Hidden (Firelight)

I finally got to finish up the Firelight series and lovely world of dragons that Sophie Jordan has created. Vanish left off pretty much right BEFORE a cliffhanger, so Hidden really jumped right into the action.

Normally when I'm reading a book, if there's a love triangle then I try to pick up on how the main character really feels. And whoever the MC is truly in love with is the one I'm rooting for, but guys I don't know why I'm so resistant with this series. It's OBVIOUS who Jacinda wants to be with and who she loves. In book 1, I was all about following that, but book 2 totally changed my mind. In the end I stuck with wanting who I was rooting for in book 2 to be victorious, but it was like watching a train wreck because I knew she was dead set on choosing the other guy. I blame it on the dern mythical bonding. I have a hard time fighting against these types of aspects in paranormal and fantasy novels.

This cast of draki characters is so interesting to me. I love how each draki falls into a category that has it's own abilities. Each one is fascinating. I can't help but try to picture these creatures as Sophie Jordan describes them and they are truly beautiful in my mind, but I guess the pictures I developed and what she sees in her heard aren't the same thing. Sometimes she would describe a physical characteristic of a particular draki and I'm like "wait a minute...how does that translate?" For instance, them having hair.I just can't picture any type of dragon I'm really used to seeing with hair. And fingers--claws maybe--but Sophie Jordan specifically uses the word "fingers." I don't know. I'd really like to see this series translated to film just so I can see what other people interpret these creatures to look like.

I enjoyed the addition of Deghan and the building relationship between him and Tamra, but I wish we'd gotten a little more of that. I also felt like what's going on with Will was not flushed out as much as I'd like. I mean, I remember finding out about the experiments that have been done to him discussed in the previous books, and I suppose that's what's changed him, but I felt like we were left hanging just a bit concerning this aspect.

The pacing of Hidden was very much the same as Firelight and Vanish. I finished it in a day. All of these are fairly short books, but there's an almost frantic pacing to the books that kept me pressing on until I devoured the whole thing. And the writing is at times poetic which I'm finding that I truly appreciate more and more these days.

Hidden gets 4 stars from me. Have you read Hidden? What did you think? Let me know.

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I have always loved the Firelight series simply because of the premise. I mean people that can turn into dragons (draki), that is just awesome. I also have a shameless love for the covers in this series. This shameless love extends to Will, there is just something very endearing about him. This is the kind of series that is just lots of fun without being overly deep or meaningful, and I absolutely love them for it.

Hidden is a very quick and a very fun read. I read it over the course of a few hours and I loved getting lost in this world of draki and magic and secrets. Hidden had lots and lots of action and that kept the book moving at a brisk pace. I never felt like the book dragged and I never once got bored with storyline.

My absolute favorite part about this book is that it pretty much leaves the love triangle behind. It is not rehashed, which I was kind of worried about. It is abundantly clear that Jacinda has made her choice. While she may be bonded to Cassian, she loves Will and no bond is going to threaten that. This is not really a spoiler, because she pretty much makes this clear in chapter one.

For the past two books, Jacinda has been struggling with her ties to the Pride and with whom she wants to be. This continues in Hidden, but it finally comes to a culmination. She is literally being torn in two. She still feels responsible for the Pride, but she also wants to move on and be with Will. Sophie uses Cassian and Will to represent two very different aspects of Jacinda and two very different choices. Cassian and the bond she has with him represents what she has always known and a bond that runs very deep because it is her family and her people. Then you have Will, who represents freedom and a road that is basically whatever Jacinda wants it to be. Hidden is very much about her character growth and how she comes to make this choice.

Of all the characters in this series, I believe Tamra has shown the most growth. In Firelight, I really actually hated her. She was so whiny and jealous and got mad at Jacinda for things pretty much out of her control. For the majority of the book I just wanted to smack her. However, now I actually really love her character. She has become a very strong and capable character that has finally found a purpose and a place.

Now I need to mention the cutie that is Will. He is possibly the most patient character I have ever encountered. He puts up with so much from Jacinda and goes through a great deal just to stay with her. At some points I seriously thought that she did not deserve him and that he deserved someone much better. Then I would get mad at myself, because they really do make an adorable couple.

Hidden wraps up the Firelight series nicely and it managed to surprise me. I thought I had the ending pegged for this series and it turns out I was wrong. I loved being surprised and I was very happy with the way things went. My one complaint, I would have liked at least one more chapter in Hidden just for a little bit more closure.

