Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Hi all, I'm sorry for being AWOL for the past couple of weeks. I was so caught up in the chronicles that is life, so caught up that I had to abandon this blog for a while. But now I'm back I've got some reviews! And do you notice the new layout? Thank you Blogger!

Anyways, I was so happy when I got this book, the second installment of Aprilynne Pike's faerie world, Spells. I read this in just a couple of days, so here's my review.

Synopsis:

Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

This is the sequel to Wings and it's about a year after Laurel learns that she is a faerie and the events occurring onwards. In this book it was really about Lauren being sort of torn between two of her worlds. She accepts who she is as a faerie but this also causes a few problems. She is set to Avalon which is the faerie realm for one whole summer. Since she's a Fall Faerie, she has to learn the skills and the ways of being one. The first part of the book was mostly her being in Avalon, I was really happy to finally get the chance to read all about it. It was very interesting to read abut this whole faerie caste system in Avalon and the people from her past. I also got to read about the differences between the Summer, Winter and Spring Faeries and they magical powers. Avalon seems like a really beautiful place from the book, but Laurel isn't exactly there to bask in the beauty of Avalon most of the time. She has to come forth to learning and improving her faerie skills. She spends a lot of time reading about faerie craft. I love that Aprilynne didn't go straight into the whole typical situation where once Laurel finds out she's a faerie, she is already fully equipped with faerie powers. Boom- just like that. But no, she actually has to control and make use of her faerie powers.

In Avalon, of course she spends some of her time with Tamani. In the previous book, there was obviously an undeniable connection between Laurel and Tamani. By spending some time with Tamani, their relationship and their feelings begin to develop. This of course resulted in conflicted feelings within Laurel, because, well she is already in a committed relationship with her boyfriend, David. I also got to see their relationship in the book go even deeper and I think I found myself rooting for him. Hmm.

So, after Avalon, she has to come back home. And once she's home, she has to cope with different challenges. Now that she's a faerie, and both her parents knows it, she has to cope with their feelings about her new faerie ancestry. And in the previous book, there was the threat of the trolls to Laurel's life. And in this book, the problems doesn't end, and what with Laurel's conflicted feelings, she has to deal with a lot of things in this book. For me personally I think that the synopsis above might be a little bit ambiguous. When I first read it, I was thinking "Oh, okay. More romance. I understand". But when I read the book, it's not wholly about the whole love triangle drama. It was also about Laurel discovering more of herself, coming in to her own. Once again, what I like about Aprilynne, she doesn't take the typical approach with Laurel, the heroine of this story.

Laurel is not a character who is very dramatic, with an in-your-face disposition to her, who obsesses over boys all the time. She's a quiet heroine, with her own strength, and she's also a little bit vulnerable. Her relationships with Tamani and David is obviously an essence to the story but she also has her responsibilities in the human world and in the faerie world. She still has the love of her friends and family, that is also important to her. She makes her fair share of mistakes, and she is not the character that has to always be saved by someone. She even puts her life in line to rescue someone she loves. Laurel was a really tough cookie in this book, but with her vulnerability she still has her share of mistakes and faults. Between Tamani and David, she still manages to keep composure and stand on her ground. Even when she has to make that one decision.

In Spells, you really got to know more of the characters in Wings. Not only that but more knowledge of the faerie world, the culture and the responsibilities that the faerie has, especially in Avalon. I also loved the friendship between Laurel's friend Chelsea and there are even some fresh faces in the story. Aprilynne's writing is very pleasant and I can't wait to read the third book and see how Laurel develops. You rock!

xoxo,

Maya.

Grade: A-

Playlist:

1) High- James Blunt

2) No One- Aly & AJ

3) No Surprise- Daughtry