While going through my library at home, I realized that I had never finished the HoN series and started to re-read the series from the beginning for a refresher. I’m glad I did because I had forgotten some key plot points from the series and would have been confused if I had started reading the tenth book in the series. Destined is the ninth book in P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast’s House of Night series. I read this book before, so this is my second time reading it.
Storyline/My Thoughts: I will say this; I started reading this series in my early/mid-twenties, and I’m now in my late thirties. I will never give up reading YA Paranormal/Fantasy books. I’ll be old with grandkids, still reading this genre. I need to be able to talk to my grandkids about something, so why not read YA. =) Also, I’ll need my books to be passed on to someone, and why not my grandkids?
The only issue with being older is that I find some things annoying in YA books, especially how the characters act. I try not to nitpick, though, because I have to remind myself I used to be a teenager and found myself annoying sometimes. I am getting karma back with having two mini-me’s that act just like their mama: one a teenager and another a preteen. This is why reading is a must in my household. I must step away from reality and face fictional worlds where teenagers, such as Zoey and her circle of friends, save the world from people like Neferet and her new consort.
Zoey is back home in Tulsa, OK, after being saved by her Guardian Warrior, Stark, where she will be forced to go up against Neferet again. The big issue is, though, no one believes from the High Counsel that Neferet is up to no good, so Zoey and her friends have to try to convince them. The big issue is Zoey and her friends have to go to the House of Night and act like nothing is wrong around Neferet, even though it’s hard knowing what she has done. It’s also hard when Neferet is making apparent changes around the House of Nights, trying to make her seem like the good guy to the High Counsel when she’s not. Zoey knows Neferet is up to something and the first thing she notices differently is that Neferet supposedly has been gifted by Nyx with her own Guardian, Aurox, which Zoey knows is not the truth. She sees Aurox for what he truly is, and he’s not a good guy, but Zoey is compelled to Aurox. Something about him that interests her and the truth of who/what he is was revealed in the last book. She should be scared of him because of how and what made him. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who has not read this book, but if there was one thing I liked, it was getting Aurox’s POV. He’s a whole new character, or is he?
There is drama in Zoey’s friend group after what happened in the eighth book. They lost one of their own, and it’s hit some of them hard. There is also another loved one that is unalived and affects Zoey a lot, and that death will reveal Neferet’s true nature. It takes time to get to the truth, which had the book drag at times.
I mentioned drama in this book, and some of it pertains to Rephaim, who used to be Kalona’s son and is now a teenage boy, thanks to giving up the darkness for Nyx. Certain secondary characters do not trust Rephaim, and there are a lot of incidents between Rephaim and those other characters. I loved getting his POV and how he was struggling within himself with being good now and also proving to everyone he was not for his father, even if his father tempted him in this book.
I found Zoey slightly annoying in this book, especially meddling in her friend’s business. The twins (who aren’t blood-related twins and don’t look alike but act similar) were having fights over things, and Zoey wanted them to work it out. Sometimes, people outgrow each other, leaving them space to find themselves. I hope their friendship doesn’t go away because I will miss them finishing each other’s sentences, but I can understand the frustration of finding oneself again. There was also the concern of Stark and Zoey. These two have gone through a lot, and Stark is not acting like himself after what he did to retrieve Zoey from the last book. I understand why and I’m worried about him as a whole.
There was a lot of repetition in this story with certain characters, such as poor Rephaim having to deal with proving himself. He has become one I will stick up for even if he is evil because you can tell how much he enjoys being an ordinary teenage boy around Stevie Rae.
I did like how some truths are revealed in this book, especially at the end. It’s coming together for Zoey and her friends but not for the true enemy of the story. There was even a big shocker toward the end of the book.
I can’t wait to dive into the next book since I’ve never read it so it will be brand new to me. I hope Zoey and her friends don’t have to deal with any more big blows, and I hope a particular character in this book gets a lot more POV time. I hope Neferet gets what is coming to her soon because she has done enough damage.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the House of Night series, and I recommend reading in order.
Cliffhanger: Yes.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy YA Paranormal/Fantasy with fledglings/vampires in a school environment, this series is for you.