All in all, Firelight is just a fun series and a good story. It is the perfect book to read when you are looking for a sweet and unique book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, action packed and you never know what was going to happen. There was never a dull moment in this book and once you read the first page its going to be hard to stop until you know everything that happens.

While I liked this book there was something a little off to me. Its hard to put my finger on it. I think it had to do something about Jacinda and always talking about how much she loved Will and it just seemed to me after all the events that have taken place she would be more focused on other things. I mean we know by now she wants to be with him, but during rescue missions and running for your life and trying to keep everyone alive I just didn't want to hear about it. It came across to me more of a school girl crush then a totally deep down love. But that might just be me, Plus we all know I love Cassian.

I can't even talk about Cassian though without getting upset. The more I think about it the more mad I get. I loved him. I loved their bond together and thought him and Jacinda would have been great together. I must stop talking about this before I spoil anything.

The story itself was great, I just think I wasn't into the romance of it. Even with all that I still got way into this book. Since its the last in the series, I just had to know how it was all going to end. There were lots of surprises and twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. We got some much needed answers, a lot of closure and I am sure an ending mostly everyone will be happy with. I am really sad to see this series go. And I kinda wish since not everyone got their happily ever after maybe they will get a story in the future.

Two summers ago, I was rummaging through the Young Adult section at the library and came across Firelight. I had never heard of it before and wasn't sure what exactly to expect. I mean, a girl who is a part dragon? Not my normal cup of tea, that's for sure. But I decided to give it a shot anyways. I'm so glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone and did! I discovered a series full of adventure, romance, and stellar characters.

What I love most about this series is absolutely the romance and the characters we meet throughout. Jacinda is a very strong character who embraces this unique part of her. She fights for what she believes in and for others as well. She has a strong sense of pride and family. In this last installment she puts everything on the line to help rescue a fellow draki. She never once staggers from her mission and that's what I love about her. The relationship with Will, an ex-hunter, continues to sizzle and once again reminded me of why I fell in love with their story in Firelight. Will is so sweet and selfless and the both of them are willing to do anything for each other. I just adore these two so much.

In the second novel,Vanish, we are introduced to a sort of love triangle with Cassian, a fellow draki from Jacinda's pride. Due to necessary circumstances, they were bonded in a way that Will cannot intercept. It's funny how I didn't like him at all in Firelight but as the series continues, he just kept surprising me over and over. The three of them had to join forces in Hidden since they wanted the same things, even from once different sides. It was an interesting dynamic and one I'm glad was included in these books.

Besides those main 3 characters, we get to meet a new draki who appears to be more dragon than human, Deghan. He is a bit mysterious but a great addition. I would love to know more about him and his past, if the author ever wanted to write it. ;) Jacinda's sister Tamra is super awesome and fierce, which is so different than the girl we are introduced to in Firelight. Her evolution throughout the series was extraordinary.

The plot was fast moving and the action non-stop, which is the exact 'oomph' I was missing in Vanish. I flew through this relatively short novel and couldn't be happier will how it ended. Firelight remains to be my favorite of the series, for that is where the romance and swooning was most prominent, but I highly recommend these books.

~Sara @ Forever 17 Books

First Sentence: The air traps hot inside my lungs as I hover outside the van, peering within, studying the shadowed depths, so reminiscent of another van not so long ago.

A Quick Synopsis: Jacinda once thought she knew her destiny. She once thought that she knew what she had to do, for herself, for her draki pride--and that was to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of the pride. But that all changed when she met Will--a human, and even worse, a hunter and mortal enemy of the pride. They ran away together, but we all know a Romeo and Juliet situation ends in disaster...and here, it ended in Cassian's sister, Miram, getting captured. But Jacinda knows in her heart she has to make things right again. And the only way to do that is to pose as a prisoner and break in and out of the secret hunter stronghold. Can Jacinda and her friends pull such a stunt off? And if they do...what comes next?

The Review: When Firelight and Vanish were released two years and one year ago, respectively, I couldn't figure out what all the hubbub was about. I'd read them; they felt short and full of fluff with a heroine that seemed more whiny than snarky. In essence, my thoughts appeared to be in direct contradiction with the reviews here on the store. And yet, I continued to follow the series. I'm glad I did, because Hidden finally makes me realise what I've been missing in this series all along.

First of all, the "fluff" in the first two books that I noticed wasn't really fluff; it was the beginning of a romance, more or less. I'm usually fine with a romance in books, at times I am even utterly enchanted and heartwarmed by it; but I completely detest love triangles. I do have to make an exception here, though, for Hidden. It's not exactly a love triangle and even if you called it that, there's none of the usual teenage angst that makes love triangles so unbearable. No, the writing is sharp and mature. You can tell this is quality stuff, that this was thought through before it was written, not like some other stuff on the YA market that's clear that authors wrote just to make money.

