A short tale of an downed American pilot in ww2 Norway and the young girl that helps him. Full f beautiful language and a captivating story, I give this book 5:stars

When Kari, a young Norwegian girl, sees that an Allied plane has crashed in the forest near her home, she decides that she is the best person to help the injured pilot get to Sweden, away from the Nazis occupying her country. Against all odds, she fights weather, her fellow Norwegians, and even her father, to do what she feels is right. The writing in this book is simple yet highly engaging. The hidden reasons for human behavior are explored sensitively and delicately. Recommended.

First, full disclosure:
1. I received a copy of this novel from the author with a request to read and review it.
2. I am obsessed with stories related to the two World Wars.

LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES is a novella that takes place in Norway during the Nazi occupation of World War II. But the war almost fades into the background because this is a novel about a chase, with building suspense, that follows the intersection of five lives:
1. An American pilot who crash lands in the forest.
2. A motherless teenage girl experiencing her first tender feelings of love.
3. A spineless Nazi collaborator dreaming of a more prosperous life.
4. A German officer, desperate to leave the relative safety of his posting in Norway for the possibility of earning glory on the battlefield.
5. A remote but desperate father trying to locate and protect his lost daughter.
And one more major character -- the cold Norwegian winter. Snow, cold, and ice impact everything.

My biggest criticism of the book is the elaborate descriptions that start each chapter, which to me, seemed somewhat forced, even unnecessary, and detracted from the building suspense of the story. Nevertheless, the suspense keeps building as the book progresses. And the ending, when it comes, seems realistic.

This book is less a war story than it is about the varied ways people behave during difficult times (brave or self-serving, for example), and how their personal reactions wind up impacting the lives of those who cross their paths.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting book with an incredibly rushed ending. It felt sudden and abrupt and not fitting with the build up before.

Interestingly enough, the main characters of Kari and Lance were the least developed. References to her mother's temperament aside, were we to believe that Kari's motivation to help Lance were solely due to her obsession with American culture? So much more could have been done with Lance's false bravado.

Norway isn't a typical setting for a WWII book, so it was definitely good to see from that perspective. Nordic settings in general tend to be refreshing.

3.5 rounds to 4 stars. The book had a lot more potential and needed more follow through with the ending.

This was my first dip into the writing of Kirk Kjeldsen. It turned out to be a delightful experience. I have a recent fascination with Norway already, so when I found that the book is set there, it was pretty much a forgone conclusion that I'd want to check it out. LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES was an easy book for me to get involved in, enjoying the storyline and the time period, all handled in a wonderfully descriptive writing style. It became a battle between wanting to finish the book to see how it ends, and trying to keep from inhaling it too quickly so that it wouldn't be over too soon. Something that doesn't happen all too frequently for me. A satisfying read that has me already looking forward to future works by this author. My thanks to Netgalley, Grenzland Press, and the the author himself for the complimentary copy to read.

If you like World War 2 stories, with plenty of action, strong characterization, and a good old fight against the forces of evil, then Land of Hidden Fires is the book for you. As I approached the climax of the novel, I couldn't help but hold my breath. I highly enjoyed my reading experience and just couldn't put this book down!

Four out of five stars. This story wa a little short on character development, but the historical aspects and the gripping storyline made up for it.

I received a free electronic copy of “Land of Hidden Fires” by Kirk Kjeldsen via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. No other consideration was offered, expected or received.

“Land of Hidden Fires” started off rather promising, and I found myself drawn into it from the start. It’s a fast read and the writing style is far from complex and very “factual”: it reminded of the “The Martian” by Andy Weir. But as I progressed disappointment grew, mainly about the lack of character development. The German Oberleutnant Moltke gets an especially stereotypical treatment.

What I did like most were Kjeldsen’s descriptions of Norway’s winter landscape; the movement of clouds, the sounds snow makes, how lake ice makes noises as the evening falls and the temperature plummets, how wind erases tracks in the snow. Along with his use of Norwegian words and songs and poems. Those “atmospheric” aspects were done really well, I think.

It was an OK read, but not a memorable experience. I need more complexity and character development for that.

Thank you Netgalley, Grenzland Press and Kirk Kjelsen for the opportunity to read this terrific book.
An American pilot is rescued by a 15-year old Norwegian girl, Kari, in Norway during WWII. Norway is under occupation by the Germans and Kari is determined to help the American escape to neutral Sweden. The tortuous, harrowing trip is a tense,taut read that will leaving you breathless. Kari's father is frantically following his daughter and the Germans are on their trail too, making for many breathless moments while I was reading, keeping me up most of the night. There were heartbreaking moments that will stay with me for the next several days and I will definitely add Kirk Kjelsen to my list of authors to read.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Kirk Kjeldsen, and Grenzland Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

This is one of those books that hook you from the get go. It is WWII and Norway has already been taken by the Germans. Life is hard and winter, always long, seems endless. Land of Hidden Fires is a fast read, and a good tale, but the descriptive phrases sing, and the beauty of the land is heart wringing. Kari and her father Erling are all that you need them to be: strong, stoic, silent, loyal. This is a keeper. Kirk Kjeldsen is an author to watch for.