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sadbookalert's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
This book.... wow, this was bad. I didn’t really have any great expectations for this book, which is why i’m not totally disappointed, but come on!
first of all, the characters. there was one character that i liked, which was louisa. and even she didn’t feel real or thought out. every character fulfilled a stereotype; the straight-a 'ugly' student, with the hot best friend and popular boyfriend. then the dangerous 'badboy' who comes into her life, and even louisa got completely put in a box, simply because of her appearance.
it honestly felt like reading a bad and predictable wattpad story.
the only thing that i enjoyed were the death-bringers (or whatever they’re called in english) because their constant grinning was pretty creepy. the rest was just soo basic and unoriginal.
in the end i gave it 2.5 stars because of the descriptions of oxford and the history this book offered (which wasnt much but i still kinda enjoyed it), louisa because i like her, sacha in the beginning because reading about his death was at least not totally basic and actually enjoyable, and the last few chapters because something actually happened!
also i want to add that this book would’ve been way better if taylor and louisa would’ve fallen in love, honestly that would’ve caught me off guard in the best way possible. but since that’s obvs not gonna happen, well...
This book.... wow, this was bad. I didn’t really have any great expectations for this book, which is why i’m not totally disappointed, but come on!
first of all, the characters. there was one character that i liked, which was louisa. and even she didn’t feel real or thought out. every character fulfilled a stereotype; the straight-a 'ugly' student, with the hot best friend and popular boyfriend. then the dangerous 'badboy' who comes into her life, and even louisa got completely put in a box, simply because of her appearance.
it honestly felt like reading a bad and predictable wattpad story.
the only thing that i enjoyed were the death-bringers (or whatever they’re called in english) because their constant grinning was pretty creepy. the rest was just soo basic and unoriginal.
in the end i gave it 2.5 stars because of the descriptions of oxford and the history this book offered (which wasnt much but i still kinda enjoyed it), louisa because i like her, sacha in the beginning because reading about his death was at least not totally basic and actually enjoyable, and the last few chapters because something actually happened!
also i want to add that this book would’ve been way better if taylor and louisa would’ve fallen in love, honestly that would’ve caught me off guard in the best way possible. but since that’s obvs not gonna happen, well...
mrswhodunnit's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the premise but i feel as if the clímax was a little bit underwhelming.
bezarue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I enjoyed this, had a scary moment in the middle where I thought the MCs were gonna be related and I would get Cassandra Clare-d but thankfully not. Didn't try to push the romance too hard which I appreciated as well. Taylor could have been a little less 'oh I'm so ugly compared to my bestie' YA gal but if you can get through the beginning she stops bringing it up. Not sure they needed to make her ex that much of an asshole to prove they shouldn't be together tho. Sacha needs therapy the boy's died way too many times. Really liked it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
leacallida's review against another edition
5.0
Bon. Que dire, mon Dieu, que dire ?
Ce roman a renforcé mes sentiments : CJ Daugherty est plus que jamais mon auteure favorite ; et je suis encore plus amoureuse de la plume de Carina Rozenfeld que je ne l'étais déjà.
Ce roman m'a transportée, m'a fait rire, stresser, et j'en passe. Après avoir lu la dernière ligne, mon coeur bat toujours à l'unisson avec les protagonistes. Je sens que je ne les oublierai pas de sitôt !
Je remercie ces deux auteures de toujours me (et nous) faire voyager autant.
LISEZ CE LIVRE !
C'est tout pour moi.
Ce roman a renforcé mes sentiments : CJ Daugherty est plus que jamais mon auteure favorite ; et je suis encore plus amoureuse de la plume de Carina Rozenfeld que je ne l'étais déjà.
Ce roman m'a transportée, m'a fait rire, stresser, et j'en passe. Après avoir lu la dernière ligne, mon coeur bat toujours à l'unisson avec les protagonistes. Je sens que je ne les oublierai pas de sitôt !
Je remercie ces deux auteures de toujours me (et nous) faire voyager autant.
LISEZ CE LIVRE !
C'est tout pour moi.
alienor's review against another edition
2.0
Actual rating : 2.5 stars
➱ Would I have enjoyed [b:The Secret Fire|22911719|The Secret Fire (The Alchemist Chronicles, #1)|C.J. Daugherty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1427367748l/22911719._SY75_.jpg|42476476] more if I hadn't read plenty of paranormal young adult books before? Definitely. Sadly, as much as I would want to, I can't unread all these books and that's why I can't ignore all the annoying tropes that spoiled my read.
