What do you think?
Rate this book
The Cimmerian Cage #1
Kissed by Wildfire
In the Cage, nothing is what it seems. It’s inescapable. And I’m dead in the sights of four insatiable and sexy men.
My name is Lu Darke. I’m a witch by birth and an arsonist by accident, but I never thought I’d find myself in a place like this. Cimmerian Reform Academy, called ‘the Cage’ by its students, was once an asylum, but now I’m forced to call it home.
My roommate hates me, the Headmistress has a sinister agenda, and worst of all, students have a habit of dying young and fast in the Cage. If I don’t watch my step, I might be the next to go, but help could come from dangerous places… for a price.
Roman and Shane were imprisoned for illegal shifting, and they look at me like they want to rip off my clothes with their fangs.
Professor Steele is a hard taskmaster whose special brand of punishment leaves me craving more.
And in the darkness beneath the Cage lurks the most deadly of predators- Locke, a vampire who walks through my dreams with a thirst for more than my blood.
Secrets lie in wait behind the black doors, students vanish overnight, and everyone hides what they really want. In the case of these four, however, what they want is crystal clear: me.
Kissed by Wildfire is the first 88K-word novel in a steamy, medium-burn academy reverse harem romance trilogy. No choosing, no cheating- only unbridled passion and emotional angst in a haunted gothic mansion! Mature readers only.
My name is Lu Darke. I’m a witch by birth and an arsonist by accident, but I never thought I’d find myself in a place like this. Cimmerian Reform Academy, called ‘the Cage’ by its students, was once an asylum, but now I’m forced to call it home.
My roommate hates me, the Headmistress has a sinister agenda, and worst of all, students have a habit of dying young and fast in the Cage. If I don’t watch my step, I might be the next to go, but help could come from dangerous places… for a price.
Roman and Shane were imprisoned for illegal shifting, and they look at me like they want to rip off my clothes with their fangs.
Professor Steele is a hard taskmaster whose special brand of punishment leaves me craving more.
And in the darkness beneath the Cage lurks the most deadly of predators- Locke, a vampire who walks through my dreams with a thirst for more than my blood.
Secrets lie in wait behind the black doors, students vanish overnight, and everyone hides what they really want. In the case of these four, however, what they want is crystal clear: me.
Kissed by Wildfire is the first 88K-word novel in a steamy, medium-burn academy reverse harem romance trilogy. No choosing, no cheating- only unbridled passion and emotional angst in a haunted gothic mansion! Mature readers only.
476 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2019
1244 people are currently reading
1820 people want to read
About the author
Cate Corvin
46 books1,072 followersCate is a USA Today Bestselling Author who loves all things passionate and paranormal with a side of horror. She lives in the South with her family and pets, and loves every kind of coffee, horror and fantasy movies, and cats. Reading is her favorite hobby when she’s not writing.
Sign up for my newsletter here: https://www.catecorvin.com/newsletter
Sign up for my newsletter here: https://www.catecorvin.com/newsletter
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
April 22, 2020
KoiThis book was so bad that it was good. It was just not what I was expecting. I have immersed myself in this author's work for the past week so I can say with all certainty that this one sucked. I don't care enough to crosscheck but this read as her debut into RH.
Spoilers ahead
The book started with the main character crying at being left at the school --which doubles down as a prison-- by her mom. I ignored that because its perfectly normal to be sad at being abandoned. Then she is immediately thrust into the hell hole of a school shes in.
Now, like all good RH she goes to her room which she happens to share with a roommate from hell. She walks into her room and sees her roommate banging some guy. This guy is so hot and shes getting all hot and bothered. As shes there stunned with lust another guy comes in behind her who's an exact copy of the banger. Well, there was an explosion of wetness, I'll tell you that.
Surprise surprise, the banger hates her. If you are new to RH, I'm here to tell you that there's only only less than 1% of RH where one of the guys don't hate the heroine. Why does he hate her? Because his brother told him that their mate is going to be coming to the "Cage" and they have to wait for her. Of course the asshole brother doesn't like fate deciding who his mate will be without his say-so.
Cue in the third guy of this fantastic harem. The Professor Steele. Immediately she walks into the class there is this sizzling of sizzles. Something about him is magnetic, she is immediately drawn to him. This professor read 50 Shades of Gray because he can tell who wants to be dominated just by looking at them. So since I consider ya'all my friends, if you see Professor Steele don't look at him in the eyes, you just might get dominated whether you want it or not. #friendsdon'tletfriendsgetdominatedwithoutadvancedwarning.
So while our heroine is swimming in this river now, since she's been wet for ages now. She is shoved into some hidden part of the school by her asshole of her roommate who surprise surprise is jealous of the attention she's been getting. In this hidden part of the school she meets a chained Vampire, our girl is scared until she isn't. Why, you ask? Because she knows hes not going to hurt her. How does she know this? Well, because this river she has been carrying with her everywhere she goes because an ocean. You see, Locke the Vampire, who's chained by his promise ( I rolled my eyes at the name, fyi) the promise he made bajillion years ago to the first owner of the prison is adding some sizzles to the already sizzling sizzles she's been having for the other guys. So she doesn't care that hes been locked down there for ages and that he doesn't even remember much of himself. She just wants him.
It might seem as though I'm bashing this book, which to be honest I kind of am but I am curious about what happens in the second book. I read the blurb and I'm intrigued. I MIGHT read it or I'll find a review with lots of spoilers.
