This is the third book of 'The Circle Opens' quartet, following the continuing stories of Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar from 'The Circle of Magic' series. In 'Cold Fire', Daja and her teacher, Frostpine, are in the northern country of Namorn, in the city of Kugisko; they are staying with old friends of Frostpine's and hoping for a time of peace and quiet; sadly, it does not come to pass. Frostpine ends up chasing a counterfeiter, while Daja discovers that the daughters of their hosts, Niamara and Jorality Bancanor, have ambient magic like her and her foster siblings'; it means they draw the magic from the thing itself; it feels alive to them to say it frankly. Along with that, she befriends a local fire fighter, Bennat Ladradun, who has dedicated his life to save as many people from fires as he can, since he lost his family in one himself. Together, they battle blazes that have begun to sprout in the city built mainly of wood; to make the task of rescuing people a bit easier, Daja makes a pair of metal gloves for him to reach through any blaze. However, Daja soon realizes that the fires have been set, and the friendship between the two is strongly tested.