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Firespell (The Dark Elite #1)

by Chloe Neill (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 5,967 ratings · 534 reviews

When Lily Parker's guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, Lily was shocked. So was St. Sophia's.

As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia's boarding school, Lily is surrounded by an ultra-rich bratpack. She's pretty sure her spoiled, petty, fashion-obsessed classmates are the most monstrous things she'll have to face, and surviving them and...more

Paperback, 246 pages

Published January 5th 2010 by Signet

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Jan 03, 2011 Flannery rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kcls, paranormal, young-adult-teen, read-in-2011, reviewed-2011

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 sounds pret...more

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Apr 07, 2010 new_user rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

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 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. It's all in the details and Neill peppers them economically throughout the novel -infodumps are never a problem with Neill, my word on it.

Neill's strengths, as always, are her wit in commentary and especially dialogue. Her characters' script-worthy banter probably eat up only a few pages less than her exposition, if that, all together. I won't be surprised if Firespell's optioned for film. She's already fashioned an interesting wardrobe for the cast, described in a passing phrase because the author has an enviable fashion vocabulary.

I didn't know they were called "baffled" jackets, but it's a data bank of uncommon, specific words, be they argot or descriptors, like that that allow her to describe a person or place in ten words or less and her care selecting them that allows her to leave a lasting impression. So yes, I am complimenting you on your diction, Ms. Neill, LOL. Her special care with language (e.g. she writes "The other’s still a frat boy in the worst connotation of the phrase" instead of "worst sense of the word," which is more instinctive but incorrect) suggests a genuine delight in a turn of phrase. Her pop culture references were engaging and fun without inundating the narrative. In general, she avoided repeating descriptors which keeps characters fresh and interesting. I appreciated that too. One gets tired of seeing "his cerulean eyes" again and again. Sometimes they're "indigo" and we also mention his dashing smile and so on.

Ah, yes, did I mention the cute boys? Points for Michael Garcia and Jason Shepherd, also Derek and Sebastian and Daniel and before this becomes an awards speech, I want to say I expect to see Jason show his stuff in the next book-- show his magic, I mean. Er, nevermind, LOL.

Also in the movie vein, she paints a scene pretty well. She establishes everyone's places in a scene, sometimes picks out some vivid imagery, and pauses on particular frames we've all seen in a blockbuster at some point, the girl falling to her knees as a big rock comes barreling towards her. She even describes the effects in a familiar way so they're easily imagined. The magic looks like a "green contact lens," LOL. Exposition as sparing as it is, however, these scenes actually move quickly, as they should. She keeps them exciting and gripping, unsettling where appropriate.

The characters are unsettled where suitable and calm where suitable. These are reasonable girls and probably one of the better examples I've seen in the YA niche, and surprise of surprises, the heroine has a strong relationship with another female, which is rare in fantasy not surprisingly but an important aspect of the high school experience. It would be nice to nix the Mean Girls, but depicting interpersonal relationships with sensitivity is this author's strength, so she's ideally placed to write about Lily's growth as a junior in high school.

I would say she's better at characters than plot, but the book did get exciting near the end and I'm assuming since we've already had the introductions that the next book won't take so long to get into the good stuff. So I'll be watching out for Hexbound , second book in the Dark Elite series. Don't look for a ton of angst and intensity. Her resolutions are a tiny bit neat but satisfying and tension continues in different ways. (less)

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Dec 25, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal-ya

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 night and something very sec...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-love, young-adult-romance, young-adult-series, urban-fantasy, teenagers, light-suspense, contemporary-paranormal

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 should enjoy it also.

Lily Parker, sixteen and from upper NY is shipped off to an all-girls private school in Chicago while her parents are...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Misty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-ya, own, sci_fi-fantasy, series, supernatural-paranormal, recommended, historical, read-in-2010, cover-appeal

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 sending her to an elite boarding sc...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Lily's parents just broke the news that they're taking a two-year sabbatical in Munich, Germany - and that she's not invited. Immediately, Lily has visions of staying with Ashley while going through the SATs, college application process, and the prom. Her daydream fades as her mom breaks the news about a boarding school in Chicago.

