Review: Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

Fallen

by Traci L. Slatton 

Genre: Apocalypse/Fantasy/Romance

Reading Grade: Adult

Publication Date: July 12, 2011

Source: from publisher (paperback)

Age Rating: 17+

| Amazon |

As chaos descends on a crippled Earth, survivors are tormented by strange psychic gifts. In this time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test. One woman with mysterious healing power guides seven children to safety. Charismatic Arthur offers her a haven. Slowly Emma falls for him. But at the moment of their sweetest love, his devastating secret is revealed, and they are lost to each other. Will Emma stay with him?

The first in a romantic trilogy set during the end times. 

 

My Review

Here's an adult romance title that suffers from having a really good story to tell, but it is ruined by its intolerable main characters. And, it doesn't take long to see just how awful they really are, as you need only read into the book a few pages to see the main character, Emma, offering to prostitute herself to a man she barely meets in order to live in his camp with eight needy kids-in-tow. No, she is not already a prostitute, so, yes, this is very random and unnecessary behavior on her part. What's worse is that Arthur, the great “hero” in this story, decides to take her for a test drive before even asking for her name. What a love story this will be, right? <rolls eyes>

No, this isn't erotica, although with this type of set-up at the beginning, you'd think that's exactly what you were getting. Add up all the stupid things these two main characters do, who are supposedly in love with each other, and you get a book that makes me want to recycle it so it can be reborn into something better one day.

This review gets a wee bit SPOILERY, just so you know...

Emma leads Arthur on, even after he's clearly fallen in love with her, but she's still married to her husband from before the Apocalypse. I can't really sympathize with such an overt adulteress. Arthur rapes Emma in one scene, and is very controlling of Emma and won't let her do anything without his permission first. Controlling, much? When Arthur finally finds out about Emma still being married, he demands she divorce her husband. She wants to officially break it off with her husband, and Arthur agrees so long as she does it over the radio. But, she wants to see him in person, which could take ten years. Unreasonable much? I'm feeling the love, I really am.

These two characters are in their thirties, yet have the combined emotional maturity of one twelve-year-old. This is rather sad, and extra sad when you consider that this story has so much potential. It's actually a really good story with an interesting plot development and concept. There is this mysterious mist that has gone around all over the planet and it kills everything made of metal properties, including people (because people have metal in them, too). It's well-thought out and has great world-building. But, I hate these two characters so much, I could care less about them and their experiences.

*I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My score: 2.5 out of 5 stars. (I did not like it.)

Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles, #1)

by Kevin Hearne 

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology 

Reading Grade: Adult

Publication Date: May 3, 2011

Source: Book Depository

Age Rating: 17+

| Amazon | 

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil. 

My Review

Can I just say that this is pretty much exactly the type of urban fantasy I prefer to read? I will, anyway. I LOVE this! It hits the nail on the head in terms of the characters, the plot, the humor, the fantasy aspect, and the urban-ness of it all. It is perfection... 

Atticus is that type of male protagonist that I usually fall very hard for, so I'm already a dead fish in a barrel for him. Or, to put it in Oberon's terms, Atticus' dog, I'm a juicy steak that landed on the floor right at his paws. I'm easily bowled over by these sarcastic, sexy heroes of urban fantasy. They are cool and relaxed, but will kick major bootay when necessary. They usually are not normal human beings, and for Atticus, that means he is an 2,100-year-old Druid who has a pretty clever way of staying perpetually twenty-one (give me some of that stuff!).

The entire story is told through Atticus' point-of-view, so we get a huge dose of his wit and wisdom, which comes in spades. He's always ready with a clever quip, and a remarkable way of humiliating the over-confident characters who think they're uber smart. But, he's not even close to being the only amazing character in this novel because it is chock-full of crazy, amazing characters.

Atticus owns probably literature's finest, funniest, most adorable pooch in Oberon, his Irish wolfhound. He has been able to establish a telepathic link with him, and over time, Oberon picked up on how to understand and think in English, thus allowing them to communicate with each other. These lines are some of the best and most hilarious parts of the story. How about the part where Atticus is yakking about something that has to do with ancient Druids, and Oberon very kindly admits, <I have no idea what you're talking about.> Nevermind, says Atticus in response.

