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    Spell Bound
    Spell Bound
    Spell Bound
    Audiobook7 hours

    Spell Bound

    Written by Rachel Hawkins

    Narrated by Cris Dukehart

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJul 30, 2012
    ISBN9781452678672
    Spell Bound
    Author

    Rachel Hawkins

    Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls, The Villa, and The Heiress, as well as multiple books for young readers. Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama.

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    Reviews for Spell Bound

    4/5

    333 ratings28 reviews

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    • 5/5
      When we left Sophie Mercer, her powers had been locked away by the Council and the fate of everyone and everything she loved was up in the air. Cal’s last words to her were to find the Brannicks – sworn enemies of the Prodigium – so she could reunite with her mother. She headed into the Thorne Abbey Itinerus to travel to the Brannicks and we were left with a monster cliffhanger. Spell Bound picks up a few weeks later, when Sophie is finally kicked out of the Itinerus into Tennessee and is immediately attacked by a small whirlwind, 12-year-old Izzy Brannick. Izzy is one of the last of the Brannick women, along with her sister Finley and mother Aislinn. Sophie is brought to their compound, where she discovers her mother has been hiding out with a big secret of her own. With the help of the Brannicks, her mother, and a dark warlock trapped in a mirror, can Sophie find out what happened at Thorne Abbey, regain her powers, and stop the Casnoffs from bringing about the end of Prodigium forever?

      The new characters are added seamlessly by Hawkins and increase the sense of desperation to everything going on, with their abandoned compound and few surviving members. It seems the family was decimated when they attempted to take out a vampire nest several years prior, and these three women are the only ones left. Their whole life is patrolling, training and attacking Podigium. Assisting them is a dark warlock named Torin (the mirror prisoner) who hangs out in their war room and has the gift of precognition. He has seen two possible futures for Sophie – defeating the Casnoffs or leading their army. And as events unfold, even Sophie is unsure which will be her ultimate fate. The characters of Finley and Aislinn are written in broad strokes – they are very intense and serious characters, but there is a lot left to be discovered about them. Izzy, though, is a little more fleshed out and turns out to be very intriguing – especially as Torin seems to have seen something about her future that would appear to tie them together. I can’t help but think Hawkins has something up her sleeve with a possible spin-off series involving the Brannicks since there is clearly a lot more story to tell about them.

      Of course everyone Sophie left behind eventually find their way back to her – her father, Cal, Archer, and even Jenna (and how she escaped death is a surprise in itself). Elodie is also still joined to Sophie and actually displays a new skill – taking control of Sophie’s body whenever she wants. I didn’t mention her in my review of Demonglass since her part was relatively minor. However, in this book she has a major role to play. We haven’t seen this much of her since the original Hex Hall and she is still as opinionated and take-charge as ever. However, nothing could be accomplished without her, and we do see a slightly softer side of her by the end. It is a relief to have all these characters back together, and to see the interactions between them. We finally get a chance to learn more about Sophie’s mom and see her interact with Sophie’s dad; we also find out she has some warrior skills of her own. Archer, Cal and Sophie continue their love triangle, but this time we know there will be a resolution; who will Sophie choose?

      The format of Spell Bound is a bit different than the previous two installments. The book is split into three distinct sections – everyone meeting up again and making their plans to stop the demon raising that is occurring; then a section where Sophie, Jenna, Archer and Cal all end up being yanked back to Hex Hall (which is in terrible shape after everything that has happened); and the final section where everything comes to a head. It all moves swiftly, with the tension increasing exponentially. Questions brought up in the first two books are answered here, including who Archer really is and what happened to his family. The final battle with the Casnoffs and their army against Sophie and her crew takes place on Graymalkin Island (home of Hex Hall), but victory comes with a surprising assist from an unexpected source and a devastating loss. I will admit I was stunned by what happened and didn’t see it coming. I didn’t really start to cry (yes, I cried) until the final chapter, after all was resolved and the final fate of a beloved character was revealed. It was the perfect ending, but very emotional.

      You would think that with all the action and seriousness going on that the humor of this series would be lost, yet Hawkins manages to keep it balanced with witty comebacks and snarky comments. There is no doubt that Sophie and Archer will never be at a loss for words. Cal’s strength continues to shine through, while Jenna’s loyalty never wavers. Sophie’s mom and dad perfectly complement each other, with his loss of power seeming to have paved the way for them to finally talk things out.

