Tajna vatra

The Alchemist Chronicles #1

by C.J. Daugherty, Carina Rozenfeld, Milica Cvetković (Translator)

Priča o savremenoj alhemiji.
Fransucki tinejdžer Saša Vinters ne može da umre. Može da se baci s krova, mogu da ga izbodu nožem, čak i pogode metkom, uvek će preživeti. Sve do dana kad će se ispuniti davno zaboravljeno predskazanje. Najgore od svega, njegova smrt će pokrenuti nešto užasno. Nešto nezamislivo smrtonosno. A taj dan se bliži.
Tejlor Monkler je marljiva engleska gimnazijalka koja izlazi s društvom i žudi da se upiše na Oksfordski univerzitet sve dok ne počne snagom mozga da pravi električne kratke spojeve. Osim toga, jedino ona na celom svetu može da spase Sašu.
Postoji samo nekoliko sitnih problema: njih dvoje se uopšte ne znaju, žive u različitim zemljama, moćne sile ne prezaju ni od čega da ih drže razdvojeno.
Tejlor i Saša imaju osam nedelja da se pronađu. Hoće li opstati dovoljno dugo da spasu svet? Sat počinje da otkucava: SADA.

„Ovaj serijal će se dopasti onima koji su odrasli uz Harija Potera. Ispunjen je tim mračnim magijskim duhom, samo što je savremeniji i opasniji.“ Serendipity Reviews

„Treba da vas raduje ova knjiga. Ona je književna verzija najboljih epizoda Bafi.“ Holi Born, autorka The Manifesto on How to bi Interesting

„Odavno nismo imali knjigu ovog žanra koja vas navodi da poželite još. I to JOŠ, i to ODMAH.“ fairyneverland.com

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Mystery

374 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2015

About the author

International bestselling author CJ Daugherty is a former newspaper reporter and crime writer. Her Night School series has been translated into 24 languages, and has been a bestseller in multiple countries. She also writes The Echo Killing crime series under the name Christi Daugherty.

Find out more on her website: www.ChristiDaugherty.com on www.facebook.com/CJAuthor and on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CJ_Daugherty

Reviews

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating : 2.5 stars

➱ Would I have enjoyed The Secret Fire more if I hadn't read plenty of paranormal young adult books before? Definitely. Sadly, as much as I would want to, I can't unread all these books and that's why I can't ignore all the annoying tropes that spoiled my read.

PART ONE : DO NOT LIKE



Indeed Taylor, the MC, is so perfect and annoying I want to puke. Like, really. Let me draw a little list, okay?

✅ She's a straight-As student and only think about studying, because of course, that's how the majority of teenagers are.

✅ She's top-volunteer of the year (really, she won an award or something) but you know what? She didn't show me an ounce of her so-called kindness when it comes to the way she handles her relationship with her best friend. No. She's condescending towards everyone, and she wants us to think that she's a paragon of virtue and made me roll my eyes almost as often as Snowhite in Once Upon a Time (aka. every time she opens her mouth).

✅ She thinks she's not attractive (SPOILER ALERT : She is). She complains about her hair which is curly blond and here's her explanation :

"Blonde hair should be straight and silky."

Are you for real?

✅ She dates some perfect golden boy and she has no idea why he's interested in her.

✅ She blushes all the freaking time. Of course she does. Sigh.

Frankly, I hated her chapters and I don't know if the author's writing is to blame but I didn't like at all the way the characterization was handled : too many useless details about Taylor (like, the countless tea descriptions : I DON'T CARE), and not a drop of interest toward the other characters (mostly Tom, the one-dimensional boyfriend, and Georgie, the hot best friend, who isn't slut-shamed but who is still mostly defined by her looks and her lack of interest in studying).

"He looked dangerous. And that danger had a magnetic force."

Oh, please. Not that again.

Give me a wounded boy, okay. But please don't think I'm stupid enough to find normal that the female lead realizes things about him in 2 seconds when SHE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T. I'm sorry, that's not how relationships work. Anyway, I did enjoy his chapters more than Taylor's ones. Indeed 1)the storyline is way more interesting there (it includes gun shots, gambling, and general deception) and 2)he's completely fucked-up. Of course I ship that, duh.

However as much as I liked his character at first, from the moment that he *really* met Taylor his behavior screamed FRAUD to me : I mean, come on.

First Taylor decides to go to Paris (aka in a foreign country) for 2 days a)after talking with him online only TWICE, b)without telling anyone where she is. Does it not break some elementary safety rules to you? Because to me that's beyond stupid and dangerous. I don't care if your teacher asked you to tutor him. He could be a psychopath for all you know.

Their attraction is cliché, unconvincing and sometimes beyond ridiculous : we're offered a lot of blushing, staring, OMG what it is happening to me!! kind of stuff, and frankly, I was laughing and screaming HORMONES! Sigh. Does nobody talk about hormones to teenagers these days? I'm starting to wonder.

Frankly, I kept rolling my eyes every time they talk to each other/think about each other. Everything sounds so CLICHÉ. Really, we are spared none of it.

✅ The descriptions they make of each other are roll-eyed worthy. For real, I was choking on the cheese.

Taylor about Sasha : "He had the longest lashes she could ever remember seeing. Like black feathers against his cheeks." Of course he does. Because he's a cat or something.
Sasha about Taylor : "She had even, white teeth and full pink lips, and when she smiled she lit up as if illuminated by some inner light. She was one of those people." I'm not even gonna comment on that.

✅ She blushes for no reason every time he looks at her/talks to her/whatever. No reason I said.

✅ "She liked the way her name sounded when he said it." Enough said.

