Spell Bound

Woot!

 

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late? (from Goodreads.com).

 

This is such a good series. Rachel Hawkins created not only a world but a culture of magic that was believable, fun, and entrancing. One of my favorite parts about this series, too, is the humor that goes along with it. You can tell that Hawkins doesn't take things too seriously and likes to have fun when she writes which makes it all the more enjoyable. Sometimes humorous writing is almost too light and there is not any depth, but Hawkins plays this balancing act really well. 

 

This final installment in the Hex Hall series (I'm assuming it's the final installment, but don't quote me on that) is decent. When compared to the other two it isn't so great. As far as plot goes it feels rushed and surface-level where the other two were a little more complex and exciting. I hate to say it but Hawkins dropped the ball. Somewhat. What it lacks in plot development it makes up for in funny quips from the characters. Those are always entertaining and it seems that both Sophie and Archer are extra funny in this book. All these plot points that she spends a long time building up end up being no big deal. It just seems very blase. Hello, they go to the Underworld aka Hell. Yeah, Sophie gets nervous. Yeah, she gets claustrophobic. Yeah they see some scary scenes. And that is it. The scene in the cellar where they discover what Lara is hiding is very noncommittal also. The discoveries, twists, and plot points in the story seem so casual and easily overcome that it's hard to take them seriously. All the buildup doesn't add up to what you get.

 

Before I get haters who absolutely adored this book and want to send me death threats for even considering negative things about it, I would like to add that I did not re-read the other two before I read this one. Some of my time was spent trying to recall what had happened. My opinion may change once I've read all of them at once. This is one series that I would re-read and that says a lot for it because I never re-read. I actually re-read Hex Hall but didn't have time to re-read Demon Glass. 

 

With that little addendum, I do have to add that the final installment should be able to stand by itself. It seems to be the ongoing trend that, in these trilogies, the last one always seems rushed and not quite as impacting as the beginning. The Hunger Games is a fantastic trilogy but Katniss' character is significantly weaker, more whiny, and passive in the final book. Breaking Dawn in Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series is a sad ending to a creative and beautiful love story. I was hoping Hawkins would break the mold but it seems she succumbed to the pressure and didn't really give it her all. 

 

My final point is about love triangles. If you're going to have a love triangle, carry it through. The love triangle between Sophie and Cal, and Sophie and Archer is good. Hawkins spent, from what I remember, a good bit of time getting the reader to like Cal in the second book and there was definite chemistry between the characters. The answer just seemed too simple and I wasn't a fan of the ending to that whole scenario. It just seemed like a copout. Read it and you will see what I'm talking about. If you disagree with me feel free to comment. If you agree, you can comment too. 

 

All in all, it is still a good series. I would recommend it for anyone wanting a light read and likes a good bit of magic in their books with a sense of intrigue.     

Rereading

I am not a rereader. A book has to be damn near exceptional for me to even consider rereading. To this date there are only a handful of books that fit that category. Off the top of my head I can think of a few: The Sword of Truth series, As I Lay Dying, Unearthly and Hallowed, The Hunger Games trio, Delirium, and Rachel Hawkins' Hex Hall trio.

Hawkins' final installment in her trilogy is coming out in March so I decided I would reread the first two books.

This time around was a whole new experience, and I'm actually becoming a fan of rereading. It's amazing how time and what you bring to the book can change your perception of the writing. Originally I had given Hex Hall a perfect 5 out of 5. I think it still ranks right up there, but I don't know if it was a perfect score. I still really enjoyed it and found myself remembering things I'd forgotten. The twist at the end didn't surprise me, of course, but this time I could see what Hawkins was doing to build up to it.

I still enjoyed the wit and humor all throughout it. Sophie is a really great character. Like I said in my original review of this book, she actually has a spine. And she's smart. She figures things out and takes action. And she's not whiny. Oh, how I love that she's not whiny and emotional.

