Circle of Fire (Prophecy of the Sisters, #3) by Michelle Zink

Oct 27, 2011 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars

I loved the first book of the series. It was creepy, unique and with just the right amount of romance. The sequel was a disappointment and this final book is no different.

The plot was predictable and I felt like the romance overshadowed everything. What I loved about the first book was that it gave me the chills but the last two books were just meh.

The more realistic part of book was Lia's unwillingness to forgive Sonia.It was a bit narrow minded of her but that's what make it believable.

Alice...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Annabelle Marie Veronica rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: gorgeous-cover, prophecy-of-the-sisters, magic, fantasy, best-books-in-the-world, blew-my-breath-away-amazing, books-that-made-me-cry, favorites, i-own, i-love-a-guy-in-this-book, romance, paranormal

*****FINAL RATING: 4.85 STARS*****

CATCHALL
Because I am incredibly lazy and the worst procrastinator in the history of everything, this review has taken months for me to actually write. On the bright side, this is my second review today! I'm working on it, I'm catching up…but anyway. Circle of Fire was fantastic finish to Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters series. I loved every intense and soft moment of it. I reread it often, especially my favorite parts.

THE HEROINE
AMALIA MILTHORPE
Lia is...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Elisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: completed-series, read-2011

The thing is with a book being the last, you expect it to be amazing and almost everything gets wrapped up. The thing is, Circle of Fire does wrap everything up, but it's not that amazing.

Circle of Fire was a disappointment to me because not much happens at all. It's the same thing like in Guardian of the Gate, they just look for the last keys and the Stone. Not much happens. At all.

Lia's anger and distrust (throughout practically the whole novel) towards Sonia got annoying. Learn how to forgi...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Caitlings rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites, historical, paranormal, romance, read-in-2011, ya

You know what’s awesome? When a series ends, and you’re happy. Nary a complaint to be found.

That’s how I feel about Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink. Everything that I wanted to have happen, happened.

I don’t even know where to begin.

Actually, that’s a lie. I’m going to begin with James. When reading Prophecy of the Sisters, I loved James. He was cute and different, and I liked that he and Lia weren’t completely cowed by the time and customs that they lived within and enjoyed each others company i...more You know what’s awesome? When a series ends, and you’re happy. Nary a complaint to be found.

That’s how I feel about Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink. Everything that I wanted to have happen, happened.

I don’t even know where to begin.

Actually, that’s a lie. I’m going to begin with James. When reading Prophecy of the Sisters, I loved James. He was cute and different, and I liked that he and Lia weren’t completely cowed by the time and customs that they lived within and enjoyed each others company immensely. By which I mean, they weren’t afraid to make out. Then in Guardian of the Gate we met Dimitri. Lia met Dimitri. And I liked Dimitri better than James, I did. I can’t even really pin point why. I liked that he was part of the mission and part of this other side of Lia’s life that we got to discover along with her. But at the same time, I felt James was kind of brushed under the rug in Guardian of the Gate.

So, I loved every single minute of him in Circle of Fire. It’s difficult to say why without spoiling a lot of the book but lets just say the more we saw of James the more I was convinced, and Lia was convinced, that she’d made the right choice with Dimitri. I love books where it isn’t so much of a love triangle, as it is a person growing up, and finding out who they are and that sometimes, their old loves don’t fit who they are now. That was done well, and it squashed all my James misgivings from Guardian.

I absolutely cannot say why I loved Alice’s storyline in this one. But lets just say I did. Anything else will spoil it all.

Lia. Lia becoming what she doesn’t want to become, losing faith in herself while gaining faith in those around her. Learning to forgive and to trust. And to love. After losing both her parents and her brother, and her twin sister arguably, you can imagine that getting attached to people is a little scary for Lia. And I love that as she loses faith in herself and in her own strength she finds faith in the strength of others. Which shows how much strength (let’s see how many times I can use that word) she truly has.

There’s so much more I want to say but can’t! The ending! I loved it! I may have shed a tear…in public!

Also, though there was barely a hint of it in the book, you should all know that I will forever believe that Brigid and Gareth and very in love and will be happy together forever. Nothing else will do. I seriously think I need them together more than Lia and Dimitri. Which is just odd.

*rereads that part near the end* Well, maybe I need them together equally.

I’m going to force myself to end this review here, because everything else I have to say about this book is spoilery. Be assured, it is all wonderful though. I simply cannot wait for Michelle’s next book and the chance to fall in love with her writing and her characters all over again.