✅ Their interactions are silly, juvenile, and again, cliché. Example?

"He chuckled. "And you're just some English girl with a leaf in your hair."
"There's a leaf in my hair?" Reaching up, she felt for objects.
"Here, let me." Leaning towards her, Sacha pulled the leaf from a curl carefully. Her hair felt incredibly soft beneath his fingertips." Nah, I didn't see that move coming. *roll-eyes*

Oh! And she smells like sunlight! What is it, I don't know, but apparently, it's a great smell.

Conclusion :

"How do you spend one day with someone and decide they belong in your life?"

I don't know, you DON'T?



I mean, why fucking bother? We have :

✅ The best friend who is only here to show how much fucking better Taylor is supposed to be. As I already said, I didn't like at all the patronizing way Georgie is treated by Taylor, and for me her role is strictly restricted as how her actions can manipulate the reader into thinking that Taylor is worth it. It didn't work on me.

✅ The boyfriend who turns into a jerk the minute she meets Sacha. *rises eyebrow* How convenient.

✅ The teachers whose behavior screams trouble from the start. In my opinion the premise itself is wobbly : the whole "I want you to interact" plot stank of put-up job. Just sayin'.

✅ The families who make a special appearance sometimes but just disappear when - well again, when it's convenient.



The premise sounded really interesting to me, especially on Sacha's side : a boy who can't die whatever happens because his death is planned for his eighteen's birthday? Paris and London settings? Count me in. Unfortunately it lacked some depth to really enthrall me and I found myself reading their story only as a distant witness : I didn't care about their fate that much, especially in Taylor's case (goddammit, this girl made my head ache)

PART TWO : NOT BAD



I thought that the paranormal aspects were pretty good and original, and therefore were by far the better part of the book. Indeed the only moments I felt invested in the story where when Sacha tried to deal with the frightening creatures and the impact of his family's curse on his life. Taylor's intake would have probably been captivating too - too bad the girl made my head bleed. I really liked how it was linked to medieval witches hunt and frankly, I can see how this book could please a lot of readers - if you manage to get over the overused tropes submentioned and the cliché phrasing, that is.



Indeed the action in the last 30% kept me on the edge of my seat :
- Sacha's struggles and discoveries captivated me and made me want to learn more and more about the creatures he faces and the characteristics of his curse.
- The events started to be less predictable and their shocked factor increased.
- Even Taylor's chapters improved grandly : indeed her Mary Sue status is FINALLY put aside and she starts to become a heroine I can like, making me hope for her role in the sequel. From her relationships with other characters (most of all Louisa, who I enjoyed a lot) to her inner thoughts and decisions, I can't deny that she grew on me a little bit.

✘ I still have a problem though : If I always liked Sacha and if Taylor's behavior improved in the end, I still hate them together. I'm sorry, but I can't help, they make me gag and they feel fake to me when they're together.

Finally, I'm not sure that I will give the sequel a try, but if I do I hope that it will be more free of these annoying tropes that spoiled most of my read. Look, I know that tropes are useful, but really, the Mary Sue one? The insta-something one? They don't add anything to a story in my opinion, and even worst, they waste it.

Ps. It's a detail, really, but Paris' public parks are rarely open during the night. Actually they are this summer because of the exceptional heat but during the year? Nope.

*arc kindly provided by Bookouture through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sacha Winters lives in Paris and has a curse upon his family that won't allow him to die, that is until his 18th birthday. Taylor Montclair is a English student who is doing everything she can to get in Oxford, so when her French teacher asks her to tutor a French student in English via the internet she of course agrees since it will look good on her academic resume.

Taylor and Sacha soon find their lives are far more entwined than they would ever have guessed. Taylor just may be the one person who could save Sacha from his curse.

I've been on somewhat of a slump when it's come to young adult fantasies being a bit boring to me for a while. Thankfully with The Secret Fire that completely wasn't the case. The plot was just enough revealed to keep the pages turning and also make me want to continue on and find out where it will all go in the remainder of the series, so many possibilities to come.

Love the relationship with Taylor and Sacha. There is a reasoning behind them being together but yet it didn't feel as if the authors were rushing them together and moving the relationship too quickly either.

This is really a typical formula for a young adult fantasy but it stood out on it's own and had a plot and characters that kept me wanting to know more. Would completely recommend checking this one out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MAGNIFICENT START TO WHATS SURE TO BE A FANTASTIC POPULAR SERIES!

I don’t have the best relationship with books that have been co-written; I tend to stay away from them, there good just not great. I haven’t read anything by either of these authors but once I read the blurb I just knew I had to request an ARC. I can gladly say that my previous fears for this book being just another average read were completely unnecessary… this was incredible!

Sacha Winters lives in Paris and comes from a family who is cursed: Every first-born son will die on his 18th birthday and not a day before. With only weeks until his birthday Sacha's English teacher urges him to get in touch with a girl from England for some online tutoring. Taylor is a straight A student from England whose dream is to study at Oxford, so when the opportunity came to earn some extra credit by tutoring English to a French boy (which is sure to look great on her Oxford application), she jumps for it. The only problem is Sacha is the worst tutee ever, he’s rude, stubborn but oddly thrilling. Sacha and Taylor's ‘meeting’ was no accident, in fact their fates are intertwined and keeping them apart could be the end of the world.

