Category Archives: YA

Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

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  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin (February 26, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 1250012570
  • Source: Library copy

The year is 1986 in Omaha, Nebraska.  Park is a sixteen-year-old part Asian boy living in a mostly white community. He’s not an outcast but due to his interest in alternative music and comics forces him to stand apart from the others. One morning, a new kid climbs on the school bus. Eleanor has bright red hair and a unique taste in clothing. It’s almost as if she is trying to draw attention to herself. Unaware of the politics of school bus seating, Eleanor instantly becomes the target of bullies riding the bus. Attempting to put an end to the confrontation, Park orders her to sit down next to him. For the longest time, they ignore one another. Park tunes out the world, headphones blaring on his head, flipping through pages of his favorite comics. One day he notices Eleanor reading along and their relationship begins to change.

Soon he begins to bring in comics for Eleanor to borrow and their joint interest sparks conversation. As Park begins to learn more about Eleanor, their friendship begins to evolve into something more. Eleanor is one of five children living with their mother and abusive step-father. She’s forced to wash her hair with flea shampoo and must hurry to take a bath right after work for fear of being accosted by her step-father. She was kicked out once before, forced to live with friends of her mother, and she fears the same will happen. Now that she has someone who understands her, appreciates her uniqueness, she doesn’t want to put an end to the life she has now, even if it means dealing with her step father’s verbal abuse.

Eleanor and Park quickly bond. Both ostracized for various reasons (Eleanor for her appearance and Park for his ethnicity) the two are drawn together. The unavoidable challenge is whether or not their relationship can stand up against all the elements driving them apart.

There are so many things that I loved about this book. Set in the late 80s, I was instantly taken back to my own youth with flashbacks to Esprit tote bags and the alternative music that was just starting to become popular. Eleanor and Park were the most adorable couple. They were genuine teens with real teen issues. I instantly felt a connection with Eleanor. Growing up, I didn’t always have what other kids my age had, I didn’t have the trendy clothes and had to be creative with what I did have. Fortunately, my home life was far more stable than hers but I still found aspects of her life to which I could relate.

I think it’s tremendously important for young adult novels to have characters like Eleanor and Park so teens growing up with issues have someone with which to connect. I don’t read a lot of young adult, mainly because I feel that some of the popular titles create unrealistic worlds for the teen readers with overinflated characters they are unable to connect with. Perhaps they have a better life or are economically privileged and can have whatever they want. But what makes this title brilliant is the fact that Eleanor and Park do not have this fairy-tale life. They are genuine. While their fate wasn’t necessarily a happy one, it was real, not artificially constructed to leave readers with a happy ending.

Additionally, while it was set nearly thirty years ago, it is my belief that young adults can still connect to the characters. Setting it in this time frame allows the author to avoid some of more modern issues teens are dealing with now, instead focusing on the wonderful relationship between Eleanor and Park.

I was devastated when I finished reading this book. I didn’t want to cut the ties to Eleanor and Park and the life they had together. Eleanor and Park reminded me what it was like to be a teen again, a time when I thought not having the right clothes or the right friends meant the end of the world. It allowed me to see just how lucky in life I am, this book is a true gift. It has been quite some time since a book has left me feeling this way, a testament to Rowell’s writing.  I recommend this book highly to all readers, even if you do not typically read young adult. Eleanor and Park will have a resounding effect on your soul. I know they did with mine.




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Frightful Friday: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

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Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. The featured title this week is The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey:

  • Age Range: 12 and up
  • Hardcover: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (May 7, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0399162410

When the first wave hit, it wiped out electricity.  The second wiped out entire coastlines. The third spread a deadly plague. During the fourth wave aliens known as The Others sought to destroy all surviving humans. The fifth wave is far more deadly and destructive.

Cassiopeia (Cassie) Sullivan has survived the first four waves. Quickly adapting to her new survivalist life, toting a M-16 her only goal is to rescue her younger brother, Sammie, from The Others. Along the way she is rescued by Evan Walker, a quiet and mysterious loner. His involvement in the fifth wave seems completely innocent at first but the more Cassie learns of The Others plans, the more she begins to question everything and everyone she has ever known. She must do anything she can to survive the alien attack and reunite with her only remaining family.