Thank you Michelle for ending this trilogy in exactly the way I wanted it to end.(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Erin rated it 1 of 5 stars

Wow. Bad. Bad, bad, bad. I read the first book because I saw the author speak at Decatur Book Festival and it was pretty decent. A bit of a rip off on Gemma Doyle but it did have an interesting setup with twin sisters, one of which is the 'evil twin'..So it had some promise and I went on to read the 2nd book. The 2nd book is where things veer badly off base (for me). The Victorian setting and feeling is somewhat tossed aside as the girls travel to a place called Altus where women don't have to w...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Winna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventures, fantasy-myths-fairy-tales-magic, mellow-books, young-adult, romance

I'm actually glad I just recently discovered this trilogy because frankly, I'm happier when I don't need to wait a year for the next book to come out.

Circle of Fire is the last installment in the series. Lia, the Angel of the Gate is out looking for the Stone and the last remaining key. She sets out on a journey to Ireland based on a researcher's discovery on what the passage means, and to banish Samael forever she also needs Alice's help. That part is the hardest.

The first few chapters are almo...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Ashley Arthur rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the final book in the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy. I downloaded it a year ago when it was first published, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to read it until now. The problem was that, while I really enjoyed the first book in the series, the second one wasn't great. I wanted this book to be as good as the first. Now that I’ve finished the trilogy, I won’t say it was a huge disappointment, but Zink definitely lost some of the magic of the first book.

In “Circle of Fire,” Lia Milthorpe...more This is the final book in the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy. I downloaded it a year ago when it was first published, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to read it until now. The problem was that, while I really enjoyed the first book in the series, the second one wasn't great. I wanted this book to be as good as the first. Now that I’ve finished the trilogy, I won’t say it was a huge disappointment, but Zink definitely lost some of the magic of the first book.

In “Circle of Fire,” Lia Milthorpe knows what she has to do to end the prophecy and permanently close the Gate that would allow Samael (Satan) and his army of Souls into the world. She is on the right track to find the last two pieces of the puzzle, but she also needs something that she knows will be impossible to get – the help of her twin sister, Alice.

Things I enjoyed about this book: I like the relationship between Alice and Lia. The prophecy stands between them, but beyond that, there is a current of sibling rivalry that has been present since they were young. It was interesting to hear Alice’s perspective on their relationship, since we’ve always known how Lia viewed it. Zink does a good job of building tension and maintaining suspense as the book moves toward the conclusion. Also, I felt that she tied up the majority of the loose ends of the trilogy nicely.

On the other hand, there were a lot of elements of this book that fell flat to me. Dmitri, Lia’s love interest, is completely static. He’s flawless, gorgeous, and spends the whole book reminding Lia that he loves her, believes in her, and will always protect her. It sounds great, but it’s kind of a snooze to read. Also, Zink seemed to be wavering in how she wanted to portray Lia. Sometimes, Lia is stronger and more secure in her powers than ever before. At other moments, she’s weak and fearing she’s losing her mind. Lia has a few moments where she wonders if it wouldn’t be easier to just give Samael what he wants – these moments had a lot of possibility, and I thought Zink missed a big opportunity to give Lia more depth by exploring them further.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Helen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-big-bunch-of-meh, adventure, just-pick-a-guy-and-stick-with-him

The first book, Prophecy of the Sisters, was utterly amazing.
The second, Guardian of the Gate was great but not as great as the first.
The third, Circle of Fire, was the most disappointing of the trilogy. Nothing really happens. They just look for the last keys and the Stone. Not much happens. At all.

Lia's anger towards Sonia and Luisa (I don't know why she was angry at Luisa, she just was) was sorrowful and slightly annoying. Sonia made a mistake. A horrible mistake. It just shows that she's hum...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Kate added it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Short and Sweet: The Prophecy of the Sisters series has long been a favorite of mine. Zink's incredible writing making the pages fly by. The history. The sibling rivalry. All of it, just amazing. The final book of the series, Circle of Fire, follows in this great tradition. Although it had been a while since I had read the last book, Zink quickly got me back on track. It was finally time to find out how the Prophecy would end. Would it be happily ever after or the end of the world? I was on the...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Kelly Kiesel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Circle of Fire is the conclusion to Michelle Zink’s Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy. The trilogy centers around two twin sisters, Alice and Lia, and a prophecy that has been passed down by the women in their family for generations. Two twin sisters, One the Guardian, the other the Gate. The Gate has the power to bring hell to earth while the Guardian is responsible for keeping the Gate in check. (The review may be a little confusing for anyone not familiar with the trilogy.)

