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The Secret Circle #5
The Secret Circle: The Hunt
<p><em>The Hunt</em>, from the bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries L. J. Smith, is a dangerously exciting tale of love, witchcraft, and the supernatural, perfect for fans of the Beautiful Creatures series.</p><p>Cassie's life is far from ordinary. Her best friends are a coven of witches and her relationship with her boyfriend, Adam, is written in the stars. As the leader of the Secret Circle, it is up to her to keep them safe.</p><p>But then Cassie's evil half sister surfaces, determined to take Cassie's place in the Secret Circle. And a band of powerful witch-hunters begins targeting the group, determined to destroy them. Will the circle remain intact despite the powerfully evil magic that has infiltrated their ring? And will Cassie survive this ultimate battle between good and evil?</p>
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2012
100 people are currently reading
7224 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Smith
337 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 189 reviews
March 30, 2012
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"
April 24, 2018
This is by far the best book! TEAM NICK.❤️
March 21, 2012
Another one? Why can't they just stop? L. J. Smith isn't even writing them anymore and I bet they'll be changed into some sappy-happy love story about over coming all faults blah blah blah. I want the REAL L. J. Smith back!
I can hardly read the new Vampire Diaires books because they no longer capture my interest. I used to buy all of them but I refuse to buy the newest ones.
I can hardly read the new Vampire Diaires books because they no longer capture my interest. I used to buy all of them but I refuse to buy the newest ones.
October 6, 2012
I honestly could care less if the books is good. It will always be trash in my eyes. Why? LJ Smith has always been one of my favourite authors. It was her books that got me into fantasy, and gave me some of my best memories reading. I give this book one star because I see this book as distasteful, and an insult to Smith. It deserves negative stars. Poor LJ Smith. :( It would really suck knowing you can't even write your story anymore.
April 14, 2018
2.5 Sterne
Nun habe ich bereits den fünften Band dieser Reihe beendet und noch immer keine Verbindung zu den einzelnen Charakteren aufbauen können. Die Nebencharaktere glänzen durch Oberflächlichkeit, Cassie ist noch immer der reinste Sympathieträger (hust) und die Liebesgeschichte ist zum Dahinschmelzen schleimig. Jede Handlung wirkt unrealistisch und aufgesetzt. Jedes Problem hat eine einfach Lösung. Ich verspüre nahezu keinerlei Emotionen während des Lesens, es reißt mich nicht mit und trotzdem möchte ich wissen, wie es weiter geht, was denke ich unter anderem daran liegt, dass man sich von dieser Geschichte berieseln lassen kann. Egal, ob müde oder mit den Gedanken woanders, die Bücher dieser Reihe lassen sich immer und überall lesen. Vielleicht macht diese Tatsache einen Teil des Reizes aus. Ich weiß es nicht. Was ich allerdings weiß: Ich werde diese Reihe 2018 beenden und ich bin froh, wenn es vorbei ist.
Nun habe ich bereits den fünften Band dieser Reihe beendet und noch immer keine Verbindung zu den einzelnen Charakteren aufbauen können. Die Nebencharaktere glänzen durch Oberflächlichkeit, Cassie ist noch immer der reinste Sympathieträger (hust) und die Liebesgeschichte ist zum Dahinschmelzen schleimig. Jede Handlung wirkt unrealistisch und aufgesetzt. Jedes Problem hat eine einfach Lösung. Ich verspüre nahezu keinerlei Emotionen während des Lesens, es reißt mich nicht mit und trotzdem möchte ich wissen, wie es weiter geht, was denke ich unter anderem daran liegt, dass man sich von dieser Geschichte berieseln lassen kann. Egal, ob müde oder mit den Gedanken woanders, die Bücher dieser Reihe lassen sich immer und überall lesen. Vielleicht macht diese Tatsache einen Teil des Reizes aus. Ich weiß es nicht. Was ich allerdings weiß: Ich werde diese Reihe 2018 beenden und ich bin froh, wenn es vorbei ist.
