Series: Dark Elite #1
Published by Penguin on 2010-01-05
Pages: 256
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
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Also in this series: Hexbound
New Girl. New School. Old Evil. From the author of the Chicagoland Vampires novels. A new series about a boarding school filled with something worse than homework. Lily's parents have sent her to a fancy boarding school in Chicago filled with the ultra-rich. If that wasn't bad enough, she's hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophie's creepy campus. Her roommate, Scout, keeps her sane, but keeps disappearing at night. When one day Lily finds Scout running from real-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout is involved in a splinter group of rebel teens. They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It's too bad Lily doesn't have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she's discovered yet...
Thoughts: Wow!
I picked up Firespell for the Debut YA Author Challenge – and boy am I glad I did! I had heard of Chloe Neill’s Adult Series, but nothing about them seemed to pique my interest. So I thought I’d test out her YA debut before I dove into the Chicagoland books.
Unlike a lot of YA out there right now, Firespell is based more around Lily and her new universe – rather than around her relationship with a boy. Although there is certainly a love interest (and I think I am right in foreseeing a future love triangle), her relationships with her BFF Scout and her absent parents take center stage.
Although I loved the universe and whatnot, what stole the show for me was Lily. She is insanely awesome – a sarcastic, sensitive, vegetarian, fashionista. If people call her a weirdo, she’ll just role her eyes and make some fabulously insightful comment. And her banter with Scout made me laugh out loud countless times!
Scout was another great character – a punky, funny, wanna-be-politician. She talks tough but is an amazing softie. Lily and Scout make the perfect duo.
But gosh, there are so many mysteries left by the end of the book. And although we get a nicely wrapped up ending – no cliffhangers here – there are still so many things I want to know! I cannot wait for the next book… and the book after that…. and the book after that…
Bottom line? This book is a must for all readers! Especially if you liked Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires Series! (BTW, anyone who compares it to the HoN series is out of their mind – completely different!)
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I did enjoy the story being more about Lily than about a romantic relationship. I get tired of the same ol’ story over and over and I found Firespell to be different enough to keep me reading.
This is NOTHING like the House of Night series! I haven’t seen a comparison to that yet, but I agree with you 100% there!
@Cat – It really was very different from most YA books out there! And yeah, ppl have been comparing it to HoN… but they must have been reading a different book! Chloe Neill called it a mix of Harry Potter and Nancy Drew – which I thought was a lovely and fitting description. ♥
Wow. Thanks for the review. I’ll have to try to find this, it sounds really good. 🙂