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The Secret Circle #6
The Secret Circle: The Temptation
The Temptation is the spellbinding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author L. J. Smith's YA Secret Circle series, perfect for fans of the Beautiful Creatures series.
As the leader of the Secret Circle, Cassie is faced with impossible choices and new dangers at every turn . . . and one wrong move can break the Circle apart forever. Now, as Cassie battles her evil half sister, she faces a new and terrible danger. Black John's curse has been unleashed on the Circle, and it is up to Cassie to set things right.
As Cassie's heart is tested once more, she is forced to finally choose between Nick and Adam, and she faces the ultimate test of her power in this gripping showdown between good and evil.
As the leader of the Secret Circle, Cassie is faced with impossible choices and new dangers at every turn . . . and one wrong move can break the Circle apart forever. Now, as Cassie battles her evil half sister, she faces a new and terrible danger. Black John's curse has been unleashed on the Circle, and it is up to Cassie to set things right.
As Cassie's heart is tested once more, she is forced to finally choose between Nick and Adam, and she faces the ultimate test of her power in this gripping showdown between good and evil.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
105 people are currently reading
6832 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Smith
338 books112k followersSmith was born in Villa Park, Orange County, California. In interviews, she has said she realized she wanted to be a writer sometime between kindergarten and first grade, “when a teacher praised a horrible poem I’d written”, and began writing in earnest in elementary school. Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1987, followed by teaching credentials in Elementary education and Special education from San Francisco State University.
She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.
Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”
She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.
Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”
She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
April 14, 2013
I won't read any of the ghostwritten books for The Secret Circle series or The Hunters series. By giving a 1 star to these books, I'm showing my dislike for Alloy Entertainment & HarperCollins for firing L.J. Smith. They are not allowing her to write her books the way she wanted, because they only care about what sells and don't have any respect for story telling at all.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, here's the letter L.J. Smith wrote herself to her fans regarding the issue.
"Hi —
Thank you so very much for your kind words about Midnight. I’m so glad
you’re enjoying it, and if you already know that Damon says those three
little words to Elena, then I expect you know what she does for him
afterwards. I can’t say how much I appreciate your understanding of the
book, but at the same time my heart is so heavy that I just can’t keep
pretending about what’s in the future for Delena fans.
You see, I’ve been fired from The Vampire Diaries—mainly because instead of giving my publishers the strict Stelana they demanded, I went ahead and wrote what my heart told me to do. They wanted Elena to “realize that she was fond of or physically attracted to Damon, but that her one true love was Stefan.” But I didn’t see the series that way. And so Midnight is the last Vampire Diaries book you’ll see by L. J. Smith.
You’re probably wondering how this can happen, since I write the series and have done so since 1990. But the truth is simple. When I got a call asking me to write a vampire trilogy for Harper, it wasn’t Harper who was calling me. It was a book packager, now called Alloy Entertainment, calling on Harper’s behalf. Their job was to take authors’ work, put blurbs and covers on it, and sell it to a publisher. When I wrote the first Vampire Diaries trilogy it was called “work for hire.” By the time I found out what that meant it was too late.
What it means is that the book packager, Alloy Entertainment, owns the
books, not me. Even though they are copyrighted to me, I still can’t write them without Alloy’s permission. And they really hated any Delena
content—as well as the many scenes I had given to Bonnie, which they wanted to cut. They demanded only Stelena. And now they’ve gotten an anonymous ghostwriter to do the books, the way a ghostwriter does Stefan’s Diaries.
The first book out after Midnight will probably sound something like my
writing, since I wrote Phantom for them. But instead of edits, what I got back after I wrote it was a letter addressed to the ghostwriter by name, telling her to completely rewrite the book.
I have been fighting, coaxing, and pleading with the people at both Alloy and Harper, as I already had the next two books after Phantom mapped out. But there is nothing to be done. They simply didn’t like the way the series was going, and unlike most writers who work with book packagers, I was not submissive, meek, and eager to please them. Instead, I had my own vision of the books. But you can kiss any more truly meaningful Delena moments goodbye, because I’m afraid it just isn’t the view of Harper or Alloy.
Meanwhile, I am devastated. Of course I have other series done directly
with a publisher: The Forbidden Game, Dark Visions, and the Night World
books. But I put so much of myself into the Vampire Diaries books that
right now I’m devastated. I never imagined anything like this could happen. But still, I can’t say that I regret having written Shadow Souls or Midnight the way I did. I wrote what I did because that was the vision I saw of the characters.
I’m just sorry that from now on Delena readers will have no hope of anything other than a Stelena endgame, and that written by someone who will do exactly what she is told.
Lisa
L. J. Smith"
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, here's the letter L.J. Smith wrote herself to her fans regarding the issue.
"Hi —
Thank you so very much for your kind words about Midnight. I’m so glad
you’re enjoying it, and if you already know that Damon says those three
little words to Elena, then I expect you know what she does for him
afterwards. I can’t say how much I appreciate your understanding of the
book, but at the same time my heart is so heavy that I just can’t keep
pretending about what’s in the future for Delena fans.
You see, I’ve been fired from The Vampire Diaries—mainly because instead of giving my publishers the strict Stelana they demanded, I went ahead and wrote what my heart told me to do. They wanted Elena to “realize that she was fond of or physically attracted to Damon, but that her one true love was Stefan.” But I didn’t see the series that way. And so Midnight is the last Vampire Diaries book you’ll see by L. J. Smith.
You’re probably wondering how this can happen, since I write the series and have done so since 1990. But the truth is simple. When I got a call asking me to write a vampire trilogy for Harper, it wasn’t Harper who was calling me. It was a book packager, now called Alloy Entertainment, calling on Harper’s behalf. Their job was to take authors’ work, put blurbs and covers on it, and sell it to a publisher. When I wrote the first Vampire Diaries trilogy it was called “work for hire.” By the time I found out what that meant it was too late.