Spoilers ahead
The book started with the main character crying at being left at the school --which doubles down as a prison-- by her mom. I ignored that because its perfectly normal to be sad at being abandoned. Then she is immediately thrust into the hell hole of a school shes in.
Now, like all good RH she goes to her room which she happens to share with a roommate from hell. She walks into her room and sees her roommate banging some guy. This guy is so hot and shes getting all hot and bothered. As shes there stunned with lust another guy comes in behind her who's an exact copy of the banger. Well, there was an explosion of wetness, I'll tell you that.
Surprise surprise, the banger hates her. If you are new to RH, I'm here to tell you that there's only only less than 1% of RH where one of the guys don't hate the heroine. Why does he hate her? Because his brother told him that their mate is going to be coming to the "Cage" and they have to wait for her. Of course the asshole brother doesn't like fate deciding who his mate will be without his say-so.
Cue in the third guy of this fantastic harem. The Professor Steele. Immediately she walks into the class there is this sizzling of sizzles. Something about him is magnetic, she is immediately drawn to him. This professor read 50 Shades of Gray because he can tell who wants to be dominated just by looking at them. So since I consider ya'all my friends, if you see Professor Steele don't look at him in the eyes, you just might get dominated whether you want it or not. #friendsdon'tletfriendsgetdominatedwithoutadvancedwarning.
So while our heroine is swimming in this river now, since she's been wet for ages now. She is shoved into some hidden part of the school by her asshole of her roommate who surprise surprise is jealous of the attention she's been getting. In this hidden part of the school she meets a chained Vampire, our girl is scared until she isn't. Why, you ask? Because she knows hes not going to hurt her. How does she know this? Well, because this river she has been carrying with her everywhere she goes because an ocean. You see, Locke the Vampire, who's chained by his promise ( I rolled my eyes at the name, fyi) the promise he made bajillion years ago to the first owner of the prison is adding some sizzles to the already sizzling sizzles she's been having for the other guys. So she doesn't care that hes been locked down there for ages and that he doesn't even remember much of himself. She just wants him.
It might seem as though I'm bashing this book, which to be honest I kind of am but I am curious about what happens in the second book. I read the blurb and I'm intrigued. I MIGHT read it or I'll find a review with lots of spoilers.
April 22, 2024
This started out pretty good, but I struggled a bit in the last half. There was a ton of insta-love and frankly I just got a bit bored. We don't really learn anything about the villain's plot/motivations in this book. I wanted more from Roman and Locke - this was very much the book of Shane and Steele. The book was generally well-written and didn't have any typos. However, I wanted more substance from the FMC - she was a bit bland. This felt like a lot of set-up for future books; we didn't get a lot of information in this.
July 20, 2019
A little darker than the average paranormal Academy
Lu is a witch with uncontrolled witch fire, her Mother abandons her into the care of a “reform university for troubled witches and warlocks”, a private boarding school hidden in the depths of a forest. It’s outward exterior hides a dark agenda and a principle with very questionable means and motives.
”Cimmerian hadn’t always been a university. It had once been an asylum.”
This centre for “education” eats its pupils for lunch and spits them back out haunted and broken. Luckily for Lu she has help in the form of
-Two feral Shifter brothers
-A naughty professor
-And a Vampire gone crazy with isolation
The dark themes come in the form of ”Corrective Counseling” and a mild Sub/Dom theme. Any student found out of line is subject to corrective counselling which can take the form of being thrown into a dark hole to being eaten up by the walls themselves.
It’s not “I can’t read this” dark. It’s mild but defiantly darker than other paranormal Academy I’ve read recently. There also isn’t a dominant bullying romance theme (but one brothers does have the “I hate to like you” attitude) I can’t wait to see where it goes and I’m a sucker for a crazy vampire and the teacher/student gives it a little more naughty heat . And there is heat so adults only for this one.
Lu is a witch with uncontrolled witch fire, her Mother abandons her into the care of a “reform university for troubled witches and warlocks”, a private boarding school hidden in the depths of a forest. It’s outward exterior hides a dark agenda and a principle with very questionable means and motives.
”Cimmerian hadn’t always been a university. It had once been an asylum.”
This centre for “education” eats its pupils for lunch and spits them back out haunted and broken. Luckily for Lu she has help in the form of
-Two feral Shifter brothers
-A naughty professor
-And a Vampire gone crazy with isolation
The dark themes come in the form of ”Corrective Counseling” and a mild Sub/Dom theme. Any student found out of line is subject to corrective counselling which can take the form of being thrown into a dark hole to being eaten up by the walls themselves.
It’s not “I can’t read this” dark. It’s mild but defiantly darker than other paranormal Academy I’ve read recently. There also isn’t a dominant bullying romance theme (but one brothers does have the “I hate to like you” attitude) I can’t wait to see where it goes and I’m a sucker for a crazy vampire and the teacher/student gives it a little more naughty heat . And there is heat so adults only for this one.
July 4, 2019
2.5 stars, Dnf 97%. I initially considered dropping this at 23% when I realized that one of the love interests is creepy af, but I was intrigued by the overall plot and setting, so I decided to just skip his scenes. But then I guess I just gave up when it became clear that I wouldn't finish the series.
So, the creepy love interest. I hated him. He was the MC's professor and he could apparently tell just by looking at her that she was dying for him to hurt her. Here are some excerpts from his narration that made me gag the hardest:
• "She was made to be dominated."
