The Iron Witch (Ironbridge Chronicles, #1)

Feb 15, 2011 Kim rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookclub, ebook, ya, read-in-2011, did-not-like-it, unfinished

How bad is it that talking about the girl on the cover, who is holding a bottle of perfume while sniffing her armpit is more fun, and more interesting than actually reading this book? After putting up with 25% of this book I still feel like I'm looking at a brick wall so I'm throwing in the towel as well.

Come on Jared, throw it in for me, will ya?

I'm going to tell you a short story to express what I want to say about this book. Trust me, I'm going somewhere with this.

Imagine yourself on an avera...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Kat Kennedy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kat-s-book-reviews, kat-s-rants, the-great-shelf-of-meh

The Iron Witch, first book in Mahoney's new Iron Witch series tells the tale and Donna, a young female witch, and her adventures - if you could really call them that.

You don't need to read this book. I can copy and paste an abbrieviated version right here.

Donna: "Oh dear, my life is miserable. I'm different and unique from the people around me because I'm a witch but it's brought me nothing but pain."
Xan: "No! MY life is miserable. I'M different and unique from the people around me because I'm *...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Janina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, paranormal, annoyed-me, beware-love-triangle, ridiculously-bad, series-lost-interest

The Iron Witch is the epitome of a clichéd YA paranormal. There is nothing - absolutely nothing - unique and special about it. This story has been done a billion times before. And it includes everything that has made me weary when it comes to the genre: The heroine, Donna, has lost her parents due to a horrific incident in her past and has been labelled a freak ever since. She is an outsider, bullied at school by the mean popular cheerleader and her clique. She has only one close friend, whom sh...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers who can overlook flaws and lack of depth in a paranormal novel

Shelves: covers-i-love, titles-i-love, disappointing-books, could-have-been-better, 2011-reads, dropped-series, reviewed

Those two stars may as well be accompanied with a long, drawn-out sigh.

Don't you hate it when you look forward to a book so friggin' much. . .and then, once you have it in front of you and start reading, it just doesn't live up to anything you had expected?

That, dear Goodreaders, is what happened to me when I began The Iron Witch.

The story has all the hooks in the right places. Faeries and elves! Alchemy! Conspiracies! Angst! But you know what? It doesn't live up to its potential at all. With Th...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 24-ebooks, 14-faeries, 16-chick-lit, 09-corner-bookclub

DRUM ROLLS...

And the award for Most Unoriginal Book of 2011 goes to...

THE IRON WITCH

Seriously, was there anything new in this book? I don’t think so. We’ve got the half-orphaned, bullied, outcast heroine with magical powers, we’ve got the best friend who seems to be secretly crushing on her and we’ve got the dark, mysterious and insanely hot boy who seems to have some kind of magical powers of his own and to whom our heroine feels an instant and soul-deep connection to. *yawn* Basically, it’s th...more

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Feb 14, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-crazz, e-book, bookers-pick, fey-folk, young-adult, read-2011, own, re-read-challenge

Hmm, what to say, what to say...
I guess I should start off by saying that I did actually like this one.
It has a great blend of magic, alchemical and paranormal. I enjoyed the characters, the writing was well done and the plot was thick with entertainment and intrigue.

However, there wasn't anything hugely unique in The Iron Witch and I felt like I've read all these elements before.
Donna's role is the 'freak'. She wears gloves to conceal her mysterious hands and has a power that's more like a curs...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Caitlin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So disappointing.

Those are the only words I can think of to describe this book. I'm not much of a fairy person, nor vampire or werewolf. I like my fantasy to include a realistic feeling to it. Alchemy has always been the closest to "real" I could imagine. I mean, in reality, it was the base of chemistry--before "Science" became reality. So, I was looking forward to a book that had a real alchemy base. Not a side factor. Not a alchemy is magic factor.

But there was none of that. At all. Faeries....more So disappointing.

Those are the only words I can think of to describe this book. I'm not much of a fairy person, nor vampire or werewolf. I like my fantasy to include a realistic feeling to it. Alchemy has always been the closest to "real" I could imagine. I mean, in reality, it was the base of chemistry--before "Science" became reality. So, I was looking forward to a book that had a real alchemy base. Not a side factor. Not a alchemy is magic factor.

