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Balefire #2
A Circle of Ashes
Fiery Clio is less than thrilled to have to share the spotlight with her newfound twin, seventeen-year-old Thais Allard, but the two must learn to combine their powers in order to complete a rite that will transform their lives and Balefire forever. Original.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
About the author
Cate Tiernan
88 books3,768 followers"was born in New Orleans, LA, in 1961. New Orleans is one of the most interesting American cities, and it has an incredibly rich and exotic culture that had a profound influence on me. Kids in other cities have lemonade stands; we sold voodoo gris-gris and made wax dolls in the likenesses of our enemies. It's a very beautiful city, and the constant heat and humidity make gardens grow out of control. There's an air of lassitude there, a general acceptance of eccentic or flamboyant behavior--the heat simply makes people do crazy things.
I went to school in New York, and after school went back to New Orleans. Then I went back to New York (Manhattan) and got a job in publishing and started writing. My first book, a young, middle-grade chapter book, was published in 1990.
Living in Manhattan was incredible, even though I didn't have a lot of money. There was so much to do and see, and so many interesting people to watch. There was a lot of frenetic energy there, and sometimes that felt very wearing and hard to live with. After eight years I was ready for a change, and my husband and I moved back to New Orleans. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)
(While I was in NY, I helped edit "The Secret Circle" by L.J. Smith. I thought it was great.)
We stayed in New Orleans five years. By the time we had two small children we knew we had to find someplace safer to live. I was glad my children were born in New Orleans--I had been born there, and my father had, and his father had, and his father had and so on. There was something about the connection of generations of blood coming from one place that I found very primal and important.
Now I live in a cohousing community in Durham, NC. This is the most suburban place I've ever lived, and it's very different from living right in the middle of a city. For one thing, there aren't enough coffee shops. However, it's incredibly safe, and the community is very important to me. There are a lot of strong women here, and I find them inspiring.
Am I a witch? Well, no. Even Wicca is too organized a religion for me. I'm much more idiosyncratic and just need to do my own thing, which is kind of new-agey and pantheistic. It's not that I don't work or play well with others, but I need to decide for myself when I do a certain thing, and how I do it. However, I can really relate to Wicca, and I so appreciate its woman-centeredness and its essentially female identity. I love those aspects, among others.
I have several favorite writers. Barbara Hambly has been the biggest influence on how I describe magic. She's an incredibly imaginative and empathetic writer with a gift for creating a rich, sensual world. I love Barbara Pym, an English writer whose books came out mostly in the fifties. She was a master at describing the thousand tiny moments that make up a woman's day; how the seemingly small and inconsequential thing can suddenly take on a huge emotional importance. I greatly admire P.D. James. She's one of the very few writers who makes me actually look up words in the dictionary. She has a beautiful, precise, educated command of the language that leaves me in awe. I love Philip Larkin's poetry. I read a lot of nonfiction and also have some favorite romance writers. Before anyone groans, let me say that these women write really well about women trying to achieve emotional fulfillment, and that's kind of what we're all doing, right? I also just like reading about sex. Anyway, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and early Linda Howard are my faves.
And then of course there's my dark side, but more on that later.
" -Source
Cate Tiernan is a pseudonym for Gabrielle Charbonnet
I went to school in New York, and after school went back to New Orleans. Then I went back to New York (Manhattan) and got a job in publishing and started writing. My first book, a young, middle-grade chapter book, was published in 1990.
Living in Manhattan was incredible, even though I didn't have a lot of money. There was so much to do and see, and so many interesting people to watch. There was a lot of frenetic energy there, and sometimes that felt very wearing and hard to live with. After eight years I was ready for a change, and my husband and I moved back to New Orleans. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)
(While I was in NY, I helped edit "The Secret Circle" by L.J. Smith. I thought it was great.)
We stayed in New Orleans five years. By the time we had two small children we knew we had to find someplace safer to live. I was glad my children were born in New Orleans--I had been born there, and my father had, and his father had, and his father had and so on. There was something about the connection of generations of blood coming from one place that I found very primal and important.
Now I live in a cohousing community in Durham, NC. This is the most suburban place I've ever lived, and it's very different from living right in the middle of a city. For one thing, there aren't enough coffee shops. However, it's incredibly safe, and the community is very important to me. There are a lot of strong women here, and I find them inspiring.
Am I a witch? Well, no. Even Wicca is too organized a religion for me. I'm much more idiosyncratic and just need to do my own thing, which is kind of new-agey and pantheistic. It's not that I don't work or play well with others, but I need to decide for myself when I do a certain thing, and how I do it. However, I can really relate to Wicca, and I so appreciate its woman-centeredness and its essentially female identity. I love those aspects, among others.