• "Here was the rare beauty who craved subservience."
• "Deep down, she wanted to be disciplined. Her desire was like a book I couldn’t pull away from, reading it in the nuances of her body language."
Just . . . Ew. I'm not here to kink shame the bdsm community, but I am here to kink shame the TEACHER who believes that he can draw all these conclusions from how his STUDENT behaves in CLASS. And all those assumptions about her craving subservience just seem like a misogynistic fantasy. And then the MC was over there going "A flush of pleasure filled me- he wasn’t just some creep who preyed on every female student." Nah, he's just a creep who preys on ONE female student. But that's totally fine apparently.
All of that totally overshadowed the rest of the book for me, which is a shame because the overall story seemed like it had a lot of potential.
So, the creepy love interest. I hated him. He was the MC's professor and he could apparently tell just by looking at her that she was dying for him to hurt her. Here are some excerpts from his narration that made me gag the hardest:
• "She was made to be dominated."
• "Here was the rare beauty who craved subservience."
• "Deep down, she wanted to be disciplined. Her desire was like a book I couldn’t pull away from, reading it in the nuances of her body language."
Just . . . Ew. I'm not here to kink shame the bdsm community, but I am here to kink shame the TEACHER who believes that he can draw all these conclusions from how his STUDENT behaves in CLASS. And all those assumptions about her craving subservience just seem like a misogynistic fantasy. And then the MC was over there going "A flush of pleasure filled me- he wasn’t just some creep who preyed on every female student." Nah, he's just a creep who preys on ONE female student. But that's totally fine apparently.
All of that totally overshadowed the rest of the book for me, which is a shame because the overall story seemed like it had a lot of potential.
March 16, 2020
Damn, that was very hot!
It got three because it was a fun story but had little substance.
It got three because it was a fun story but had little substance.
October 15, 2019
There once was a girl from a coven,
Who could incinerate you like an oven,
So she got thrown in the Cage,
Through sex did she assuage,
Her lack of parental loving!
Who could incinerate you like an oven,
So she got thrown in the Cage,
Through sex did she assuage,
Her lack of parental loving!
August 12, 2019
I really was in the mood for some drama and this serves it HOT
![]()
Theme :academy /paranormal
Style: RH
MC: 18-19 going to “university but with pornstyled uniforms
Academy is more asylum style
Fast burn but slow to build harem, standard supes nothing too original but honestly I really enjoyed this book , I was in the mood for saucy and the student teacher sub/dom thing was fun. Safe words were discussed , pregnancy prevention was covered soo.
MC isn’t meant to be a super bad arSe nor is she a damsel in distress .. she is borderline and it’s ok. She gets rescued and she she brawls and holds her own so..
I would recommend this book 5/5 ⭐️!
Theme :academy /paranormal
Style: RH
MC: 18-19 going to “university but with pornstyled uniforms
Academy is more asylum style
Fast burn but slow to build harem, standard supes nothing too original but honestly I really enjoyed this book , I was in the mood for saucy and the student teacher sub/dom thing was fun. Safe words were discussed , pregnancy prevention was covered soo.
MC isn’t meant to be a super bad arSe nor is she a damsel in distress .. she is borderline and it’s ok. She gets rescued and she she brawls and holds her own so..
I would recommend this book 5/5 ⭐️!
May 19, 2019
Wordy
This book has a very interesting storyline with some great steaminess my only hangup is just how slow moving this book is. This book seems to repeat and reword instead of getting to some of the point. I’m not 100% sure how I feel about Lu the female lead. There are so many times when I need her to be a stronger character and she falls flat. I’m still a little up in the air with this book.
This book has a very interesting storyline with some great steaminess my only hangup is just how slow moving this book is. This book seems to repeat and reword instead of getting to some of the point. I’m not 100% sure how I feel about Lu the female lead. There are so many times when I need her to be a stronger character and she falls flat. I’m still a little up in the air with this book.
July 19, 2019
Loved it, seconds away from jumping onto the next one. Easy to get into, enjoyable and wow with the characters. I wanted to just savour this one.
Lu is a strong MC with a rare gift. I like how no nonsense she is and knows exactly who she wants.
Four guys. Feels like it’s been a while since there’s been twins. I actually liked Roman at the start but that ending... Shane is loveable and I like his power. Steele you just can’t escape and Locke is my favourite.
Multiple POVs are always good. I’m starting to get disappointed when there isn’t any. I love reading how the guys feel - as long as it’s not sappy instalove.
Contains sex, a little mystery, plenty of magic and mayhem. A darker paranormal academy romance with a little BDSM. One of the better academy RH.
Lu is a strong MC with a rare gift. I like how no nonsense she is and knows exactly who she wants.
Four guys. Feels like it’s been a while since there’s been twins. I actually liked Roman at the start but that ending... Shane is loveable and I like his power. Steele you just can’t escape and Locke is my favourite.
Multiple POVs are always good. I’m starting to get disappointed when there isn’t any. I love reading how the guys feel - as long as it’s not sappy instalove.
Contains sex, a little mystery, plenty of magic and mayhem. A darker paranormal academy romance with a little BDSM. One of the better academy RH.
July 26, 2020
I really enjoyed the horror aspect of this story. And holy hell the smut in this book was just fucking hot. I need me some professor Steele...I gave it 3 stars because Lu was just so damn weak.