One of Atticus' biggest problems is with the local witch coven, as their kind have proven to him many centuries earlier that witches can never be trusted. As one witch happened to forget that the SPCA stands for preventing the cruelty towards animals, mistaking it for a society dedicated to the cruelty of animals, Atticus says to Oberon, “See? Witches.” <I see what you mean now,> thinks Oberon, <She'd probably give me a sausage and it would have broccoli in it.>

Atticus finds he has to deal with all sorts of unwanted trouble because his old enemy, a faerie by the name of Anghus Og, the Celtic god of love, wants the sword Fragarach, which is one of the most powerful swords in the world. Addy spends the whole of the novel being chased by, and fighting off, the local police, other inhumane faeries, Fir Bolgs, which are these mean giants, and some seriously witchy witches all within his miles of his home. One of Hounded's many strengths is how it blends mundane reality with the paranormal in a very realistic way.

Thank goodness he has the raddest lawyers ever to help him out in more ways than to simply comprehend the fine print: not only are they tough-as-nails with the cops, keeping them in line, but his day attorney is a werewolf and his night attorney is a vampire (a hot Icelandic guy with white hair who speaks in iambic pentameter), so they can kick butt, too. Epic, and they do their heroic thing in only the way awesome lawyers can—Larry H. Parker's got nothing on these guys.

There's really no romance, but that doesn't mean Addy has no romantic interest in anyone. He's a guy, essentially a human guy at that, so we find out what goes through his mind every time an attractive female shows up. But, he's partial to the pretty red-headed barmaid named Granuaile, and they form a certain interesting alliance with each other. It's just the perfect sort of alliance for them that allows for a possible future romance, although does not guarantee it (but, how could it not?), thus making me want to see if it'll ever happen in future novels.

I think if you want to read something hilarious, super fun, and has plenty of action, then this is the perfect book for you (it certainly is for me!). I've already started reading the next installment, as I cannot even hope to put my mind to anything else. I'm completely addicted! It is one of the best books I read all last year.

My score: 5 out of 5 stars. (I LOVED this!)

Book Blogging Goals for 2012

My Book Blogging Goals for 2012

Okay, I've decided to make a few changes for the sanity of my own real life because there just has to be more balance in it. Like all book bloggers, I don't have much balance when it comes to reading and reviewing books. For me, it's time I do some things differently from last year because some things just aren't working for me anymore. 

So, here are a few goals I'd like to set and maintain for myself, as a book blogger, in the year 2012. 

1. Change my review policy: 

This means I plan on no longer accepting unsolicited reviews from authors and publicists. I feel really terrible about revoking this, but I cannot read these ARCs and review copies fast enough to do any of these people any good! I will finish the pile I have started, but I will not accept requests from any new people. If you are an old acquaintance I've already made, then please do contact me about your books! I will keep the connects alive that I've already made.

Beyond this, I still intend to request a few ARCs from NetGalley and read some things of interest from Galley Grab, but I will not be making ARCs/RCs a very big priority this year. I will support authors by purchasing their books, reading them, and spreading the word about them with my reviews. This includes indie authors, as well. 

2. Read the books I purchased last year (2011):

Okay, here's my form of blogger guilt. I spent A LOT of money on books last year, and didn't even read half of them. How did that even happen? I seriously do not know. But, I will be reading those books this year because I consider it a waste of money until those books are read. I don't like to waste money because I have so little of it. I'm grateful I was able to buy what I did, so I'm going to buckle-down and read those books!

3. Read some of the books I downloaded for free:

I don't feel quite the amount of guilt here, but I do feel like I download a free ebook to my Kindle, then just pretty much forget it's there. I really do try to download only what I truly want to read, but because it was neither a review copy I agreed to review, nor a book I actually paid money for, I have the tendency to put reading these books off until... never. That I want to stop doing. 

