Review: The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

T h e  I r o n  W i t c h by Karen Mahoney

Release Date: 2/8/11 (US Edition)

Publisher: Flux
Age Group: Young Adult (13+)

Pages: 290

Source: Own/purchased
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Word Blurb: Edgy, mystifying, and haunting!

"Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect."

THE IRON WITCH has the potential to be unabashedly mind-blowing, but failed to reach that level. For me, reading this book was like being this close to a boston creme doughnut, only to have it snatched out of reach. Almost there, but no cigar if you catch my meaning... The characters are elaborate, fleshed out people but in all the 200-something pages, I didn't see as much of the side characters as I'd've liked. The plot has a deep mystery looming over it, but remains only marginally unearthed by the end. And the story, while engaging, has a slower pace than I usually like, preventing me from really becoming absorbed.

And it ticks me off, that I feel this way, considering all the amazing things it has going for it besides. Like the fact that I really like Donna Underwood, for starters. She doesn't seem to be tough, but is, and though she has some serious heart-scars, she is an overall endearing and kind girl. Her strength, both internally and physically, is astounding, and those beautiful alchemical tattoos on both her arms and hands make her a fascinating heroine. But, when did this girl really get to shine? Sure, there are a couple of times where her physical strengths are displayed, and toward the end, the extent of her power is slightly revealed. But, I feel like I've just barely scratched the surface with not only Donna, but Navin and Xan, two of the most important people in her life, as well.

I'm really loving Xan! And I have a soft spot for Navin. Though, again, I didn't feel like I got too much time with them. I feel as if there's way more to Xan than what's being let on, and Navin is this totally hilarious person, a best friend to Donna, and yet even his involvement in the story is limited. What the heck is up with that?

Plus, there's the compelling alchemy side of the whole thing. Not to mention the freaky paranormal aspect that involves these scary-looking dark elves! If anything, it adds to the appeal of the book. But, it doesn't substantiate the book, the experience of reading it, as well as it should have. It was intriguing to read about these woodland dark elves lurking about, and the magic and history of the alchemists, yet it doesn't help fulfill the storyline. It adds to the mystery, for sure, but so little is unveiled about this side of the plot, including Donna's entanglement with it, that it failed to hold my attention for long. Which is sad, considering how cool it was.

My main problem with this story, summed up in a few words, comes down to my needing more. I needed more action, a smidgen more romance, and more mystery-unconvering. And because it lacked in these areas, I couldn't enjoy it, couldn't like it as much as I wanted to. Despite that, however, I'm still going to be on the lookout for the ensuing installments... Hopefully I'll enjoy them more.

Xan + Donna = super heart!

"When Donna turned up the walk to her aunt's house, she didn't get very far. Xan was still holding on to her.
'What's wrong?' She examined his face with concern.
His lips quirked and she had the feeling he might be teasing her. 'Didn't you forget something?' he asked.
Donna frowned. 'Um, I don't think so?'
...His fingers were still curled lightly around her wrist. She glanced down as he tugged her toward him, and she took a couple of stumbling steps forward. Her free hand came up to brace herself against his chest. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought she could feel the echo all the way down to her toes. All she could see were Xan's eyes--they looked otherworldly as they glittered under the streetlight..." (165 | 290).

Thanks for reading! And happy blogging!

Review: Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

C l a i r e  d e  L u n e  by Christine Johnson
Release Date: May 18, 2010 (Hardcover)
Publisher: SimonPulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Sequel: Nocturne
Pages: 336
Source: Local Library
Go Buy It: Amazon★Barnes&Noble
★BookDepository
Word Blurb: Light and entertaining!

Synopsis- "Torn between two destinies?

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever?"

Quick Thinking: Claire de Lune was light and exciting, but not entirely satisfying. I delighted in the heartwarming true teenage romance that blossomed between Claire, the heroine, and her crush Matt, the wonderful twist on werewolves, and the some of the conflict that revolved around the story. The characters were authentic, the plot intriguing but not as engaging as I thought it'd be. Very entertaining and filled with awesome female werewolf action as well as a cute, blossoming romance, Claire de Lune makes for a likable read.

My Thoughts In-Depth: *Note: May not be spoiler-free.*  I think the parts I'm most fond of in this book, would be Claire's transition from seemingly human girl to werewolf not just emotionally but physically. It was very realistic, how Claire's body began changing and indicating signs of something unnatural. Yet it wasn't too obvious. But Claire's development as a werewolf was what kept me interested in this novel the most.

Claire as a character was pretty neat. I felt an instant connection with her because of her personality, her angst at all the common teenage drama. It just felt so very real to me. I kept thinking, Now this, this is how a teenager would act in this kind of situation. Whether good or bad. And that made Claire fun and likeable, and it's easy to sympathize with her when her life get's shot to hell as soon as she finds out her lineage and what's in her genes. I mean, first, you're trying to deal with having a huge crush on this really cute guy, you're just starting to break out of your shell that makes you shy around others and making friends, when out of the blue, you really aren't comfortable in your own skin. Because guess what? You have werewolf skin/fur to deal with now. I felt pretty bad for Claire, all the struggles she had to deal with as far as her distant mom and then being shocked with the news that she's going to become a werewolf after three full moons.

That can put a lot of pressure on a kid, you know?

Review: Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

Hearts At Stake (Drake Chronicles, Book 1) 

Author: Alyxandra Harvey (@ LJ/Website) 
Release Date:  12/22/09
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult (14+)
Source: Local Public Library
Go Buy It! Amazon/Barnes&Noble/BookDepository
Overall Feelings:  Pleasing!

"Solange Drake always knew she was destined to become a vampire queen. And as the only female vampire ever born, not made, she is surrounded by danger on all sides--from vampire suitors who want to join with her lineage to bounty hunters who are set on destroying her and her family. When she is kidnapped, it's up to her older brother Nicholas and her human best friend, Lucy, to save her. But can Lucy save herself from Nicholas, who tempts her with his every look? And what will be Solange's own fate if she surrenders her heart to the vampire hunter helping her survive the deadly intrigue at the royal court?

Let the Drake family be your guide into a secret vampire society full of epic battles, gothic seduction, undead drama, and wicked humor."

Plot & Ending: Translation to the above: Solange is a walking human/vampire target, pulling toward her vampires and humans alike from all sides. She hardly gets a moment of peace. Being that she's the first born female vampire, she is special...and wanted dead by anybody who deems her a threat. Talk about danger, huh?

I liked it. This book, I mean. Not enough to make me want to eagerly pursue the series, but there was a pretty good plot behind the whole story. Throughout the entire book, it's assumed that Solange is after the throne, where vampire society's unofficial queen sits. Then, there's the vampire hunters working to kidnap her, as well as kill her family. One particular suitor is after Solange's hand, and it would seem that he refuses to take 'no' for an answer. Not to mention he's a pretty powerful dude, like way up in the vampire hierarchy. 

I really liked learning about the Drake family, all their quirks, and how they are as vampires. The clan is made up of ten immediate family members, and it's funny to watch how overprotective they are of Solange. Each of Solange's brothers are absolutely gorgeous, fairly funny, and somewhat tempramental.

I'm gonna be honest. I really went out of my way to read this book because of Nicholas and Lucy. Lucy is Solange's long-time best friend and Nicholas is one of Solange's brothers. I loved watching them go at each other's throats, while fighting the attraction humming between them. There are some pretty steamy scenes between the two of them, let me tell you. They're my favorite aspect of the book.

I was actually a little (okay, maybe a lot) confused by the ending. I don't get why the person chosen to become the next vampire queen wasn't who I expected. I mean, where could you possibly take the novel with that twist? And I don't get why Kieran, Solange's love interest and vampire hunter, kept away from her for so long, then, out of the blue, he shows up again. On top of that, I got the feeling of being rushed. I very much dislike that. While I don't like a slow ending either, I like it to be thorough so that I can really enjoy the moment. I didn't get that this time. So, that disappointed me.

Other than that, I thought it was a nice, decent read. Not blow-your-brains out awesome, but still good. I recommend reading this one, and who knows you may just turn out to like it better than I did. 

Characters: Like I said, I loved Lucy and Nicholas's characters. Lucy is extremely sassy and witty throughout the novel. Nicholas has a sort of wicked humor and immense sarcasm. The two of them together...you'll be hooked. Solange, the girl the story revolves around, didn't really stand out to me. She didn't intrigue me at all. There was nothing unique about her personality, though I did love reading about her and Kieran and their growing relationship (but, I think that's just the romantic in me). All the of the characters are really well-developed, but nothing about them is exactly memorable or deep.

"'Were you scared during your bloodchange?' [Nicholas] stilled.'Yes...' 'What got you through?' I whispered. 'Do you remember?' He nodded but wouldn't look at me. When he didn't elaborate, I turned to face him. 'What? Is it a secret? Don't I know all the deep dark Drake secrets by now?' He shifted uncomfortably. 'I guess.' 'What then?' 'You.' I swallowed, stunned. 'Me?' 'Yeah.' He stood up and went to the door, where he paused for the barest second. 'You got me through.'" --Lucy and Nicholas (104-105)

"Nicholas rolled toward me, landing at my elbow. His eyes were fierce. He grabbed my chin and kissed me hard. It was over before I had time to react. 'Stay down,' he ordered. 'Duh,' I shot back, and returned the kiss, just as quick and just as hard before he dove away to gather stakes from a sleeping guard. He rose from a crouch and threw them like deadly confetti." --Lucy and Nicholas (236-237)

"I was trying to drag myself over the bier, but Kieran was already slicing a shallow cut across his forearm. He held it to Solange's mouth, urging her to drink, whispering. 'Drink,' he begged her. 'I can't lose you now, not after all this. Drink, damn it.' For some reason, the way he spoke to her, gently and desperately, had tears burning on my cheeks." --Lucy (244-245)

Cover: The cover features Solange, I believe. It's okay. Not my cup of tea. It doesn't scream "Read me!" when I look at it. Though I do like the font of the title, the way it sort of looks like dripping blood. That's pretty neat. And does anybody like the way Harvey spells her first name: Alyxandra? I do.