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School Spirits is the fourth book in the Hex Hall series, and takes place after the events of Spell Bound, yet it features a new Heroine, Izzy Brannick. Normally I would classify this book as the first of a spin-off series, but it's labeled as 'an Hex Hall novel'. We met Izzy, Sophie's cousin, in previous books and it's a great opportunity to know her as something else than 'the youngest Brannick'.
Brannicks have been hunting paranormals for generations and they are the monster under the bed for prodigiums. There used to be a lot of these women around the world, but now it's only Izzy and her mom (her big sister being MIA) and I loved to discover their side of the story. Times forced them to evolve from paranormal killers to hunters for the prodigium council and the transition isn't easy for them. It's much easier to kill a vampire than contain one, at least, that's what Izzy says!
Izzy was a fun character to watch, mostly because she is totally out of her element. A job forces her to tackle on high school (something she's never done) and her hunter abilities are completely useless to her. Worst, they make it harder for her to fit in. Her struggles were endearing as she tried to learn the ropes by watching TV shows and failed miserably most of the time. I have to say, I had a soft spot for her interactions with Dex, a cast-out asthmatic boy. He is such an awkward, old-school romantic that I had no choice but to fall for him.
I enjoyed the main plotline though it was somewhat simple. There's a ghost at school and it's Izzy job to stop it. Izzy struggled at times, suspecting different friends but I have to say, I suspected the real culprit very early on, which left little suspense unfortunately. School Spirits stayed true to what we've seen in the previous Hex Hall books though, so if you enjoyed them, you should like this one as well.
The Hex Hall books always have a light spirit about them, which is why I keep coming back despite it's younger target audience. I guess they are just fun and fluffy in a way adult books never are :) Am I the only guilty adult following the series?
I’ve reviewed both Demonglass and Spell Bound in the past few weeks, so I thought I would dare you to read the first book in the series, Hex Hall. Rachel Hawkins penned an awesome series and her debut novel sets the table for great entertainment.
Hex Hall features Sophie Mercer, an half-witch raised as a human by her single mother, ends up at Hecate Hall, a reform school for special (see magical) kids after a love spell gone bad. The objective of the school is to re-educate witches, shape-shifters, faeries and the likes that exposed magic in the human world. Sophie knows nothing about this whole hidden society and one of the great aspect of this novel is that you learn everything there is to know alongside the protagonist.
The main plot line revolves around a series of murder and Sophie’s roommate, a vampire with an unhealthy passion for pink, is the main suspect. Despite this macabre setup, this young adult novel has a light spirit and is a quick and fun read.
Without pretention, Hex Hall was a great read on its own, but as the series progressed, each book gets better and better. You can really tell Hawkins’ writing progressed over the years and the last instalment, Spell Bound, is far from the bubbly beginnings. Sophie kept her endearing personality but matured a lot and that development was particularly interesting to witness.
I seriously hope you will take my dare and give this great YA series a shot!
Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.
Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!
You’ve already read the book? Let’s us know what you thought! You are accepting the dare? We’d love to know! Have a dare of your own? Leave a comment ^^
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?
After a very traumatizing summer that isn't quite over Sophie wakes up alone in the dark, in a forest, with no recollections of what happened to her. Her memories don’t take long to hit her like a freight train though and meeting face to face with a knife yielding Brannick (Prodigium hunter) doesn’t leave much room for break-down. Was Cal right to send her there? He said her mom would be there? What is it all about anyway?
What an awesome ending to a fantastic series! Hex Hall & Demonglass were extremely fun and exciting books and thankfully, the conclusion of this trilogy delivered! We are thrown right in the action when Sophie meets with the first Brannick she’s even met, or so she thinks, and we discover some stunning information about her family history. After learning more about Sophie’s dad’s family, it’s now her mom’s turn to be in the spotlight and I enjoyed it just as much!
Jenna, Cal & Archer are still front and center along Sophie’s side, but Elodie also assumes a very important role in time of dire needs. As much as I hated her in Hex Hall, I learned to appreciate her in the last instalment and I kind of pitied her too. Her involvement was really surprising. Cal is just the sweetest boy and I really wish things turned out better for him, he got me shedding tears! Archer was as rocking as usual but displayed a vulnerability that was yet unseen and I truly enjoyed it.
Sophie’s growth curve followed its course and her maturity surprised me. She literally stepped in Hell to save the world and held her head high even though she was scared to death. A scene about her played when she was there, and Sophie didn’t get to see it (Cal did) and I still find myself wondering what it was. Hawkins shrouded it in mystery but never got back to it, which was a slight disappointment.