I had said that Archer isn't that deep of a character. That was probably a little harsh. He isn't meant to be a deep character. Yet. Part of the draw Sophie sees in him is that he's a mystery. His relationship with Elodie is a mystery. His sometimes obvious/sometimes not so obvious interest in Sophie is a mystery. Everything about him is mysterious. It makes for a great beginning of a romance, but it does, admittedly, seem weird when Sophie admits she's in love with him. I guess I just wanted there to be more development with their relationship. 




So, from now on, I guess I won't be so adamant against rereading books. I'm a fan of seeing things from a different perspective. While I did skim a little because I knew what was coming, I still read just about every word. That, right there, is a sign of a great book.

Demonglass

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 Raised Demons

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she? (Product Info Provided by Amazon.com)


The second installment of Hawkins' Hex Hall series is every bit as good as the first. We find Sophie recuperating from the events of the first novel and preparing for the Removal. Her long-absent father enters the picture and takes her away to a huge English countryside palace/house where she is supposed to learn about her heritage. The premise is intriguing, and I love that it takes place in England. I found, however, that I missed the nuances and quirkiness of Hex Hall. There was something vibrant and unique about that place where Thorne Abbey is merely okay because it is so splendorous.

We meet new characters in this novel and some old ones carry through. Daisy and Nick are interesting because they are the antithesis of what Sophie is. They represent exactly what she does not want to become as a demon.

While Archer isn't as present in this novel as he was in the first, he still takes up a lot of room in it. Sophie spends just enough time wondering about him to keep him in the readers' mind. This was a fine line to walk and I think Hawkins' did it superbly. Archer is an interesting character, but none of the questions about him really get answered in this book. We know he's not really against the Prodigium but he isn't really with them either. But why?

Cal takes more of a lead in this book which is interesting. I am glad, but I wish he'd get fleshed out more. He loves Sophie, and that is clear, but we don't know why. We really don't know anything about him at all except that he's a powerful white warlock that can heal people. Oh and he looks like an All-American jock. And he always helps Sophie regardless of the cost to him. He's an endearing character, but I feel bad for him because Sophie doesn't see him as a romantic interest, but there is definitely some sort of spark there. I can't decide whose team I'm on. In most books it is easy to pick which guy of the love triangle that I want to get the girl. This one I'm torn because I like both of them.

The wit and humor is still ever-present in Demonglass. I have to say that Hawkins does an excellent job of describing things in a funny way that lends itself to a teenage voice. When some of it should come off as awkward it actually plays off as charming and clever. She is an enjoyable read. I gave it 4 and 1/2 out of 5 Raised Demons.

Hex Hall

Rating: 5 out of 5 Demon Spells

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

I saw this book from a long ways away, standing and talking to a friend of mine at Barnes and Noble. The cover attracted me instantly. And then the synopsis sounded interesting. So, yeah, I bought it.

First of all, Sophie Mercer is a funny character. She isn't your normal type of character that usually populate these kinds of books. In other words, she actually has a spine and some wit. That being said, she still acts like a normal teenager with a little angst, random and uncontrollable crying, a lot of sarcasm and humor, and inevitable crushes. I enjoyed reading Sophie and, by the end of the book, I felt like I knew her very well.

The relationship between Archer and Sophie is also very enjoyable to read. There is enough tension there to keep it interesting. And there is definitely some chemistry between them although at parts it seems glossed over. However, I don't really feel like Archer is really given a whole lot of depth where other characters have been given some.

Like Jenna. She is a good character as well. We get the whole story about how she fell for the wrong person and ended up a vampire all alone once her lover was killed. That is a powerful story and I was hoping to get something like that from Archer as well. But that did not happen. That is probably my only real complaint about this book.

Everything else is great. The plot is smooth and quick, fast. I did not see the twist at the end coming. I did see the whole business with Archer coming because I was an idiot and read the back of the second book before I finished this one. Oh well. It was still interesting and I nice little plot twist.

I definitely can say I would put Hawkins' book up there with Unearthly. It is a great, entertaining read, and left me with a hankering to read the next one. I gave it 5 out of 5 Demon Spells.