      Spell Bound was an incredibly strong ending to a great series, with the return of beloved characters, action, humor, love and loss. Everything is tied up with a bow as a gift from Hawkins to her fans, and yet she has still managed to leave a little leeway for a spin-off if she so desires (hints on Twitter indicate it is a definite possibility). The story of Sophie Mercer ends here, and what a ride it has been. I leave you with just two words that I will hold dear to my heart after reading this series – “Bad dog!”
    • 4/5
      I loved the series all the way up until the ending. Semi spoiler: the way the author handled one of my favorite characters was horrible. They deserved better. I also really wanted Spohie to make a different choice than one she did. Loved the whole series only to get to the end and hate the ending smh.
    • 5/5
      Yay for finally getting to read this book. Loved how the series ends(or is it really ended?). All around wonderful and I love the way Sophie thinks.
    • 5/5
      Perfect ending to this trilogy, but I want MORE!
    • 4/5
      The synopsis describes this series as "impossible to put down" and I'd have to agree with that. I read each of the three books in one sitting a piece. They're just fun, humorous and exciting. The wit and sarcasm was laugh out loud funny at times. I can tell that Rachel Hawkins is probably a bit of a geek just from some of the jokes. Also, I loved both Archer and Cal. They were both great guys and impossible to choose between. Luckily, though, the author doesn't make the romance the center of the story. Instead the story focuses on defeating the evil that has come to Hex Hall and the love interests take a back page to the greater purpose. If you like fun, magical books, I suggest giving the Hex Hall series a read. Just make sure it's a night you can afford to stay up late.
    • 3/5
      Somehow not as strong as the earlier two books, though still enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      Holy hell weasel!

      Awwz I'm sad now. Review to come, I promise.
    • 4/5
      I had this book rated as a 5, but the more I thought about it, 4 stars made more sense to me. It wasn't a bad book, so don't let my switch deter you.

      I love the characters Hawkins creates. Archer is by far my favorite. He has been throughout the trilogy. I'm not sure if it's the whole bad boy image, or the fact that he doesn't really know who he is. Sophie gets a big reality check. Nobody has been completely up front with her about anything. She doesn't know what or who to believe.

      We finally get a few answers to the same things that have plagued Sophie's thoughts. We find out how her parents met, and who exactly Archer is. Elodie makes an appearance quite a few times. Most of those times I wanted to slap the mess out of her. I try to like, and appreciate, the help she gives Sophie, but then she'll do something completely bitchy.

      Overall I did enjoy the story line. Those of you who have read this series, and this last book might understand why I gave it a 4. I was expecting a little more action. However, when you read this you must have some tissue nearby. You will definitely need them!
    • 5/5

      This trilogy is just so good.
      It’s one of the first trilogies I’ve read where I’ve loved each book equally, and each book was just fantastic in its own right. They’re just so good. Like, the magic in it isn’t anything new or unusual, it’s a really standard magic system, but it’s still fantastic and it works really well for the purpose and I just love everything about this series.
      That said, this book picks up literally right where Demon Glass dropped off (and dropped off rather suddenly. Cliff hanger much? I’m so glad I didn’t have to wait between books.) Basically, everything has gone to hell. People who Sophie thought were friends turned out to be enemies and vice versa. Basically, I’m not going to give anything away because I love how everything turned out too much to ruin it for anyone else.
      Archer is brilliant, as usual. I adore how the relationship dynamics work in this book. Like, there was enough of a love triangle to say that there was a love triangle. But it was one that wasn’t mind numbingly irritating. I appreciated the fact that it was there, but the characters could all function with each other.
      Also, I don’t think I’ve talked about how much I love Sophie yet in any of these reviews? Because I basically adore her. Usually, a book in first person doesn’t lend itself any favours in getting me to like the main character. I’m usually drawn to them way less if the book is written in first person, because I’m having the story told to me, but I’m not really seeing the character.
      Not the case with Sophie Mercer. She’s just so great. She’s strong willed and cracks terrible jokes when she’s freaked out or nervous and I love how she handles the whole ‘oh btw you’re a demon’ bit. I actually love how she handles every situation.
      You know what else I love? Great lady friendships. Sophie and Jenna’s relationship is just the best thing and I looooove that it never gets overshadowed by her relationship with Archer. In fact there were a few moments when I was pondering how, in any other book, the main character would have probably been thinking about the potential love interest during a certain scenario. Not the case with these, like, ugh I just love how she handled the relationships in these because it was just so great. Even Elodie and Sophie was handled perfectly (yes, if you’ve read the first book you know about Elodie and what happens to her. Turns out she’s quite an important character in this book), everything, everything was just great.
      The only thing that’s not great is that these are over. Honestly the final climax was perfect. I really love how the ending was handled, actually the endings of each book were pretty fantastic. They were fast paced but not too much. Like, I mean I would have liked a longer conflict at the very end with more dilapidated Hex Hall and fun stuff like that, but the ending was still great (and sad yet not. Great kind of ending).
      It was all just perfect, that’s all I can say. I’m so happy that they exist.
    • 3/5
      Another fun teen fantasy romance suspense novel. These read like cliffhanger tv shows - every chapter ends leaving me needing to read on, every book ends leaving me anxious for the next to come out.
    • 4/5
      Loved this trilogy. The characters were fabulous - witty, interesting and likeable. The dialoge in this book and the others reminded me lot of the first few seasons of Buffy. Great snark. Even the "nemesis" Edodie is a character you like and cheer on.

