Hexbound

Chloe Neill, popular Paranormal Romance author of Chicagoland Vampires takes a stab at the Urban Fantasy YA genre in her new book, Hexbound.Neill demonstrates that stabbing isn't nearly as fun as it looks.Hexbound is the story of sixteen year old Parker, who is sent to boarding school by her elusive and myterious parents. Her new friend, Scout, is kidnapped by Reapers, magic stealers, to have her soul sucked out until she dies. The Enclave, group of good magic users, refuses to rescue her so Par [...]

I am going to use Chloe's own sentence to begin my description:'This place is like a dismal swamp of blah'What does it mean?No idea.It's supposed to be a teen driven sentence.But the bottom line is- it's not a good thing.And this book? Not a good thing.I didn't even like the first one BUT I just could not stop myself from reading this one. I still had hopes for this author.But all the time i just thought- THIS is what she is writing when instead of the CL Vampires? Eeek!The Scout?Lilly dialogues [...]

Ah, I figured out what was bugging me about these books. They just sound so juvenile that I wrinkle my nose and roll my eyes and feel like I have to slog through them. I am well aware that they are YA books, but YA books don't have to sound so argh. It seemed like the dialogue was forced at times--like the author had to make the characters sound modern and try to sound cool. I don't care if you're trying to write teenagers. I don't mind it once in a while, but it's all the time and they never sw [...]

I don't know what kind of game Chloe Neill is playing. All I know is that she’s selling an unusually large chapter for the price of a novel. That’s exactly how Hexbound felt to me. Other than that, there’s really not much to tell. I had some problems with the way friendships were made in Firespell, and that continued in this book. Here's how it goes: Lily arrives to her new school, Scout approaches her, introduces herself and boldly announces that they are now best friends. And God says: � [...]

Officially up on Chloe Neill's blog:CHAPTER ONE[Note - This is pre-edited copy, and may contain grammatical and typographical errors; no worries--they've been fixed.]I stayed absolutely still, my eyes closed, the sun warm on my face. As long as I didn’t fidget too much, the noon sun was just strong enough to cancel out the chilly October breeze that blew through our part of downtown Chicago.I guess there was a reason they called it the Windy City.It was a Sunday afternoon at St. Sophia’s Sch [...]

The second in Chloe Neill’s Dark Elite series, Hexbound follows the continued adventures of Lily and her friend Scout at St. Sophia’s School for Girls, as they face both teen drama and evil magicians.I’ve had a bit of trouble getting into this series from the beginning, but couldn’t initially put my finger on why. I got a little over halfway through Hexbound and encountered a scene that made the issue clear to me — and sapped my interest in the book. Neill tells us that the conflict be [...]

It boils down to one word - GREED. Greed on the part of the publishers, greed that books cannot be stand alone novels anymore. Or even just a single book and a single sequel. I hate all of this dragging out what could be a good story into multiple books that end up too short with not enough plot to justify an entire book. This book was just that - too short, not enough plot, not much of a climax - basically disappointing. Nothing much happened in this book aside from a deepening of Lily's and Ja [...]

Q:Scout and I had just taken breakfast (hot tea and giant muffins) to a table when they walked in, Veronica in the lead, M.K. and Amie behind. They wore the same skirts that we did, but you could still tell they were different. They had swagger. They sauntered across the room like every eye was on them—and they usually were—and like there was no doubt in the world who they were, what they wanted, or what they were going to get.The attitude aside, you kinda had to admire the confidence. Even [...]

This was an enjoyable read, but I'm somewhat dissapointed. I'm in love with the Chicagoland Vampires series and since I've devoured those books in one week, I expected more from Chloe Neill. I feel like this is a filling book in the series -- one with that dreaded sequel syndrom. Considering it took me almost two months to finish it, I have a couple of things to say.1. The pace was really slow for my taste and it's the main reason I wasn't glued to the pages like I was at the first book. A littl [...]

