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Balefire #4
A Necklace of Water
The Balefire coven has tried and failed to replicate the original rite that bestowed immortality upon them centuries ago. Some were hoping to finally die, others to discover new reaches of power. Twins Clio and Thais weren't sure what to expect, but now they are forced to confront a hidden enemy who still wants them dead. In addition, they're coping with the love they both feel for the same person, who has finally made his choice.
Readers who devoured the first three books in this thrill-ride series will be dying to see what happens next, and they'll be rewarded with a shocking turn of events that no one will predict!
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 20, 2006
13 people are currently reading
1217 people want to read
About the author
Cate Tiernan
104 books3,812 followers"was born in New Orleans, LA, in 1961. New Orleans is one of the most interesting American cities, and it has an incredibly rich and exotic culture that had a profound influence on me. Kids in other cities have lemonade stands; we sold voodoo gris-gris and made wax dolls in the likenesses of our enemies. It's a very beautiful city, and the constant heat and humidity make gardens grow out of control. There's an air of lassitude there, a general acceptance of eccentic or flamboyant behavior--the heat simply makes people do crazy things.
I went to school in New York, and after school went back to New Orleans. Then I went back to New York (Manhattan) and got a job in publishing and started writing. My first book, a young, middle-grade chapter book, was published in 1990.
Living in Manhattan was incredible, even though I didn't have a lot of money. There was so much to do and see, and so many interesting people to watch. There was a lot of frenetic energy there, and sometimes that felt very wearing and hard to live with. After eight years I was ready for a change, and my husband and I moved back to New Orleans. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)
(While I was in NY, I helped edit "The Secret Circle" by L.J. Smith. I thought it was great.)
We stayed in New Orleans five years. By the time we had two small children we knew we had to find someplace safer to live. I was glad my children were born in New Orleans--I had been born there, and my father had, and his father had, and his father had and so on. There was something about the connection of generations of blood coming from one place that I found very primal and important.
Now I live in a cohousing community in Durham, NC. This is the most suburban place I've ever lived, and it's very different from living right in the middle of a city. For one thing, there aren't enough coffee shops. However, it's incredibly safe, and the community is very important to me. There are a lot of strong women here, and I find them inspiring.
Am I a witch? Well, no. Even Wicca is too organized a religion for me. I'm much more idiosyncratic and just need to do my own thing, which is kind of new-agey and pantheistic. It's not that I don't work or play well with others, but I need to decide for myself when I do a certain thing, and how I do it. However, I can really relate to Wicca, and I so appreciate its woman-centeredness and its essentially female identity. I love those aspects, among others.
I have several favorite writers. Barbara Hambly has been the biggest influence on how I describe magic. She's an incredibly imaginative and empathetic writer with a gift for creating a rich, sensual world. I love Barbara Pym, an English writer whose books came out mostly in the fifties. She was a master at describing the thousand tiny moments that make up a woman's day; how the seemingly small and inconsequential thing can suddenly take on a huge emotional importance. I greatly admire P.D. James. She's one of the very few writers who makes me actually look up words in the dictionary. She has a beautiful, precise, educated command of the language that leaves me in awe. I love Philip Larkin's poetry. I read a lot of nonfiction and also have some favorite romance writers. Before anyone groans, let me say that these women write really well about women trying to achieve emotional fulfillment, and that's kind of what we're all doing, right? I also just like reading about sex. Anyway, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and early Linda Howard are my faves.
And then of course there's my dark side, but more on that later.
" -Source
Cate Tiernan is a pseudonym for Gabrielle Charbonnet
I went to school in New York, and after school went back to New Orleans. Then I went back to New York (Manhattan) and got a job in publishing and started writing. My first book, a young, middle-grade chapter book, was published in 1990.
Living in Manhattan was incredible, even though I didn't have a lot of money. There was so much to do and see, and so many interesting people to watch. There was a lot of frenetic energy there, and sometimes that felt very wearing and hard to live with. After eight years I was ready for a change, and my husband and I moved back to New Orleans. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)
(While I was in NY, I helped edit "The Secret Circle" by L.J. Smith. I thought it was great.)
