Review: The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan

The Faerie Guardian (Creepy Hollow, #1)
by Rachel Morgan

Genre: Fantasy/Fae

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: November 5, 2012

Source: Kindle store

Age Rating: 13+

| Amazon |  |Barnes &Noble |

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamour follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it’ll take all her training to get out alive.

My Review

 

Did I find a super awesome YA read with amazing characters and believable romance? And romantic tension? Lots of romantic tension? Did I? Oh, yes... Yes, I did.

This is one of my new favorites going on my “epic” shelf! Sweet babies, I adored this thing. Violet, the protag, is a very strong and snarky faerie—truly funny, and not just occasionally so. She's a tough chick and even a bit of a tomboy to boot, which makes her physical prowess that much more believable. And, she's a teenage girl with so little experience with boys, so she does allow herself to get involved with the human boy, Nate. But, she is not dreaming of their wedding day, nor thinking the fate gods had anything to do with their meeting each other.

She's a Guardian-in-training who goes out and protects people and fae folk from evil stuff that has the tendency to wreak havoc on innocent people's lives. She has a really sassy guy rival in her Guild named Ryn, an old friend-turned-enemy. A frenemy. He's just yummy and fun. I love characters like that!

Then, there's Nate who is really funny, too, and I don't know how I feel about him after having read the entire story, plus the bonus stories. He's just a complex character, I suppose, like any real person, so I'm left perplexed and wanting to know why he chooses to go down the path he does in the story SO badly. Why did you do it? Why, Nate?

Back to Ryn—delicious Ryn. Where you have an instant attraction between Violet and Nate, leading to a very immediate relationship worthy of high-schoolers, you have something far slower-burning with Vi and Ryn. They hate each other, but do they really? It feels like that kind of relationship where the two get off on making each other angry. Ryn certainly derives actual pleasure from doing so with Vi, as I learned from reading his POV story at the end. The potential for future romance between the two is seething through the words on the page and I cannot wait to read more about them. I totally ship it!

I think what makes this story work is that it goes deep and does it right away in Book 1. We find out why Violet has literally NO friends and why she and Ryn had a falling out. She starts out not having a clue as to why he hates her, but he fesses up and it really allows for the kind of character insight missing in a whole lot of novels I read, YA and adult. Because I can understand what makes these characters tick, I relate to them better and can now get hooked into their emotions, just like how they get hooked into each other, emotionally, after their big blow-up. It's something usually saved for a Book 2 or Book 3, but, seriously, why wait to put in the good stuff? This is why readers read!

My score: 5/5 stars. (Easily.)

Book Review: Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp

Feyland: The Dark Realm (Feyland #1)

by Anthea Sharp 

Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy/Fae

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: December 4, 2011

Source: the author (ebook)

Age Rating: 13+

| BUY FROM AMAZON |

Feyland is the most immersive computer game ever designed, and Jennet Carter is the first to play the prototype. But, she doesn't suspect the virtual world is close enough to touch—or that she'll be battling for her life against the Dark Queen of the faeries.

Tam Linn is the perfect hero—in-game. Too bad the rest of his life is seriously flawed. The last thing he needs is rich girl Jennet prying into his secrets, insisting he's the only one who can help her.

Together, Jennet and Tam enter the Dark Realm of Feyland only to discover that the entire human world is in danger. Pushed to the limit of their abilities, they must defeat the Dark Queen... before it's too late.