I’m purposefully being quiet vague in my synopsis of this novel. The beauty, and intensity, of this story is discovering the chain of events as it occurs. A long time fan of Yancey myself, I was once again rewarded with a truly remarkable and engrossing tale of horror and the unknown. Cassie is an incredibly strong protagonist; it is refreshing to see a young girl cast in this role. Secondary characters are so well-crafted that you will forget they are just that, secondary pieces or pawns in a larger scale story. Yancey varies the point of view allowing each of the key players to give readers a truly unique and unaltered portrayal of what could be the end of human life as we know it.

At nearly 500 pages, one would think that this book would take forever to get through. Completely untrue, for I couldn’t tear myself away from this book for a moment, eventually reading it in one afternoon. In addition to the incredibly compelling and terrifying storyline, Yancey writes a truly intelligent and thought-provoking read. While readers are asked to dispel belief in some cases, a large portion of this novel is completely plausible.

Plot twists scattered throughout the novel add intensity to the already fast-moving storyline. You will want to stop, shocked about what was just revealed yet you won’t be able to tear yourself away for one moment, a hunger for more that won’t be satisfied until you turn the last pages.  While this is geared toward young adults/older middle-grade, this is the sort of novel that adults would find to be compelling and enjoyable as well.

Bottom line: The 5th Wave is an intense, tremendously chilling and terrifying read. Highly, highly recommended.

Be sure to check out The 5th Wave website for additional information and content!

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Review: I Am Lucky Bird by Fleur Philips

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  • Paperback: 280 pages
  • Publisher: New Dawn Publishers Ltd (May 27, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 1908462043
  • Source: BookSparks PR

Twelve-year-old Lucky Bird’s young life comes to a screeching halt when her mother, AnnMarie, disappears. Now forced to live alone with her abusive grandmother, Marian, her world becomes a living nightmare. Unexplained physical attacks by Marian were just the least of Lucky’s worries; Marian’s boyfriend, Tom, stalks Lucky, adding a completely different level of terror to her life. When she is attacked and can no longer suffer the abuse, Lucky escapes. Rather than finding a better life, circumstances force her to embark on a downward spiral of self-destruction involving drugs and the use of sex to obtain what she wanted.

It isn’t until her life is literally saved by young man and his family that Lucky is able to seek recovery and begin to deal with the inner demons that have taunted her all her life. She is forced to come to terms with indescribably terrifying secrets kept hidden from her, secrets that answer a great deal about her mother and the “motive” behind her twisted and abusive grandmother.

To say that this novel is a simple coming-of-age story of a young girl greatly depreciates the value and impact of this story. Often compared to White Oleander, I Am Lucky Bird doesn’t sugar coat or gloss over the pain and tragedy bestowed upon the main character. Philips portrays a completely genuine character living a life that, unfortunately, is completely plausible and realistic. While the ending strays a bit from the believability spectrum I think it is paramount that the author added a bit of hope to what started out to be a pretty dark and devastating story. A truly lasting and emotional story, I Am Lucky Bird is a novel that has carved a home in my heart. Highly recommended.

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Mx3 Review: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

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  • Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Balzer + Bray (September 18, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0062118781
  • Source: Publisher

Best friends Meg and Minnie have been invited to an exclusive house party on Henry Island. The two friends are looking forward to the weekend’s activities and the time spent together before Meg heads off to college in the fall. The group invited is small, only five boys and five girls. Meg and Minnie know some of the other members of the group, but many attend another school. While waiting for the host to arrive, the group sits back and enjoys their freedom. Alone on an island until the ferry picks them up the following Monday. A teenager’s dream, right?

All dreams quickly turn to nightmares when they discover a terrifying DVD with the message “Vengeance is mine.” The home loses power due to a storm, the remote location preventing a cell signal, and one by one members of the group are killed in the most unique manners possible.

Told from Meg’s point of view, readers will become immersed in the terrifying world McNeil has built. As people start dying, surviving members of the group start placing blame on one another and the intensity builds. Meg is the only individual who seems interested in figuring out who/why they have been targeted. The majority of the other members are initially reluctant to believe that a killer is among them but the rising death count soon persuades them.