4. Create Review-Themed Months for My Blog:

I came up with an idea recently that might just make it possible to read some books I've not been able to make time for by creating entire months dedicated to certain types of books. I'd like a month where I only review self-published novels, one for all steampunk, another for all vampires, and etc. I'm actually planning on doing some themed months I won't even announce on this blog because who really wants to know about "All-ARCs Review Month," or "All-Book-Freebies Review Month?"  


I actually do plan on reading more books this year than I did last year, but that's only because, like I said earlier, I have so many books I haven't read that I've already purchased. They refuse to read themselves, so I have to do it myself. Otherwise, I'd probably read much less, since it's not a numbers game for me. 


If you are a book blogger, what are your book blogging goals for 2012?

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1)

by Amanda Hocking

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Source: Kindle store

Age Rating: 14+

| Amazon |

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed—a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

My Review

I read this novel about a year ago and I'm happy to see it venturing into traditional publishing, although this book was already going gangbusters while being self-published! Even though I already reviewed it way back when my blog was brand new, I decided to rewrite my review and publish the new version for the novel's re-release date set for tomorrow.

I really like this story and its interesting characters. Amanda Hocking gives Wendy, the main character, a really snarky, sarcastic attitude, which I adored right away. Hocking writes so well in the YA voice and it shows. I think this comes naturally for some people, and she's one of them. As for the story, she does a great job making me constantly ask questions, which get answered in sprinkles throughout the book. No info-dumping here because it's done right.

Wendy is kind of an irresponsible teenager, but very likable. Without her I-feel-out-of-place attitude, the story would lose one of its most important themes, which I'll touch on later. And, although I like Finn, her love-interest, I am not bowled over by him, but, he's a good guy. Still, so many awesome characters are in this book, like Matt (Wendy's brother), Rhys and Tove, just to name my top three faves. I can't tell you how much I fell in love with Rhys! He is the cutest teenage boy ever. The charming characters really sold me on this series.

But, what I think really makes this story stand out above the crowd is the unusual premise based on the concept of beautiful trolls. Trolls? Yes, trolls—those mythical creatures that live under bridges. Well, these trolls do not live under any bridges, but they are based on real troll mythology, as there are some cultures in the world that have attractive, human-like trolls. This is what inspired Hocking's world-building of her trolls and their very unique social structure.

The back-story on the trolls is fascinating. The novel reveals how the Trylle society—what the trolls call themselves—functions, and why they depend so much on their changeling babies. It's such a smart idea, even if a tad unethical. When a human baby from a wealthy family is about to be born, the Trylle use their Persuasion abilities, supernatural mind-alteration, to switch the human baby for a Trylle baby, usually of the same sex. That Trylle baby is then raised with the rich humans until age eighteen, then they are tracked and returned to Trylle society where the Trylle grift money from the rich humans who raised the Trylle child. Wow. Just a bit immoral, but still so interesting.

When it comes to the romance, there is some, but the plot doesn't revolve around it, which I think is good. It's set-up very much like a lot of YA paranormal where it plays a large roll, but the story is really a coming-of-age novel about Wendy discovering who she is and where she fits into the world. As for the ending, it feels rushed, and I would have liked the last scene fleshed out more. It's so emotional, yet glossed over too quickly. But, Switched is a great piece of story-telling, and I'm eager to read and review the rest of the books in the trilogy.

My score: 4 out of 5 stars. (I really liked it.)

Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens 

Genre: Fantasy/Christmas (novella)

Reading Grade: Adult

Publication Date: December 17, 1843

Source: purchased paperback

Age Rating: all ages

| Amazon |

Ebenezer Scrooge is a heartless old miser who hates everything, especially Christmas. Then one mysterious Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three spirits who take him on a fantastic journey and teach him the true meaning of the season. 

