Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Harlequin (UK) Ltd via NetGalley
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Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.Review by Nara
That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.
Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.
**Although this is a standalone series, I would definitely recommend reading the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa first, before reading this series.**
My name is Ethan Chase.
And I doubt I'll live to see my eighteenth birthday.
When I first heard about the fact that Julie Kagawa was going to be writing another series set in the world of the Iron Fey, my excitement could not be contained! (I mean, I found out the news a good half-year ago, and I'm still excited about the series while writing this review). And, of course, spiking that excitement up even further was the fact that the series is centered around Meghan's brother, Ethan. ETHAN GROWN UP!!!
One thing I really like about Kagawa's books is that while the plot is a large driving force of the novel, the characters are a dominant force as well. The development of the characters and their entwining relationships is definitely a major reason why we continue reading her novels. And her character development really is impeccable. There are no characters which seem bland or unnecessary, with each contributing their part to the world of the novel.
If the novel wasn't from the point of view of Ethan, quite honestly, he would have seemed like a douche. However, because we see things from his point of view, we discover that he acts the way he does to protect people from "Them". Also, the fact that he does kali- whoa, badass! Karate or taekwondo is way too mainstream for this bad boy.
Maybe if I'd been strong, she wouldn't be here with me as our seconds tick away, waiting to die.
The love interest, Kenzie, is. Totally. Badass. She's such a strong character. I mean, in her place, suddenly being sucked into the world of the fey, I probably would've been hysterical, but she seems excited and up for the adventure.
"Well, shoot." Kenzie sighed and let the camera drop. "I was hoping to write a book called My Trip to Faeryland. Now how am I going to convince myself that I'm not completely loony?"
And I suppose a part of that is related to her secret. I quite like how Kagawa does the foreshadowing about her secret. Honestly, the first time I read the novel, whenever I came across one of the hints, I just swept past them, because I didn't realise the significance of them at the time. Reading the novel a second time, it's actually really obvious that Kagawa was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. Skilfully done.
"So you're just leaving her behind? She's going to be pissed." Putting her hands on her hips, she glared at him, and he wouldn't meet her eyes. "I know I'd kick your ass if you pulled that stunt with me. Honestly, why do boys always think they know what's best for us? Why can't they just talk?"
YES, Kenzie! You freaking tell that kid! Don't you hate it when characters do the whole "I'm not going to tell you stuff for your own protection". That's always counterproductive!!
I found that it was just really nice seeing all the characters from the Iron Fey series make cameos in the book. But I also liked the fact that Kagawa didn't focus too much on Ash, Meghan and Puck. Those characters have relatively minor roles, leaving space for other characters to step forward, the way I feel it should be.
I definitely can't wait for the next book to come out, ominously titled The Iron Traitor......
Check out the other series Kagawa has on offer! (Book 1 of each series listed here)
3. Untitled New Series *cannot contain excitement even though the release date is set for 2015*
Incredible
Overall: 9/10
Plot: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
I am dying to read this book. Really intrigued to see what happens with Ethan. Luckily I have it on my bookshelf - bought it the other day. Now I just have to wade my way through all my other reads to get to it.
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Gwynn
http://gwynnethwhite.blogspot.com
It's really great! The only downside to reading it now would be that you then have to wait until October for the sequel :)
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