What it means is that the book packager, Alloy Entertainment, owns the
books, not me. Even though they are copyrighted to me, I still can’t write them without Alloy’s permission. And they really hated any Delena
content—as well as the many scenes I had given to Bonnie, which they wanted to cut. They demanded only Stelena. And now they’ve gotten an anonymous ghostwriter to do the books, the way a ghostwriter does Stefan’s Diaries.
The first book out after Midnight will probably sound something like my
writing, since I wrote Phantom for them. But instead of edits, what I got back after I wrote it was a letter addressed to the ghostwriter by name, telling her to completely rewrite the book.
I have been fighting, coaxing, and pleading with the people at both Alloy and Harper, as I already had the next two books after Phantom mapped out. But there is nothing to be done. They simply didn’t like the way the series was going, and unlike most writers who work with book packagers, I was not submissive, meek, and eager to please them. Instead, I had my own vision of the books. But you can kiss any more truly meaningful Delena moments goodbye, because I’m afraid it just isn’t the view of Harper or Alloy.
Meanwhile, I am devastated. Of course I have other series done directly
with a publisher: The Forbidden Game, Dark Visions, and the Night World
books. But I put so much of myself into the Vampire Diaries books that
right now I’m devastated. I never imagined anything like this could happen. But still, I can’t say that I regret having written Shadow Souls or Midnight the way I did. I wrote what I did because that was the vision I saw of the characters.
I’m just sorry that from now on Delena readers will have no hope of anything other than a Stelena endgame, and that written by someone who will do exactly what she is told.
Lisa
L. J. Smith"
October 22, 2012
As far as I am concerned these books do not exist. There was no need to write new books and to take it away from the author is horrid. I cannot stand the publishers who did this they disgust me!
June 6, 2013
Here's the thing. In books, characters need to grow and develop. It's what makes characters interesting and dynamic. Characters *certainly* need to grow and develop over the course of a six-book series. So when I got to the end of "The Temptation" and everyone was in precisely the same place as in the end of "The Power" (except Suzan, who had been killed off)--well, I was left feeling that I'd wasted my time.
At the beginning of the book, we learn that the Circle, with the exception of Cassie and Scarlet, have been possessed by the spirits of the Ancestors (aka the Blak family). They're working to get Black John's Book of Shadows from Cassie and otherwise make life Hell for the Outsiders (non-witches). Except for Nick. Nick is possessed, but he's able to fight off possession by focusing on his love for Cassie. This could be sickly-sweet, but I found it moving that Nick was able to stay allied with the original Circle and with Cassie purely through focusing on his feelings for her. I was writing all sorts of plotlines about one-way silver cords, about bonds stronger than possession, etc. But was the author interested in any of that? No. Nick *lets the demon take over his body* in order to translate the spell of exorcism, which Cassie and Scarlet perform, after which the Ancestors are corporeal and Scarlet runs off with them and the Book of Shadows. Immediately, Cassie drops Nick for Adam because of that damn silver cord!! Dude, the silver cord is a *plot device*! What about the actual relationship Cassie and Nick just spent pages developing?!? Oh, right. Don't care. Silver cord. Bleh.
After that, there was no tension. Obviously, good was going to triumph over evil, everything was going to turn out just fine, blah blah blah, because this book wasn't even interested in telling a story. This book was interested in selling itself. Take familiar names, put into precarious situation, have everything turn out ok, rinse, repeat, final chapter. Don't waste your time.
At the beginning of the book, we learn that the Circle, with the exception of Cassie and Scarlet, have been possessed by the spirits of the Ancestors (aka the Blak family). They're working to get Black John's Book of Shadows from Cassie and otherwise make life Hell for the Outsiders (non-witches). Except for Nick. Nick is possessed, but he's able to fight off possession by focusing on his love for Cassie. This could be sickly-sweet, but I found it moving that Nick was able to stay allied with the original Circle and with Cassie purely through focusing on his feelings for her. I was writing all sorts of plotlines about one-way silver cords, about bonds stronger than possession, etc. But was the author interested in any of that? No. Nick *lets the demon take over his body* in order to translate the spell of exorcism, which Cassie and Scarlet perform, after which the Ancestors are corporeal and Scarlet runs off with them and the Book of Shadows. Immediately, Cassie drops Nick for Adam because of that damn silver cord!! Dude, the silver cord is a *plot device*! What about the actual relationship Cassie and Nick just spent pages developing?!? Oh, right. Don't care. Silver cord. Bleh.
After that, there was no tension. Obviously, good was going to triumph over evil, everything was going to turn out just fine, blah blah blah, because this book wasn't even interested in telling a story. This book was interested in selling itself. Take familiar names, put into precarious situation, have everything turn out ok, rinse, repeat, final chapter. Don't waste your time.
April 30, 2023
Ein gelungener spannender Abschluss einer Hexengeschichte
In dem Buch Die Versuchung (Der magische Zirkel 6) von Lisa J. Smith, geht es um Cassie und ihren Hexenzirkel, alle sind im Moment besessen außer Scarlett und Nick, aber warum ? Kann Cassie ihre Freunde von der Besessenheit retten ? Und ihre Liebe zu Adam ebenfalls. Es bleibt spannend und spitz sich zum Ende hin zu.
Meine Meinung:
Ich fand die Geschichte wieder spannend geschrieben und flüssig zu lesen. Da es der letzte Band der Reihe war, konnte mich die Geschichte natürlich etwas mehr fesseln und weil es insgesamt schon ziemlich spannend war. Mir hat der letzte Band der Reihe sehr gut gefallen und auch das Ende ist ziemlich gut und klärt eigentlich alle Fragen, die es bis dahin noch gab. Natürlich hat sich Ende wie immer ziemlich zugespitzt, aber es hat irgendwie gepasst, weil es zu der Geschichte gepasst hat.
Fazit:
Ein sehr spannender Abschluss einer tollen Hexengeschichte mit einer weiblichen Protagonistin, die so einiges gelernt hat. Gut geeignet für Fans von Hexengeschichten, die mit jüngeren Protagonistin gut klarkommen.