We stayed in New Orleans five years. By the time we had two small children we knew we had to find someplace safer to live. I was glad my children were born in New Orleans--I had been born there, and my father had, and his father had, and his father had and so on. There was something about the connection of generations of blood coming from one place that I found very primal and important.
Now I live in a cohousing community in Durham, NC. This is the most suburban place I've ever lived, and it's very different from living right in the middle of a city. For one thing, there aren't enough coffee shops. However, it's incredibly safe, and the community is very important to me. There are a lot of strong women here, and I find them inspiring.
Am I a witch? Well, no. Even Wicca is too organized a religion for me. I'm much more idiosyncratic and just need to do my own thing, which is kind of new-agey and pantheistic. It's not that I don't work or play well with others, but I need to decide for myself when I do a certain thing, and how I do it. However, I can really relate to Wicca, and I so appreciate its woman-centeredness and its essentially female identity. I love those aspects, among others.
I have several favorite writers. Barbara Hambly has been the biggest influence on how I describe magic. She's an incredibly imaginative and empathetic writer with a gift for creating a rich, sensual world. I love Barbara Pym, an English writer whose books came out mostly in the fifties. She was a master at describing the thousand tiny moments that make up a woman's day; how the seemingly small and inconsequential thing can suddenly take on a huge emotional importance. I greatly admire P.D. James. She's one of the very few writers who makes me actually look up words in the dictionary. She has a beautiful, precise, educated command of the language that leaves me in awe. I love Philip Larkin's poetry. I read a lot of nonfiction and also have some favorite romance writers. Before anyone groans, let me say that these women write really well about women trying to achieve emotional fulfillment, and that's kind of what we're all doing, right? I also just like reading about sex. Anyway, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and early Linda Howard are my faves.
And then of course there's my dark side, but more on that later.
" -Source
Cate Tiernan is a pseudonym for Gabrielle Charbonnet
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
December 10, 2007
Well done Tiernan you achieved what you set out to do...
if that what you set out to do was DESTROY YOUR FANBASE.
This book was not the fantastic ending we were all expecting.
She writes the series with a complicated pace; feeding us with crap for the beginnings and middles and piling on the good stuff at the end.
Nothing wrong with that.
The problem is that she reveals her synopsis for the last book in the first bloody chapter:
Clio will drown: Yes she does.
Thais will strike bloody revenge at Daedalus: Yes she does.
Nothing stops them. Easy as pie.
The only BIG problem with this book was the anticlimax that is...Carmelita. Melita is introduced in book one and it is very heavily implied that she is still alive. And she is.
Wow. Shocker.
Anyway, the problem is that she doesn't do ANYTHING. She shows up, laughs, monologues for a moment, and then skips off again. Every single past volume of this series ended more satisfactorily.
Loose Threads
Marcel and Sophie love story?
Manon's thoughts are never given in the Treize's chapters.
Luc's plan was never revealed-Impregnating Clio?
Claire and Jules love story?
Are they no longer immortal?
This is pure speculation here, I think the twins lost their powers by being submerged in the Source. Both twins fail to sense people around them post-incident. They both seem drained and at peace.
if that what you set out to do was DESTROY YOUR FANBASE.
This book was not the fantastic ending we were all expecting.
She writes the series with a complicated pace; feeding us with crap for the beginnings and middles and piling on the good stuff at the end.
Nothing wrong with that.
The problem is that she reveals her synopsis for the last book in the first bloody chapter:
Clio will drown: Yes she does.
Thais will strike bloody revenge at Daedalus: Yes she does.
Nothing stops them. Easy as pie.
The only BIG problem with this book was the anticlimax that is...Carmelita. Melita is introduced in book one and it is very heavily implied that she is still alive. And she is.
Wow. Shocker.
Anyway, the problem is that she doesn't do ANYTHING. She shows up, laughs, monologues for a moment, and then skips off again. Every single past volume of this series ended more satisfactorily.
Loose Threads
Marcel and Sophie love story?
