This was a short story set in Finland during the German Occupati0on in World War 2. A compelling storyline with str0ng characters. The descriptive writing makes the story come alive and walk off the page. Happy ending against the odds.

Good old fashioned adventure - peril, self-discovery and realisation

Grenzland Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Land of Hidden Fires.  This is my honest opinion of the book.

When fifteen year old Kari Dahlstrom sees an allied plane crash in the mountains near her home, she takes it upon herself to locate the wreckage and extend an offer to ferry the American pilot to safe haven.  Hunted by her father and the Nazis, Kari has a hard time keeping her feelings for Lance at bay.  Will she be able to usher the pilot to safety in Sweden before time runs out?

Land of Hidden Fires features a fast moving plot and a strong premise.  Highlighting a region affected by World War II that is not often touched upon in the fictional world, this book shows one girl's strength and determination to help an American pilot trapped in Occupied Norway in 1943.  Land of Hidden Fires would have been a four star book had the author resisted the urge to include a teenager's crush into the plot line.  It simply was not necessary and took the focus away from Kari's selfless task.  The descriptions of the desolate landscape and frantic push towards freedom despite the elements are realistic and help to set the stage.  Overall, the author does a good job of bringing to life his characters and I look forward to reading possible future books.

Kari's just your typical teenage girl, dreaming of boys and being like Rita Hayworth...except that her country is currently occupied by Nazi Germany. When an American pilot crash-lands near her father's farm, she sets off on a desperate adventure to smuggle him to Sweden. 

I always have my eye open for some good Nordic reading, so obviously I snapped this up (even though the author is as much American as he is Norwegian). It's a quick, light read, coming in at 135 pages. Nonetheless, there's plenty of action, as we follow not only Kari's trek through the snow towards Sweden, but also her father's chase after her, and the search by the German officer assigned to find the American pilot whose plane has gone down.

Kari is an appealing character, combining girlish romanticism, adolescent rebellion, and a strong sense of right and wrong. She thinks Lance (the American pilot) is the man she's been waiting for, and rushes impulsively into a ill-thought-out rescue attempt, only to discover that the real hero of the piece is she herself. The other characters are more lightly drawn and typical, but still distinct: Erling, Kari's father, is a gruff widower who can't demonstrate his love for his daughter, and Moltke, the German officer, dreams of glory with Rommel in Africa rather than being stuck in backwoods Norway. The atmosphere is also typically Nordic: lots of snow, ice, and skis. The interwoven plot is perhaps the most successful thing about this book, with shifts between the different characters as they all race to reach each other and the Swedish border. Not a giant war epic, but still an engaging and fast-paced novella about a lesser-covered front in WWII.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was attracted to this book, because I had not seen a book set in WWII Norway before.  The plot and pacing of the story were very good, except the ending, which felt a bit rushed.  The quality of the writing, while beautiful in places, was not consistent throughout the book.  Overall, it was a good story and a great debut.

I liked that Kirk had a tough young woman with the guts to do things that a normal person would not have done.  Such as crossing the river and saving her horse when it was going under the ice attached to a cart.  Or going alone into town that was filled with Germans.  Or finally leaving the American pilot in the ending to go back to her father, growing up in the story not living in daydreams.  This story is really worth your time to read it, because of it's reality to life.

This was an okay book. Having read a lot of war-time fiction, I unfortunately have high expectations about these types of novels which wasn't as much the case when I first started moving into the genre. 

Firstly, onto the positives. I thought that the concept was really interesting and I also really enjoyed the location that it was set in. Most of these books seem to centre around very specific locations so it was quite nice to have a more unique setting chosen. I also enjoyed the concept of the book, as there is nothing more mysterious and thought provoking than a man literally landing in your back yard.

I did unfortunately think that Kari was quite a lifeless character. She seemed to display a frighteningly small amount of worry about her situation and seemed to have acquired some temporary amnesia about her father's predicament. As she is presented as quite a switched on young lady, I was surprised by how little thought she gave towards the consequences of her actions, particularly on her father. She also had the expected thoughts surrounding Lance but I never felt that she truly delved into her feelings around him. The whole book felt as if it was tiny snatches of her thoughts caught here and there but there was no substance or weight behind it. 

From an adventure point-of-view, it was very interesting. I really enjoyed the fact that she traveled so far with Lance. However, she seemed to do so mutely and with little interest in her situation. Having finished books that have made me cry and not had half the grand setting that this book did, I was disappointed by how lacklustre it all was.