My Review

• Plot: Jennet's father is the head of a computer game development company and Jennet gets to play the beta version of a new extremely immersive game called Feyland. Only thing is, Feyland is a gateway into the realm of the Fae, so what happens in Feyland does NOT stay in Feyland. She loses to the final boss, the Dark Queen, and the old crow takes some of her essence. Jennet needs another gamer in the real world who can defeat her to get it back, or Jennet will die. So, Jennet recruits a kid named Tam from her new school to help her since he's an excellent gamer. But, the game proves dangerous to anyone who dares to play it.
• Characters: Jennet is a reformed mean-spirited rich girl, but you wouldn't know it. She's very sweet and accepting in the story, even though Tam is wary of her. Tam is a kid from the wrong side of the tracks, although a responsible one. He's dirt poor, so he's very weirded out by Jennet wanting to have anything to do with him, but they find mutual ground to stand on when it comes to gaming because they are both excellent at it. I'm happy a YA story has the geeky kid as the hero/love interest, and he doesn't even have to transform into a jock/emo vampire to be complete, at least not in his real life.
• Writing: I didn't feel the prologue was well-written, thus it made me think the rest would be just as poor, but it evened out once I started the first chapter. The writing is perfectly fine once you get past the prologue.
• Storytelling: Now, here's something interesting: this story is an incredibly unique retelling of an old Scottish ballad called Tam Lin, which is where the characters' names come from. All of this is explained in the story, so you don't need to be familiar with this ballad beforehand. But, it's so clever how the author weaves that story into her own. It's a good little story about gaming, but there is some jargon that non-gamers will find baffling, and it's never clarified. You must already know what NPC's are and some other basic gaming terms like that.
• Overall Quality: Decent quality, above average. This is a self-published title and one that doesn't really need much fixing up, I'm happy to report (except for the prologue).
• Favorite Moment/Scene: When Tam first enters the game (Feyland) and how amazed he is at its realism. He had never played a game so immersive before and his personal experience is described so well, it felt like I was seeing and experiencing the entire thing through his eyes, even though the book is written in 3^rd person POV. It's great when this POV reads like 1^st person.
• My Score: 3.5 stars out of 5.

*I received this title from the author in exchange for my honest review.

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Best of the Bunch #2: November 2011 Pick

"Best of the Bunch" is a monthly book blogger meme hosted by Lyrical Reviews. 

Once a month, participants pick the best book they read for that month and give it the "Best of the Bunch" award!

Here's my "Best of the Bunch" winner for the month of November 2011. And, it was really hard to choose this one! (Just kidding...big time.)

_____________________________________________

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4)

by Julie Kagawa

As if any of the others I read in the past month could compare? This is my favorite book series, so of course it beat out all the others. It's very different from all the other books in the series, but because of that, it functions perfectly as a wind-down, sums-every-thing-up way to end the Iron Fey books. It's beautiful, hypnotic, dreamlike, magical... Just an overall humanly amazing read. 

Read my review of it here: [review of The Iron Knight]

What's your "Best of the Bunch" pick for this past month?

Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4) 

by Julie Kagawa 

Genre: Fantasy/Faeries

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: October 25, 2011

Source: purchased paperback

Age Rating: 14+

| Amazon | 

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing gentler feelings the Winter Prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half-human, half-fey slip of a girl—smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer faery can survive,

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through its end—a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way, Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice. 

My Review

It's over. The Iron Fey series is all over. That's what comes to mind as I write this review. I didn't expect to feel so much loss over that simple fact, but as soon as I closed my copy of the book, that's what I felt. I had been looking forward to reading the fourth and final installment in the Iron Fey novel series for several months, and now that I've read it, I know I'll be missing that feeling of anticipating the next exciting adventure.

But, the story comes to its inevitable conclusion as we say farewell to the characters that got us started on this wild journey into the land of Faery. I barely want to write much of anything about this particular installment, so much as I want to write about how I feel about the entire series. I'll weave the two together as best I can for my review.

Ash starts out needing to find a way to earn a soul so that he is able to fulfill his vow of returning to Meghan Chase's side. Fulfilling obligations is serious business for the Fey, and in this book we find out why. If Ash doesn't try to do this, he will become an evil thing, and seek to destroy all of Faery, including his beloved Meghan. So, this is mostly what drives him.

Despite his cold disposition, I warmed up to Ash pretty quickly when I first started the series because I liked how he was obviously attracted to Meghan, despite himself. When alone with her, he could be very kind and concerned for her well-being. In The Iron Daughter, we got to see this easily, and I loved Ash all through The Iron Queen, too. His devotion to Meghan hardly has equal, and that comes to fruition as he gets a chance to prove it in The Iron Knight. And, what he must go through to prove it is painful, bitter, yet ultimately full of joy, just like human life itself.

