title: Elysium Fire (Prefect Dreyfus Emergency)
author:  Alastair Reynolds 
description: "This novel's ideas are mind-stretching, including a limbo where copies of the dead can be kept and interrogated, and a chillingly mischievous AI that tempts and mocks Dreyfus. The big concepts and complex story effectively pull readers into intriguing speculation about human identity and potential."<b><i><i>Publishers Weekly</i></i></b><br /><br />"Reynolds combines depth in characterization and dazzling hard-science applications to keep the reader turning pages."<b><i><i>Booklist</i></i></b><br /><br />"<i>Elysium Fire</i> is a tremendously assured read, a fast-paced page-turner that delivers a well thought out story and characters you'll come to care about."<b><i>The Guardian (UK)</i></b><br /><br />"A swashbuckling thriller--<i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i> meets <i>Firefly</i>--that nevertheless combines the author's trademark hard SF with effective, coming-of-age characterization."<b><i><i>The Guardian </i>on <i>Revenger</i><br /></i></b><br /><br />"<i>Revenger </i>is classic Reynolds-that is to say, top of the line science fiction, where characters are matched beautifully with ideas and have to find their place in a complex future. More!"<b><i>Greg Bear on <i>Revenger</i><br /></i></b><br /><br />"A leading light of the new British space opera."<br /><b><i><i>Los Angeles Review of Books </i>on Alastair Reynolds<br /></i></b><br /><br />"One of the giants of the new British space opera."<br /><b><i><i>io9 </i>on Alastair Reynolds<br /></i></b><br /><br />"[Reynolds is] a mastersinger of the space opera."<br /><b><i><i>The Times</i> (UK) on <i>Blue Remembered Earth</i><br /></i></b><br /><br />"Heir to writers like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, Reynolds keeps up the tradition of forward thinking... An immensely thrilling, mind-bending piece of work."<br /><b><i><i>AV Club </i>on <i>House of Suns</i><br /></i></b><br /><br />"[Reynolds] is the most gifted hard SF writers working today."<br /><b><i><i>Publishers Weekly</i> on <i>Beyond the Aquila Rift</i><br /></i></b>
zlib_text: 
  
  
  ![](images/Broo_9780345444622_epub_cvi_r1.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  # RED COILS OF EVIL
  
  
  As Allanon turned to walk away, there was a sudden, terrifying explosion. A
  whirling mass of red fire engulfed the Druid, and he disappeared. Dazed and
  half blinded by the explosion, Brin Ohmsford struggled to her knees and
  shielded her eyes as she stared to where red fire burned all about Allanon,
  wrapping him in crimson coils and flaring out wickedly. Within the fire, the
  Druid was hunched down against the shimmering black rock of the valley floor,
  barely holding back the flames with a faint blue aura.
  
  
  Desperately, she sought the maker of that horror and found it not twenty yards
  away. There, stark against the dawn’s faint light, a tall black form stood
  silhouetted, arms raised and leveled, with the red fire spurting forth.
  
  
  She knew immediately what it was—a Mord Wraith, foul minion of the evil
  Ildatch!
  
  
  It had come upon them without a sound, caught them unawares, and struck down
  the Druid. With no chan