This was an enjoyable book.  It is set in Norway in March 1943, when the Germans control the country, but there are resistance movements.  Kari, a Norwegian farm girl with an idyllic view of America and Americans based on Hollywood movies, sees an American plane go down in the hills not far from her farm.  At night she sneaks to the crash site and finds the pilot alive, caught in the trees in his parachute.  Wanting to spend time with him and wanting adventure, she claims to be a member of the resistance and says she will get him safely across the border to Sweden, which involves a somewhat treacherous journey through forests and mountains in winter.  The book focuses on their journey via horse cart (and later by horse) to the Swedish border as they try to avoid German troops and Quislings.  Unbeknownst to them, Kari's father has figured out what she has done and where she is going and is following after them, trying to find them before harm befalls them.  The Germans are also aware that an American plane has crashed and the pilot is missing, and with the aid of a local who has grand dreams of being heavily rewarded for helping capture the pilot and those aiding him, are also on the tracks of Kari and Lance (the American pilot).  It is a story of resilience and survival.  The book has interesting characters, an engaging plot, vivid descriptions of scenery, intrigue, and the ultimate question of whether Kari and Lance will make it safely to Sweden.

Land of Hidden Fires is the second novel from author Kirk Kjeldsen. This is a short and punchy read in which Kjeldsen showcases his talent for creating tension and atmosphere. I rapidly found myself tensing in anticipation of a climax to the great chase. Kjeldsen quickly builds a picture of occupied Norway with clean prose and translates rich historical research into a compelling narrative (indeed he was inspired by a personal family connection to the story - see more on this over at Booklover Book Reviews).

I’m on a Norwegian fiction kick at the moment in preparation for a trip later this year, and Land of Hidden Fires ticks two of the key things I look for in pre-travel reading by nailing the sense of place and neatly framing the narrative in historical context. The rapid switching of viewpoints kept the pace ripping along and allowed Kjeldsen to quickly build a good picture of each character, although I must admit I felt we didn’t get enough depth in Kari to really justify her spontaneous life-risking behaviour. This flaw was quite distracting for me until the point that the adrenaline took over in the chase.

Land of Hidden Fires would translate to cinema easily, with Kjeldsen’s ability to ‘show-not-tell’ a real strength in painting a rich picture of occupied Norway. It’s a thrilling ride, and a great quick weekend read.

I waffled back and forth on this one.  4 stars if you are a middle schooler to early highschool.  But not quite so high if you are an older adult.  Opted for the 3 stars since I fall in the older adult category.  Much older.

The writing is very straight forward.  I didnt find much depth in the characters but what there is works well.  Kirk Kjeldsen has brought to life some aspects of the war in occupied Norway.  I felt that Kari, the protagonist, was far to comfortable for a sheltered teen.in traversing this landscape.

For the the early teen reader, whom I feel is more the audience for this book, the story is not necessarily about Kari helping Lance get to Sweden.  It was more about infatuated love, teen angst, rebellion, undefined dreams, and growth.  All hallmarks of the teen years in general.  The author does write these feelings and emotions into the story quite well. Kari sneaking out of the house to look for the downed flyer.  Stealing clothes and money from her father to help Lance without thinking of the future consequences.  No defined plan of how to get to Sweden.  I remember my rash, impulsive, undefined path as a teen.  Her impulsiveness brought back some of the stupid things I did that, at the time, seemed so reasonable.

So I give a wholehearted recommendation for "Land of Hidden Fires" but for the right audience.

I received this book for an honest review.

While I enjoyed this book, I felt the premise of a young girl, Kari, putting her life and her father's on the line to help a soldier struck down behind enemy lines was challenging to completely believe in. 
On one hand she was so accomplished in survival techniques and following her own plan and on the other hand she was so emotionally insecure and child-like.  I found it difficult to buy into this discrepancy.  I did like the subtle way the relationship between Kari and her father unfolded and ties I enjoyed learning about the occupation of Norway by German solders.

Review published at http://bookloverbookreviews.com - see link below.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy!
Overall a quick, enjoyable and fast paced book, the author does a pretty good job describing the scenery which gets the reader very much immersed in the story.
Although I liked the somber mood and tone of the book, I thought it felt a bit flat at times. I also finished the book and never got a sense of who the characters really were, a bit too one dimensional for my taste.
Definitely worth a read though.

