I've been so busy editing and working on the house, I have gotten so behind on reviews! I'm going to try to catch up a bit this week. I also have a feature with Nancy Straight, author of Meeting Destiny, coming up this weekend...
Enjoy your last day of the month of love! :-)
Destined (House of Night #9)
By P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
ISBN: 9781905654864
Published October 25, 2011
Available Format: Hardcover, Paperback, ebook, Audiobook
My Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads’ Synopsis: Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet, which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together—if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow…
But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia’s handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-dropping gorgeous teen boy who is actually more—or possibly less—than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there’s something strangely familiar about him…
Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him—and everyone—from his own fate? Find out what’s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.
All too often, any series with this many installments is going to fall flat at some point. Just how long can you continue the plot—the battle against good and evil. At some point we want the bad guys to just die already, right?!?
While I can certainly find faults in Destined, and this book is certainly not as exciting as the beginning of the series, it was still a great read. I love the introduction of Aurox and the struggle between his humanity and the evil purpose he was created for. It is very much the same with Rephaim as he grows accustomed to his nights as a human and days as a bird. Another great development is Kalona leaning more toward the good side as he teams up with Rephaim and Zoey to go against Neferet. His proposal near the end of the book was one of the most exciting aspects of the entire story! J
Of course, there is love, and now I am dying to read the novella about Lenobia! I’m really interested in learning more about her background and seeing what might come in her future. And, there is sadness, which turns out to be a rather happy ending anyway.
Enough with being cryptic so I don’t give too much away… ;-) Destined is a great installment of the House of Night seires. Yes, it leaves us hanging again, of course, but I think it kind of boosted my interest in the series again. I’m really looking forward to book ten and seeing where the Cast ladies take us from here.