One of the many things I loved about this book was the strong lead character McNeil created with Meg. At first glance, she appears pretty meek, almost a pushover. As time passes, however, she is the one person in the motley group of teens who seems to grow a backbone.  From early on, I was suspicious of most everyone in the group, not really feeling a connection with any of them, other than Meg. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked when the culprit was revealed. A truly addictive read, the intense pacing never waning. This novel is based on Agatha Christie’s, And Then There Were None; I think Christie herself would have been proud of this adaptation!

Ten is destined to become a movie; I’d be largely disappointed if it didn’t. Until then, it makes a perfect book to read this Halloween season. Highly recommended.

 

 

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Frightful Friday: Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

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Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.

This week’s featured book is Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough:

  • Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  • Hardcover: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Candlewick (July 10, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 076365808
  • Source: Publisher (via Netgalley)

Cora and her younger sister Mimi are reluctant to stay with their eccentric Aunt Ida, but their situation at home demands it. Ida doesn’t exactly welcome them with open arms, treating the girls as if they are a burden. She forbids the children from opening any windows or doors; these are to remained locked at all times. Cora believes her aunt to be a little batty. Little do the girls know about the history of the village of Byers Guerdon…

Cora and Mimi soon befriend Roger and Peter, two village boys, neighbors of Aunt Ida. They are granted a bit of freedom outside Ida’s home but they have been warned to stay away from the parish church building.  Roger and Peter have heard this warning most of their lives, so what do they do? They head to the church. After multiple visits to the church, Cora uncovers old letters detailing the history of the church, of Byers Guerdon, and the village legend of Long Lankin. She soon realizes she is in over her head, their very presence has awaken an evil that has remained buried for decades, an evil that has tormented her family for generations. Her anxiety is validated when she begins to hear voices, to see images of children in the cemetery. But it’s not she that Long Lankin is after…he is more interested in young Mimi.

Barraclough creates a delightfully chilling story of folklore and family curses in Long Lankin. I knew I was in for a treat after reading the chilling poem in the opening pages:

“Said my lord to my lady, as he mounted his horse,
Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the moss.
Said my lord to my lady, as he rode away
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the hay.
Let the doors be all bolted and the windows all pinned,
Except one little window,
where Long Lankin crept in…”

The poem of Long Lankin is a traditional poem based on an actual local legend, adding to the chill factor. Also contributing to this overwhelming feeling of dread is the setting. Ida lives in a village between a small stream that connects to the sea. At times, it is impossible to differentiate between the stream and the sea as they appear to be one. Additionally, Long Lankin is set in the 1950s, when there are no such things as cell phones and limited modes of transportation. The girls are secluded, miles away from any large pocket of civilization. Add a quirky aunt and a desolate landscape and you have the perfect recipe for a delightfully creepy horror story.

The author uses alternating points of view in this novel, allowing the reader to get the perspective of many of the main characters. The story starts from Cora’s perspective, then alternates between her, Roger, and Aunt Ida. This shifting point of view added to the overall dynamics of the novel allowing the reader to see all sides of the story, giving access to motivations and thoughts of each of the characters. I truly appreciated Cora’s perspective. At first, she starts out somewhat naive and a little annoying but is quick to act on her toes when that is demanded of her. Aunt Ida’s character is probably the one that develops the most, starting out with a mean, wicked old woman who slowly transitions into a caring, loving aunt.

I must say, the times when the characters recited the eerie little poem were the most chilling to me. Those of you readers who remember the Nightmare on Elm Street can remember the song children used to sing to warn of that terrifying monster. I felt the same level of fear reading about Long Lankin.

Ultimately, Long Lankin is a novel I believe would be appreciated by teens as well as adults. I only wish they had this sort of book when I was growing up! I think it serves as the perfect crossover from young adult horror to adult. Highly recommended!

More reviews:

A Patchwork of Books
A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

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Frightful Friday Audiobook Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

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Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.

This week’s featured book is I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga:

 

  • Listening Length: 9 hours and 32 minutes
  • Version: Unabridged
  • Publisher: Hachette Audio
  • Source: Personal copy

Jazz isn’t your typical teenager. His father, Billy Dent, just happens to be an incarcerated serial killer, one of the most prolific killers of modern times. As a child, Jazz was immersed in his father’s sick obsession so now as a young adult, he’s desperate to prevent himself from becoming the man his father wants him to be. Every little urge has Jazz wondering if this is how his father started out, if they are the early warning signs of his evolution into a sociopath.

In an attempt to right his father’s wrongs, and perhaps ease his conscience a little, Jazz helps his small time police force hunt down a new serial killer called the Impressionist. Using the expertise he gained from his father, Jazz soon realizes that the Impressionist is mimicking his father’s killing career. Luckily, Jazz is so familiar with each of his father’s victims that he is able to predict the Impressionist’s next steps. Will it be soon enough?

When I first learned about the premise of this book, I thought it was going to be a horrible take on the Dexter series. I was prepared to be let down; luckily, in this case, I was proven quite wrong. Lyga provides readers a truly chilling psychological thriller. The knowledge Jazz has about his father’s victims is so terrifying, it amazes me that this character is as “normal” as he appears to be. Growing up with a father telling you that cutting human flesh is just like cutting chicken would be enough to forever damage your average youth. Not Jazz, however. He’s dead set against becoming the man his father, and the local small town citizens, believe he is fated to be.

The secondary characters are quite rich. First, we have Connie, Jazz’s girlfriend. She’s safe…mainly because she is African American and statistics prove that they are rarely the victims of serial killers. Then there is his best friend and hemophiliac, Howie, a kid who bruises if you look at him wrong. A truly eclectic slate of characters that add a bit of comedy to potentially very dark novel. Given that this is a book about a serial killer, it’s pretty obvious that there will be some pretty gruesome scenes but it’s nothing too excessive or graphic.

I listened to the audio production of this book, narrated by Charlie Thurston. This is my first experience with this narrator and I hope it won’t be my last. He captures Jazz’s character, his anguish and pain and frustration, perfectly. He truly does a stellar job at narrating, making me forget that I’m actually not listening to the voice of a young man.

Bottom line: I Hunt Killers is a truly amazing and gratifying novel. I’m hoping it’s the start of a new series because I’m hooked!

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Review: Partials by Dan Wells

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After a war against engineered beings identical to humans, known as Partials, human kind is nearly extinct. Roughly 40,000 individuals have survived the virus known as RM. The Partials have retreated, the timing of their return unknown. The plan to repopulate civilization is thwarted when babies are born unable to survive the first few days of life before becoming victims of the virus. The governing body referred to as the Senate is so desperate to prevent the complete devastation of the human race that they lower the mandatory pregnancy age to 16. Every girl of this age must become pregnant by any means necessary (including insemination) and as often as possible.

Kira is a sixteen-year-old medic in training. Unable to continue to watch newborn babies die within hours of their birth, she decides to take a desperate step toward finding a cure for RM. She uncovers a link between humans and the Partials, a link the powers that be want to keep secret. She learns that the source of their survival is the Partials themselves, thereby also revealing a secret about her own identity she is unprepared/unwilling to accept.

The first book in a new apocalyptic series, Partials forces readers to truly examine what it means to be human, reevaluating the concept of humanity.

I’m familiar with the author, Dan Wells, from his John Cleaver series: I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, and I Don’t Want to Kill You. In Partials, Wells creates a world just as terrifying as that in the Cleaver series just with a different monster. Reminiscent of one of my favorite television series, Battlestar Galactica, human kind is decimated by organisms it created. Average citizens are forced to take on roles they would have never imagined. The majority of the characters are teens. In a normal world, they’d be talking about prom or college and the like. Instead, their lives are put on fast-forward, forced to produce without the niceties of love.

Wells’ descriptions of this brave new world is stellar; the world he describes is literally a skeleton of the one before it. References to our everyday culture, destroyed by war, are quite chilling. The world, devoid of a rich human population, continues to go on without us, erasing all traces of human life.

My only complaint: the characters. There were many, many characters to keep track of. While the major characters were memorable, the minor were just tidbits of the story I couldn’t recall. I found myself actually overlooking the characters names, fast-forwarding to the scenes with Kira and the other more vital characters.  Since this is the first in a series, I’m hoping that these background individuals make a return and are built upon to create a well-defined cast of characters.