Sounds great really? You’d be so right! I instantly connected with both characters, Taylor I suppose is your typical smart, perfect heroine and usually these types of MC's annoy me after a while but I loved her until the end. Sacha quickly became my favourite character, he’s so sweet and his interactions with Taylor were epic and I was constantly looking forward to the day they finally meet. It was soo worth the wait! This is such a slow burn romance but the build-up had my heart beating out of my chest, the angst and suspense was killing me. I was originally going to give this book 4 stars because I needed more romance but that wouldn't have been right at all because in the end I actually loved the build up. So book 2, you better have some spectacular romance moments, you hear me?

I think it's best to mention the easiest selling point to this, it's so easy to read; usually when you're introduced to a new series there's lot of info dumping or explanations, especially when it comes to magic and how it should be used/limits etc. Whereas The Secret Fire provides information and insight into past events but they are short, sweet and to the point. The theory behind the magic/science of these new powers is explained and it's easy to understand and follow. It will likely be similar to many other YA series but The Secret Fire to me was able to be different and stand on it's own, the plot and the characters just worked so well together *applause*.

This book was perfectly paced and the lack of info-dumping, love triangles and insta-love made for a perfect start to a new series. Switching from POV’s from England and Paris and following the characters as they go from across countries was a great concept. With the addition of magic, action and adventure this book could really do no wrong in my eyes. There isn't a cliffhanger ending just the promise of lots more to come in the next installment which I’m now anxiously awaiting. I highly recommend this to fellow fantasy lovers who are looking for a brand new world to immerse themselves in, with great characters, a promising romance and a thrilling journey ahead.

Literary-ly Obsessed

[Milica's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drugo čitanje - jun 2023. 4⭐
Nisam bila svesna da sam je već čitala sve dok nisam videla na GR da jesam. Nisam iznenađena, jer je prošlo pet godina od tada. Eto koliko je Laguni trebalo da prevede nastavak. Pretpostavljam da smo srećni jer su uopšte i preveli drugu knjigu.
Priča je baš zanimljiva, velika avantura nas tek očekuje.

Prvo čitanje - decembar 2017. 5⭐
Definitivno sjajan početak serijala koji obećava!
Odlična radnja, tematika, likovi, zaplet. Priča koja me je držala napetom od prve do poslednje stranice. Baš mi je krivo što sam je ovako brzo pročitala.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

As you probably know, C.J. Daugherty has quickly become a favourite author of mine, and as soon as I found out that C.J. had a new series coming out, I knew I needed it! In this series, which she has co-written with French author, Carina Rozenfeld, we are treated to the dual point of view story of Sacha and Taylor, teenagers from France and England, respectively. Sacha is a 17 year old, living in Paris, who knows he can not die, no matter once. Due to some curse placed on his family, he will die on his 18th birthday, and not a second earlier. He is now closely approaching said birthday, when he is contacted by an English girl, in order to tutor him. This girl is Taylor, also 17, whose sole ambition is to do well in her exams and go to Oxford university to study with her grandfather. She soon finds herself thrown into a magical world when she manages to blow up sound systems, etc., using just her mind. Taylor is the only person who may be able to reverse the curse on Sacha, but dark magicians and creatures are doing everything they can to separate them.

Taylor and Sacha were wonderful protagonists. Both of their voices were distinctive, and I could imagine that I was actually living their lives with how descriptive their words were. I loved them both equally, and was invested in their lives as much as they were. When they actually met up in person, I was so giddy. The tension between each other was palpable. I think I actually swooned when Sacha called Taylor sweetheart. Sacha and Taylor are my newest OTP, and I need more romance-y feels from them in the sequels!

The plot was really intricate too. Though it is set in the modern world, in both the rural English countryside, and the bustling city of Paris, the history of the curse and the Alchemists really made it feel sort of outer-worldly. More people than you would expect are involved, in one way or another, and that also helped it to feel fully integrated in normal life. I really felt for Taylor, as she had no clue what was happening at first, was was simply shoved, head first, into this magical world, which was a tad scary. Imagine finding out that you are the 'saviour' of the known world, and if you don't succeed, the while world is going to go to pot? Yeah, that's what Taylor is facing. At least with Sacha, he had some forewarning, though it was still morbid knowing he can't die until a certain day, when he will definitely die. No wonder he was a bit of a basket case to begin with. Once Taylor and Sacha realised how involved they were with everything, and that they could work together to stop the end of the world, I felt like they matured a lot, and really came into their own, in terms of their abilities.

I'm seriously invested in this book, and series, and just wish I had book two in my hands. The acknowledgements from both authors at the end of the book were so sweet, and I love that the idea of co-authoring the book came over a cup of coffee. I can't wait to see more of Taylor and Sacha's story, and would say everyone should just drop everything, and get this book ASAP - you will not be disappointed!

[Jessy MelodyofBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://youtu.be/BtJd1BiOdEA

[Fafa's Book Corner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fafa's Book Corner (Wordpress)
Fafa's Book Corner (Blogger)

I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

When I first saw this book on Netgalley I immediately requested it. I thought that it would be good and I love books that have powers/paranormal aspect in them. Sadly I was mistaken.

The book is written in third person and begins with Sacha's point of view. He has just angered Antoine whom he made a bet with. Sacha lost a bet and now he has to jump off an incredibly high building. Antoine is pretty happy to be rid off Sacha and does not care whether or not he dies during the fall.

Sacha much to Antione's surprise isn't scared. Instead he makes another bet. If Sacha survive's the fall Antoine will give him back his phone, forgive all his debts and give him 500 euros for all the trouble. Antoine agrees because he strongly believes that Sacha will die.

Once Sacha jumps readers find out that Antoine never made Sacha jump, Sacha was the one who suggested it. Antoine had given him other options but instead Sacha chose to die. Antoine agreed just to see what would happen. He didn't think Sacha meant it seriously.

