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A review by lindzy
Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink
4.0
Original Review Here
It has been years since I read the first book and anxiously wanted to know the conclusion. I have now finally reached it, and am pleased to say I was not disappointed.
The plot continued with the same twists and turns I have come to expect; things being where Lia didn’t expect them and answers given in ways she didn’t see coming. She had to work for the answers though, stopping it from feeling like a convenient solution. With the Souls haunting her sleep, an element of danger was present the whole way through. The tension developed with the book, making it a real page-turner by the end.
But for the first time, I didn’t like Lia for a lot of the book. She seems to spend it fighting sleep and being exhausted – been there, done that in the second book, do not need it again – or kissing Dimitri. The ruin of her friendships made her hard to feel empathy for, especially her refusal to forgive. Thankfully, this did not stem the entire book and by the time the prophecy is coming to a close, Lia was likeable enough again that you wanted her to succeed.
Zink’s development of relationships was rewarding, especially for a young adult book. She broke away from the love triangle that permeates young adult novels and instead had Lia accepting she was not the same person, could not love in the same way and had moved on. It felt realistic and refreshing, adding maturity and depth to Lia’s character that a love triangle would have destroyed.
The danger created the pacing, for a lot of the book talks about sleep. Numerous people from Lia’s past arrive, which felt a little too convenient most of the time, but nonetheless worked and gave a feeling of closure – everything is coming to an end and those involved from the beginning will see it to the final moments. Perhaps an easy way out, but Zink gets away with it.
The book is not as strong as the previous two, but is still a very satisfying conclusion to what has been a thoroughly enjoyable trilogy. Full of magic, danger and romance, I would definitely recommend this series.
It has been years since I read the first book and anxiously wanted to know the conclusion. I have now finally reached it, and am pleased to say I was not disappointed.
The plot continued with the same twists and turns I have come to expect; things being where Lia didn’t expect them and answers given in ways she didn’t see coming. She had to work for the answers though, stopping it from feeling like a convenient solution. With the Souls haunting her sleep, an element of danger was present the whole way through. The tension developed with the book, making it a real page-turner by the end.
But for the first time, I didn’t like Lia for a lot of the book. She seems to spend it fighting sleep and being exhausted – been there, done that in the second book, do not need it again – or kissing Dimitri. The ruin of her friendships made her hard to feel empathy for, especially her refusal to forgive. Thankfully, this did not stem the entire book and by the time the prophecy is coming to a close, Lia was likeable enough again that you wanted her to succeed.
Zink’s development of relationships was rewarding, especially for a young adult book. She broke away from the love triangle that permeates young adult novels and instead had Lia accepting she was not the same person, could not love in the same way and had moved on. It felt realistic and refreshing, adding maturity and depth to Lia’s character that a love triangle would have destroyed.
The danger created the pacing, for a lot of the book talks about sleep. Numerous people from Lia’s past arrive, which felt a little too convenient most of the time, but nonetheless worked and gave a feeling of closure – everything is coming to an end and those involved from the beginning will see it to the final moments. Perhaps an easy way out, but Zink gets away with it.
The book is not as strong as the previous two, but is still a very satisfying conclusion to what has been a thoroughly enjoyable trilogy. Full of magic, danger and romance, I would definitely recommend this series.