The first day at St. Sophia's raises questions for Lily. She's so unsure why she's enrolled. Most girls have been comin...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, favorites

I loved this book so much, I bought it a while ago and only recently decided to read it, and I'm glad because I just love Lily and Scout, their relationship is so great and funny. I never wanted the book to end. Lily's sarcasm is perfect and I cannot help but laugh. I also think Jason is just beautiful. I don't want to write more incase I confuse this book with the second one because I have already read it and it was just as good at this one in my opinion. I cannot wait to read the third one.

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Sep 12, 2011 L-D rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magic-witches-mages, paranormal-abilities-superpowers, shifters-weres, young-adult, series

I did not like this book. Lily Parker is sent to a private and prestigious all girls' boarding school when her parents have to travel to Germany for a 2 year research project for work. Once there she befriends Scout, a quirky and fun girl who has been a student at St. Sophia's since she was 12. I actually did like the characters - Scout was pretty cool and Lily was just snarky enough for my tastes. There were also quite a few one-liners that made me smirk while reading. But the book just started...more I did not like this book. Lily Parker is sent to a private and prestigious all girls' boarding school when her parents have to travel to Germany for a 2 year research project for work. Once there she befriends Scout, a quirky and fun girl who has been a student at St. Sophia's since she was 12. I actually did like the characters - Scout was pretty cool and Lily was just snarky enough for my tastes. There were also quite a few one-liners that made me smirk while reading. But the book just started so slowly that I kept skimming it to get to something... anything. Nothing happened for the majority of the book. When the action finally started, it was just really lacking for me and it just felt erratic. For example, Lily tries to convince some people to help and they all say no, then she walks away and then turns back and basically tries to convince them again and they're like - okay, sure. Her argument didn't even change, they just changed their minds. Sure there were some cute boys but maybe I just don't like YA books. The boy was cute, then he made her mad, then he immediately apologized and held her hand. It was all I could do not to roll my eyes at the pages. Blech - just blech.

And the powers of the adepts were a little random. Some adepts had elemental power which is useful, but some of the powers were a little lame - like Michael's power. And you never get to see Scout use her power. And you find out what Jason is, but Lily never gets to observe his power either. It was like everyone had powers but in order to keep a G rating, no one was allowed to inflict any violence by using these powers. (note: vagueness in describing powers is by design to avoid spoilers)

The only action that was remotely interesting was Lily's interaction with Sebastian. He was like the Darth Vader of this book - but the young Darth Vader when he was still Anakin Skywalker trying to fight the dark side. Hot with more than a touch of bad boy, but a flicker of goodness left in him :) I was digging him. But he had like 2 minutes of screen time so to speak. If I run through all 300 books in my TBR list then I may consider reading book 2 to see if anything comes of Sebastian, and only since I already own the book. I recommend this book to 13 year old teenage girls who have 9:00 curfews and have not yet held hands with a boy. (less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adults

I am a fan of Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampire series; so, I thought I would give the Dark Elite(YA) series a try. First let me start off by saying that I truly enjoyed Firespell; however, I had some problems with the writing.

When 16 year old Lily Parker's parents inform her they are going to Germany on sabatical for two years, she is excited until she is informed she will not be going with them nor will she be able to stay with her best friend finishing her Junior and Senior year at her high...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, pnr-uf, chloe-neill, ya

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 baddies, called the Reapers,...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

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.

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Feb 27, 2013 Khanh rated it 2 of 5 stars

Lily Parker's parents are on sabbatical teaching philosophy in Germany, and as such, they've decided to send her to a super elite school for rich girls called St. Sophia's, in Chicago. There, she is the target of beautiful, rich girl bullies (aren't they all?), and makes a friend in the quirky, unconventional (sounds familiar?) Scout. Scout seems to be hiding some secrets of her own, and Lily soon finds out that she and her family are not what they seem.

This is possibly one of the most confusing...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Becky {Somewhere Between The Pages} rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 5-stars, review, fantasy-or-urban-fantasy, purchased

I loved this book. Though people raved about it and recommended it to me months ago, it took me far too long to actually pick this series up, and boy do I regret it now. Chloe Neill's writing style is beautiful and her characters are full of depth. There was never a dull moment, and I didn't want it to end.