I have several favorite writers. Barbara Hambly has been the biggest influence on how I describe magic. She's an incredibly imaginative and empathetic writer with a gift for creating a rich, sensual world. I love Barbara Pym, an English writer whose books came out mostly in the fifties. She was a master at describing the thousand tiny moments that make up a woman's day; how the seemingly small and inconsequential thing can suddenly take on a huge emotional importance. I greatly admire P.D. James. She's one of the very few writers who makes me actually look up words in the dictionary. She has a beautiful, precise, educated command of the language that leaves me in awe. I love Philip Larkin's poetry. I read a lot of nonfiction and also have some favorite romance writers. Before anyone groans, let me say that these women write really well about women trying to achieve emotional fulfillment, and that's kind of what we're all doing, right? I also just like reading about sex. Anyway, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and early Linda Howard are my faves.
And then of course there's my dark side, but more on that later.
" -Source
Cate Tiernan is a pseudonym for Gabrielle Charbonnet
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
August 14, 2020
Ilk kitap büyük sıkıntılarına rağmen iyiydi ve umut vadediyordu.fakat ikinci kitap herşeyiyle tam bir çöptü(kurgu,karakterler, ilişkiler, final) ... dolayısıyla boşa okumayın...
January 16, 2020
this book was so bland. i might read the next two books in the future, but for now i’m going to put down the series.
August 5, 2016
If Nick Parker is really his name! (FYI - It is not)
Balefire #1 left us with a hell of a cliffhanger. I could not start reading book #2 soon enough. A Circle of Ashes answers a lot of questions I had left over from book #1. OMG! It just keeps getting better.
June 22, 2014
Konu güzel. Yazarın olayları bağlamasını sevdim. Benim sevmediğim şey kötü karakterler. 2.Kitap bitti hala kızlara zarar vermeye çalışan ortaya çıkmadı. Ouida ne yapıyor. 250 yıl geçmiş iki dangalak neden hala aynı kızın yasını tutuyor. Aklımda bir sürü soru.
July 29, 2016
oh boy. this book gets the story going for sure. the mystery is a lot clearer. i know what is going on now and it is getting really good. i am liking this series.
August 17, 2013
As was nice to see, the second in this Balefire series was better than the first, A Chalice of Wind, and although I liked it more than it's predecessor, I still have some big issues with the series as a whole, and I think I've finally figured why I can't take to it.
The biggest and quite possibly the most important of issues is that I think the series may be aiming to please the young adult type of readers rather than a little younger, where I feel this series is perfect for. I have a sister of 15 years, and I personally feel that the writing style, the tone and the overall story would be much more tailored to a girl of her age, rather than that of my age, 18. I had never considered a 3 year age gap to be a huge deal within the reading world, but with this series, I think it is. For me personally, I always expect a good amount of world building, something that will make me feel like a part of the story, with the characters, and allow me to empathise better with them, but in this, there's what feels like a minimal amount of world building and way too much concentration of the quite slow and boring parts of the twins, Thais and Clio's lives. This is the biggest bug bearer for me, and it makes a huge difference to how much I enjoy reading it. Another problem I have with this series is it doesn't feel like a collection of books, more of a large book split into four parts to make more money. And I am aware that this seems a little petty and almost harsh, but it's an honest opinion. Unlike some other books I've read lately, especially those of a series, there's been a definite identification between the books, while making sure they're linked to one another. Each of them have an identity of their own, and I feel like A Circle of Ashes didn't. It just felt like a follow up from the first, and I was pretty disappointed in that. The last niggle I had, and compared to the others, this was quite minor, but it was the size of the books. 250 odd pages for a book I don't feel is quite enough if you're not including that many interesting and gripping scenes, and if you're not going to build the world, it just becomes slow and pretty unexciting. I feel if each book was longer, there'd be more room to be more descriptive and just make it a much more enjoyable read. I for one would probably enjoy them much more if they were larger.
Although I did have those quite large problems with the book, there were a few areas in which I felt the book had improved, and if not were better than others I've read. To start with, the personality of the characters have become more apparent as the story progresses, and the relationship between them all is both interesting and mysterious at the same time, especially the one between the twins. As Thais has taken to the whole 'you're a witch' so well, which is a little unbelievable, but hey ho, the relationship between her and Clio is stronger and lovely to read so effortlessly. The amount of characters in the book, now reaching within the 25 number, is a little off putting, as I don't like too many characters in such a weak world, but they each have something to give and there are some relationships, both romantic and platonic that I like;
Sophie and Manon. Their relationship is so wonderful, so honest and its just beautiful to read about when they have their sections in the book. It was also nice to read about a romantic gay couple for the first time as I hadn't gotten round to reading any other books with characters who were gay and it was written in a way that was natural and so accepted that it upset me knowing that in our society, it's still a taboo subject. I like how it was mentioned and brought up, and I hope that actions further into the series don't cause this wonderful couple upset.
Clio and Richard. As this relationship only began around half way through this book, there isn't much to mention, but I just feel the writing describing how their passion somehow takes over their logic and means that the two of them can't resist each other really impressed me. I like the odd steamy and passionate romance, full of regret and confusion, it makes for a great relationship building, and I really can't wait to see how these two get closer to one another.
Petra and Thais/Clio. Although this is a three way relationship, I feel that it still applies. I like how easily Petra has taken to Thais being in the family and how she treats both the girls equally, no matter how much difference there's been in time spent together. I can only hope my judgement on Petra isn't too dumbly founded and that she continues to care for the twins and not be the one trying the murder them.