I couldn’t glue my eyes off the pages and read Spell Bound in just two days (which is fast for me). Its action-packed plot and engaging characters really engrossed me and the time flew by without my noticing.
Many of my favourite series came to an end in the past two years and more often than not, I found myself disappointed by the ending. It wasn’t the case with Spell Bound. Even though the epilogue is admittedly cheesy, it brought a much needed sense of closure after the epic battle that took place a month before. I felt all woozy inside, teary-eyed and all and I have to thank Rachel Hawkins for feeling content about the way everything wrapped up. High five girl!
School Spirit is the first book in a spin-off sequel and it’s already on my kindle. I can’t wait to get to it! Its the story of Izzy Brannick, Sophie’s cousin! I strongly recommend the Hex Hall series to YA fans, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this outstanding series!
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
Sophie’s world was turned upside down when she’s had to kill someone to save her own skin, and her crush came after her with a knife. Who could blame her for feeling off-kilter? She got scared when discovering the extend of her powers and vowed never to use them again. She even asked to go through the Removal, a procedure to get rid of her magical powers, but that could kill her in the process. Wanting to dissuade her and get to know her, her world record absentee dad brings her to England for the summer. Who would’ve thought a summer to England could be the worst vacation one ever got?
What an awesome sequel! Too often second books in a series are kind of meh, but Demonglass totally rocked my socks off! Hex Hall, the first book in the series, was kind of a light read with banter and cute guys, and while those elements I truly enjoyed were still in Demonglass, Rachel Hawkins really took this novel to the second level.
Sophie really grew after the situations she’s had to face and is now more level headed and issues are taken more seriously. She’s still a fun sarcastic girl, don’t get me wrong, but she realises the extend of her powers and the consequences of her actions. She might still do something rash, but she’ll have thought about it first. Sophie’s dad was a very pleasant surprise and I wish to learn more about Cal. The teenage girl will learn something about the young man that will really change their relationship and I loved this interesting twist. Any Archer fans out there? Well let me tell you that you won’t be disappointed! I love the guy to pieces and even though his mission is to kill Sophie, I can’t bring myself to distrust him.
A-ma-zing is the word of choice to describe Hawkins’ plotting skills. I was hooked from the first page and was stunned at every blow. The key elements keeping the plot going were always exciting and unexpected and I loved it all.
My friend Lucy warned me I shouldn’t read Demonglass until Spell Bound was out and I am so glad she did. The end is THE BOMB. Can a cliff-hanger be any worst? I think not! So bad that I stood up and pick up book 3 within 30 seconds of finishing the last sentence of Demonglass (expect my review next week!).
Truth be told, I liked Hex Hall, but I loved Demonglass. Rachel Hawkins’ writing, plotting and sense to atmosphere gets better every book and I can’t wait to find out how the story ends. I strongly suggest this trilogy to teen and adults who don’t mind flippant teenagers, it really is a stand-out amongst this genre. Loved it!
Books Stats: Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (March 1, 2011) Language: English ISBN-13: 978-1423121312
Hex Hall series: Hex Hall Demonglass
Source: ARC sent by Hyperion
Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
After being sent to Hecate Hall to control her powers, being deceived by some she cares for, and putting an end to the mysterious threat in the first novel, Sophie Mercer is back in this sequel with more humor, adventure and suspense.
Sophie Mercer discovers that she is not a witch as she believed she was, but rather a demon. Sophie witnessed what damage a demon can do if they lost all control and as a result, Sophie is determined to have her powers removed through the ‘Removal’ to protect her friends and family. The Removal is very dangerous and Sophie may not be able to survive the process thus, her father intervenes. He asks that she spend the summer with him at the Council headquarters in England to learn how to control her powers and about being a demon before she makes her decision.
Sophie brings Jenna and Cal with her to England but when they arrive, things are not what they were expecting. They learn that the Council has been reduced to few members but worse, not all of them can be trusted. In addition, they have two teenage guests with demonic powers that were created with dark magic. Sophie must find out who is creating demons and put an end to it. Meanwhile, Archer Cross and ‘The Eye’ are still hunting for Sophie, which forces her to make some very difficult choices that will potentially kill her or those she cares for.
Demonglass is fast paced, entertaining and filled with suspense from the very start. Although this story takes place away from Hecate Hall, the novel continues with the same combination of magic, humor, romance and mystery. The struggle among the council members, the relentless attacks by The Eye and a developing love triangle force Sophie to face her worst nightmare at the end of the novel.
The focus in Demonglass is on Sophie’s family history, her powers and the growing threat of their mortal enemies ‘The Eye’. The suspense kept building throughout the novel, leading up to a cliffhanger ending. I really enjoyed the way Rachel Hawkins portrays the relationship between Sophie and her father in this novel. Hex Hall gave the impression that Sophie’s father was distant and uncaring, but we can see that is very untrue.