As Antoine is about to open the door Sacha opens it from the other side. Antoine is in absolute shock to find Sacha alive. Sacha asks for his phone and money so that he can head on home. Antoine does as he is told. The chapter ends with Antoine acknowledging that there is something very wrong with Sacha.

Sacha's attitude really annoyed me! Even if someone can survive everything that doesn't even that they should start showing off. This was the reason I chose not to continue. I don't want to read about a main character who is lazy and arrogant. The kind of people I went to high school with and avoided.

Overall this wasn't a good book in my opinion. I can't bring myself to recommend it.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 Words: Family, history, magic, relationships, danger.

At the beginning I was a little sceptical of this book. But I soon couldn't put it down. It's a fast paced ride so you'd better hold on tight.

I didn't get on super well with the main characters, but I did like how the story had this focus on the relationships that there characters had and how they were all fracturing and changing. Saying that, there was very little romance in this book. YES! That was something that made it very refreshing. No insta-love, no love-triangles... I hope it continues this way.

I loved the ties back to medieval witch hunts, and historic views on magic and science and the development of different theories.

And I also loved how this book was not afraid of technology and most definitely being set in the now. From an ageing dog called Pikachu to texting and web-chats, it was all recognisable. And I loved that, that this could be happening right now.

This book has a heart-breaking ending but it won't be until after you turn the last page that you realise it, because the pace is immense. You're on your toes all the time.

And now I have to wait goodness knows how long for book two :(

I received a copy of this for free from Atomics for review purposes.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://wandering-world.skyrock.com/32...

OH. MON. DIEU. THE SECRET FIRE est un énorme coup de cœur, une lecture palpitante et addictive qui m'a complètement ensorcelé. Ce n'est pas compliqué : j'ai absolument tout aimé dans cette histoire. Les personnages sont touchants et émouvants au possible, l'intrigue est extrêmement prenante et hyper saisissante et l'ambiance du récit m'a juste passionné. C.J. Daugherty et Carina Rozenfeld nous livrent ici un roman haletant et enivrant grâce à leurs plumes vives et aiguisées. Une chose est sûre : si ce fût un véritable honneur et un vrai plaisir de lire ce livre en avant-première, devoir attendre encore plus longtemps que tout le monde pour sauter sur le tome 2 va être une vraie torture.

Dès les premières pages, je me suis senti comme absorbé par THE SECRET FIRE. J'étais déjà fan de la manière d'écrire des deux auteures séparément mais alors ensemble, le résultat est tout simplement explosif. J'ai trouvé ce cocktail des deux plumes exquis et vraiment entêtant. Immédiatement, l'atmosphère mystérieuse et ultra électrisante du roman nous enveloppe. C'est grisant, exaltant et renversant. J'ai adoré me perdre dans chaque chapitre, me laisser guider par chaque mot et être complètement investi dans l'histoire. Carina Rozenfeld et C.J. Daugherty sont irrévocablement des maitresses dans l'art d'attirer leurs lecteurs dans un récit et de les y enfermer.

Évidemment, rien de tout cela n'aurait été possible si THE SECRET FIRE n'était pas porté par deux héros tout bonnement extraordinaires et adorables. Taylor et Sacha m'ont tellement, tellement plu et bouleversé. Je suis tombé amoureux de leur personnalité, de leur caractère et de leur humanité. Bien que très différents, ils sont tous les deux matures, intelligents, drôles, sincères et hyper craquants. On sent bien que les auteures ont tout mis en place pour leur conférer une vraie profondeur. Tout ce qui les concerne est extrêmement bien décrit, extrêmement bien construit, extrêmement solide. Des éléments comme leurs amis, leur famille, leur scolarité et toutes ces petites choses qui font d'eux des adolescents ne sont JAMAIS mis de côté. Rien n'est oublié. Ainsi, l'impression de réalité est carrément palpable. On se sent alors irrémédiablement proche d'eux, de leurs sentiments, de leur désarroi, de leurs craintes et on veut sans cesse les rassurer. C'est vraiment un plaisir de pouvoir autant s'identifier à des héros et de vivre leur aventure avec eux. D'être eux. Sacha et Taylor me manquent déjà énormément et j'ai vraiment hâte de les retrouver. Cette expérience à leurs côtés a été fabuleuse et fantastique.

La force de THE SECRET FIRE réside également dans sa capacité à nous livrer ses secrets au compte-gouttes. Les choses évoluent à un rythme absolument parfait : ni trop rapidement, ni trop lentement, juste ce qu'il faut pour nous tenir en haleine à chaque fois. Impossible pour moi de ne pas lire une centaine de pages quand je reprenais ma lecture. Les rebondissements s'enchaînent, le mystère s'épaissit sans arrêt et, ainsi, nous sommes comme pris dans une sorte de frénésie incontrôlable. On en veut toujours plus : plus de révélations, plus de noirceur, plus de coups de poing, plus de coups de théâtre inattendus. Carina Rozenfeld et C.J. Daugherty tiennent leurs promesses à chaque fois et nous permettent de vivre un voyage époustouflant et captivant. J'ai adoré voir le fil conducteur de THE SECRE FIRE se dérouler sous mes yeux, en apprendre constamment plus sur les origines de cette histoire et voir l'intrigue prendre vie devant moi. Tout est vraiment bien dosé, parfaitement maîtrisé et extrêmement clair. C'est net, concis, saisissant et passionnant.

