Review: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Series: The Iron Fey #3

Pages: 384

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: January 25, 2011

How Received: Netgalley

Summary:

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 stay by my side. Drag me into the core of a conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

My Thoughts:

I want to start off by talking about the ending. “Because it ends at the beginning”. No, really. It all ends at the beginning. I have never been so impressed in such a long time with an ending than I have with The Iron Queen’s ending. It had all the elements that make a good ending: sacrifice, selflessness, and a sense of peace and acceptance. Everything was over. All the loose ends were being tied. To be honest, I didn’t even need the epilogue to be happy with the ending Julie gives us: I was happy right there at Meghan’s decision. Not because I’m mean or cruel, but because everything made sense – it all came together. But the epilogue just made me so much happier, because it consolidates everything (to a point) that happened in the first two books. It’s a happy ending, but at the same time, it’s not a happy ending. And I loved it.

The pacing was a bit slow for my tastes, as it was with the first two books as well. It would pick up, and I’d get excited that action is about to happen, flip a couple of pages, a couple more, and then the action starts. Don’t get me wrong – I loved the detail that went into this book, because there are a lot of things to be explained – but I kept getting distracted by other things and putting this book down a lot.

On to the characters... I just have to say thank goodness Meghan took a 180 from The Iron Daughter. I couldn’t stand her constant and unjust whining in that book. Strong Meghan, the one who takes things up on her own and wants to actively fight back – emotionally and physically – instead of remaining on the sidelines, was back and boy, was she stronger than ever. I loved all of the decisions she made in this book, and was so happy at the selfless sacrifice she makes at the end.

Ash was... Well, I’ve never been an Ash supporter, and this book didn’t really change my stance, either. I appreciated that there were more interactions between Meghan and Ash, because I never understood why Meghan liked him, other than the fact that he’s forbidden, mysterious, etc., since the two never got to know each other. I loved seeing other sides to Ash – the soft Ash, the one that cries when he feels like he’s losing his beloved, the one who will risk his own life to save hers.

And Puck. I love Puck. I am Team Puck 100%, no matter what Meghan decides. Most of my quotes consisted of lines Puck says; he’s too witty and charming for his own good! I was a bit sad that he’s pretty much getting the short end of the stick, but that doesn’t deter him. He still rushes to Meghan’s aid and still tags along with the group. In fact, I loved his decision to join Ash, his one-time-friend-but-ultimately-his-enemy, at the end. I think that, above anything else, speaks volumes of Puck’s character.

I’ve always thought the concept of Iron fey was ingenious, and this novel was no exception to that thought. Reading about the Iron realm was so exciting – it lives by its own set of rules, and I was constantly wondering what traps or things were set in store for our party when they headed into it. I personally loved the Gremlins (especially Razor). Can you say cute?! I love how Julie makes people we previously thought were antagonists and suddenly makes them into allies. I cannot wait to read more about the Iron realm!

Cover Musings: I think we can all establish that I absolutely adore most of the covers of the Iron Fey series. I think this one, though, steals the show. Love the red around the borders!

Memorable Quotes:

“Be forewarned, darling, I don’t care if you are Mab’s favorite son. If you threaten any in this house, I will rip your guts out through your nose and string my harps with them.”

“I’d love to see that, personally,” Puck muttered, smirking. (pg. 61)

“Looks like the war isn’t going well for us.”

“That’s what I like about you, prince. You’re always so cheerful.” Puck shook his head, gazing around the camp, and wrinkled his nose. “Although I will say, this place has seen better days. Does anyone feel like they’re about to hurl, or is it just me?” (pg. 138)

“The Desert of Lost Things,” Puck said dramatically. “Well, that’s appropriate. We’re here, aren’t we?”

“We are not lost,” I told him firmly, tossing the cell phone away. It hit the sand and was swallowed immediately. “I know exactly where I’m going.”

“Oh, good. And here I thought we were taking the scenic route.” (pg. 214)

Puck was already crouched behind a jagged outcropping, huddled against it as streams of sand flowed around him, bouncing odds and ends off the stones.

