The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 361 pages

Publish Date: October 25, 2011

Book Type: ARC provided for review

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210367

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: 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…

My Review: Once again, I just love how these covers all fit together. I also love how the blue swirls match Ash’s eyes. Very nice. “Soulless, Banished, but Never Forgotten.”

I struggled a bit through The Iron Queen. I had just praised Meghan on my review of The Iron Daughter and that was probably the kiss of death for me. The way she was treating Puck really annoyed me and I thought it took a long time for the action to start. The sappy love story was really played up and, unfortunately, that is not what I enjoy about this series. 

Needless to say, I was a bit nervous about starting The Iron Knight. I did end up enjoying it more than I had anticipated. I loved the interactions between Ash and Puck. I’m also glad that we got a little more insight into their characters. Grim will always be my favorite character in The Iron Fey series. He’s the best. It was nice to have the opportunity to see things through Ash’s eyes.

I always love the way Julie Kagawa paints a picture with her words. I can always picture everything that she is describing. That’s key to a good fantasy/paranormal novel. If I couldn’t picture the world these characters are living in, I’m sure I wouldn’t enjoy these books nearly as much as I do.

Also, it wouldn’t be a Julie Kagawa book if there weren’t some twists and turns when you least expect them. The Iron Knight did not disappoint in that department.

If you’ve read the rest of the series, this one is definitely a must read. If you haven’t started the series yet, you probably should.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Julie Kagawa for this review copy!

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 359 pages

Publish Date: August 1, 2010

Book Type: Owned Paperback

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210138

Picture from Amazon

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

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

My Review: “Love & Betrayal. A Faery World Gone Mad.” Once again, I love these covers. The font, the swirls. Awesome.

I really admire how Megan follows through with her word. She has a pretty good moral compass and she will do something if she thinks that it is right...even if she doesn’t necessarily want to do it. She’s also coming into her powers, which is always fun to read.

I thought that the character development in The Iron Daughter was done very well. Meghan, Ash and Puck became more fleshed out, but so did some of the minor characters. I don’t want to talk about them too much because it will get spoiler-y, but some of the minor characters are my favorites!

I also think that I liked the story line in The Iron Daughter even more than in The Iron King. The action seemed to be stepped up a notch since Meghan was already aware of the Faery world.

I wish the romantic aspect of the book had been a little bit more developed. I like to know why things are happening, not just that they are. Sure, Ash, is troubled and pretty and a good fighter, but why does Meghan love him so much? I need to know! But, this is such a minor complaint that it doesn’t even really matter too much.

Also, I have noticed that these books are pretty hard to review without spoilers. Alas, I’m really excited to start The Iron Queen and make my way to The Iron Knight. 

Have you read this series? Which book is your favorite?

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron King (Iron Fey #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Fairies

Page Count: 363 pages

Publish Date: February 1, 2010

Book Type: Owned Paperback

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210084

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: 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.

My Review (I’m trying not to give any spoilers here): This cover has half of a face, but I don’t even care. I love, love, love the use of the font here and how the swirls continue throughout the cover. Plus, every cover in the series looks great together. They will be awesome sitting on my bookshelf once I acquire The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight (non-ARC version). “The Iron King is a must read!”... well, I would have to agree Gena Showalter. “Iron, ice, a love doomed from the start.” Why did I wait so long to start these books?! I actually think these books would make amazing movies. I’m only about 2/3 of the way through the second, but they seem to have a very cinematic value to them.

There are some amazing characters in The Iron King. I knew from the start that I would like Robbie. He’s a little bit of a prankster, but I could tell right away that he truly cared for Meghan. Speaking of Meghan, she is a really good main character. I thought the way that she handled some of the tough situations that came her way was really realistic. She has a very natural narrative voice. Another favorite character of mine is Grimalkin. This is saying a lot because, much like Robbie/Puck, I DO NOT LIKE CATS. I’m allergic and they creep me out, but Grim is amazing. He is calculating, but totally comes through in a pinch. 

The action and adventure scenes in The Iron King were awesome. I loved all of the fighting and chase scenes. Julie Kagawa has a true way with words. I could absolutely picture everything from this fantasy world that she was describing. 