The story starts off...more Circle of Fire is the conclusion to Michelle Zink’s Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy. The trilogy centers around two twin sisters, Alice and Lia, and a prophecy that has been passed down by the women in their family for generations. Two twin sisters, One the Guardian, the other the Gate. The Gate has the power to bring hell to earth while the Guardian is responsible for keeping the Gate in check. (The review may be a little confusing for anyone not familiar with the trilogy.)

The story starts off a few months after the last book stopped with 3 of the 4 keys being found. Lia must now locate the 4th key, the stone and the Rite. A variety of characters, both old and new, help Lia in her journey to discover where these 3 things are located. Lia ventures to the Cairns in Ireland, where she encounters a few unexpected things and some interesting people. Alice has journeyed nearer to her sister and brought James along with her. She reveals to her sister that she and James are now engaged. Lia wrestles with her unresolved feelings for James, as she continues to further her relationship with beau Dimitri. Samuel (Satan) and the Souls are mentally wearing down on Lia and the 4 keys. Lia often admits that she does not think she will be strong enough to resist Samuel much longer. So accompanied by the 4 keys, Gaerth, Dimitri and Aunt Virginia the group set out to end the epic ordeal and finally get rid of the Gate. They are not without their challenges, the rite cannot be performed without Alice’s help and she has sworn allegiance to Samuel. Meanwhile, Aunt Virginia’s health is failing and Lia has a vision of the Guard chasing the group. The last few chapters fly by and are packed with emotion. The ending is perfect and beautifully written, a wonderful end to the trilogy.

This is a great series for anyone who has a sister. I feel like the last book really played to my emotions because I have a sister and I could completely identify with Lia’s feelings.

This book, and series, was awesome. I did give it 4 stars though. This is because I reserve the 5 star rating for books that I would want to pick up and read 500 times over. A great read, definitely recommended!
(less)

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Aug 25, 2011 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: caitlin, fantasy, series, young-adult

You know what’s awesome? When a series ends, and you’re happy. Nary a complaint to be found.

That’s how I feel about Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink. Everything that I wanted to have happen, happened.

I don’t even know where to begin.

Actually, that’s a lie. I’m going to begin with James. When reading Prophecy of the Sisters, I loved James. He was cute and different, and I liked that he and Lia weren’t completely cowed by the time and customs that they lived within and enjoyed each others company i...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Angel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, own

Discovery: I first read Prophecy of the Sisters, the first book in this trilogy, a few months ago. Despite the creepy twin statues on the cover–Doctor Who has ruined me for life–I sped through the novel and bawled for ten minutes straight at the end. I’m glad I discovered these books only a few months away from the conclusion.

+ Themes. I may have cried buckets over Prophecy of the Sisters and shed some tears over the ending to this one, but I’m grateful that Michelle Zink had the courage to be t...more Discovery: I first read Prophecy of the Sisters, the first book in this trilogy, a few months ago. Despite the creepy twin statues on the cover–Doctor Who has ruined me for life–I sped through the novel and bawled for ten minutes straight at the end. I’m glad I discovered these books only a few months away from the conclusion.

+ Themes. I may have cried buckets over Prophecy of the Sisters and shed some tears over the ending to this one, but I’m grateful that Michelle Zink had the courage to be true to the story. These books took a bond touted as unbreakable–that of sisters–and illustrated just how easy it is to warp love. Fate and destiny come to blows with the indomitable human spirit. Lia is a strong girl, but even she must find the strength to do the right thing, especially when faced with a sister for an enemy. That struggle can be found in countless stories and events throughout history, and Michelle Zink did a commendable job of writing it into this series.

+ Mythology. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had an unwavering fascination with mythology. As crazy as it may sound, the legends surrounding Satan and the fallen angels have always held appeal to me. This series fed my interest and I’m quite satisfied with the result. Lia’s dreams scared me more than Samael–who wouldn’t be terrified if they were controlled by a dream? I loved the way Altus and its people were portrayed and I appreciated the flaws they displayed. Myths come from a place in the human heart that yearns for truth and creativity at the same time, and the results are beautifully broken tales which reflect their creators. It’s in the interpretation that they become more than what they are cast as, something we would all do well to remember.

