“BOUNDLESS,” by Cynthia Hand, Harper Teen, Jan. 22, 2013, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly series comes to a satisfying close with the third and final book in the trilogy, “Boundless.”
The books, which also include “Unearthly” and “Hallowed,” follow Clara Gardner as she learns of her angelic ancestry and the purpose that comes with having angel blood flowing through her veins.
In “Unearthly,” Clara learns she’s part angel and that with the wings comes visions of things to come. Her visions of a raging forest fire with a boy standing in the middle of it. Clues from that have lead her to a new town in a new state and a new school.
In “Hallowed,” Clara is living with the decisions she made the fateful day of the fire and the consequences that are still playing out. Clara’s fate is still tied to the boy from her vision, Christian, who is also part angel. But Clara loves Tucker with all her heart. She’s also started having another vision — this time of someone she loves dying.
“Boundless” opens as Clara is packing up for college. She’s broken things off with Tucker and will join Christian and good friend Angela at Stanford. Clara is still reeling from the loss of her mother and the disappearance of her brother. California seems like a good option to get away, to refocus.
But it’s hard to refocus when everything is tied back together. The fallen angel who was in love with her mother is following her, watching her every move. Jeffrey is in danger. Angela is in danger. Clara and Christian are having visions of sword fighting and death. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better, and things are about to get a lot deadlier, too.
While “Hallowed” may have suffered a little from second-book syndrome, “Boundless” has rebounded in fine form. While Clara’s growth seemed to halt in Cynthia’s second book, it picks up exponentially in her third.
In some ways, “Boundless” feels almost like a new series. The location changes, key characters from the first two books barely make an appearance and Clara must depend on her own instincts rather than motherly advice. These changes inject a much-needed freshness to the series. The pacing has picked up and the story line becomes much more complex.
*Read Cracking the Cover’s interview with Cynthia Hand.