Problems I do have with the characters continue to be there descriptions. As I mentioned with the first book, there's so many characters with just the typical features, and now, even with new ones introduced, they still have the same features and qualities, and to be quite frank, it's really frustrating. This is something I will not get over and will probably mention throughout the series.
Another quality I liked about the book was the different alternating chapters. I have read a few with specific chapters for main characters within books, and I like the style, and the same goes for this book too. I quite possibly like it more in this because it's in the perspective of twins, as as twins are usually the mirror of the other, it's great to see just how differently they view each other and the world they're in. As to be expected though, I also have a problem with it, and it's that minor characters seem to have their own chapter, and although it's nice, I'd rather have fewer chapters and have the characters share chapters than reach the end of the book to find there's been 27 of them. It's like a silly joke and is genuinely taking the mickey.
Although the book improved form the first, with improvements come more problems, and I still think it's not my kind of series, but I shall continue, and won't give up. Maybe it'll be good by the time it finishes.
2.5 Stars.
The biggest and quite possibly the most important of issues is that I think the series may be aiming to please the young adult type of readers rather than a little younger, where I feel this series is perfect for. I have a sister of 15 years, and I personally feel that the writing style, the tone and the overall story would be much more tailored to a girl of her age, rather than that of my age, 18. I had never considered a 3 year age gap to be a huge deal within the reading world, but with this series, I think it is. For me personally, I always expect a good amount of world building, something that will make me feel like a part of the story, with the characters, and allow me to empathise better with them, but in this, there's what feels like a minimal amount of world building and way too much concentration of the quite slow and boring parts of the twins, Thais and Clio's lives. This is the biggest bug bearer for me, and it makes a huge difference to how much I enjoy reading it. Another problem I have with this series is it doesn't feel like a collection of books, more of a large book split into four parts to make more money. And I am aware that this seems a little petty and almost harsh, but it's an honest opinion. Unlike some other books I've read lately, especially those of a series, there's been a definite identification between the books, while making sure they're linked to one another. Each of them have an identity of their own, and I feel like A Circle of Ashes didn't. It just felt like a follow up from the first, and I was pretty disappointed in that. The last niggle I had, and compared to the others, this was quite minor, but it was the size of the books. 250 odd pages for a book I don't feel is quite enough if you're not including that many interesting and gripping scenes, and if you're not going to build the world, it just becomes slow and pretty unexciting. I feel if each book was longer, there'd be more room to be more descriptive and just make it a much more enjoyable read. I for one would probably enjoy them much more if they were larger.
Although I did have those quite large problems with the book, there were a few areas in which I felt the book had improved, and if not were better than others I've read. To start with, the personality of the characters have become more apparent as the story progresses, and the relationship between them all is both interesting and mysterious at the same time, especially the one between the twins. As Thais has taken to the whole 'you're a witch' so well, which is a little unbelievable, but hey ho, the relationship between her and Clio is stronger and lovely to read so effortlessly. The amount of characters in the book, now reaching within the 25 number, is a little off putting, as I don't like too many characters in such a weak world, but they each have something to give and there are some relationships, both romantic and platonic that I like;
Sophie and Manon. Their relationship is so wonderful, so honest and its just beautiful to read about when they have their sections in the book. It was also nice to read about a romantic gay couple for the first time as I hadn't gotten round to reading any other books with characters who were gay and it was written in a way that was natural and so accepted that it upset me knowing that in our society, it's still a taboo subject. I like how it was mentioned and brought up, and I hope that actions further into the series don't cause this wonderful couple upset.
Clio and Richard. As this relationship only began around half way through this book, there isn't much to mention, but I just feel the writing describing how their passion somehow takes over their logic and means that the two of them can't resist each other really impressed me. I like the odd steamy and passionate romance, full of regret and confusion, it makes for a great relationship building, and I really can't wait to see how these two get closer to one another.
Petra and Thais/Clio. Although this is a three way relationship, I feel that it still applies. I like how easily Petra has taken to Thais being in the family and how she treats both the girls equally, no matter how much difference there's been in time spent together. I can only hope my judgement on Petra isn't too dumbly founded and that she continues to care for the twins and not be the one trying the murder them.
Problems I do have with the characters continue to be there descriptions. As I mentioned with the first book, there's so many characters with just the typical features, and now, even with new ones introduced, they still have the same features and qualities, and to be quite frank, it's really frustrating. This is something I will not get over and will probably mention throughout the series.
Another quality I liked about the book was the different alternating chapters. I have read a few with specific chapters for main characters within books, and I like the style, and the same goes for this book too. I quite possibly like it more in this because it's in the perspective of twins, as as twins are usually the mirror of the other, it's great to see just how differently they view each other and the world they're in. As to be expected though, I also have a problem with it, and it's that minor characters seem to have their own chapter, and although it's nice, I'd rather have fewer chapters and have the characters share chapters than reach the end of the book to find there's been 27 of them. It's like a silly joke and is genuinely taking the mickey.
Although the book improved form the first, with improvements come more problems, and I still think it's not my kind of series, but I shall continue, and won't give up. Maybe it'll be good by the time it finishes.
2.5 Stars.
April 8, 2012
I'm enjoying this series though it's taking a long time to get to the point and there are tons of characters all involved in the main theme. The Treize is a group of 13 witches (which includes both Thais and Clio) who are intending to perform some monster spell to give them all immortality and massive power. Of course there are side plots that are interesting, a few different groups of characters are plotting for their own gain. All these interplots are confusing and it will be interesting to see how the girls and their grandmother prevail.
April 27, 2020
This book took me so long to read. I kept putting it off. Yet, I really enjoyed this book. I read the first one years back. But it was so easy getting back into the story. Both of the characters are so unique and completely different from each other despite them being twins. I really fell in love with Clio and Richard. They're just so cute together and I can't wait to see more of them in the other books (hopefully). Because I read this a while back, the history aspect was kind of confusing. Yet once I got into it, it got really interesting and more clearer.
April 2, 2017
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May 6, 2022**SLIGHT SPOILERS (I GUESS)**
What do you want me to say? What should i say?
After not really liking the first book all that much but thinking the concept was good i thought Well, no expectations but maybe the second book will actually get into the meat of the story .
Nothing happened! Not one goddamn thing happened in this book. I know it's on the shorter side which, god bless but, other than Thais learning her element is water instead of fire because of spells going wrong nothing happens. At the end Daedalus sort of betrays/uses the circle which, i guess was supposed to be this climax event but fell awfully flat and was so predictable. The worst part is that both twins spend the whole book being sad over Luc. They're both like He was my soul mate. I wasn't going to be with anyone else but him. He is the idea of perfection in a man. He was the love of my life. What if he loves my sister more? I can't stop thinking about being with him . And then this is Luc:
It makes me go insane because in the first book (and in this one) Luc has NO personality and he had no chemistry with either of the girls AT ALL. On top of both of them knowing him only for a few short weeks. He betrayed and cheated on them with each other and they still want him. I feel like i am in Bizarro world with the way they talked about him and pined over him. It's so stupid, it's laughable. It's so bad. Then Richard and Clio have something going on and that seems to happen out of the blue. This book was dull, so utterly basic, i think i disliked this one more than the first. If i didn't have the whole omnibus for the series, i think i would stop here. I mean come on, it's witches, you're supposed to make witches fun, dark, exciting, interesting. I wouldn't be as harsh if there was at least some entertainment but there wasn't even that.
What do you want me to say? What should i say?
After not really liking the first book all that much but thinking the concept was good i thought Well, no expectations but maybe the second book will actually get into the meat of the story .
Nothing happened! Not one goddamn thing happened in this book. I know it's on the shorter side which, god bless but, other than Thais learning her element is water instead of fire because of spells going wrong nothing happens. At the end Daedalus sort of betrays/uses the circle which, i guess was supposed to be this climax event but fell awfully flat and was so predictable. The worst part is that both twins spend the whole book being sad over Luc. They're both like He was my soul mate. I wasn't going to be with anyone else but him. He is the idea of perfection in a man. He was the love of my life. What if he loves my sister more? I can't stop thinking about being with him . And then this is Luc:
It makes me go insane because in the first book (and in this one) Luc has NO personality and he had no chemistry with either of the girls AT ALL. On top of both of them knowing him only for a few short weeks. He betrayed and cheated on them with each other and they still want him. I feel like i am in Bizarro world with the way they talked about him and pined over him. It's so stupid, it's laughable. It's so bad. Then Richard and Clio have something going on and that seems to happen out of the blue. This book was dull, so utterly basic, i think i disliked this one more than the first. If i didn't have the whole omnibus for the series, i think i would stop here. I mean come on, it's witches, you're supposed to make witches fun, dark, exciting, interesting. I wouldn't be as harsh if there was at least some entertainment but there wasn't even that.
October 22, 2020
Again, if I had seen this cover, I would never have even considered reading this book. I am reading the version that has all four books in one.
Just like the first book, not much actual action is happening although the story moves along at a swift pace. Since there are so many characters, I sometimes get confused or have to think about who is doing the talking or being talked about. I do love that the chapters are all relatively short so it makes it feel like I'm getting somewhere. There's not really any character growth but we do get to see a little bit of development with some of them, a little more background.
All in all, this was a good read if you like witches or supernatural stories. It seems a little more accurate on the lore and traditions than the last witch series I read.
Just like the first book, not much actual action is happening although the story moves along at a swift pace. Since there are so many characters, I sometimes get confused or have to think about who is doing the talking or being talked about. I do love that the chapters are all relatively short so it makes it feel like I'm getting somewhere. There's not really any character growth but we do get to see a little bit of development with some of them, a little more background.
All in all, this was a good read if you like witches or supernatural stories. It seems a little more accurate on the lore and traditions than the last witch series I read.
August 15, 2021
Clio's obsessed with the guy who two timed her and her twin. Thais is liking Richard who's two hundred or something years old and in her coven. Clio's element is fire. Thais's is water.
Not really much to say other then the guy i thought was bad was bad. Predictable, not all that interesting besides the magick elements. The coven's rite is coming up fast. Clio's pissing me off. Thais, even though her name is stupid, is the only character besides Nan and Sophie I like.
This one was much better than the previous. The story got better, the setting got described more, and i liked the visions of the rite. It made sense to put that in there, to see how their mother died, to know who to trust and who not to trust.
Not really much to say other then the guy i thought was bad was bad. Predictable, not all that interesting besides the magick elements. The coven's rite is coming up fast. Clio's pissing me off. Thais, even though her name is stupid, is the only character besides Nan and Sophie I like.
This one was much better than the previous. The story got better, the setting got described more, and i liked the visions of the rite. It made sense to put that in there, to see how their mother died, to know who to trust and who not to trust.
December 20, 2021
I feel that this was mostly an improvement from the first book. The characters and world were built upon more, and it was definitely interesting to see the story develop. The Treize were all interesting, and The writing improved a bit over the former story, and this one was overall more enjoyable.
February 21, 2023
I enjoyed this one as much as the first one. It approaches the world of witchcraft with some subtle differences which means it is not run of the mill, predictable and boring like many can be. Easy to read, hard to put down and once the series is finished, I look forward to starting her Wicca series too. Ideal reading material as I have read several heavy, long books recently, so light entertainment is a welcome relief!
Plus, being a Wiccan myself, it's nice to see that the author is actually factual in many of her celebrations and tools; well researched ( unless she too is a Wiccan of course!)
Plus, being a Wiccan myself, it's nice to see that the author is actually factual in many of her celebrations and tools; well researched ( unless she too is a Wiccan of course!)
August 5, 2021
WOW!!
Absolutely amazing, every page in this book is thrilling and heartfelt! I also adore how accurate the set up of all the spells abs rituals are, even the turning of the wheel! This is such an amazing book series I have to keep pacing myself so i don’t finish it too quickly lol
Absolutely amazing, every page in this book is thrilling and heartfelt! I also adore how accurate the set up of all the spells abs rituals are, even the turning of the wheel! This is such an amazing book series I have to keep pacing myself so i don’t finish it too quickly lol
August 28, 2022
Solid second book. I’m very intrigued by the plot with the Treize and Thais’ magic. Similarly to the first one, I think books 1 and 2 combined would make a better book than either of them separately. But I like where this is going and I hope there’s a satisfying ending!
October 6, 2017
Definitely more intriguing than the first one.
April 28, 2018
This series is getting really good! I'm trying so hard to figure out who's the "bad guy" and who's good but just a$$holes LOL!! Can't wait for it to all come together 💖💖
May 7, 2018
This book was awesome!
I really enjoyed it.
I can not wait to read the next book in this series.
I really enjoyed it.
I can not wait to read the next book in this series.
November 27, 2020
Good read!
May 27, 2021
I enjoyed this book more than the first.
July 6, 2024
Great book
September 21, 2016
The second installment of the Balefire series is a stepping stone on to the next book.
In Circle of Ashes not a whole lot of progress is made. It is full of angsty emotions and disappointments. Neither girl can fully get over Luc and magic seems to have gone awry.
Eventually Thias comes into her magic but there are dark forces looming about them. Is the darkness coming from her or and outside force?
Daedalus and other members have plans of their own that seem to throw things of balance.
In the end the Treize will be complete but will it be balanced?
Ashes ended a quite a cliffhanger, which I vaguely feel annoyed about but at least there is the next book. I hope that it is better than this one was and even more so for the final volume.
In Circle of Ashes not a whole lot of progress is made. It is full of angsty emotions and disappointments. Neither girl can fully get over Luc and magic seems to have gone awry.
Eventually Thias comes into her magic but there are dark forces looming about them. Is the darkness coming from her or and outside force?
Daedalus and other members have plans of their own that seem to throw things of balance.
In the end the Treize will be complete but will it be balanced?
Ashes ended a quite a cliffhanger, which I vaguely feel annoyed about but at least there is the next book. I hope that it is better than this one was and even more so for the final volume.
June 17, 2013
http://megworld.over-blog.com/article...
J'avais été moyennement convaincue par le premier tome mais j'ai préféré cette suite. J'avais trouvé que "Le calice du vent" manquait de rythme et j'avais eu du mal avec le personnage de Clio. "Cercle de cendres" est beaucoup plus intéressant puisque nous commençons enfin à comprendre où l'auteure veut en venir.
La construction du roman est exactement la même que le premier, ce qui me convient parfaitement. J'avais aimé suivre tantôt Clio, tantôt Thais ainsi que les personnages secondaires, c'est à dire les autres sorciers des Treize. Thais n'a pas changé et reste un personnage dont je me sens très proche, en revanche, je me suis beaucoup plus attachée à Clio qui m'a semblé beaucoup moins superficielle que dans le premier tome. Elle se rapproche de sa soeur et cela lui est très positif.
Dans ce tome, on apprend au début que Thais a un "problème" avec sa magie. En effet, dès qu'elle s'en sert avec Clio, il se produit des catastrophes. L'histoire est surtout centrée là-dessus et Petra (Nan), leur ancêtre, cherche à comprendre l'origine de ce dysfonctionnement. A côté de ça, nous commençons à découvrir les desseins de Daedalus, le chef des Treize. Le roman étant très court, 235 page seulement, tout n'est pas expliqué et il faudra attendre le troisième tome pour en savoir plus.
Dans Cercle de cendres, les relations entre les personnages sont également chamboulées. Luc est amoureux de Thais mais celle-ci ne lui pardonne pas de l'avoir trompé avec sa soeur jumelle. Quant à Clio, elle est toujours amoureuse de Luc et on devine qu'elle n'attend qu'une chose : qu'il revienne à elle. En effet, elle a l'air plus encline à lui pardonner sa trahison que sa jumelle. Les deux soeurs se rapprochent d'autres garçons dont je ne vous citerais pas le nom pour ne pas gâcher le suspens et ces nouvelles relations promettent d'être intéressantes... surtout du côté Clio.
Pour conclure, j'avais été déçue par le premier volume mais j'ai beaucoup plus apprécié le second. Même si Balefire n'est pas une saga qui me passione autant que "Immortels" de l'auteure, j'ai tout de même passé un bon moment et j'ai envie de connaître la suite.
3,5/5
J'avais été moyennement convaincue par le premier tome mais j'ai préféré cette suite. J'avais trouvé que "Le calice du vent" manquait de rythme et j'avais eu du mal avec le personnage de Clio. "Cercle de cendres" est beaucoup plus intéressant puisque nous commençons enfin à comprendre où l'auteure veut en venir.
La construction du roman est exactement la même que le premier, ce qui me convient parfaitement. J'avais aimé suivre tantôt Clio, tantôt Thais ainsi que les personnages secondaires, c'est à dire les autres sorciers des Treize. Thais n'a pas changé et reste un personnage dont je me sens très proche, en revanche, je me suis beaucoup plus attachée à Clio qui m'a semblé beaucoup moins superficielle que dans le premier tome. Elle se rapproche de sa soeur et cela lui est très positif.
Dans ce tome, on apprend au début que Thais a un "problème" avec sa magie. En effet, dès qu'elle s'en sert avec Clio, il se produit des catastrophes. L'histoire est surtout centrée là-dessus et Petra (Nan), leur ancêtre, cherche à comprendre l'origine de ce dysfonctionnement. A côté de ça, nous commençons à découvrir les desseins de Daedalus, le chef des Treize. Le roman étant très court, 235 page seulement, tout n'est pas expliqué et il faudra attendre le troisième tome pour en savoir plus.
Dans Cercle de cendres, les relations entre les personnages sont également chamboulées. Luc est amoureux de Thais mais celle-ci ne lui pardonne pas de l'avoir trompé avec sa soeur jumelle. Quant à Clio, elle est toujours amoureuse de Luc et on devine qu'elle n'attend qu'une chose : qu'il revienne à elle. En effet, elle a l'air plus encline à lui pardonner sa trahison que sa jumelle. Les deux soeurs se rapprochent d'autres garçons dont je ne vous citerais pas le nom pour ne pas gâcher le suspens et ces nouvelles relations promettent d'être intéressantes... surtout du côté Clio.
Pour conclure, j'avais été déçue par le premier volume mais j'ai beaucoup plus apprécié le second. Même si Balefire n'est pas une saga qui me passione autant que "Immortels" de l'auteure, j'ai tout de même passé un bon moment et j'ai envie de connaître la suite.
3,5/5
March 13, 2016
Bien que j’ai lu le premier tome il y a déjà un bon moment, je me souvenais tout de même de l’essentiel et le reste m’est revenu assez rapidement. Malheureusement, j’ai eu assez de mal à entrer dans l’histoire, là trouvant assez plate, parfois ennuyeuse et les personnages m’insupportant à plusieurs reprises. Bien que tout ce qui touche à la magie et au passé soit intéressant, la romance insipide et le manque de réelles réponses me posent problème.
Thais et Clio semblent s’entendre de mieux en mieux, la trahison de Luc les a définitivement rapproché, tout comme la recherche de leurs pouvoirs respectifs. Cependant, leurs deux caractères sont presqu’en totalité opposé. Alors qu’on apprécie l’innocence et le courage de Thaïs, j’ai vraiment du mal à m’attacher à Clio qui est plus malsaine que sa jumelle.
Les personnages secondaires n’ont pas de réel impact en soit, étant sans profondeur pour la plupart. On a beau en apprendre plus sur le passé des Treize, découvrir des facettes étonnantes chez Manon, Luc ou Richard, cela n’empêche pas qu’il manque quelque chose. Heureusement qu’il y a Kevin qui ouvre des possibilités pour l’avenir (Richard aussi d’ailleurs) et redonne une chance à la romance dans la série.