PART ONE : DO NOT LIKE
Indeed Taylor, the MC, is so perfect and annoying I want to puke. Like, really. Let me draw a little list, okay?
✅ She's a straight-As student and only think about studying, because of course, that's how the majority of teenagers are.
✅ She's top-volunteer of the year (really, she won an award or something) but you know what? She didn't show me an ounce of her so-called kindness when it comes to the way she handles her relationship with her best friend. No. She's condescending towards everyone, and she wants us to think that she's a paragon of virtue and made me roll my eyes almost as often as Snowhite in Once Upon a Time (aka. every time she opens her mouth).
✅ She thinks she's not attractive (SPOILER ALERT : She is). She complains about her hair which is curly blond and here's her explanation :
"Blonde hair should be straight and silky."
Are you for real?
✅ She dates some perfect golden boy and she has no idea why he's interested in her.
✅ She blushes all the freaking time. Of course she does. Sigh.
Frankly, I hated her chapters and I don't know if the author's writing is to blame but I didn't like at all the way the characterization was handled : too many useless details about Taylor (like, the countless tea descriptions : I DON'T CARE), and not a drop of interest toward the other characters (mostly Tom, the one-dimensional boyfriend, and Georgie, the hot best friend, who isn't slut-shamed but who is still mostly defined by her looks and her lack of interest in studying).
"He looked dangerous. And that danger had a magnetic force."
Oh, please. Not that again.
Give me a wounded boy, okay. But please don't think I'm stupid enough to find normal that the female lead realizes things about him in 2 seconds when SHE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T. I'm sorry, that's not how relationships work. Anyway, I did enjoy his chapters more than Taylor's ones. Indeed 1)the storyline is way more interesting there (it includes gun shots, gambling, and general deception) and 2)he's completely fucked-up. Of course I ship that, duh.
However as much as I liked his character at first, from the moment that he *really* met Taylor his behavior screamed FRAUD to me : I mean, come on.
First Taylor decides to go to Paris (aka in a foreign country) for 2 days a)after talking with him online only TWICE, b)without telling anyone where she is. Does it not break some elementary safety rules to you? Because to me that's beyond stupid and dangerous. I don't care if your teacher asked you to tutor him. He could be a psychopath for all you know.
Their attraction is cliché, unconvincing and sometimes beyond ridiculous : we're offered a lot of blushing, staring, OMG what it is happening to me!! kind of stuff, and frankly, I was laughing and screaming HORMONES! Sigh. Does nobody talk about hormones to teenagers these days? I'm starting to wonder.
Frankly, I kept rolling my eyes every time they talk to each other/think about each other. Everything sounds so CLICHÉ. Really, we are spared none of it.
✅ The descriptions they make of each other are roll-eyed worthy. For real, I was choking on the cheese.
Taylor about Sasha : "He had the longest lashes she could ever remember seeing. Like black feathers against his cheeks." Of course he does. Because he's a cat or something.
Sasha about Taylor : "She had even, white teeth and full pink lips, and when she smiled she lit up as if illuminated by some inner light. She was one of those people." I'm not even gonna comment on that.
✅ She blushes for no reason every time he looks at her/talks to her/whatever. No reason I said.
✅ "She liked the way her name sounded when he said it." Enough said.
✅ Their interactions are silly, juvenile, and again, cliché. Example?
"He chuckled. "And you're just some English girl with a leaf in your hair."
"There's a leaf in my hair?" Reaching up, she felt for objects.
"Here, let me." Leaning towards her, Sacha pulled the leaf from a curl carefully. Her hair felt incredibly soft beneath his fingertips." Nah, I didn't see that move coming. *roll-eyes*
Oh! And she smells like sunlight! What is it, I don't know, but apparently, it's a great smell.
Conclusion :
"How do you spend one day with someone and decide they belong in your life?"
I don't know, you DON'T?
I mean, why fucking bother? We have :
✅ The best friend who is only here to show how much fucking better Taylor is supposed to be. As I already said, I didn't like at all the patronizing way Georgie is treated by Taylor, and for me her role is strictly restricted as how her actions can manipulate the reader into thinking that Taylor is worth it. It didn't work on me.
✅ The boyfriend who turns into a jerk the minute she meets Sacha. *rises eyebrow* How convenient.
✅ The teachers whose behavior screams trouble from the start. In my opinion the premise itself is wobbly : the whole "I want you to interact" plot stank of put-up job. Just sayin'.
✅ The families who make a special appearance sometimes but just disappear when - well again, when it's convenient.