I loved how some of the fairy/faery aspects from The Sookie Stackhouse books could be found in The Iron King as well. Maybe this is true for all fae books? I’m not that familiar with them. You guys, I think I finally found a book review I’m super passionate about again! It hasn’t been over a year or anything since I’ve been this passionate. *insert heavy sarcasm* This is why this review sort of just seems to be me yelling incoherently. Sorry.   

My one gripe for the story is that there is a bit of insta-love. You can judge for yourselves how you feel about that aspect of the story.

Have you started this series yet? If not, why? ;) Let me know what you think in the comments!

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade Review

Title: Queen of the Dead (The Ghost and the Goth #2)

Author: Stacey Kade

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 266 pages

Publish Date: May 31, 2011

Book Type: eGalley from NetGalley and signed copy won from a contest

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423134671

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Minor Spoilers from The Ghost and the Goth 

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like. 

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess. 

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea. 

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

My Review: I love the covers of these books! I miss Will being in his hoodie, but good old Alona is still in her gym uniform. I also love how Alona manages to look transparent without being too ghost like. If that makes sense.

I love how both books in this series are quick reads, yet they still manage to be highly character driven. I tend to find quick reads like this usually have me feeling like the whole point of the book was to get from Point A to Point B--no character development. This isn’t the case for Stacey Kade’s books. Love!

We find out more about Will’s past in this book (i.e. his family) and it was really interesting. There are also some developments with some of the ghosts from the previous book and their journey to “make it back to the light.” I’m trying not to get too spoiler-y here, but I really liked how two of the ghosts thought they were being held back for one reason and it ended up being another. This part of the book really made me think.

As much as Alona would probably annoy me in real life, I actually love reading about her. Her actions are always surprising me. The end of the book leaves her in a position that I am really curious about. It made me squirm and I wonder if it had this effect on others as well? So, if you’ve read it.. let me know!

If you enjoyed the first in the series, you will like this one as well! I can’t wait to see where Kade takes these crazy kids (ghosts).

Thanks to NetGalley and Stacey Kade for this review copy!

Hereafter by Tara Hudson Review

Title: Hereafter (Hereafter #1)

Author: Tara Hudson

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Ghosts

Page Count: 416 pages/533 KB

Book Type: Kindle e-galley

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062026774

ASIN: B004GUSHVE

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

My Review: The colors included in this cover are absolutely gorgeous. We’ve been seeing a lot of really pretty covers lately, haven’t we? I just love how it turns from dark blue to light blue to a yellow. Plus, the transparency of her dress is awesome. “A stranded spirit. A sudden love.” To me, this promises a powerful love story.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this book. I am not 100% in love with paranormal romance stories, but there are a few certain ones that I do love. The synopsis had me intrigued, but skeptical. A ghost and a boy falling in love? I wasn’t quite sure how (and if) this would work. Oh, was I wrong.

Hudson’s writing style was really beautiful. She definitely has a way with words. I was completely engrossed in the story from start to finish. Hudson paints a picture with her words and it really allowed me to visualize everything that was happening.

I thought Amelia’s form of ghost-amnesia was very interesting. Would ghosts remember their previous lives or would they have no recollection? I enjoyed taking the journey of discovering Amelia’s past with her. Joshua’s character was a really good one. I want to learn more about him! I loved how the characters in this novel were really fleshed out. They weren’t just caricatures. They all had strengths and flaws. 

I cannot wait for the sequel. How will the story play out with Amelia being a ghost and Joshua being alive and well? Can they have a happy ending? I know that I am rooting for them.

For the comments: What is your favorite paranormal love story? 

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperTeen and Tara Hudson for this review copy!

A Season of Transformation by Jayne Fordham Review and GIVEAWAY!

