Review: The Falconer by Elizabeth May

The Falconer (The Falconer #1)

By Elizabeth May 

Released: May 6, 2014

Chronicle Books

Hardcover, 378 pages

Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844

Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.

Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.

But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?  --Goodreads

 3.5 Stars

Review

After taking an unofficial YA book hiatus, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by The Falconer, my first step back into the YA world. Daring, fierce, and ridiculously hardcore, Elizabeth May's debut sends its readers on a delightful whirlwind. 

From the getgo, we are introduced to Aileana, a grieving daughter who lashes out against psycho faeries. One of these faeries murdered Aileana's mother, so Aileana makes sure nearly each faery pays the price for her mother's death. Risking her life every night, Aileana lives by day as the prim and proper daughter of a marquess and by night the vicious faery-killer.

However, Aileana's moral code is befuddling. She literally kills every single faery that she sees on sight. If Aileana has two faery friends that she refuses to kill, then what gives her the reason to murder each faery that she meets for the first time. Understandably, most of the faeries she meets are evil, but that just leads to more questions.

For example, what makes these faeries so antagonistic toward humans? If there are at least two decent faeries out there, then why are the rest so evil? Are they are brainwashed by the main antagonists, the really really evil faeries? If these faeries just hate humans for hogging up all of the space, then why aren't they joining together seriously to exterminate the filthy humans? Also, when are the falcons coming back? Those were a few of the many questions that have still yet to be answered by The Falconer.

Despite my many questions, I truly did enjoy The Falconer. Aileana and her gang are so much fun, even the two "good" faeries. Derrick, the pixie obsessed with honey, and Kiaran, Aileana's bada** faery teacher, are so lovable, especially because of their mutual hatred of one another. It wouldn't be too much of a wish to hope for friends like them, right?

The Falconer is a gritty novel full of epic battles, witty dialogue, and spellbinding interactions between characters. The world-building is pretty spectacular, even though there are many questions. Since this is the beginning of a trilogy, I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that these mysteries will be answered in the following installments!

 Purchase The Falconer here: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | The Book Depository

Review: Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

Indelible (The Twixt #1)

By Dawn Metcalf

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Released: July 30, 2013

Paperback, 384 pages

Source: NetGalley 

Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT -- Goodreads

Purchase Indelible here: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | The Book Depository 

 3 Stars

Review:

Paranormal has almost become a washed out genre within the YA world due to the inundation of them post-Twilight years. Now, it is probably impossible to find one in the midst of the new dystopian-fantasy rage. However, in spite of all of these drawbacks, Indelible has reminded us of the fun in paranormals: the budding cross-species love (this sounds so inappropriate >_<), the ever adorable family of paranormal creatures, and the adorkable mishaps.

Indelible follows the adventures of Joy and Ink, who are brought together by the most unfortunate of circumstances. When Ink discovers Joy has the power to see him and his sister, he idiotically decides the "best" method of dealing with Joy: blinding her with his knife. In a somewhat cynical happening of events, Joy and Ink end up faking boyfriend and girlfriend to prevent Ink from being punished for inadvertently marking Joy with his little signature when he assaulted her.

Honestly, these events are hard to decipher. On one hand, I found this book hilarious because of the ridiculousness of it all. Faking girlfriend and boyfriend? Almost killing someone, but ending up having her follow you everywhere? Ha. Too bad, this book seemed to take itself incredibly seriously, to the point where it was difficult to be sure whether this was a comedy or a grand scale adventure. In reality, Indelible is most likely one of those more serious novels out there.

The only major problem that was aggravating was the flow of the novel. For some reason, Indelible never followed an explicit plot. Rather than a cumulation of events, Indelible was more of a series of events that felt disjointed when put together. There are villains and battles throughout the story, but the book does not truly follow the blurb given to us. The book claims that the main focus is Joy helping Ink out while faking being in love with him, but the book mainly consisted of Ink teleporting Joy around the world. Only until the last fifty pages does the book begin seriously focusing on the main villain, causing the climax and ending to feel rushed and rather incomplete. 