Manon's thoughts are never given in the Treize's chapters.
Luc's plan was never revealed-Impregnating Clio?
Claire and Jules love story?
Are they no longer immortal?
This is pure speculation here, I think the twins lost their powers by being submerged in the Source. Both twins fail to sense people around them post-incident. They both seem drained and at peace.
July 29, 2016
well i can not say that i liked the ending as much as the first three books but it was still good. i was hoping the romance parts would heat up more and there would be more interaction between the romantic interests in this book but that did not really happen. i am still glad i read the series.
December 15, 2021
Ik heb nog een deel nodig, zo jammer dat dit het laatste deel is 😢😢😢
October 20, 2014
While these books do get better over the four, this one still ends with much frustration. There are so many plot holes, inconsistencies and loose ends, the ending reads like there should be at least another book. There is no resolution and very little character growth.
The birthmark device has its own inconsistencies, first Clio has a 'memory' and sees the birthmark on Petra's husband's cheek, and later Petra muses on how it is carried through her family line. Umm, so which is it? And the whole incest thing, ugh.
So, obviously I was frustrated. But something about the books still made me read to the end. The secrets and mysteries of each of the Treize was intriguing (if left unfinished at the non-end), and there was a cute kitten.
The birthmark device has its own inconsistencies, first Clio has a 'memory' and sees the birthmark on Petra's husband's cheek, and later Petra muses on how it is carried through her family line. Umm, so which is it? And the whole incest thing, ugh.
So, obviously I was frustrated. But something about the books still made me read to the end. The secrets and mysteries of each of the Treize was intriguing (if left unfinished at the non-end), and there was a cute kitten.
May 17, 2015
I have to say, I started reading with really high hopes for this book, and for the series as a whole since it is the last book.
I loved the Sweep series, and so when I got a hold of the Balefire book with all four books in it I practically inhaled the pages.
I enjoyed the previous books, and enjoyed the characterization that occurred throughout the books. Thais and Clio are interesting - similar but not the same, despite their identical appearances. There were several compelling story lines, and I was expecting this book, since it is the last one, to end all of those story lines (romantic, who is attacking the girls, is Melita still out there and if she is what was the rite supposed to do 260 years ago?) Only the was resolved. I still had tons of questions that this book did not answer and upon finishing it immediately stalked angrily to the computer to see if there was supposed to have been a 5th book or something.
All in all, I enjoyed the series. I liked the characters, was involved in the danger and the suspense, and invested in the outcome. My main complaint is that the series doesn't feel finished.
I loved the Sweep series, and so when I got a hold of the Balefire book with all four books in it I practically inhaled the pages.
I enjoyed the previous books, and enjoyed the characterization that occurred throughout the books. Thais and Clio are interesting - similar but not the same, despite their identical appearances. There were several compelling story lines, and I was expecting this book, since it is the last one, to end all of those story lines (romantic, who is attacking the girls, is Melita still out there and if she is what was the rite supposed to do 260 years ago?) Only the was resolved. I still had tons of questions that this book did not answer and upon finishing it immediately stalked angrily to the computer to see if there was supposed to have been a 5th book or something.
All in all, I enjoyed the series. I liked the characters, was involved in the danger and the suspense, and invested in the outcome. My main complaint is that the series doesn't feel finished.
September 30, 2011
I feel like Thais betrayed me. And WTH does Luc mean by "friends"?! he obviously didn't mean it.
Clio is darker than Thais. Fact. Richard and Clio is cute. They deserve each other.
What about the other romances? Some of the other things that happened didn't make sense. Like, why? or what lead up to it? it seemed like a random event.
Clio is darker than Thais. Fact. Richard and Clio is cute. They deserve each other.
What about the other romances? Some of the other things that happened didn't make sense. Like, why? or what lead up to it? it seemed like a random event.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2011
I didn't like how abrubtly the book ended. I feel like the ending should have been drawn out just a little bit more or even the epilogue. It was really suspenseful none the less and I really enjoyed the series and the characters.