“Well, this is fun,” Puck said as we ducked behind the rock, huddled together as wind and sand shrieked around us. “It’s not every day I get to tell someone I was attacked by a pair of flying reading glasses. Ow.” He rubbed his forehead, where a bruise had started to form. (pg. 215)

“For the record,” Grimalkin stated as we ventured, single file, into the black, “I do not think this is a good idea. But, as no one listens to the cat anymore, I will have to wait until we are completely lost to say ‘I told you so.’” (pg. 218)

Ash gently took the branch from me, narrowing his eyes. “Do you know what this is?” he murmured.

Puck smirked. “Uh, yes, actually. In most circles, it’s called a stick. Used for starting fires, poking large insects, and playing fetch with your dog.” (pg. 243)

“Oh, look, demon fey, lake of liquid hot magma—does this remind you of anything?” He grimaced, giving me a weak grin. “When I said I’d follow you to hell and back, I wasn’t trying to be literal, princess.” (pg. 289-290)

“Last night, I was wondering how the courts were going to tell us apart from the false king’s army. Bad Iron fey, good Iron fey—they all look the same to me. Sooooo...” he swept the pole up with a flourish, and a bright green banner snapped open at the top, the silhouette of a great oak splayed proudly across the front. “I wanted to make it a picture of a flower or butterfly,” Puck said, smiling at my awed look, “but I didn’t think that would strike fear into the heart of the false king.” (pg. 301)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: As I got to the middle of this novel, I was almost sure of how I was going to rate this. My mind was set. Then I got to the ending. My god, did the ending change my mind! I can’t even begin to explain why I loved the ending so much. Not only was it selfless and saved a whole lot of faeries, but it tied up loose ends and was somewhat a happy ending. Meghan didn’t make me want to slap her this time; Ash showed his softer, more likeable side; Puck was just awesome and witty overall. The pacing wasn’t that great in the novel, but when the pace does pick up, it more than makes up for it.

My rating for the series overall (without the books from Ash’s perspective or the novella):

1. The Iron King (first book)

2. The Iron Queen (third book)

3. The Iron Daughter (second book)

Rating: 5/5

Review: Blood and Flowers by Penny Blubaugh

Blood and Flowers

Author: Penny Blubaugh

Publisher: HarperTeen

Series: N/A

Pages: 352

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: March 1, 2011

How Received: Star Book Tours

Summary: Three years ago, Persia ran away from her drug-addict parents and found a home with the Outlaws, an underground theater troupe. With time, this motley band of mortals and fey, puppeteers and actors, becomes the loving family Persia never had, and soon Persia not only discovers a passion for theater but also falls in love with one of the other Outlaws. Life could not be more perfect.

Until an enemy makes an unfair accusation against the group and forces them to flee their world and hide in the neighboring realm of Faerie. But in Faerie, all is not flowers and rainbows. With bloodythirsty trolls, a hostile monarchy, and a dangerous code of magic, the fey world is far from the safe haven the Outlaws had hoped for. 

My Thoughts:

There was a connection lacking with this book. I just couldn’t get connected – to the characters, to Faerie, to the plot, to anything. Perhaps it was because there were too many characters to even develop a connection with one, or that this book, like the Outlaws, was similar to organized chaos. But in any case, that was the books downfall: lack of connection and description.

The characters were mostly inconsistent half of the time. A character would do or say something that would totally ruin my initial impression of them; they went out of character a lot. I think the only consistent character was Lucia, and only because she “looked as if she wanted to cry” all the time. The thing that bothered me, though, was that I couldn’t get connected to Persia as a character. I didn’t feel for her, and I didn’t even care about her romance to Nicholas. Her narrative just seemed like she was in the audience (or reader’s perspective), watching a play unfold before her. She threw in a couple of lines every so often, but she never really did anything substantial.

Going back to the romance, it was so lackluster. I felt like the romance was just tacked into the storyline just so Persia could have a romance. There was no build-up to it. Persia just states that she loves Nicholas, and Nicholas, despite showing no prior signs whatsoever to liking Persia, coincidentally starts loving her, too.

