Review: Spell Bound (Hex Hall, #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3)

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publication Date:

Format: Hard Cover

Pages: 327

Blurb from Goodreads:

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?

The Cover Contessa's Review:

So of course I had to read this book, having read the other two. I had to see how it ended. I loved the characters and their growth in the first two books and wasn't sure where Hawkins could take it to make it better, but she was able to do it.

As with the other two books, I really love this cover. There is just something about the two girls reflecting each other that makes me want to jump into the book. And it was easy to understand the meaning behind the reflection of the girl dressed in the school uniform once I saw where the kids ended up.

As with the other two books, Sophie was great. I have to say that I still had this annoyance with her regarding Cal and Asher. I felt like she had some need to love Cal, but you know she really wants to be with Asher. She tried her hardest not to lead Cal on, but it didn't always work. Other than that, you really watched Sophie's character take shape to become a great heroine, one who is selfless and understands that sacrifice is essential in order to "save the world." Sophie continued to be easy to relate to in this book. I love that she still has that teen angst, but it is not what rules her in the book. And of course Sophie is still as witty as ever. 

Asher of course is an integral part of this book. He and Sophie are finally a "couple", whether or not others seem to like it. And they certainly show each other that they care for each other and want to be with one another. And the banter that existed between them before continues in this book. I like how it often lightens the mood when they are surrounded with something more serious.

Hawkins introduced a few new characters in this book: The Brannicks. And you shockingly find out what their connection is to Sophie and her family. I enjoyed learning the story of the Brannicks

The best part of this book was that Hawkins was not afraid to do what she needed to do with her characters: kill them off, change them, etc. I don't think she could have had a good ending without doing some of those things. I always commend authors who really take that step, even if they know that some people might not like the outcome. The ending made me sad and happy all at the same time. I also did not see many of the twists coming. As with the ending of Hex Hall when Asher suddenly "turns bad", we find out information about these characters' pasts that we really would have never seen coming.

And Hawkins kept true to her plot and her world building. There wasn't anything too new introduced that would make you feel it was out of place. And her writing flows so well, it's hard to put her books down. I found myself wanting to get to the end. I needed to see where it ended up, how Sophie would save everyone, and who would end up lost in the end. I am sad to have to let these characters go as I have grown rather attached to them.

I hope some of the unanswered questions are answered in the spin off series School Spirits, which I intend to pick up very soon as I have an ARC!

4/5 stars from me.

Rachel Hawkins (www.rachel-hawkins.com) is the New York Times best-selling author of Hex Hall and Spell Bound. She was a high school English teacher before becoming a full-time writer. She lives with her family in Alabama. To the best of her knowledge, Rachel is not a witch, though some of her former students may disagree....

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