novels. Silva tries - about 2/3 of the way through the story - to be a little bit even-handed politically, by having a Palestinian suicide bomber woman tell her story to Allon (probably the least believable aspect of this novel). Throughout, however, Silva's (or is it Allon's?) world view stands front and center on every page.The story itself is very good, and, with the exception of some strange Kindle-text-transfer-technical-errors, it moves quickly to a resolution once the reader absorbs all of the history. The story is not far-fetched at all. In most ways, it is quite realistic. There are even a few pages devoted to what has been a lovely Allon trademark in this series: discussion of fine art, and Allon's skill at restoring damaged or aged artistic masterpieces. Allon's on-again-off-again love affair with Chiara is the only reason you should read the Allon books in chronological order, and in this book we learn how and why his hopelessly brain-injured wife Leah was finally brought "home" to Israel. The stage is set for Allon to move on with his life - surely to occur in a subsequent novel in the series.Silva does a slightly better job of writing women in this book than in most of his others; dialogue is always a weakness with him; the men are more-or-less believable; but in my view the scenes and the narratives are painted with an artist's touch.One-sided historical views aside, it's a 4, and a good read at that.

The fifth book of Daniel Silva’s series featuring art-restorer and Israeli avenger Gabriel Allon shows in small ways his growth as a writer. In Prince of Fire, the technical aspects of the plot play second fiddle to the people side of the story, although the plot doesn’t lack for suspense or mystery.The ongoing battle against Palestinian terrorism plays itself out on the battlefield of Allon’s guilt over the loss of his son and the injury suffered by his wife Leah. An incidental consequence of his obligation to Leah, despite the fact as this novel begins she has not said a word to him in more than a dozen years, is the aborted legal consummation of his relationship with Italian-born Chiara.Another aspect of the human side of the story is the relationship of Allon to Shamron, his father substitute. The latter continues to manipulate Allon to serve his ends, knowing Allon can’t say no to him. Shamron wants him to take over running the “Office,” while Allon just wants to restore medieval art.Prince of Fire doesn’t paper over the suffering of the Palestinian people but accurately places the bulk of the responsibility for the refugee problem on the Arab leaders of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt who refused to allow ten percent of the British mandate to be allocated as a Jewish state and instead sought to drive the six hundred thousand Jews living in Palestine in 1947 into the Mediterranean.Then failing to accomplish that goal, those same leaders refused to integrate the refugee population into their countries, forcing them into squalid camps which became the breeding grounds for terrorism they remain nearly seventy years later.Allon explains the problem to a member of his team: “The only difference between Hamas and Hitler is that Hamas lacks and power and the means to carry out an extermination of the Jews.”That doesn’t mean the Palestinians have any interest in a peaceful settlement, which is why Daniel Silva continues to find fertile territory for his brilliant story telling. It always comes back to the people who didn’t ask for war, but for whom war can’t be escaped.

Please note this is the continuation of a series. If you haven’t read the other books in order, the main characters won’t have much context.The first several books of the series were very good. This one seems to be a series that has run its course with the continued war between the Israelis and Palestinians, Gabriel’s moodiness and flashing back to the car bombing with his wife, and the same plot lines repeated in this one. I really tried to get into this book, but quit at the 55% mark because it just kept plodding along (with more flashbacks). I realize I am in the minority as there are even more book sin the series with a tremendous number of sales but the repetition gets old. I would give this one a pass.

Another good read, this time a clever plot with some good twists which make it more exciting. A good page turner, good characters and well put together. It brings up subjects which make you think as well as read, a thought provoking ending. Would certainly recommend, although the more you read the more the characters mean all can be read as stand alone books.

If you read any one of this series of books you'll immediately order as many as you can get ahold of. They are excellent and informative as well as exciting, the writing is out of this world. The hero puts 007 to shame.

Ho letto tutti i libri della serie "Gabriel Allon" di Daniel Silva, anche se non in ordine cronologico. Devo dire che questo "Prince of Fire" è fra quelli che mi sono piaciuti di più in assoluto. Chi si è "innamorato" della figura dell'agente/restauratore Gabriel Allon, nato dalla penna di Silva, in questo libro impara a conoscerne le origini, buona parte della sua storia personale, anche se da prospettive diverse rispetto a "A Death in Vienna". Assolutamente da non perdere!

No momento atual em que o anti-semitismo está em voga novamente, é interessante ler um livro que traz versões dos 2 lados. A história em si é fantasiosa trazendo um homem que sobrevive a coisas inimagináveis e algumas soluções simples, o estilo americano de autossuperação inconteste, mas correto, leitura fácil . Inova em mostrar o conflito Israel .Palestina. Com certa profundidade e trazendo aspectos que são confortavelmente esquecidos pela imprensa ao divulgar as tragédias atuais. Tristes traços de realidade dentro de uma ficção blockbuster . Instiga. Virei fã .

Gabriel Allon is one of my fave protagonists..and this book doesn't disappoint. Exciting read.