Title: A Season of Transformation

Author: Jayne Fordham

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Page Count: 258 pages

Book Type: Kindle book for review

Publisher: Jayne Fordham

ISBN: 9781447548

ASIN: B004X2HNBA

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: A Season of Transformation is a young adult fantasy/ romance novel set in the contemporary world. It is the story of five young people drawn together to complete a Quest, to protect their town from destruction. In order to defeat the story’s villain, Maxvale, the five virtual strangers must come together and not only forge a bond of trust but become proficient with the ‘abilities’ temporarily bestowed upon them. 

In the midst of the lead up to the battle each of the young people has their own personal struggles they are trying to deal with. Lucas, an adopted and bitter teenager struggles to become the person he wants to be whilst developing feelings for Makenna, a rich kid who doesn’t like his attitude. Bonnie is a ‘gothic’ that is dealing with an alcoholic father, Ben the school nerd and Adam the class clown are trying to break free from their high school stereotypes. Can these five teens put their differences aside to defeat Maxvale and save their town?

My Review: I know I said this review would be up on Wednesday, but I couldn’t help posting it now. Plus, there is a giveaway here and I wanted you all to have more of an opportunity! I like how the cover of this book really represents the autumn season that is so prominent throughout the book.

The five teenagers in this book don’t really run in the same social circle. They haven’t spoken to each other until they feel compelled to do so. I really liked seeing their friendships (and even romances) developed throughout the book. They came about more naturally than some YA books (i.e. no insta-love here). I think A Season of Transformation teaches a pretty good lesson. The main reason the characters didn’t talk to each other before was pretty much strictly based on looks. 

Sometimes I was taken out of the book by word use, but I know that is just the disconnect between Aussie lingo and my Americanized vocabulary. Once I thought about what some of the things being talked about were, I was able to get right back into the story with no problem. I even ended up enjoying the Aussie phrases!

I liked how this paranormal story didn’t only focus on the paranormal aspect. I really got to know the characters and it was fun seeing them grow and change. You know, I always end up feeling bad for the friends of the characters before they developed their abilities. They always seem to get left behind, but in this book it is resolved a bit, which made me happy.


I enjoyed reading A Season of Transformation and it was nice and quick.


Thanks to Jayne Fordham for this review copy!

Now you have an opportunity to win a ebook copy of A Season of Transformation! I’m keeping it nice and simple here. You can fill out the FORM either here or below. Comments are much appreciated, but they won’t be counted as an entry. This giveaway will end Tuesday, June 14 at 6 PM EST. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator. The Winner will be announced sometime the following day. Your information will be forwarded to Jayne Fordham and she will contact you with the ebook! Good luck :)

For the comments, if you could develop any special power, what would it be? I think I would like to have a rapid-learning ability. That would really help, no?  

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross Review

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1)

Author: Kady Cross

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk

Page Count: 336 pages/493 KB

Book Type: Kindle Galley

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210336

ASIN: B004XDYXAI

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

My Review: I adore this cover. 1) Her dress is gorgeous. 2) I love the steel corset showing. 3) I love the steampunk attributes in the background. 4) The font was an excellent choice. I just wish the blurb wasn’t there. The cover would have been perfect without it.

This is a good debut steampunk novel. I really think it would be a good introduction into the steampunk world if you are unfamiliar with it. The only other steampunk I have read was Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare and I could definitely see some similarities throughout. I wonder if that happens with all steampunk novels since they are heavily based on machinery.

Since this is a first in a series, it was a good lead in. It didn’t blow me away, but kept me interested enough to want to read the second. I’m anxious to read the prequel that I have waiting for my on my Kindle because I have a feeling it will explain a few things that I was curious about during the novel. I enjoyed the characters in this book; however, I wish we would have gotten to know them even more. I wanted more back story.

Some of my favorite parts were the explanations of the steampunk aspects of the world Kady Cross created. The organites (or “little beasties”) were fascinating. They basically regenerated cells in a body and could heal wounds at a quicker pace than normal. Very useful. The Girl in the Steel Corset wasn’t my favorite book of the year, but it has me interested enough to want to read the sequel!   

Thanks to NetGalley, Kady Cross and Harlequin Teen for this review copy!

Have you read The Girl in the Steel Corset yet? What did you think? Also, if you could leave me some more steampunk suggestions in the comments, that would be fabulous!