The characters of Indelible are undeniably the most entertaining of all paranormals. From the snarky protector Ink to the flamboyant party-goer Inq, there is always a character that will please the crowd. Joy was a strong female heroine, but did not have any extraordinary characteristics. Yet this fact let her stand out among the crazy magical creatures of Indelible. If only more paranormals had this many fun characters to hang out with...

Indelible was probably one of only a handful paranormals released for good reason. With a unique concept of tattoos marking you, the world was intriguing and fascinating to visit. There could have been some more world-developing because some details are still a little fuzzy. Regardless, Indelible is a cute read if you want to revisit the old paranormal days.

Nissa by Bethany Lopez Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Nissa by Bethany Lopez

Publish Date: April 23, 2013

Purchase: Amazon (Kindle) / B&N (Nook) / Smashwords
AToMR Tour Schedule for Nissa ARC Blog Tour

At 900 years old, Nissa is finally ready to follow her mother's path and become the best Fairy Godmother she can. She’s not thrilled when her first assignment turns out to be a teenage human girl with self-esteem issues, but she knows she has to start somewhere. Her assignment has dealt with bullies since her freshman year and they haven’t let up. If Nissa can’t help her regain her self-confidence her future is bleak.

To complicate matters Nissa experiences all the signs that she's met the being fated for her. This impossibility distracts her from her purpose. After all, fairies and humans aren't meant for each other. How can her heart believe otherwise? Can Nissa successfully complete her first assignment as a Fairy Godmother? Will the fates allow Nissa and Levi to be together? And even if they do, will Levi believe Nissa once she reveals the truth?

3 Stars

Review:

Let me completely honest: I only chose this book because it had the words "a contemporary fairy tale" on the cover. The whole godmother thing didn't really sound too exciting and girls with self-esteem issues tend to be bleh. It's all about "she's so pretty, so I'll bully her" sort of thing that is so irritating. This does happen, but probably not to the extent that writers tend to exaggerate in their books. However in Nissa, the primary focus is not Vicky and her issues, the priority is Nissa; Vicky's brother, Levy; and their romance.

I think the biggest problem that this book was its length. Usually a book's length is only a problem when the book is too long and unnecessary with details, but in this case everything felt a little too rushed. Immediately from the very beginning, we skim through Nissa's childhood within a few pages and jump immediately to her mission to help Vicky. It would have been nice to have an elaboration on the fairy world, which is infinitely more interesting than the human world. 

The length also unfortunately contributed to the completely rushed romance. Once again, hormones have overwhelmed the brains of our poor, innocent protagonist and her lover. I admit that their little dates and talks were cute, but they came entirely too soon! There was an excuse for this Romeo and Juliet-esque, minus their deaths, romance in that fairies have soul mates. Still that is not any reason to just have them going from formal greetings to kissing within the next dozen pages. 

Keeping with the length problem, the main characters felt somewhat lacking. Nissa and Levy were just two hopeless fools in love, and somehow the supporting characters were the ones who shined the most. Vicky's unjustly pushed-off character arc was really sweet and cute after the bullying crisis was over. The redemption of one of her bullies was also adorable because his apology was so sincere and just ah!!! Even though he was a vile character initially, his extremely long and heartfelt apology just stood out so much. In fact, it was my favorite moment of the book. I kind of want to see a spin-off with Vicky and the guy getting together because he became my fave character of the novel.

Despite its somewhat undeveloped world and romance, Nissa was an enjoyable read. The writing was not completely solid throughout the entirety, feeling a bit childish at some points. However, the story was able to effectively move along, which is definitely more important. There was a lot of potential in this book in spite of its faults, so I do look forward to Bethany Lopez's future works.

Giveaway

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Twisted Tales Blog Tour: With a Kiss by Stephanie Fowers

With a Kiss (Twisted Tales #1) 

By Stephanie Fowers 

Released: March 15, 2013 

Publisher: Triad Media and Entertainment 

eBook, 282 pages 

Faerytales. They're real . . . they just haven't happened yet. Halley Starr finds this out when she loses her heart to a terrible curse. Now she has to get it back from that dirty faery who stole it from her. But first she must fight against the seven rules of the faery kingdom that mortals must never break:

1. No trespassing sacred faery territory

2. Don't ever say thank you

3. Using a faery’s given name is a no-no

4. Resist all faery music

5. Never break a promise to a faery

6. Reject all faery food

7. And never, never fall in love with a faery

But if Halley wants her heart back again, she can’t worry about the rules.

