This advanced reader copy of Destined is courtesy of Harper Teen, for my honest review.
Destined is the final installment in the Wings series by Aprilynne Pike. Now, I have been with this series since the very beginning when the fist book Wings hit shelves in May of 2009. This is one of the few YA series I read now-a-days and I am constantly impressed. This series has characters that have gripped me and kept me along for the entire series. Now, onto the review itself.
Destined picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of Illusions (see my review here). As a whole, Destined takes place over the course of about 24 hours. So it is needless to say that this fourth installment is the most action-packed and whirlwind of the entire series. In some respects that paid off, in others it did not.
On the positive side, Destined had much more action. I mean compared to the mostly emotional struggles of the rest of this series this was battles galore. There was plenty of blood and sap to go around. Some of the events that take place are very cool and also there were many different plot twists and characters thrust into the moment against their will, which I love. I felt like those characters had very realistic reactions to the circumstances that they were victims to. Unfortunately, some of the negatives outweigh the positives.
While I do not expect Aprilynne Pike to be as brutal with her characters as say George R. R. Martin, I still felt that there were way too many punches that were pulled. Yes, some characters died, but if you see how many fatal situations were presented I guarantee you will be left with a bit of a lackluster feeling as well. Also, I love Aprilynne Pike’s descriptions, characterization and writing in general, but it was apparent that she was inexperienced when it came to writing battles.
Throughout the book there were some strange pacing problems. There would be a battle and then the characters would sneak away and it would all be over. It was almost a bit episodic, going from battle to battle. This made the plot rise and fall all over the place which felt a bit odd when I was reading it.
The third problem I had with Destined was the ending. Now, those of you who have been around the blog a while know that I am critical about all endings, but series endings in particular (check out my reviews of Forever and The Death Cure for example). As a whole, I was satisfied with the ending of the Wings series and felt that it was fitting. However, there were two tidbits that particularly bugged me. First, I felt that the climax came too early and was drawn out without purpose considering how suddenly everything just falls into place. Second, I felt that the amount of story after the climax was unneeded. Some was needed, but most was unneeded considering that it was repetitive.
While this review might seem harsh I still really enjoyed Destined. Mainly, I love the characters created in this series and seeing what Aprilynne Pike has put them through. So, if you like new inventive worlds with great characters check out the Wings Series.
I have one final point. I would have rated Destined a 7.5/10, but the final message at the end of the novel completely made the entire book for me. Those of you, who skip and read the end, don’t do it because it will ruin the entire book. Honestly, that final note was the best part in the entire series! Do yourself a favor and don’t spoil it!
Visit Aprilynne Pike at her blog or her website.
Content:
-Language: Hardly any, maybe one or two words.
-Violence: There is action, but nothing descriptive at all.
-Sexuality: None.
-I recommend this book for ages 11 or 12 and up.
My Rating:
8/10
-Dylan