Review: Destined (House of Night)

Title: Destined
Series: House of Night, #9
Author: P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Pages: 336
Buy Links: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle)

Blurb:

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-droppingly 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.

Review

I love the vulnerability!

I'm guessing the guy on the cover of this book is Rephaim. I absolutely loved the scenes with him and his father, Kalona. The ending was definitely unexpected, but something to look forward to in the next book. I also enjoyed Stevie Rae and Rephaim's relationship. They really cared about each other.

I also liked Aurox and Rephaim individually. Aurox had an old-fashioned way of talking, and so did Rephaim. I loved how they sometimes spoke so formally. I loved that Rephaim was depicted normal in the way that he kept hoping for his father's acceptance and understanding. On the other hand, I loved Aurox's battle with himself and the kind of person he wanted to be as opposed to the kind of creature Neferet wanted him to be.

Of course, this book would not be complete without Zoey performing a ritual with her circle. The descriptions during that ritual was so intense, it would be so cool to see it if they ever made a movie or TV show for this series.

There were so many changes in this installment. Bonds were broken, honor was restored, and truth was revealed. If you haven't read this series, I suggest you play catch up.

One thing I didn't like was the obvious editing errors. The rest of the books didn't have them glaring at me. Anyway, that's just a usual pet peeve for me.