August 5, 2016
Overall I was happy with it!
I would have liked a little more romance but the story was interesting enough that I still ended up liking the series.
September 5, 2013
And so the Balefire story has ended, finiteod, much like my patience and genuine enjoyment for this series. But my lack of enjoyment is nothing new to those who have followed my reviews for this entire series, and it actually saddens me to say that out of the four of them, this was quite possibly the worst, which for a finale, is both gutting and disappointing. The synopsis promised great things, even; 'a shocking turn of events that no one will predict', those of which were pretty darn predictable if you don't mind me popping that bubble for you, and after some of the final events took place, that was it, I was glad to never have to pick up any of this series ever again.
Unlike some of it's previous books in the series, A Circle of Ashes and A Feather of Stone, which actually improved one after the other, even if only by a small amount, A Necklace of Water just fell pretty short of the same excitment I'd previously felt, and while this wasn't the fault of the writing nesacarily, or the way Ms Tiernan decided to include much too large and complicated words which after 3 and a half books, did eventually come to frustrate me considering her style of writing is much more of the simpler style, no it wasn't these issues that really resulted in me just feeling nothing more towards the book, that was all down to Clio, which I most definitely will be getting to shortly, mark my words.
I did have another couple of issues, which probably isn't that much of a surprise anymore, but even so, they should be mentioned and discussed, so here they are.
The constant referring to events to have either already happened, or reminders of who the characters were, what they'd done or how they were related to those more important characters. I had previously mentioned this is my review for A Feather of Stone, so finding it was happening again wasn't so much a surprise, but so much more fustrating. If your readers have made it through to the last book in your series, chances are, they remember the pretty importants events that happened earlier, and who all the characters are in relation to one another, and this made me reach a point past annoyance and so in the end, I just scanned past these areas, which of course ruined the reading experience, but hey ho, can't have it all.
The second was the seriously bad, no, absolutely terrible ending. After a good nights sleep, I still can't comprehend what on earth the author was thinking pairing characters off with people I felt they didn't belong or deserve to be with, or what made her want to leave so many unanswered questions, or give so many unclear answers, especially those concerning who was attempting to murder to twins after Richard, which is interpretable but not defined, what actually happened to Melita during her vanished years and in the quickest ending to a story I've probably ever experienced, and just how unplanned the ending felt. It felt quick, rushed and unexciting, and it didn't leave me sad that I'd finished the series. In truth, I felt very little at all.
But my biggest problem with this book however was the characters, and much more than usual. As I mentioned earlier, Clio really took a beating not only character wise, but in my opinion and liking for her too. I wasn't a huge fan of how her character was deteriorating throughout the series, but after a snide and pretty horrible comment made by her character, that was it, I wasn't interested in her actions, anything that happened to her, how she felt; it genuinely reached a point where I didn't want to read any of the chapters from her perspective. I didn't have any feelings towards her at all, and not only that, I felt that her attitude towards herself and others had become selfish and stupid, her feelings towards her own family, especially Thais and Petra was shocking due to her being so self absorbed in her own quests and feelings that she didn't consider anyone else's, and in the end, I didn't care whether she was involved in the story or not, which made me feel pretty darn sad when she very rudely decided to die.
I also began to dislike Luc much more than I had throughout the series and this also disappointed me quite a lot. He became quite possessive over Clio and Thais, and threw claims of emotions around like confetti on a wedding day, and after a while, I began to notice that underneath his attractive exterior, he had no real personality, feelings or character within him, which in truth made him quite easy to forget and dislike, so while he didn't necessarily do anything directly for me to dislike him, I just ended up doing naturally instead.
With many of the other characters, I just felt that they were there and weren't doing much of anything throughout the book, if anything at all, and so very many of them just passed through my thoughts, other than two, Thais and Manon.
Thais was the only character to me, who improved with every book. She became a stronger person emotionally and much more grounded, she gained respect for both herself and her family, as well has a protective feeling over her friends and those who meant alot to her. She created herself a strong core and amount of courage that made her dangerous to those she had problems with, and this change in character, from starting off as a whiny teenage girl who'd been told she was moving to live with a stranger, to a confident, independent woman with answers to her heritage and past was just wonderful.