I was very disappointed in this book.  The characters are uninteresting and the story unbelievable.  I appreciated the opportunity to review it and am sorry to have to give it a negative review.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a short read, and interesting in parts. I'm not sure if author was going for historical fiction or coming of age or maybe both. It has bits of everything in it. What I didn't find was a character I could truly warm up to. Kari is a head strong fifteen year old that sets out to explore a plane wreckage. This is 1943 and she is not liking her father much. Her father begans to look for her and we slowly learn little about him. I just wasn't completely sold on this book, but it will probably have more of an audience with readers that love this kind of genre.

Lately, I've been reading quite a few books on the war in Norway and its resistance movement. To say it stands with Doer's All the Light We Cannot See, is hyperbole.
I found the chapters all followed the same pattern; the protagonist was courageous, yes; the plot was predictable for me; and the ending was likewise.
Well written but not different enough from other similar books for me to give it four stars.

I received this book from NetGalley after the author asked me to review his book. I found it to be a short, easy read, finishing it in two days. It takes place in the winter of 1943,in occupied Norway. A US air force plane crashes near a Norwegian farm run by a widower and his 15 year old daughter. She finds the pilot, stuck in a tree, and gets him down. She tells him that she is with the resistance and will take him to Sweden. The Nazis are searching for him and the plot proceeds at a good pace. There is quite a bit of descriptive information about the geography, plants and people of Norway.
I enjoyed reading it and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Kari is a 15 year old girl who works on the family farm in Norway with her father Erling.  Life on the farm is hard and she has never travelled far from the area.  Her dreams of the outside world are fuelled by knowledge gathered from books, films and postcards.  It has been a struggle to make ends meet since the German invasion and their supplies are dwindling.
One day Kari sees an Allied plane crash and goes to the aid of the American pilot.  She pretends to be part of the resistance movement and offers to lead him to safety at the Swedish border.  Unbeknown to her father they set off on a journey where Germans are not the only danger they have to worry about.
Erling has struggled emotionally since the death of his wife and does not know how to relate to his daughter.  When he discovers her absence and the reason for it he sets off to save the daughter he has been unable to show his love for.
This story had a realistic feel to it and I could imagine the events actually taking place.  There was also some fantastic imagery created by the author.   One of my favorite scenes involved a river crossing and my heart was in my mouth the whole way.  I also enjoyed getting to know the main characters and understanding the motivations for their behaviour.  Although this was fiction it renewed my appreciation for those involved in the resistance movement and the risks they took. 
This book can easily be finished in one sitting and is recommended to those who enjoy a tense part historical thriller.

I would like to give this book a 3.5/5 Rating.

I want to thank NetGalley, the Publisher and the Author for my ARC copy for a fair and honest review.

This YA novel has a personal link to me. My Grandmother's family lived in Trondheim before and after the war, so getting a glimpse at the beautifully described scenery was almost magical to me. The Authors descriptions make it very easy to visualize the scenery and feel and see what that the characters face throughout the novel.

The story takes place during WWII in Norway, which had been overrun by the German Occupation. Kari, the heroine of the novel, lives on a farm with her father. After the loss of her mother, Kari and her father Erling drift apart. While Kari was outside she spots an Allied plane smoking and out plummeting to the ground. Now Kari has always had a love for all things American, so when she sees the plane coming down, she feels compelled to find the pilot and help him, even at the risk of her own life. If she were to be caught she could be sent to a work camp, or at the worst be killed as a traitor. Kari finds the pilot Lucas and helps rescue him from the trees and so their adventures begin.

What happens next is that they set off trying to get to Sweden, which is about the only safe place for Lucas. They set off and have many near misses and face multiple challenges as they race towards Sweden. Erling realizes his daughter is missing and sets off after her, therefore you have multiple storylines throughout the novel, but they flow well with each other.

You also have Moltke, the German Oberleutnant that wants to have an active role in the War and not be sitting on the sidelines in Norway. Moltke's goal is to capture Lucas and claim the glory so that he may finally get to leave Norway and start to earn himself some military glory like his ancestors.

Unfortunately, I found the characters were missing some depth. They could of had some more personality and maybe filled us in a bit more on the back story, such as why Kari and her father were at such odds. 

I wish that we found out what happened to the main characters after the conclusion of this novel. The historic accounts in the novel are quite accurate and well done. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.