Waiting On Wednesday (15)

Waiting On Wednesday is from Jill, at Breaking the Spine.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

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

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

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

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

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

Okay. If you read my raving review at all, you'd know how excited/thrilled/antsy/ECSTATIC I am to read this book. Seriously. Couldn't be more excited. This is one series where my interest skyrocketed (The Iron King was a bit shaky for me, then The Iron Daughter had me hooked.). So now I'm as loyal a fan as ever; I love to see a story progress as much as this one has.


....Oh, and have I mentioned they put it up on NetGalley?!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Authors I'd Die to Meet.

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to us by The Broke and the Bookish.

TOP TEN AUTHORS I'D DIE TO MEET

1. J.K. Rowling

2. Charles de Lint

3. Melissa Marr

4. Lisa Schroeder

5. Vladimir Nabokov

6. Laurie Halse Anderson

7. Natalie Babbitt

8. Julie Kagawa

9. William Shakespeare*

10. J.M. Barrie


*He'll probably always be my favorite.

TGIF! (9)

TGIF is brought to us by Ginger at GReads!

It's a way for bloggers to celebrate the end of the week with a nice re-cap of their weekly posts and to answer a random question.

Blogger Confession: What's the last book you could not finish? (or had a hard time finishing?)

Going Bovine by Libba Bray. I know, I know. It's an amazing book. It won the Printz award, after all. Plus the writing is catchy. And a kid with mad cow disease? What's not interesting about that? I was hooked until I got about halfway through, and then everything just quickly fell flat for me. I like creepy, crazy, funny, strange. But not the kind that Going Bovine offers. For lack of a better way to say it, the story basically unraveled, along with my interest.

I haven't completely abandoned it, though. I hope to return to it sometime in the future, because it is in no way a "bad" book. I'm just not feeling it at the moment.

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Vlogging: This is How We Roll

Waiting on Wednesday

REVIEW! The Iron Queen - You must read this; it's fabulous! **

In My Mailbox

Coming up this week:

Review of Stay by Deb Caletti!

REVIEW! The Iron Queen.

THE IRON QUEEN
Julie Kagawa

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

My rating: 5 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:

HOLY COW. WOW. WOWZA. STUPENDOUS!

The Iron Queen does not disappoint in any regards. Sure, there are a few overly repeated phrases used to convey character personalities. But otherwise, the drama gets you right in the gut, the action keeps you hanging on every word, and the romance just might bring you to tears. (Word of advice: keep tissues handy!)

This third part to the Iron Fey series is simply a knockout; it takes the loose ends from the previous two (Iron King and Iron Daughter) and weaves them together into a complete picture. Granted, this does not take away from the suspense or mystery Kagawa creates. If anything, it justifies the two. Just when you begin to doubt the plot and characters, something comes along to reel you right back in. The Iron Queen is a constant tug of war on your emotions. It comes off frantic, but in the end, it all makes sense.

It's in this installment that the characters steal the show.  They don't just grow, they build off of one another, working cohesively. It's an interesting mix for sure, when the plot in the previous two is what took precedence. Getting to the core of Meghan, Puck and Ash shapes the story; while at times they seem one dimensional or cookie cutter in the previous books, they show their true selves in The Iron Queen and it's a refreshing surprise. You won't be able to stay unattached to any of them.

Really, I could go on, but I think my opening sentiments sum up my feelings enough.

** You all need to read this book!
And be on the lookout for the upcoming book, The Iron Knight, being released 10/25/11!
I'm not sure I've ever gotten so worked up about a book before. I mean, I have. But not recently. This is easily my favorite read of 2011 so far. How I'm possibly going to wait for The Iron Knight, I have no idea. I'm already dying to know what happens and have been bragging about this to friends. I think I may be in love with this book. (And Ash!)

In My Mailbox (13).

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa.

Stay by Deb Caletti.

Okay, I cannot express how excited I am for these. I've heard Jellicoe Road is AMAZING (and I liked Saving Francesca, so I know I like the author). I've been waiting for The Iron Queen ever since I finished The Iron Daughter.  And Stay will be my first Deb Caletti novel; I hope it's a good choice.

In My Mailbox (12).

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa.

I heard this takes place after the Iron Queen, so unfortunately I'll have to hold off reading it until I can snag a copy of the other.

REVIEW! The Iron Daughter.

The Iron Daughter
Julie Kagawa


FROM THE COVER:

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 rating: 4 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:

I heard a lot of reservations about this one, but I have to say that I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. Much, much more than the first (The Iron King). 

Three cheers for Puck and Ash finally making some good appearances! I really like that the two of them are incorporated into the story now, rather than it being one or the other.  But, as such, Meghan's role dwindles. She narrates the story, of course, but her presence leaves a lot to be desired.  In The Iron King, she at least takes charge of things (albeit in the whiniest of ways), whereas in The Iron Daughter she does nothing more than pout.  I think her only moment of action includes kicking a gremlin or goblin in the face?