Manon on the other hand grew more confident and strong once she'd been betrayed, and while she wasn't quite as lovely in the end as I had once thought, she was however a great character on the grounds of her relationship with Sophie and the struggles she went through having become immortal and such a young age. In the end, her ending was possibly my favourite, as she had grown up and become the woman she wanted to be, whether Sophie was beside her or not, and I was proud of her short but important development in this book.
Overall, I was disappointed with how this series ended. I felt the overall story and plot was weak and rushed, taking place in too short a time period, I felt that the characters weren't developed enough throughout for it to make much of a difference and I can quite honestly say that I won't be picking up anymore of Cate Tiernan's work, even if it's absolutely out of this world. For a £4 deal, it wasn't so bad, but if you're going to pay full price, be certain you want it, as there are much better books out there for the same price.
Wibbly Wobbly 1.5 Stars.
Unlike some of it's previous books in the series, A Circle of Ashes and A Feather of Stone, which actually improved one after the other, even if only by a small amount, A Necklace of Water just fell pretty short of the same excitment I'd previously felt, and while this wasn't the fault of the writing nesacarily, or the way Ms Tiernan decided to include much too large and complicated words which after 3 and a half books, did eventually come to frustrate me considering her style of writing is much more of the simpler style, no it wasn't these issues that really resulted in me just feeling nothing more towards the book, that was all down to Clio, which I most definitely will be getting to shortly, mark my words.
I did have another couple of issues, which probably isn't that much of a surprise anymore, but even so, they should be mentioned and discussed, so here they are.
The constant referring to events to have either already happened, or reminders of who the characters were, what they'd done or how they were related to those more important characters. I had previously mentioned this is my review for A Feather of Stone, so finding it was happening again wasn't so much a surprise, but so much more fustrating. If your readers have made it through to the last book in your series, chances are, they remember the pretty importants events that happened earlier, and who all the characters are in relation to one another, and this made me reach a point past annoyance and so in the end, I just scanned past these areas, which of course ruined the reading experience, but hey ho, can't have it all.
The second was the seriously bad, no, absolutely terrible ending. After a good nights sleep, I still can't comprehend what on earth the author was thinking pairing characters off with people I felt they didn't belong or deserve to be with, or what made her want to leave so many unanswered questions, or give so many unclear answers, especially those concerning who was attempting to murder to twins after Richard, which is interpretable but not defined, what actually happened to Melita during her vanished years and in the quickest ending to a story I've probably ever experienced, and just how unplanned the ending felt. It felt quick, rushed and unexciting, and it didn't leave me sad that I'd finished the series. In truth, I felt very little at all.
But my biggest problem with this book however was the characters, and much more than usual. As I mentioned earlier, Clio really took a beating not only character wise, but in my opinion and liking for her too. I wasn't a huge fan of how her character was deteriorating throughout the series, but after a snide and pretty horrible comment made by her character, that was it, I wasn't interested in her actions, anything that happened to her, how she felt; it genuinely reached a point where I didn't want to read any of the chapters from her perspective. I didn't have any feelings towards her at all, and not only that, I felt that her attitude towards herself and others had become selfish and stupid, her feelings towards her own family, especially Thais and Petra was shocking due to her being so self absorbed in her own quests and feelings that she didn't consider anyone else's, and in the end, I didn't care whether she was involved in the story or not, which made me feel pretty darn sad when she very rudely decided to die.
I also began to dislike Luc much more than I had throughout the series and this also disappointed me quite a lot. He became quite possessive over Clio and Thais, and threw claims of emotions around like confetti on a wedding day, and after a while, I began to notice that underneath his attractive exterior, he had no real personality, feelings or character within him, which in truth made him quite easy to forget and dislike, so while he didn't necessarily do anything directly for me to dislike him, I just ended up doing naturally instead.
With many of the other characters, I just felt that they were there and weren't doing much of anything throughout the book, if anything at all, and so very many of them just passed through my thoughts, other than two, Thais and Manon.