Concernant la magie, même si elle est très présente, je ne la trouve pas exploitée à son maximum. Les choses étant lentes, on a des réponses petit bout par petit bout, mais c’est très loin d’être suffisant. Qu’est réellement le rituel ? Quel est le réel impact du cercle 2 siècles plus tôt ? Quelle est l’importance des fêtes wicca ou bien des éléments ? Tellement de zones d’ombres existent encore…
Le style de l’auteure ne me gêne pas tant que cela, je m’y suis habituée à force de livre ses livres. Ce n’est pas à cause de cela que je ne suit pas convaincu par cette série. C’est juste ses choix dans les intrigues et la façon de tout exploité qui sans en cause. Une déception pas très étonnante et qui me refroidit définitivement pour lire la suite.
Thais et Clio semblent s’entendre de mieux en mieux, la trahison de Luc les a définitivement rapproché, tout comme la recherche de leurs pouvoirs respectifs. Cependant, leurs deux caractères sont presqu’en totalité opposé. Alors qu’on apprécie l’innocence et le courage de Thaïs, j’ai vraiment du mal à m’attacher à Clio qui est plus malsaine que sa jumelle.
Les personnages secondaires n’ont pas de réel impact en soit, étant sans profondeur pour la plupart. On a beau en apprendre plus sur le passé des Treize, découvrir des facettes étonnantes chez Manon, Luc ou Richard, cela n’empêche pas qu’il manque quelque chose. Heureusement qu’il y a Kevin qui ouvre des possibilités pour l’avenir (Richard aussi d’ailleurs) et redonne une chance à la romance dans la série.
Concernant la magie, même si elle est très présente, je ne la trouve pas exploitée à son maximum. Les choses étant lentes, on a des réponses petit bout par petit bout, mais c’est très loin d’être suffisant. Qu’est réellement le rituel ? Quel est le réel impact du cercle 2 siècles plus tôt ? Quelle est l’importance des fêtes wicca ou bien des éléments ? Tellement de zones d’ombres existent encore…
Le style de l’auteure ne me gêne pas tant que cela, je m’y suis habituée à force de livre ses livres. Ce n’est pas à cause de cela que je ne suit pas convaincu par cette série. C’est juste ses choix dans les intrigues et la façon de tout exploité qui sans en cause. Une déception pas très étonnante et qui me refroidit définitivement pour lire la suite.
December 25, 2009
Review on Balefire #2 The circle of Ashes
By: Cate Tiernan
The second series of Balefire is very interesting. Both of the twins; Clio and Thais eventually finds out that they are dating the same guy and thats pretty wierd. When both of them finds out they are dating the same guy, they have both gotten mad and felt screwed by the guy. In this second series of Balefire, Clio and Thais witness their home being torn down by the fire that had reached to their house while they were doing some spells and magic. They were okay, since both of them had made it out alive. Thais and Clio learns that there's some evil that always staggers in the way while Thais and her sister, Clio is doing some spells. Clio's long-lost sister, Thais comes to live and move in with Clio since Petra had custody of Clio's sister Thais. But, having to live with each other does not mean that Clio teaches her twin powers and magic but it just sends evil upon. Clio and Thais meet guys and Clio tends to find love like her sister Thais. The point in this second book is trying to say how Clio teaches Thais some spells and let Thais developed the spells she'll need to know within by learning from the books that helps both Clio and Thais.
By: Cate Tiernan
The second series of Balefire is very interesting. Both of the twins; Clio and Thais eventually finds out that they are dating the same guy and thats pretty wierd. When both of them finds out they are dating the same guy, they have both gotten mad and felt screwed by the guy. In this second series of Balefire, Clio and Thais witness their home being torn down by the fire that had reached to their house while they were doing some spells and magic. They were okay, since both of them had made it out alive. Thais and Clio learns that there's some evil that always staggers in the way while Thais and her sister, Clio is doing some spells. Clio's long-lost sister, Thais comes to live and move in with Clio since Petra had custody of Clio's sister Thais. But, having to live with each other does not mean that Clio teaches her twin powers and magic but it just sends evil upon. Clio and Thais meet guys and Clio tends to find love like her sister Thais. The point in this second book is trying to say how Clio teaches Thais some spells and let Thais developed the spells she'll need to know within by learning from the books that helps both Clio and Thais.
January 19, 2015
Rezi zu Ein Ring aus Asche Eine tolle Fortsetzung, man ist gleich wieder mit im Geschehen.
Die Oma der beiden Schwestern ist weggefahren um einiges zu erledigen , in der Zeit passieren den Mädchen immer wieder Sachen, das man merkt da will jemand sie töten.
Thais ist immer noch unsicher mit der Magie und kann sich noch nicht 100 % auf sie einlassen, Clio ist da ja anders, sie ist mit Magie aufgewachsen was Thais eben fehlt.
Aber wenn die Beiden zusammen ein Hexenkreis Schiessen und zusammen etwas Magie ausüben , werden sie beide durch die Räume geschleudert und keiner weiss warum, erst nachdem Thais Magie zum Schutz aufgerufen hatte und bei im Wasser stand merkt man das ihr Element das Wasser und nicht wie gedachtdas Feuer ist.