The plot was so stale. I had no idea what the plot even was for half of the book. At times, it seemed like they were running away from Major and the big baddies, and other times, it just seemed like a book focused on theater production. The idea of having Outlaws as a theater troupe was cool, and it would have been better if it had been executed better – we weren’t even given insight to the shows, or the emotions running through the characters while they put it on. I just saw a lazy plot, with nothing but shows and the eventual “show-down” to drive it forward.

I saw no point in the Outlaws going to Faerie, other than to progress the plot. The summary says that they were fleeing for their lives, but it didn’t feel that way at all. They weren’t in mortal danger – it didn’t even happen until about 150 pages in. It felt like their reason for going to Faerie was just not thought out at all, and that the author was groping for any reason to get them into Faerie. There are so many other options that the group of Outlaws could have utilized, or at least tried, before going to Faerie (which they claimed was a “last resort”).

Faerie bothered me. When I think of faeries, I think of magic. The Faerie depicted in this novel didn’t give me a magical vibe, at all. Also, there was a repetition of how dangerous Faerie was, but I didn’t feel the danger at all. I wasn’t scared for anyone, or their lives, and Penny Blubaugh gave us no reason to feel endangered in her world of Faerie. I just felt like everyone was holding hands and everything was sunshine and flowers. The scariest part of Faerie? A big troll who is supposed to be bloodthirsty, but really doesn’t do anything, and blood on the grass. Very dangerous. Also, I have never heard of faeries who would willingly have a democracy, but there it was. If I didn’t know about faeries beforehand, I would have been lost.

Nothing is truly explained in this book. Faeries are never explained, nor are their pink and red drinks (other than the darker the color, the more dangerous it is). There were barely any character descriptions. The only description I had for Lucia was her scarred hand. Floss has dandelion fluff yellow hair. Max is black. And that was it. The author kept using the word “dax” in conversation, which made me think it was a word specialized for the world she created, but it’s never explained. The use of “dax” in context kept changing, too, so I could never guess what it meant. Does someone know what “dax” means? I’d really love to know.

Lastly, the ending. Ugh. I could break down the ending into at least 4 more paragraphs, but I’ll just summarize it with this: I hated the ending; it was so choppy and... well, lazy. Not only was it abrupt, but we were also supposed to assume that these crazy dangerous forces, Feron and Major, would give up just like that. Yes, those dangerous forces that forced (truly, there was no force) the Outlaws to go into Faerie. Ugh.

Cover Musings: The cover on the arc I received bothered me. Mostly, the pollen on the model’s face bothered me. It looks so out of place and splotched into the cover. But other than that, it’s... Interesting. I kept getting weirded out every time I walked in my room and had that pale face staring at me, haha.

Memorable Quotes:

I was rooted to the floor, stuck right in the middle of the feelings tumbling around me. It was like being caught in an earthquake. No matter which way you turned you’d lose your footing. (pg. 71)

We were a set, the six of us. Lose one and everything would start to tumble. I hadn’t been wrong when I’d said we were a family. For me, at least, the Outlaws were that proverbial place to come back to, that place where they have to take you in. But even better than that, they were my friends, in the truest sense. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing that. (pg. 96)

“Now,” Floss said, “I put them on the back porch, near the steps. Then a flyer picks up the message, delivers it, and brings the answer back.”

“How do you know when the answer’s here?” I was amazed by all of this. Fey air mail. “Does someone show up at the door or what?”

Floss raised her eyes to the ceiling and sighed. “No, Persia. The flowers die. The answer’s in the petals.” (pg. 110-111)

“Now,” he continued, “about fey food. I only meant that it can make you sleep the sleep of the just and righteous. You wake feeling rejuvenated.”

I had to agree with that. But, “I won’t have to stay here forever? Until I die and my bleached bones are buried in the far, far hills?”

He raised both eyebrows. “What have you been reading?” (pg. 164-165)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: There was nothing remarkable or memorable about this book whatsoever. It lacked making a connection with the reader, and there were no addictive qualities about it. To be honest, I only kept reading for two reasons: I was hoping it would get better and I had to read it because I signed up for the tour. There were no character descriptions, and no descriptions about Faerie whatsoever. The romance (if you can call it that) was so lackluster, and the characters were inconsistent. I think this book has a great starting point and that it could have been good, but it was just executed poorly.