Puck and Ash steal the show. Which didn't bother me. They're both very solid characters.  Ash is much more likeable and relatable, and Puck is still as humorous as ever.  Yet, the romance is still a bit estranged.  Meghan's need for Ash stems from practically nothing.  And poor Puck never seems genuine. It feels like the triangle needs more care or attention given to it, because it's more like separated points fumbling together. Still doesn't quite work for me, despite Ash having won me over.

As for plot, well... it's all over the place.  There is one, maybe two, moments of downtime.  While everything drags in the previous book, this one keeps a constant pace, containing nothing but action, action and more action.  It's enjoyable but unbelievable.  Some scenes seem entirely out of place, worthless and reminiscent of those in other books. It feels as if there are too many characters involved and struggling to find their place within the story.

Still, it has better flow and characterization than The Iron King. I'm looking forward to The Iron Queen.

It's been a while... Remember me?

Hi, bloggers! Remember me?

Finally out of school and getting some reading done!  It feels great. I love not having to worry about writing another paper. Or studying. This past semester was a bit hellish, so I'm more than happy to put it behind me.

In other, happier news, I landed an internship! Finally, after months and months of prevailing and losing hope. Of course, that means I'll be working part of the summer. No worries, though. I'll have plenty of time for reading. (I know I've said that before... but I will!)

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their summers. Or at the very least, I hope school's almost out for you, too.

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I'm currently reading Julie Kagawa's The Iron Daughter.  It's the second book in the Iron fey series. Remember my review for The Iron King? I wasn't exactly thrilled with the start of the series.  I thought it was clichéd and the characters were bleak. 

Yet, I must admit, I'm liking The Iron Daughter so far. I'm only a little over one hundred pages in, but it's been able to hold my attention and read much more smoothly. And is it just me, or is Ash more appealing? I was all for Puck, but I think I'm honestly rooting for both boys now.

What do you think?

But please, no spoilers! I'm really hoping Ash doesn't turn out to be a jerk...

YA Love Triangle Week: TEAM PUCK!

That's right. This week is YA Love Triangle Week. 

Still don't know what that is?

Stop by Down the Rabbit Hole.

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So why am I telling you again?

Well, today is Wednesday, which means it's

TEAM PUCK VS. TEAM ASH

from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa.

And I am representing Team Puck.

You can see both posts here.

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Puck AKA Robin Goodfellow AKA Robbie [noun]: Best friend to Meghan, beloved jester to Oberon, grinning prankster to all.

As a character stemming from both English mythology and Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck is historical, popular, pure kickass. He’s got the whole kit and caboodle:
He’s a best friend.

He’s a pining best friend – Insert “Awww.”

He’s a devoted best friend – That’s worth some brownie points.

He’s got brains – He’s been around the block once or twice or thrice and isn’t afraid to let you (We’re looking at YOU, Ash) know it.

He’s willing to risk his life for the girl he loves – It doesn’t get much better than that. Insert another “Awww.”

He’s got a wicked sense of humor – Think sarcastic, melodramatic, snarky, witty banter.

He’s got an “in” with Oberon – Sure comes in handy sometimes. You know. When you need permission to protect the girl from that … Prince dude. (We’re still looking at you, Ash.)

He’s got brains – Oh, this was already mentioned? Well now you know again. Girls sure love their men to be smart and funny…



Don’t think that’s the whole kit and caboodle? Puck can speak for himself:

“I’ve always wanted the IQ of a rock. No, wait. That would be an insult to the rock.”


“It’s okay. Don’t let go of me, and don’t say anything to anyone.”


“Really? That’s what you’re going with? How predictable.”


“If you’ve read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you might remember me. There was this unfortunate incident, completely unplanned, where I gave someone a donkey’s head and made Titania fall in love with him.”


“That’s what makes it fun. You can die in so many interesting ways – skewered on a glass sword, dragged underwater and eaten by a kelpie, turned into a spider or a rosebush for all time – Well, are you coming or not?”


“Hi, princess. Sorry I’m late. Traffic was a bitch.”


“Freedom is highly overrated, anyway.”


“Me? Die? Didn’t they tell you, princess? I’m Robin Goodfellow.”

Still haven’t convinced you?
Try to imagine the story without him. It all becomes a bit bleak and heavy. As much of a nuisance Puck can be, he makes up for it by being loyal, dependable, and comic relief. Without him, your princess would be dead. And with no princess, you haven’t got a story.

*All quotes provided by The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa.

News: Have you heard?

Amber, over at Down the Rabbit Hole, is going to be hosting a nifty event, called YA Love Triangle Week. For details, click here.

"So here's the breakdown. As soon as I've got 12 volunteers to write a blog post for each boy from SIX novels, I will dedicate a week on my blog to YA Love Triangles. Each day of the week I will post the bloggers' articles pleading why you should like their guy. So for instance, on the Twilight series day there will be a post from a Team Edward fan and Team Jacob fan. At the end of the week, you'll vote on which team you'd go for BASED ON THE POST."

Fun, right? Who doesn't enjoy rooting for their fave fictional guy?

Sound interesting? Get involved!

Currently, I'm signed up for Team Puck, from The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa. Anyone interested in promoting Team Ash? If so, make sure to head on over to Amber's blog and send her an e-mail.

Not interested in Ash or the Iron Fey series? No worries - there's plenty of other lovely guys to choose from.