Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion Books
Pages: 327
Source: Purchased
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

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? – Goodreads

Review:
Rachel Hawkins’s Hex Hall series has been a highlight on my bookshelf since I first picked it up. Hex Hall and Demonglass are funny, charming, and an overall delight to read. I admit, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump as of late, so perhaps that affected my enjoyment of it, but I felt so BLAH after I finished Spell Bound. Such a disappointing feeling to have for a series I’ve loved so much!

First of all, I thought that the pacing was off. I felt like I was thrown in different directions too quickly and I never felt fully immersed in the book. I don’t think it should have been so rushed and the storylines should have had more depth to them. Yes, this has always been a fun series without too much ~srs bsns~, but it was all too flat for me.

Because of the pacing, I also found it very difficult to connect to the characters. Of course, I did grow familiar with them in the first two books, but I didn’t feel like I enjoyed them as much in this installment. Was Sophie always this quippy? The answer to that is probably “yes,” but I felt like she was over the top in Spell Bound. In my review for Demonglass, I commented that she was very subdued in it and it was the complete opposite here. Don’t get me wrong, her humor has always been one of my favorite parts of the series, but it sometimes felt very out of place in the more tense situations here. Jenna was still great, and her friendship with Sophie continues to be a highlight, thankfully; no complaints there. The stuff with Archer had its hilariously cute moments, too, but I did not enjoy the inclusion of Cal and Elodie in the equation; it felt very unnecessary.

The ending. Ack. I won’t go into details because it would be a big spoiler, but a certain part of it also felt unnecessary. It felt thrown in and…BLAH. It’s depressing how little emotional impact it had for me and the characters. It should have been a big thing. Alas…

Overall, I didn’t find Spell Bound to be a very fulfilling conclusion to the series. It lacked the energy that I loved from the first two books and it makes me sad that this is how I say goodbye to these characters. As a whole, this is still a series that I will continue to love, but Spell Bound left me wondering, “Where did all the magic go?”

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion Books
Pages: 359
Source: Personal Copy
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

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? – Goodreads

Review:
I didn’t enjoy Demonglass in the same way that I did Hex Hall, but it was a good read in its own right.

Part of the reason I loved Hex Hall so much was because of Sophie’s wit and humor; this version of Sophie is much more subdued. It’s understandable: she’s been through quite a lot, and she’s still considering the Removal, but I did miss her spunk. There are moments when the old Sophie does shine through, though, and she’s still, altogether, a very charming protagonist.

I looked forward to seeing more of Jenna and Sophie’s friendship and the book did not fail me in that regard. I do always love a good romance, but I find friendships to be much more powerful and these two are absolutely genuine. They don’t hold grudges and are able to maturely discuss their issues.

Sophie’s dad was a big surprise for me. For whatever reason, I didn’t expect to see much development with his character yet he played a significant part — especially towards the end (one word: WOW). His bond with Sophie gradually grew stronger which was lovely to see.

As for the romance, there is a love triangle and I must say that I love both boys. Cal is a great friend and, if it wasn’t for Archer, he would be a good match for Sophie. I enjoyed seeing him come out of his shell and I loved that Sophie plays a big part in that. Though I do love Cal, Archer is still around and my loyalties remain with him. I really loved how his relationship with Sophie was handled.

Much like Sophie, the book itself is fairly subdued as well. There’s an ominous undercurrent throughout – especially with Daisy and Nick – but it takes a while for things to pick up. However, it never felt like the book dragged and there were quite a few surprises and plot twists along the way. Unfortunately, the book does end on a big cliffhanger that made me want to punch things. I hate waiting! I’ll be anxiously looking forward to seeing what book three holds for us.