Rating: 2/5

**I received this ARC from Star Book Tours. Thank you, Katelyn!

Review: Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Extraordinary

Author: Nancy Werlin

Publisher: Dial 

Series: N/A

Pages: 393

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: September 7, 2010

How Received: Library

Summary: Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters... until Mallory’s magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself.

Soon she’ll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Will she be strong enough to resist? Will she be special enough to save herself? 

My Thoughts:

The statement “Don’t judge a book by its cover” can definitely be applied here. While Extraordinary was a quick, nice read, it didn’t meet my expectations for it.

I do have to start out by applauding Werlin’s writing – it’s unbelievably gorgeous and elegant. I haven’t been that impressed by someone’s writing style for ages.

As for Extraordinary itself, it fell short for me. It started off great – we’re introduced to the faeries and Phoebe, and we’re intensely curious about this big plan the faeries need Phoebe for. But then the plan actually succeeds (sort of), and I just thought... They made a huge, huge deal about breaking someone’s spirit just for... well, pretty much nothing. I assumed, with all the fuss the faeries were making, that something monumental was going to happen. It doesn’t.

The faerie folklore in this novel was quite interesting, and I wish we had more of a chance to experience it. I found myself more interested in Mallory’s final role rather than Phoebe’s story. I also wanted to know what types of faeries there were, their “history”, rituals, etc. It was all so fascinating and aside from the glamour, it was also new (from other faerie stories I’ve read). But we never go deeper than touching the slightest basics of this books folklore.

The characters were well-written. Phoebe was... well, she was annoying at times, but she was glamoured so I couldn’t fault her. I just wished she could have used her wits more than just at the end. Mallory... now there’s a character I loved. Torn between her people/duty and her best friend. I enjoyed that she wasn’t completely heartless and that she eventually came to love Phoebe. Unlike Ryland, who was pretty much the definition of heartless. Even towards the end, I was holding on to the hope that he developed some sort of feelings (even brotherly) towards Phoebe but I was seriously stopped short.

While the plot was unique (this story is based off a real family, but the characters in the book are fictional), I thought it could have been better. I wasn’t too impressed with the plot. The only thing that kept me reading this novel was the constant question: what did the faeries want Phoebe for? I mean, sure, we get the gist of it through conversations with the Queen, but we don’t really know what is going on until the end.

Also, I have to mention... The conversations with the faerie queen are stunning. Why? On the pages where we have conversations with the faerie queen, there are vines coming down the pages. It’s really pretty. And the chapter titles? Such a pretty font. I’m a nut for aesthetics.

Cover Musings: Oh my goodness, this cover is gorgeous. I’m not exactly sure what but it just really appeals to me. The foliage, the girls’ dress and the way her hair sways, her calves, the fact she can run in heels. My list is endless – this is just a beautiful cover all around.

Memorable Quotes:

He opened his arms.
She never remembered going to him. She was simply there, standing before him, reaching out her own arms, moving—awkward, untried—onto his lap. His arms wrapped around her, a dragon whipping its muscular tail around a small prey—no, what a weird vision! Another stupid hallucination. Phoebe closed her eyes— (pg. 137)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: Extraordinary had a lot of promise, but it wasn’t exactly an extraordinary novel. While it was well-written and had some decent characters, the plot wasn’t all that interesting and the read was rather slow. Still, I liked it – it was a decent read. But I’d recommend checking this one out at a library rather than buying it.

Rating: 3/5

Review: Aurelie: A Faerie Tale by Heather Tomlinson

Aurelie: A Faerie Tale

Author: Heather Tomlinson                                 

Publisher: Square Fish

Series: N/A

Pages: 184 (Hardback)

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: September 2, 2008

How Received: Library

Summary: Once upon a time, three children and a little river dragon were the best of friends—until a promise was broken. Now they are almost grown up and barely speaking to one another. With her country in turmoil, Aurelie is sent on a peacekeeping mission. But how can she prevent a war when she can’t even make her friends get along? Heartsick at losing her dearest companions, especially the handsome Garin, Aurelie finds comfort in her secret, late-night trips to fairyland. But a princess can’t hide from her duties forever. Her country needs her, and so do her friends—whether they know it or not.

