The Wings series by Aprilynne Pike is wonderful! I read all four books in a matter of days. It includes Wings, Spells, Illusions, and Destined, in that order. Our heroine Laurel comes to life as she discovers that she's not a normal human - in fact, she's not a human at all. She just looks like one. And she has a flower growing out of her back.
I love Pike's take on the idea that Faeries are evolved plants. Laurel finds out what she is, she becomes involved with David, a local prince charming that helps her figure out what's growing out of her back, and meet Tamani, another faerie who finds her in the forest and tells her what she is.
The first book revolves around land that Laurel's family owns and why they can't sell it. The land guards the gate to Avalon (the Faerie realm) and the trolls are trying to find the gate so they can attack the realm. This is just the beginning, because as each book unfolds you start to find out more and more about the gate and who really wants to get into that gate.
Why I Like This Book:
I'll admit it - I love faerie books! I love the whole idea of them, but I particularly liked this series because of how pure it is. Hardly any swearing, people doing things because they love each other and not for sex, and gut instinct that doesn't always turn out the way it's planned. This is life. The bittersweet ending left me ultimately happy - and I'm not talking about the first book, but the series in it's entirety. LOVE!
What I didn't like about this book:
Some parts are a little slow, but that's not really a problem. Also, when David first swears in the first book, I thought it was a weird place to put it. Sort of a wasted curse - might have worked better elsewhere. This is such a tiny complaint. I also noticed that Pike uses the phrase "rolled her/his eyes" a lot. I just noticed this because I'm also weird.
Aside from those little things, I definitely recommend this book. I gave the last book 5 stars on Goodreads, and that in itself is a rarity! Visit Aprilynne Pike here.
As always, Happy Reading!