In dem Buch Die Versuchung (Der magische Zirkel 6) von Lisa J. Smith, geht es um Cassie und ihren Hexenzirkel, alle sind im Moment besessen außer Scarlett und Nick, aber warum ? Kann Cassie ihre Freunde von der Besessenheit retten ? Und ihre Liebe zu Adam ebenfalls. Es bleibt spannend und spitz sich zum Ende hin zu.
Meine Meinung:
Ich fand die Geschichte wieder spannend geschrieben und flüssig zu lesen. Da es der letzte Band der Reihe war, konnte mich die Geschichte natürlich etwas mehr fesseln und weil es insgesamt schon ziemlich spannend war. Mir hat der letzte Band der Reihe sehr gut gefallen und auch das Ende ist ziemlich gut und klärt eigentlich alle Fragen, die es bis dahin noch gab. Natürlich hat sich Ende wie immer ziemlich zugespitzt, aber es hat irgendwie gepasst, weil es zu der Geschichte gepasst hat.
Fazit:
Ein sehr spannender Abschluss einer tollen Hexengeschichte mit einer weiblichen Protagonistin, die so einiges gelernt hat. Gut geeignet für Fans von Hexengeschichten, die mit jüngeren Protagonistin gut klarkommen.
September 14, 2016
Update after reading (Well, sort of. Skimming mostly): Just as bad as I thought it was. And towards the end it just feels like nothing even changed from the end of The Power. Except for that one death, of course.
You have GOT to be kidding me. I may actually end up reading this, just to see how far this ghostwriter can go.
Again, predicted rating- one star.
You have GOT to be kidding me. I may actually end up reading this, just to see how far this ghostwriter can go.
Again, predicted rating- one star.
April 8, 2013
the secret circle had a unique beginning... the idea was good and the plot was nicely arranged. However for the last four books, it clearly was not written by the original author. the whole idea changed and it does not have the same maturity as the earlier two. the story becomes predicable and all of the character had loose their identity. it was an okay book, but i strongly believe that i will appreciate Aubrey Clark more if he/she write a whole new story on witches rather than adding on what L.J Smith had work on.
Want to read
September 11, 2012Lj smith come back! The series sucks without ur incredible writing ;(
March 28, 2013
This book truly offered nothing useful to the reader. Its shallow plot had me pissed almost the entire book. I was actually thankful when I discovered this was the last book in the series.
January 17, 2015
The Temptation is the sixth book in The Secret Circle series, as well as the third book to be written by Aubrey Clark, who took over the series after L.J. Smith had been fired.
Cassie is alone. The Circle—the closest people to a family she's every known—has been possessed by powerful evil spirits who happen to be Cassie's ancestors. And the only way she can free her friends from these spirits' grips is that she must get aid from an unexpected ally.
This is my favourite in the series. It has a very good ending. I wish it weren't the last one, because I wouldn't mind more. Maybe it will be revisited at another time. Maybe. Maybe when they're older. Until then, I hope Aubrey Clark writes more novels.
Cassie is alone. The Circle—the closest people to a family she's every known—has been possessed by powerful evil spirits who happen to be Cassie's ancestors. And the only way she can free her friends from these spirits' grips is that she must get aid from an unexpected ally.
This is my favourite in the series. It has a very good ending. I wish it weren't the last one, because I wouldn't mind more. Maybe it will be revisited at another time. Maybe. Maybe when they're older. Until then, I hope Aubrey Clark writes more novels.
July 23, 2013
I HATE THIS AUBREY CLARK CHICK FOR FUCKING UP THE SERIES. THERE'S NO ORIGINALITY & OMFG I WANTED L.J. SMITH TO WRITE HER OWN BOOKS NOT GET FUCKED OVER BY ALLOY & SHIT.
i Just read this to see where the fuck this woman was taking this series - I LOVED THE ORIGINAL BOOKS BY L.J. SMITH BUT NOT THE ONES AUBREY CLARK STARTED WRITING.
So I remember the last book left off with Cassie's Circle being possessed. Like a dumbass, Cassie goes back to the cave where they're all being held & hopes that OMG, her soul mate Adam (OMG & I WAS A HUGE NICK & CASSIE FAN NOT THESE 2 SHITS) & she puts down the barrier & Adam changes instantly, possessed by one of her ancestors. All the others leave with him & only Nick (I LOVED NICK) & HE'S THE ONLY ONE able to fight the possession b/c of his love for Cassie. Adam sure as hell couldn't & they're supposed to be soul mates. Cassie's attacked by Faye & her possessed friends are wreaking havoc at school & Scarlett's in league with them. The red-headed bitch. LIKE, where the fuck did she come from? Random assed sister who's fucking evil.