October 12, 2012
I have just finished reading this book minutes ago. The book was not as I was expecting it to be. I was so excited to read this book and I had been waiting for it for so long. I am so disappointed. This book clearly does not have the same taste as the first two book which were written by L. Smith. The ending was terrible. It felt like the writer just got tired of writing the story and stopped in the middle of the story. Well, Aubrey thought that would make the readers excited for the next book, but she was wrong. I hope Alloy Entertainment & Harper Collins gives the job back to L. Smith to finish the book or find someone better to finish it. I am not saying that Aubrey is not a good writer, but it's obvious she didn't put her heart into this book as L. Smith did.
April 13, 2015
What an insult to the original L J Smith series, its as if this new author has wrote down the names of the characters and totally disregarded everything else. The original series is what got me interested in reading, I love them and I am so so sad to see this series ruined. As far as im concerned L J Smith's books are the real secret circle, these are a cheap imitation.
April 1, 2012
I can't believe L.J. Smith will not be writing this series anymore! The Secret Circle was my favorite series when I first read it back in the 90's. I would have loved to hear more from the characters but I will not support a ghostwriter that has stolen the series from L.J. Smith!!
December 31, 2022
Neue Herausforderung Hexenjäger
In dem Buch die Hexenjagd (Der magische Zirkel 5) von Lisa J. Smith, geht es um Cassie und um ihre Freunde im Zirkel. Im Moment bedrohen Hexenjäger den Zirkel und wollen ihn vernichten, aber Cassie bekommt von ihrer Mutter das Buch ihres Vaters und versucht damit die Hexenjäger zu vernichten, dabei gibt es aber einige Probleme, weil es schwarze Magie enthält und Cassie damit noch nicht umgehen kann. Können der Zirkel und Cassie trotzdem gemeinsam den Zirkel vor den Hexenjägern retten ?
Meine Meinung:
Ich fand die Geschichte wieder spannend geschrieben und flüssig zu lesen. Mir gefällt es wie es Anspielungen zur Realität zur der Hexenverfolgung gibt, die es ja wirklich gab und wie gut es einfach trotzdem zur Geschichte passt. Jetzt bin ich gespannt auf den letzten Band der Reihe und wie sie endet. Wie Cassie damit klarkommt und ob sie das Problem mit dem Buch von ihrem Vater lösen kann.
Fazit:
Eine spannende Geschichte über Hexenjäger und die Hexenverfolgung in Bezug zum Zirkel.
In dem Buch die Hexenjagd (Der magische Zirkel 5) von Lisa J. Smith, geht es um Cassie und um ihre Freunde im Zirkel. Im Moment bedrohen Hexenjäger den Zirkel und wollen ihn vernichten, aber Cassie bekommt von ihrer Mutter das Buch ihres Vaters und versucht damit die Hexenjäger zu vernichten, dabei gibt es aber einige Probleme, weil es schwarze Magie enthält und Cassie damit noch nicht umgehen kann. Können der Zirkel und Cassie trotzdem gemeinsam den Zirkel vor den Hexenjägern retten ?
Meine Meinung:
Ich fand die Geschichte wieder spannend geschrieben und flüssig zu lesen. Mir gefällt es wie es Anspielungen zur Realität zur der Hexenverfolgung gibt, die es ja wirklich gab und wie gut es einfach trotzdem zur Geschichte passt. Jetzt bin ich gespannt auf den letzten Band der Reihe und wie sie endet. Wie Cassie damit klarkommt und ob sie das Problem mit dem Buch von ihrem Vater lösen kann.
Fazit:
Eine spannende Geschichte über Hexenjäger und die Hexenverfolgung in Bezug zum Zirkel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2017
Whyyyyyyy am I still reading this series? I honestly don't know. I think it's maybe kind of a palate cleanser, because it's pretty quick and brainless to get through it, and it's a nice change from some of the more dense and intellectual books I have to read on a regular basis. But this series...it just isn't good.