May 7, 2019
This book was amazing! As soon as I picked it up I could not put it down! This author created an amazing world for some amazing characters! The FMC is strong and badass, and the men are HOT! I cannot wait for the next book, it cannot come soon enough! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves an academy story with a kickass FMC and so hot men!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 7, 2021
3.5 Stars
After reading the Hell Series by this author I had really supremely high hopes for this book. Sadly it did not live up to my expectations and a lot of that I blame on the heroine. Where I expected a badass heroine we get a limp noodle who is like a abandoned kitten. She's sad mopey and completely run by her hormones. I absolutely hate heroines whose bodies are not their own when a hot guy is in the vicinity. It did not help that the heroine is a simpering ninny and even meets one of the men when she walks in on him about to get it on with her new roommate. Even finding them in that position she's fawning over him, like come on woman! Then there's the number of cliches and tropes I'm so over. The stereotypical mean girl who has it out for the heroine because she steals her man. A set of twins where one is a complete jackass and the other completely devoted from day one. At times I was just over so many of the cliches and wanted the author to explore more of the originality she's so good at. I mean the concept of the book was very good but it was overshadowed by all the nonsense. The school in particular was rather interesting to me especially how it's run and magically controlled by the evil headmistress. I mean the heroine's first day she sees the walls of this woman's office basically eat a fellow student by the hands that extend out of the walls like on some haunted Halloween tour. Really I want the heroine to grow a backbone. She has this unheard of magical power that makes her (supposedly) more powerful than many others out there yet she's close to being scared of her own shadow. Hopefully it gets better.
After reading the Hell Series by this author I had really supremely high hopes for this book. Sadly it did not live up to my expectations and a lot of that I blame on the heroine. Where I expected a badass heroine we get a limp noodle who is like a abandoned kitten. She's sad mopey and completely run by her hormones. I absolutely hate heroines whose bodies are not their own when a hot guy is in the vicinity. It did not help that the heroine is a simpering ninny and even meets one of the men when she walks in on him about to get it on with her new roommate. Even finding them in that position she's fawning over him, like come on woman! Then there's the number of cliches and tropes I'm so over. The stereotypical mean girl who has it out for the heroine because she steals her man. A set of twins where one is a complete jackass and the other completely devoted from day one. At times I was just over so many of the cliches and wanted the author to explore more of the originality she's so good at. I mean the concept of the book was very good but it was overshadowed by all the nonsense. The school in particular was rather interesting to me especially how it's run and magically controlled by the evil headmistress. I mean the heroine's first day she sees the walls of this woman's office basically eat a fellow student by the hands that extend out of the walls like on some haunted Halloween tour. Really I want the heroine to grow a backbone. She has this unheard of magical power that makes her (supposedly) more powerful than many others out there yet she's close to being scared of her own shadow. Hopefully it gets better.
August 14, 2019
Lu has an uncontrollable magical fire, and her coven matriarch has sold her to a coven with a creepy and huge mansion full of gothic wonderfulness. There are ghosts, cellars, secret passages and a sexy library. I am never tired of a sexy library. It’s being run as an academy for misfits. Everyone is weird and dangerous.
I was pretty much in love with this book from the moment the evil Headmistress forces a student to stand against a wall as punishment for trying to escape the grounds. The student is then pushed into the wall, and never seen again. I am so in love with getting a bit of actually horror coming out in paranormal. Students are disappearing, probably they are dying in very gruesome ways! There’s a mysterious place of punishment called the Hole! I mean, it’s not the Chokey, but this is so awesome.
Lu gets a dangerous mean girl enemy and starts acquiring hot boyfriends. She bags twin wolf shifters (although one of them will need a lot of behaviour management to make him a productive team member aligned with her goals), her dominant warlock professor and a vampire with some mental health problems. That’s fine, I’m pretty much resigned to the fact that KU is going to keep offering me paranormal academy reverse harem bully romances. There can’t be that many, maybe I’ll defeat KU by reading them all?
And, Lu gets plenty of time off from sex team leading, because all her boyfriends have to deal with their own problems, which are largely of their own making, and largely self-managing. She uses this time to explore and have her own adventures! I was impressed with Lu. I think she was real thirsty and probably would have enjoyed more sex over some of the nastier things she had to face, but as her proper narrative goal started to emerge I started seeing her as a very respectable character and one I could completely get behind.
Looking forward to the next books.
I was pretty much in love with this book from the moment the evil Headmistress forces a student to stand against a wall as punishment for trying to escape the grounds. The student is then pushed into the wall, and never seen again. I am so in love with getting a bit of actually horror coming out in paranormal. Students are disappearing, probably they are dying in very gruesome ways! There’s a mysterious place of punishment called the Hole! I mean, it’s not the Chokey, but this is so awesome.
Lu gets a dangerous mean girl enemy and starts acquiring hot boyfriends. She bags twin wolf shifters (although one of them will need a lot of behaviour management to make him a productive team member aligned with her goals), her dominant warlock professor and a vampire with some mental health problems. That’s fine, I’m pretty much resigned to the fact that KU is going to keep offering me paranormal academy reverse harem bully romances. There can’t be that many, maybe I’ll defeat KU by reading them all?
And, Lu gets plenty of time off from sex team leading, because all her boyfriends have to deal with their own problems, which are largely of their own making, and largely self-managing. She uses this time to explore and have her own adventures! I was impressed with Lu. I think she was real thirsty and probably would have enjoyed more sex over some of the nastier things she had to face, but as her proper narrative goal started to emerge I started seeing her as a very respectable character and one I could completely get behind.