Chloe Neill doesn't disappoint with the second installment in The Dark Elite series. In fact, she proves that this in a series you must read! Hexbound picks up right where Firespell left us. I was engrossed from the first chapter. I love the world that Neill has created in this series.Once again I'm enchanted by Lily and Scout. They make a great team and their quick wit and banter make this such a fun read. All the characters were fantastic and interesting. We were even introduced to some new ch [...]

Good sequel to Firespell. I like that these don't end in cliffhangers. The mystery in the book is wrapped up nicely and we are just left with a few on going threads.

Any doubts left after completing Firespell were immediately dissapated from the start of Hexbound. This novel was action packed from page one. Lily is not only a newby to the Adept Society, but she is a newby to magic in general. After suffering from an direct hit by a Firespell user she has miraculously appeared to have Firespell magic of her own. With help from her new Adept friends, and others maybe not easily considered friends, she has found herself growing in her abilites. Lily is a very t [...]

Once again, Chloe Neill writes an exquisite storyline for her vibrant characters in the second installment of the Dark Elite series. Hexbound is a unique, quick read. Those that read and loved Firespell, Dark Elite #1 will fall in love with Hexbound. Scout and Lily are still best friends. They've got this wonderful, silly dynamic that I love. This is what holds the Dark Elite series together for me. This book, much like the first, had a hard time holding onto my attention and making me believe I [...]

I just love this series. A school with secret society that protects the world with magic. Sweet! Lily Parker is finally settling in as a Adept. She is learning to control her Firespell when weird like creatures start to roam the halls at St. Sophia's. Now it is up to them to find out what those creatures areWhat I love most about the book was the unique story line of it. Even though it may seem the same with the school and of course the hot boys, I love how everything play out well in the book.T [...]

I already love Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series, so naturally I decided to check out her other series. Honestly, I did not like the first book in the Dark Elite series, Firespell, as much as I hoped. It took a while for me to get into it, maybe because I was trying to compare the characters of The Chicagoland Vampires to these characters. They are much younger, teenagers compared to the adult characters of CV. But anyway, I waited to read the second novel, and honestly was not expecting [...]

God this has to be one of the worst books I've ever read!!!What in the world happened to the author when she wrote this book? Book 1 held so much promise, but this one is complete and utter crap. Only good part was the end with Sebastian -__-

There’s never a dull moment at St. Sophia’s. Ever since Lily Parker arrived at the Chicago boarding school she has been going nonstop.From discovering her suite-mate Scout’s secret about being an Adept, one who fights against the Dark Elite to keep the people of Chicago safe, to finding out that she is also an Adept with the power to wield firespell, her arrival in Chicago has been anything but boring.Only weeks since rescuing Scout from the Reapers, a new threat has arisen. This one comes [...]

Lily had thought her life couldn't have gotten more turned upside down than it did when her parents sent her to St. Sophia's. She was wrong. Now she has to deal with powers that she doesn't know how to control, and fighting against the Dark Elite or Reapers, all the while trying to keep up with the school's rigorous curriculum. Of course there is a bright side to all this as she met a cute boy for her affections, but of course he has his own secrets as well. Meanwhile, a member of the opposite t [...]

To be honest, the main problem with this book is a lack of, just, anything. With more work and motivation she really could have made it an exciting read, but it just fell a bit short.I think the author was using this book as a set up for the rest, but really, at least try to make it interesting, come on. So basically Hexbound starts off about a week after Firespell, Lily is a member of the Adepts and everything is peachy. But then one night they go into the tunnels and find, to their horror, sma [...]

Second in The Dark Elite urban-fantasy young adult series set in a contemporary Chicago and based in a girls' boarding school.The StoryLily is settling in to school and her new Adept status pretty well, heading out with Scout most nights to fight the Reapers. Although, that one Reaper boy, Sebastian Born, he's an odd one. Helping her out like that. Wanting to teach her. Giving her hints. What's up with that?In the meantime, Lily is wading through vampires at night, stealing minutes to be with Ja [...]