Speaking of the characters... I loved them all. Lily was an absolutely fantastic lead. She's so sarcastic and I found myself laughing so often - I actually had a stitch at one point which has...more

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Jul 13, 2012 shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome, paranormal-romance, enjoyable, beautifully-written, original

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

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Feb 20, 2012 Petit-lips rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

- Je n'avais pas vraiment accroché avec la saga Les vampires de Chicago de Chloe Neill, mais tout le monde faisait l'éloge de Dark elite sur le net, alors j'ai voulu tester moi aussi. J'étais très enthousiaste, mais le soufflé est retombé bien vite.

- Les parents de Lily partent 2 ans pour travailler en Allemagne et décident de laisser Lily aux Etats-Unis, dans le lycée privé et select de Sainte-Sophia. Lily se retrouve déracinée de Sagamore (ville de l'état de New York) et arrive à Chicago pour...more - Je n'avais pas vraiment accroché avec la saga Les vampires de Chicago de Chloe Neill, mais tout le monde faisait l'éloge de Dark elite sur le net, alors j'ai voulu tester moi aussi. J'étais très enthousiaste, mais le soufflé est retombé bien vite.

- Les parents de Lily partent 2 ans pour travailler en Allemagne et décident de laisser Lily aux Etats-Unis, dans le lycée privé et select de Sainte-Sophia. Lily se retrouve déracinée de Sagamore (ville de l'état de New York) et arrive à Chicago pour la rentrée. Très vite, Lily se lit d'amitié avec Scoute sa colocataire, qui semble avoir un secret.

- Bon, le moins que l'on puisse dire, c'est que ce livre ne révolutionne pas la littérature jeunesse ni l'urban fantasy. L'histoire est basique, et tout se passe trop vite.
En effet, tout arrive en seulement 1 semaine, à peine. Ce qui nuit furieusement à la crédibilité du récit (même si c'est un récit fantastique!). Le premier jour Lily et Scout sont meilleures amies ça fait un peu bisounours et dès le lendemain Lily espionne Scout lors de sa sortie nocturne car elle la croit en danger je ne sais pas où elle a été chercher tout ça. De plus, l'arrivée de la magie intervient trop tard dans le roman. Du coup je me suis vraiment ennuyée. Et une fois que les choses sont expliquées, j'ai été vraiment déçue de la tournure des évènements. Ca manque cruellement d'action et j'ai vu le dénouement de l'histoire arriver à des kilomètres. L'auteur aurait pu faire plus original, mais non.

- Les personnages sont fades. Lily Parker ne m'a fait ni chaud ni froid, je l'ai surtout trouvée idiote en fait. Elle se dit que c'est pas normal que son amie Scout lui cache des choses en même temps elles sont potes depuis quoi, une journée ?, donc elle la piste. Ensuite elle fonce tête baissée dans des pièges gros comme une maison. A plusieurs reprises j'ai eu l'impression de relire le même paragraphe, tellement Lily se pose toujours les mêmes questions et ça dure longtemps, ses monologues....
Le reste des personnages n'est pas vraiment intéressants. Ils sont stéréotypés au possible. Seule Scout et son humour tranchant m'ont plu. La pseudo romance est presque inexistante alors qu'il y avait du potentiel avec Jason lol et pas passionnante du tout. Et puis les pestes à la Gossip Girl, très peu pour moi.

- Bref, pour conclure, j'ai trouvé ce premier tome mou, plat, creux, vide... enfin tout ce que vous voulez, mais pas terrible quoi ! Le seul point positif c'est que l'auteure a un plume très facile donc ça se lit très vite. Je ne pense pas lire la suite.

http://lectures-petit-lips.blogspot.c...(less)

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Sep 17, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban, young-adult

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 school where all...more 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 school where all her friends are!

