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Jan 12, 2011

Flannery rated it:

This book takes about two seconds to read. It's miniature size is indicative of several things: (1) The plot is too hurried; (2) The love story is underdeveloped; (3) We don't learn enough about the characters; and (4) We have to wait for a lot of storylines to run their course through the series.

In my two seconds (FINE, two hours) of reading this book, I did come to enjoy Lily and Scout's friendship. The aforementioned lacking love relationship was a big bummer for me, though. Jason More...

2 comments like (14 people liked it)

Apr 07, 2010

new_user rated it:

I was on the verge with this one, finger on the trigger, because nothing happened for fully a half of Firespell, but Chloe Neill did it again. She's one of the few authors whose settings are as engaging as her characters. She's intimately familiar with Chicago, and by the end of the book we know the Loop as well as Lily and her friends. She spares the time to introduce us to St. Sophia's boarding school with loving attention to class schedules and uniform, so that we're sitting alongside Lily. I More...

21 comments like (22 people liked it)

Jun 22, 2011

Book Chick City rated it:

Reviewed by Jo for Book Chick City.

This isn't necessarily a new plot, a girl moves into a boarding school where it is not as it seems and there are mysteries abound. But saying that, it was an enjoyable, fun, quick read.

After her parents announce they are going on a research trip, Lily is suddenly moved to St. Sophia's School for Girls, a boarding school in Chicago. Lily soon finds out there are mysteries in the school, including her room mate disappearing during the nigh More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Feb 01, 2011

Misty rated it:

In Firespell, Chloe Neill expands on her take of underworld, paranormal Chicago (see the Chicagoland Vampires series). This time, Neill takes a foray into YA with the first book of her Dark Elite series, set in a Chicago boarding school where all is not as it seems.

Of course.

Lily Parker is ready to start her junior year of high school in Sagamore, New York, when her parents inform her that they are going on a research sabbatical in Germany for two years -- and send More...

4 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 28, 2011

Sandra rated it:

What a pleasant surprise is this YA book. Sure we had high school kids, school, homework, a slight love interest schoolgirl-wise, but we had intelligent writing, focus, kick-ass goodies and baddies and no-one presuming instant knowledge of magic power. No teenage angst to drive the story.

Our heroine Lily is sent to St Sophias School when her parents go on sabbatical to Germany, she becomes BFF with Scout and learns about Magic.

There is more going on though than the baddi More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 25, 2012

Angie rated it:

2,5
ZzzzzzZzzzz ! Mortel. Trop mignonet et mou. Pour très jeune public (clairement pas de la YA pour moi) avec une énorme dose de naïveté.

5 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 05, 2011

Linda rated it:

FIRESPELL, a paranormal mystery/urban fantasy, is the first in a new series of books by Chloe Neill. I haven't read anything by this author before but I am impressed. It has a great storyline, likeable characters and well-written relationships. Nothing pretentious, it is just a smooth easy read. I believe it is aimed at teens and young adults but older people such as myself should enjoy it also.

Lily Parker, sixteen and from upper NY is shipped off to an all-girls private school in Chi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 17, 2011

Kathy rated it:

First in The Dark Elite urban-fantasy young adult series set in a contemporary Chicago and based in a girls' boarding school.

The Story
Poor Lily Parker is stuck attending St. Sophia's School for Girls in Chicago. A far cry from her rural upper New York public school! All because her parents got the chance to do philosophical research in Germany for two years. Two years!! Lily just doesn't understand why she couldn't have stayed in Sagamore with her best friend, Ashley, and finish s More...

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Aug 04, 2011

Amanda rated it:

Chicagoland Vampires author Chloe Neill expands into the young adult genre with Firespell, the first book in a series known as The Dark Elite. Neill's entry into the YA genre is hardly unexpected, as several adult paranormal romance authors are trying out the growing YA genre and carving out new fans for their work (Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong and Rachel Caine to name a few).

In Firespell, Lily is shipped off to a boarding school filled with preppy rich kids, new difficulties for Lil More...