Thais was the only character to me, who improved with every book. She became a stronger person emotionally and much more grounded, she gained respect for both herself and her family, as well has a protective feeling over her friends and those who meant alot to her. She created herself a strong core and amount of courage that made her dangerous to those she had problems with, and this change in character, from starting off as a whiny teenage girl who'd been told she was moving to live with a stranger, to a confident, independent woman with answers to her heritage and past was just wonderful.
Manon on the other hand grew more confident and strong once she'd been betrayed, and while she wasn't quite as lovely in the end as I had once thought, she was however a great character on the grounds of her relationship with Sophie and the struggles she went through having become immortal and such a young age. In the end, her ending was possibly my favourite, as she had grown up and become the woman she wanted to be, whether Sophie was beside her or not, and I was proud of her short but important development in this book.
Overall, I was disappointed with how this series ended. I felt the overall story and plot was weak and rushed, taking place in too short a time period, I felt that the characters weren't developed enough throughout for it to make much of a difference and I can quite honestly say that I won't be picking up anymore of Cate Tiernan's work, even if it's absolutely out of this world. For a £4 deal, it wasn't so bad, but if you're going to pay full price, be certain you want it, as there are much better books out there for the same price.
Wibbly Wobbly 1.5 Stars.
April 2, 2017
For my written review, please check out the link below:
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Debs :-)
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
January 9, 2024
The ending was very anticlimactic and rather a letdown
January 6, 2013
Boring with a terrible ending. Okay, reading it there were interesting moments but it's the final book, meant to sum everything into a perfect conclusion and it doesn't do it! Things aren't solved. You've got Melita who was just happy to up and leave without getting what she wanted and no one's worried or wondering why. You've got Clio who is suddenly over her bitter obsession with Luc and Thais not having him and is fine and dandy with Richard who tried to murder her, then had sex with her thinking he was related to her, yes distantly but still, without offering her the info before the sex. There's Luc who is meant to be a good guy who simply makes every wrong choice making all the right choices and ending up with a sappy little happily ever after moment that ends the book! Ruins it is perhaps a better phrase. You don't know who was trying to kill the twins before Manon but after Richard. You don't know if Daedalus really did kill the father. Thais doesn't seem to get so much as a frowny face from anyone (bar Clio at the time) about stripping someones powers. Not even questioned about it, no, she just goes sunning herself. Manon decides to try murdering the twins so she's suddenly killed off. It seems too simple and bleh when I liked her. Also I wanted to know about Sophie and Marcel, and Claire and Jules. Why go into their stories and develop their characters for absolutely no reason. Ughhh. And the end. Was. Ridiculous. Too sappy and happily ever after and everything just wrong. Same with Clio being brought back to life. If she's going to die, let her die. Shouldn't Marcel have played some kind of more dramatic part after foreseeing the death? Is everyone just totes chill about ageing and dying now? I get what Richard and even Marcel had to offer Cerise, but really, Daedalus? WHY. Just cause she enjoyed freebies? Nu-uh. Doesn't work for me. And Claire being all in love. Come on. That was a huge cliffhanger. I liked her. Also, Axelle got all this power and did nadda with it. Ohmygosh. I'm so bothered I could rant for ages. 3 star book taken down a notch for leaving me, the reader, ridiculously unappeased with no next in the series to even offer a chance of answers.
January 16, 2016
The first three books were great. I was impressed by how Tiernan took the time to develop the back stories and motivations of most of the Trieze - thirteen characters, with overlapping histories, is a lot to handle. However, the end result is that she brought up a lot of things that just never get resolved.
See the list below:
Altogether, the ending is so disappointing that it takes away my previous enjoyment of the other books.
See the list below:
Altogether, the ending is so disappointing that it takes away my previous enjoyment of the other books.
