Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Source: Publisher
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's 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 myths and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.
My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.
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CATCHALLWow. Nothing will ever replace the original Iron Fey series, not even this. I literally lived for the moments where Ash, Meghan, and Puck showed up. They were definitely my favorite parts, and I just cannot let those characters go. I never will. Still, even though this can't compare to that series, it is a wonderful book in its own right and I loved loved loved it! It was beautiful. Enchanting. The kind of book that makes you close your eyes and fall into another world. You'd be crazy not to get a copy of this is your hands as soon as is humanly possible. I completely and totally adored it.
THE HERO
ETHAN
Ethan is no Ash, but I love him nonetheless. He's not without his faults—to begin with, he's kiiind of a hypocrite. He talks a lot about Meghan leaving to protect him and his family and complains about it, but he does the same thing to other people, so, um, yeah. Didn't think that one through, hmm? Despite this, I still thought he was an awesome hero. He has to make some difficult choices and he handles them really well. He's protective but not overbearingly so. Ethan is intelligent. He doesn't make stupid decisions, and he does what needs to be done. He's also apparently very handsome, so, you know.
THE LOVE INTEREST
KENZIE
The instant Kenzie showed up, I knew I would love her. She's bright and bouncy and sweet and fun, and I seriously couldn't get enough of her. She's bold without having too much of an attitude, and she doesn't back down when there's something she can do to help, even when the danger is severe. And even more amazingly, she has a serious character arc, which is awesome. We learn something heartbreaking about her near the end that shows how strong she is, too. And she's so full of life. Even when dropped in Faery she accepts it and moves on, doesn't let it hold her back.
THE PRINCE
KEIRRAN
Keirran is, of course, Ash and Meghan's son, as so named in The Iron Knight and The Prophecy. He's therefore the prince of the Iron Realm. He quickly joins up with Ethan and Kenzie, helping them seek the truth from what has been happening to the disappearing fey. I like him a lot more than I thought I would, and he definitely reminds me of both Ash and Meghan. Stubborn but not too stubborn and brave but not foolish, he quickly made his way into my heart. Keirran is obviously an important character, and I know that we'll be seeing more of him in The Traitor Son. (I wonder who that son is…*cough*)
THE PLOT
What can I say? I've already used beautiful and enchanting. The plot of this book is so full of action. There aren't too many things that are long and dragged out, and yet enough information is given to keep from total confusion. I love that. I don't feel left in the dark but at the same time I don't feel bored from too many infodumps. Instead, it's perfectly balanced. There's action and info in perfect proportions. It was totally unputdownable. I read this book in one sitting.
And yes, it was original. Julie's Iron Fey series was awesome with its originality, and so too was this book. The Forgotten are an interesting bunch, and nothing like I thought they would be. I'm not sure what I expected, but it was nothing like what I got. And that's a good thing. I loved the surprise. The Forgotten, like the Iron Fey, are such a unique concept that I couldn't help but fall in love.
And there were so many plot twists. Some things I should have seen coming but didn't, and that's okay! And then some things were completely and utterly unexpected and I would never have seen them coming. First it would go one way, and then another. I was forced to stay on my toes, jumping at every turn, feeling crazy anticipation. The suspense was almost too much to take, but it was absolutely worth it.
To sum it up: Gorgeous. Stunning. Fabulous.
THE ROMANCE
Oh, wow. Julie has done it again. Ash and Meghan are still my favorite couple, but Ethan and Kenzie are pretty awesome too. They have chemistry from the beginning, and they stick together through everything, even when things get rough. Each of them reuses to leave the other, somehow binding them together. They're strong apart, but they're even stronger together, and it's so sweet. I love them together. I love to watch them grow together throughout the book. It takes a while before they'll admit their feelings for the other, but when they do, it completely beautiful. A wonderful moment, perhaps my favorite in the novel.
THE WRITING
Julie's writing has always been beautiful, and it has remained beautiful. The voices of her characters are achingly real and I can literally feel Ethan's emotions as if they were my own. Her dialogue just sparkles and glitters on the page. It's so real. Furthermore, her descriptions are just gorgeous—she never fails to make me feel as if I really am in Faery. I absolutely without a freaking shadow of doubt LOVE Julie's writing. It takes something amazing and makes it even more amazing.
THE ENDING
WOW. Julie knows how to end a novel. And the best part? You know there's definitely going to be more, and you can even see what's going to happen next, but she never leaves you with a cliffhanger so severe that you're practically in agony. Instead, she leaves you desperate for the next book without needing to do that, and that takes some serious talent. It ended on literally the perfect note and I honestly don't believe it could have been better. Why mess with perfection, right? The ending tied everything together so nicely, but there are still tons of loose ends for our next installments.
WRAPUP
As aforementioned, nothing will ever beat the original Iron Fey series, but I still completely loved this book and I highly, highly recommend it. Even if you haven't read the first series (and if you haven't, then what are you waiting for??!) you could still easily read this book. Easily. So you really should read it! Of course, I'll read whatever Julie puts out, and of course I'm definitely reading the rest of this series. Eagerly. I'm highly anticipating the next novel and I already cannot wait! One of the most amazing books I've ever read. I say that all the time, but I mean it all the time.