"With a Kiss" is the first book in the Twisted Tales Series.

3 Stars

Review:

With a Kiss by Stephanie Fowers is a cute, fun fairy tale retelling that is similar to Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series, but has more heart and teenage angst to draw readers in. Although this was far from being perfect, there is so much packed into the book that makes it enjoyable to read.

We are introduced to Halley Starr, a girl born with literally no heart. By no heart, she doesn't love anyone, even though everyone loves her. When she is forced to bring a baby back to her mother with a fairy gang, she learns to love and discovers who she truly is. Despite the straight forward summary, this book seems to ramble off on several points. It makes it extremely difficult to follow certain events and to gain a full understanding of the plot. At several points, I was a little confused on where the author was trying to lead the reader to in the beginning. Once the action begins in the Sidhe world, the action and humor picks up a bit. Still, the slow beginning was rather trying at times.

Even with the awkward beginning pages, With a Kiss manages to pull of the journey to giving the baby, called Babs, back to her mother. With the help of Hob, a mysterious stranger and a silent, but snarky leprechaun, Halley faces the strange, eerie Sidhe world. The problem was that there were so many unexplained plot devices that kept on adding on to my mental list. While a few of these questions were partially answered, there was still a bulk of the questions that I am still trying to answer by sorting out the book. For example, I am still wondering exactly why Halley is sent off by the mother to return Babs to her mother. Hello! Babs' mom sent Babs to Halley herself, so why does she just ship Babs something off, expecting someone else to return her to her. It is somewhat unpractical, even with the answer offered at the end. Also, why is Halley have a crown stuck to her head that tells her things? These were just the tip of the many puzzling problems that I came across.

Although I was confused for a majority of the book, the reading experience I had with this book was spectacular. Halley and her gang's conversations were cute and witty, and could draw the reader in easily. The romance in this book was pleasantly sweet, even if I didn't like the people in the couple in general. Halley was somewhat flat in characterization. She begins as an "ice queen" and immediately after being kissed, feels the emotion love for the first time. However, she does not really ever reveal it to anyone else besides Babs, making it hard to be empathetic with her. Hobs was so mysterious, annnoyingly so. If there was one character I could shoot first in the world, it would be him. I am telling you dude now that your secrets are not furthering your cause or saving the world. Go join the CIA if you wanna become in charge of classified information.

Regardless of its several faults, With a Kiss excels in painting the picture of a journey to the unknown. Unfortunately, the details of the journey are somewhat muddled, which makes it difficult to root for. Initially, we are told that Halley needs to return Babs to her mother, or else she will die, but then the objective seems to shift somewhere else. The three stars I give as a rating is what I believe that With a Kiss deserves, but my enjoyment of this book surpasses five stars because it was a new twist on the fairy tale retellings that are typically offered. 

Purchase With a Kiss here: Amazon (Kindle)

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Grand Prize: Enter to win paperback copies of the Twisted Series

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Winter Haven Sleigh Tour Review: The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan

YA Novelties is excited to join the WinterHaven Sleigh Tour hosted by WinterHaven Books. This week, we are posting our choice of a Winter Book Review. To see who else is on the sleigh, go to WinterHaven Sleigh Tour for a list of participating blogs.

As part of the festivities, WinterHaven Books is hosting an international giveaway  
that will include a copy of Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Signed by Levithan and Cohn) and a copy of Let it Snow to four lucky winners. Good luck and happy holidays!

The Legend of Holly Claus
By Brittney Ryan
Published September 26th, 2006
Publisher: Harper Trophy
Paperback, 544 pages 

Santa Claus is the King of Forever, Land of the Immortals. When one special boy writes to Santa asking what no other child has ever asked, a miracle occurs: Santa and Mrs. Claus are blessed with a daughter. But the birth of Holly Claus also brings about a terrible curse--from an evil soul named Herrikhan. Holly's heart is frozen, and the gates to Forever are locked, barring exit or entry.  

