Spells

by Aprilynne Pike

A little less than a year ago, Aprilynne Pike's debut novel, Wings marked my venture forth into the "re-popular" genre of faerie fantasies. Since then I've read quite a few others, although Pike's remains one of the more unique when it comes to the faerie mythology. Sure, Shakespeare and A Midsummer Night's Dream still gets a token mention, but Pike's Avalon is not centered around the doings of Titania and Oberon, and the makeup of her faeries is something else entirely. I don't want to say much more so I don't spoil it for anyone who may not have read Wings yet. :)

This time around we get to see more of Avalon. Much of the discussion and tension in the faerie-land comes from the eons-old "class-system" that makes some faeries special and others common simply by the season they are born. I have a feeling we'll be dealing with this system and Laurel's dislike of it much more in the coming books.

Let's see...I still love Tamani. He's one of the more interesting characters of this book. Laurel is torn and stubborn, and David is in a bit over his head, but Tamani deals with the most longing and heartache of everyone, and despite being bound by his class and trying to do what is "proper", he is still strong and determined and protective.

Four stars because the action comes and goes in spurts rather than gradually building, which I prefer, and for the fact that I want Laurel to admit she likes Tamani, and because the ending is maddeningly vague! I'm very much looking forward to book three - Enchantments - but sad that it's not coming out until April 2011!