Du début à la fin, le roman suit cette idée. Dès lors, les pages se tournent d'elles-mêmes et très/trop rapidement, nous parvenons à la conclusion de l'histoire. Tout s'enchaînent logiquement, tout s'accélère et explose pour une livrer une fin parfaite et qui promet de magnifiques choses pour la suite. Si nous avons déjà quelques réponses à nos questions, les plus grosses interrogations restent en suspens, ce qui me rend encore plus enthousiaste et excité pour le tome 2 ! Après 400 pages d'émotion et de surprise, je dois bien avouer que je suis ressorti de ma lecture à la fois déboussolé et embrumé. J'aurais aimé que cette histoire ne se termine jamais et que l'aventure continue. Vivement l'année prochaine !

En résumé, THE SECRET FIRE est une excellente lecture. C.J. Daugherty et Carina Rozenfeld ont réussi avec brio leur pari d'écrire une série à quatre mains. Les protagonistes qu'elles ont créés sont sublimes, l'intrigue qui naît au fil des pages est à la fois énigmatique et ultra poignante et l'atmosphère qui émane du roman est tout aussi oppressante qu'elle est addictive. C'est un joli coup de cœur que nous offrent ici deux auteures incroyables et dont il me tarde énormément de connaître la suite !

[Meli · Rating 3 out of 5]

No soy muy fan de urban fantasy y el juvenil por lo general no es de mi agrado, los pocos que me gustan son más bien para adultos, pero disfruté este libro.

Es una especie de híbrido entre Cazadores de sombras y Hermosas criaturas, pero mejor en todos los aspectos (o será porque a mí ninguna de esas dos historias me gusta que lo siento así)

Está narrado por dos autoras y dos personajes, en lo personal, me gustó/entretuvo/todo lo bueno, más el punto de vista de Sacha, su historia y su maldición son muy, muy interesantes y la calidad de la pluma de la autora que le da vida me pareció muy buena, mejor que la de la otra.

Taylor me gustó menos, me pareció pesada y bastante cliché.

La historia tiene sus falacias, pero es muy entretenida y tiene muy buen ritmo. Me gustó mucho, es distinta pero a la vez clásica.

Estoy segura de que este libro va a hacer ruido.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first installment was as good as I hoped it would be. It's about "magic", curses, family drama, demons, etc. and it's been a long time since I read a book in the genre that has made me want more. Like, MORE. NOW.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Definitelly one of my favourites.

[Feyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Sterben brachte ihn vielleicht nicht um, aber es tat höllisch weh.

4,25 Sterne
Ich habe dieses Buch seit Monaten hier liegen, habe es aber nie in die Hand genommen. Großer Fehler, denn ich mochte es wirklich sehr gerne. Am Anfang war ich komplett in der Geschichte gefangen, fand die Charaktere toll und wollte unbedingt wissen, worum es geht. Diese Komplettbegeisterung ließ für mich in dem Moment ein wenig nach, in dem ich dann wusste, woran ich bin. Das Buch war immer noch toll geschrieben und ich mochte die Charaktere immer noch sehr gerne, aber ich war nicht mehr ganz so gefangen, weshalb ich leider ein wenig von der vollen Punktzahl abziehen muss. Insgesamt ein tolles Buch und ich bin mehr als gespannt auf den nächsten Teil.

[Ceres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellente surprise!! Après un début un peu longuet, histoire de présenter les personnages, le roman nous plonge dans un univers surprenant, entouré de magie noire remontant à des siècles et traversant les générations.
Taylor et Sacha sont inévitablement liés à une prophétie qui les dépassent... une course contre le temps, des rebondissements entre la France et l'Angleterre, une écriture à 4 mains époustouflante... Je dois dire que j'ai été conquise par ce roman, malgré quelques clichés YA, il vaut totalement le détour!
Vivement la suite, qui promet, à mon avis, beaucoup de révélations et d'action!

[Mathieu Mazza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma chronique : 4.25/5 : http://enjoybooksaddict.blogspot.fr/2...

[Thea Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts On The Book:

'A battle against fate, a race against time'

The Plot Of The Story:
This is a story with an interesting twist to it which makes it kind of new and a little fresher than some YA novels have been of late.
Sasha is seventeen and lives in Paris, he's also living with a horrible curse upon his young life. Like many members of his family before him he has suddenly become invulnerable to death and knows that the day he reaches his eighteenth birthday that he will die. His death is also the beginning of something much worse to come but what that is no-one knows. Being given such a death sentence has torn Sasha's world apart as knowing you're going to die soon means he no longer has much to live for, he's skipping school and avoiding his family, getting into often fatal fights and jumping of building for money to provide for his family when he is gone. The remains of his life are a mess.
Taylor is a completely different story, she's lives over the Channel in England and is a top student at school, a standout volunteer within the community with friends and the hot boyfriend. But it all changes when one of her teachers asks her to help a French student with his English over internet. That student is Sasha and he doesn't want Taylor help.
Taylor and Sasha soon come to a truce and become friends which leads to a deeper and most expected connection between them. Their meeting was not as random as it seemed as it transpires that there is a way to save Sasha from his terrible fate and the only person who can do it is Taylor..... Taylor and her newly discovered talents, but there are those that want to prevent this from happening at all costs, people who want the evil freed with Sasha's death.

What Is There To Love?
One word...... Sasha! His character is amazing, he's cool, savvy and is a true fighter with a death wish which you learn to understand as the truth about him begins to come to the surface. He has a completely unusual and rather intriguing problems to deal with and is dealing with them in a way that is kind of true to how it truly would affect you. He has no escape, no cure and is trying to make the best of a situation he has no control over. Very quirky and intriguing character indeed.
The story itself is quite unique and intriguing and the idea behind the fates of Taylor and Sasha are very interesting indeed, I wish I could say more but to do so might start spoiling the books for those who still want to read it so I'll stay quiet on it for your sakes. Let me just say that it IS very interesting indeed with a lot of potential for the series going forward!

