Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO BOOKS!

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?

From Goodreads 

I fell in love with Sophie Mercer the minute Hex Hall fell into my lap. It was so awesome that I even took it on 7th grade book talks with me. And then came Demonglass. This one kicked up the story a notch & left be pining for the "sure to be amazing" conclusion. Now it has arrived. 

Picking up with the agonizing ending of Demonglass, we follow Sophie as the is plunked into a whole new reality. It's almost impossible to believe that just barely a year ago this incredibly talented & smart-witted young woman believed herself to be an ordinary witch. Come to find out that she is actually a demon & that her school is under attack from those who would create more demons as a "defense" against the murderous and dangerous Brannick clan & L'occhio de Dio. The truth is harder to comprehend when Sophie discovers that her magic has been locked down and learns that she is a Brannick herself. 

Not all is as it has been presented in the magical world, which leaves a lot of questions to be answered. Despite personal losses, she trudges on with the unwavering support system she has come to call a family. Her last fight will not just be for herself, but for all those who have suffered unnecessarily. 

I have to say that while I completely understand why the book ended the way it did, I still found myself kind of disappointed. I know, I know... I seem to want it to end my way or not at all, but I get it. Rachel did what she thought best & most fitting for her characters and their respective stories. She stayed true to their personalities and beliefs, ultimately making sacrifices that prevent me from ever wanting to bean author.

This book was also quite quickly paced with so much going on, at times it is hard to get a handle on it all. Once you think things are beginning to get sorted out, something else comes hurtling at your head. Despite all the plot twists & turns, I was supremely impressed by how Rachel tied up all the loose ends possible while still leaving the ending open-ended enough to possibly one day revisit this world.

As it stands, Spell Bound is a fabulous book end in a fun series. I will truly miss Sophie & her world, but that's the beauty of books. You can always revisit the ones you love.