Secondly, I'm now wondering why I ever thought of Jacinda as a whiny person. I believe I thought this because she was always challenging her society, but now I realise; she's not whiny, that makes her a strong and powerful heroine! Part of the reason why this book was so interesting was because it was narrated from her perspective. At first glance, that seems normal, but trust me, there's so much more to it than meets the eye. Cassian is an intriguing character to read about, and Will is a Prince Charming...but he's someone that we can relate to, and is a believable character. There are a few new characters in this volume, and it's refreshing to see new faces from time to time!

Lastly, I now know why these books are so short. They don't need to be any longer! There's no filler whatsoever, and you'd be amazed at how much action, suspense and adventure Sophie Jordan fits into just 260 pages. This was very gutsy to do on her part, and I applaud her for it. I stayed up until 11pm on a school night to finish this book, ended up finishing it in a day, and I don't regret nearly falling asleep in class the next day.

Overall, Hidden is everything fans would hope for in a series finale and more. Despite its name, Hidden leaves no stone unturned and no secret not brought to light. If you thought that the first two books were mediocre, rest assured that this one is not. It's explosive; it's splendid; it's grand! Sophie Jordan, you've given us a magnificent trilogy with a fiery heroine. I'm sad to see Jacinda and her world go, but I can't wait to see what comes next!

Memorable Quote: He hesitates only a moment before pulling me closer, tighter against him. Desperation burns between us. His hands move from my hair, to my arms, and my back. Roaming, touching me everywhere. As if I might disappear from him in the flash of a second. He spins me until my back is pressed against the brick wall. His mouth, my mouth...there is no distinction...
There's only need.

Hidden was an action packed conclusion to the Firelight series and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. While we learned more about the Enkros than ever before, there are still may elements of Sophie Jordan's world that are left unexplored. The love triangle still plays a prominent role in the novel, although it has been mostly resolved. Even though I really enjoyed Hidden and I flew through the pages, I can't help but feel that it should have been edited down and added to the last novel.

One of the most fascinating parts of the Firelight trilogy is the mystery behind the Enkros. Despite the break in of the Enkros compound, we don't know that much about them. We also meet draki from other tribes, but we don't know anything about those tribes. I would love to know more about the Firelight world, but after three novels, I can't help feeling that we barely scratched the surface.

The best part of Hidden was undoubtedly the pacing. Jordan creates an exciting and fast paced tale that has the reader constantly anticipating the next scene. It basically reads like one big police chase, which is nothing if not exciting. Even though I was thoroughly engrossed in the story, I really think that it should have been part of Vanish. I'm not convinced that there was enough meat in the plot for this to have been its own book.

Love triangles have played a very prominent role in the Firelight trilogy since it began, and even though it is basically resolved in Vanish it still plays a role in Hidden. What we see is the aftermath of Jacinda's decision and how it impacts both Will and Cassian. We also see a lot of Tamra and how she deals with the situation, given her long history of feelings for Cassian.

Even though I wasn't impressed with the plot, Hidden is beautifully written. It is exciting in a way that few books are. The anticipation never stopped and I just devoured the whole story. While the novel was wrapped up nicely, there are enough holes in the story that I'd be willing to read a companion novel if one is ever published. Hopefully Sophie Jordan will continue to write YA as I have thoroughly enjoyed her first foray into the genre.

With HIDDEN, Sophie Jordan's romantic and exhilarating Firelight trilogy comes to an end. As one of the few YA series that has a dragon shifter protagonist, this series has set the standard for any that follow in its path. The mythology and Pride politics play a huge supporting role for the central romance and provide ongoing tension as fire Draki Jacinda struggles to find freedom, answers, and discern her own hearts true desires.

Picking up immediately after the events in VANISH, Jacinda moves ahead with her plan to infiltrate the Enkros headquarters. The chapters she spends as a prisoner were by far my favorite part of the book. So much of this series has been driven by the fear of the Enkros and their hunting of the Draki. It was beyond satisfying to see how deserving the Enkros reputation was. The new Draki that Jacinda meets and the interactions she has with the human hunters was fantastic. Scary on one hand and pitiful on the other as she learned what the Enkros had been doing to her kind for years. It really set the stage for the long awaited battle between these two groups.