What Is There To Dislike?
This may seem silly but one of the things that aggravated me the most was the presumption that a cup of tea is a cure-all for anything and everything. Every time something was wrong someone offered Taylor a cup of tea.... as if it would make it better, yes I agree sometimes it does but it seemed that it was every time something bad happened to the girl. Yes, we drink a lot of tea in England but this was taking the mickey a little bit in my eyes.
I think the biggest annoyance though to me was the whole relationship between Sasha and Taylor, it didn't grab me and I didn't believe it. I loved Sasha as a character but I just did not like him with Taylor, they are too different regardless of the link between them. Not convinced at all and don't even get me started on how quickly things progress between them either as what teenage girl in her right mind takes the Eurostar to Paris to meet a strange boy she doesn't know and has never met after just a few days of talking to him online? She doesn't tell anyone where she has gone and absolutely anything could have happened to her, Sasha could have been a psycho for all she really knows, she gets very lucky that he is a nice guy who is willing to protect her. In the current times no-one would be so dub unless they were asking for trouble, it's a crazy and unrealistic idea! Which leads me onto Taylor herself, I didn't like her too much, little miss prim and proper and oh so blah. Didn't understand her actions and feeling and didn't like the way she interacted with the other characters within the story.

How's The Writing?
For a duo author written book the writing is fantastic for the most part, the book is seamless and well thought out. It's also very simple to read and understand. The world building and mythology is slow building throughout the book and it means there are need for lengthy info-dumps during the first part of the book. The pacing of the book was great too, from a slow beginning the action ramps up and up and up throughout the course of the story until it reaches fever pitch and an ending that's quite amazing, not a cliffhanger but does reach into the future with a promise of much more love and action to come ongoing.With the authors living in separate countries, C. J. in the UK and Carina in Paris, we get lovely views of the two countries from the book and when it comes to the Paris scenes there are great descriptions of one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world. Spectacular descriptive work.

Final Thoughts:
This is a book with all the potential in the world for greatness and I know others will really enjoy this book but for me I found it really hard to connect with Taylor and I found the relationship between her and Sasha to be unbelievable I didn't get it all and couldn't understand what they would see in each other besides the connection they find they have with each other outside of their feeling for one another. They are complete opposites and it just didn't track for me at all, but that's just me of course.
Overall the story is good, the plot is fascinating and well paced, it's an easy read that is easy enough to get lost in and I think most fans of YA paranormal books will love this. It may not have been the book for me but it may be the book for you!

I received a copy of The Secret Fire for free from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes only.

[Holly Bourne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant premise, stunning world-building, killer characters and dialogue. You need to get excited about this book. It's like a book version of the really good episodes of Buffy.

[Alicia Garnier · Rating 3 out of 5]

[CHRONIQUE] Un premier tome intéressant !

==> http://moody-takeabook.com/2016/02/02...

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich war eine Weile hin- und hergerissen, ob ich dieses Buch lesen soll oder nicht, denn der Klappentext hat sich zwar ganz nett angehört, aber so wirklich begeistern konnte er mich nicht.
Ausschlaggebend war dann eine der Autorinnen, C. J. Daugherty. Ihre Night School Reihe habe ich geradezu verschlungen, deswegen habe ich mich dazu entschieden Secret Fire eine Chance zu geben. Zum Glück!

Ich hatte keinerlei Probleme in die Geschichte reinzukommen, ganz im Gegenteil, ab der ersten Seite war ich von der Handlung gefesselt und war überrascht, dass das Buch dann schon wieder zu Ende war.
Wie auch in der Night School Reihe wirft die Handlung ziemlich viele Fragen auf, die nur nach und nach beantwortet werden (oder auch erstmal gar nicht). Genau das macht dieses Buch so spannend, denn man rätselt mit den Protagonisten mit.

Mit Sacha und Taylor hat Secret Fire zwei sehr starke Protagonisten, die sich nicht so leicht unterkriegen lassen. Gerade Sacha, wenn auch ein bisschen schräg, war mir von Anfang an sympathisch. Wie er versucht hat mit seiner Situation umzugehen und dann nach und nach wieder Hoffnung schöpft, konnte man richtig gut nachvollziehen. Taylor war mir zu Beginn ein wenig zu blass, das legt sich aber nach den ersten 150 Seiten. Danach war auch sie mir richtig symapthisch.

Die Geschichte wird sowohl aus der Sicht von Sacha, als auch von Taylor erzählt. Dadurch dass die beiden relativ weit voneinander entfernt leben (England und Paris), gibt es auch zwei Handlungsstränge, die sich natürlich auch treffen.

Insgesamt ist dieses Buch ein sehr guter Einstieg in die Reihe und ich bin schon richtig gespannt wie es weitergeht.
"Secret Fire" bekommt von mir 4 - 4,5 Sterne.

Update: Nachdem ich das Buch gestern beendet habe, habe ich noch wirklich lange darüber nachgedacht. Die Handlung und die Charaktere lassen mich einfach nicht los, deswegen werde ich mir den zweiten Band heute noch kaufen :)

[Tania (Real-Listen-Feel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Un premier tome qui promet pour la suite!