+ Characters. I’ll admit it: Dimitri stole my heart. I have a well-documented weakness for male characters who are devoted and true to the right cause and he just pushed all my buttons repeatedly. Not to mention, he’s really really hot. (I’ll try to keep that fangirling to a minimum.) But while I adored Dimitri, my heart aches for James. I do think that he got the short end of the stick and part of me has issues with how his story was resolved because it just seemed too abrupt. He did nothing wrong, and deserved far more than what Lia and Alice gave him.

The focus of the story is on the Milthorpe sisters, of course, and Lia and Alice are both luminous in this final installment. Lia embodies the depths of weakness that the human spirit can sink too just as strongly as she does our strengths. I loved that she didn’t pretend to be more than what she was: a young girl caught in the middle of something she doesn’t really understand either. Alice’s decisions seem strange at times, but I do believe that the ending is satisfying, albeit heartbreaking. I admire both sisters and their hearts.

- Pacing. If I’d had time to write reviews for Prophecy and Guardian of the Gate, I would have already mentioned this. The novels are very well-written, but there are a few chapters in each book where the action seems to slow to a crawl. I personally attribute this to the author helping the reader to step into Lia’s shoes as she seeks to end the prophecy. Nevertheless, it does make reading a little difficult when one’s attention isn’t fully focused.

Recommendations: I would definitely recommend this to any YA reader, and adults as well. The Prophecy series is a fantastic and delicate journey into the human heart and its capacity for love.

Rating: Excellent.(less)

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Aug 10, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 4 of 5 stars

For centuries, twin sisters in one particular family have worked at cross purposes. One is the Guardian and one is the Gate. In other words, one is trying to bring about the end of the world and one is trying to prevent it. For Lia and Alice, however, the stakes are even higher: Lia has the power to end this once and for all---one way or the other.

This was such a fantastic series and concept and I'm sorry to see it end. What I liked most was (and spoiler for the first book in the series) is that...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Liza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Go check out my review on my blog: Book Crook Liza

Michelle Zink nailed the ending to this trilogy. Her writing is as beautiful as ever and the characters are wonderful, just wonderful!

I loved seeing Lia come into her own throughout this trilogy. She has grown an incredible amount throughout the books and by Circle of Fire she's a woman. She has faults and you see her overcome them; most of all her ability to trust in others and deal with herself.

We get to know more about Alice and her point of v...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Nancy added it

I didn't read the first two books of the trilogy so I decided against giving it a star rating. Without having embarked on the entire journey Lia et. al. have taken, I can only give my thoughts on the third installment.

First of all, I was worried I would be completely lost and may not enjoy the book at all. Although I didn't get the inside scoop as it was happening, the third book provides a condensed Reader's Digest version enough that I understood the gist of the conflict. I don't know what hap...more I didn't read the first two books of the trilogy so I decided against giving it a star rating. Without having embarked on the entire journey Lia et. al. have taken, I can only give my thoughts on the third installment.

First of all, I was worried I would be completely lost and may not enjoy the book at all. Although I didn't get the inside scoop as it was happening, the third book provides a condensed Reader's Digest version enough that I understood the gist of the conflict. I don't know what happened with the betrayal but I felt a little misty at the forgiveness.

This is the ending so the conflict is supposed to be pretty big (as opposed to Twilight's non-conflict. Sorry. Couldn't help that one. Disappointing, you know?) The goal is to gather all the keys, which happen to be people, and all the magical artifacts and close the Gate of the Otherworld. The Otherworld is the place where the spirits go after death but before Heaven or Hell, I presume. But these particular spirits want to come back to earth and take it over which would be the end of mortals, overall. So the keys need to be in place, the magical artifacts are needed, the rite, and the Guardian and the Gate.

More catch up which is crucial to understand and quickly explained without belaboring the first two books is that the Guardian and Gate are roles passed through the descendants of an angel and mortal. They are twin girls. None of them have successfully closed the gate. This time however, the stakes are higher but the twins are at odds. What Lia was given by birthright, Alice coveted. Alice has been traveling and communicating with the Otherworlds all her life. Seems she has a dark streak in her. And Alice refuses to help Lia close the gate forever.

Along with the mysticism and a little paranormal, there is romance. Dmitri is the perfect love interest for Lia. I won't go into detail but I must admit that the chemistry between them was sweet, sensual, and very well written. Whether they did or did not, I will not say. Unless you really want to know because I will tell you if you are screening it for your own daughter. I will say that whatever occurred between them is tastefully written.

I liked it. I think that had I read the first two books I would have liked it even more. Without reading the preceding books, I still felt like it was a solid read.(less)

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Apr 23, 2012 Maria Montelibano rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been waiting to read Circle of Fire ever since I finished the last two books in the series (Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate). First, because I really, really wanted to know how the whole thing ends and second, because I am friggin' bored to death in my house.

