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Book Review of Firespell (Dark Elite, Bk 1)

Firespell (Dark Elite, Bk 1)
reviewed on + 1452 more book reviews


This is a YA read that I suspect will appeal to many teenagers. Lily, the narrator, finds herself in a boarding school when her parents depart for Germany on a sabbatical. Never before having been parted from them, she misses them and her friends in upstate New York yet she must find a way to survive in this school for rich girls. One way is to make friends. She discovers Scout, a teenager who has her own lifestyle, one that Lily can identify with rather than that of the teens who have everything they desire.

The basic premise of the story is the use of magic. Those who have magic talents show signs at an early age, peaking between 15 and 25. At that point magic talents must be abandoned or sustained by sucking the souls of others. Scout and her friends have such talents but they work to protect and rescue those from those who would use them. How can a non-magic user like Lily fit into the group? They can't the leaders inform Lily when she discovers their lifestyle.

At the same time Lily learns that her parents have a life that they have hidden from her. She is hurt and feels abandoned. As the tale develops, one wonders how Lily can manage to graduate from her new school. The plot is simple but interesting. I give this read a solid three but I am an adult reading a YA novel written for teenagers.