When I read “Summer's Crossing,” I fell totally in love with Puck, unexpectedly. Why I hadn't earlier is beyond me, but he really is one of the funniest YA heroes in all of YA literature. And, this journey needed to include Puck, if for no other reason than because without Puck, there really is no Ash. They are the oldest of friends, and you learn from reading the right kind of teen literature that your friends are part of your heart—you need to rely on them, as they need to rely on you. I cried as Ash and Puck finally parted ways in that unforgettable scene.

This story has such an ethereal, dreamlike quality through most of the journey, so it feels like being inside a strange dream Ash is having. Or, maybe that is how he normally experiences life as a faery. It is so rich with detail and beautifully designed scenes that stick in your head long after you finish reading them. I could visualize everything in my head so well, which is either like watching a movie, or just simply being there on Ash's shoulder the entire time, like he's lending you a space to sit on him and observe.

We really get to know Ash, discovering that he and the Fey have no conscience, and we find out what that really means. We get to see flashbacks to when Ash was a soulless fey who never had a genuine mean bone in his body, but was willing to behave terribly when goaded into it, or forced to. And, he never felt any remorse. The Fey are sort of remarkable that way, and it explains their often cruel and unfeeling behavior towards humans and each other. I even pity the fey, having learned how terrified they are of being forgotten by the very beings that created them—the humans, for being forgotten by them means extinction.

I think this installment is the perfect way to wrap up the series because it addresses so many questions, even questions I didn't think I had. You know you're holding the work of a great storyteller when she clarifies the confusing, often mysterious aspects of her world-building, whether you asked for it, or not. You realize it deepens your understanding of all the previous books, making them not just mere stories with beginnings, middles, and ends—but real places you can journey to anytime you feel like it.

I'd say goodbye, but that sounds so final, since Julie Kagawa plans to continue more of her world of the Iron Fey in a future series starring Ethan Chase, Meghan's little brother. So, we can reasonably assume our favorite first-series characters will make cameo appearances. Besides, the Fey are always out there somewhere, lurking behind a bush, or a tree, so long as we remember them. And, as long as you keep using the internet with your iron-derived technology, the Iron Fey will assuredly prosper, too. Until I see all you faeries again, I'll be the voice of reason (a.k.a. Grimalkin) and say, do try to stay out of trouble….

My score: 5 twinkling Edge of the World stars out of 5. (I loved it!)

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Books I'm Thankful I Read This Year (2011)...

Since it was American Thanksgiving yesterday, I thought I'd blog about the books I'm thankful I read this year, whether published in 2011, or not. Somehow, I almost feel like waiting until the very end of the year to post something like this, because I could end up adding to the list between now and then, but I won't. 

By the way, I'm very grateful for the book blogging friends I've made in the past six months, despite me not being the most social person in the world, on the internet nor in real life. BJ (Dark Side of the Covers), Lan (The Write Obsession), and Andrea (The Bookish Babes), all of you are THE BEST!!! I adore you ladies, and I hope life treats you well forever because you deserve it....

The entire Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa! These books have become my favorites in not only the YA reading grade, but probably of all books. I just love this exciting world Kagawa has created. Because I have an extensive love of anime and manga (even some video games), I was right at home with these books, as Julie drew so much inspiration from those familiar-to-me sources. She'll take something everyone is familiar with (faeries) and spice them up with anime-like action and lovable characters. She's so brilliant!

This Dark Endeavor, the first book in The Dark Endeavor Chronicles series by Kenneth Oppel. This book made me cry my eyeballs out! I can't even really explain why it did that, and I'm probably the world's biggest freak because of it, but it got to me. What a magical read this was for me. 

I've had issues with Mary Shelley's Victor Frankenstein character since I first read about him back in college--age 19. Oppel managed to make me LIKE him. Whoa. That was a feat of epic proportions. That's 15 or 16 years of having issues with the guy. I'm totally hooked on this series and it's amazing characters. I just adore mad scientists--yes, I'm weird. 