Anyway, I have to say that the ending did not disappoint, at least for me. I was expecting it to be bittersweet as the book description said it would be. A series as tumultuous, as turbulent, as explosive and as much o...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Mizuki Genshou rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: disappointment, young-adult-books, mary-sue-warning

Zero star or negative star. It's that bad, trust me.
Comparing with Circle of Fire, Clockwork Angel by Cassie. Clare suddenly reads like it was penned by William Shakespeare.

Circle of Fire is one of the worst final books I had read in the recent period, hitting the rock bottom together with Breaking Dawn, Ascend (final book of the Trylle series) and Rapture (final book of Fallen series.)

If you are determined to read this book, then brace yourself and be prepared for silly love triangle, cardboar...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Sherri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: washyarg-finished

This book finishes the trilogy that began with Prophecy of the Sisters. Set in the early 1890s, sixteen-year-old twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe are thrust on opposing sides of an ancient prophecy that predicts the survival of only one of them.

Basically, Lia is the Gate between the Otherworlds and Earth and she is responsible for sealing the path between worlds for good which would prevent her sister Alice (the Guardian) from allowing Samael (aka Satan) and his evil minions from entering o...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Meghan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, paranormal

Ani si nepamatuji, kdy jsem se na poslední díl série takhle těšila. Byla jsem hodně zvědavá, jak to autorka celé ukončí. Sice nejsem fanouškem historických knih, ale to spojení historie, legend, magie a nadpřirozena mě prostě fascinovalo. Celá série má zápletku, svižný děj a výrazné hrdiny. Také třetí díl hezky plyne, přináší posuny v hledání ukončení proroctví i nečekané zvraty.
Kniha je možná primárně určená pro mladší čtenářky, ale vůbec jsem si u ní nepřipadala stará. Lia působí dost vyspěle...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Chev E rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the final Prophecy of the Sisters book, Lia is preparing for the culmination of the prophecy involving the twins in her family for generations. Finally, Samael (he's the devil or something like that) is going to be allowed into our world to wreak havoc, or banished permanently. It all depends on Lia. If she can hold out, resisting the dark forces which are getting stronger as they try to force (that's what forces do) Lia to their side (the evil one) while she is gathering the final objects/pe...more In the final Prophecy of the Sisters book, Lia is preparing for the culmination of the prophecy involving the twins in her family for generations. Finally, Samael (he's the devil or something like that) is going to be allowed into our world to wreak havoc, or banished permanently. It all depends on Lia. If she can hold out, resisting the dark forces which are getting stronger as they try to force (that's what forces do) Lia to their side (the evil one) while she is gathering the final objects/people for the spell thingy all might be well. If she can't, everyone is screwed. Along with her new boyfriend, Dimitri, Lia looks for the last key and the magic rock that is needed to complete the spell. However, one distraction Lia is not counting on is the arrival of her sister and archnemesis, Alice, in London with a fiance Lia did not expect.

Alice was, strangely enough, my favorite character, probably because she didn't hide from or deny her emotions. I didn't feel much depth from any of the characters, but I liked how the only person who couldn't really be explained was Alice. She's supposed to be evil but the author goes back and forth between her acknowledging and not acknowledging her evilness, which gives me the sense that she herself is confused. Alice loves her sister, which is shown in several scenes that I believe are set up to fool Lia but also show some genuine feelings on Alice's part. The fact that Alice committed more than one murder doesn't make her despicable to me, but rather the most round character in the trilogy. Alice on her own was not capable of the murders, but was under the control/pressure/influence of the Souls (Samael's minions). The only thing that annoyed me about Alice was how obvious she made to Lia her feelings for James. Anytime she mentioned or showed how she felt about him I was convinced she was doing it just to get Lia to believe it for some master plan.

Speaking of James, that guy is nothing like he was in Book 1. In the first Prophecy book James was sweet, intelligent, and crazy about Lia. In Circle of Fire he's wimpy, idiotic, and crazy about Lia. I understand the whole getting depressed because the girl he loves left him thing but I don't get why he had to go and get engaged to her twin sister. If he really wanted to get over her he should have avoided any and all reminders of Lia or at least waited a little longer before getting engaged. He's only 19 or 20-what's the rush? His choices are to hold out for the girl he loves to return and hope that there's a future there or to go and get engaged to her twin sister who looks exactly like her and lose any chance of ever getting back together with her. Being a mortal involved with the sisters in the whole wacky practically sororicidal (as in sororicide-killing one's sister) prophecy is not a good situation to be with, and if the two sisters' goal was to ruin the life of an innocent guy, they succeeded.

During Lia's quest she accidentally alienates several of her friends (although I don't see how Sonya can resent her at all after what she did in the previous book). After pages and pages of complaints and explanations came the long-awaited apologies and make-ups, which were a tad simpler than I expected. After reading so much angst and anxiety over the quarrels I thought the make-ups would take some time and that the friends would slowly rebuild their relationships rather than just do it all in one shot and be back to normal. In this series there is no gray area in relationships, rather everyone is either allies or enemies, in love or not into each other at all, get along amazingly or can barely tolerate each other and the apologies are a clear example of all of that.

The ending to the trilogy was very good, if not totally predictable. I don't want to give anything giant away but if you think you know what will happen, you're probably right. The magic, however, was not as clear cut. Maybe it was because I didn't pay that much attention to it in the first and second books, but by book 3 I was a little very confused about how the whole magic-key-prophecy-sister thing worked. I just went along with whatever the characters were saying and doing without a second thought because I really lost track of it. (less)

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Oct 14, 2011 Chloe Lam added it

*Contains spoilers*
I personally think that this one is the best in the series. Well, the main thing is that I think Lia made a lot of progress in this one instead of simply sitting there and saying that 'Alice will grow stronger everyday' and doing nothing. She found the Stone, the final key, and completed the Rite.
What I like most is her conversations with Alice, I really like Alice. She had sacrificed herself to set things right at the end of the book...it's really selfless, to my opinion. Of...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Prom rated it 2 of 5 stars

There are some books that it is hard for me to close. Some where I cant bear to read the last chapter and say goodbye to the characters that I have traveled with through many journeys, heartaches, victories, and triumphs. Some where I need just a little longer to gently let go of great times with these characters. This was not one of those experiences.

That is not to say that the book, or the trilogy, was bad or not worth checking out. It was. It was just, at the end of it all, I felt okay lettin...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Clarabel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Troisième et DERNIER tome de la série : parfois il m'arrive de terminer des séries et d'aimer ça. Il ne faut surtout pas espérer une lecture mielleuse ou sentimentale de la trilogie de Michelle Zink (et pourtant, la relation entre Lia et Dimitri est forte, belle et intense, donc ça me plaît aussi). La force de cette série réside dans son ambiance et son mystère à peine voilé. Elle dégage un charme classique, un peu guindé, mais qui a le don de m'envoûter littéralement. L'intrigue n'est peut-être...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Khy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having read and very much adored Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate, I was quite excited to see where Alica and Lia's tumultuous journey would end. It was quite bittersweet to read this last installment, since the end of a series is always sad, and I've been reading this one since the beginning. However, I did really like this book, and I'm happy to say that it left off in a great place.

I appreciated that, despite this being the last book in the series, there was still plenty of a...more Having read and very much adored Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate, I was quite excited to see where Alica and Lia's tumultuous journey would end. It was quite bittersweet to read this last installment, since the end of a series is always sad, and I've been reading this one since the beginning. However, I did really like this book, and I'm happy to say that it left off in a great place.

I appreciated that, despite this being the last book in the series, there was still plenty of action because of all the things that Lia had to do before she reached her final confrontation. In fact, most of the book is made up of her search for the rest of the elements of the Prophecy. This did actually annoy me a bit, since I was waiting for a big showdown that would inevitably occur, and it took so long to get to that that it felt rushed in the end. However, the journey to that end was rather exciting. There was nice balance between Lia looking for the remaining keys, finding the rest of the Prophecy, dealing with Alice, and trying to deal with the friends she already has; because of all the different subplots going on, the book is constantly fun to read, made even better by the many twists included.

I also liked the few new characters introduced in this installment, as well as all the old ones. The new ones helped keep the story fresh and brought plenty of new information and help to the table, which was appreciated by both Lia and me. I wish that they had more time to be developed, though, because they got so little time to do much of anything that it was difficult to view them as people rather than just vessels to make ensure that the Prophecy would work. Luckily, I still loved the returning characters, for they definitely took their roles seriously and managed to use their personalities to shine. I loved seeing all the teamwork between Lia and her friends, as well as the issues they have in dealing with everyone else, especially Alice. Alice and Lia's relationship became even more intense in this book, which provided a whole new level of emotion that gave the ending a much bigger impact.

Circle of Fire is an exciting, action-packed conclusion to a fantastic series, and I'm sure fans of the first two installments won't be disappointed.

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May 08, 2013 May rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

When I opened this book, all I could think was "good gosh, aren't we done yet?"

It felt like it dragged on. The whole series overall, I mean, not this book in particular. Which is odd because usually a trilogy is a nice length for a series. Maybe it's because it seemed to be just one small task after another. Sure, we knew it was building up to the big finale, but after awhile, the little tasks started to get monotonous. They're riding in the woods. Again. She's being hunted by the Souls. Again....more

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Jun 12, 2012 Maud Crystal rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OMG je suis TELLEMENT soulagée d'avoir fini cette trilogie...

ATTENTION SPOILERS!!!

Les scènes "d'amour"(entre guillemets parce que pendant deux tomes ils jouent à "qui allumera l'autre le premier" mais ils ne concretisent jamais, hein, faut pas exagérer, on déconne pas avec les convenances du 19ème, quand même...) entre Lia et Dimitri le-beau-gosse-parfait-en-tous-points sont hyper gnan gnan et cul cul la praline, c'est digne d'un roman harlequin de la pire espèce. Lia m'enerve, et elle se la p...more OMG je suis TELLEMENT soulagée d'avoir fini cette trilogie...

ATTENTION SPOILERS!!!

Les scènes "d'amour"(entre guillemets parce que pendant deux tomes ils jouent à "qui allumera l'autre le premier" mais ils ne concretisent jamais, hein, faut pas exagérer, on déconne pas avec les convenances du 19ème, quand même...) entre Lia et Dimitri le-beau-gosse-parfait-en-tous-points sont hyper gnan gnan et cul cul la praline, c'est digne d'un roman harlequin de la pire espèce. Lia m'enerve, et elle se la pète en plus : c'est tjs de la faute des autres (surtout celle de Sonia, vrai bouc émissaire, à qui elle ne pardonne pas d'avoir été manipulée et possédée par les Ames, alors que bon, ca va, elle n'a pas fait exprès la pauvre, et de toute façon, elles sont amies oui ou non? La pauvre Sonia elle s'en prend plein la gueule... Lia la laisse completement tomber au moment où Sonia a le plus besoin d'elle) Lia n'a de cesse de repeter qu'elle a livré maintes batailles et qu'elle n'est plus à ca près mais je n'y crois pas une seconde. Harry Potter, Frodon Sacquet, Katniss Everdeen, ok eux on sent à quel point ils en ont bavé. Mais Lia Milthorpe? Non, c'est pas crédible ce discours. Le fait même de l'avoir le rend peu crédible. Lia n'en a que pour son mec c'est relou... Et quand elle revoit James pour la premiere fois depuis qu'elle lui a brisé le coeur en partant sans laisser d'adresse, elle prend limite l'excuse qu'il est trop débile pour qu'elle prenne la peine de s'en vouloir pour ce qu'elle lui a fait. Elle est assez détestable et en même temps assez peu charismatique. Eh euh à la toute fin Lia devient voyante comme par magie, elle a une vision de la Garde qui la poursuit, alors qu'elle n'a jamais eu de visions avant, mais enfin bon, c'était bien pratique pour la suite de l'histoire... En apprenant, qu'ils sont poursuivis, la réflexion qui vient au petit groupe c'est qu'ils ne peuvent pas arriver à Avebury et accomplir le Rite directement, il faut d'abord qu'ils s'occupent de la question de leur hébergement. Pas grave si d'eux dépend la fin du monde, hein? Nan mais sérieux?!! WTF?!! Bon j'avoue, le dernier chapitre est un peu émouvant, mais la fin est assez déprimante et assez vite expédiée, comme d'hab. Dans l'ensemble je me suis ennuyée. A périr. NEXT!(less)

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Sep 18, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read_2011, ya

In the final book of the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy Lia still feels like she has more questions than answers. As she works to find the final key and to make sense of the prophecy her sister Alice arrives in London. She brings her fiance, Lia's former love James, with her. The final battle is almost here, but will either of them survive?

I was a little tired of Lia's inability to trust anyone, outside of sexy Dimitri, by the end of this book, especially since she was aware of how poorly she w...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Book Angel Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fab ending to the series

Believe me the synopsis does not lie when it says it is a bitter-sweet ending, but it really is a wonderfully rounded conclusion to the series, when I think deeply about it - which yes I have - there just could not have been any other possible ending. Apologies in advance but this is book 3 in the series and therefore this review may contain spoilers for the previous books The Prophecy of the Sisters (review here) and Guardian of the Gate (review here).

