The title "The Fiery Chamber" sounded intriguing. I thought the mystery was going to have to do with volcanos. So initially I was disappointed when I discovered the plot centered around forgeries of Asian ceramic art, like pots and bowls. But I actually grew to enjoy this book the further I got into the story. Plus I was schooled in a few things about how kilns worked, as well as woodworking and ceramics. But I did guess the villains fairly easily. Still, an interesting read. ( )

*spoiler warning!*

This book was pretty disappointing. I admit I was surprised by who was actually guilty in the end (well, one... the other person was obvious). But there was no sense of urgency in the plot... Even when Nancy was trapped in the kiln, the writing simply lacked. I wasn't pulled into it, wasn't on the edge of my seat, wasn't *connected* with the storyline, like I usually am with these books. ( )