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bolle's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
taegibee's review against another edition
3.0
This review can be found originally on Heart Full of Books
This is the second, and I presume final book in The Alchemy Chronicles. I feel very lucky that I got to read them one after the other, instead of waiting the year for The Secret City to come out, because I was completely engrossed with the first book. It was action packed and incredibly well paced, so I was genuinely excited to get around to this book. The acknowledgements of book one also seemed to suggest that there was only one more book in the series, and if there’s anything that’s going to make me want to read a sequel more, it’s knowing that it’s the second of a duology rather than the middle book of a trilogy! I mean, really, I’m glad that this is the end, because it definitely feels like a story told in two parts, where book one sets up all the action and conflict, introducing us to the world, and book two is resolving the issues and ramping up the tension just a few more notches before the end!
Sacha and Taylor are now at St. Wilfred’s in Oxford learning as much as they can about the Alchemists and Dark Power, working as hard as they can with their training so they have some chance of defeating the Big Bard: Mortimer Pierce. Just like The Secret Fire, The Secret City starts off relatively slow and then gets into things. There’s even a road trip across France involved!
One of my favourite things about this sequel, is that one of my favourite characters from the first book, who was very much a secondary characters, got her own POV! Yay for Louisa! She’s mostly there to tell you the stuff that the adults know that Sacha and Taylor aren’t allowed to know. Dun Dun DUUUNNN! Dramatic irony.
In general, I think you could see some real character development for our main protagonists, especially in Taylor who starts out quite hesitant and afraid and turns into this complete bad-ass. What I love even more is that she doesn’t have complete control over her powers yet, she’s brave of course, but doesn’t always know what to do in a fight either! I hate it when characters seem to know nothing about combat and then turn into Karate black belts when the time demands it – adrenaline can only explain so much! So, I really appreciate the attention the authors payed to the time it would take Taylor to learn, and to a certain extent we’re only seeing the beginning of her story and it would be very easy for the authors to come back to this world that they’ve created and the magical system and see what’s what. Even though I felt very satisfied with the ending, I still want to know what happens next for these characters and how their training will advance and their powers affect their daily lives.
Another thing that really develops in this sequel, is the romance. Unfortunately, my hopes of a Taylor/Louisa relationship didn’t come to pass. *sulks in corner* But I guess it still makes sense for Taylor and Sacha to fall in love. AGAIN, I’m RELIEVED that this is a development that they left for the second book because it actually allows the characters to get to know each other better before saying the ultimate I Love You. There was definite attraction at first sight, but it certainly wasn’t love to begin with. Louisa does get a love interest, though, which I won’t spoil, but I will say it gives us a closer look at the adults on the story and helps us learn more about their backstories and how they came to be a part of the organisation.
Overall, The Secret City is just as good as book one. I was still invested in their adventure, and liked the change of landscape and the build of tension which didn’t at all feel repetitive from The Secret Fire. As I’ve said before, the ending was satisfying, but I could so read more in this series!
This is the second, and I presume final book in The Alchemy Chronicles. I feel very lucky that I got to read them one after the other, instead of waiting the year for The Secret City to come out, because I was completely engrossed with the first book. It was action packed and incredibly well paced, so I was genuinely excited to get around to this book. The acknowledgements of book one also seemed to suggest that there was only one more book in the series, and if there’s anything that’s going to make me want to read a sequel more, it’s knowing that it’s the second of a duology rather than the middle book of a trilogy! I mean, really, I’m glad that this is the end, because it definitely feels like a story told in two parts, where book one sets up all the action and conflict, introducing us to the world, and book two is resolving the issues and ramping up the tension just a few more notches before the end!
Sacha and Taylor are now at St. Wilfred’s in Oxford learning as much as they can about the Alchemists and Dark Power, working as hard as they can with their training so they have some chance of defeating the Big Bard: Mortimer Pierce. Just like The Secret Fire, The Secret City starts off relatively slow and then gets into things. There’s even a road trip across France involved!
One of my favourite things about this sequel, is that one of my favourite characters from the first book, who was very much a secondary characters, got her own POV! Yay for Louisa! She’s mostly there to tell you the stuff that the adults know that Sacha and Taylor aren’t allowed to know. Dun Dun DUUUNNN! Dramatic irony.
