Firespell - Chloe Neill

Firespell

By Chloe Neill

Pub: Gollancz

When Lily’s parents are offered a research opportunity in Germany they decide to put Lily in St Sophia’s, a boarding school in Chicago. In her first week Lily makes friends with Scout and falls foul of the Brat Pack and discovers there is more going on in Chicago and at St Sophia’s than she ever imagined. Lily finds herself drawn into a potentially deadly battle where being normal may be the death of her.

In some senses a boarding school adventure will always be a boarding school adventure. New girl arrives, makes friends with the misfit, is tortured by the popular kid, kicks ass, proves herself and it’s all fine in the end. There is only so much you can achieve within the confines of the cold school walls.

Chloe Neill writes entertaining urban fantasy and her young adult series kicks off well. Lily and Scout are really likeable, the uncertainty over what Lily’s parents are really doing adds a little extra and the fact is these kids are fighting some very adult battles makes the book stronger. There were some elements and characters i'd have liked to see developed further, particularly Barnaby.

It’s an enjoyable read, one of the better ones but not quite up there with Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy or Lili St Crow’s Strange Angels. Still a solid start and now that the set up is in place I expect it will up it’s game for book two. I would recommend Neill’s adult series which is really superb.