The Iron King

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult/Urban Fantasy/Romance/Adventure

Series: The Iron Fey #1

My name is Meghan Chase.
 
In less than twenty-four hours I’ll be sixteen. Countless stories, songs, and poems have been written about this wonderful age, when a girl finds true love and the stars shine for her and the handsome prince carries her off into the sunset.

I don’t think it will be that way for me.

I’d heard a lot about this book. Critics raved over it, book reviewers adored it, foreign countries sent hit men to snatch up all they could. So naturally I felt compelled to read and review.

Positive Content: Megan really loves her younger brother, and would do anything to get him back from the faeries who have kidnapped him and replaced him with a changeling. She loves her mother as well, even though the two are pretty distant. She really loved her father before he disappeared and still misses him, in spite of everything. She is willing to sacrifice anything – her safety, her memories, her life – in order to protect her friends. She risks everything in order to bring her little brother back from the NeverNever. Likewise, Puck and Ash honor their promises and look out for Megan’s safety.

Negative Content: Quite a bit of foul-mouthing here, including one ‘F-bomb’ (granted, the main character is horrified when this word is uttered, but that doesn’t alter the fact that it was still there) as well as several other a-b-and-d-bombs. Some crude language is used. Many of the faeries are sensual creatures and don’t mind hiding it (Megan herself is the product of a one-night tryst between her mother and the faerie king Oberon). A group of satyrs chases Megan with ‘wicked intentions’ (Puck warned her of  this earlier). Meghan has a few disturbing nightmares concerning her little brother being in danger (i.e. she dreams he’s hanging from wires like some sort of cyborg, etc.) They visit a faerie masquerading as a voodoo seer (the scene lasts only about a page and a half, if I remember correctly). Several people are killed and/or nearly killed. And, of course, there’s the whole ‘love triangle’ thing, which I’m really, really getting sick of.

Summary: This book had a strong imagination powering it, and many aspects of the Iron King are delightful and enthralling. The world of faerie is mysterious, magical, and dangerous, and I grew to like Megan, Puck, and even Ash as they journeyed through the Nevernever in order to retrieve Megan’s little brother. However, there was quite a bit of content that this book could definitely have done without; language and immoral faeries being the main problems. I’d probably own this book – but I would take a lot of black marker to it.

Ages: 17+

3 out of  5 stars

Firelight

 

Author: Sophie Jordan

Series: Firelight #1

Genre: Young Adult/Adventure/Urban Fantasy/Romance

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet of her kind, she nearly pays with her life, only to be spared by a beautiful stranger sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki–a descendant of dragons whose ability to shift into human form is her best defense.

Forced to flee into the mortal world, Jacinda struggles to adapt. The one bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irrestibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will’s dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away – if it dies she will be left a human forever. She’ll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

This book’s cover was awesome, so it caught my eye at the library. It has several things going for it – well-written, realistic, gripping, emotional, believeable characters. I felt like I was really there, and I couldn’t put the book down! However, there were also some things I didn’t appreciate too much. But read on.

Positive Elements: The Draki are everything to the Hunters, but still when he has the chance, a hunter does not turn Jacinda in to the others. He goes out of his way to protect her from both himself and the other hunters. Jacinda tries to do what’s right for the most part, and her mother obviously loves her daughters and wants them to be happy. Even though they argue, Jacinda and her sister Tamra love each other very much. For her mother and sister’s sake, Jacinda tries to be happy in her new life situation even though she hates it.

Negative Elements: A few swear words and a smattering of ‘crude’ remarks. Two boys at school are known to be ‘players,’ and it’s said they’ve been through half the girls at Chaparrall High. Jacinda catches a girl coming out of the bathroom with one of the aformentioned boys. In order to keep Tamra safe, Jacinda goes with her to a party where Tamra consequently gets a little drunk. The sisters are often snarky to one another, having trouble identifying with their differences. But the main thing here is the relationship between Jacinda and Will. I’m not usually a fan of teen romances in the first place, especially ‘passionate’ ones. This is no mild flame (pardon the pun). They’re both instantly attracted to each other, both mentally AND physically. They kiss several times, and each time it’s quite passionate (Fortunately, Jacinda begins to turn into a Draki every time they kiss, so it never goes farther). While they never physically consummate their relationship, it’s still sexually charged and intense, more dwelling on the physical aspects of each other (Jacinda never seems to think about anything except Will’s good looks) than any worthwhile qualities. Being around Will awakens Jacinda’s dying Draki half, and consequently excites and thrills her, making her want to be around him as much as possible.

Synopsis: This book had great possibilities, and, as it stands, is still pretty good for half the time. The other half is disappointment and 16-and-18-year-old romance, focusing more on obsession than real, true, unconditional love.

Ages: 17+

2.5 out of 5 stars

 

Wayfarer

Author: R. J. Anderson

Genre: Young Adult/Urban Fantasy/Fiction

Series: Fairy Rebels #2

The faeries of the Oak are dying, and it’s up to a lone faery named Linden to find a way to restore their magic. Linden travels bravely into dangerous new territory, where she enlists the help of an unlikely friend—a human named Timothy. Soon they discover something much worse than the Oakenfolk’s loss of magic: a potent evil that threatens the fate of all faeries. In a fevered, desperate chase across the country, Timothy and Linden risk their lives to seek an ancient power before it’s too late to save everyone they love.

I began reading this book because I’ve been seeing it around on the internet and thought it must be popular. I didn’t expect a whole lot from a ‘faery’ book – no matter how much I adore faeries, the books about them usually are not that original. I was happily surprised to discover that this is a well-crafted, enjoyable, clean, and – unexpectedly Christian  – tale. Note: This is the second book in a series; the first is ‘Spell Hunter.’ However, you do not need to have read the first one to completely enjoy the second.

Positive Elements: Linden, Timothy, and many other characters show fierce devotion to the faery people, freedom, and friendship. They are willing to stand up for what is right even in the face of death. Timothy’s faith in God (or, as the faeries call him, the ‘Great Gardener’) is renewed by the faith of the faeries, and Bible verses and lessons are scattered unobtrusively throughout the book. Several characters give up everything in order to help defeat the evil Empress.

Negative Elements: When we first meet him, Timothy is being suspended from a Christian school for hitting a boy without cause. He struggles with feeling like God is real, and thinks negatively about his missionary parents. Several people are wounded, and the Empress uses magic and tricks in order to get what she wants or frighten people into submission.

Ages: 14+

5 out of 5 stars