A gripping tale with a likable hero, I recommend this book for travelers, insomniacs and vacationers. Daniel Silva has mastered the thriller style, knows how to keep his reader turning the pages, guessing and fearing and hoping.

Silva can always be counted on to deliver a taut, fast-moving yet nuanced thriller and this is no exception. Hero Gabriel Allon sets out, somewhat reluctantly, to to avenge a massive, ugly bombing in Rome and in so doing, is forced to consider why he does what he does. In this book, as in his other Allon books, Silva ties the plot into the historic troubles between Israel and the Palestinians and ably reflects the complexities that motivate both sides. Allon is a believeable hero, now aging. Will Silva let him fade into the sunset? Doubtful, although Silva is quite capable of penning compelling novels that don't rely on this worthy hero. All in all, a good thriller. Your time won't be wasted on this one.

When you read a review saying that Daniel Silva can flat out write, believe the hype! Silva can really write, and "Prince of Fire" proves just that. Another reviewer said that he didn't think Silva would raise the bar with this one, and that he was wrong. That's accurate enough, because I felt the same way. If somebody were to tell me that Daniel Silva isn't up to snuff, I'd be laughing for a long time at you.

So, what kind of situation can Daniel Silva put Gabriel Allon into this time? Well, look no further then the likes of Ari Shamron and Lev. Lev says move, and Gabriel calls some critical shots in this lethal game of chess! And when check-mate seems so far away, you better check your king and queen, because Gabriel will find the move that you don't see coming. This is a whole new hunt, and the question is, who's being hunted? He also deals with issues concerning his wife, and coming to terms with it altogether. In some ways, he becomes more of a leader among men then he thought possible. And the stakes just get higher. If you ever thought of "Daniel and the Lion's Den," just think of the possibilities.

This is by far the best that Silva has offered up concerning Gabriel Allon! I mean, WOW!! And I still have "The Messenger," as well as a couple of others to go in this series. Does that mean I'll be looking forward to his next offering? You bet! This was an explosion of Daniel Silva's very best, and it'll sure be a tough one to beat!

You've heard about the Israeli agent (or the Palestinian terrorist) who fell into a trap? No, I'm not referring to a two guys walk into a bar joke. I'm addressing the fact that the agent vs terrorist theme is getting so shop worn, that books like these seem to be novels that are churned out by some supercomputer hidden in a safe house south of Florence, Italy. The next novel to be written should be how a group of agents interested in restoring novelty to spy thrillers break into this house and destroy the hack writing supercomputer.

As for me one of the earliest, and the best of terrorist vs agent novels is John le Carre's book The Little Drummer Girl novel, a book that deeply explores the motivations of men on both sides of the deadly fence of political enmity. All through this book I kept thinking, surely I've read this book before. I hadn't, but I have read ones that follow the same plot.

A Palestinian terrorist blows up a building. An Israeli agent goes after him. People get misled and fall into traps. They escape from traps and chase around some more. There are women in the book, all beautiful, and, of course some are destined to die. That's it folks. That's the whole book. Yes, I don't think that I've left anything out. And if that seems awfully familiar to you then you know on page one how the book will end.

In some ways I found it difficult to rate this book at only two stars, because Daniel Silva is a fairly decent writer. He occasionally throws in an adjective or an adverb, descriptive parts of speech that many writers of this ilk find extremely difficult to use.

My recommendation. If you like reading this sort of plot over and over again written in a competent style then by all means read the book. Otherwise spare yourself the deadly repetition of terrorist vs agent. And, certainly, if you have not read John le Carre's The Little Drummer Girl go read it first, or reread it if you've had the distinct pleasure of having already enjoyed it.

I am now a die hard fan of Daniel Silva. The Prince of Fire was just as great a read as all of his others. I recently ordered all of his novels and look forward to reading each of them. These books are suspenseful page turners that I can hardly put down to sleep or do work. I passed one onto a friend and now he is hooked on Daniel Silva as well. If you like suspense thrillers, Daniel Silva is the man. I would suggest starting from his first novel and working your way through. Although each novel has it's own storyline, his novels seem to build on one another; either way, don't pass up this and his other books.....they are all a must read!