Looking forward to the next books.
April 22, 2022
4.6 stars.
This book is dense and complicated with all its mysteries and secrets.
I’m really enjoying this plot line and these characters.
The tension and sex is fiery and delicious.
The plot was just starting to unfold at the end of this book. Keeping its secrets close, only revealing small hints and tidbits here and there throughout.
So far, I’m really impressed and intrigued.
I want to know much, much more.
This book is dense and complicated with all its mysteries and secrets.
I’m really enjoying this plot line and these characters.
The tension and sex is fiery and delicious.
The plot was just starting to unfold at the end of this book. Keeping its secrets close, only revealing small hints and tidbits here and there throughout.
So far, I’m really impressed and intrigued.
I want to know much, much more.
July 21, 2019
I really wish I could give this more stars, because I loved the premise of the book and I felt that the author really had a wonderful voice in writing. When I first started, I was sure that this would be a five-star read.
However, I can only handle so much when it comes to my pet peeves, and this book seemed like it was testing me in that regard.
So, just to get this out of the way: why the hell is this girl making bedroom eyes at every attractive guy that she sees? I've never, not once in my life, acted the way this heroine does, which makes her feel entirely unrealistic—she's mooning over these incredibly rude men, biting her lip, making it extremely outwardly apparent that she's lusting over them... and WHY? To what end?
Honestly, if there was some sort of inner turmoil about her finding them attractive but knowing that they're jerks, that would be fine—as long as she doesn't make it so incredibly obvious to them that she's lusting over them! These are reactions that she definitely doesn't have to express outwardly, and the fact that she does just grinds my gears.
Also, just reading the line "her nipples strained against the front of her shirt"—from the POV of her teacher, mind you, who's looking like he's got some issues and some creepy D/s stuff going on—was enough to make me take a break in reading the book entirely.
Basically, this girl is mega horny for rude guys, and I'm not about that. Maybe this author is just not my cup of tea.
However, I can only handle so much when it comes to my pet peeves, and this book seemed like it was testing me in that regard.
So, just to get this out of the way: why the hell is this girl making bedroom eyes at every attractive guy that she sees? I've never, not once in my life, acted the way this heroine does, which makes her feel entirely unrealistic—she's mooning over these incredibly rude men, biting her lip, making it extremely outwardly apparent that she's lusting over them... and WHY? To what end?
Honestly, if there was some sort of inner turmoil about her finding them attractive but knowing that they're jerks, that would be fine—as long as she doesn't make it so incredibly obvious to them that she's lusting over them! These are reactions that she definitely doesn't have to express outwardly, and the fact that she does just grinds my gears.
Also, just reading the line "her nipples strained against the front of her shirt"—from the POV of her teacher, mind you, who's looking like he's got some issues and some creepy D/s stuff going on—was enough to make me take a break in reading the book entirely.
Basically, this girl is mega horny for rude guys, and I'm not about that. Maybe this author is just not my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2020
I stumbled across this book very accidentally. In the first volume the story doesn't build up very fast - you don't get much information about the world design, it's more about the characters who meet in the Cimmerian Reform Academy. It's an RH story and you notice that, even if you have to wait until the second half for the sexy scenes. I liked the characters in general, even if they weren't super deep. The setting was mysterious and you were interested in learning more about the world. The ending makes you want to read on immediately (in volume two, however, I've only reached the halfway point, so there's a bit of a drag at the moment). All in all a successful start, even if one has to say that this is nothing special or very innovative.
February 28, 2020
Why end it there? What?
We end on a cliffhanger, where it ends is somewhat like wtf? Why are we ending here? Why was this a good stopping place for the book that didn’t feel like it had ANY true conclusion. There is no subplot for this book, there’s the overall arc plot but...nothing else. I am disappointed to say I still don’t understand ANYTHING that’s going on.
Why is Steele doing “discipline” with Lu. He is attracted to her but the things said and done don’t make logical sense. Why is he interested in her? Why does he want her in bed? Why is the headmistress so eager to have Steele under her thumb through Lu?
Roman is an asshole. I actually get why, and I feel like he makes the most sense. But on the flip side he did not need to be that way to Lu after they were together.
Shane - is interesting it all hinges on his Seeing Lu when they came to this place. But I still don’t know much about either Steele, or the Frost Twins.
I also have suspicions on Locke and what he is to the prison. I suspect that he is the anchor but I’m not 100% sure that’s the case either.
I honestly even after finishing the book can’t figure out what’s going on. What are we trying to figure out. Why does Shane have her in his visions? What is the point of this series? Is she trying to uncover some plot with the headmistress it’s not clear?
We end on a cliffhanger, where it ends is somewhat like wtf? Why are we ending here? Why was this a good stopping place for the book that didn’t feel like it had ANY true conclusion. There is no subplot for this book, there’s the overall arc plot but...nothing else. I am disappointed to say I still don’t understand ANYTHING that’s going on.
Why is Steele doing “discipline” with Lu. He is attracted to her but the things said and done don’t make logical sense. Why is he interested in her? Why does he want her in bed? Why is the headmistress so eager to have Steele under her thumb through Lu?
Roman is an asshole. I actually get why, and I feel like he makes the most sense. But on the flip side he did not need to be that way to Lu after they were together.