My Thoughts:

Aurelie is a short fairytale novel about four childhood friends – three children and one dragon (or drac). I think the premise of the novel was pretty good; it was the execution of it that lacked. A lot.

Nothing is really explained in this novel. We know there are Fae, but we aren’t explained what each one is. The only explanation is a very mini one for drac’s. It was difficult distinguishing what each country was. Names of places, people, and faeries are thrown at us without any real meaning. The children are sworn to secrecy about their ability to see Fae, and that it’d be disastrous if anyone knew about it. But what was so disastrous, besides becoming blind?

Descriptions were non-existent – we didn’t know what the Fae looked like, what the main characters looked like, what the countryside (besides Skoe) looked like. It was just a jumbled mess of non-description.

The characters were very one dimensional – they just lacked all around. We know that Netta is shy, Garin is brave, Aurelie is proud, and Loic is mischievous. But that’s it. I hated how everything was forgiven so easily – and that it took place off screen. If these friends didn’t speak for 2 years, why were they all happy and dandy after a few sentences of speaking? And why were they separated? I understand why they refused to see Loic, and why Netta didn’t want to see Aurelie and Garin, but why did the latter two not speak to each other?

Time isn’t distinct in this novel. One moment, we were reading about Aurelie in her room and the next paragraph, she was suddenly somewhere else, with no word whatsoever as to how she got there. One minute she’s in the dining room of the guesthouse, the next she’s at the docks with no explanation that she’s moving.

Cover Musings: I thought the old cover had a certain charm that fairytale’s do, but I can’t say I’m very fond of the new cover. I like how they incorporated the white eagles – the symbol for Jocondagne – but the model and the awkward color scheme is just... eh.

Memorable Quotes:

“No, its not their lies that trouble me; it’s the ingratitude. Show them marvels, they’ll take it for their due. Share your innermost self, and they forget you. Best friends one day, and the next—what’s the quaint expression? They ‘grow up’.” (pg. 82)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: This novel had every potential of being good, but it was too choppy and fragmented and lacked too many things. I did like the story though, once I looked past the fact that it was a story only half there.

Rating: 2/5

Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Need

Author: Carrie Jones
Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A Children’s Books 
Series: Need #1
Pages: 306
Genre: Paranormal, YA
Release Date: December 28, 2008
How Received: Library

Summary: Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear.

My Thoughts:

As much as I hate comparing books to other books, I had to with this one. The beginning of Need was so reminiscent of Twilight, it wasn’t even funny. New girl in a small town, it’s cold – she hates the cold, she falls down on the first day of school as she’s walking to her new ride, the hospital near the end. Maybe it’s just me, but I felt myself going back through time when I first read Twilight. Hell, some of the lines even sounded the same.  

I really didn’t know what to expect from this book, and let me tell you – even without a clue about what’s going on at the beginning, this book delivers.

So, not knowing what was going on, I accepted the pixie “sub-plot” pretty easily. Werewolves? Okay. Were-tigers? Uhh... I’ll let that slide. No vampires? That’s where I draw the line. You have an entire army of these other mythical creatures, and no vampires? That’s just odd. But yes, despite the seemingly normal title, Need IS paranormal with lots of shiny creatures.

Our main character, Zara, is dealing with loss, a new romance, potential stalker, and phobia on top of phobia. She’s depressed, hollow, and stubborn. I think she was meant to be portrayed as a strong character, but she’s really just a stupid one. She goes to danger and ends up with concussions, broken limbs, etc. I mean cmon... There is only so much physical harm the body can take. Have some self-preservation. If she had waited for half of the bad scenarios she got caught in, I’m sure there’d be more favorable outcomes. I loved Issie – she’s hyper, eccentric, and loves bunnies. Who wouldn’t like her?! She was a nice, bubbly contrast to Zara.  I also liked the fact that there was a parental figure in Zara’s life – that almost always seems to be missing in YA novels. Betty was so badass for a grandmother, and it seemed like she bended over backwards for Zara.

The novel didn’t drag too much, if at all. A lot of the story revolved on moving forward, and action from here to there. Something was always happening. And goodness, PLOT TWIST GALORE. I was only able to predict one plot twist, and that was only because it was super obvious. I’m usually up to par with some plot twists, but goodness, I did not see at least 2 of them coming AT ALL. My mouth hung open – it takes a lot to do that, so kudos to Need for catching me off guard so badly.

