Review: Destined by Aprilynne Pike

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Title:  Destined
Author:  Aprilynne Pike
Series:  4th and final book in the Wings series
Publisher:  Harper Collins
Publication Date:  May 1, 2012
Source:  ARC

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful—and deadly—of all, and she is working with Klea to conquer and destroy Avalon. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares for a fight she never thought she would have to face.

Filled with heart-pounding action, sweeping romance, and higher stakes at every turn, Destined is the series conclusion that readers have been clamoring for—with a twist that will leave them breathless.

First, let me preface this review by saying that if you haven’t read the other three books in this series, don’t read any further. I wouldn’t ever intentionally spoil something for you, but as I’ve been reading this series slowly over the last few years, I don’t remember what happens or what’s revealed in each book.

Now that that’s out of the way…where do I begin? How do I put my thoughts into coherent sentences so you know how much this series meant to me? Because you can’t really review a series finale without looking back on the series as a whole and evaluating it as such. Yes, all of my questions were answered. Yes, Laurel finally made her choice. But am I satisfied?

For the most part, yes. I had a good idea how things were going to play out, but it was still interesting to see how it all came to fruition. I liked getting to see Laurel making some actual decisions and, even if they did frustrate me at times, it was interesting to see why she did what she did. Laurel’s always been thoughtful, and even with one of the biggest decisions she had to make in this series, she didn’t rush into it. I’m just glad she finally made her choice and everyone involved can move on with their lives.

The author included some really unique plot twists in this final installment, some of which I NEVER saw coming, and they only enhanced the world she has created. I have always loved her version of Avalon, with its season-based sectors and caste system, but one twist after another nearly leads to the destruction of this utopia. Once again, it’s up to Laurel and her loyal-as-ever best friends to save the day. And this is where things get really exciting.

Except that they kind of don’t. The majority of the book is one intense battle. That might sound intriguing, but I could have done without all of the fighting. It would have been enough for me to simply see a bit of the battle and then jump to the ensuing aftermath. The devastation is massive, as is the loss of life, and yet I felt that was only lightly touched upon, considering how much time was spent deliberating on the mêlée itself.

I wanted to know more about the enemy, about Yuki, and about how things turned out after the war against the trolls. But after that’s over, things just kind of end. We know who Laurel chooses and who’s left to pick up the pieces, but I wanted more of a resolution for Laurel. How will she fit into this new world? What will become of her existence in the human world? The ending doesn’t really answer these questions…but there is an afterword of sorts told from David’s perspective, and it provided me with a sense of finality that I didn’t quite get from the rest of the novel.

Illusions was probably my favorite novel in this series. I loved seeing Tamani pretending to be a typical human in high school, and I loved seeing how Laurel and David adjusted to this change. I missed all of the mishaps and trouble this threesome got themselves into while both boys vied for Laurel’s affections, and so I simply can’t rate Destined as highly.

Though, if you’ve already started this series, or even if you haven’t -- and you’re still reading this even though I warned you against it – you absolutely must read this final chapter in the Wings series. I may have loved this book in a different way than I loved the previous installments, but it was still an exciting conclusion to one of my favorite series, and I’d definitely say it’s a great read for anyone who likes a slightly different take on faeries.

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