FINE.
THE HERO
ETHAN
Ethan is no Ash, but I love him nonetheless. He's not without his faults—to begin with, he's kiiind of a hypocrite. He talks a lot about Meghan leaving to protect him and his family and complains about it, but he does the same thing to other people, so, um, yeah. Didn't think that one through, hmm? Despite this, I still thought he was an awesome hero. He has to make some difficult choices and he handles them really well. He's protective but not overbearingly so. Ethan is intelligent. He doesn't make stupid decisions, and he does what needs to be done. He's also apparently very handsome, so, you know.
THE LOVE INTEREST
KENZIE
The instant Kenzie showed up, I knew I would love her. She's bright and bouncy and sweet and fun, and I seriously couldn't get enough of her. She's bold without having too much of an attitude, and she doesn't back down when there's something she can do to help, even when the danger is severe. And even more amazingly, she has a serious character arc, which is awesome. We learn something heartbreaking about her near the end that shows how strong she is, too. And she's so full of life. Even when dropped in Faery she accepts it and moves on, doesn't let it hold her back.
THE PRINCE
KEIRRAN
Keirran is, of course, Ash and Meghan's son, as so named in The Iron Knight and The Prophecy. He's therefore the prince of the Iron Realm. He quickly joins up with Ethan and Kenzie, helping them seek the truth from what has been happening to the disappearing fey. I like him a lot more than I thought I would, and he definitely reminds me of both Ash and Meghan. Stubborn but not too stubborn and brave but not foolish, he quickly made his way into my heart. Keirran is obviously an important character, and I know that we'll be seeing more of him in The Traitor Son. (I wonder who that son is…*cough*)
THE PLOT
What can I say? I've already used beautiful and enchanting. The plot of this book is so full of action. There aren't too many things that are long and dragged out, and yet enough information is given to keep from total confusion. I love that. I don't feel left in the dark but at the same time I don't feel bored from too many infodumps. Instead, it's perfectly balanced. There's action and info in perfect proportions. It was totally unputdownable. I read this book in one sitting.
And yes, it was original. Julie's Iron Fey series was awesome with its originality, and so too was this book. The Forgotten are an interesting bunch, and nothing like I thought they would be. I'm not sure what I expected, but it was nothing like what I got. And that's a good thing. I loved the surprise. The Forgotten, like the Iron Fey, are such a unique concept that I couldn't help but fall in love.
And there were so many plot twists. Some things I should have seen coming but didn't, and that's okay! And then some things were completely and utterly unexpected and I would never have seen them coming. First it would go one way, and then another. I was forced to stay on my toes, jumping at every turn, feeling crazy anticipation. The suspense was almost too much to take, but it was absolutely worth it.
To sum it up: Gorgeous. Stunning. Fabulous.
THE ROMANCE
Oh, wow. Julie has done it again. Ash and Meghan are still my favorite couple, but Ethan and Kenzie are pretty awesome too. They have chemistry from the beginning, and they stick together through everything, even when things get rough. Each of them reuses to leave the other, somehow binding them together. They're strong apart, but they're even stronger together, and it's so sweet. I love them together. I love to watch them grow together throughout the book. It takes a while before they'll admit their feelings for the other, but when they do, it completely beautiful. A wonderful moment, perhaps my favorite in the novel.
THE WRITING
Julie's writing has always been beautiful, and it has remained beautiful. The voices of her characters are achingly real and I can literally feel Ethan's emotions as if they were my own. Her dialogue just sparkles and glitters on the page. It's so real. Furthermore, her descriptions are just gorgeous—she never fails to make me feel as if I really am in Faery. I absolutely without a freaking shadow of doubt LOVE Julie's writing. It takes something amazing and makes it even more amazing.
THE ENDING
WOW. Julie knows how to end a novel. And the best part? You know there's definitely going to be more, and you can even see what's going to happen next, but she never leaves you with a cliffhanger so severe that you're practically in agony. Instead, she leaves you desperate for the next book without needing to do that, and that takes some serious talent. It ended on literally the perfect note and I honestly don't believe it could have been better. Why mess with perfection, right? The ending tied everything together so nicely, but there are still tons of loose ends for our next installments.
WRAPUP
As aforementioned, nothing will ever beat the original Iron Fey series, but I still completely loved this book and I highly, highly recommend it. Even if you haven't read the first series (and if you haven't, then what are you waiting for??!) you could still easily read this book. Easily. So you really should read it! Of course, I'll read whatever Julie puts out, and of course I'm definitely reading the rest of this series. Eagerly. I'm highly anticipating the next novel and I already cannot wait! One of the most amazing books I've ever read. I say that all the time, but I mean it all the time.
FINE.
*****FINAL RATING: 4.80 RED ROSES*****