Cassie's mom takes her to this guy Timothy Dent, who was stripped of his powers by Cassie's father. And he tells her what to do & warns her that Absolom might've tampered with the exorcism spell (& he did). Cassie goes to see Max, the only hunter left in town - whose father the Circle had killed with their spell that got them possessed as well. Max agrees to help them & Nick's still fighting off the possession but he & Cassie get close again & she's pushing him away 'cause of Adam, WHOSE LOVE WASN"T STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK THROUGH IT -__- Nick lets himself be temporarily possessed so he can translate & read a spell that'll exorcise the spirits of Cassie's ancestors from her friends' bodies - the spell's in her Book of Shadows. Cassie tries the spell but it doesn't work OF COURSE & SHE COULDN'T MAINTAIN IT - SO WHOSE TRAITOROUS MAGIC DOES SHE NEED TO HELP HER? THE BITCH SCARLETT'S OBVIOUSLY. SO they strike a deal for Cassie to give Scarlett Black John's book of shadows for her help & they perform the exorcism & these idiots all play into Scarlett's hands. Now the ancestors aren't possessing the Circle but now they're in corporal form & running around in New Salem, free to wreak havoc & chaos. Adam & Cassie are back together - predictably. ADAM'S SUCH A PISS OFF. So the ancestors need someone to complete their Circle & they're gonna try to tempt someone from Cassie's Circle to their side & Faye's the obvious one who'll actually sell them out. Cassie, Adam & Diana get her Book of Shadows back from the warehouse the ancestors are staying at. One of the ancestors Beatrix is tempting Faye. Cassie, Adam & Diana go see Timothy again & from the last time he told her that her family started the Black/bubonic Plague - Cassie's figured out that the guy it was traced back to was Justinian the Great, who was trying to achieve immortality - & he died & raised himself again & Cassie's circle killed him the last time, & HE WAS BLACK JOHN - HER FATHER. So the ancestors are after the eternal-life spell. Timothy gives them the equipment they'll need to perform the spell & a last resort box to open if they need it. & there's consequences to the spell too. They go to the Historical Society's benefit, knowing the ancestors will be there - b/c they gave them all a vision & Adam pretends to be in love with Scarlett which hurts Cassie - & the ancestors start a fire & crap & they promise to stop if 1 of their members crosses to their side. OBVIOUSLY, FAYE GOES. They rescue Faye with some eye-burning powder & Faye doesn't wanna leave. Cassie knows where to catch Faye unguarded - at Suzan's grave - & FAYE OUTSMARTS THEM ALL - SHE'S SPYING ON THE ANCESTORS & SHE'S GONNA STEAL A VIAL THAT THE ANCESTORS PLANNED TO SMASH WITH SCARLET'S HAIR, FINGERNAILS & BLOOD WHICH WILL STRIP HER OF HER POWER. Faye steals the bottle, gives it to Cassie & Cassie talks sense into Scarlett - NOE THE BITCH IS BACK ON THEIR SIDE - SCARLETT IS SO FUCKED UP & I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'D ALL EVEN PUT A SHRED OF TRUST IN HER. Backstabbing shit. Wow.
So they go out that night, cast the spell & are interrupted by the ancestors who attack them. Cassie opens the last resort box & there's rats inside of it, that attack the ancestors - rats that were infected with the bubonic plague. Cassie's Circle reassembles & it requires her to burn her Book of Shadows to get rid of the spirits. So she considers not doing it but ultimately she does & passes out.
SHE WAKES UP WITHOUT POWER. The sacrifice needed for the spell. Scarlett also admits that the soul mate line b/w her & Adam was fake; a visual spell she did & ADMITS THAT SHE REALIZES THAT EVIL WAS CONTROLLING HER ALL ALON - WTF A CHANGE OF HEART IN 1 SECOND??? WTFFF Devastated Cassie heads home & at the Circle's meeting the next day, Diana's got an idea - a spell they can do where they can offer Cassie some of their power. So at the spell the next day; everyone conveniently shows up - the Circle, including all of their parents, who were useless shits. LIKE LITERALLY EVERYONE SHOWS UP TO GIVE HER SOME OF THEIR POWER. THIS ENDING WAS DUMB & WAY TOO PERFECT. THERE'S NO HARD FEELINGS & FAYE'S POWER HUNGRY & SHE GIVES UP POWER??? THAT MAKES NO DAMN SENSE. & THE PARENTS HAVE NEVER HELPED THEM OF ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR WITCH HERITAGE & EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF THEM SHOWS UP TO OFFER CASSIE A BIT OF THEIR POWER - & WITH THE RISK THAT THE SPELL MAY NOT WORK, IT DOES & CASSIE GETS HER POWER BACK & THE WHOLE CREW JUMPS INTO THE OCEAN.
happily shit load ever after.
this SERIES WENT FROM A-FUCKING-MAZING TO SHIT-SUCKING TRASH
THE ENDING WAS WAY TOO PERFECT - FAYE TURNS OUT TO BE GOOD & GIVING AFTER ALL?? SCARLETT BECOMES CASSIE'S SISTER AT THE END AFTER GETTING 10 PEOPLE POSSESSED & OTHERS KILLED IN THE BENEFIT & BEING APART OF EVIL ANCESTORS THAT WANTED TO SLAUGHTER THE WHOLE WORLD FOR REVENGE??? WHHHHATTT? & Adam & Cassie's OH-SO-PERFECT relationship?? And Nick & her HAPPILY BECOME FRIENDS AFTER??? NO HOT SMOULDERING KISS TO MAKE CASSIE DOUBT HER LOVE OR CAUSE SOME KIND OF TENSION??? WTFFF WAS THIS???
I REALLY HOPE AUBREY CLARK STOPS WRITING & RUINING THIS SERIES. NO ORIGINALITY. & WAY TOO PREDICTABLE.
i Just read this to see where the fuck this woman was taking this series - I LOVED THE ORIGINAL BOOKS BY L.J. SMITH BUT NOT THE ONES AUBREY CLARK STARTED WRITING.
So I remember the last book left off with Cassie's Circle being possessed. Like a dumbass, Cassie goes back to the cave where they're all being held & hopes that OMG, her soul mate Adam (OMG & I WAS A HUGE NICK & CASSIE FAN NOT THESE 2 SHITS) & she puts down the barrier & Adam changes instantly, possessed by one of her ancestors. All the others leave with him & only Nick (I LOVED NICK) & HE'S THE ONLY ONE able to fight the possession b/c of his love for Cassie. Adam sure as hell couldn't & they're supposed to be soul mates. Cassie's attacked by Faye & her possessed friends are wreaking havoc at school & Scarlett's in league with them. The red-headed bitch. LIKE, where the fuck did she come from? Random assed sister who's fucking evil.