Once again Rachel Hawkins did a fantastic job in keeping her readers in anticipation until the very end. Some of my favorite elements in Demonglass were Sophie’s chance to start a meaningful relationship with her father and the continued tension between Sophie Mercer and Archer Cross. I admire and appreciate Rachel Hawkins’ ability to surprise her readers by throwing many curve balls in this novel, one being an unexpected betrothal.
I recommend Demonglass to anyone who enjoys Young Adult fiction and the Paranormal that is filled with suspense and a little hint of Romance.
I’m super excited to have the fabulous Rachel Hawkins, author of the Hex Hall series, with me today to celebrate her latest release, Demonglass! Rachel is super fun and easy going, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the interview! And don’t forget to stick around until the end, we have some goodies for you =)
How would you describe the series in three sentences or less?
Demon Chick with a heart of gold falls for a demon-hunting boy. She also has to deal with Insane Family Issues, and Evil People Who Wanna Take Over The World. It's kinda rad. ;-)
I'm a big fan of Archer personally, can you tell us about his role in Demonglass, without spoilers?
I WILL say that yes, Archer is back and we do get a few answers about just what he's up to. Also, there may be kissing.
If you were to cast your characters for a Hex Hall movie, which actors would you pick and why?
Gah, everyone I think of is too old! I think it's because I'm thirty *mumbles*, so finding teenagers attractive skeeves me out. THAT SAID: For Sophie, I'd pick Emma Stone because she has that snarky-but-sweet thing DOWN. I'd pick Ben Barnes for Archer, both because he looks the part and because him being in a movie based on my book GREATLY increases his chances of becoming my 2nd husband. Jensen Ackles wears a lot of flannel and denim on Supernatural, so he'd be a good fit for Cal.
I really love the US covers, did you have any say in them?
None, but I love them, too! I think the designers really nailed the tone of the books.
I know you really want to name the third book Triple Hexxx but your editor doesn't want, have you chosen the official title? If not, can you share with us some possibilities?
Haha! Oh, TRIPLE HEXXX. Best. Joke Title. EVER. Sadly, I can't announce the 3rd book's REAL title yet, but I will say that it involves magic, and it's another two word title. :)
Can you share with us three random facts we don't know about you?
I have tattoo, I can read Middle English, and I am massive Doctor Who fan.
What's the craziest thing you ever did?
Quit my job to write a book! :) There was also a Skinny Dipping Incident in college that we shall not speak of...
What's your best spring break memory?
Ah, I have so many! I grew up about an hour away from Panama City, so I was WELL INDOCTRINATED in the ways of Spring Break. Which of course means I have NO memories that are appropriate to share on the internet. ;-)
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Thanks you so much Rachel for answering my questions! It’s been a pleasure to have you on the blog, and I can’t wait to discover what the real title is for the third book ^^
More about the series:
Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?
Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.
Sophie Mercer, half-witch raised by human single mother ends up at Hecate Hall, a reform school for special (see magical) kids after a love spell gone bad. The objective of the school is to re-educate witches, shape-shifters, faeries and the likes that exposed magic in the human world. Being raised as a human, Sophie knows nothing about this magical community and will have to learn everything the hard way.
I really enjoyed Hex Hall and thought it was a refreshing quick read. I liked to discover everything magical along side Sophie and see her struggle her way out of trouble. Being the new kid, she got herself in trouble with a trio of mean witches, got on the bad side of a nasty teacher, ended up with a vampire roommate suspected of murder and got a crush on the school hottie. Your regular order of the day right?
This book is really a light read, nothing too deep and a few smiles. I know it seems kinda weird considering kids are killed and attack at the school, but the tone never felt depressing. I liked that Rachel kept things mysterious and vague until the big end and I have too admit that I was totally fooled. Never would’ve figured out who the bad guy is and I can’t wait to see where this story will go from there.
Sophie learnt a lot about herself in this book and I’m sure nothing will ever be the same. She is a great protagonist and I’m anxious to learn more about her magical heritage. Also, I think there is more to Archer (the hottie) then the end let on, and I can’t wait to see if I’m right! I really liked the guy, he was funny yet serious at the right times and there’s this little something special about him.
If you haven’t read this series and are interested in a light and fun YA read then this book is for you. Can Demonglass release now please?
Hex Hall series:
Hex Hall
Demonglass
Books Stats:
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: March 02, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 978-1-4231-2130-5
Pages: 336
Format: Fiction - Young Adult
Book Source: Personal Shelf **Please note that I read the UK editon