I really loved The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith, which is an adult vampire political adventure novel. I still haven't read The Rift Walker, book 2, but I'm saving it for the perfect time, sometime before book 3 comes out in 2012. 

Although, I took issue with some of the technical writing in this book, I otherwise completely fell in love with the story and the characters. The romance was so sweet and amazingly well-done between Adele and The Greyfriar. Best part was that they grew as characters together, and BECAUSE of each other. These two make a fabulous, ideal couple that makes me believe even the tiniest more in transformative love. 

And, the Greyfriar is my book boyfriend! Swashbuckling, heroic, super handsome, blue-eyed... the list goes on. He's not perfect, but he's just awesome!

And, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare works its way into here because, there, I found another book boyfriend in Jem! Okay, he may be a teenager, but he was born long before I ever was. I'd just have to make sure he's not my ancestor, or something. I definitely have no Chinese ancestors, but I do have English ones, so.... Oh, right. He's fictional! Dodged a bullet.

This is a great series, but I mostly like the book because of Jem. I'm strangely obsessed with the name 'James' already, have been for years now (I do NOT know why). I love silver-haired men, and I love the sickly ones because I just want to make them all better. I have a gift for taking care of the ill--it's true. Not to mention, he's the sweetest, most gentlemanly character ever created besides Mr. Bingley from Pride and Prejudice...

Shiver from The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy by Maggie Steifvater. I loved this one from the first sentence, as it transported me directly into the story, time, place, sight, smell, everything. The prose is rich and delicious and who doesn't love these characters when you read this? 

Sam, you are just an awesome character. I'm not even into werewolves, but he's not the typical werewolf guy. Sweet and romantic. Wonderful book, and I need to read more from the trilogy.



Other than these, I loved Across the Universe by Beth Revis, but it's a sci-fi, which I don't blog about. Love Elder and Amy. They are my favorite YA couple. Elder is total LOVE.... 

Teaser Tuesday #8: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

"Teaser Tuedsays" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by

Should Be Reading.

This week I'm finally reading The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa, so I'm super excited to share a teaser from this (already) amazing fourth novel in this incredible series!

My Teaser

"Alright," [Puck] announced grandly, as the troll jerked and spun around, trying in vain to reach him, "I claim this land for Spain." And he planted his dagger in the base of the troll's thick neck.

-from page 64 of The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4) by Julie Kagawa

*****

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4)

by Julie Kagawa

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side. To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Future Reads #11: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Current Giveaway! Enter my giveaway for Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning.

 Follow this link...[click here] 

Excuse me while I squirm around with girlish glee... YAY! I'm so excited about this book coming out, which will be in two weeks, because The Iron Fey series is my favorite YA title. These books are simply EPIC and coming to a close way too soon. Sometimes you want a story to go on longer, if you don't already feel it has passed its prime. No way has this series passed its prime. Nevertheless, I will enjoy all I can of what there is of it...

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4)

by Julie Kagawa

Publication Date: October 25, 2011

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. 

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

Review: "Remedial Magic" by Jenna Black

"Remedial Magic" (Faeriewalker, #0.5)

by Jenna Black

Genre: Fantasy/Faeries

Reading Grade: Young Adult (short story)

Publishing Type: traditional

Publication Date: December 17, 2010

Source: Kindle store (freebie)

Age Rating: 14+

Amazon | Barnes &Noble

Having a prodigy for an older brother is not so fun…especially one who is magic wiz-kid. But Kimber has a plan to finally step out of his shadow.

My Review

I immediately took a liking to this short story. It's told from the POV of a fifteen-year-old girl named Kimber, who is a wise-cracking genius college student (already). She is a faerie, but is sorely lacking in the magical abilities department, so this is a source of pain and embarrassment for her. To make matters worse, her older brother of two years, named Ethan, is a phenomenally gifted faerie and attracts plenty of female admires, much to Kimber's chagrin. Well, he steals all her friends away because they are female.