Qu'on se le tienne pour dit, les histoires de magie et de sorcellerie, ça n'a jamais vraiment été pour moi. J'ai toujours préféré de loin les vampires et autres créatures mythiques aux sorcières. Mais il ne s'agit pas de sorcière ici. Il s'agit d'alchimiste. Taylor est la seule personne qui puisse sauver la vie de Sasha et éviter la réalisation d'une prophétie qui plongera le monde dans le chaos. Seulement, ils ne se sont encore jamais rencontré. Et c'est cet aspect très précisément qui m'a donné envie de lire ce roman!

Le feu secret est une agréable introduction au monde des alchimistes. Dès le départ, j'ai été intriguée par l'univers et ses personnages. Sasha m'a plus tout de suite avec son comportement casse-cou et sa rage de vivre. Taylor, quant à elle, il m'aura fallu un peu plus de temps pour l'apprivoiser. Et c'est lorsque ses pouvoir ont commencé à se manifester que je m'y suis vraiment intéressée. Pour ce qui est des personnages secondaires, là, je dois avouer que ça laisse à désirer. Antoine, l'ami de Sasha, est un vrai boulet. Et Georgie, la meilleure amie de Taylor… Bah c'est la pire meilleure amie que j'ai jamais vu! Le seul personnage secondaire que j'adore, c'est Louisa. Cette fille a un charisme incroyable et je m'y suis tout de suite attachée. Mais en même temps, je ne sais pas encore si je dois totalement lui faire confiance. À suivre...

Une autre des particularité de cette série, c'est qu'elle est co-écrite par deux auteures. Un livre écrit à 4 mains, on en voit de plus en plus dans la littérature YA. Mais un roman écrit par une auteure francophone et une auteure anglophone, ça c'est particulier. Avant de commencer ma lecture, je me demandais vraiment si j'arriverais à dire qui a écrit quoi ou si au contraire, l'écriture serait très fluide. Eh bien je peux maintenant dire à qui veut l'entendre que ce roman est très bien écrit. Quoi que je dois tout de même avouer avoir préféré le point de vue de Sasha. Je ne peux cependant pas affirmer avec certitude que ce soit dû au style d'écriture de l'auteure plutôt qu'à une simple préférence pour le personnage de Sasha.

Le seule critique que je puisse faire à ce roman, c'est que j'ai trouvé que les personnages principaux passaient très peu de temps ensemble dans ce 1er tome. Je comprends parfaitement qu'en vivant dans des villes différentes, ce ne soit pas nécessairement facile de se voir tous les jours. Mais j'aurais quand même aimé voir un peu plus d'interaction entre Taylor et Sasha. Et comme c'est un aspect qui, personnellement, a eu de grosse répercussion sur ma lecture, il était évident que ça aurait un impact sur mon ressenti général ainsi que sur ma note.

En bref, un excellent premier tome rempli de révélations et qui met la table pour un second tome qui s'annonce encore meilleur. J'ai très hâte de voir où les pouvoirs de Taylor la conduiront. Et surtout, je suis impatiente de savoir comment ils réussiront à sauver la vie de Sasha.

Merci beaucoup à la Collection R Canada pour cette lecture !

[♡ Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein so so tolles Buch💗 Spannend, fesselnd, mitreißend🙆 Wow!🙈💕

[Lonna | FLYLēF · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original Post: The Secret Fire (The Alchemist Chronicles 1) at FLYLēF (www.flylef.com) with 2.5 of 5 rating

“Despite herself, Taylor couldn't help noticing that when Sacha smiled he was really good looking. His cheeks were ridiculous.”

Well, despite myself, I couldn’t help noticing that this description was a bit much, and came off more humorous than heated. But, I’m also not thirteen. The Secret Fire, by C.J. Daugherty, is the first installment in The Alchemist Chronicles. It was an admirable fantasy attempt that was a bit light in character and plot developments.

Perhaps it is because The Secret Fire was originally written in French, and meanings tend to be lost in translation (despite being translated by Ms. Daugherty, herself), but I thought the main characters lack qualities of authenticity and believability. Taylor is quite an impressive character—if you enjoy straight-A students, top volunteer of the year, magically gifted, absolutely beautiful (but of course she doesn’t know that she is), and such perfections. Sasha is more enjoyable to read because he’s flawed, charming, and cursed to die by his 18th birthday, which relatively, made him more interesting and his character a bit more complex—if you can see past his ridiculous cheeks. *wink*

The romance between Taylor and Sacha was far from compelling, with Taylor quickly loosing interest in her high school boyfriend of almost 4 years for Sacha whom she’s barely known over a chat line. Her attraction was explained as, “He looked dangerous. And that danger had a magnetic force.” It’s unfortunate that young love was made out to be so ephemeral.

It was really disappointing and even strange that the antagonist—this dark practitioner—doesn’t actually show up. There are hints of him here and there, but nothing concrete. Surely, I could infer that there was a great evil force at work, but I would have really enjoyed the dark practitioner folded more generously into the story. It was his minions—the Bringers—that provided the main conflict. I understand this is a series, but I still felt that this was a critical piece missing.

Despite everything, I thought that the paranormal concepts were interesting. The magic and intrigue that surrounds Taylor’s alchemical power and Sacha’s deadly curse, and the action-packed adventure in the last few chapters concluded this first installment fairly well, carving the way for a potentially heftier sequel.

{ I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, especially to the author and publisher, for kindly giving me an opportunity to review this. }

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Sterne

[Siham · Rating 5 out of 5]

un YA juste génial avec beaucoup d'actions, de la magie, des personnages touchants surtout Sasha et Taylor qui forment une super équipe, et ils sont vraiment mignon. Hate d'avoir le tome 2 pour voir l'évolution de l'histoire !