The premise sounded really interesting to me, especially on Sacha's side : a boy who can't die whatever happens because his death is planned for his eighteen's birthday? Paris and London settings? Count me in. Unfortunately it lacked some depth to really enthrall me and I found myself reading their story only as a distant witness : I didn't care about their fate that much, especially in Taylor's case (goddammit, this girl made my head ache)
PART TWO : NOT BAD
I thought that the paranormal aspects were pretty good and original, and therefore were by far the better part of the book. Indeed the only moments I felt invested in the story where when Sacha tried to deal with the frightening creatures and the impact of his family's curse on his life. Taylor's intake would have probably been captivating too - too bad the girl made my head bleed. I really liked how it was linked to medieval witches hunt and frankly, I can see how this book could please a lot of readers - if you manage to get over the overused tropes submentioned and the cliché phrasing, that is.
Indeed the action in the last 30% kept me on the edge of my seat :
- Sacha's struggles and discoveries captivated me and made me want to learn more and more about the creatures he faces and the characteristics of his curse.
- The events started to be less predictable and their shocked factor increased.
- Even Taylor's chapters improved grandly : indeed her Mary Sue status is FINALLY put aside and she starts to become a heroine I can like, making me hope for her role in the sequel. From her relationships with other characters (most of all Louisa, who I enjoyed a lot) to her inner thoughts and decisions, I can't deny that she grew on me a little bit.
✘ I still have a problem though : If I always liked Sacha and if Taylor's behavior improved in the end, I still hate them together. I'm sorry, but I can't help, they make me gag and they feel fake to me when they're together.
Finally, I'm not sure that I will give the sequel a try, but if I do I hope that it will be more free of these annoying tropes that spoiled most of my read. Look, I know that tropes are useful, but really, the Mary Sue one? The insta-something one? They don't add anything to a story in my opinion, and even worst, they waste it.
Ps. It's a detail, really, but Paris' public parks are rarely open during the night. Actually they are this summer because of the exceptional heat but during the year? Nope.
*arc kindly provided by Bookouture through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
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justineduhart's review against another edition
4.0
This first installment was as good as I hoped it would be. It's about "magic", curses, family drama, demons, etc. and it's been a long time since I read a book in the genre that has made me want more. Like, MORE. NOW.
adlerschweif's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
codyleigh's review against another edition
5.0
A MAGNIFICENT START TO WHATS SURE TO BE A FANTASTIC POPULAR SERIES!
I don’t have the best relationship with books that have been co-written; I tend to stay away from them, there good just not great. I haven’t read anything by either of these authors but once I read the blurb I just knew I had to request an ARC. I can gladly say that my previous fears for this book being just another average read were completely unnecessary… this was incredible!
Sacha Winters lives in Paris and comes from a family who is cursed: Every first-born son will die on his 18th birthday and not a day before. With only weeks until his birthday Sacha's English teacher urges him to get in touch with a girl from England for some online tutoring. Taylor is a straight A student from England whose dream is to study at Oxford, so when the opportunity came to earn some extra credit by tutoring English to a French boy (which is sure to look great on her Oxford application), she jumps for it. The only problem is Sacha is the worst tutee ever, he’s rude, stubborn but oddly thrilling. Sacha and Taylor's ‘meeting’ was no accident, in fact their fates are intertwined and keeping them apart could be the end of the world.
Sounds great really? You’d be so right! I instantly connected with both characters, Taylor I suppose is your typical smart, perfect heroine and usually these types of MC's annoy me after a while but I loved her until the end. Sacha quickly became my favourite character, he’s so sweet and his interactions with Taylor were epic and I was constantly looking forward to the day they finally meet. It was soo worth the wait! This is such a slow burn romance but the build-up had my heart beating out of my chest, the angst and suspense was killing me. I was originally going to give this book 4 stars because I needed more romance but that wouldn't have been right at all because in the end I actually loved the build up. So book 2, you better have some spectacular romance moments, you hear me?
I think it's best to mention the easiest selling point to this, it's so easy to read; usually when you're introduced to a new series there's lot of info dumping or explanations, especially when it comes to magic and how it should be used/limits etc. Whereas The Secret Fire provides information and insight into past events but they are short, sweet and to the point. The theory behind the magic/science of these new powers is explained and it's easy to understand and follow. It will likely be similar to many other YA series but The Secret Fire to me was able to be different and stand on it's own, the plot and the characters just worked so well together *applause*.
This book was perfectly paced and the lack of info-dumping, love triangles and insta-love made for a perfect start to a new series. Switching from POV’s from England and Paris and following the characters as they go from across countries was a great concept. With the addition of magic, action and adventure this book could really do no wrong in my eyes. There isn't a cliffhanger ending just the promise of lots more to come in the next installment which I’m now anxiously awaiting. I highly recommend this to fellow fantasy lovers who are looking for a brand new world to immerse themselves in, with great characters, a promising romance and a thrilling journey ahead.