February 25, 2023
Almost a month after having completed the final Balefire book, I felt called to leave my review - simply because I cannot quit thinking of these books. The first Balefire book, "A Chalice of Wind," sucked me in entirely. I completed the book in one sitting - that is how enamored I'd become in the lives of Thais and Clio. Cate Tiernan painted a lovely story of magick, immortality, mystery, and love. Not to mention, reading the books has now made me want to visit New Orleans more than ever. Come the second book, "A Circle of Ashes," I was left just as excited. The romance between Thais and Luc was palpable, as was whatever was threatening to brew between Clio and Richard. The third and final books, however....was entirely anticlimactic. Too much information had been left out, not enough had been explained. Ideas and speculations that were raised in the first and second book were left unanswered, unexplained, and unaccounted for. Still, here I am, a month later, unable to quit thinking of Thais and Clio. Because, despite the letdown of the third and fourth books (don't get me wrong - they were enjoyable, only not what I was expecting), Tiernan still managed to effortlessly draw me into her world of magick. The story in itself was filled with so much magic and wonder. It's the sort of story that sucks you so far into its world of magic that when its all over...you sorely wish that it wasn't.
May 1, 2018
Ok I really did enjoy this series, but I have to admit I'm kinda disappointed with the ending. That's the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
Ok I'm glad it's implied that Richard and Clio will b together (sooooo glad they aren't related) and Thais and Luc....but there's no explanation of why Melita wasn't able to do the rite and where she went afterwards. Like if she really wasn't able to do it I'm sure she would've gotten pissed and killed everyone present, including her mother LOL. But seriously and now she's just stillout there somewhere? I thought they were going to defeat her somehow or she was gonna have a change of heart or something. There was really no closure on that for me. It feels like the series isn't over, but it is 😕
Ok I'm glad it's implied that Richard and Clio will b together (sooooo glad they aren't related) and Thais and Luc....but there's no explanation of why Melita wasn't able to do the rite and where she went afterwards. Like if she really wasn't able to do it I'm sure she would've gotten pissed and killed everyone present, including her mother LOL. But seriously and now she's just stillout there somewhere? I thought they were going to defeat her somehow or she was gonna have a change of heart or something. There was really no closure on that for me. It feels like the series isn't over, but it is 😕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2012
Wow there is a whole lot going on in this book which of course I can't discuss without spoiling the suspense. So I'm just going to say that it's a satisfying conclusion to the series though quite a few things are left hanging as if the series isn't really done. I feel that there definitely should have been another book to tie up all the loose ends.
March 30, 2015
im not going to say I loved the ending cause it could have been better. but I still really did enjoy it but theres definitely some things that didnt get cleared up. but all good still loved the series as a whole!
June 22, 2021
It was good, but she left an opening to more books. Seeing how this version was 2006, I don’t see any more books coming. I’m still pondering how much I liked this book. I really don’t like Clio, never have. I don’t know…. I think I’m still confused. All my questions haven’t been answered…
April 28, 2011
i can not believe how this series ended left hanging like that i can only cross my fingers and hope cate decides to do more on the story later on!
June 19, 2016
The fourth book ended with a bang. This series really did improve with time.
September 4, 2022
I still don't like Luc idc. The ending was insane. I'm very happy about the Clio x Richard ending. Thais deserves better than Luc... I enjoyed this little series. It's was cute and entertaining <3
August 20, 2021
Okay, last installment of the Balefire series, let's get into it:
It was good, better than the other ones. I liked how they touched on the rite more and who was good and who wasn't, how we finally got to know who the dark twin was (both of them have light and dark in them), and who killed Thais's dad (Axelle and Daedalus).
The only thing i didn't like was again, the stupid unnecessary love story. Especially between Daedalus and Clio. Just leave the magick and the family secrets for the plot, not throw in an unnecessary love triangle and story just for the sake of it. It would have been better for it just to be focused on the coven and the magick.
Daedalus tried to kill the twins. Big shocker there. And Melita was still alive. Oh no! Like we didn't see that coming since the first book. 😒
I don't know. This whole series just felt predictable and boring.
It was good, better than the other ones. I liked how they touched on the rite more and who was good and who wasn't, how we finally got to know who the dark twin was (both of them have light and dark in them), and who killed Thais's dad (Axelle and Daedalus).