      The over arcing plot of the trilogy was interesting, the ultimate villains not being the obvious foes. I won't say the story arc was obvious - it wasn't - but it wasn't shocking to me either. But then, I'm a generation removed from the demographic for these books.

      I genuinely enjoyed reading these books - I didn't want to put them down until I was finished and the climax of this one left me feeling a bit misty eyed. I'll definitely be checking out some of Ms. Hawkins' other work.
    • 3/5
      Spoiler Alert.

      I am freaking devastated about what happened to my favorite guy in the story. Ugh. I actually cried. With real freaking tears. I thought it's going to be Archer. Ugh.

      The ending is great actually but I think something's lacking. I somehow feel utterly disappointed. I didn't find this book as engaging as the first two. Or maybe I'm just upset that Cal died. HE DIED and I'm NOT OKAY with it. (I couldn't put the emphasis there quite enough). Even though there's some kind of closure at the end of the book, I still can't get over the fact that he's gone and gave his life to save Sophie even though all she ever do was break his heart. Well, I think that's love.

      The battles were so quick and easy so maybe that's why I find the book somehow disappointing. It looks like it's rushed just to be finished.

      Archer is awesome and everything but I still prefer Cal. Team Cal all the way.

      Bye bye Hex Hall Series :)
    • 4/5
      This was a nice ending to the series. I was a little disappointed in the direction that the author went with the romantic aspect. (I was routing for Cal) I think that the way it was handled was a little bit of a cop out, albeit a fluffy cop out. I had the same problem with this book that I did with the previous two, that some of the characters' reactions were a little bit unbelievable, but all in all it was a great ending. Just enough depth to keep me interested.
    • 3/5
      I found it vaguely disappointing compared to the rest of the series and kinda rushed.Sophie Mercer has been robbed of her powers and in the hands of the Brannicks, a group of warrior women who happen to number her mother among their ranks. She took a magical portal to go to them that took longer than it should have to transport her there. Sophie finds out how to bring her powers back and then a spell forces her back to Hex Hall and with her friends Jenna, Archer and Cal and the ghost Elodcdie occasionally posessing her to help, honest, she has to fight a woman bent on changing the world of supernaturals.It just felt like it was wrapping things up and closing storylines and didn't really flow for me. Readable but choppy.
    • 4/5
      Very good third entry to series with a non-whiny, butt-kicking heroine and compelling secondary characters.
    • 4/5
      I had forgot how much I liked this series.. maybe that is why I put of reading this last book in the series. (I have a tendency to do that) This book is very well written, from the moment I picked it up I didn't want to put it down. I like Sophie, she is almost the best of both worlds.. She isn't afraid to stand up for herself and her friends but at the same time she shows her emotions. Archer is a good fit for her, he supports her but isn't gonna let her just walk all over him when their opinions don't match. Jenna and her pink strip of hair is awesome.

      The story is believable, for the world that has been built. There are a couple of shocking turns and emotional spots. I really enjoyed reading this book and was sad to have the series end.
    • 3/5
      My thoughts coming into this book were that it was a nice little trilogy so far. It hadn't blown me out of the water, but I liked Sophie and her spunk - her sense of humour, and that she felt real. She was torn between two boys, she wasn't sure whether she wanted her powers, she was conflicted about her father and she cared a lot about her best friend.