And it's a cold introduction to her new school. The only person who seems interested in being friends is Scout Green. Fortunately, Scout is one of her suitemates but even Scout has her secrets. For just as long as it takes Lily to spy them out anyway. The results are…well, let's just say, it's bittersweet as Lily gets pulled into Scout's nocturnal activities.

The Characters
It's got all the usual. A snotty brat pack and a cold-hearted headmistress. Parents who are hiding some pretty major secrets. The class recluse with a magic touch on the cello. And BFFs with a goth sense of style.

My Take
I will say that I enjoyed this and I would like to read more. It's not a series I would collect—I like her Chicagoland Vampires much better. And primarily that is due to the target audience for this series. Neill does a good job of presenting the characters as teens and I do love the zingers and the slang the kids use. It is obviously centered on her young adult audience with Neill creating teen-to-teen and teen-to-adult interactions very much from a teen perspective. It reads very true in this respect.

I do have to wonder why it's so impossible for Lily to share some pretty obvious issues. Why not ask her parents why Foley seems to have an odd idea of their professional activities? Why not ask Scout the meaning of that new marking on her back? And why does she have to actually consider whether she'd rat her friends out? I wish Neill had created more tension in the "let's rescue Scout" episode. Bit tame, that.

The Title
I suppose the title, Firespell, is appropriate as it is the primary power of one of the characters in the book.
(less)

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Aug 04, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

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 Lily and, of...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars

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. This is the fastest I've r...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, supernatural, realistic

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 Chicago, from demons and...more

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May 27, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

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-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout...more

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Jan 13, 2011 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 author is t...more 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 author is trying too hard to impress you.

The humor in Firespell was just AWESOME! Sarcasm on pretty much every page which made me feel right at home with these characters and their story.

Scout and Lily are wonderful female leads young girls can look up to. Scout is spunky, sharp minded, quick with her tongue, and straight forward. She isn’t afraid to stand up for herself or others. She also has a quiet vulnerability which makes Scout both strong and beautiful. Lily is laid back, open minded and open hearted, bold when she needs to be, and a true friend. Both Scout and Lily are sarcastic and the friendship they share reminded me of my best friend Bridget and myself. It’s honest and genuine. They don’t ever try to impress each other, they just let each other be themselves without restrictions, great lesson for young people to learn (even some a little older *wink*).

Michael and Jason are great male leads, even though you don’t get to see them as much as I wish. They are both dripping with HOTNESS wrapped in SEXY! Jason was my favorite though. He is sweet, honest, and mischievous. If Jason was real I’m pretty sure there would be a lot of girls running after him (this one included hehe). All of the secondary characters are also well developed. You get to see each personality and don’t feel like any of the characters were thrown into the story to fill a space in the plot.

The plot itself is loads of fun! Wonderful to read a new take on the world of magic. There wasn’t once I was bored in this story and had to fight myself to put it down so I could actually take of other things I needed to do. But as soon as I was done, I was jumping back in for more! I love that there was no sex or drugs or vulgarity. Chloe Neill proves a GREAT book geared for young adults can be written without insulting their intelligence and without the need of following a so called “trend” (most young adult novels now a days of have WAY too much sex, drugs, useless violence, etc in them to be considered not just suitable for young adults but good in general).

If you haven’t read Firespell GO BUY IT!! This is one purchase you will most DEFINITELY be happy you made! And the sequel, Hexbound, comes out on January 4th, 2011. Can’t wait!!
brough to youby OBS staffer Dawn(less)

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Jan 10, 2011 Annabell rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 information. But when the ultr...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Danna rated it 3 of 5 stars

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, but the...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Teen Department Homewood Library rated it 5 of 5 stars

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. Sophia's, an...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is another YA book that I'd been looking forward to reading, so when I got started and found Lily's voice to be casual, clever, sarcastic, and fun... I was instantly sucked into this world she's only discovering herself.

Lily Parker has just been sent off to St. Sophia's. A boarding school for girls located in the heart of Chicago. She's not too happy about it, but her parents have been offered an opportunity of a lifetime in their academic lives and there's no better place to put her. So, s...more This is another YA book that I'd been looking forward to reading, so when I got started and found Lily's voice to be casual, clever, sarcastic, and fun... I was instantly sucked into this world she's only discovering herself.

