Destined

Destined by Aprilynne Pike
Release Date ~ 5/1/12
Format ~ ARC
Publisher ~ Harper Teen
Source ~ Publisher
Purchase: The Book Depository

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.

   Though I only started the Wings series a month or so ago, I have come to fall and love with the characters and call Avalon my fictional home. And for me, Destined was the most amazing yet bittersweet ending book I have ever read. Though some authors' series ending books are criticized for not living up to their earlier novels (such as Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay or Maggie Stiefvater's Forever), Aprilynne Pike has only gotten better in Destined.

  I had the gift of reading all of these books in a one month radius, but if you read Illusions when it first came out a year ago, you'll be a bit confused as Destined starts off right when Illusions ended with little to no back story. So for those of you who haven't been in Avalon for while I am going to direct you the Happily Ever Endings page for Illusions at Down the Rabbit Hole which will get you all caught up and ready to dive into Destined!

  Aprilynne Pike has developed the kind of villain that you love to hate. Klea, a rogue fall faerie, is terrifyingly   evil and just one plan scary faerie! Not the kind of person I would like to have as an enemy!

This book feels exactly how a series-ender should be! From page one it is complete and nonstop action! There were no throw away scenes in this book!

(SPOILER ALERT - DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ DESTINED YET)

I was Team David all the way, and though it was a bittersweet way to end the series for us Team David fans, Pike did it in a way that made everyone happy. It brought me to tears - partially because of the ending of such a great series, and partially out of happiness for all the characters! Though it bothers me that David had all his memories of the faeries erased, I was happy we actually had an ending where we knew everything that was happening to the group. I also thought that David was incredibly badass with Excalibur! Kicking some troll butt!

(END SPOILERS)

Destined is the best kind of finish to this great series I could imagine. If I could give it six stars I would! Most likely my favorite read of 2012 so far!

Cover Comments: This cover is the best of the series, but I thought that the cover could of been more glamorous, as it is a Harper book!