Trotz der ganzen Probleme mit Magie und den Jungs will der Zirkel immer noch das die beiden unbedingt mitmachen. Immer mehr kommt raus das nur einer das wirklich will und da böses vorhat, was man am ende soweit fast erfährt ;)
Der Schreibstil ist locker und ich war gleich wieder in der Welt der Zwillingen, ich hoffe das die letzten 2 Teile auch so spannend bleiben, meistens hab ich das Glück das ab Band 3 alles gruselig wird O.o
Die Oma der beiden Schwestern ist weggefahren um einiges zu erledigen , in der Zeit passieren den Mädchen immer wieder Sachen, das man merkt da will jemand sie töten.
Thais ist immer noch unsicher mit der Magie und kann sich noch nicht 100 % auf sie einlassen, Clio ist da ja anders, sie ist mit Magie aufgewachsen was Thais eben fehlt.
Aber wenn die Beiden zusammen ein Hexenkreis Schiessen und zusammen etwas Magie ausüben , werden sie beide durch die Räume geschleudert und keiner weiss warum, erst nachdem Thais Magie zum Schutz aufgerufen hatte und bei im Wasser stand merkt man das ihr Element das Wasser und nicht wie gedachtdas Feuer ist.
Trotz der ganzen Probleme mit Magie und den Jungs will der Zirkel immer noch das die beiden unbedingt mitmachen. Immer mehr kommt raus das nur einer das wirklich will und da böses vorhat, was man am ende soweit fast erfährt ;)
Der Schreibstil ist locker und ich war gleich wieder in der Welt der Zwillingen, ich hoffe das die letzten 2 Teile auch so spannend bleiben, meistens hab ich das Glück das ab Band 3 alles gruselig wird O.o
October 1, 2011
Still loving Thais more of the two girls; she is just so much more down to earth and reads as the better character. Saying that her twin, Clio, is growing into a better character as well. I was glad she manage to clamp down her jealousy at having a sister, although it may have been interesting to read of a few sparks between them. I liked the Sophie/Manon interaction too, as we learn more about the coven. I'm liking where this storyline is going, with both girls trying to get over the same guy. Thais is learning more about Magick and herself as she goes along, and it feels as if the reader is learning too. The book ended unexpectedly, and I look forward to Claire and the other guy whom I can't even think of his name being summoned to join them and what will occur there. The writing is still excellent, offering us enough insight into Magick as well as into the lives of the very different twins.
I will move onto the third book in the morning, and can't wait to continue the ride. Reading a few other reviews has given me the knowledge that the author has written other series', so it just might be worth the time hunting them down.
I will move onto the third book in the morning, and can't wait to continue the ride. Reading a few other reviews has given me the knowledge that the author has written other series', so it just might be worth the time hunting them down.
February 26, 2015
Eine tolle Fortsetzung, man ist gleich wieder mit im Geschehen.
Die Oma der beiden Schwestern ist weggefahren um einiges zu erledigen , in der Zeit passieren den Mädchen immer wieder Sachen, das man merkt da will jemand sie töten.
Thais ist immer noch unsicher mit der Magie und kann sich noch nicht 100 % auf sie einlassen, Clio ist da ja anders, sie ist mit Magie aufgewachsen was Thais eben fehlt.
Aber wenn die Beiden zusammen ein Hexenkreis Schiessen und zusammen etwas Magie ausüben , werden sie beide durch die Räume geschleudert und keiner weiss warum, erst nachdem Thais Magie zum Schutz aufgerufen hatte und bei im Wasser stand merkt man das ihr Element das Wasser und nicht wie gedachtdas Feuer ist.
Trotz der ganzen Probleme mit Magie und den Jungs will der Zirkel immer noch das die beiden unbedingt mitmachen. Immer mehr kommt raus das nur einer das wirklich will und da böses vorhat, was man am ende soweit fast erfährt ;)
Der Schreibstil ist locker und ich war gleich wieder in der Welt der Zwillingen, ich hoffe das die letzten 2 Teile auch so spannend bleiben, meistens hab ich das Glück das ab Band 3 alles gruselig wird O.o
June 4, 2013
L'histoire est encore fraîchement ancrée dans mon esprit et c'est bon signe, car même si c'est une petite saga dont chaque tome se lit rapidement, l'histoire reste et elle est très addictive ! En refermant le livre, j'ai réalisé qu'il allait surement s'écouler une année avant de découvrir la suite et je dois dire que ça va être difficile d'attendre pour savoir ce qui va se passer ! J'espère juste que les choses vont bouger un peu plus, car même si j'ai passé un excellent moment avec cette suite, ce n'est pas un coup de cœur, car au final on avance très lentement dans la trame principale. Mais comme précédemment, je m'engage à vous recommander chaudement cette superbe saga surtout si comme moi vous aimez l'univers de la magie et la plume de Cate Tiernan.
Mon avis complet ici : http://sook-book.over-blog.net/articl...
Mon avis complet ici : http://sook-book.over-blog.net/articl...
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