 

My Review

Here's a review of an old classic that I bet a lot of people these days don't actually sit down and read much anymore, like I do sometimes. Which is a shame because reading the actual novella of this well-dramatized tale is so much more insightful and fun than getting it from some modern adaptation. Reading from The Master himself, Charles Dickens, is like being transported back in time to when he lived and breathed and celebrated Christmas the way people did back then.

People threw parties and invited over their family and friends and played 'blindman's bluff' and 'yes and no,' and drank spiked punch, knowing it was spiked, and ran around in the snowy streets of London buying the fattest Christmas geese they could get from the nearby street vendors. It sounds like it was all so festive and lively. And, Dickens is the best at describing things in a way that makes it feel real, which is like having a freakin' time machine! I'd give anything to go back in time to his day, and thankfully, we sort of get to because of his writing legacy.

Probably one of the best preserved records of how people lived during Queen Victoria's reign of Great Britain are contained in anything Dickens wrote, but what makes this one so special is how it captures their Christmas, and how the way we modern people celebrate it today was only just starting to take shape back then. In fact, they began the tradition of sending each other Christmas cards that same year, in 1843, when this story was published. And, in 1841, Prince Albert popularized the Christmas Tree, bringing that tradition to all the English-speaking world from Germany.

And, to think that Christmas and how we celebrate it is really not so different than it was back then kind of touches my heart. If only I could tell Mr. Dickens that his ghostly little story—which he liked to call it—is still so popular to this day. That we can't even separate it from Christmas at all! We still cry when we think of Tiny Tim and what Scrooge did to prevent his untimely death—becoming one of literature's greatest villains-turned-heroes. Hopefully, our modern society will continue to keep A Christmas Carol in our hearts for several more generations yet to come….

My score: 5 out of 5 stars. (I LOVE this.)

 

Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1)

by Rachel Vincent 

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: August 1, 2009

Source: Kindle store purchase

Age Rating: 14+

| Amazon |

She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next. 

My Review

This is a series that I had given up on after reading the prequel short story, “My Soul to Lose,” but I decided I should give the regular novels a try, after all. I didn't think it was completely fair of me to judge an entire novel series based on one little prequel short story, since authors rarely put very much effort into writing them. I'm glad I decided to try the novels out because the first one really is far more interesting than the prequel.

Kaylee Cavanaugh starts out having already been to a mental hospital because she couldn't stop screaming when she sensed the imminent demise approaching a boy in a wheelchair at the shopping mall. She has no idea why she did that, and in this volume, she starts doing it again when some teenage girls start dropping dead all around her, and her urge to scream continues.

This novel is well-written and carries you along with its quick pace—which I like because it makes me read faster. I'm a pretty slow reader, so any book that can make me get through it faster automatically becomes more likeable. Never a dull moment, even when nothing terribly special is happening, because once a little lull in the plot starts becoming evident, some wild and crazy thing happens. It keeps you moving right along with an actual plot, which earns more points from me.

The characters are interesting, too—especially Kaylee. She's a good person who is brave and won't just let other characters do everything for her. And, she won't let them keep things from her, either. She wants to know what's going on and what she can do to help. Nash, her love interest, is not as interesting as she is, to my dismay, but he's a good guy. I sort of wish I felt like the two had more in common with each other, or had a realistic reason to be so into each other. To a degree, their relationship feels too shallow, and I'm not a fan of characters hooking-up so early on in a story with each other. Although, it may be justified in this story.

Tod was my favorite character. Because he's a guy who deals with the dead, he can't be completely trusted, and he's as wily as a fox. I like him for being the trickster that he is, and he's the type who will help people usually if they make it worth his while. He was just cute and intriguing, so I'm interested in seeing what role he'll play in the rest of the novels. Hopefully, there is a lot more of him, as there wasn't much of him in this installment.

Overall, I think this series has strength in its great story-telling, which never lets you get bored, and its dramatic characters. Because death is the subject of the story, there is plenty of that, too. It kind of forces you to wonder all the time you're reading, who will die next? You never know, and that keeps the suspense alive and well.

My score: 4 stars out of 5. (I really liked it.)