Shane - is interesting it all hinges on his Seeing Lu when they came to this place. But I still don’t know much about either Steele, or the Frost Twins.
I also have suspicions on Locke and what he is to the prison. I suspect that he is the anchor but I’m not 100% sure that’s the case either.
I honestly even after finishing the book can’t figure out what’s going on. What are we trying to figure out. Why does Shane have her in his visions? What is the point of this series? Is she trying to uncover some plot with the headmistress it’s not clear?
January 12, 2023
Series Review
Rating: 3.3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The first book was better, last book was a struggle to finish. Three star average overall. This was okay. Interesting story, but some things were missing.
Rating: 3.3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The first book was better, last book was a struggle to finish. Three star average overall. This was okay. Interesting story, but some things were missing.
March 17, 2024
Good academy series. The FMC is nice, though a bit of a doormat at times, and her body always betrays her 🤣. The MMCs were different and hot. There's a bit of a rejected mates trope with one of the MMCs, which brings a good amount of drama to the story. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the Academy and the FMC. Overall, it was a good book to read on the weekend.
November 25, 2019
DNF @ 76%
It isn't a terrible book, it just wasn't holding my attention. So, when I put it down, I didn't feel the desire to pick it back up.
I didn't particularly like Lu and how she seemed to be a different person with each guy she was around. Her decisions didn't really work for me either and I didn't see why the guys would like her unless it was weird pheromones or something. Yeah, she just didn't work for me and that meant the guys weren't working for me either.
The school might have also been difficult for me to believe in as well.
It isn't a terrible book, it just wasn't holding my attention. So, when I put it down, I didn't feel the desire to pick it back up.
I didn't particularly like Lu and how she seemed to be a different person with each guy she was around. Her decisions didn't really work for me either and I didn't see why the guys would like her unless it was weird pheromones or something. Yeah, she just didn't work for me and that meant the guys weren't working for me either.
The school might have also been difficult for me to believe in as well.
May 28, 2019
OMG OMG OMG
Damn it the cliffhanger sent me spiraling! I'm not one who has read so many paranormal books, but good lord this one was AMAZING!!! I was not at all ready for it to end, completely engaged by the first chapter. Such an amazing and in depth story. Can't wait for book 2!!!
Damn it the cliffhanger sent me spiraling! I'm not one who has read so many paranormal books, but good lord this one was AMAZING!!! I was not at all ready for it to end, completely engaged by the first chapter. Such an amazing and in depth story. Can't wait for book 2!!!
May 16, 2019
3.5 stars
December 29, 2019
Review of the series
The plot was all over the place and there were LOTS of plot holes.
First thing first: I hated the vampires in this world. They're feral beasts who can't control themselves and they can't live together, meaning they have to kill the other vampires because if not, they just become monsters (a little bit like the newborn vampires in Twilight).
The books are written with 5 POV and it was too much. The author struggled to give a different voice to the 4 mens. Or she didn't care. In the first book, Lock disappears in the middle of the book and no one cares. Makes no sense.
Same goes with Holly. She's in the first one (being the typical shy friend to the heroine), then in the beginning of the second book she leaves the academy to hide. No one cares she's "missing" (and the students can't physically leave the academy without dying) and as soon as she's in hiding, she just disappears from the story until the end of book 3. Lu is an awful friend. Even Dominic could check on Holly, because she's all alone in his house !
Daphne, the mean bully girl becomes the new Holly and no one is shocked.
Now let's talk about the plot holes:
- Locke is the "gate keeper" of the only exit of the academy. In his POV we see the headmistress leaving by the tunnel to go to a secret meeting with the other professors. After that no more secret meetings. Lu and the others leave the academy all the time and they never get caught. How is that possible ?
- The students can't leave the academy because the have a tracker (a chip ?) in their arm and they feel pain when they try to escape. And all around the wall surrounding the academy they are like zombies who attack them. Lu got her tracker on her first day. It is never mentioned again. She doesn't even try to get it out like Shane and Roman. Does that mean all the students keep them even after the events in the end ? No one knows.
- Shane (or Dominic I don't even remember) tells Lu that the walls have ears and she needs to be careful about she says. Guess what ? During all the 3 books, they talk about taking down the headmistress EVERYWHERE. And no one ears what they're planning.
- The headmistress is the big bad character but we barely see her until the end of book 2.
- In the first book, Lu is allowed to go to town. She has a free pass for a weekend where she can go shopping and just chill (alone). The town is an American Hogsmeade, but without the magic. The headmistress still asks her to do one thing for her: destroy an artifact. So Lu goes, and she realised the artifact is a box filled with bones. She decides to keep one bone because if the headmistress asks her to destroy them it means they're important. We have no idea why the headmistress asks her to do that, it's never mentioned after that, or why she doesn't asks her to do that in the academy. Makes absolutely no sense that the bones are in a human town because we know that the shady things are kept in the academy (and well, bones from students are pretty shady).
- Lu, still with her bone, discovers that they are other bones from the same person in the Divination class. Why ? How ?
- The "cage" is 30 stories below the academy and when they go down they take the stairs. You tell me, in a magical academy, they are no other way to protect the cage but burying it in the ground ? And that they're not curses to protect it AND PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE THE STAIRS ? It's so stupid.
- All the students and patients who disappeared while being in the academy/asylum and NO ONE outside try to discover why ? Isn't the Tribunal suppose to take care of the witches and warlocks ? Makes no sense, even if the headmistress has enough power in the community not to raise questions.