As she grows into a beautiful and selfless young woman, Holly longs to break the spell that holds her people hostage. With four faithful and magical animal friends, she escapes to the wondrous world of Victorian New York, where she will face countless dangers, adventures, and a miracle all her own. -GoodReads

Review

 The story of Holly Claus is just the sweetest thing ever. Although it is also suitable for younger children, I enjoyed it none the less. 

Holly Claus is the most pure hearted person, and so endearingly naive with the immense desire to help humankind, spreading hope, joy, and Christmas cheer. Everyone who meets Holly is touched by her in some special way, she seems to have a talent of bringing light to others. You can't not like Holly, it is impossible.

Christopher is mysterious and intriguing. I wanted to know more about him and his back story, and I felt like only the surface was brushed with his character, giving us enough information to go along and understand the plot, but there could have been so much more. I was sort of disappointed about the lack of detail in Christopher's story, considering he is arguably the most important character in the book.  


The Legend of Holly Caus is an enchanting story. The word choice is excellent, and helps everything flow smoothly. Although the 544 pages may seem daunting, it is an easy read. The beautiful pictures in it were a great supplement to the story, making the story even richer and fuller, bringing life to your imaginings. The message of this story is amazing, too often people forget about love, compassion, faith, and courage in their everyday lives. They go about very self centered, not bothering to notice anything else, while this story sheds light on the little ways to make other people's lives better.This book also centers around faith, in believing without seeing, and calls to the many people who still have hope to recognize their dreams and aspirations.  

One of the only things I have to fault this book is that it was just a little too cheesy, layering it on a bit thick. Other than that, I loved it, especially the happy fairytale ending, I'm a sucker for those. I would highly recommend this book, for everyone of all ages, and older people might especially enjoy this as a way of looking back on their childhood.  

Purchase at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

The Immortal Circus by A. R. Kahler Book Blast

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you a show unlike any you've seen before.

Within the walls of THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS, you'll be amazed by acts of tragic romance, seductive magic, and maybe even a little murder.

After all, loves, nothing is what it seems under this big top. Not even your innocent little heroine, Vivienne.

Released every two weeks through the Kindle Serials program, we'll be sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, right up to the breathtaking conclusion that will have you begging for more. But don't worry, loves--you'll delight in the anticipation.

I personally guarantee it.

Follow our spectacle across four blogs representing the two Faerie Courts. There will be exclusive interviews and artwork, backstage reviews and more from the author, A.R. Kahler--and trust me when I say, he knows the circus well. Pick a side, promote the show, and compete for your chance to win a spectacular prize of circus goods.

And my eternal love, of course.

Trust me when I say, when the final curtain falls, no one and no thing will ever be the same. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The show's just beginning.

Are you ready to run away forever?

~Mab

Ringleader, Fashionista, and Queen of the Winter Court

Choose Your Court...

***

About THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS

Murdered contortionists aren't exactly what Vivienne signed up for when she ran away to join the circus. But like most things under the big top, nothing is what it seems. With a past she can't quite remember, Vivienne finds that running away forever might not be as appealing as it once sounded--especially not when she realizes the devilishly attractive ringleader Mab is the Faerie Queen of legend…and that she and the rest of the troupe are locked in an age-old rivalry between the otherworldly Courts.

Aided by her friends Kingston--a feisty stage magician whose magic is quickly stealing her heart--and his smart-ass assistant Melody, Vivienne finds herself racing against the clock to discover the culprit behind a series of deaths that should be impossible. However, the answer she seeks might reveal more about her own bloody past--and future--than she bargains for.

The show's just beginning.

Step right up… GOODREADS, AMAZON, FACEBOOK, WEBSITE

About A.R. Kahler

Most little boys dream of running away to join the circus. Alex didn't just dream it: he did it. But then, he rarely lets a good dream pass him by.

