Showing posts with label faeries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faeries. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Mini Reviews: The Lost Prince and The Iron Traitor



















The Lost Prince
by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Fey, book five

Book Description:
Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

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.

Review:
I liked the change-up, getting to see the Nevernever from someone else's perspective. Someone totally human. Ethan is tough, but totally terrified inside and that made him easy to relate to and still feel like a true hero. I loved how desperately he tries to save Kenzie from what he knows to be dangerous and I loved getting to see Meghan and Ash and PUCK (MY FAVORITE, CAN YOU TELL?) again.





The Iron Traitor
by Julie Kagawa
Iron Fey, book six

Publication date: Oct. 29, 2013

Book Description:
After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for—his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

Review:
I love Ethan and Kenzie's relationship. I think that they work just as well together as Meghan and Ash did. I'm anxious to see how they cope after the events of this book... in fact, I'm desperate to see what happens next because the cliffhanger this book leaves you on... WOWZA.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Review: Charmed Vengeance




















Charmed Vengeance
by Suzanne Lazear
The Aether Chronicles, book two

Book Description: 
When her true love, Steven, is forced to break their magical bond, Noli Braddock decides to join her brother on the crew of the Vixen’s Revenge.

With its gleaming brass, dark wood, and spotless clockwork gears, the Vixen’s Revenge is a beautiful airship. But Noli discovers a dangerous secret beneath its polished exterior—the crew has been hired to steal dozens of priceless Otherworld artifacts. Desperate to keep her past Otherworld experiences hidden from the airship crew, Noli fears that if she doesn’t risk telling her own secrets, the stolen artifacts will be used to destroy both of the worlds she loves.

Review:
I loved diving back into this charming blend of steampunk and faerie lore. Lazear does a brilliant job blending traditional faerie legends and affectations into an alternate history of the US. This particular book spans the country, too, which made for a lot of interesting scene changes. With the faerie realm underlayed, though, the country almost felt small, and the amazing airships made traveling a breeze.

In some ways this book truly was a bridge between the first and what will be coming in the third. There's a lot of set up for the next portion of Noli's story and characters were introduced or brought back in ways that lead directly to how they'll play a part in the next tale, yet it still felt as though it had its own legs to stand on. *NOT* to say that I wasn't immediately left wanting the next book, but I'm also happy with where things were left...for now.

A lot of that contentment with this book derives from seeing how Noli progresses as a character. Having to deal with her new...situation...bridging the gap between the mortal and faerie realms. Seeing how the people in her world help those two realms collide...there were a lot of feelings in this book...

Readers who love romance, faeries, adventure, steampunk, and alternate histories should check out book one in the series, Innocent Darkness!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Review: Innocent Darkness

Innocent Darkness
by Suzanne Lazear
The Aether Chronicles, book one

Book Description:
Noli Braddock and her best friend V’s incident with a flying auto have landed them in a heap of trouble. And when Noli is sent to a spirit-squelching reform school in San Francisco, she’s sure that her rebellious adventures are over.

Meanwhile, Kevighn Silver has been ordered by the Faerie Queen to bring a mortal girl back to the Otherworld. The magic requires a blood sacrifice every seven years, and only a mortal girl who shines with the Spark—a girl like Noli—will keep the Otherworld from complete destruction.

When an ill-timed wish sends Noli tumbling into the Otherworld, she’s more homesick than ever . . . until V arrives to save her from an untimely demise. But who exactly is V? And if he helps Noli escape, who will save the realm of Faerie from utter annihilation? 

Review:
I LOVED this book. Seriously. I love steampunk. I love faeries. To find an author that had the vision to combine the two?? Awesome!

Okay, let me try to talk myself down a little bit here...become a little more coherent. LOL. Let's see. Why did I LOVE this book? Well it starts out with a girl who refuses to become the perfect little society Lady taking a flying car for an illegal joyride...awesome. Then she gets sent to a reform school (read punishments and pretty much prison with tea time, here) and finds a faery garden in the backyard.

When the High Queen's faerie Huntsman, (who is the perfect version of a Huntsman, BTW, relying on charm and good looks to lure the ultimate prey, humans) finds Noli there, he ends up sweeping her off to the Otherworld to turn her into the sacrifice that can save all Fae. Unbeknownst to Noli, her best friend and next-door neighbor, Steven...aka V, has a few secrets of his own and when Noli disappears, he sets out to find her.

So, without giving *everything* away, here are things that kept me smiling all the way through the book:

*Romance
*Faeries
*Amazing Gardens
*Silly garden games reminiscent of the croquet in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
*Danger
*Sacrifice
*Swordplay
*Mechanical Hair Accessories
*Fantastic and Impractical Clothing

...and much more! I cannot wait to see what Lazear gives us in book two. So far, she's hinted that there will be air pirates. AIR PIRATES, people!! *fans self* Sorry, got a little overexcited there, again. :D