Review: Nine-Tail Fox by Camille Picott

Nine-Tail Fox: A Chinese Heritage Tale (Vol. 2)

by Camille Picott 

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology (novella)

Reading Grade: Middle Grade

Publication Date: September 28, 2011

Source: paperback from author

Age Rating: 10+

| Amazon |

When fifth-grade Emma Chan-McDougal is ridiculed by her classmates for being part Chinese, she's devastated. To ease Emma's wounded self-esteem, her aunt, a Chinese immigrant, spins the mythical tale of a brave little Nine-Tail Fox named Ainu who lives in San Francisco.

In a parallel animal world that comes to life when humans slumber, Ainu Nine-Tail and her mother face off against Chih Yu, an ancient demon who feeds on hatred. As the last of their clan, the Nine-Tails are honor-bound by a family oath to defend the Chinese animals from the demon. When Chih Yu kills her mother and leads an angry mob against Chinatown, Ainu is left to complete the task alone. Raw with grief and only partially trained for battle, Ainu must reach deep inside herself to find the wisdom and courage to save her people.

Will the journey of Ainu Nine-Tail help Emma find the strength to confront the school bullies and win back her confidence? 

 

My Review 

Oh, wow—another awesome Chinese heritage tale by Camille Picott! I like this one even better than Raggedy Chan. It has all the excitement and thrill of a big-budget classic Disney animated film with cute Chinese fantasy animals as its main characters. 

This story is all about teaching kids how to deal with racially motivated bullying, as it draws from the annals of San Francisco's history of Chinese discrimination. I don't know anything about it, but apparently, back in the 19^th century, Americans wanted the Chinese immigrants to leave because they were taking away jobs, food, and commodities from San Franciscans. 

In a gorgeous and wonderfully creative allegory using white nine-tail foxes and black, horned leopard-like creatures, Picott tells the story of how a young female fox named Ainu manages to defeat the evil and deceitful Chih-Yu, a spirit-world monster that feeds on and grows stronger from the hatred of the corporeal world's inhabitants. His purpose is to destroy all the descendents of General Nine-Tail, which Ainu Nine-Tail happens to be. 

In the story, this allegory is being told to ten-year-old Emma Chan-McDougal, who is half-Chinese-half-American, by her Auntie Gracie, a Chinese immigrant living in San Francisco. In her own loving and tolerant way, Auntie tells Emma not to get discouraged by the bully at her school who calls her a squint because she has the physical features of a Chinese. That “friend” has only been tricked by Chih-Yu, who makes Americans hate Chinese people, and in the tale, she relates exactly how Ainu defeated Chih-Yu so Emma can do it, too. 

Needless to say, it does the job wonderfully for the young girl. I really enjoy this story, as it flings you right into the action and devastation of the first Act, which left me in early tears. Then, more tears as Ainu leads the way for her fellow Chinese animals, and helps to ensure that Chih-Yu will never regain the power of hatred ever again. 

I think anyone who loves epic tales of heroism, much like what you see when you watch a classic Disney cartoon, will adore this novella. Although this is completely different from Mulan, Ainu displays a very similar sort of courage and bravery to Mulan's, which will leave you feeling proud and satisfied in the end. It's a fabulous read for any child, whether bullied or not, Chinese or not. In fact, people of all ages would enjoy this and should read it. 

* I received this complementary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

My score: 5 out of 5 stars. (I loved it!)

Review: "Blink" by Bradley Convissar

"Blink"

by Bradley Convissar

Genre: Contemporary/Fantasy/Horror

Reading Grade: Adult (flash fiction)

Publication Date: November 8, 2011

Source: Kindle freebie

Age Rating: 15+

| Amazon | 

Meet dentist Brian Mallory. He's always considered himself a grounded man. A rational man. A reasonable man. But what he finds in the mouth of nineteen year old Amy Gladwell one afternoon during a routine cleaning makes him begin to question his own sanity.

It's amazing how quickly everything can change in a a blink of an eye.