      This book left me with a sense of wanting more - I created a new tag, actually, though I'm sure it'll be used on other books that I read. I just wanted more.



      When you spend three books building up to a climax, I guess I just expect more of it than for it all to be over within a matter of ages. Mrs Casnoff and Cal did more to save the day than Sophie did, I felt, and that disappointed me - I want a female heroine who kicks butt all the way to the end, and isn't rescued by others. I wanted to learn more about the Brannicks, more about the villains, more about Sophie's feelings about Cal and Archer.

      I was also incredibly saddened by Cal's death - it felt like a cheap resolution to the romance subplot, which I didn't feel was completely resolved before this happened. Elodie basically implying that she'll 'wear him down' didn't sit right with me, either.

      That's why I ended up giving this one three stars - it was good, but I wanted more from it. It doesn't disappoint, but it doesn't surprise, either.
    • 4/5
      This review is also posted on Mommy's Reading Break

      When we left Sophie at the end of Demonglass, Cal had just run back into Thorne Abbey to try to save Archer, Jenna, and Sophie’s father from the fire, and she was stepping into the Itineris to head to the Brannicks’ at Cal’s insistence. When Spell Bound picks up, Sophie has just stepped out of the Itineris and is wondering how smart it was to come to the Brannicks’, knowing what she does about them. She very quickly meets up with two of the Brannicks and realizes just how lost she is without her powers.

      At the Brannicks’ compound, Sophie learns some information that is supposed to be a big twist, but honestly, I saw it coming. She is completely shocked and unsure of how to handle the information at first, though. Also, we very quickly learn the fates of those Sophie left behind at Thorne Abbey, which made me happy. Sophie was agonizing over their fates, so I was glad that that was not drawn out.

      Spell Bound is divided into three parts. The first one was very slow-paced, as it took place at the Brannicks’ compound and consisted a lot of talking, studying, and strategizing. Part Two was also kind of slow-paced, but there was enough confusion and mystery going on that it was suspenseful. I never knew if or when something was going to happen, and I wasn’t sure what was going on. In the final section, Part Three, the pace finally picks up. Unfortunately, it is only approximately the last 70 pages of the book. The third part was definitely the best, though. We find out information that I didn’t even know I wanted, get a mystery as to something that may or may not happen, and experience the final showdown, complete with twists, turns, and hard decisions. For the most part, I really liked it, but there was one aspect of that final battle that I didn’t like. I also thought that the ending was kind of silly.

      I think that my favorite part of Spell Bound was the relationships, and I don’t just mean romantic ones. I liked seeing Sophie’s relationships grow and change, specifically with her parents, but with others as well, as she learns more about herself and her past. Something I didn’t particularly like was that Demonglass introduced a love triangle, which was continued in Spell Bound. I was disappointed in the way this triangle was concluded.

      Overall, I thought that Spell Bound was a good ending to the series, and I would recommend this series to those who like Paranormal, especially since it had several types of supernaturals that were either different or underrepresented in the Paranormals I’ve read.
    • 5/5
      'Spell Bound', the third and final book (?*) in the fantastic Hex Hall series, can best be described as a whirlwind. After the crazy cliffhanger found in 'Demon Glass', should I have expected any less? As expected, Rachel Hawkins has treated us yet again to another funny, engaging, entertaining romp into Sophie's crazy world.

      While it isn't without flaws, I had a great time reading 'Spell Bound' and that to me is one of the most important things that can be said about reading. Without going into plot details (b/c who am I to spoil it for you!), I can say that you won't be disappointed in terms of entertainment value!

      I'm giving this book five stars, but want to point out one thing that 'felt funny' about 'Spell Bound'. The main issue I had was that this story, 'Spell Bound', felt more like the third book in a four book series instead of the last novel in a trilogy. There was a big set up (ie: the last few pages of 'Demon Glass') to what should be a big bang conclusion. When we finally get to that conclusion, however, it doesn't seem as climatic as it should. Loose ends are tied up, but not in the big bang sort of way I expected based off the other two books in the series.