I love that the title Need incorporates into the story, in a way I wouldn’t have expected it to – I thought it was more of a need for... romance, or saving, or some sort. You’ll see what I mean. But it was super cool. =)

Cover Musings: THIS COVER IS GORGEOUS. Gah! I’m in love with it so much. I love it even more now that I know it actually has significance and ties in with the story! Sooo much love.

Memorable Quotes:

“It’s a lot easier to understand things once you name them. It’s the unknown that mostly freaks me out.” (pg. 1)

“'The keys are right here

à

She drew an arrow pointing at the keys, next to the note on the table, like I’d miss them.” (pg. 19)

“I used to be the type of person who was always in motion, always doing things, writing letters, running through the streets, laughing with my friends, moving. Always forward. Moving.

                Then I got stuck. My dad died and the only words I hear are death, deadly, stillness. To never more. No forward. No backward. Just stuck. Gone forever, like my dad, a blank screen on the computer, an old photograph in the hall with no spirit in it, an ice patch on a road to nowhere, nothing. Just gone.”  (pg. 62)

“Nick laughs. Dimples crinkle up the skin near his lips. I will not look at his lips. How can he never have used those? That’s a crime against humanity right there.” (pg. 101)

“Fear pushes my feet faster, makes my heart speed up too fast. It pounds against my chest, trying to escape. But from what? A voice? A shadow? I came out here to find him. He’s found me.” (pg. 111)

“Everybody has fears, right? But how many of us have my fear? Enough, it seems. Because there’s a name for it.

Autophobia

Fear of oneself” (pg. 306)

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: Need was a pretty good book – I’d recommend this to any YA lovers out there. The pacing was good, the characters were enjoyable, and the plot was semi-unique. The inclusion of phobias made this a rather fun and quirky read – much like our main character. Zara’s and Nick’s romance was sweet, and I actually enjoyed seeing how it progressed. This actually would have been a great standalone book, but I realized it’s a series, so I’m rather curious as to how the story will expand.

Rating: 4/5

Random, fun phobias in the novel that applied to me:

Ophthalmophobic

Fear of being stared at.

Couplogagophobia

Fear of being the third wheel

Scotophobia

The fear of darkness

Catagelophobia

Fear of being ridiculed

Autophobia

Fear of being alone

** This post is a challenge entry for the September Spectacular Challenge. 

Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Daughter

Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Iron Fey #2
Pages: 368
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: August 1, 2010
How Received: Library

Summary: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

My thoughts:

I wasn’t blown away by the Iron Daughter.  Well, let me go back and say I wasn’t blown away by the Iron King, which is its prequel, either. The main reason I say this? The pacing of the book. A lot of the book really dragged on, with lengthy descriptions or a stale plot (not that I’m saying the former is bad!). While I was reading, I kept getting up from my seat, or got distracted by Facebook. Don’t get me wrong: I love the series, but it didn’t hold my attention for long.

That being said, I stuck the book out because I absolutely love the concept of the story and looove the characters. The world of Nevernever is introduced to the readers once again, thrusting them into a somewhat familiar landscape. The book opens up with Meghan in the icy, treacherous Winter Court this time, as opposed to the vibrant Summer Court.

I found Meghan absolutely whiny in Winter, and she just nearly pissed me off a couple of times. Honestly, she did. She kept going on and on about whether or not Ash really did love her, because he was being so cold and aloof towards her. HELLO?! She knows that Ash can’t favor her in the Unseelie court. She knows that it’s forbidden for Summer and Winter to be in love, and his title as prince sure doesn’t help. It was even more annoying, because Ash had specifically told her in Winter’s Passage that he couldn’t show her how he felt towards her – that showing emotion in Winter Court is a weakness. Meghan, you’re supposed to be a strong character – stop doubting the one you love!

Even after the whole Ash-ignoring her thing, she kept being whiny throughout the entire book about him, and wanting to be around him. I suppose I like the fact that she kept her head up and pursued Ash despite how many times he “rejected” her, but I wish she could have done so in a less whiny manner.

