The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

(Cover picture courtesy of Julie Kagawa’s website.)

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over.  That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me.  But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming.  Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side.  Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

As most of you are aware, I am a shameless Julie Kagawa fan.  I love the entire Iron Fey series, but The Iron Queen (the third book) is my absolute favourite.  Here’s why:

Meghan Chase has finally acquired a backbone.

Unlike in The Iron Daughter, she has finally learned how and when to hide her emotions and lie.  She’s also more sure of her love for Ash and has stopped doubting him so much.  Overall, she’s just a better character and she’s far less helpless as she learns how to fight and use her glamour.  By the climax, when she faces the new Iron King, she shows incredible bravery and makes an enormous sacrifice in order to save the Nevernever.  It’s satisfying and extremely touching at the same time because readers could see hints of Meghan’s inner strength before, but now it finally shows through.

Since the stakes are even higher than before, there is hardly a dull moment.  The plot speeds along at a tremendous pace as the battle for the fate of the Nevernever begins.  This is the kind of book that will keep you reading into the early morning; you won’t want to put it down.  And the ending will make you desperate to get your hands on the last book in the series, The Iron Knight.

I rarely read series in order, but Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series is an exception.  I was amazed at the world-building in the first book, captivated by the admittedly cliché love triangle in the second book, but what I loved in this book was the quality of the writing.  The wonderful thing about reading an author’s first series in order is that you get to see how much they improve in writing, characterization and world-building.  Julie Kagawa has improved greatly since her debut novel and I think we can expect great things from her in the future.

I give this book 4.5/5 stars.

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My 100th Book Review

As you may or may not know, tomorrow I will be posting my 100th review!  It’s been less than four months and I can’t believe I’ve already reached 100 book reviews.  When I started The Mad Reviewer, I never imagined I’d get very far, but I’m happy with where I am now.  And who do I have to thank?  My lovely readers of course!  It’s your wonderful comments and our long discussions that keep me motivated to continue with my blog.  So give yourselves a pat on the back and turn up on Saturday to see my 100th book review.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

(Cover picture courtesy of Paperback Fool.)

Charlie Gordon is about to embark upon an unprecedented journey.  Born with an unusually low IQ, he has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that researchers hope will increase his intelligence—a procedure that has already been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon.

As the treatment takes effect, Charlie’s intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis.  The experiment appears to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance, until Algernon suddenly deteriorates.  will the same happen to Charlie?

“That’s the mark of a good book: you laugh, you cry, you have a good time.”  —My mother

If my mother is right (and I’m pretty sure she is), then Flowers for Algernon is one of the best books I’ve ever read.  True, I may be a bit biased because the topic hits really close to home, but Daniel Keyes’ novel is brilliant.

Charlie Gordon is anything but a cardboard cutout because he changes so much throughout the novel.  Since it is told in journal form, we see him at the beginning with his poor spelling and grammar, then watch as his writing style gets much better as the surgery works.  We really feel his triumphs, his struggles, his frustration and his loneliness, especially when his intelligence is at its peak.  As the saying goes, it’s lonely at the top and Daniel Keyes has perfectly explained how lonely truly intelligent people are.

This is not a book that’s meant to be read because of the fast-paced plot, so don’t read this and expect to read a thriller.  Flowers for Algernon is a book you read for the meaning, and to be quite honest, it can mean many different things to many different people.  For me, the message is that higher intelligence comes with a price—the ability to relate to your peers.  For others, it could be a cautionary tale about what happens when man interferes with God’s work through science.  It could also be seen as a commentary on intelligence-based discrimination, both for people of high and low IQ.  Each time I read Flowers for Algernon, I find new things that I never noticed before.  Now that is the mark of a good book.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

(Cover picture courtesy of Tighe Chemidlin.)

In the future, in a place called Satellite City, Cosmo Hill enters the world, unwanted by his parents.  He’s sent to the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys.  Freight class.

Here, the boys are put to work by the state, testing highly dangerous products.  Cosmo realizes that he must get away, and escapes with the help of the Supernaturalists, a group of kids who have the same special abilities as Cosmo—they can see the supernatural Parasites, creatures that feed on the life force of humans.  The Supernaturalists patrols the city at night, hunting the Parasites in hopes of saving what is left of humanity in Satellite City.  But soon they find themselves caught in a web far more complicated than they’d imagined, and they discover a horrifying secret that will force them to question everything they believe in.

As a book reviewer, I hate to use clichés, but there really is only one word to describe The Supernaturalist: unique.  Eoin Colfer’s more famous Artemis Fowl series and even his stand-alone novel, The Wish List have overshadowed his brilliant science fiction novel.  Written with the humour and imagination I have come to expect from him, The Supernaturalist is absolutely brilliant.

Cosmo is pretty much your stereotypical protagonist in the beginning, but as the story progresses, he develops at a very natural pace.  And as he slowly finds out the truth about the Parasites, we really do see an interesting side of him: the brave, more daring side.  His struggle to fit in with the Supernaturalists, who have a group dynamic similar to that of The Thief Lord, also makes him identifiable with pretty much every adolescent in the world.

Eoin Colfer inserts so many plot twists and turns in The Supernaturalist that I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t be able to guess the ending, which is a huge surprise.  The surprise ending is a whopper, but it’s also incredibly satisfying and brings some closure to this novel.  For once, I have nothing to criticize about a book’s ending because Eoin Colfer was able to finish it in a pinch.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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