      The plotting issue nonewithstanding, I enjoyed this book immensely. I can definitely say that Sophie's story is one that will stick with me and will be a 'go to' series for those looking for good YA reads! 'Spell Bound' gets 5 out of 5 stars.

      (On a sidenote, I must petition Rachel Hawkins to continue on with this world she's created. I'd love more books in this series, even if they don't involve Sophie and her gang!)

      *I don't ever really recall this series being toted as a 'trilogy', so I'm not sure if this is the end all/be all of the Hex Hall series. I know the author mentioned something about 'ending Sophie's story', but there are still so many stories to tell! For that reason, I have inserted the ?'s, because it just doesn't feel like the end just yet!
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the third installment of the Hex Hall books. The story was a continuation of the last book. I was quite happy that it picked up where it did. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the storyline. I wasn't too sure what to make of it at first, but then I couldn't put it down.I hope that there are future installments to this series. I'll be sad if there isn't.
    • 4/5
      Being the final book of the trilogy I was looking forward to Spellbound answering all the lingering questions I had throughout the series and resolving the tensions between all the characters. And Spellbound doesn't disappoint - it's a fast paced, enjoyable read that does everything I wanted it to do and more. The entire Hex Hall series has been amazing to read and I have enjoyed it immensely. The plot of the book is one of my favourite aspects - Sophie has the power to stop a huge war coming against all the Prodigium but the Council has taken away her powers! It was great to spend some time with the Brannicks and get to know them properly, instead of the lies that had been told at Hex Hall. I think the book didn't spend enough time with them though, just as we were finally learning about their history a plot twist is introduced and we're taken far away from them. In some ways the book improves a lot after the plot twist at the end of Part One. Part Two is full of action and kissing (won't tell you between who!) and secret missions. Sophie is still the wonderful sarcastic girl I'be grown to love in this series, but now her humour is tempered by the very real dangers that she faces. Once again, I am struck at how she makes good decisions when in trouble, and never puts her friends and family in danger because of teenage stupidity. The only negative I can find about Spellbound is the way that the author resolves her love triangle. I never thought that the love triangle between Sophie, Cal and Archer was necessary, and ultimately Rachel Hawkins must have agreed because she handled it all so sloppily. That aside, I still loved Spellbound and I will continue to recommend the whole series to anyone and everyone! Sophie Mercer is a wonderful protagonist and Rachel Hawkins is a very talented writer.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
    • 4/5
      Being the third and final volume in the series, this review is going to be vaguer than usual thanks to avoiding spoilers.Spellbound picks up exactly where Demonglass/Raising Demons left off. There is a lot more action spread throughout the book (compare with book 2 where most of the excitement was towards the end). There’s still piles of sarcasm from Sophie, the main character, but in contrast with the early books, in which she just enjoyed being snarky, now she’s sarcastic out of fear and nervousness. There were still some funny lines that made me laugh out loud, but overall the plot, subject matter and stakes were more serious.imageIn my review of Demonglass, I said that there were higher stakes and more serious business than in Hex Hall. This trend continues with Spellbound raising the stakes as far as possible (because what can out, er, stake an apocalyptic war?) and throwing the characters further into the deep end.In some ways, the good guys’ plans seemed a little simplistic, but on the other hand, considering that Sophie, a teenager, was a key player, that’s probably realistic. I appreciated that when they decided “ok, we’ll try and do blah and hopefully that will save the day”, it might have looked like it would be too easy, but it never was.As far as the romantic plot line went, the love triangle annoyed me, but I think that’s mainly because I’m really over love triangles in YA. It wasn’t actually poorly executed, despite me being on the “wrong team”. and hoping the other guy would get killed. I would have appreciated a less formulaic and more surprising approach, but it certainly wasn’t something which ruined the book for me. (And for more on why I’m complaining about love triangles, I recommend this post by Shaheen.)The ending was satisfactory with the world saved (yeah, so not a spoiler) and all the characters were nicely accounted for. Overall, I enjoyed Spellbound more than Demonglass but I had less fun reading it than I did Hex Hall. I continue to recommend this series to anyone who likes YA, paranormal adventures and snarky sarcasm.4 / 5 stars
    • 4/5