So, Kimber gets this idea to have a faerie tutor come to the house while she thinks no one is home to help her develop her abilities. The tutor is a college freshmen, like herself, but she's eighteen, as most college freshman are. Somehow things go horribly wrong and Ethan shows up only to steal yet another potential friend from Kimber.

The YA voice in this story was spot-on and refreshingly hilarious. I could easily hear Kimber's voice in my head. The drawback is that it is far too short to really convey a complete story. It's more like the beginning of a good story, and maybe some of the middle, but none of the end. So, I can't give it as many stars as I'd like for that. Mostly, the preview to the first Faeriewalker book is there, right afterward, demanding to be read.

I had already purchased Glimmerglass (book 1 of Faeriewalker), before I obtained this title, but I now believe I'll enjoy it, although the protagonist is not the same person. Still, I believe in the author's writing and voice, which are both superb. Recommended for those who simply want a taste of the Faeriewalker series before committing to it.

My score: 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy, #1)

by Kiersten White 

Genre: Paranormal

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publishing Type: traditional

Publication Date: August 31, 2010

Source: local library

Age Rating: 12+

Amazon.com

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal. 

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures. So much for normal. 

My Review

This is an entertaining little story. I read it really fast because it sucked me right in. The main character and narrator, Evie, is hilarious, and she comes off as a very believable teenager. I think the YA voice is done perfectly in this novel. She and Lend had some very witty dialogue together that made me chuckle out loud many times. Teenagers … <rolls eyes>

The story struck a nice balance between humor and seriousness, something I think is very difficult to do, so go Kiersten White! She is a fabulous story-teller and her writing is superb. The characters are charming and mysterious, making it truly a delight to read. I also noticed that there is no profanity in this book at all. Just the word “bleep” several times. Literally. And, the middle finger gesture seeped in a couple of times, but how offensive is that if you're just reading about it being done? <shrugs>

(So, moms, don't worry about your kids reading this one. It's pretty safe for preteens.)

Fans of paranormal fantasy fiction featuring the staple characters—vampires, werewolves, faeries, etc.—and those who would love a cute, hilarious story with an original premise will get a kick out of this one.

My score: 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Blogger Hop #5 (8/5/11)

"Book Blogger Hop" is a weekly social meme hosted by

Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.

This week's question is:

“What is the one ARC you would love to get your hands on right now?”

My Answer

Oh, this one is easy! I desperately want an ARC of The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa! It may not be the only ARC I want really badly, but it's the one that's on the top of my "want" list. And, of course, I can't get one because I'm too new to book blogging, so that's never going to happen. 

But, it's fine because I can wait until it's released and I'll just buy a copy! I like waiting to see what happens next in a series because I usually feel like the journey of the story is more important than the destination, or making it to the finish line. I love to savor the experience and hate when it all has to come to an end.

Anyway, that's my answer, so what's yours, people?

*****

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side. To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review: Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa

"Summer's Crossing" (Iron Fey, #3.5)

by Julie Kagawa

Genre: Fantasy/Faeries

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publishing Type: traditional

Publication Date: June 1, 2011

Source: Kindle store

Rated: Teen (13+)

Amazon.com

A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.

My Review

Puck is telling the story this time! This is huge. HUGE. And, most importantly, he's adorable while doing it, I might add. Oh, Puck. I've always favored His Royal Icy-ness over you, but now I can't think of why. You are just too funny and cute.

Anyway, needless to say, getting inside of Puck's head and seeing things from his POV is like eating the fluffiest, most sugary-sweet cake on your birthday while you're buried in oodles of expensive gifts given to you by all your favorite people in the world. It's nothing short of awesome. I want Puck to tell me more stories because now I am a much bigger fan!

And, existing Puck fans will not want to go on with life unaware of this short story's existence. Such a thing cannot be endured. Puck gets to be such a schemer in this story, truly living up to his reputation as the most notorious impish prankster. Brilliant. If you love him, you'll want to know more about what goes on in the heart and mind of this delightfully witty, charming character who has had people enchanted since Queen Elizabeth I (the First) was on the English throne… (for realz).

My score: 5 out of 5 stars.