The only thing i didn't like was again, the stupid unnecessary love story. Especially between Daedalus and Clio. Just leave the magick and the family secrets for the plot, not throw in an unnecessary love triangle and story just for the sake of it. It would have been better for it just to be focused on the coven and the magick.
Daedalus tried to kill the twins. Big shocker there. And Melita was still alive. Oh no! Like we didn't see that coming since the first book. 😒
I don't know. This whole series just felt predictable and boring.
November 5, 2025
Hated the way it ended. Not that I was necessarily rooting for thai and Luc, but friendzoning her after literally wishing for her to love him back doesn’t make a lot of sense. Not knowing who started to attack the twins after as well. There’s a lot of incoherence, which make the series not really worth reading in retrospective:( also if you speak french, be prepared for a lot of mistakes
I was excited to see where this was going after the second and third book (wasn’t really a fan of the first one), but the last one was a let down. It ends abruptly, like chapters are missing. I’d be thinking my version wasn’t complete if this problem wasn’t brought up by other’s reviews
I was excited to see where this was going after the second and third book (wasn’t really a fan of the first one), but the last one was a let down. It ends abruptly, like chapters are missing. I’d be thinking my version wasn’t complete if this problem wasn’t brought up by other’s reviews
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2022
Definitely a worthwhile end to the series, but the last 50 pages or so felt super rushed. But there’s some great characterization of Thais and Clio throughout the series. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Melita aspects of this book, and I definitely felt like the ending made it seem like there may be more books on the horizon (clearly not).
If you like Sweep or slightly outdated coming of age Witch stories, this series is definitely worth your time.
If you like Sweep or slightly outdated coming of age Witch stories, this series is definitely worth your time.
April 21, 2023
I enjoyed this finale of the series, with a lot of action in it and a good, surprising twist too. It made for interesting reading , that was difficult to put down. A good ending to the books and encourages me to look for more from Cate Tiernan, who approaches magikal writing in a really good manner.
December 16, 2018
I got through this in a few sittings, but I still don't care about the characters and I wasn't a fan of the series arc as a whole. There's some problematic sex/romance scenes in here (can we just accept that 'no means no'? Please?) and everything felt far too easy for the characters.
April 25, 2019
This is actually pretty cool book series. BUT it ends so soon, there definitely can be so so so much more that could come after. It sucks you in only to be like ‘WHAT!?’ I can’t have it end there. So let’s pray miss teirnan extends these
October 12, 2020
Really enjoy Cate Tiernan writing. I was excited to find another series by her and read everyone in this series. One right after the Other.
I did feel the ending very rapid like it wash rushed. And was very let down with ending because of the empty rush at the end.
I did feel the ending very rapid like it wash rushed. And was very let down with ending because of the empty rush at the end.
October 14, 2024
Good book
July 20, 2020
Almost a month after having completed the final Balefire book, I felt called to leave my review - simply because I cannot quit thinking of these books. The first Balefire book, "A Chalice of Wind," sucked me in entirely. I completed the book in one sitting - that is how enamored I'd become in the lives of Thais and Clio. Cate Tiernan painted a lovely story of magick, immortality, mystery, and love. Not to mention, reading the books has now made me want to visit New Orleans more than ever. Come the second book, "A Circle of Ashes," I was left just as excited. The romance between Thais and Luc was palpable, as was whatever was threatening to brew between Clio and Richard. The third and final books, however....was entirely anticlimactic. Too much information had been left out, not enough had been explained. Ideas and speculations that were raised in the first and second book were left unanswered, unexplained, and unaccounted for. Still, here I am, a month later, unable to quit thinking of Thais and Clio. Because, despite the letdown of the third and fourth books (don't get me wrong - they were enjoyable, only not what I was expecting), Tiernan still managed to effortlessly draw me into her world of magick. The story in itself was filled with so much magic and wonder. It's the sort of story that sucks you so far into its world of magic that when its all over...you sorely wish that it wasn't.
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