- Beck was catatonic and then became a vampire. But, contrary to everything we've been told about vampires (they're feral, can't live near other vampires and they are blood thirsty crazy), he is as normal as ever. Can be around Lock and other humans, he even flirts with Daphne. We have no idea why. Lu says that it's "maybe" because he was catatonic but nobody knows the reason. The author doesn't even try to give us an explanation. In the epilogue we learn that Lock teaches Beck to be a vampire I assume ? But we don't really know. He's already a vampire in control, what does he need to learn ?
- Book 3, when Lu is eating with Shane and Roman and then follows Ivy outside to talk, the boys don't even react and follow her. The same boys who follow her everywhere even when she doesn't want to. MAKES. NO. SENSE. Well, actually, it makes sense for what happened just after, but it's out of character for the boys. Shan have visions but he doesn't see what's going to happen to Lu ? Girl got nearly killed.
I'm sure there are others I don't remember about but these are the biggest issues to me.
Why create a magical world and have no idea how to make it works ? It's a shame because it was well written. But a magical world in behind closed doors is not ideal, and the 5 POV didn't make it work because they were boring. When something a bit exiting happened to the guys, we didn't have their insight. They all talk a lot without saying anything. Fillers inner dialogues.
And the daily classes, we're just told of what the students learn, but they have no homework, no assignent, nothing. Basically, Lu goes to class, opens her book and takes notes. About what ? Does she finds the classes useful ? WE DON'T KNOW.
I have to admit I wasn't the biggest fan of the professor/student D/s affair. The amount of sex scenes increased too much as the story went. If you want to write an erotic book, it's fine but don't forget to tie up all the loose ends you wrote.
It was just too many plot holes. Too many things we don't have an explanation for. The story could have been reduced to one longer book. I would have teamed up Daphne and Ivy and not the useless new girl.
The plot was all over the place and there were LOTS of plot holes.
First thing first: I hated the vampires in this world. They're feral beasts who can't control themselves and they can't live together, meaning they have to kill the other vampires because if not, they just become monsters (a little bit like the newborn vampires in Twilight).
The books are written with 5 POV and it was too much. The author struggled to give a different voice to the 4 mens. Or she didn't care. In the first book, Lock disappears in the middle of the book and no one cares. Makes no sense.
Same goes with Holly. She's in the first one (being the typical shy friend to the heroine), then in the beginning of the second book she leaves the academy to hide. No one cares she's "missing" (and the students can't physically leave the academy without dying) and as soon as she's in hiding, she just disappears from the story until the end of book 3. Lu is an awful friend. Even Dominic could check on Holly, because she's all alone in his house !
Daphne, the mean bully girl becomes the new Holly and no one is shocked.
Now let's talk about the plot holes:
- Locke is the "gate keeper" of the only exit of the academy. In his POV we see the headmistress leaving by the tunnel to go to a secret meeting with the other professors. After that no more secret meetings. Lu and the others leave the academy all the time and they never get caught. How is that possible ?
- The students can't leave the academy because the have a tracker (a chip ?) in their arm and they feel pain when they try to escape. And all around the wall surrounding the academy they are like zombies who attack them. Lu got her tracker on her first day. It is never mentioned again. She doesn't even try to get it out like Shane and Roman. Does that mean all the students keep them even after the events in the end ? No one knows.
- Shane (or Dominic I don't even remember) tells Lu that the walls have ears and she needs to be careful about she says. Guess what ? During all the 3 books, they talk about taking down the headmistress EVERYWHERE. And no one ears what they're planning.
- The headmistress is the big bad character but we barely see her until the end of book 2.
- In the first book, Lu is allowed to go to town. She has a free pass for a weekend where she can go shopping and just chill (alone). The town is an American Hogsmeade, but without the magic. The headmistress still asks her to do one thing for her: destroy an artifact. So Lu goes, and she realised the artifact is a box filled with bones. She decides to keep one bone because if the headmistress asks her to destroy them it means they're important. We have no idea why the headmistress asks her to do that, it's never mentioned after that, or why she doesn't asks her to do that in the academy. Makes absolutely no sense that the bones are in a human town because we know that the shady things are kept in the academy (and well, bones from students are pretty shady).
- Lu, still with her bone, discovers that they are other bones from the same person in the Divination class. Why ? How ?
- The "cage" is 30 stories below the academy and when they go down they take the stairs. You tell me, in a magical academy, they are no other way to protect the cage but burying it in the ground ? And that they're not curses to protect it AND PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE THE STAIRS ? It's so stupid.
- All the students and patients who disappeared while being in the academy/asylum and NO ONE outside try to discover why ? Isn't the Tribunal suppose to take care of the witches and warlocks ? Makes no sense, even if the headmistress has enough power in the community not to raise questions.
- Beck was catatonic and then became a vampire. But, contrary to everything we've been told about vampires (they're feral, can't live near other vampires and they are blood thirsty crazy), he is as normal as ever. Can be around Lock and other humans, he even flirts with Daphne. We have no idea why. Lu says that it's "maybe" because he was catatonic but nobody knows the reason. The author doesn't even try to give us an explanation. In the epilogue we learn that Lock teaches Beck to be a vampire I assume ? But we don't really know. He's already a vampire in control, what does he need to learn ?