In general, I think you could see some real character development for our main protagonists, especially in Taylor who starts out quite hesitant and afraid and turns into this complete bad-ass. What I love even more is that she doesn’t have complete control over her powers yet, she’s brave of course, but doesn’t always know what to do in a fight either! I hate it when characters seem to know nothing about combat and then turn into Karate black belts when the time demands it – adrenaline can only explain so much! So, I really appreciate the attention the authors payed to the time it would take Taylor to learn, and to a certain extent we’re only seeing the beginning of her story and it would be very easy for the authors to come back to this world that they’ve created and the magical system and see what’s what. Even though I felt very satisfied with the ending, I still want to know what happens next for these characters and how their training will advance and their powers affect their daily lives.
Another thing that really develops in this sequel, is the romance. Unfortunately, my hopes of a Taylor/Louisa relationship didn’t come to pass. *sulks in corner* But I guess it still makes sense for Taylor and Sacha to fall in love. AGAIN, I’m RELIEVED that this is a development that they left for the second book because it actually allows the characters to get to know each other better before saying the ultimate I Love You. There was definite attraction at first sight, but it certainly wasn’t love to begin with. Louisa does get a love interest, though, which I won’t spoil, but I will say it gives us a closer look at the adults on the story and helps us learn more about their backstories and how they came to be a part of the organisation.
Overall, The Secret City is just as good as book one. I was still invested in their adventure, and liked the change of landscape and the build of tension which didn’t at all feel repetitive from The Secret Fire. As I’ve said before, the ending was satisfying, but I could so read more in this series!
pauliqa's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
sofi_arguelles's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
lindzy's review against another edition
5.0
Original Review Here
I was so excited when I saw The Secret City had been released that I immediately went and bought it – which for me is unusual. I re-read The Secret Fire beforehand, which only increased my eagerness to read this book.
It did not disappoint. The characters and their relationships developed, powers got stronger, the danger became more deadly and there was the real sense of time running out, not just for Sacha, but for the entire world.
Sacha was still my favourite character throughout this book and was really prepared to fight to survive this time, losing some of his attitude along the way, which only increased how much of a bad-ass he is!
Taylor, however, was the one who truly grew as she discovered what she was capable of and the consequences of her powers – such as how easy it would be to kill. What impressed me was that there was no attempt to make Taylor all-powerful – half the time, she couldn’t control her gift and had more chance destroying everything than helping.
It was up to Taylor to save the world. That meant there were times where there needed to be more of a balance between the characters and give Sacha the chance to shine rather than being in the background.
The developing relationships had me squealing. I really hoped that Taylor and Sacha would embrace how they felt about each other. But seeing the softer side of Louisa as well added so much depth to her character, and made later events have that much more of an impact.
The tension increased dramatically in this book. The physical race across France to reach a lost city and find a hidden room while being pursued kept me hooked – you never knew what they were going to come across or if their powers were going to be enough.
While the first book was Taylor and Sacha discovering they were different, the second book was all about saving the world – a huge leap that was made realistic by the characters having the odd break-down here and there. Who wouldn’t when faced with a zombie type creature trying to kill you?
Apart from wanting more Sacha, I loved this book. If you’re looking for demons, magic and an end-of-the-world type battle, give this book a go!
I was so excited when I saw The Secret City had been released that I immediately went and bought it – which for me is unusual. I re-read The Secret Fire beforehand, which only increased my eagerness to read this book.
It did not disappoint. The characters and their relationships developed, powers got stronger, the danger became more deadly and there was the real sense of time running out, not just for Sacha, but for the entire world.
Sacha was still my favourite character throughout this book and was really prepared to fight to survive this time, losing some of his attitude along the way, which only increased how much of a bad-ass he is!
Taylor, however, was the one who truly grew as she discovered what she was capable of and the consequences of her powers – such as how easy it would be to kill. What impressed me was that there was no attempt to make Taylor all-powerful – half the time, she couldn’t control her gift and had more chance destroying everything than helping.
It was up to Taylor to save the world. That meant there were times where there needed to be more of a balance between the characters and give Sacha the chance to shine rather than being in the background.
The developing relationships had me squealing. I really hoped that Taylor and Sacha would embrace how they felt about each other. But seeing the softer side of Louisa as well added so much depth to her character, and made later events have that much more of an impact.
