Destined by Aprilynne Pike

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061668125
• ISBN-13: 978-0061668128

WARNING: This is a Spoiler if you have not read the other 3 books of the Laural series.  For a review on the other three then click here. If you have not read those three first then do not read this review. :)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy - Romance

Synopsis: Book three ended in a very bad spot, Luki is captured and they discovered she is a Winter Faerie... the strongest and rarest of all fae. Laurel and her friends must figure out what to do with her. When things don't go quite as planned, Avalon is in danger and Laurel, Tamani, Chelsea, and David are their only hope. Okay, that's kind of all I can say with giving away any spoilers.... trust me, this is hard. :)

My Thoughts: I know, being a Laural Series fan, it took me a really long time to finally get to this book. I just had so many other books that I needed to read. I finally could take it no longer and bought this book. Of course, I had to re-read the previous 3 so that I would know exactly what was happening. This book was just as good as the other three in the series and Pike was able to wrap up all the loose ends. She did leave it open for another story (oh, I hope she does!) or you get to use your imagination and figure it out yourself. I know that doesn't really make sense -- wrapped up loose ends but left it open too but, trust me. She did! Read it and you'll get it.
The biggest question I and most of my friends had was, "Does she choose David or Tamani?" I loved both of the guys but, I won't tell you who she ended up with. hehe!
The first thing I noticed about this book is the beautiful cover. I just love it! I loved re-reading the previous three books. I was able to see the amazing growth in the characters throughout the series. I love that they didn't just stay the same through out. They grew and evolved and learned from their experiences. The characters at the end of book four were not the same as the characters at the beginning of Wings. This book made me laugh and cry. It was such an emotional ride but still amazing. The story is just amazing! The writing is very simple and there is a lot of mushy romance stuff in it but the story is just so awesome that I am able to look over those. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and was sad to finish and end my adventures in Avalon.

Author: (from Goodreads) Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne currently lives with her husband and three kids in Utah, and dreams of warmer climates.


Rating: ***** Five Stars

Purchase Book: Click on link (hover for details)

 
Destined (Wings)

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Laurel Series (books 1-3) by Aprilynne Pike

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Romance

Author: She is the mother of four children and lives with her hubby and kids in Arizona. She earned her BA in creative writing in 3 years. She says that she is very lucky in that her children are very low maintenance so she is able to write even when they're awake and home. (What a blessing, right?) Her blog is here if you want more info on her.

Synopsis: These are the first three books in a four book series.

1. Wings: This is the first book in the series about a young woman named Laurel. She was adopted by her parents when she was 3 and living a normal life when something incredibly not normal happens. Suddenly she finds herself face to face with creatures she thought were completely fictional. They've been keeping an eye on her and making sure she was safe her whole life because she was one of them. She finds herself in danger and learns that she is what is standing between the enemy and home of her kind. Does she have the ability to save this magical world?
2. Spells: *SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ WINGS* Laurel spends her summer in Avalon, learning about the magics that she should have been learning her whole life. She is given the task to protect her human family and the land of her inheritance. Soon, she finds out that the trolls are back and someone knew is in town. A troll hunter named Klea. Is she what she claims to be? Has Barnes returned?
   Here is a video I found that sums up both Wings and Spells in preparation for Illusions:
3. Illusions: *SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ WINGS AND SPELLS YET* Drama is going on between David and Tamani -- fae vs human -- when Tamani enrolls in Laurel's human high school to keep a better eye on Laurel. Tamani has been assigned as her guardian because trouble is brewing. Big trouble that is bigger than any of them could ever guess.
   

Review: If you loved Twilight then you'll love Wings. It was a fun, quick read. There is, of course, the cliche love triangle going on with a girl, a human boy, and a non-human boy. There are mythical creatures who are enemies of each other, magic, and your regular teenage drama. I will say that Pike's world of the fae is very original and I love the idea of it. I won't go into detail here b/c I don't want to ruin anything but I love the idea. It kept my interest... in fact, I have a huge pile of dishes I need to wash now b/c I didn't want to stop reading long enough to wash them. ;) This would be a great read for people who have small children and have to constantly stop and start or for teenagers. It's definitely not a literary work of art but it's definitely fun and entertaining. I, personally, really enjoy this kind b/c I am one of those with small children and need something that I can pick up for small intervals so that I am able to care for the kids. hehe! I don't need anything that will make my head hurt right now. There was minor language and some "make-out" scenes but nothing inappropriate.


Rating: ***** 5 Stars

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