- Book 3, when Lu is eating with Shane and Roman and then follows Ivy outside to talk, the boys don't even react and follow her. The same boys who follow her everywhere even when she doesn't want to. MAKES. NO. SENSE. Well, actually, it makes sense for what happened just after, but it's out of character for the boys. Shan have visions but he doesn't see what's going to happen to Lu ? Girl got nearly killed.
I'm sure there are others I don't remember about but these are the biggest issues to me.
Why create a magical world and have no idea how to make it works ? It's a shame because it was well written. But a magical world in behind closed doors is not ideal, and the 5 POV didn't make it work because they were boring. When something a bit exiting happened to the guys, we didn't have their insight. They all talk a lot without saying anything. Fillers inner dialogues.
And the daily classes, we're just told of what the students learn, but they have no homework, no assignent, nothing. Basically, Lu goes to class, opens her book and takes notes. About what ? Does she finds the classes useful ? WE DON'T KNOW.
I have to admit I wasn't the biggest fan of the professor/student D/s affair. The amount of sex scenes increased too much as the story went. If you want to write an erotic book, it's fine but don't forget to tie up all the loose ends you wrote.
It was just too many plot holes. Too many things we don't have an explanation for. The story could have been reduced to one longer book. I would have teamed up Daphne and Ivy and not the useless new girl.
February 19, 2024
The plot is quite interesting as Lu is a witch with uncontrollable wildfire forces, who has been abandoned by her matriarch in the academy. As the FMC attempts to navigate her less than desirable situation, she comes across some rather suspicious threads that lead her towards what appears to be heavily kept secrets.
The Foster brothers are like yin and yang, where Shane is open, gentle and carrying, Roman is reserved, snarky and unapologetic. The professor seems to be having his own guarded secrets, so not quite sure what to make of him yet. Now, Locke appears to be a gentle, lost soul and I reckon that he may play a much more prominent role than expected.
Despite the promising start, the book kind of moved a bit slowly for me, but then again it might be just my perception of it. I am curious to see how things evolve from this point onwards, so I am off to the next book.
The Foster brothers are like yin and yang, where Shane is open, gentle and carrying, Roman is reserved, snarky and unapologetic. The professor seems to be having his own guarded secrets, so not quite sure what to make of him yet. Now, Locke appears to be a gentle, lost soul and I reckon that he may play a much more prominent role than expected.
Despite the promising start, the book kind of moved a bit slowly for me, but then again it might be just my perception of it. I am curious to see how things evolve from this point onwards, so I am off to the next book.
May 16, 2019
Lucrezia Darke is thrust into The Cage, abandoned by her own matriarch. Cate Corbin has created a unique academy series in a genre that has recently been inundated with them. The Cage is sinister, dark, and twisted and Lu along with the men she is learning to trust, try to figure out what is going on.
Lucrezia is a kickass heroine who is thrust in an unfamiliar world, one that she will have to battle to survive. The men who want her don’t treat her like an idiot which is refreshing. She is able to stand on her own, but why should she when she has men willing to help her along the way. Shifters, witches, and vampires oh my! I can’t wait for the next installment!
Lucrezia is a kickass heroine who is thrust in an unfamiliar world, one that she will have to battle to survive. The men who want her don’t treat her like an idiot which is refreshing. She is able to stand on her own, but why should she when she has men willing to help her along the way. Shifters, witches, and vampires oh my! I can’t wait for the next installment!
September 29, 2019
Kissed by Wildfire
I was craving
- a RH novel
- twins
- professor
- academy setup
And Kissed By Wildfire fit that bill perfectly. The mystery surrounding Cimmerian is feeding my need to continue reading. The added suspense of something evil roaming the halls and the way the main characters seem to feel drawn to Cimmerian is definitely piquing my interest. I love these characters and the plot just draws me in. I definitely enjoyed reading this book.
I was craving
- a RH novel
- twins
- professor
- academy setup
And Kissed By Wildfire fit that bill perfectly. The mystery surrounding Cimmerian is feeding my need to continue reading. The added suspense of something evil roaming the halls and the way the main characters seem to feel drawn to Cimmerian is definitely piquing my interest. I love these characters and the plot just draws me in. I definitely enjoyed reading this book.
July 14, 2019
💭
I enjoyed this book! Im definitely reading the next one! Lu is sent off to basically a prison for defending herself. She feels abandoned but finds a few people who are in her corner and some who have it out for her. This book was interesting with a little mystery and danger within the Cimmerian Reform Academy.
I enjoyed this book! Im definitely reading the next one! Lu is sent off to basically a prison for defending herself. She feels abandoned but finds a few people who are in her corner and some who have it out for her. This book was interesting with a little mystery and danger within the Cimmerian Reform Academy.
August 27, 2019
Dark but good
Not a whole lot of redeeming qualities in the world the author built. It’s a hard place to live and death waits around each corner, but Lu pushes on. Hoping to get more in depth with the characters in the next book. Well written.
Not a whole lot of redeeming qualities in the world the author built. It’s a hard place to live and death waits around each corner, but Lu pushes on. Hoping to get more in depth with the characters in the next book. Well written.
December 8, 2019
Great read
Not sure hwta i expected when i started reading but it wasnt this- in a good way tho, twists and turns, missing pupils and impending doom, interested to see where the story will lead next!!
Not sure hwta i expected when i started reading but it wasnt this- in a good way tho, twists and turns, missing pupils and impending doom, interested to see where the story will lead next!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews