YA Novelties: Review: Wings, Spells, Illusions, and Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Review: Wings, Spells, Illusions, and Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Labels: ~M, 4 Stars, Fairies, Romance, Trolls

Summary for Destined

Tamani looked at her gravely, and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

He hesitated for an instant, then his hands found the sides of her face, pulling her to him. He didn't kiss her, just held her face close to his, their foreheads resting together, their noses almost touching.

She hated how much it felt like good-bye.

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful--and deadly--of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series. -Goodreads

Review: Wings Series (Books 1-4)

Wings, Spells, Illusions, and Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Published from May 5th 2009 to May 1st 2012 by HarperTeen


4 stars for the entire series

Ok, so I have finally finished the Wings series, and I am extremely happy with the ending. I feel like it really wraps everything up, while giving you a satisfying end. Here goes my review for the entire series.

Characters:

Laurel: First book, didn't like her so much. I found her quite annoying in that she is shy, but very judging, and can't even save herself. What intrigued me about her was that, unlike most fairy stories, she didn't have wings, more of a blossom, and that was one of the main reasons why I continued on with the series. Second book, Laurel is stupid. She has to go start her fairy training in Avalon, and predictably, gets closer to Tamani, but when she sees David again, she is confused. Oh Laurel . . . Third book, she's better. This time she actually has to deal with Tamani and her conflicting feelings for him because he is always near her protecting her. Fourth book, soooo much better. Although she is very reckless and self sacrificing, she does it for the people she loves and the causes she cares about. By the end she really grew on me.
David: I don't really have much to say for him. Although the way he falls in love with Laurel is interesting (they fall in love trying to figure out what Laurel is), and he is sweet and caring, I just didn't like him that much. He is too boring and hasn't done as much as Tamani to deserve her love. If you haven't noticed by now, I am totally a Tamani fan. The last book was where I really came to like him, sacrificing himself for the greater good. *Spoiler Alert* Destined has an official ending, but for the readers who want to know more there is a, you could say, epilogue that gives details about everyone's life later on from David's view point. I strongly suggest reading it, but only if you can take it. I almost cried.
Tamani: I loved him so much. I felt so bad for him at first, he was pretty much ignored by Laurel in favor of David. All the choices and sacrifices that he has made have been for Laurel, his one true love, and he has done that his ENTIRE life. I felt like he at least deserved a chance, which thankfully, he gets.

Plot and Style
The plot was pretty good, even though it was one of those typical love triangles, and I enjoyed it. One thing that annoyed me though was the excessive amount of trolls, but it makes sense in the end. Wings was one of those books (for me) that although it needed a sequel and I knew there was a sequel, I didn't actively try reading it. With books I really love, I mark my calendar for when the next book comes out, but for the Wings series I didn't care that much. Eventually, I had read 'till the last book, and with the last book I was hooked on it, and couldn't put it down. I feel like Destined is the best book of the series and definitely makes up for the other books, especially the ending. If you viewed the spoiler, all I have to say that it was incredible and made everything come full circle. Pike's style was fine, simple and flowing. The cover illustrations were another aspect that I liked.

Overall, this series was pretty satisfactory. If you find yourself not wanting to read the series after reading Wings, I would suggest for you to keep on with it. The books get progressively better, and, if not for anything else, read the series for the last book. Pike definitely saved the best for last. I would make this review more detailed and include more in this review, but I don't want to make it too long. I also don't want to give away too many spoilers, this review is for the entire series.