The tension increased dramatically in this book. The physical race across France to reach a lost city and find a hidden room while being pursued kept me hooked – you never knew what they were going to come across or if their powers were going to be enough.
While the first book was Taylor and Sacha discovering they were different, the second book was all about saving the world – a huge leap that was made realistic by the characters having the odd break-down here and there. Who wouldn’t when faced with a zombie type creature trying to kill you?
Apart from wanting more Sacha, I loved this book. If you’re looking for demons, magic and an end-of-the-world type battle, give this book a go!
nina96's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
xsophiehoughton's review against another edition
5.0
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
The Secret Fire was one of my favourite books last year, and I knew I wouldn't be able to wait long to wait its sequel. When The Secret City went live on NetGalley, I immediately requested and downloaded it, and started to read it.
Picking up after the events of The Secret Fire, Sacha and Taylor find themselves in Oxford, for their own safety. Now that Taylor knows she is an Alchemist, and it's up to her to destroy the curse on Sacha's family, she throws herself into her training, as Sacha's 18th birthday, and the day when the curse will be unleashed, is quickly coming up. However, her training is slow going, and she feels like she'll never be able to achieve the incredible feat.
Sacha, on the other hand, is feeling useless. While Taylor spends her time doing something useful, he's kept secreted in the stuffy university buildings, for his own 'safety'. Chafing under the lack of freedom, Sacha wants to escape more than anything, even though he knows there will be consequences if he does. When he and Taylor escape the security of campus for a little while, they unwittingly bring danger to Oxford, and discover who is behind the summoning of the demon.
I love Sacha and Taylor so much, both individually, and together. Since the first book, they've grown so much, and lost all of their childish sensibilities, in the face of true danger. They realise that they need each other to succeed, and both would do anything to keep each other safe. After the evil alchemist turns up at their safe haven, they discover they need to return to France, to the site where it all began, so many years ago, when Taylor's ancestor cursed Sacha's family. During the road trip, Taylor and Sacha become closer than ever, and with how this book ends, I really can't wait for book 3.
The plot was ridiculously good! From the get go, there was danger, and it grew and grew, until I was proper scared for both characters. At times, I was on the edge of my seat and probably looked silly to anyone looking at me, because of all the emotions. Really, this was even better than book 1, which I didn't think would be possible, and I'm dying to get my hands on the sequel. An amazing book, that I can't recommend enough.
The Secret Fire was one of my favourite books last year, and I knew I wouldn't be able to wait long to wait its sequel. When The Secret City went live on NetGalley, I immediately requested and downloaded it, and started to read it.
Picking up after the events of The Secret Fire, Sacha and Taylor find themselves in Oxford, for their own safety. Now that Taylor knows she is an Alchemist, and it's up to her to destroy the curse on Sacha's family, she throws herself into her training, as Sacha's 18th birthday, and the day when the curse will be unleashed, is quickly coming up. However, her training is slow going, and she feels like she'll never be able to achieve the incredible feat.
Sacha, on the other hand, is feeling useless. While Taylor spends her time doing something useful, he's kept secreted in the stuffy university buildings, for his own 'safety'. Chafing under the lack of freedom, Sacha wants to escape more than anything, even though he knows there will be consequences if he does. When he and Taylor escape the security of campus for a little while, they unwittingly bring danger to Oxford, and discover who is behind the summoning of the demon.
I love Sacha and Taylor so much, both individually, and together. Since the first book, they've grown so much, and lost all of their childish sensibilities, in the face of true danger. They realise that they need each other to succeed, and both would do anything to keep each other safe. After the evil alchemist turns up at their safe haven, they discover they need to return to France, to the site where it all began, so many years ago, when Taylor's ancestor cursed Sacha's family. During the road trip, Taylor and Sacha become closer than ever, and with how this book ends, I really can't wait for book 3.
The plot was ridiculously good! From the get go, there was danger, and it grew and grew, until I was proper scared for both characters. At times, I was on the edge of my seat and probably looked silly to anyone looking at me, because of all the emotions. Really, this was even better than book 1, which I didn't think would be possible, and I'm dying to get my hands on the sequel. An amazing book, that I can't recommend enough.