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Jul 22, 2011

Sara rated it:

Plot: 4 Stars
This novel was a very unique take on magic. I liked that each Adept had a different magical skill, instead of everyone being a catch-all of talent. I also liked all of the details of St. Sophia's and the surrounding (and underground) area of Chicago. It gave the book a more life and really came through that the author knew the area personally or researched it extensively.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
The story sucked me in within the first couple pages and didn't let go. Th More...

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Jul 11, 2011

Nina rated it:

I liked it. It certainly is different to current supernatural/paranormal books out now.

Lily has been sent to the ultra rich pack boarding school, St Sophia's because her parents are taking a Sabbatical and she can't go with them. Her new found best friend though, is more than she seems. AND it doesn't take Lily long to be embroiled in whatever it is that Scout is a part of.

So...same old whatever, bunch of rich kids playing protectors with their special little gifts for C More...

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May 27, 2011

Michelle rated it:

Firespell is the first book in the Dark Elite series by Chloe Neill and a Paranormal YA from Signet.

Book Blurb:

New Girl.
New School.
Old Evil.

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 More...

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Jan 13, 2011

OpenBookSociety.com rated it:

For author Chloe Neill’s debut into the world of Young Adult fiction, I must say she has knocked it out of the ballpark! Firespell is one of the BEST Young Adult novels out there (in my humble opinion)! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!

The characters are developed well. The pacing of the story is perfect, beginning at medium speed then throwing you forward, into one hell of an adventure! The descriptions are just enough to help you capture the story without feeling overloaded or as if the More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 10, 2011

Annabell rated it:

Synopsis: “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. Sophia’s creepy campus.

The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout’s a little strange. She keeps disappearing late at night, asking Lily to trust her even though she won‘t divulge any inform More...

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Jan 06, 2011

Danna rated it:

I decided to read this book after reading all the good reviews on it and I-sadly-have to say that I was a little disappointed.
The main character Lily tended to worry about things she shouldn’t have a lot. For example: her parents work (how the headmistress said that they were doing genetics stuff when they were in another field), Jason (a hot guy she had met). I did like her curiosity, that’s basically what fueled her to follow Scout and the “brat-pack”.
Chloe Neil is a great writer More...

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Jan 06, 2011

Ms-Heather rated it:

Its not often that I come across something original in paranormal lit for teens, but Firespell is definitely one of these rare gems. Chloe Neill took the (almost) overused themes of boarding school, magic and vampires and twisted them around to tell the story of Lily Parker and the Junior Varsity.

Lily's parents have the opportunity to take a sabbatical in Germany, studying the papers of a famous philosopher. Rather than take their teenage daughter with them, they enroll Lily in St. Sop More...

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Jan 01, 2011

Yolanda rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Dec 31, 2010

Amy rated it:

The more I read of Chloe Neill the more I like her work. I was a little hesitant to pick up her YA novel becuase I loved her Chicagoland Vampire novels so much and I was afraid that she wouldn't be able to move from Adult Urban Fantasy to YA Fantasy. But she did a good job. I will definitely continue to read this series. One of the main things I like about both sets of her novels is the female friendship aspect. She writes female friendships so well you wish that you were in that group or you ho More...

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Dec 10, 2010

Sharon rated it:

Firespell is the first of a new YA urban fantasy. I read this after my daughter who's 15 & you know I enjoyed it. The whole premise of fighting the good fight in a school enviroment has been done to death, but Chole Neill brings a fresh new twist to magic & her characters are engaging, funny & multilayered.
I won't go into the storyline as that has been covered, but I will say, I enjoyed the friendships, bitchiness, the indomitable secretive Ms Foley, sinister Sabastian, Scout & our female More...

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Dec 02, 2010

Sarah rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 06, 2010

Paradoxical rated it:

Start of the book wasn't too promising--Lily goes to a boarding school because her parents go overseas for two years. Of course there's the bitchy popular crowd and the quirky-but-not-popular friend and Firespell seemed to settle nicely into cliche central. What made me sigh was when Scout (the quirky friend) makes up the lamest of excuses for why she sneaked out and stayed out until past 1am. Seriously, random excuse of exercising? And her excuse (or lack there of) for coming back so late was e More...

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Aug 15, 2010

Aik Chien rated it:

First impression: I enjoyed it fairly well. It started off with Lily's parents telling her that they had to go on a sabbatical in Germany for two years, and Lily will be sent to St. Sophia's boarding school. Lily wasn't that happy about it, but she went there, anyway.

My thoughts: Firespell will surely appeal to readers who enjoy the young adult genre. It is full of mysteries. I really doubted the fact that Lily's parents were on an academic sabbatical. I thought hard about Lily's rea More...

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Jul 23, 2010

Dottie rated it:

Lily finds herself thousands of miles away from the parents, currently sabbatically in Germany where they hope to peruse ancient philosophical documents. Thrown into the Windy City, known as Chicago, she has to adapt to her new surroundings. St. Sophia's Prep School for Girls, where she an outsider from Sagamore, NY and maybe not all that wanted. She's a junior in high school and has to start all over making friends and connections that are unfamiliar to her. And Chicago is nothing like Sagamore More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 04, 2010

Cherry rated it:

The world building is a slow build-up to a great architecture. The end result was beautiful and believable. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. The story-telling quality was good and I would give it a 3.5 out of 5. The character development was superb and as a reader, I can connect with Lily and Scout.

Here is the kicker:

Towards the end, the good guys team and the bad guys team had a drama talk which read like a badly scripted movie. The book is trying to make me believe that More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jun 13, 2010

jane rated it:

I expected more from Chloe Neill

A huge fan of Chicagoland Vampires, I was thrilled when I heard Chloe Neill had started a new series for young adults. I promptly ordered Firespell on my Kindle and sat down for what I was sure would be a delightful few hours distraction from the agony of waiting for Richelle Mead's Spirit Bound (which was FANTASTIC, by the way).

Several pages in, my thrill promptly died. The plot in this thing was painfully predictable. The char More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 06, 2010

John rated it:

Title: Firespell (Dark Elite; Book 1)

Author: Chloe Neill

Publisher: Signet (Penguin)

After reading the literal epicness that was Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, I felt like I needed a new book that could cushion my fall down to Bookworld. So, I was going to read Evernight for the first time. But then, my little reviewer brain told me that my readers wanted to read about more relevant books, and I remembered my little itty-bitty copy of Firespell that I bought More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 08, 2010

A&E rated it:

Firespell started too slow for me. I thought it spent too much time on Lily getting to school and getting settled. Then we have to meet the typical brat pack of mean girls. Then we go through what the food is like and, blah, blah, blah. That stuff doesn't interest me. I'm an action girl so get on with it!

Let me get this out there. My main complaint about Firespell is that the action started too late in the book. From the synopsis I thought we would be getting to the fighting and sup More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 10, 2010

Dark Faerie Tales rated it:

Quick & Dirty: A solid start to a new series with magical world-building, a touch of wicked humor, and lurking danger.

Opening Sentence: They were gathered around a conference table in a high-rise, eight men and women, no one under the age of sixty-five, all of them wealthy beyond measure.

The Review:

Lily Parker is just your average middle class teenager. Her life in upstate New York is drastically changed when her parents decide to go on a two year sabbatical More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 07, 2010

Kim rated it:

Firespell is the first book in a new series, the Dark Elite, by Chloe Neill. It's a fun read, albeit one which suffers a bit from a common problem with the first book in series---it spends a lot of time setting up the premise (an intriguing one, to be fair) and not as much actually moving the plot forward. Which means the second and subsequent volumes may hold my interest a bit more.

Lily Parker lives in upstate New York with her parents, professors of philosophy. When the senior P More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 25, 2009

Rachael rated it:

Lily Parker is so not thrilled at being sent to St. Sophia’s, a snooty boarding school in Chicago so that her parents can go on a sabbatical in Germany. She’s not resentful of her parent’s acceptance into their program, but she feels trading her upstate New York home for a used-to-be convent in the windy city totally unnecessary. Regardless of Lily’s feelings, though, she’s now a St. Sophia’s girl, for better or worse. It seems like it’s for the worse based on Lily’s first experiences at the sch More...

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