Lily Parker has just been sent off to St. Sophia's. A boarding school for girls located in the heart of Chicago. She's not too happy about it, but her parents have been offered an opportunity of a lifetime in their academic lives and there's no better place to put her. So, she gets there, tries to settle in, and meets a girl called Scout. Scout looks like a bit of a rebel, and when Lily notices that she's sneaking back in really late at night, she can't help but be curious.

Of course, Scout isn't willing to share. So the next time she sneaks out, Lily follows her to the basement. Where it looks like Scout's running from something. In the meantime, Lily meets two other friends of Scout's--boys who attend the male version of her boarding school. And also gets acquaintanced with the 'brat pack', three obnoxious girls who decide to play a prank on Lily because she's obviously chosen the wrong friends to hang out with. When they lead her to the basement and shut her into a janitor's room, she's able to make it out, but that also leads her to Scout's secret. And gets her injured.

After that, she's pretty much dragged into a secret world of magic that a small group of teenagers is trying to keep balanced. They moonlight as protectors of humans who have been targeted by Reapers--tainted magic users--and each have a power of their own. Lily doesn't seem to fit in at first, but as the days go by and she starts to realise that her parents might be keeping a few secrets from her, she once again gets in too deep. Especially when the Reapers take Scout.

Firespell is a page-turner that gradually introduces you to the characters, the city, and the hidden world they live in. Lily's voice was snappy and snarky, and her conversation exchanges with Scout are awesome. There's even a little hint of romance that takes a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but I can't wait to see where things go with the mysterious blue-eyed Jason. And also, very importantly, because this is a first POV-written book, I really liked Lily. She's a cool, interesting character who's slowly finding out that things in her life aren't as simple as they seemed.(less)

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Dec 31, 2010 Amy A rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, paranormal-fantasy

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 &...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What really drew my attention in, I suppose was the cover. I appreciated the eeriness of it, the fascinating plotline and not to mention the title. Boy, was I wrong! I started the book off with vigour, rubbing my hands together and stopped everything else to read it. The first few pages grabbed and whisked me away with its fast pace and setting, but this soon died away. Going on to the next few chapters, the excitement dimmed. It took a bit more of a struggle to continue, I admit.

The biggest err...more What really drew my attention in, I suppose was the cover. I appreciated the eeriness of it, the fascinating plotline and not to mention the title. Boy, was I wrong! I started the book off with vigour, rubbing my hands together and stopped everything else to read it. The first few pages grabbed and whisked me away with its fast pace and setting, but this soon died away. Going on to the next few chapters, the excitement dimmed. It took a bit more of a struggle to continue, I admit.

The biggest error made in history was the back cover. While in the novel we are introduced to the protagonist Lily PARKER, the cover said Lily JONES. OK, so never mind. It wasn't Chloe Neill's fault. But well, Lily kinda is. She's unsociable, immature and completely inexperienced. Unsociable because throughout the ENTIRE SCHOOL, the only people she mixes with are her suitemates and the other Adepts whom she's introduced to. It would honestly be a nice change if she could start mixing a little. Besides that, even when the Brat Pack lock her away and because of that nearly kill her in the process, she still wants to hang out with them because its a so-called "change". Maybe secretly she wants to be cool, I don't know. And Scout, too. Just because Lily hangs out with the Brat Pack, she goes all "ugh. I'm not gonna speak to you anymore." I mean, HELLO! Isn't Lily entitled to have other friends? SCOUT IS NOT LILY. And of course, Lily's inexperienced as well. She meets Jason Shephard with those 'eyes' and she goes to la-la-land. She doesn't even know him! I mean, sure, you get the hots for him, I KNOW, but you don't even know him! Lily's narrative point of view tends to get tiring as well. She's always sarcastic and long-winded we can't even get a "I'm tired" without dozens of words mixed into it as well.

I noticed, mid-way in the book, that neither Jason nor Michael really fit into the picture. It's like Chloe Neill simply tossed them in at the last minute. And only because having Scout and Lily would bore people. I was interested in neither Jason nor Michael, and usually the "hot guys" in the book usually make it all the more interesting and heart-pounding for the girls. I simply could not understand Jason's infatuation for Lily.