In the past six years he's toured and trained across America and Europe. He's performed in Amsterdam, taught trapeze in Madrid, studied in Glasgow and even had a stint as assistant to Holly Black and Cassandra Clare in New England. He's constantly on the lookout for new places to explore and new worlds to invent. He's a Sagittarius fueled by full moons and espresso. The way to his heart is a latte and fan art. Just for the record.

THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS is his first New Adult novel, and is being released exclusively through the Amazon Kindle e-Serials program by 47North. It will be available in print and audio when the episodes are complete.

MARTYR the first book in his post-apocalyptic fantasy, will be published by Spencer Hill Press in October 2014


Find him: TWITTER as @ARKahler, TWITTER as @ImmortalCircus, WEBSITE

There are 10 Kindle eBook serial copies of THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS up for grabs.

The giveaway is 3 days ONLY and it's open to anyone 13 and older who can receive gifted Kindle books.

The winners will be announced within 24 hours after the giveaway closes in the Rafflecopter form.

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Review: Iron's Prophecy by Julie Kagawa

Iron's Prophecy (The Iron Fey #4.5)

By Julie Kagawa

Published: September 1, 2012 

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

eBook, 69 pages

Meghan Chase is finally getting used to being the Iron Queen, ruler of the Iron Fey. Her life may be strange, but with former Winter prince Ash by her side at last, she wouldn't have it any other way.

But when they travel to the Summer and Winter courts' gathering for Elysium, the oracle from Meghan's past returns with a dire prophecy: "What you carry will either unite the courts, or it will destroy them."

Now Meghan faces a devastating choice that may determine the future of all fey—and her and Ash's unborn child….

A novella from Julie Kagawa's bestselling Iron Fey series. --Goodreads

4.5 Stars

Review

This novella is such a must-read for Iron Fey lovers! Everyone needs to read this. Seriously, when I read The Lost Prince, the first book in the spin-off series, Call of the Forgotten, at many points, I was lost in this other dimension (figuratively and literally). Iron's Prophecy provides the necessary explanations to smoothly transition from The Iron Knight to The Lost Prince because there's such a large time gap between the two series. Although this novella wasn't the best of the three novellas released for the Iron Fey, it is probably the most vital to the series in terms of plot. 

If you compare Iron's Prophecy to any of the other Iron Fey works, it doesn't really stand out. The plot is typical: Meghan and Ash are in trouble, they quest and meet Puck and Grimalkin along the way. In a way, this was a let down. After reading an entire series that follows the same basic plot line, I was hoping for something to spice up the series, like Summer's Crossing did earlier. Unfortunately that was not to be. Despite this fact, the plot was still an exciting, fast-paced one that was strong all-around.

The novella is told from entirely Meghan's point of view, which allows us to better see the tensions that the fey are facing due to the conflicting courts. None of the books have ever described the political intrigue as well as the Iron's Prophecy's brief introduction did. This is just an intro to what is to come in Call of the Forgotten, which involves Ethan, Meghan's brother, and Keirran, Meghan and Ash's son. Repeatedly, I have stated and continuously I will say that this novella is the perfect bridge between this two somewhat radically different series. Their plots and characters may have some similarity; otherwise, the tones and world-building is a new sophistication. The style manages to be a mesh of the simplistic Meghan and the rough-edged Ethan's narration, which I found somewhat odd, but was able to quickly look beyond.

I really enjoyed reading Iron's Prophecy in comparison to many other novellas out there. Julie Kagawa is gifted at expanding the world of Fey without any awkward or overcomplicating the new material she has imagined. It is understandable that a reader wouldn't read this novella without reading the other books in the series, or let alone start this series because of a measly 70 page novella, but seriously. This series is totally worth every minute, and this novella just adds to this series of near perfection!

Purchase this book here: Amazon (Kindle)/ B&N (Nook)

Review: Wings, Spells, Illusions, and Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Summary for Destined

Tamani looked at her gravely, and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

He hesitated for an instant, then his hands found the sides of her face, pulling her to him. He didn't kiss her, just held her face close to his, their foreheads resting together, their noses almost touching.

She hated how much it felt like good-bye.

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful--and deadly--of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series. -Goodreads

Review: Wings Series (Books 1-4)

Wings, Spells, Illusions, and Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Published from May 5th 2009 to May 1st 2012 by HarperTeen

4 stars for the entire series

Ok, so I have finally finished the Wings series, and I am extremely happy with the ending. I feel like it really wraps everything up, while giving you a satisfying end. Here goes my review for the entire series.

Characters:

• Laurel: First book, didn't like her so much. I found her quite annoying in that she is shy, but very judging, and can't even save herself. What intrigued me about her was that, unlike most fairy stories, she didn't have wings, more of a blossom, and that was one of the main reasons why I continued on with the series. Second book, Laurel is stupid. She has to go start her fairy training in Avalon, and predictably, gets closer to Tamani, but when she sees David again, she is confused. Oh Laurel . . .  Third book, she's better. This time she actually has to deal with Tamani and her conflicting feelings for him because he is always near her protecting her. Fourth book, soooo much better. Although she is very reckless and self sacrificing, she does it for the people she loves and the causes she cares about. By the end she really grew on me. 
• David: I don't really have much to say for him. Although the way he falls in love with Laurel is interesting (they fall in love trying to figure out what Laurel is), and he is sweet and caring, I just didn't like him that much. He is too boring and hasn't done as much as Tamani to deserve her love. If you haven't noticed by now, I am totally a Tamani fan. The last book was where I really came to like him, sacrificing himself for the greater good. *Spoiler Alert* Destined has an official ending, but for the readers who want to know more there is a, you could say, epilogue that gives details about everyone's life later on from David's view point. I strongly suggest reading it, but only if you can take it. I almost cried.
  
• Tamani: I loved him so much. I felt so bad for him at first, he was pretty much ignored by Laurel in favor of David. All the choices and sacrifices that he has made have been for Laurel, his one true love, and he has done that his ENTIRE life.  I felt like he at least deserved a chance, which thankfully, he gets.  

Plot and Style
The plot was pretty good, even though it was one of those typical love triangles, and I enjoyed it. One thing that annoyed me though was the excessive amount of trolls, but it makes sense in the end. Wings was one of those books (for me) that although it needed a sequel and I knew there was a sequel, I didn't actively try reading it. With books I really love, I mark my calendar for when the next book comes out, but for the Wings series I didn't care that much. Eventually, I had read 'till the last book, and with the last book I was hooked on it, and couldn't put it down. I feel like Destined is the best book of the series and definitely makes up for the other books, especially the ending. If you viewed the spoiler, all I have to say that it was incredible and made everything come full circle. Pike's style was fine, simple and flowing. The cover illustrations were another aspect that I liked.


Overall, this series was pretty satisfactory. If you find yourself not wanting to read the series after reading Wings, I would suggest for you to keep on with it. The books get progressively better, and, if not for anything else, read the series for the last book. Pike definitely saved the best for last. I would make this review more detailed and include more in this review, but I don't want to make it too long. I also don't want to give away too many spoilers, this review is for the entire series.    

Purchase Wings (Wings #1) here: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository
Purchase Spells (Wings #2) here: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository
Purchase Illusions (Wings #3) here: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository
Purchase Destined (Wings #4) here: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Review: Iron Fey Series

SUMMARY OF IRON KING

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. 

--GoodReads

4.5 Stars of Awesomeness

Iron Fey Series (Books #1-3)

Iron King, Iron Daughter, Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Published from February 2010- January 2011 by Harlequin Teen

Alrighty then, I think it's safe to say that this is the first series review Ya Novelties has ever accomplished!!! Whoot whoot! Yes, yes, for those of you that are already familiar (and in love) with this, you might know that there is, in fact, a fourth novel of the Iron Fey series. *Gasp!* Yup. It's called the Iron Knight, and it is also (quite expectedly) written by the amazing author Julie Kagawa. Aaaand why didn't I include it in my fabulous review? Well, ma chère, it's because I haven't read it yet. *boos and hisses* Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll get to it. *Looks off into a faraway land* Yes.... s o m e d a y.

How can she hold that smile for so long? It's magic! Magic I tell you!

Onto the review. This will obviously be an overall review, so that will mean spoilers. Don't worry, I'll warn ahead of time for those who do not enjoy spoilers. I'll try to keep clean of any secrets.

Now, let's start off with the characters.

CHARACTERS - OK, even I have to admit--this series may be a bit cheesy, but I tell you, it's good!

OK. I've read the summary of Iron King. The first thing that comes to mind is LOVE TRIANGLE. Yup, there is one heck of a love triangle in this story. It's the usual cast of characters - the one clumsy girl that'll save the day, the cold-hearted-cool-but-so-hot-in-an-attractive-sense-prince boy, and the cute-funny-I-don't-want-him-to-get-hurt-in-that-love-polygon-gosh-darn-it best friend.

Key to the Stereotypical Charcters:

Clumsy Heroine = Meghan Chase

Cold Prince Dude = Prince Ash

BFFL of Heroine/Funny Guy = Puck

Although the characters may be (really) stereotypical and cliché, you WILL fall in love with the characters. Their personalities are quirky and funny, and really quite human (well, if you ignore the fae part). I truly enjoyed reading about Meghan. I loved reading and watching how she matures and grows mentally and physically in this story. My favorite book in this series would be the second part of Iron Queen. That is the part of the series where you can truly see how much Meghan has grown as a person and fae.

As for the classy love interests, I have to say, I was sooo on Team Puck. Well, actually.... now that I think about it...I think that I liked both Ash and Push so much, that I decided to be on Team Meghan...oh, I don't know! All I can say is that I definitely wasn't disappointed in Meghan's choice. Poor Meghan. If I had to choose between Ash or Push, I would be so lost! I wouldn't know who to pick!

STYLE -

I really love Julie Kagawa's writing. Kagawa is one of the few YA authors that can write a book that I won't ever want to put down. Usually, Kagaway writes through the character's eyes, which my favorite style. I love how Kagawa can capture what a character is feeling, thinking, and perceiving the world around them in a way that seems to be so effortless.  Her writing flows and is easily understandable that it's like Kagawa plops you right into her own fantasy universe. Not to mention, Kagawa always plans the perfect joke at the right time!

The whole series is written as though through Meghan's eyes, except for the last book, Iron Knight. That book is the adventure of Prince Ash, and is narrated through him. (Unfortunately, that's all I can tell ya without giving away key info....) Honestly, with the Iron Fey series, you can really stop reading after Iron Queen. (Hey, that's what I did, and I'm here giving you a review of what I thought of the "whole" series.) 

PLOT - 

As I said earlier, the Iron Fey really isn't to be enjoyed for its originality or uniqueness, because you WILL find that there are many cliché/stereotypical/predicted things in this series. I mainly enjoyed this series because it was a mix of everything I liked. Fantasy, action, well-timed humor, love triangles, awesome kick-ass heroine, and 2 loveable guys that weren't total jerks/creepers to the heroine *cough**cough* Edward.

OVERALL - 

Overall, if you hadn't guessed, I really enjoyed reading this series. Personally, I don't think it's necessary to read the fourth book, which was really, it seems to me, written for the hard-core fans out there. I was perfectly happy to stop after reading #3. 

I gave this series a 4.5 because I felt some should be taken off for its lack of originality in some parts. Other than that, this series was perfect.

I loved the characters, their personalities, the cute plot, the great and forever amazing Puck and Ash, and of course, Kagawa's amazing writing prowess. The Iron Fey series is definitely one of my all time favorites and it could be yours, too, if you gave it a chance. So as they say.... 

PEACE OUT!!!

 See ya next week! Happy readings to all.

Purchase the Iron Fey Series (Box Set) at: Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ The Book Depository

Purchase The Iron King at: Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ The Book Depository

Purchase The Iron Daughter at: Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ The Book Depository

Purchase The Iron Queen at: Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ The Book Depository

Purchase The Iron Knight at: Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ The Book Depository