      Spell Bound picks up right where Demonglass left off, with Sophie traveling to find her mother who, for some reason, is with the Brannicks. There are some very surprising twists right from the start and it was very interesting getting to know some Brannicks after hearing about them in the first two books. Sophie has a lot more responsibility on her shoulders this time and I loved the strength that her character showed, even when the dds seemed pretty impossible. There is a lot of action in this book and the fighting is both physical and magical. It was a great balance of action and non-actions scenes which made the story flow very nicely.Spell Bound was a wonderful ending to this part of the series. Sophie certainly grew up through the course of the books and I was happy to see that she kept her wonderfully snarky sense of humor throughout. While Spell Bound was very funny in parts, it also had some very serious moments. Some of the characters that you have come to really care about in this series make some pretty major sacrifices and it made the book that much more wonderful. I enjoyed every one of these books and while I am sad to see this series end, I think that Spell Bound was a wonderful and entertaining way to close this chapter. Rachel Hopkins mentioned on Twitter that there might be some spin-off books, and I hope we get to glance into the lives of Sophie and her crew through the stories of some different characters.
    • 5/5
      Once I started this book it was like I just ended the last book. I was a little worried because there was so much time between reading the last one, but it was like no time had pasted. This book had me fully ingulfed the minute I started reading it. I love Sophie and her smart mouth. =) I love the characters. I did think that the ending was a little rushed. I thought there was some deadends that needed to go somewhere. Like with the demonglass... they went to get it, yet they never used it? I thought that was a little weird. All in all this was a great book and I read it all in one afternoon. Great read.
    • 4/5
      Let me begin this review by stating that Hex Hall and Demonglass are two of my favorite Paranormal YA books of all time. I really loved the world that Hawkins created, the easy to relate to and likable characters, and the exciting story lines. That being said, Spell Bound fell flat for me. I was a bit disappointed in this book because I had been waiting so long for it. Based on the previous two novels, I felt that this would be Hawkins best work yet. Needless to say that wasn't the case. Sure, all of the characters I loved from the first two books were present, and Hawkins' writing style and pacing were still top notch, but the plot was extremely boring.There was action in the book, but there was no suspense. Sure, Sophie had to overcome some things to save the world, but there was never a split second in which I wondered whether or not she'd succeed. It was obvious from the start of each event that she would succeed. There were no obstacles once an event started, and some of the things she had to overcome didn't even seem to be that difficult. Also, I didn't feel an emotional bond with Sophie like I did in previous books. And lastly, Sophie didn't develop at all from the beginning to the end of this novel. Since this is the last book in her story, I felt that she still had some growing to do that was left unfinished. Maybe this was done so that Hawkins could revisit Sophie's story later, if need be, but I wanted at least a little development. All of that being said, this book still wasn't bad. It just wasn't my favorite in the series, either.I still love Sophie, and Archer is still fantastic. He grew a bit, but since the trilogy is told from Sophie's perspective, and Archer's growth occurs while they're separated, we don't really get to see how that happens. I just could not engage with this book, or the characters that I adored so much. The ending didn't upset me that much, though I don't understand why a certain thing had to happen. However, I don't feel like that thing was a cop out. I think it was just an attempt to add some pathos to a book that was sorely lacking in that department.There were a few surprises in this book, but there was no big reveal. No betrayals really occurred, and from what I could tell, there was no "big finale" going on. At least I didn't see one. Nothing was exciting enough to be a big finale. I feel like I'm still waiting on the big finale, actually, so that I can close this story in my mind and move on. Enough about the stuff I didn't like, though. Let's move on to what I did like.Hawkins has created a captivating world and wonderful characters. She has a great voice, and she's fantastic at showing instead of telling. The events in her stories move in logical order, and her books are easy to follow. The characters she's created are flawed, but not bad. No one is perfect, and the characters of the Hex Hall series have always felt real to me because of that. Nothing in the book is trashy, and Hawkins stays true to herself, her characters, and her world. She doesn't compromise to sell more books, and I completely respect that. This novel was no exception to all of those things. I just feel that the third book of the trilogy, Spell Bound should have been more suspenseful. However, I can't wait to read whatever projects Hawkins produces next.Overall, I'd recommend this series to everyone. I mean it. Every single person in the world needs to read this series. These are "feel good" books that leave you smiling when you're finished. The pacing is pretty quick, but not rushed, and the novels have all been fast reads for me. If you've read the first two books, then you need to read this last one for closure. It's good to know what happens to the characters after spending so long with them. Don't expect to be blown away or kept on the edge of your seat with this one, though. To me it felt more like simply tying up loose ends, which is necessary, but not exactly exciting.