Another major kudo: the romance. Remember a few weeks ago when I ranted about young adult novels with the mandatory romance? Well, Partials does indeed have a touch of romance, but fortunately that is all put on the back burner. How can one be worried about love when the survival of the human race is in jeopardy?

Other than this minor complaint, the entirety of Partials was spot-on. The pacing was fast (hello, I read the entire book in an afternoon.). The storyline, while at face-value not unique, ultimately transformed into a truly unique and engaging story.  I look forward to the rest of the books in this series, learning more about the fate of humankind. Recommended.


This review is my contribution to Dystopian February over at Presenting Lenore. Stop by to check out all the fantastic events taking place this month!

I’m pleased to have an extra advanced reader copy (ARC) of Partials for giveaway! To enter, please fill out the form below.

 

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Frightful Friday: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

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Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. Feel free to grab the button & join in!

This week’s featured book is Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake:

  • Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Tor Teen; First Edition edition (August 30, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 0765328658
  • Source: Publisher

Theseus Cassio (Cas) Lowood is a ghost hunter, a trade he inherited when his father was brutally killed by a ghost he was chasing. Armed with his father’s powerful athame (a knife that is able to “kill” ghosts), Cas and his mother travel around the country on the hunt for evil spirits.

Cas’ latest “case” brings him to Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the hunt for a ghost referred to as Anna Dressed in Blood. She was killed in the late 1950s and now haunts her former home, killing whomever crosses the threshold. She still wears the same white dress she wore when she died, now dripping in blood. Anna has quite the reputation as a pretty serious and dangerous ghost, killing dozens of people each year. Cas doesn’t get just how dangerous she is until he witnesses one of these deaths. Not a pretty picture, to say the least. Yet he’s the only person alive who has lived through a sighting of Anna. For some reason, she spares his life.  This first time, at least.

Before he can put an end to Anna’s murderous rage, he must find out the cause of her death, the motive behind her anger. Along the way, he becomes fascinated, almost obsessed with her. With the help of a handful of his classmates, this motley crew of ghost hunting teens devises a plan to trap Anna and rid this small town of her evil acts.

Overall, I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood.  Blake provides a fairly unique story. Definitely a spooky tale; I found myself scared several times. While classified as a book appropriate for ages twelve and up, I’d be reluctant to allow my twelve year old to read it. There is a good amount of swearing. I’m talking the f-bomb, so not on the light end of the swearing spectrum. Additionally, there is a good deal of gore, not for the weak of stomachs.

What I definitely did not like about this book was the romance. It frustrates me that, as of late, all YA has to have some sort of romance happening. I’m not certain if that’s what gets young adults to read this sort of book or, thanks to Twilight, authors feel they must add an injection of love to anything they write geared toward teens. In the case of Anna Dressed in Blood, I think it was forced, unnatural, and quite frankly, a little eerie.

That said, if this is something you don’t have objection to or an issue with, this is definitely a book I would recommend. Despite my issues with this book,  I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, Girl of Nightmares, due out in August.

 

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Review: iBoy by Kevin Brooks

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  • Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: The Chicken House (November 1, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 0545317681
  • Source: Publisher

Tom was an pretty unremarkable teen, just another individual to blend into the crowd. Growing up in the Crows, a gang-infested South London housing project, one did what they could just to survive, to remain anonymous, not to be noticed. Then one day, that all changed.  As he was walking to meet his long-time friend (and crush) Lucy, someone calls his name from the top of a towering building. Then, the only thing he feels is pain.

He wakes up in the hospital, learning that an iPhone cracked his skull, bits of the phone are still lodged in his brain. These pieces lodged in his brain start to communicate with his brain; Tom becomes a humanoid iPhone, his brain capable of searching the internet, overhearing phone conversations, reading text messages. 

It is using this knowledge that he learns that Lucy was viciously attacked and raped.  In the Crows, no one talks to the police. The police are unable to apprehend those who attacked her, so Tom takes it upon himself to do so.  In addition to his other new skills, his body has created an electrified defense mechanism of sorts. At will, his body illuminates, capable of shooting out streams of electrical charges to anyone who threatens him.  Tom, in his new identity of iBoy, begins hunting down those people who injured Lucy, desperate to get to the source of the terror that hangs over the Crows and eliminate it…forever.