Literary-ly Obsessed
I don’t have the best relationship with books that have been co-written; I tend to stay away from them, there good just not great. I haven’t read anything by either of these authors but once I read the blurb I just knew I had to request an ARC. I can gladly say that my previous fears for this book being just another average read were completely unnecessary… this was incredible!
Sacha Winters lives in Paris and comes from a family who is cursed: Every first-born son will die on his 18th birthday and not a day before. With only weeks until his birthday Sacha's English teacher urges him to get in touch with a girl from England for some online tutoring. Taylor is a straight A student from England whose dream is to study at Oxford, so when the opportunity came to earn some extra credit by tutoring English to a French boy (which is sure to look great on her Oxford application), she jumps for it. The only problem is Sacha is the worst tutee ever, he’s rude, stubborn but oddly thrilling. Sacha and Taylor's ‘meeting’ was no accident, in fact their fates are intertwined and keeping them apart could be the end of the world.
Sounds great really? You’d be so right! I instantly connected with both characters, Taylor I suppose is your typical smart, perfect heroine and usually these types of MC's annoy me after a while but I loved her until the end. Sacha quickly became my favourite character, he’s so sweet and his interactions with Taylor were epic and I was constantly looking forward to the day they finally meet. It was soo worth the wait! This is such a slow burn romance but the build-up had my heart beating out of my chest, the angst and suspense was killing me. I was originally going to give this book 4 stars because I needed more romance but that wouldn't have been right at all because in the end I actually loved the build up. So book 2, you better have some spectacular romance moments, you hear me?
I think it's best to mention the easiest selling point to this, it's so easy to read; usually when you're introduced to a new series there's lot of info dumping or explanations, especially when it comes to magic and how it should be used/limits etc. Whereas The Secret Fire provides information and insight into past events but they are short, sweet and to the point. The theory behind the magic/science of these new powers is explained and it's easy to understand and follow. It will likely be similar to many other YA series but The Secret Fire to me was able to be different and stand on it's own, the plot and the characters just worked so well together *applause*.
This book was perfectly paced and the lack of info-dumping, love triangles and insta-love made for a perfect start to a new series. Switching from POV’s from England and Paris and following the characters as they go from across countries was a great concept. With the addition of magic, action and adventure this book could really do no wrong in my eyes. There isn't a cliffhanger ending just the promise of lots more to come in the next installment which I’m now anxiously awaiting. I highly recommend this to fellow fantasy lovers who are looking for a brand new world to immerse themselves in, with great characters, a promising romance and a thrilling journey ahead.
Literary-ly Obsessed
tessxox's review against another edition
2.0
Also die Nightschoolreihe möchte ich ja trotz kleiner Fehler und Unklarheiten total gerne & sie war auch so süchtig machend! Aber das hier ? Ich weiß nicht ob es an der Zweitautorin liegt aber es war irgendwie so langweilig? Nicht wirklich schlecht , aber einfach langweilig und nichtssagend & ja einfach nichts besonderes ...
milicasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Drugo čitanje - jun 2023. 4⭐
Nisam bila svesna da sam je već čitala sve dok nisam videla na GR da jesam. Nisam iznenađena, jer je prošlo pet godina od tada. Eto koliko je Laguni trebalo da prevede nastavak. Pretpostavljam da smo srećni jer su uopšte i preveli drugu knjigu.
Priča je baš zanimljiva, velika avantura nas tek očekuje.
Prvo čitanje - decembar 2017. 5⭐
Definitivno sjajan početak serijala koji obećava!
Odlična radnja, tematika, likovi, zaplet. Priča koja me je držala napetom od prve do poslednje stranice. Baš mi je krivo što sam je ovako brzo pročitala.
Nisam bila svesna da sam je već čitala sve dok nisam videla na GR da jesam. Nisam iznenađena, jer je prošlo pet godina od tada. Eto koliko je Laguni trebalo da prevede nastavak. Pretpostavljam da smo srećni jer su uopšte i preveli drugu knjigu.
Priča je baš zanimljiva, velika avantura nas tek očekuje.
Prvo čitanje - decembar 2017. 5⭐
Definitivno sjajan početak serijala koji obećava!
Odlična radnja, tematika, likovi, zaplet. Priča koja me je držala napetom od prve do poslednje stranice. Baš mi je krivo što sam je ovako brzo pročitala.