Sunday 11 July 2010

Spells - Aprilynne Pike

In the sequel to Wings, a year has passed for Laurel who found out that she was a faerie. Although she completely accepts who and what she is, she refuses to turn her back on the life that she has always known, her life with human parents and friends. This is causing a few problems in Avalon as Laurel really needs to learn what it means to be a real faerie and Tamani begins to show his true feelings.

After spending the whole summer relearning her magic in Avalon, Laurel knows she cannot hide her feelings for Tamani but actually choosing between him and David could mean losing one of them for good. Laurel also knew that the troll problem wasn't completely gone but she thought that she and David were being protected. Her magic hasn't been going very well so far but it could save both the human and faerie world if she can finally get something right.

What I thought
As I said in my review of Wings, I couldn't wait to start on this book and I ended up reading it in one sitting. The story was both interesting and exciting at different times which was helped by the mix of settings throughout. I really liked the fact that the book is pretty much split in two. The first half seems to be more about knowledge and explanations while the second half is all about adventure and excitement. I know this could seem like there is just a slow build up but there was enough going on for me to stay interested.

With Laurel heading off to Avalon for the summer, we get to find out a lot more about her relationship with Tamani and what happened between them before they erased Laurel's memory. I loved hearing about their past, meeting Tamani's family which gave me a bigger insight into his character and also what the other faeries thought about the relationship. I was hoping for some of this in Wings but I'm glad it was saved for this book as it was possible for certain things to be explored more thoroughly. The time in Avalon was lovely to read about as Pike's descriptions were magical in themselves. I truly felt like I was walking through the different areas and could understand the faerie hierarchy better because of this.

It is stated in Wings that Laurel was sent to live with humans for a reason but it is never specified and the same goes for this book. It's obvious that she is a whole lot more important than anyone is letting on which is easily seen by how others act around her or look at her when she is in Avalon. I'm hoping that this part of the story is cleared up in book 3 instead of making readers wait until the very last instalment to find out what is really going on.

In both Wings and Spells, I felt that the chemistry between Laurel and David was lacking but this wasn't the case with her and Tamani. While Laurel is unsure about who she should be with, it is clear to me that she is extremely drawn to Tamani and nothing seems to get rid of the feelings she has for him. The small amount of time that they actually spend together proves that there is so much chemistry and could be passion between the two. I'm personally routing for Tamani to get the girl.

The very last chapter sees Laurel finally making a choice between David and Tamani and for me, the most exciting in the whole book. The way the story was left made me want more immediately because I am dying to know what happens next. Just when I though things were finalised, the very last paragraph changed everything. Luckily, there are going to be a total of 4 books in this series and I know I will be buying #3 as soon as it is released.

All of the main characters really come into their own in Spells. I hate to see characters left with hardly any development but everyone changed enough to convince me that they were real, with the events of both books taking a toll on their lives. It seems as though every little thing was taken into account when writing these characters, not leaving any stone unturned when it came to what they were feeling about everything.

Not only does this book explore the relationships between Laurel, David and Tamani but also her relationship with her parents. I felt like these parts of the book were written so well that I could believe in what was going on. Laurel's mother and father have different views on their daughter being a faerie and I can see both of their reasons being realistic. It would be only natural to act differently, in both good and bad ways, towards someone you have known for years when they suddenly change.

I loved Wings but I loved Spells even more. There was enough of different aspects in the story to keep it entertaining with a mixture of paces and it made me feel for the characters so much more than the first book. I'm dying to know when book 3 is going to be released. It will be one of my most highly anticipated releases.

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