Cassie's mom takes her to this guy Timothy Dent, who was stripped of his powers by Cassie's father. And he tells her what to do & warns her that Absolom might've tampered with the exorcism spell (& he did). Cassie goes to see Max, the only hunter left in town - whose father the Circle had killed with their spell that got them possessed as well. Max agrees to help them & Nick's still fighting off the possession but he & Cassie get close again & she's pushing him away 'cause of Adam, WHOSE LOVE WASN"T STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK THROUGH IT -__- Nick lets himself be temporarily possessed so he can translate & read a spell that'll exorcise the spirits of Cassie's ancestors from her friends' bodies - the spell's in her Book of Shadows. Cassie tries the spell but it doesn't work OF COURSE & SHE COULDN'T MAINTAIN IT - SO WHOSE TRAITOROUS MAGIC DOES SHE NEED TO HELP HER? THE BITCH SCARLETT'S OBVIOUSLY. SO they strike a deal for Cassie to give Scarlett Black John's book of shadows for her help & they perform the exorcism & these idiots all play into Scarlett's hands. Now the ancestors aren't possessing the Circle but now they're in corporal form & running around in New Salem, free to wreak havoc & chaos. Adam & Cassie are back together - predictably. ADAM'S SUCH A PISS OFF. So the ancestors need someone to complete their Circle & they're gonna try to tempt someone from Cassie's Circle to their side & Faye's the obvious one who'll actually sell them out. Cassie, Adam & Diana get her Book of Shadows back from the warehouse the ancestors are staying at. One of the ancestors Beatrix is tempting Faye. Cassie, Adam & Diana go see Timothy again & from the last time he told her that her family started the Black/bubonic Plague - Cassie's figured out that the guy it was traced back to was Justinian the Great, who was trying to achieve immortality - & he died & raised himself again & Cassie's circle killed him the last time, & HE WAS BLACK JOHN - HER FATHER. So the ancestors are after the eternal-life spell. Timothy gives them the equipment they'll need to perform the spell & a last resort box to open if they need it. & there's consequences to the spell too. They go to the Historical Society's benefit, knowing the ancestors will be there - b/c they gave them all a vision & Adam pretends to be in love with Scarlett which hurts Cassie - & the ancestors start a fire & crap & they promise to stop if 1 of their members crosses to their side. OBVIOUSLY, FAYE GOES. They rescue Faye with some eye-burning powder & Faye doesn't wanna leave. Cassie knows where to catch Faye unguarded - at Suzan's grave - & FAYE OUTSMARTS THEM ALL - SHE'S SPYING ON THE ANCESTORS & SHE'S GONNA STEAL A VIAL THAT THE ANCESTORS PLANNED TO SMASH WITH SCARLET'S HAIR, FINGERNAILS & BLOOD WHICH WILL STRIP HER OF HER POWER. Faye steals the bottle, gives it to Cassie & Cassie talks sense into Scarlett - NOE THE BITCH IS BACK ON THEIR SIDE - SCARLETT IS SO FUCKED UP & I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'D ALL EVEN PUT A SHRED OF TRUST IN HER. Backstabbing shit. Wow.
So they go out that night, cast the spell & are interrupted by the ancestors who attack them. Cassie opens the last resort box & there's rats inside of it, that attack the ancestors - rats that were infected with the bubonic plague. Cassie's Circle reassembles & it requires her to burn her Book of Shadows to get rid of the spirits. So she considers not doing it but ultimately she does & passes out.
SHE WAKES UP WITHOUT POWER. The sacrifice needed for the spell. Scarlett also admits that the soul mate line b/w her & Adam was fake; a visual spell she did & ADMITS THAT SHE REALIZES THAT EVIL WAS CONTROLLING HER ALL ALON - WTF A CHANGE OF HEART IN 1 SECOND??? WTFFF Devastated Cassie heads home & at the Circle's meeting the next day, Diana's got an idea - a spell they can do where they can offer Cassie some of their power. So at the spell the next day; everyone conveniently shows up - the Circle, including all of their parents, who were useless shits. LIKE LITERALLY EVERYONE SHOWS UP TO GIVE HER SOME OF THEIR POWER. THIS ENDING WAS DUMB & WAY TOO PERFECT. THERE'S NO HARD FEELINGS & FAYE'S POWER HUNGRY & SHE GIVES UP POWER??? THAT MAKES NO DAMN SENSE. & THE PARENTS HAVE NEVER HELPED THEM OF ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR WITCH HERITAGE & EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF THEM SHOWS UP TO OFFER CASSIE A BIT OF THEIR POWER - & WITH THE RISK THAT THE SPELL MAY NOT WORK, IT DOES & CASSIE GETS HER POWER BACK & THE WHOLE CREW JUMPS INTO THE OCEAN.
happily shit load ever after.
this SERIES WENT FROM A-FUCKING-MAZING TO SHIT-SUCKING TRASH
THE ENDING WAS WAY TOO PERFECT - FAYE TURNS OUT TO BE GOOD & GIVING AFTER ALL?? SCARLETT BECOMES CASSIE'S SISTER AT THE END AFTER GETTING 10 PEOPLE POSSESSED & OTHERS KILLED IN THE BENEFIT & BEING APART OF EVIL ANCESTORS THAT WANTED TO SLAUGHTER THE WHOLE WORLD FOR REVENGE??? WHHHHATTT? & Adam & Cassie's OH-SO-PERFECT relationship?? And Nick & her HAPPILY BECOME FRIENDS AFTER??? NO HOT SMOULDERING KISS TO MAKE CASSIE DOUBT HER LOVE OR CAUSE SOME KIND OF TENSION??? WTFFF WAS THIS???
I REALLY HOPE AUBREY CLARK STOPS WRITING & RUINING THIS SERIES. NO ORIGINALITY. & WAY TOO PREDICTABLE.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2018
I can’t believe that it’s over.💔
I’m so pissed that Cassie ended up with Adam but I’m so glad I finally got the closure that I always wanted & needed.😭💘
I’m so pissed that Cassie ended up with Adam but I’m so glad I finally got the closure that I always wanted & needed.😭💘
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2012
Never.
March 31, 2014
Eh...ok. I read 120 pages in a little over an hour! but I think it would've been way better if it was written by LJ Smith
February 25, 2014
This was horrific. Nothing like L.J Smith would write. I read about half of it, and could bear no more. I wish i liked it......but it's just...not good.
April 21, 2022
Over all I think the later books were better written, but also I was too annoyed by then by dumb teenagers being dumb to appreciate it
July 8, 2015
Overall series rating: 3.5 stars
April 11, 2018
Nach dem katastrophalen Vorgänger habe ich für dieses Finale keine großen Hoffnungen verspürt. Überraschenderweise war es letzten Endes weniger schlimm als erwartet.
Cassie ist und bleibt die grausamste Protagonistin, die mir jemals untergekommen ist. Ihre Wankelmütigkeit ist einfach nicht zu übertreffen.
Wie bei den Bänden zuvor schien mir auch diesmal die Handlung völligst aus der Luft gegriffen. Ich hatte teilweise den Eindruck, als habe sich die Autorin während des Schreibens spontan die nächsten Szenen erdacht. Keine verwobenen Zusammenhänge. Keine Vorahnungen oder Hinweise. Nichts. Jedes tiefgründigere Gespräch war maximal innerhalb von drei Sätzen abgehandelt. Die Pseudo-Dreiecksbeziehung wurde auf ein neues Level gehoben -was sie nicht weniger unauthentisch erscheinen ließ. Und trotzdem habe ich mich bei Weitem besser unterhalten gefühlt, als während den Bänden zuvor. Zeitweise konnte die Autorin sogar so etwas wie Spannung erzeugen -nicht sehr langfristig, aber immerhin.
Hinzu kommt, dass sich die Geschichte wegen des simplen Schreibstils super schnell weglesen ließ. Das motivierte zusätzlich und steigerte den Fun-Factor ein Wenig, weswegen ich dem Buch letztendlich doch 3 Sterne gegeben habe.
Ich bin dennoch froh, die Reihe endlich beendet zu haben.
Cassie ist und bleibt die grausamste Protagonistin, die mir jemals untergekommen ist. Ihre Wankelmütigkeit ist einfach nicht zu übertreffen.
Wie bei den Bänden zuvor schien mir auch diesmal die Handlung völligst aus der Luft gegriffen. Ich hatte teilweise den Eindruck, als habe sich die Autorin während des Schreibens spontan die nächsten Szenen erdacht. Keine verwobenen Zusammenhänge. Keine Vorahnungen oder Hinweise. Nichts. Jedes tiefgründigere Gespräch war maximal innerhalb von drei Sätzen abgehandelt. Die Pseudo-Dreiecksbeziehung wurde auf ein neues Level gehoben -was sie nicht weniger unauthentisch erscheinen ließ. Und trotzdem habe ich mich bei Weitem besser unterhalten gefühlt, als während den Bänden zuvor. Zeitweise konnte die Autorin sogar so etwas wie Spannung erzeugen -nicht sehr langfristig, aber immerhin.
Hinzu kommt, dass sich die Geschichte wegen des simplen Schreibstils super schnell weglesen ließ. Das motivierte zusätzlich und steigerte den Fun-Factor ein Wenig, weswegen ich dem Buch letztendlich doch 3 Sterne gegeben habe.
Ich bin dennoch froh, die Reihe endlich beendet zu haben.
November 25, 2014
Das ist es also. Endgültig! Das Ende des magischen Zirkels. Nachdem "Der magische Zirkel" eigentlich nur als Trilogie angedacht war und nach mehr als zehn Jahren der vierte Band erschienen ist, war ich zunächst skeptisch, allerdings haben mich der vierte und der fünfte Band so begeistert, dass ich mich auf den sechsten Band sehr gefreut habe. Die Erwartungen waren nach dem bösen Cliffhanger des fünften Bandes enorm hoch und somit habe ich mich sofort auf das Buch gestürzt.
Obwohl auch dieser Band wieder nur von einem Ghostwriter geschrieben ist, merkt man hier dennoch, dass Lisa J. Smith trotz allem noch greifbar ist, denn ihre angefangene Geschichte wurde bestens weitergeführt, sodass man ihre Handschrift trotz allem noch erkennen kann. Die Geschichte knüpft unmittelbar am Ende von "Die Hexenjagd", dem fünften Band, an und zeichnet auf, wie es Cassie nach dem vorläufigen Verlust ihres Zirkels geht. Dabei ist es besonders interessant zu beobachten, wie sie handelt, denn normalerweise hat sie sich viel zu häufig anderen Leuten untergeordnet, sodass man sie nun erstmalig vollständig und eigenhändig handeln sieht. Interessant ist dabei auch, von dem sie überraschenderweise Hilfe erhält und welches Schicksal dabei tatsächlich in ihren Händen liegt.
Cassie beweist in diesem Abschlussband eine Menge Mut, sammelt mächtig Selbstvertrauen und erkennt, dass sie trotz einiger Differenzen tatsächlich nur mit dem Zirkel existieren kann. Auch der Rest des Zirkels, der in diesem Band anfangs nur eine kleine Rolle spielt, entwickelt sich sehr gut weiter und hält auch dann zusammen, wenn man es nicht mehr für möglich hält. Eine weiterhin sehr wichtige Rolle spielt auch Cassies Schwester Scarlett. Sicherlich kann man von ihr und ihrem Verhalten halten, was man möchte, mir hat sie trotz ihrer Taten oftmals sehr leid getan, da man recht schnell durchschauen kann, weshalb sie so manche Tat überhaupt erst gemacht hat. Umso interessanter waren dabei dann auch die Gespräche zwischen den beiden ungleichen Schwestern und welch unterschiedliche Ziele sie verfolgen. Wirklich enttäuschend fand ich lediglich wieder einmal Adam. Ich kann einfach nicht verstehen, was Cassie und andere Menschen in ihn finden, denn im Prinzip ist er absolut durchschnittlich und weder ein Bad- noch ein Sunnyboy. Seine Entscheidungen sind fragwürdig, wirklich sympathisch ist er auch nicht und Cassie könnte durchaus einen anderen Mann finden, der sie besser behandeln würde.
Sehr interessant und vor allem intensiv fand ich dagegen Cassies Familiengeschichte. Obwohl ihr Vater Black John in dieser Reihe schon oft thematisiert wurde und auch sein Buch der Schatten stets ein wichtiges Element darstellt, empfand ich ihre anderen Vorfahren und was diese bewirkt haben, oftmals noch interessanter, sodass hierbei auch historische Ereignisse eine wichtige Rolle spielen.
Das Ende ist dagegen reine Geschmacksache. Sicherlich ist dies für den Großteil der Leser ein netter und lückenloser Abschluss, mit dem jeder leben kann. An sich finde ich das Ende auch okay, allerdings hätte ich mir hierbei noch mehr Drama und die ein oder andere Träne gewünscht. Zwar werden fast alle Fragen nahezu vollständig beantwortet, jedoch konnte mich so manche Konstellation am Ende nicht so wirklich überzeugen, aber dies ist ja zum Glück Geschmacksache und kann den ansonsten sehr guten Eindruck nicht schmälern.
Das Cover ist wieder einmal wunderschön anzusehen und passt sich den anderen Bänden an - auch wenn besonders die letzten drei Cover deutlich moderner aussehen, was jedoch auch kein Wunder ist, wenn man bedenkt, wann der dritte und der vierte Band erschienen sind. Die Kurzbeschreibung ist ebenfalls gelungen und fasst das Szenario sehr gut zusammen.
Insgesamt ist "Die Versuchung" ein gelungener und spannender Abschluss einer wunderbaren und phantastischen Reihe, die mir über Jahre hinweg großen Spaß bereitet hat. Ich hätte mir zwar einen anderen, dramatischeren Schluss gewünscht, allerdings wurde hier auch eine Auflösung gewählt, mit denen die meisten Leser leben können. Ich werde Cassie und Co. vermissen und kann diese Reihe nur jedem Leser ans Herz legen.
Obwohl auch dieser Band wieder nur von einem Ghostwriter geschrieben ist, merkt man hier dennoch, dass Lisa J. Smith trotz allem noch greifbar ist, denn ihre angefangene Geschichte wurde bestens weitergeführt, sodass man ihre Handschrift trotz allem noch erkennen kann. Die Geschichte knüpft unmittelbar am Ende von "Die Hexenjagd", dem fünften Band, an und zeichnet auf, wie es Cassie nach dem vorläufigen Verlust ihres Zirkels geht. Dabei ist es besonders interessant zu beobachten, wie sie handelt, denn normalerweise hat sie sich viel zu häufig anderen Leuten untergeordnet, sodass man sie nun erstmalig vollständig und eigenhändig handeln sieht. Interessant ist dabei auch, von dem sie überraschenderweise Hilfe erhält und welches Schicksal dabei tatsächlich in ihren Händen liegt.
Cassie beweist in diesem Abschlussband eine Menge Mut, sammelt mächtig Selbstvertrauen und erkennt, dass sie trotz einiger Differenzen tatsächlich nur mit dem Zirkel existieren kann. Auch der Rest des Zirkels, der in diesem Band anfangs nur eine kleine Rolle spielt, entwickelt sich sehr gut weiter und hält auch dann zusammen, wenn man es nicht mehr für möglich hält. Eine weiterhin sehr wichtige Rolle spielt auch Cassies Schwester Scarlett. Sicherlich kann man von ihr und ihrem Verhalten halten, was man möchte, mir hat sie trotz ihrer Taten oftmals sehr leid getan, da man recht schnell durchschauen kann, weshalb sie so manche Tat überhaupt erst gemacht hat. Umso interessanter waren dabei dann auch die Gespräche zwischen den beiden ungleichen Schwestern und welch unterschiedliche Ziele sie verfolgen. Wirklich enttäuschend fand ich lediglich wieder einmal Adam. Ich kann einfach nicht verstehen, was Cassie und andere Menschen in ihn finden, denn im Prinzip ist er absolut durchschnittlich und weder ein Bad- noch ein Sunnyboy. Seine Entscheidungen sind fragwürdig, wirklich sympathisch ist er auch nicht und Cassie könnte durchaus einen anderen Mann finden, der sie besser behandeln würde.
Sehr interessant und vor allem intensiv fand ich dagegen Cassies Familiengeschichte. Obwohl ihr Vater Black John in dieser Reihe schon oft thematisiert wurde und auch sein Buch der Schatten stets ein wichtiges Element darstellt, empfand ich ihre anderen Vorfahren und was diese bewirkt haben, oftmals noch interessanter, sodass hierbei auch historische Ereignisse eine wichtige Rolle spielen.
Das Ende ist dagegen reine Geschmacksache. Sicherlich ist dies für den Großteil der Leser ein netter und lückenloser Abschluss, mit dem jeder leben kann. An sich finde ich das Ende auch okay, allerdings hätte ich mir hierbei noch mehr Drama und die ein oder andere Träne gewünscht. Zwar werden fast alle Fragen nahezu vollständig beantwortet, jedoch konnte mich so manche Konstellation am Ende nicht so wirklich überzeugen, aber dies ist ja zum Glück Geschmacksache und kann den ansonsten sehr guten Eindruck nicht schmälern.
Das Cover ist wieder einmal wunderschön anzusehen und passt sich den anderen Bänden an - auch wenn besonders die letzten drei Cover deutlich moderner aussehen, was jedoch auch kein Wunder ist, wenn man bedenkt, wann der dritte und der vierte Band erschienen sind. Die Kurzbeschreibung ist ebenfalls gelungen und fasst das Szenario sehr gut zusammen.
Insgesamt ist "Die Versuchung" ein gelungener und spannender Abschluss einer wunderbaren und phantastischen Reihe, die mir über Jahre hinweg großen Spaß bereitet hat. Ich hätte mir zwar einen anderen, dramatischeren Schluss gewünscht, allerdings wurde hier auch eine Auflösung gewählt, mit denen die meisten Leser leben können. Ich werde Cassie und Co. vermissen und kann diese Reihe nur jedem Leser ans Herz legen.
September 13, 2013
This is the sixth book in the teen witch series and the third one in a row not written by the original author, L. J. Smith. Teen Cassie Black is part of a coven of 12 teen witches who are all descendants from the same ‘secret circle’ of witches who have been active for hundreds of years. In order to save her coven from evil witch hunters, Cassie used a curse from the Book of Shadows, a dangerous book of dark magic spells that once belonged to her father, Black John who was a powerful dark magic witch. The spell called upon Black John’s ancestors and now these evil spirits have possessed the bodies of the coven, except for Cassie and her half-sister who are immune since they are descendants of Black John. Cassie has only two weeks to figure out how to perform an exorcism or else her coven will become permanently possessed.
Teens who have been faithful readers of the series will probably enjoy this newest entry and not notice its lack of depth in the plotting and character development. The recent books in the series are lackluster and pale in comparison to the books written by Smith.
Teens who have been faithful readers of the series will probably enjoy this newest entry and not notice its lack of depth in the plotting and character development. The recent books in the series are lackluster and pale in comparison to the books written by Smith.
March 23, 2013
hmm....this is a tough review for me as I am torn w/ what rating to give, and what to write. although this book, and the previous ones written by Clark, are nowhere near as good as the originals written by ms. smith, this one surprised me as it was actually decent; and I think the best of the three since the series was continued. overall, I found the story an easy, enjoyable read to pass some time; and liked how it all ended. although I liked this story better than the previous two books, the story was almost too sweet, and the final battle too easy and somewhat predictable. I guess I was hoping for a little more depth and/or " ump" being this was (thankfully) the last book. although this book was better than the previous two, I still would not recommend it; especially to fans of the original series. if anything, I think ya readers who are newer to the series, or liked the last two books, will enjoy it.
September 11, 2012
OMG!!! Can't Even Talk I Am So Excited! Everyone Says It Sucks But I Extremely Believe Otherwise!!!!!!
August 29, 2020
Το τελευταίο βιβλίο της σειράς είναι σίγουρα και το καλύτερο αυτής. Πολύ καλή ροή αφήγησης, ενδιαφέρουσα πορεία και εξέλιξη των γεγονότων, αλλά και των ίδιων των ηρώων, που οδηγούν σε ένα πολύ καλό κλείσιμο μιας ιστορίας που πέρασε από 40 κύματα. Κι επιτέλους, ας το χωνέψουν κάποιοι πως η Smith ούτε είναι καμιά ανυπέρβλητη ταλεντάρα, ούτε της έκλεψε κανείς την ιδέα. Αντίθετα, της την έδωσαν έτοιμη, της παράγγειλαν κάποια βιβλία, την προσέλαβαν για φέρει το project εις πέρας και κάποια στιγμή την απέλυσαν και ανέθεσαν τη δουλειά αλλού. Αυτό συμβαίνει και στην πραγματική ζωή, κάθε μέρα, παντού γύρω μας. Deal with it και μην κρίνετε ένα βιβλίο, πόσο μάλλον έναν άνθρωπο, με αυτά τα κριτήρια!
September 20, 2018
The Secret Circle series by L.J. Smith was always my favorite series of hers so when I decided to read it again I was worried that it would be awful and ruin my fond memories. While I did find it to be less good than I remembered I still quite enjoyed the characters and story even if the writing style was not exactly to my liking. However, the last three books in this series which L.J. Smith did not write and I had never read were not as good as the original trilogy.
January 29, 2023
A good ending but the series could have ended a couple books ago.
September 11, 2025
Malo, malísimo. Predecible y mal desarrollado, aburrido, y lo peor que una obra ficticia puede tener: absolutamente inverosímil. Lo único medianamente rescatable es el personaje de Nick y a él la historia ni siquiera le hizo justicia.
Una pena de final para la saga.
Una pena de final para la saga.
July 26, 2023
Meh, I really just wanted to finish this so bad… Nick is absolutely the only character that didn‘t annoy me :|
July 15, 2023
i’m glad scarlett got a happy ending my evil princess <<33 also cassie should have chosen nick.
April 20, 2013
Now that we've reached the end of the ghost writer additions, I really hope this stays as the end. The additional books are nowhere near as enthralling as the originals and the characters lose a lot of the appeal. By some miracle, Cassie loses all of her power in stopping her ancient ancestors - a result that can be taken in two directions (a sacrifice to stop the evil or because she herself was so much a part of the evil from her family). Of course this means everyone must band together to give her new powers so she can return to life with her circle, because anything else would just be too horrible to contemplate. In the meantime she'll be majorly bipolar and work even harder at driving away the very people that are trying to help her. Yet somehow this results in her becoming closer to everyone in the circle, including her once nemesis and rival, Scarlet. Can't be the end without a happy ending, right? Anti-climatic and droll. Majorly disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2016
Well it looks like this is the last book for this series. I was hoping for Cassie to end up with Nick since he seemed more exciting then Adam. I agree that some of this story seems predictable and sometimes it may surprise you. I'd say it's a good ending. To have gotten rid of the darkness that took over the witches control and haunted them for generations... it was about time they defeated evil. It was sad to see her end up powerless and joyful to see how everyone gave up a little of their powers to Cassie through crystals as a symbol of their powers. I think some elements of these books were important and should have been brought into the TV Show. I like the more natural aspect of the magic, the elements such as crystals, the garden where they kept the lavender, chamomile and such to use in their spells. I also liked the idea of having the diadem, the garter and the bracelet as the true elements of the leader of the secret circle.
October 7, 2013
Although this book isn't written by L.J. Smith I think the author did a really good job of pursuing the story over the three she wrote. I really really loved the last book in the series.
Cassie has to find a way to get rid of the Blak family ancestors without a complete circle. Once Cassie finds out what she has to do she is overwhelmed. She has to convince her sister Scarlett back into her circle and after performing the spell there are consequences. Through thick and thin Cassie's circle sticks together as one and prospers on.
Although this is the last book in the series I found it to end the series well. Of course I still have a ton a questions about stuff that I wonder about in there future but they will never be answered. I still enjoyed reading the series and thought altogether it was an amazing to read series.
Cassie has to find a way to get rid of the Blak family ancestors without a complete circle. Once Cassie finds out what she has to do she is overwhelmed. She has to convince her sister Scarlett back into her circle and after performing the spell there are consequences. Through thick and thin Cassie's circle sticks together as one and prospers on.
Although this is the last book in the series I found it to end the series well. Of course I still have a ton a questions about stuff that I wonder about in there future but they will never be answered. I still enjoyed reading the series and thought altogether it was an amazing to read series.
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