I thought this book was a easy read. Nice to spend on a rainy day.

For the spy/thriller fiction genre, this book is among the best. This was my first experience with author Daniel Silva and I am very impressed. The characters are real, the story is riveting and believable and the historical perspective is fascinating. Silva definitely did his research on this one. If you are looking for a solid spy/thriller that delves into the complexities of the Arab-Israeli conflict, this one is highly recommended. Enjoy!

Once again Daniel Silva creates a fast paced thriller intertwined with current events and emotional gravitas. Gabriel Allon,one of the greatest characters in espionage fiction, has to face his own tragic past while tracking down a terrorist who's action are a result of his family's own tortured past.

I highly recommend this book. If you are a fan of the assassination genre this is the novel for you. Author Daniel Silva reintroduces us to Gabriel Allon the Mossad's premier assassin. Silva again writes with a certain level of realism that is lacking in other novels of the same genre. Well worth ordering.

This was a great read! If you like this you should check out The Trigger Event. It's an excellent political thriller.

Most thrillers are shoddily written, characters are wooden and one-dimensional and the focus on action and violence. Then you have someone like Silva who slow things down without making things boring, develops a believable character over several books and invests his book with deep historical resonance

While Silva is now Le Carre, he is better than the Pattersons of the world who hog the best seller lists

Prince of Fire is in the same genre of his earlier books - a good read but not as good as his earlier ones

- Srini Anumolu

http://www.srinianumolu.blogspot.com

Having never read Daniel Silva, I'll admit to some initial trepidation: a middle-aged Israeli art restorer cast as the hero in a spy thriller? My worries could not have been more off the mark - Silva's Gabriel Allon is a remarkable character, combining the pragmatism and stealth of LeCarre's George Smiley with the bravado of Clancy's Jack Ryan.

Following a devastating terrorist attack in Rome, Allon is draw out of semi-retirement to track down the perpetrator, possibly the apocryphal son and grandson of Palestinian terrorists with whom both Allon and mentor Ari Shamron have a history. "Prince of Fire" is very loosely based on the history of Ali Hassan Salameh, Black Septembrist and architect of the slaughter at the Munich Olympics. What follows is a well-crafted and thoroughly researched tale of Israeli espionage, as well as a riveting, if brief, history of the Palestinian conflict. While the story centers on Allon's pursuit of the elusive Khaled al-Khalifa, the true villain in this story is Yasir Arafat, rightfully cast as the master terrorist with the blood of untold thousands of Jews and Palestinians on his hands. This is a dark tale with few winners and many losers, a story of pyrrhic victory of some justice but limited revenge.

While LeCarre's once fine writing has faded to the ramblings an apologist wallowing in his misguided views of the moral relativism of democracy, communism, and fascism, writers like Daniel Silva and Alan Furst continue to write spy stories with the passion that comes only with the clarity found in recognition of the existence of good and true evil. While fiction, this is as compelling a lesson in contemporary Middle east history as it is entertaining; an intelligent and highly recommended read.

I've just read the entire Allon series except "The Messenger" which I just started. "Prince of Fire" is one of the best. The thing I love about this series is that it educates, or at least stimulates curiousity, in its historical and geographical backgrounds while taking you on an exciting ride with characters you care about. I'm not a history buff by any means (and couple of the books in the series do get a little bogged down) but they're all worth the read, especially this one.

This is a carefully devised book you will find hard to put down. The writing is excellent; the plot meticulously thought out and executed.
There is plenty of action to keep the story moving along briskly, but there are also interesting ruminations on art and politics, especially on the Israel-Palestine problem.

However, there is one note that perplexes me. At the very beginning. Monsieur Laval's villa is rented. We can figure out who rented it, but what was the purpose? Also, there was a hundred euros to pay for broken wineglasses, but none were missing. What on earth is that all about? It may have just been a note to set the flavor of the book.

A minor problem that does not diminish from Silva's superb novel. We should be seeing more of Dina. I just hope Gabriel hasn't moved entirely offstage.