It is appropriate to mention the famous quote from Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Tom’s character is not unlike Spiderman, the two are actually compared in the book. Both Tom and Peter Parker are nobodies, wimps really, until something happens to them that changes their life forever.  Both characters, first thrilled with their newly-gained powers,  soon realizes they have to face the repercussions their actions. They become awfully close to becoming just as bad and evil as the criminals they are trying to stop. Brooks does an outstanding job of portraying this inner turmoil that Tom must face.

Another thing that captured me was the overall grittiness of the book: the setting is dark and depressing, the helplessness that Lucy feels after she is attacked. All of this is so genuine, so real, so pervasive. Brooks really gets inside his characters, allowing his readers to do the same as well.

Due to the violence, I would definitely NOT recommend this to anyone under 14-16 years of age. While the details of the crime are not discussed, it is evident in the retelling. I don’t believe it’s one of those things a young reader could (or should) overlook in their reading of this book.

I have to admit, when I was pitched the book I was sort of skeptical; a boy with an iPhone embedded in his head? Really? Truly, however, this book has really impressed me.  Not only the characters, but the inner battles Tom must face to embrace his new powers and the consequences of his actions.  Highly recommended.

I have one copy of the book for giveaway. To enter, please fill out the form below. The winner will be contacted via email on Wednesday, November 30th. Open to US & Canadian residents only. Good luck!

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Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

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  • Paperback:400 pages
  • Publisher:Harlequin; Original edition (October 25, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 0373210361
  • Source: Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.

*Spoiler Warning: This is the fourth book in a series. If you have not read the prior books, please do not proceed.*

 

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, is forced to deal with his past actions in Julie Kagawa’s fourth book of this series. Sworn to join Meghan in the Iron Kingdom, unable to enter due to his vulnerability to iron, Ash must travel to the End of The World to find a means of becoming human. A journey for mortality, all for the sake of love.

The journey is a challenging one, Ash must embrace the wrongs he has committed in the past.  Upon the end of the journey, he has  tough decision to make: a mortal life with Meghan or continue his mortal life. Is they love they share worth giving up his immortality?

In The Iron Knight, the author allows the reader to see a side of Ash hidden until now. Written from Ash’s point of view, his feelings, his insecurities, his fears, are all out on display. This vulnerability makes Ash a more likeable and sympathetic character. The reader is permitted to experience the love Ash has for Meghan, willing to ris his immortality to be reunited with her.  It was also rewarding to see how much her very presence changed him, molded him into a new individual. Since it is through Ash’s eyes that the reader experiences the story,  The Iron Knight does seem to have a darker feel that the previous books. Ash’s character development is clearly one of the many rewarding things about this book.

Of course, I enjoyed the return of secondary characters like Puck, Grimalkin and The Big Bad Wolf. They aid Ash in his journey to become human. This was quite the interesting journey, Ash forced to trust characters he’d been unable to trust before. The journey they make together is not only physically taxing and dangerous, but emotionally tolling as well.

Ultimately, The Iron Knight is a rewarding conclusion to such and enjoyable series. All the ends weren’t wrapped up neatly but I feel that many of my questions that persisted through the series have been answered. 

The Iron Knight and the previous books aren’t typically the types of books I enjoy reading. That said, Julie Kagawa has presented a world that I couldn’t help but enter and become immersed in, a series that I don’t regret reading.  While this series has come to an end, I look forward to more from the author. She’s done what many an author has attempted, but few have succeeded: convinced me to try a series outside of my comfort zone. Thank you, Julie! Highly recommended.

To close, for all you readers yet unable to get your hands on a copy of The Iron Knight, I’m happy to present you with an exclusive excerpt.  Tomorrow, visit Alexia’s Books and Such for yet another exclusive excerpt!

That part of my life is done. My loyalty-and my heart-belongs to another queen now. I promised I’d find a way for us to be together. I intend to keep that promise. Even if it means trekking through a sprawling, deadly marsh in search of a rumor. Even if it means putting up with my fiercest and most annoying rival, Robin Goodfellow, who-despite all his attempts to hide it-is in love with my queen as well.

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