Lia is back in Lond...more Fab ending to the series

Believe me the synopsis does not lie when it says it is a bitter-sweet ending, but it really is a wonderfully rounded conclusion to the series, when I think deeply about it - which yes I have - there just could not have been any other possible ending. Apologies in advance but this is book 3 in the series and therefore this review may contain spoilers for the previous books The Prophecy of the Sisters (review here) and Guardian of the Gate (review here).

Lia is back in London with Dimitri *swoon* by her side to locate the rest of the prophecy and prevent Armageddon. No pressure at all on Lia, lol, she only has to prevent the world being overrun by demons by closing the gate between earth and the other plane. No easy task when you have to battle your own twin sister to do it, I adore Lia and the way in which she pushes the rules of society that bind her at that time. Things we take for granted, like being able to wear trousers for example were considered scandalous, this made me giggle into the book. How silly some the conventions society placed on women through history really were in retrospect.

Outwardly it appeared as if Lia and Alice had changed personalities at the beginning of this book. Bringing to vivid life that not everything/everyone can be utterly good or bad there are shades of grey with all of us having the ability to be bad, it is how we choose to act that makes all the difference. The portrayal of free-will as the ultimate power is profound and brings to mind the whole debate of destiny versus autonomy. The whole philosophical arguement of how we live our lives rather than being dictated to. Whether this is under the demands of the prophecy or it could also be applied to the demands of society/parents/friends.

The way in which power itself can be viewed as a force and how it can ultimately consume brought wonderful imagery to mind.

I have to admit I think that Book 2 in the series Guardian of the Gate is my absolute favourite, why you ask, because of the ideal of Altus, that is my utopia *sigh*. Thank goodness there are references to it within the story and the way in which their society is different from conventional society, far more peaceful and open *sighs again*

The story just flows beautiful and I adore Michelle Zink's writing style, the way in which the relationships are portrayed adds to the realism of the plot. Obviously not all relationships run smoothly all the time, there are arguments differences of opinion and betrayals. These really added a powerful dimension to the story. The use of sibling rivalry was shown in a heartfelt manner that I am sure anyone with a brother or sister will easily identify with. How we sometimes feel that the other sibling is the favourite to the detriment of ourselves. This is the only time I have felt sympathy toward Alice was during this book. I absolutely love, love, love the relationship between Lia and Dimitiri, not only do the sparks fly off the page it goes far deeper than that, a much deeper connection.

Anyone that has had children will completely relate to the way in which Lia feels without sleep. How it muddles your mind, decreases your will to do anything. Sleep can be a miracle cure. the way in which small pleasures bring such great comfort really stood out and made me appreciate the little things a lot more.

I am not going to go into details of the plot because it really will spoil the whole series. I will say that the ending was beautiful and so well developed, I loved it.

Although classed as a historical novel it has a timeless quality to the story. The battle of good versus evil woven through time and history. A wonderful end to the series. (less)

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Oct 29, 2011 Kiki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wonderful well-writen conclusion to the trilogy!!!! I was on the edge the whole time curious as to the results. The ending was rather well too!!
*Spoiler*

I'm so glad Alice decided to join the side of good at last in the end! It nearly made me cry that she was taken away! Is she in the void? or the other place where her parents and brother are?

One thing though,
I felt Alice was a bit under appreciated. She told Lia about her feelings. That she was hardly loved and what not. And then when Lia see's...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Luu rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, historical, young-adult, je-v-preklade

Uf, no... slabé. Teda, možno ani nie až také slabé, pretože ak tou sériou žijete, bude to skvelé finále - len ak ste z opačnej strany, a od začiatku Proroctvo beriete ako slabú sériu, nemá tento posledný diel čo ponúknuť.

V jednotke dominovala atmosféra, v dvojke akcia, v trojke... rozťahanosť. Všetko podstatné a dôležité sa udeje na posledných 30 stranách, zvyšných 320 by sa dalo okresať na tretinu.

Štýl ani charaktery sa od prvej časti nemenia, ani k horšiemu, ani k lepšiemu, všetko zostáva úpl...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
I have a question!	4	11	May 15, 2013 09:14pm
has anyone read this?	8	56	Apr 14, 2012 01:48pm
Ways to thwart the curse?	1	8	Sep 11, 2011 04:29pm

title link	preview: Circle of Fire
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Circle of Fire (Prophecy of the Sisters #3)

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