Prima data postata pe nervidetoamna/Speram, cand am terminat primul volum ca al doilea va fi mai bun, dar n-a fost sa fie. Fiind o carte subtire, cu scris mare si destul de usoara, m-asteptam sa o citesc in cateva ore. Dar am stat toata ziua dupa ea, citind, mai facand altceva, iar citind si tot asa. Zau, n-aveam asteptari prea mari, pentru ca deja am invatat pe de rost toate cliseele existente in universul YA si nu cred ca ma mai surprinde ceva, chit ca-i paranormal sau nu. Dar conteaza si felu [...]

Y'all. I love this series. I really enjoyed the first book, Firespell, but the second book was great. I love the different world that Neill created - full of all the normal paranormal creatures but with a different twist. Lily and Scout's friendship is so easy and snarky and believable. The storyline is great and never dull - from dealing with boys and bratty suite mates to finding a way to stop the Dark Elite there is always something going on with the gals and their boys. I also liked that thi [...]

HexboundBy Chloe NeillCopyright January 2011Publisher Signet Novel“Lily Parker is new to St. Sophia’s School for Girls, but she’s already learned that magic can be your best friend…or your worst enemy. They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Turns out, even a little magic can turn you to the dark side. That’s why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities, on top of avoiding the snobs who think they run her school, nursing a crush on a cute sophomor [...]

This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.What's been happening to me lately is that when reading a sequel to book I read and liked a while ago, I'm underwhelmed because my taste in books has completely changed. I liked Firespell (the first book in The Dark Elite series), but I can't say the same about Hexbound. Though, if I reread Firespell, I probably wouldn't like it anymore either.I'll start with the good thing about this book: its premise. Lily's recently discovered she's an [...]

At St. Sophia’s School for Girls, dealing with the Brat Pack is the least of Lily Parker’s worries. And that’s actually saying something, because queen bee Veronica has practically made it her mission in life to make Lily’s life miserable. But Lily’s a little too busy fighting Reapers and figuring out how to control her firespell to be bothered by such little things. Things take a turn for the more sinister when Lily and her friends are attacked by strange creatures of the likes they� [...]

A little slow at the start, but then after a couple of pages it got better.A quick read filled with all the things I like: Vampires, wolves, magic, etc.Though the main focus was on the magic, I still enjoyed those additions.I like how Chloe Neill writes. Her characters really do sound like teenagers.I will admit that at the end I felt like something was wrong.I think there may be drama in the next book.I'm not a fan of love triangles and I think things may be headed in that direction.I liked how [...]

I really like this series. I love the friendship and dynamic between Scout and Lily, they are so cute and funny together. I love all of the characters in this series, they are all very vibrant for YA fiction and they stick with you for a long time after you close the cover. I also enjoy the dynamic between Scout and Lily in conjunction with the brat pack and with the boys, Chloe Neill has a wonderful talent for writing excellent relationships.The plot, or rather the climax of this book was a tad [...]

This is the second in the Dark Elite series and is even better than the first one. This young adult urban fantasy has everything you could ask for in a paranormal story vampires, werewolves, magic, nasty creatures, good guys, bad guys, conspiracy and even a hunky teacher. And don't think that just because it is in the young adult category that those who are "no longer young adults" will not enjoy it - I think all fans of the urban fantasy or paranormal genres will like this series. Neill's char [...]

My thoughtsBook two in the Dark Elite series brings us back with the characters from Firespell. Lily is still working on developing her magic and a relationship with a very warm-blooded boy from a neighboring school. Readers are introduced to new characters and my favorite part, new magic. Along with new magic of course comes new enemies and new dangers. Also, Hexbound does quite a bit more world building.ConsWhile I enjoyed reading Hexbound, I had several issues with it. First was the predictab [...]

2.5 stars - I felt the same way about this book as I did Firespell it was okay. It's aimed at a younger audience. It was to juvenile for my taste. I was expecting a sweet romance at least to follow. Nope, the love birds ignored each other more than they talked. I have a problem with this world. I don't like it. Adepts have powers but by the time they turn 25 they have to give up that power, or it eats them from the inside. There are no adults in the Enclave just a bunch of teens running around [...]