This is an excellent book. I have read most of Mr. Silva's earlier volumes and this is one is better than the last. His interesting intertwining of history and fiction is unique. It adds to the drama if one is familar with the Middle East and the ongoing saga of our times.
The characters are vivid and believable. The story line is fluid and seductive, drawing the reader deeper and deeper into the plot.

From beginning to end it was a fine read. Highly recommended.

Daniel Silva writes his Gabriel Allon novels with a controlled fury - no surprise given his focus on the Holocaust and its modern fallout. Gabriel Allon may be a reserved, stoic character, but Silva is an impassioned writer whose seeming genre, the "popcorn thriller," masks a powerful voice.

Allon, leading Renaissance art restorer and Israeli assassin, continues to age. That does not mean that he still cannot operate in the field with the best of them. That's a good thing for Allon, because he is up against possibly his most lethal, brilliant villain yet - Khaled, scion of one of the Middle East's most warlike and terrifying families. But Khaled is no simple terrorist - living in total anonymity as a semi-famous French archaelogist, Khaled can strike anywhere, at any time.

He chooses to do so out the outset of the novel, wiping out the Israeli embassy in Rome, along with several innocent bystanders. And soon Allon is back on the hunt, using craft and detection to get his man.

In the past, Silva has looked to Europe's past to fuel his rage. Whether it be Switzerland, the Vatican, or Austria, Silva has usually picked one European nation and attacked its hypocrisy over its role in the Holocaust. While Silva does a fair share of exoriating the French over their current position regarding Israel, in "The Prince of Fire," Silva targets one Yassir Arafat for his rage - the Palestinian people are not to blame for the current state of war between the two nations, Silva argues. Rather, it is the hate-filled Palestinian leadership, lead by Arafat, who has stubbornly resisted every offer for peace simply because "he wants it all.

Arafat, who died shortly after publication of "The Prince of Fire," is depicted as a despicable liar and villain. Not only has he perpetuated the war against the Jews out of racist hatred, he personally ordered the bomb that killed Allon's son and destroyed the mind of his beloved wife, Leah. This was not a bomb meant for Allon - Arafat wanted Allon to suffer, so he went after his family. It's hard to imagine a more contemptible decision by a political leader.

"The Prince of Fire" is a melancholy book for a thriller. Allon's wife, Leah, gets used as bait to bring Allon into the middle of a Palestinian plot to bomb Paris - and to blame Israel for it. Along the way, Allon meets several key players in the terror plot, not least being a beautiful young woman who willingly becomes a living bomb at the behest of Khaled. That Silva makes it a page-turner is a testament to his skill, if not his subject matter.

So if you are of the school that Israel causes more problems in the Middle East than anyone else, you're probably not going to like "The Prince of Fire" - it's clear that Silva has Israel in the "good guys" camp on that question. (But hopefully you've figured that out already with the other books in this series.) However, if you are neutral on the whole Israeli-Palestinian situation, or are an unabashed pro-Israeli booster, you're going to love "The Prince of Fire."

Prince of Fire stands out in a field of spy novels because of the author's sensitivity for the extraordinarily complicated state of affairs presented by the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. While the author's allegiances are predictable, the novel has precisely the nuances lacking in other treatments of the conflict. Nothing about the conflict is simple and for that reason all efforts at resolution have been stymied. Accordingly, this entry in a series of spy novels centered around a complicated personality has a heft lacking in so many other works. Indeed, the author manages to make a case for why the situation in the middle east defies resolution in a story dealing with Israel's response to threats and terrorism and does so with superior characterizations and a prose style that provides an excellent sense of place.

The protagonist, Gabriel Allon, comes to this novel already having been developed through other stories of which this reviewer was unaware. This is not entirely unwelcome because now I get to go back and read all the prior novels with the confidence that the author knows where he is going with the character.

Rarely does a novel have the ability to confront moral dilemmas in such a fashion as is presented by an espionage novel where flawed people of uncertain motives are directed to commit unlawful and immoral acts for the actual or perceived benefit of a higher cause. When Israeli interests are involved, the complexity multiplies exponentially--politics aside, it makes for a compelling read.

By far one of Silva's best novels to date. Intriguing plot, great character detail and edge of your seat action will not allow you to put this book down. Silva is top-notch in the spy game.