Graphic Novel Review: Kin by Holly Black

Kin (The Good Neighbors, #1)

by Holly Black; Ted Naifeh (Illustrator)

Genre: Paranormal/Faery Graphic Novel

Reading Grade: YA

Publishing Type: traditional

Publication Date: October 2008

Source: public library

Rated: Teen (13+)

Amazon.com

Rue Silver's mother has disappeared . . . and her father has been arrested, suspected of killing her. But it's not as straightforward as that. Because Rue is a faerie, like her mother was. And her father didn't kill her mother—instead, he broke a promise to Rue's faerie king grandfather, which caused Rue's mother to be flung back to the faerie world. Now Rue must go to save her—and must also defeat a dark faerie that threatens our very mortal world.

My Review

Rue Silver is your garden-variety goth teenager who thinks she's just another normal human being. But, when her mother suddenly disappears, she starts to notice that a lot of people look odd to her. They have horns, pointy ears, leafy skin. No one else sees this but her. Soon she discovers that her mother is a faerie and that her father is considered the suspect in her murder. Rue believes her father is innocent and tries to go about finding evidence to support her case, all the while discovering her own unique heritage.

When I first started to read this graphic novel, I was liking it. I got about halfway through it and it seemed interesting. I don't like the art all that much because the artist makes all the teenagers look like they're in their forties, but he draws the faeries extremely well, so that might be why he was hired for the job. But, what started to bother me when I finished up the story was how it got a bit too confusing with the comic panels.

I was confused about the story for a while, too, but it was cleared up as I finished it. The story is interesting and it's more paranormal than fantasy in that the faerie realm is beginning to encroach upon the normal human world, and the protagonist, Rue, is totally unaware of it all before the start of the story. But, something about it felt too weird for me. Maybe I just couldn't get past the artwork—I don't know! I wish I could put my finger on it, but it didn't jibe super well with me. Still, I liked it.

Although, if I were a fan of Holly Black's works (author of The Spiderwick Chronicles), I wouldn't want to pass this up. Definitely check out this graphic novel if you love her existing novels. And, those who love anything 'faerie' or 'fairy'—well, you might like this, too. I think it has a unique twist on the faerie/fairy realm. The ones presented in this book are quite dangerous and not very sympathetic to humans. They're kind of 'dark' faeries, in my opinion, and if that sounds great to you, then give this graphic novel a go.

My score: 3 out of 5 stars

 

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3)

by Julie Kagawa

Genre: Fantasy/Faerie

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 25, 2011

Source: local library

Rated: Teen (13+)

Amazon.com

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. 

This time, there will be no turning back.

My Review

These books just keep getting better and better! This volume of The Iron Fey series is the BEST so far. Julie Kagawa's writing improves with each new book, as does her story-telling, both of which are fantastic. This book blends the best of action and violence with lots of romance. Lots! This is why I LOVE this book (and the entire series). And—oh my—how it ends … o_o No Mary-Sues here, no way.

The main characters are more interesting, more fleshed out in this volume. They've been able to develop as characters more than ever. Their relationships with each other become so real, so tangible. I admit, I ship Ash with Meghan, but it's not like I have a problem with Puck and Meghan together. That's what is so great about these two leading men. I love them both! They are great foils to each other—great contrasts—and both have different things to offer that make them so fun. I could go either way, really (but, I'm rooting for Ash).

I won't mince words and just say that I fell in love with Ash so much more in this volume. We get to see a side of him that has never been revealed in any of the previous books. He really does have a warm, sweet side to him (for Meghan!). Okay, he's not a perfect guy, but he doesn't need to be. He has a very flawed past, but that's the way I like my leading male characters. They seem more human, easy to relate to that way. He is simply one of my favorite fictional characters now, along with Meghan and Puck, of course.

I cannot wait for The Iron Knight to come out! Cannot wait at all. The Ice-Boy cometh. (That might make a good tag-line for it.) It's a book all about Ashy-poo... Are you kiddin' me? I'm going into a self-induced coma until October just so I don't have to suffer so much while waiting…. *konk*

My score: 5 out of 5 stars (Obviously!)