The action in the end did not leave me breathless either. I was just waiting to get over it. However, I do admit the pace picked up somewhere in the end which pleased me slightly. The end revelation on Lily's powers, however, drew me in. That was about it.

Overall, it was disappointing and sad to say, marks the end of Lily's journey - at least for me.

-SK(less)

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Nov 06, 2010 Paradoxical rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reading-list, books-otherwise

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 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 equally bad--at the very least she could have lied and said something about going out with friends, which would be more reasonable than her cryptic "It was important" remark. Yeahhh, that's going to make Lily forget all about it.

The book does pick up and boulder on during the middle and end, which was good because there were times I was thinking of just dropping it. However, the interactions between all of the characters were, hm, rather shallow, and I'm harboring serious dislike for the magic enclave Lily interacts with. All of them rub me the wrong way, and there's a large sense of 'our way or the highway' wafting from them that strikes one rather similar to the other side they are fighting against. While they do good, they're all rather elitist in their own way, and it makes one wonder why Lily would want to join them in the first place.

More questions are asked than answered, but seeing as this is the first book of a series, that's understandable. The ending was actually somewhat exciting, even if I have some serious dislike towards the magic enclave and I'm not all that interested in learning more about them. Overall, first half was pretty terrible, middle was all right, and ending was somewhat good. Neill's use of the word snark (and variations of) is still humongously grating--I don't mind it being used a couple of times in a book, but the way she throws that word around, you'd think it's more commonplace than it actually is.

2-3 stars. I'll give Neill the benefit of a doubt since the book did pick up in the end (and I rather liked her other series), but I'll be pretty leery about going to read the next one. (less)

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Aug 15, 2010 Aik Chien 인첸 rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 real identity,...more 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 real identity, when she discovered that she, too, had something unique that differentiates her from the ordinary humans. And I really wanted to know more about Sebastian, who has a dark and mysterious character.

The characters in this novel are well-developed, and I'm sure readers will remember them easily. Lily is clever, but her curiosity sometimes bring disaster to herself. Although Lily is the main character of this novel, I think that her best friend Scout seems to grab the limelight. I like that she is independent, brave and full of energy. It is because of her that Lily finally discovers her hidden potential. I admire the friendship between Lily and Scout. They are willing to protect and save each other from danger, no matter what it costs. I also think it is nice that Chloe do not forget to give our heroine a cute, handsome hero by the name Jason, who turns out to be less human and more of something else.

The brat-pack, which consists of Veronica (the leader), Mary Katherine (sidekick) and Amie (also sidekick) really gets on my nerves with their nonsensical ways. I've read lots about these "I'm-glamourous-and-you're-a-loser" type of girls in other chick-lit novels, so this does not catch my attention for too long. However, I still hate them because of their attitudes.

In a nutshell : This novel is exciting and suspenseful, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel! Highly recommended to teenagers who love magic and related items. Fans of The Morganville Vampires series will most likely love to read Firespell.(less)

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About Chloe Neill

Chloe Neill was born and raised in the South, but now makes her home in the Midwest—just close enough to Cadogan House and St. Sophia's to keep an eye on things. When not transcribing Merit’s and Lily’s adventures, she bakes, works, and scours the Internet for good recipes and great graphic design. Chloe also maintains her sanity by spending time with her boys—her husband (also her favorite landsc...more

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Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, #1)

Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires, #2)

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Quotes from Firespell

“Scout released me, then wiped tears from beneath her eyes. Catharsis, I guessed. “I’ve said it
before and I’ll say it again—you seriously rock, Parker.”
"Tell me again, Green,” I said as we switched on flashlights and headed through the tunnel.
“Seriously, you rock.”
“One more time.”
“Don’t press your luck.” — 36 people liked it

“Oh please," Scout said."Don't take that tone with me. You know you'd love to have a minion. Someone at your beck and call. Someone to do your bidding. How many times have you said to yourself," Self, I need a unicorn to run errands and such?” — 34 people liked it

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