From the author of the Pandora's Children collection of short stories, the novellas Dogs of War and King of the Merge, and the short story “Last Dance of a Black Widow,” comes “Blink,” a chilling, 3,500 word short story about a simple day gone horribly wrong. 

 

My Review

I found this flash fiction for free in the Kindle store and it caught my eye based on a few reviews stating how shocking and horrific the big plot twist is. I read the premise and found myself wanting to discover just what these reviewers were talking about. Plus, I had the time to read something only 3,500 words long, and had the money to buy something free—just barely. <wink>

But, I gotta say, the big scary reveal that is supposed to freak me out really didn't. As the main character realizes he's seeing something really bizarre in the tongue ring of his female dental patient, he feels disturbed. He examines it a little more closely, and I had an idea of what I thought it most likely was. Then, he finds out exactly what the weird thing in her mouth is, and it ends up being exactly what I figured. Not much of a surprise for me. Had it been something I never saw coming, then I would have been shocked, of course.

So, while this story was very well-written and held my full attention from beginning to end, it just didn't 'wow' me the way I expected it to. Still, it was good. I'm not sure there is a sequel, so don't expect the story to continue elsewhere, even though it seems like it ought to, judging by how it ends. But, read the story and see, when you find out what the tongue ring really is, if it surprises you, or not.

My score: 3.5 stars out of 5. (I liked it.)

Review: Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Wildefire (Wildefire, #1)

by Karsten Knight 

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Reading Grade: Young Adult

Publication Date: July 26, 2011

Source: purchased hardcover

Age Rating: 15+

| Amazon | 

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm. 

 

My Review

Wildefire is a pretty wild(e) ride—a great story replete with everything you need to have a satisfying read. The world-building feels complete, the characters are well-developed and interesting, the plot has enough going for it to keep it moving along at a good pace, and it manages to shock you a bit here and there—not to mention the megawatt shock of the cliffhangery, plot-twisting conclusion! Whoa… Didn't see that coming.

Ashline Wilde is a Polynesian teenager who was adopted by white Jewish New Yorkers at a young age along with her older sister, Eve. Both of these young ladies are temperamental to say the least, but Ash is inclined towards remorse and guilt in a way that seems to evade Eve. Eve does something so severe to show her love for Ash, it only makes Ash terrified of her, and Ash ends up transferring to a private high school in Northern California just to escape the trauma. Eve is constantly on the run, popping in and out of Ash's life like a ghost she can't fully escape.

Ash ends up meeting other kids with abilities like herself at her new school, which sounds implausible, but the way it's written is completely believable. They all find they have a 'Professor X,' if you will, a ring leader who understands their purpose better than they do, individually, and Ash is informed that she and her unusual friends are all reincarnated gods and goddesses of myth and folklore from all over the world. Pretty darn cool if you ask me.

The complication arises from, who else but Eve, the unscrupulous older sister who reminds me of an evil Kim Kardashian—always beautiful, glamorous, and a total diva. She's a fun character who actually does seem genuinely interested in turning Ash to the dark side so they can be together, but Ash will have none of that. She just wants to be as normal a teenager as possible, sans the crazy sister, and this seems to be the prevailing sentiment with most of her gang of supernatural friends.

But, Ash realizes she needs to watch out for the quiet ones, the friends who don't stand out, nor seem suspicious. She needs to remember this because it's those people who will turn on her, providing a good amount of the shock factor in the story. Of course, I won't spoil who any of these traitorous people are, or who really is just playing the part of a friend to her. You'll just have to read it to find out for yourself.

Some of the most enjoyable aspects of the novel are, for one, the very funny narrative voice, which doesn't surprise me, since I've been watching Karsten Knight's vlogs since a year before this book was published. He's hysterical and I was very happy to find the story written with his delectable sense of humor. The other aspect I love is the origin story of the universe and the concept of The Cloak. They are very odd, mysterious beings that Ash encounters a few frightening times, and I still don't know what to make of them. Good? Bad? Neutral? I just don't know yet, but I look forward to finding out in future installments.

My score: 4 out of 5 stars. (I really liked it.)

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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