Tagged: iron fey
The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.
After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as normal as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for; his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he’s forbidden to see her again.
But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, normal simply isn’t to be. For Ethan’s nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan’s and Keirran’s fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan’s next choice may decide the fate of them all.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
The Iron Traitor is the second book in Iron Fey: The Call of the Forgotten and it releases on October 29, but I already can’t wait for the last book. It seems that Julie Kagawa’s writing is still improving because I felt much more connected to the characters, more involved with the story and I felt like I was there. The descriptions were even more vivid than before and yet they don’t veer into boring territory because they’re just the right length.
I love how Ethan is developing as a character. In The Lost Prince he was the moody, tortured stereotypical bad boy but now that he has Kenzie and knows her awful secret he’s become a much better person. He still fears getting close to other humans because of the faeries’ vengeance but he’s actually starting to warm up to the idea he can be sort of normal. That it’s okay to love someone and that it’s hard to admit you’re in love. Kenzie also has a lot more depth now that we know the reason for all her actions and stubbornness in the last book. It makes her motivations a lot more believable and her love for Ethan is undeniable.
As for the plot, I had a really hard time putting The Iron Traitor down. With Keirran missing in search of a cure for Annwyl before she fades, there’s an even greater air of urgency to the whole thing. Does Keirran have an ulterior motive here? Why did Ash and Megan keep Keirran and Ethan separate for so long? Are the Forgotten really going to return to the real world now? There are so many questions and many of them are answered by the end, but new questions pop up then as well. The ending is just plain cruel, but is part of the reason why I can’t wait for the next book! Julie Kagawa really knows how to hook her readers, that’s for sure.
So here we have a fast-paced plot, awesome characters and even more world-building. I can’t ask for anything more in the second book of a trilogy.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.
That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’s dare to fall for.
Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myths and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.
My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.
(Summary courtesy of Goodreads.)
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Well, as of today it’s one month until the release of The Lost Prince, the first book in the new Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten Trilogy. One of the only downsides to obtaining a book on NetGalley is that you read it earlier than everyone else and as a result, have to wait even longer for the next book! I honestly can’t wait for the next book, which will be coming out in 2013. Anyway, on with the review!
You shouldn’t read this book unless you’ve read all four of the previous books in the Iron Fey series. It contains major spoilers and you will definitely be left wondering how the heck certain things happened unless you read all the previous books in the series. With that said, if you have read the rest of the series, The Lost Prince is an amazing add-on book. It focuses on Ethan Chase, Meghan’s little brother who was kidnapped by Machina in The Iron King. Only now, he’s eighteen years old and about as emotionally scarred as you would expect from his experiences with the cruel, remorseless faeries. It doesn’t help that Meghan left him at a young age to become the Iron Queen with Ash as her Prince Consort.
It also doesn’t help that Ethan has The Sight and, as a result, gets noticed by Them a lot. He’s paranoid (with good reason) and refuses to get close to anyone for fear that the faeries may hurt them to get to him. That’s why Mackenzie (Kenzie for short) St. James, a school reporter determined to dig up his past, becomes such an important character. Although she may seem one dimensional or even just plain crazy, we learn that Ethan isn’t the only one with huge secrets.
An amazing plot, reappearances of old favourite characters, three dimensional new characters and a larger picture of the fantastic world of the Nevernever…what more could you ask for? Iron Fey fans will love the fifth installment in the series, so go ahead and pre-order it if you haven’t already! It releases on October 23, 2012.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Dangerous faeries. Heartbreaking romance. Thrilling action and limitless adventure. The world of the fey has never been so powerful. This collection includes three novellas set in the world of the Iron Fey plus the Guide to the Iron Fey with exclusive information about Julie Kagawa’s unforgettable world of Faery.
Winter’s Passage
Never make a promise to a faery. They always come to collect. Now Meghan Chase must fulfill her promise to Prince Ash of the Winter Court and embark upon a dangerous journey into the heart of enemy territory—while being pursued by a relentless new foe and guarding her own foolish heart.
Summer’s Crossing
What can turn enemies into reluctant allies? A call from the Exile Queen, Leanansidhe, ties legendary prankster Puck to his archenemy, Prince Ash, on a journey that may end in betrayal and will set them both on an irreversible path.
Iron’s Prophecy
Before she ever knew what might become, Iron Queen Meghan Chase was warned by the oracle that her firstborn child would bring nothing but grief. And even as Meghan and Ash celebrate their long-awaited union, the prophecy stirs….
Being the Luddite that I am, I still do not own an e-reader and frankly don’t plan on getting one. Reading on a screen strains my eyes and paperbacks are much more portable (or at least, more convenient to move without worrying about the battery draining). This is why I’m so glad that Julie Kagawa’s formerly e-book only novellas are now available in print—I never would have been able to read them otherwise.
For fans of The Iron Fey, the three novellas and the Guide to the Iron Fey will be great additions to the series. If you haven’t read all of the books in the series, then you should not read The Iron Legends because there are some massive spoilers. Besides that, you won’t be able to appreciate all of the interwoven plot lines nearly as much. Much like how Cassandra Clare has joined her Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series, Julie Kagawa has joined her Iron Fey series with her brand new series, Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten. And, as someone who obtained an ARC of The Lost Prince, let me say that you had better read the novella Iron’s Prophecy before you read it. It explains a lot of the secondary characters’ behavior towards Ethan.
Although the Guide to the Iron Fey promises to have exclusive information, there really isn’t all that much that’s new. Julie Kagawa expands a bit on the Nevernever, but there’s nothing really all that special that makes the guide a must-read. Well, unless you’re a fan of Grimalkin because the Cait Sith has his own ‘comments’ on his biography and much of the information about the world of faeries. However, what follows the guide is an excerpt from The Lost Prince and it definitely makes the wait for October 23 more difficult. Even though I obtained an ARC from NetGalley and my review won’t appear until later this month, here’s a hint: it was so good I intend to buy a print copy when it comes out.
To wrap things up: if you love the Iron Fey, you’ll love this anthology, but you should read all four books in the series before you read The Iron Legends.
I give this book 4/5 stars.