The other characters, however, made up for our whiny heroine. Out of nowhere, Puck returned on the scene! Thrusting him back into the story without any warning at all was... actually, it was pretty damn awesome! You guys have no idea how much I jumped, started to dance, partied, etc. when Puck randomly waltzes in to save the day. I slightly wish we had more back-story on how he recovered and how he even found them. Meghan didn’t even seem inquisitive at all as to how Puck returned to them. She just acted as if him returning from the dead was a daily thing.

Grimalkin’s reappearance also made me really happy. Puck and Grim were my two favorites in Iron King, so it was nice to have them back (especially since I wasn’t sure if Grim was coming back). I had almost forgotten his end of the bargain in the Iron King, so I hadn’t been expecting his reappearance, either.

The last character I have to mention is the reappearance of a familiar face, but this time, he’s on the good side: Ironhorse! I wasn’t too thrilled that Meghan allowed him to join her “group”. He didn’t even need to convince them that much: all of a sudden he was an ally and a friend. Just like that. But then he started becoming one of my favorite characters. He’s so gallant, loyal, and truly never backed out on his word.

Towards the end of the book, a lot of things that I thought had been dragged out came to a page-turning climax. Around page 320 (not exact), I couldn’t put the book down, which made up for its slow progression. Meghan’s new abilities and her encounter with the scepter really left me intrigued, and wanting more – what in the world is going to happen?! I thought something would have happened with the shedding of a new plot, but had my hopes crushed when Meghan made her final decision at the end.

Cover Musings: I can’t even convey how much I love the Iron Daughter’s cover. The swirls on the edges of the book seem almost magical. The colors meshed together well, and the inscription at the bottom made me want to grab the book (I was in the bookstore at the time) and run out to read it immediately. I love the model they used for the cover – I normally don’t like having people on covers, but I’ll make an exception for this one: she’s gorgeous!

Memorable Quotes:

I actually had a lot of these, so it’ll be tough to pick just a few. (Oh, and yes, a LOT of my quotes are Puck-heavy, haha.)

“Puck glanced from me to Ash and back again, looking confused. ‘Erm, so you’re saying you don’t want to go back home?’ he asked me. I glared at him, and he shrugged. ‘Wow, so that totally makes the whole rescue plan a wash. You wanna throw me a bone here, Princess? I feel somewhat out of the loop.’”

“‘This isn’t a game, Meghan! The shit is about to hit the fan, and you’re right in the middle of it without knowing enough to duck!’”

“‘Things are going to get screwed eight ways from Sunday, and you’re making goo-goo eyes at the enemy!’”

“I could handle goblins and bogeymen and evil, flesh-eating horses, but giant freaking spiders? That’s where I drew the line.”

“‘You know, I’m really starting to hate the insect life around here,’ he muttered. ‘Next time, remind me to bring a can of Off!’”

“‘You didn’t have to kill it,’ I told Ironhorse, dusting off my pants. ‘It was like three inches tall!’
‘IT ATTACKED YOU.’ Ironhorse sounded puzzled, cocking his head at me. ‘IT CLEARLY HAD AGGRESSIVE INTENT. MY MISSION IS TO PROTECT YOU UNTIL WE RETRIEVE THE SCEPTER. I WILL ALLOW NOTHING TO BRING YOU HARM. THAT IS MY SOLEMN VOW.’
‘Yeah, but you don’t need a machine gun to kill a fly.’”

“‘I would kiss you, cat,’ Puck said as we crowded through the doorway, ‘if we weren’t in such a hurry. Also, the hairballs could be unpleasant.’”

“After everything we’d done, everything we’d gone through, to have some faery bitch accuse me of lying was the last straw.”

Overall Thoughts/Final Comments: I really enjoyed the Iron Daughter. I love the storyline, the characters, and the humor that Julie Kagawa can manage to incorporate in a seemingly dire circumstance. I had a bit of trouble reading the book in one sitting (it actually took me three days! That never happens!), but I love the series, so I was able to finish. I enjoyed Julie Kagawa’s creativity when it comes to the Iron fey, and I’m really curious as to how she’ll wrap the series up.

Rating: 4/5