    • 5/5
      * Hardcover: 336 pages * Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (March 13, 2012) * ISBN-10: 1423121325 * Author: Rachel Hawkins * Cover art: I like it, glad they kept the theme of a reflection of Sophie in something. (Except Hex Hall that was someone else.) * Overall rating: ***** out of 5 stars. * Obtained: Personal book shelf.Spell Bound by Rachel HawkinsReviewed by Moirae the fates book reviews.Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.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? (Synopsis provided by goodreads)Getting this book was a mixture of excitement and sadness. Excitement because it's another Rachel Hawkins, so you're in for a good time and lots of laughs. Sadness because it's the end of Sophie's story. I'm not ready to say goodbye to Sophie and her gang. The book was amazing. I loved every page of it. There were somethings in it I never saw coming and other things I guessed. I was sad to see one of my predictions come true. Jenna was Jenna in this one, I love her and Sophie was still the snarky smartass we all know and love.We got to see a lot more of Sophie's mom in this one which after getting to know her Dad in Demonglass that was great. The Brannicks (an Irish family of women who hunt Sophie's kind.) were a great edition to the story. We got to meet a new character Izzy who I adore. She was awesome. She seemed like the sister Sophie never had to me. Spell Bound was full of answers to questions we had from the first two books, which is always great. We get to see a new part of Elodie and some cool things she can do even in her current ghostly form.As with the previous two books this one is action packed. There are some sad moments but a lot more moments when you'll find yourself laughing so hard your stomach hurts. It really was a great end to a fantastic series.Rachel Hawkins has said that she has another book coming out that is set in the same world as Hex Hall with some of the characters we meet in Spell Bound. And she has also said she has a new series starting in summer 2013. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!If you haven't read this series yet, you should it's got it all, boarding schools, magic, witches, fairies, shape shifters, 2 vampires that are so not what you're used to reading.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely adore this series and have been eagerly anticipating the conclusion to the series from the moment I finished Demonglass. In fact, I was so looking forward to this book that I pre-ordered it quite awhile ago, forgot and pre-ordered it again a few weeks ago. I didn’t realize it until I was looking for the status of another order and I saw the duplicate orders. When a series that I am in love with concludes I am always on pins and needles to see it will be one of those books that you close with a sigh of satisfaction or that you want to hurl across the room because you can’t believe how it ended. When I read the last page of Spell Bound I did let out a sigh of satisfaction and can honestly say I could give Rachel Hawkins the biggest hug if I were to see her again...See my full review at Debbie's World of Books.
    • 4/5
      Poor Sophie! When we last saw her she had just been spit out of an Itineris and apparently into Brannick hands! Her magic is bound, her Dad is most likely dead, she’s hoping to find her Mom and figure out what to do from here.But once Sophie starts to get a handle on everything she is sucked into a vortex and dumped back at Hex Hall. The school and the island seem to be dying and the Casnoff’s are in charge. The good news is that all of the students have been sucked back and Sophie must lay low and figure out what to do and where to go from here to stop the Casnoffs.For the most part, this conclusion is pretty much what I expected with one exception, involving Sophie’s parents, but that was just a sidenote anyway. Otherwise, I’m not sure how I feel about this one. Spell Bound was as “un-put-down-able” as the previous Hex Hall books…but I guess I felt a little short changed on a couple of aspects.So much talk about the Brannicks and the Eye. Brannicks are active in this book, but there was so much hype about them going into book 3 that they fell flat for me. Granted the plot twist in part 2 was good, put I had suspected it since Book 2. And the Eye was equally hyped but were a complete no-show in Spell Bound.Another area where I felt short changed was the great conflict, Battle, we’d been building up to throughout the whole book and part of the previous one and it was over so quickly, which I found strange. Not that I am big on huge, drawn out battle sequences…but it was a bit anti-climactic. And now for the love triangle. Spoiler Alert….scroll down to read.I knew one of the boys was going to die. See that’s the thing with Love Triangles. No matter how much love the protagonist has for the two love interests…one has to die. Then the protagonist doesn’t have to make a choice and then deal with the self doubts of “did I pick the right person”…fate takes care of it for them. And the one that dies is usually the one that came on the scene second! Which doesn’t bode well for me on another series I am reading.