***Review*** Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink

On the Back of the Book

Two sisters. United by blood. Divided by a prophecy.

Lia Milthorpe's determination to end the prophecy that has divided her family for generations is stronger than ever. With time dwindling, Lia sets out on a journey to locate the missing pieces of the prophecy needed to close the Gate, and to persuade her sister Alice to help her - or she will have to risk her life trying to close it herself.

Lia has Dimitri by her side but Alice has James, the man who once loved Lia - and maybe still does. James doesn't know the truth about either sister, or about the prophecy that divides them. And Alice intends to keep it that way.

There are some things sisters aren't meant to share.
And some secrets that could destroy them both.

Pre Read Thoughts

I've been waiting for this book for three months and it's finally here! As you can see I got very excited as I opened the packagibg that I eagerly took off the delivery man and tore it open. I won't lie, I was disappointed to find it's one of those giant paperbacks. You know like Divergent and the Fallen series? This is because my copies of Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate are hardbacks. Well that and the fact I don't see the point of the larger paperbacks. They tend to be more expensive - This copy of Circle of Fire RRP's at £10.99 - That's £4 more expensive for like a cm of extra height. How is that worth it? I know a hardback tends to be £12.99 which is another £2 but you're paying for a cover that can stand up to damage better. However thanks to Amazon's pre-order price guarantee I paid £5.49 for it. I wish I had the money to pay full price but I just don't, plus they don't actually sell the book in my town and I'm travel sick. Anyway, back to the book, I adore the cover, the slight differences to the US cover are really nice. I like the smaller font and the shiny gold bits are awesome... and shiny!

Post Read Thoughts

My mind has been blown. I knew this trilogy was special when I read book one and was unable to put it down. I fell in love with Michelle Zink's magical way with words in a way I never thought I would. I pride myself on never pre-ordering a book because I have the self control to wait but with this series I pre-ordered not only this book but its predecessor. I fell into the world of Lia Milthorpe and I loved it each time so much that I immediately wanted more. I'll tell you how I fell in love with a YA trilogy in this review.

As I said before Michelle is quite simply a fabulous writer, her words grab you and drag you into her mythical world of prophecies and sibling rivalries. The story itself is so far removed from every other book on the market right now, that I'm left wondering why nobody else has thought to do something like it. While every other author is taking us to the future, this trilogy drags us back to the late 1800s. The pace of the story is perfect, it's not too fast and it's not too slow and none of the story feels unnecessary.

The characters are flawed and I love that, there's nothing better than a character that has imperfections. Lia is a character I've always liked, her strength and determination to fulfil the prophecy fill me with awe. I really relate to her and understand everything she felt. Dimitri was even sweeter in this book and I didn't think that was even possible.  His love for Lia is amazing and the fact that he respects her wishes and opinions is like a breath of fresh air.  My favourite character has to be Alice though, she's a character of many flaws and mysteries. In the book Lia describes her as a "beautiful mystery" and I have to agree, and some part of me will always wonder about her.

Overall I wish there were more ways for me to say the word "amazing". There wasn't one thing I didn't like about the story. (Please don't point out the price thing. I know.) I actually wish that this wasn't the end and that there were more books to come, I could read about these characters forever. The ending was beautiful and poignant and I had tears in my eyes as I read of the fate of Lia and her friends. Something I really loved and think deserves a mention is the way that Lia and Dimitri's relationship doesn't take presidence over the actual plot. Now I have to wait what feels like an eternity before I can get my hands on A Temptation of Angels, yes March really does feel that far away.

My Rating

5 stars - The highest rating I give. I would offer more - if I could be bothered to re-do my rating system - but I can't. This book has had me tripping over myself as I attempt to find the words to explain my adoration. I recommend the whole trilogy to everyone. Seriously, if you haven't read this trilogy, what are you waiting for?

A Final Note

There's an intimate scene between Lia and Dimitri that I suggest parents check out before handing to younger teens.