I don't really want to comment too much on the whole LJ Smith/Aubrey Clark/Alloy Entertainment fiasco because almost every other review talks about it, but I will note that LJ Smith is not the author of these continuation books--she was replaced by a ghost writer after she wrote some pretty terrible Vampire Diaries sequels. Honestly, I think they should have let this series (and Vampire Diaries) die with the originals, but they had to jump on the Vampire Diaries show hype and milk as much out of that and its sister series as possible. So we're left with these seriously mediocre books that read like fanfiction. I mean, there's something to be be said for revisiting old and beloved characters and seeing what they're up to now, but these books are just silly (though to be honest, they're still better than Cursed Child...)
The writing is tolerable, but the plot of these books is just...meh. The characters repeatedly do completely illogical things that make absolutely no sense (e.g., let's give the bad guy the evil bad book that will totally kill us in exchange for our magical items that don't really do anything) , and (surprise, surprise) something bad happens. Also, people have been dying helter-skelter all throughout the series, even in the original trilogy, and everyone is kind of like "oh wow lol that's too bad" and then that character is never mentioned again. Not incredibly realistic. Also, this book is about teenagers who are facing EVIL magic and there are people literally trying to kill them, and their parents, who are also witches, just...don't do anything? It's really weird. And, of course, despite the fact that some of the Circle members are marked for death, they all decide it's CRUCIAL to go to the school dance, where they're all sitting ducks.
If you've had exposure to practically any high-quality young adult paranormal fiction, you're going to laugh at this series. I'm only reading it because I'm compulsive and have to finish series that I start. Don't make the same mistakes I do. There are too many good books to read to waste time on this.
I don't really want to comment too much on the whole LJ Smith/Aubrey Clark/Alloy Entertainment fiasco because almost every other review talks about it, but I will note that LJ Smith is not the author of these continuation books--she was replaced by a ghost writer after she wrote some pretty terrible Vampire Diaries sequels. Honestly, I think they should have let this series (and Vampire Diaries) die with the originals, but they had to jump on the Vampire Diaries show hype and milk as much out of that and its sister series as possible. So we're left with these seriously mediocre books that read like fanfiction. I mean, there's something to be be said for revisiting old and beloved characters and seeing what they're up to now, but these books are just silly (though to be honest, they're still better than Cursed Child...)
The writing is tolerable, but the plot of these books is just...meh. The characters repeatedly do completely illogical things that make absolutely no sense (e.g., let's give the bad guy the evil bad book that will totally kill us in exchange for our magical items that don't really do anything) , and (surprise, surprise) something bad happens. Also, people have been dying helter-skelter all throughout the series, even in the original trilogy, and everyone is kind of like "oh wow lol that's too bad" and then that character is never mentioned again. Not incredibly realistic. Also, this book is about teenagers who are facing EVIL magic and there are people literally trying to kill them, and their parents, who are also witches, just...don't do anything? It's really weird. And, of course, despite the fact that some of the Circle members are marked for death, they all decide it's CRUCIAL to go to the school dance, where they're all sitting ducks.
If you've had exposure to practically any high-quality young adult paranormal fiction, you're going to laugh at this series. I'm only reading it because I'm compulsive and have to finish series that I start. Don't make the same mistakes I do. There are too many good books to read to waste time on this.
July 20, 2016
The first half of this book was really boring, but the second half picked up. It was kind of repetitive, but still pretty good. I still hate Cassie's selfishness, and her indecisiveness, and the way she's the strongest witch around even though she had no idea a while ago that she even was a witch. Just rather annoying, how that works. But I was surprised about Of course I'm kind of confused how Doesn't make too much sense. Oh well. It's just a book. I thought the
October 7, 2013
Any publisher who steals an author's mental property because they don't like "the direction" that the series is taking is unethical and horrible to boot. If all readers wanted packaged twihard crap we would be reading that. What I wanted was to know where the real author would take these stories not what some ghost writer/fan fic chippy thinks. I am glad that I have yet to be published if this is the direction that the industry is taking. As much as I want to share my vision I don't think I would want to have my character's actions dictated to me based on a tv series that destroyed the work to begin with.
I have admired Lisa since I was 11 and now I have a daughter that age.I wish there was a way to help. I personally think that a boycott of harper collins/ alloy entertainment would be a good thing and I personally am going to do that. I wish other people would too. Integrity should mean something.
I have admired Lisa since I was 11 and now I have a daughter that age.I wish there was a way to help. I personally think that a boycott of harper collins/ alloy entertainment would be a good thing and I personally am going to do that. I wish other people would too. Integrity should mean something.
October 7, 2012
I'm just going to say the exact same thing I said in my review of 'The Divide' - It does upset me that L J Smith lost the rights to write these stories, but that doesn't mean I'm going to rate the book anything less than I think it deserves.
The Temptation - March 12th 2013.
The Temptation - March 12th 2013.
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.
August 29, 2020
Αρκετά καλό, αν και υπάρχει μια ξεκάθαρη ανισορροπία ανάμεσα στο πρώτο και στο δεύτερο μέρος του βιβλίο, με το πρώτο να είναι σαφώς πιο άνευρο και αργό ως προς την εξέλιξή του. Ευτυχώς, όμως, τα πράγματα σώζονται στο δεύτερο ημίχρονο, με την ένταση να αυξάνεται όλο και περισσότερο και με έναν καλά κλιμακωμένο ρυθμό, οδηγώντας μας σταδιακά στην απαραίτητη κορύφωση του δράματος, προσφέροντάς μας συνολικά ένα βιβλίο που δεν ενθουσιάζει μεν, διαβάζεται ευχάριστα δε.
January 25, 2018
The Witch Hunters are after Cassie and her Circle. She finds her father’s Book of Shadows, but it brings with it all sorts of new challenges. But the Circle is in the fight of their lives and if they aren’t careful, all of them will be lost.
January 10, 2023
Cassie really started to annoy me in this one and the plot isn't as great as the previous books (a little predictable) but I still enjoyed it for the most part.
July 7, 2024
It's decent for a YA. I was curious how this series would be. I'll finish it and would recommend for a younger audience for sure but nothing I would jump to recommending for other adult readers who may feel like it's lacking.
Story has some interesting twists but it's predictable I.M.O
Story has some interesting twists but it's predictable I.M.O
July 2, 2015
Written by a different author like the book before it The Secret Circle: The Hunt continued to stay faithful to the story and its characters despite the writing switch. The book picks up where The Divide left off, which is where Cassie is first discovering what she can do with her father's Book of Shadows (remembering that her father is basically the epitome of evil, this is kind of a big deal). Following this, the rest of the book encircles her father's book, its powers, and ultimately the effects it has on Cassie and the Circle.
Cassie is fighting more forces than the hunters hell-bent on destroying (killing) her and the Circle, though. Despite the obvious war that they are fighting with the witch hunters, the biggest battle that Cassie is fighting is the one with herself.
Having her evil father's book, and not being able to properly understand the contents within, she is subject to the evil it holds completely and is therefore vulnerable. She is torn between the book and her circle, as she needs the book to save the circle but then at the same time if she uses the book she may just lose herself in the process. So clearly this sets the book up for a whole lot of difficult choices and badassery, and isn't that why I love it? (the answer is hell yes) The more dark magic the better.
Adam was incredibly annoying, as per usual. What was noticeable with this installment, however, is that while he was annoying he was also a little-less-annoying than the books before it. That said, I still ship Nassie more than Cadam. Although Cassie is in love with Adam and blah blah blah I kind of dig the soul-mate cord that Cassie sees between Adam and Scarlett, because then if they are destined for each other like Cassie and Adam are supposed to be then Adam can leave Cassie for Scarlett (oddly Adam and Scarlett totally suit each other, and I ship it) and Nick can finally be with Cassie.
It was interesting to see the connection between Adam and Scarlett in Cassie's eyes, as it was a love-triangle like situation from a different POV than what we're used to. Rather than it being in the perspective of the person falling in love with two people, it was instead under one of the two people that are fallen in love with by the one person. While it was different it was definitely entertaining. In all honesty the somewhat love-square between Cassie-Adam-Nick-Scarlet was a really big enhancer for the story, and in a way even added to Cassie's inner battle between Good and Evil.
One thing that I especially love about these books, even if it's a little unrealistic, is the obvious lack of parenting. In most novels this is a downfall but with these it's understandable. The parents (or lack thereof) understand what the Circle have been through and are currently going through and it's because of that that they allow them to do their own thing, for the most part. Most people would think that it's negligent but their lack of interference is exactly what helps the Circle not die (almost).
Yeah, it's true that some members still face almost-death or actual-death but at least this way they are allowed to embrace what they are rather than squashing it, which would only welcome it to fight back in full force when its obvious power is denied. It's as if the Circle have their own universe with its own rules and honestly it only makes me wish I could live in this particular book-niverse one thousand times more than I would have otherwise.
Unlike so many other failed books centered around magic and witches, this series unfolds the world of covens and magical ancestry perfectly and in a way that manages to not be tedious. Relics, stones, incantations, bloodlines, dictation, dark forces - this book holds it all. Everything is described so fluently that the information on witches doesn't seem forced. Instead it feels both necessary and entertaining, adding to the authentic telling of this story.
Knowing that I only have one more book to read in this series absolutely breaks my heart, and I'm going to try to put it off for as long as I can possibly handle, just so the story can stay alive for at least a little while more.
Because it was only posing as a book. It wasn't just a bunch of pages sewn together within a cover - it was an entity, alive as she was.
Cassie is fighting more forces than the hunters hell-bent on destroying (killing) her and the Circle, though. Despite the obvious war that they are fighting with the witch hunters, the biggest battle that Cassie is fighting is the one with herself.
But deep down, she couldn't ignore the dismal reason the book no longer rejected her hands. As she was turning darker, it was beginning to welcome her. The balance in Cassie was shifting.
Having her evil father's book, and not being able to properly understand the contents within, she is subject to the evil it holds completely and is therefore vulnerable. She is torn between the book and her circle, as she needs the book to save the circle but then at the same time if she uses the book she may just lose herself in the process. So clearly this sets the book up for a whole lot of difficult choices and badassery, and isn't that why I love it? (the answer is hell yes) The more dark magic the better.
The book is the problem, Cassie thought, but also the solution.
Adam was incredibly annoying, as per usual. What was noticeable with this installment, however, is that while he was annoying he was also a little-less-annoying than the books before it. That said, I still ship Nassie more than Cadam. Although Cassie is in love with Adam and blah blah blah I kind of dig the soul-mate cord that Cassie sees between Adam and Scarlett, because then if they are destined for each other like Cassie and Adam are supposed to be then Adam can leave Cassie for Scarlett (oddly Adam and Scarlett totally suit each other, and I ship it) and Nick can finally be with Cassie.
It was interesting to see the connection between Adam and Scarlett in Cassie's eyes, as it was a love-triangle like situation from a different POV than what we're used to. Rather than it being in the perspective of the person falling in love with two people, it was instead under one of the two people that are fallen in love with by the one person. While it was different it was definitely entertaining. In all honesty the somewhat love-square between Cassie-Adam-Nick-Scarlet was a really big enhancer for the story, and in a way even added to Cassie's inner battle between Good and Evil.
No matter how hard she tried to rationalize her jealousy away, it was there.
One thing that I especially love about these books, even if it's a little unrealistic, is the obvious lack of parenting. In most novels this is a downfall but with these it's understandable. The parents (or lack thereof) understand what the Circle have been through and are currently going through and it's because of that that they allow them to do their own thing, for the most part. Most people would think that it's negligent but their lack of interference is exactly what helps the Circle not die (almost).
It was a strange mind-set, to be both grieving for the death of their friend while also giving thanks that they'd been spared.
Yeah, it's true that some members still face almost-death or actual-death but at least this way they are allowed to embrace what they are rather than squashing it, which would only welcome it to fight back in full force when its obvious power is denied. It's as if the Circle have their own universe with its own rules and honestly it only makes me wish I could live in this particular book-niverse one thousand times more than I would have otherwise.
Unlike so many other failed books centered around magic and witches, this series unfolds the world of covens and magical ancestry perfectly and in a way that manages to not be tedious. Relics, stones, incantations, bloodlines, dictation, dark forces - this book holds it all. Everything is described so fluently that the information on witches doesn't seem forced. Instead it feels both necessary and entertaining, adding to the authentic telling of this story.
Knowing that I only have one more book to read in this series absolutely breaks my heart, and I'm going to try to put it off for as long as I can possibly handle, just so the story can stay alive for at least a little while more.
July 24, 2023
Team Nick <3
April 25, 2016
Cassie now owns her father’s book of Shadows and it’s changing her. She is feeling its darkness and the power from it. Her life is also changing too. Cassie confesses to Adam about her book but wants him to keep it a secret until she is ready to tell the Circle. The Witch Hunters have marked Faye and Laurel and to keep them protected Cassie’s mom suggests they stay inside the secret room hidden in their house. Cassie tries to kill Scarlett when she finds out Adam has taken her father’s book of shadows to her. He ends up stopping her before she does anything she might regret. They get the Master Tools back and put a magical restraining order on Scarlett so that she stays away from them.
Diana falls for the principles son Max, they share a silver cord which binds them together. Cassie has lost her cord to Adam and instead Scarlett has one linked to him. She’s beginning to questions their love. Cassie is being taken over by the books dark magic. It’s making her do things she wouldn’t dare to do like kiss Nick… She knows dark spells and learns the language from her book. When the Witch Hunters kill Susan their circle is broken and it weakens their powers. They do a spell to find out if there are any living relatives in her bloodline. It turns out that Scarlett is her cousin and Cassie’s half sister. They are all linked together in some way. They have no choice but to invite Scarlett into their circle to get their magic back and protect themselves from the witch hunters. They all know the risk they are taken.
The circle decides to use dark magic against the witch hunters with Max’s help of course. But their plan quickly backfires and they end up killing them. By doing so and using dark spells, it’s gotten the whole circle possessed by ancient relatives from Black John’s family. Scarlett has turned the circle evil and they are listening to her now. Cassie still has her father’s book and quickly escapes her possessed friends. We won’t know what happens next until the Temptation is out in March 2013.
Diana falls for the principles son Max, they share a silver cord which binds them together. Cassie has lost her cord to Adam and instead Scarlett has one linked to him. She’s beginning to questions their love. Cassie is being taken over by the books dark magic. It’s making her do things she wouldn’t dare to do like kiss Nick… She knows dark spells and learns the language from her book. When the Witch Hunters kill Susan their circle is broken and it weakens their powers. They do a spell to find out if there are any living relatives in her bloodline. It turns out that Scarlett is her cousin and Cassie’s half sister. They are all linked together in some way. They have no choice but to invite Scarlett into their circle to get their magic back and protect themselves from the witch hunters. They all know the risk they are taken.
The circle decides to use dark magic against the witch hunters with Max’s help of course. But their plan quickly backfires and they end up killing them. By doing so and using dark spells, it’s gotten the whole circle possessed by ancient relatives from Black John’s family. Scarlett has turned the circle evil and they are listening to her now. Cassie still has her father’s book and quickly escapes her possessed friends. We won’t know what happens next until the Temptation is out in March 2013.
December 9, 2013
I starting reading this book and quickly became frustated at the "circle" the secret circle books have become. I am not going into details so I won't spoil it for poeple who do want to read it but as each new installment comes out it seems to me that in each book it is basically a rehash of the same reltionship dramas, the same bad guys (different names but all turn out to be the the principal of the school???), and the same cliff-hangers. Instead of moving forward together and maybe having growth in a realtionship and or having some new relationships evolve with other members they continue with tired storylines from pevious books(example Cassie and Adam) they use the same old reasons (a spell? a love triangle? jealousy? or all 3) to have difficulty and leave you in the air at the end about if they will survive it together.
Also a problem for me is that they just kill off people (no names) as if they were not important to the story (or the circle) in favor of, in my opinion, rehashing the same story lines with very small differences. The books are just not exciting anymore and have become WAY too predictable.
This may be because it is not even L.J. Smith writing them anymore. This is a fact that is not made clear even when you receive the book, it is something that took me about 1/3 of the way in. They are billed as being written by her and are actually another writing on her ideas. Well as for this writer it doesn't seem to me that she can come up with any of her own and it has made the series a dud for me. I won't be ordering the next installment and only gave this 3 stars because I loved the original characters so much that I was able to finish it. Of course the problem that will continue is without L.J. Smith creating the characters anymore the new ones just don't make the cut as interesting enough to kill off old ones to take thier place instead of trying develop story arcs of thier own.
Also a problem for me is that they just kill off people (no names) as if they were not important to the story (or the circle) in favor of, in my opinion, rehashing the same story lines with very small differences. The books are just not exciting anymore and have become WAY too predictable.
This may be because it is not even L.J. Smith writing them anymore. This is a fact that is not made clear even when you receive the book, it is something that took me about 1/3 of the way in. They are billed as being written by her and are actually another writing on her ideas. Well as for this writer it doesn't seem to me that she can come up with any of her own and it has made the series a dud for me. I won't be ordering the next installment and only gave this 3 stars because I loved the original characters so much that I was able to finish it. Of course the problem that will continue is without L.J. Smith creating the characters anymore the new ones just don't make the cut as interesting enough to kill off old ones to take thier place instead of trying develop story arcs of thier own.
February 22, 2017
This book was better, but still not as good as the trilogy in the beginning!
January 10, 2013
The book went by pretty quickly actually and in a good way. It was one of those 'finish in one sitting' kind of books and leaves you somewhat wanting more and thinking that it ended well at the same time.
The Hunt builds pretty well off the previous installments and does well with throwing a couple twists and surprises throughout the series. A number of things did appear a bit (at best) predictable by my tastes but I could probably shrug this off as being due to being accustomed so much to this genre of writing I can almost predict where the author is going with some things. That being said though, some of the things that were thrown at us throughout the scope of the title even caught me by surprised and I am left anticipating the next book to see how Cassie is able to maneuver her way out of the happenings in this title.
One thing that strikes me most in these books and it is brought about a bit more if you ask me by Cassie's mother involvement in the circle... but I can't help wondering to myself.... What the heck is up with the other parents in these books?! So many things happen in these titles to leave me a bit baffled to say the least as to why all the parents of the circle members aren't more involved in what is going on. As secretive as the kids are I am sure the parents aren't oblivious enough to know something is up and that maybe their children are in mortal danger. Outside that little qualm (which I have been having since the 2nd book) the entire title was pretty enjoyable.
The Hunt builds pretty well off the previous installments and does well with throwing a couple twists and surprises throughout the series. A number of things did appear a bit (at best) predictable by my tastes but I could probably shrug this off as being due to being accustomed so much to this genre of writing I can almost predict where the author is going with some things. That being said though, some of the things that were thrown at us throughout the scope of the title even caught me by surprised and I am left anticipating the next book to see how Cassie is able to maneuver her way out of the happenings in this title.
One thing that strikes me most in these books and it is brought about a bit more if you ask me by Cassie's mother involvement in the circle... but I can't help wondering to myself.... What the heck is up with the other parents in these books?! So many things happen in these titles to leave me a bit baffled to say the least as to why all the parents of the circle members aren't more involved in what is going on. As secretive as the kids are I am sure the parents aren't oblivious enough to know something is up and that maybe their children are in mortal danger. Outside that little qualm (which I have been having since the 2nd book) the entire title was pretty enjoyable.
April 13, 2015
This ghostwriter continuation really follows the TV series and has a completely different tone than the original series by L.J. Smith. Sadly it is not as exciting or consistent as the original. Cassie comes off as whiny and insecure. Adam comes off as secretive and like he now struggles with loyalty and affection; the two things that made him an integral character to the circle and a great guy to begin with. Probably the least changed in the series is Faye, still aggravating and dark, flirting with danger despite being one of the "good guys." Still not sure what I think about Diana and Max despite the hunter/witch pairing already being introduced in the TV series. Suffice it to say the circle can't seem to do anything right and just seems to make one mistake after another, resulting in lots of dark magic and problems they don't have the first clue how to deal with. Despite clearly being out of the depths, they continue to dive in head first without truly understanding what they're doing or even really attempting to get reliable help. Small wonder they just manage to make already bad situations worse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2012
Just finished it... All i can say is that i miss lj smith. Its not the same without her. The story was dissapointing and it lacked the charm the original lj smith secret circle books had.... The originals wer amazing and they had soo much magic to them. These ones now seem to modern for the yr its supposed to take place in (for example in this book they all have cell phones with txt messeges, but in previous books they didnt have cell phones due to the fact that the book takes place in the 90s when cell phones wer not even available yet...). Also suzans death was too tragic, id rather the ended the series with lj smiths books then these ones. Also i found these books to be too predictible and Scarelet was soo annoying. I usually like all characters(good or bad), but scarelet was just too annoying to enjoy.
November 1, 2012
Why?!?! Why do this to a wonderful series that started off so well. First of all I refuse to actually buy this book because I don't support the fact that the publishers decided not to allow L.J. Smith write the series as she intended. Secondly, the book was crap. The new writer has made this book so short, quick and predictable that it was ridiculous. Trusting an evil witch who tried to kill you? Seems like a totally okay idea....
How about not. Then of course to keep the romantic triangle going we see Cassie having some series thoughts about Nick, which basically turn into Nick getting walked over a little bit... Gee that's kind of you.
Don't even get me started about the ending; what the hell was that?! Stupidest thing I have read in a while, not going to lie.
For the love of all that is book-holy please stop massacring the Secret Circle series. Please!?
How about not. Then of course to keep the romantic triangle going we see Cassie having some series thoughts about Nick, which basically turn into Nick getting walked over a little bit... Gee that's kind of you.
Don't even get me started about the ending; what the hell was that?! Stupidest thing I have read in a while, not going to lie.
For the love of all that is book-holy please stop massacring the Secret Circle series. Please!?
September 6, 2017
The secret circle the hunt is a great book. If you are interested in drama and fantasy. It is about a witch named Cassie who is on a journey to fight her evil half sister Scarlett who is trying to kill Cassie so she can have her spot in the circle which is a group of witches. But she also has protect her friends Faye,Nick and Laurel who have been marked by the witch hunters. Who are on a hunt to destroy Cassie and The circle.
I gave this book four stars because it is overall a pretty good book. But sometimes it got boring because the author gave way to much detail and went and on. Also I thought that the first half of the book was really boring nothing interesting or exiting happened but then the other half the book had a lot drama which made the reader interested. Overall I will give this book four stars it was interesting and I had fun time reading it.
I gave this book four stars because it is overall a pretty good book. But sometimes it got boring because the author gave way to much detail and went and on. Also I thought that the first half of the book was really boring nothing interesting or exiting happened but then the other half the book had a lot drama which made the reader interested. Overall I will give this book four stars it was interesting and I had fun time reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2014
The Hunt is the fifth book in The Secret Circle series, as well as the second book to be written by Aubrey Clark, who took over after L.J. Smith was fired.
The Hunt was great. Despite the ending that saddened and annoyed me, it was really good. Aubrey Clark has managed to stick to a writing style similar to L.J. Smith, yet bringing her own magic into it, as well. The characters are themselves—for instance, Cassie, who is bubbly, caring, and selfless; Adam, who is sensitive, compassionate, and humorous; Diana, who is kind, warm-hearted, and nothing but pure; and Faye, who is wicked, mischievous, and only shows a soft side occasionally.
The Hunt was great. Despite the ending that saddened and annoyed me, it was really good. Aubrey Clark has managed to stick to a writing style similar to L.J. Smith, yet bringing her own magic into it, as well. The characters are themselves—for instance, Cassie, who is bubbly, caring, and selfless; Adam, who is sensitive, compassionate, and humorous; Diana, who is kind, warm-hearted, and nothing but pure; and Faye, who is wicked, mischievous, and only shows a soft side occasionally.
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