My only real complaint with HIDDEN was that Will lost a little of his appeal for me as he was often portrayed as needy and overly sensitive. It was a marked contrast to Cassian's stoicism and the quiet strength from newcomer Deghan. I had to remember how he was in the previous books or I might have been tempted to want Jacinda to move on. I actually would have loved for Jacinda to share POV with her sister Tamara in HIDDEN, as the romance I was most interested in this time was hers. Based on the scenes Jacinda observes between Tamara and her love interest, it's a story well deserving of it's own page time....maybe a spinoff could be in the works?

After three books, numerous characters and plotlines, HIDDEN brings them all together in a satisfying and surprising conclusion. We learn what the future holds for all the main characters-and several are rather shocking-as well as finding answers to some of the mysteries Jacinda has been searching for throughout the series. As a complete story arc, the Firelight trilogy is a must read for paranrmal YA fans. Hopefully, Sophie Jordan will give us more draki stories in the future.

Sexual Content:
Kissing. Mild Sensuality

*May Contain spoilers from previous books*

I won this a copy from Good Reads.

Jacinda, Tamra, Cassian, and Will are going to infiltrate the enkros', humans that study and eventually kill draki, headquarters. Jacinda decides to become the bait, so she can save Miram, Cassian's sister. Miram has never liked Jacinda, but Jacinda feels responsible for her capture.

The others don't want her to be the bait, but Jacinda believes it is the only way to get Miram free. Will Jacinda be able to free Miram and bring her back to the pride, if they pride will even let her?

I usually like to give more summary of the books I review, but I'm afraid it will give too much away.
I hate to see this trilogy come to an end. I was glad to see that Tamra and Jacinda got along a lot better in this book. I was still torn with her I wanted Jacinda ended up with. The ending was very bittersweet to me. Whatever guy Jacinda chose I think I still would have been upset no matter the outcome.

Will is very sweet and has been willing to help Jacinda help the pride, even though they would love to see him killed. On the other hand, she's known Cassian forever, and his been there to help her when the pride treated pretty badly. There are some outcomes that I didn't see coming and wish didn't happen. I still loved this book, but probably not as much as the first two considering I can't stand bittersweet endings. I do think this ending is more hopeful, so in that case, that is a good thing. I can't wait to see what Sophie Jordan writes next for young adults.

This review may contain spoilers to those who have not yet read the books. AAAAAAMAZING!!!!!!!! When I first read the synopsis I was a little weary of reading this. I thought the entire book was going to be about getting Jacinda out of the enkros prison. I was happy to be proven wrong, as I should of known since Sophie Jordan always throws in surprises with this series. This novel was so full of surprises I never knew what was going to happen next. All the characters grew so much. Hidden was nothing how I thought it would be, which made reading the end of this amazing series even better.

I felt this novel held more emotional struggles with Jacinda. She made the decision to leave the pride, but at every turn she is needed. Will and Jacinda also deal with some more struggles than before. Will wanting to be with Jacinda forever, but Jacinda feeling her sense of duty to her pride.

Through all the struggles though I feel Hidden wrapped up this amazing trilogy up amazingly. There were great moments of suspense and surprise. As well as heart wrenching, and swoon worthy moments. I just overall loved this book. Hope you all enjoy!

Favorite Quote:

"He slides a purple plastic ring on my finger. The band fits just right. We both stare at it for a moment. The top of the plastic band is a hollowed-out heart. I outline that tiny heart with one fingertip.

"Now you can look down at your hand any time. Even if I'm not there, you'll know." His warm fingers squeeze mine, and our gazes find eachother.

"Know what?" I whisper.

"That you have my heart. That I love you."

Hidden is the final book of Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy, and picks up right where Vanish leaves off. I'm so glad I didn't have to wait for this book, and could read it right away, because Vanish ended with a huge cliffhanger.

Seriously, what a fun series! I really enjoyed being in the Draki world with these characters. I loved meeting and getting to know more secondary characters in both Vanish and Hidden, especially Tamara! The adventure, romance, and suspense really amped up over the series making these books such fun reads. I felt really torn between Will and Cassian, but I'm happy with who Jacinda chooses. For the record though, I'm team Cassian all the way (if only for myself!).

Though I'm sad the series has ended, I liked how Sophie tied up everything so neatly in the end. I can't wait to dig into Sophie Jordan's other books! I would recommend the Firelight series in both print and audio. Therese Plummer narrated the entire trilogy, and I thought she fit Jacinda, and the story, perfectly.