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puhhhh was soll ich über dieses Buch sagen.
Es war nicht wirklich super spannend aber ich fand es trotzdem schön. Die Charaktere waren irgendwie alle niedlich, von unseren Protas bis hin zum alten Opa.
Die Story war schön erzählt und ich bin gespannt wie es sich dann im Zweiten Teil auflöst.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review can originally be found on Heart Full of Books

I really liked both perspectives. This was a really big plus for me, just because I think we all often tend to favour just one, but that was NOT the case. Taylor is loveable because she’s a good friend and is very sensible, while Sacha has a really strong relationship with his mother and sister and tends to be a little more reckless – but I don’t think that can be helped considering the situation!

The pacing was incredible. I was sucked in from the very beginning. The opening with Sacha was so intriguing and really made me wonder how the story was going to progress, especially because Taylor, the typical English girl, was initially a jarring contrast doing homework and going on a double date with her boyfriend and best friend Georgie. But things start to unravel, in a natural way prompted by the characters making new small discoveries and then asking those around them to see if they know what’s happening.

Although, I liked Sacha’s POV, I was most interested in Taylor’s simply because she was completely uninitiated into the world and the changes that were happening in her life were so drastic and full of tension, whereas it seemed like Sacha was put more to the side because he already knew what was ‘special’ about him.

The world begins to come into focus in a way that I could follow and understand why it was Taylor and Sacha’s story and not someone else’s. But, it still felt very enclosed. I know that might not make sense since it’s happening in England and in France but I wasn’t getting much threat for those outside of the main characters’ immediate circle. Just like in the Night School series there’s a secret organisation that has the majority of the answers to the questions, but they’re obviously keeping their cards close to their chest. The characters that made up the organisation were perhaps a bit archetypal but I still enjoyed them. My favourite being Louisa, the blue haired girl who’s really sassy and bad-ass and is going to train Taylor.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Secret Fire it had just the right amount of action and emotion, and thankfully didn’t try to force Taylor and Sacha into a relationship, even though their chemistry is really strong. I have a feeling this is something that will be explored more in the second book, but I’m kind of hoping for #Taylorlikesgirls. I mean there are some hints of it throughout and I would much rather her be with Louisa! But we’ll see! I gave this book 3.5 stars and I know you might be wondering why I didn’t give it more, and that’s because although I really liked it there was just something about it that didn’t blow me away.

[Lenas Welt der Bücher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meine Meinung:

Die Night School Reihe der Autorin gehört zu meinen absoluten Lieblingsreihen, dementsprechend habe ich mich natürlich auch auf ihre neuste Trilogie und war sehr gespannt, wie sie mir wohl gefallen wird.

Der Schreibstil ist wie gewohnt sehr flüssig zu lesen. Sie schreibt sehr bildhaft und in Zusammenarbeit mit Carina Rozenfeld sehr gut zu lesen. Sie schreiben sehr direkt und ohne große Umschweife, womit sie mich direkt packen konnten.

Denn ab der erste Seiten war ich in der Geschichte gefangen. Ich habe sehr mit Sasha und Taylor mitgefiebert und musste ihre Geschichte mitverfolgen. Die Geschichte startet sehr rasant und diese hohe Tempo geht auch im Laufe der Geschichte nicht verloren. Immer mehr Fragen werden aufgeworfen und immer mehr neue Dinge passieren. Die Geschichte ist voll von spannenden Wendungen und macht das Buch so zu einem Pagetuner.

Die beiden Charaktere Taylor und Sasha mochte ich sehr gerne. Sie sind sehr unterschiedlich, aber trotzdem mochte ich beide sehr gerne. Vor allem Sasha fand ich von Anfang an sehr sympathisch. Auch wenn er erst ein bisschen abgedreht zu sein scheint, konnte ich mich gut in ihn hineinversetzen und seine Ängste und Gedanken mit ihm teilen.
Auch die Nebencharaktere fand ich sehr gelungen, insbesondere Louisa, eine durchgeknallte aber sympathische Person.

Die Idee der Geschichte fand ich super. Zu erst dachte ich, ich wüsste in welche Richtung die Geschichte geht, aber ich wurde eines besseren belehrt. Die Elemente hier sind, anders als bei der Night School Reihe, fantastisch und sind super umgesetzt.

Fazit:
„Secret fire – Die Entflammten“ ist ein super Auftakt der Trilogie. Die Geschichte überzeugt durch mit einer tollen Ideen, einer großen Portion Spannung und super Charakteren. Ich war sofort in der Geschichte drin und konnte mich nicht mehr los reißen. Für 5 Sterne fehlte mir dann aber das Gewisse etwas, daher bekommt es sehr gut 4 Sterne von mir.

[Marine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il s'agit là de mon premier livre de c.j doherty et aussi mon premier livre de Carina rosenfeld, et je dois crier : Quelle bonne surprise !
Une histoire palpitante, 2 personnages principaux mystérieux, Taylor et Sacha vivent respectivement en Angleterre et en France, ils pensent se "rencontrer" par hasard mais que nenni.
Un premier tome que j'ai très bien vécu, malgré le début que j'ai trouvé un peu long, l'action réelle ne prenant place qu'à la fin du premier tiers du livre, mais la suite s'enchaîne très vite, on découvre la vie de nos personnages et leur avenir nous semble compromis, une fin palpitante, j'ai hâte de me plonger dans le deuxième tome :)

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 stars

I don't really know how I feel about this book.
I definitely like Sacha and Louisa. I'm not sure about Taylor though. She was really insecure about herself.
I somehow feel empty after finishing this story. But it was a good read.

And I did like the idea behind the story. Let's see where this series will take me.