** spoiler alert ** I thoroughly enjoyed this series from start to finish. When I first picked up book one, Firelight, the concept of the story had me very excited because at this point every book I was pretty much reading involved Vampire and/or wolves. Firelight was different and very exciting to read!Hidden was no different from book 1 and book 2, Firelight, Vanish. All three books are great!

Hidden wraps up all of the events that occurred I Firelight and Vanish. It settles what happens to Jacinda's mom, what happened to their dad, will's family, and Jacinda/Cassian Bonding. A few times throughout the book I got caught off guard by a few twists and turns the story took, which kept it very exciting. I never expected them to go back to the pride! Dehgan, was a new character added to the story. He was a great addition. Throughout the whole story you wonder whether hes a good or bad guy, but for some reason you can't help but like him. I like where his story went, I just wish we had seen him sooner in the series, but he was a necessary addition to the plot with Jacinda finding out about her dad.

Hidden is your typical YA book with a romance, of course, but it follows a girl who can change into a dragon! Out of all the YA books I've read, this series stands out among them. My only complaint is I wish the books had been longer. :P

What an awesome book! An awesome series! Seriously...NON STOP action from start to finish! I wish it didn't have to end =(
Is it wrong of me to want to read more? I'll miss them... All of them! Especially Cassian! (hubba, hubba).

I enjoyed meeting all the new characters in Hidden. I flew through this book in no time. I was hooked from the very start and I was wide eyed during the entire story. It was so fast paced and gripping that I had a hard time putting it down. I just finished reading it (1:30am).

Highly recommended!

I read Firelight some time ago, and purchased Vanish knowing I wouldn't have time to read it. Having just read Vanish and Hidden back to back, I'm generally satisfied by the way the series wrapped. There are elements that I'm disappointed by, but Jordan's compelling talent for in-the-moment narration overrides much of that disappointment.

The world of the draki that Jordan has created is impressive in its scope. The community of the pride and the nuances of their internal culture are beautifully detailed. I know I'll never look at gemstones quite the same way again. Jordan has an exceptional talent for putting the reader in the moment at every moment, and this is where the real art of the story lies, in my opinion. The narration, like Jace herself, is impulsive, often reckless, entirely ruled by her emotions, and lives completely one moment to the next.

On the other hand, part of my disappointment is with the limitations the story itself puts on how much we're able to learn about the details of Jordan's world. I want to know about other prides, other forms of draki (not to spoil anything, but "the grey one" was probably one of my favorite parts of the whole series) and more about the enkros. More than anything else (Spoiler alert... though more of a photo-negative spoiler alert than an actual spoiler, since it spoils what we DON'T get...) I want some concrete answers about Will's nature. But they do not appear to be forthcoming.

All in all, I have a great deal of respect for what Jordan has accomplished with Jace's story. I love all the characters she has developed for this world and its magical mechanics. I hope she explores the world further, and I dearly hope we get some answers to the lingering questions the series conclusion leaves hanging.

I remember reading the first two books about a year ago and loving them. So I figured when I finally got around to the third book it would be just as good... apparently not. I constantly became frustrated with the main character's logic and how bad it seemed to me. An example, instead of trying to fight and survive in a crisis she decides to give up and spend her "last moments" in Will's arms... WHAT?! Why wouldn't you try everything you can think of to escape, especially since you're a dragon with supernatural abilities?
Maybe it's because there was a big gap between reading the first two books and the last but since when to dragons or "draki" have hair and flesh? I was under the impression that they had scales and didn't have anything close to hair? maybe that's just me. While on the topic there are at least two scenes where Will kisses Jacinda as a human while she is still "manifested" in "Draki" form. Since when is BEASTIALITY romantic? I didn't even want to read it because I was disgusted when I realized the author had them kiss while she was still in dragon form. YUCK.
Lastly the only character I liked in the book was Cassian, Will just annoyed me. The author leads the reader to believe that Cassian dies early on only to reveal later that he didn't die. He was the only one who thought to try and escape the Enkros place (if you haven't noticed I stopped reading right when they decided to leave Cassian behind to die), while Will just holds Jacinda in his arms.
Part of the reason I didn't like it was because I do like Cassian and find Will to be a annoying but there are other faults like the writing and poor logic that just made me stop reading.
If you're in middle school or maybe high school you may enjoy it otherwise I strongly suggest you don't even bother.

This is the heart-pounding and satisfying conclusion to Sophie's Draki trilogy, and it does not let up in the action and tension. Highly recommended, though I would suggest starting with Firelight if you haven't read this wonderful series.