But there was none of that. At all. Faeries. Elves. Alchemy as a magic, not science. That's what it was. Okay. Bias opinion over.

First off, Donna came off as an unrealistic character. She degraded her self, but then could be stubborn outspoken and "brave" at the same time. I don't know. Something never rung right there and every time she cracked a joke in the heat of danger, I cringed. I mean, you're trying to free a hostage with evil elves surrounding you. No one would do that. I mean, come on.

In fact, I felt all the characters where unrealistic--over the top. Nav, Xan (Short for Alexander). Even the mean girl who showed up for like, a few seconds than disappeared. That's how everything felt. But that was due because the length of the book. It was extremely short. I got it on my kindle, and I swear, it's the shortest book I have on there. But even with the length, the book was slow. You know the description? The whole, best friend got kidnapped? Yea, that doesn't happen till half way through the book. Half-freakin-way.

Speaking of the plot, it was predictable and simple. There's nothing wrong with simple plots but for something starting so slow, it was a let down. I was at 90% done (kindle doesn't have page numbers) and I had to put the book down. I couldn't finish it then because I'd lost my interest. It took all my might to get the last 10% done.

The only reason why I'm giving this two stars and not one, is simply the potential it holds. The different Orders. Hopefully more detail about alchemy. What's up with Donna being the "Iron Witch". Yea, SO much potential, but it depends on how Mahoney sets up the next book. Just hopefully it won't fall flat like this one.(less)

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Jul 17, 2011 Isabel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Isabel by: Zoë Marriott

Shelves: books-i-own, signed-bookplates, reviewed, cover-love

I feel really torn about what rating to give The Iron Witch. If there were half-stars on Goodreads I think that I would give it three and a half. I don't know. But I did enjoy this book, and I'm looking forward to the sequels. I really liked Navin -- he was a believable and sympathetic character -- but, I don't know, I think the romance between Xan and Donna could have been better written. I feel uncomfortable saying this because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but first of all I didn't...more I feel really torn about what rating to give The Iron Witch. If there were half-stars on Goodreads I think that I would give it three and a half. I don't know. But I did enjoy this book, and I'm looking forward to the sequels. I really liked Navin -- he was a believable and sympathetic character -- but, I don't know, I think the romance between Xan and Donna could have been better written. I feel uncomfortable saying this because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but first of all I didn't like Xan that much as a character. Of course, this is just my opinion, and it's certainly not a flaw with the author's work, but I kind of had a problem with him. I don't know what... perhaps he was just too much of a "typical" love interest, the hot guy who is mysterious and reckless and, well, don't the male heroines in stories always have that "distracting lopsided grin"? I also thought that the romance could just have been... better. There wasn't enough intimacy and LOVE between Xan and Donna -- it kind of seemed like he was attracted to her and she was attracted to him, but at no point in the story was Donna sort of gradually starting to fall in love, and feeling confused about her feelings, like most people are expected to do when they're in love. It just seemed like a teenage crush and not something that could actually change the heroine.

But this is all my opinion of course, and as a whole I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was good, and by the end of the book everything seems to have been resolved and yet there is so much that the author still has not delved into, which definitely makes you want to read more. The writing was commendable, and besides Xan I thought the characters were pretty well-written. The idea of the story was classic in a way and yet so original and priceless -- I was thinking about this as I read scenes that you seem so familiar but that were somehow still unique... am I explaining this correctly? Anyway, on the whole, a great read; I am anxious to read more.(less)

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Jan 30, 2011 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Memories are stupid things. Why is it that I can only remember the useless stuff?” Truer words have never been spoken because right now I am remembering rather stupid stuff, but not only that I’m nitpicking over them too!

The book wasn’t terrible, in fact it was rather good at certain moments, most of which involved boy-girl interaction, get your minds out of the gutter! I was referring to Donna and Nav talking the way best friends do and to Donna and Xan, flirting away.

That said, I found the...more “Memories are stupid things. Why is it that I can only remember the useless stuff?” Truer words have never been spoken because right now I am remembering rather stupid stuff, but not only that I’m nitpicking over them too!

The book wasn’t terrible, in fact it was rather good at certain moments, most of which involved boy-girl interaction, get your minds out of the gutter! I was referring to Donna and Nav talking the way best friends do and to Donna and Xan, flirting away.

That said, I found the 'parnormal' side of the story a bit weak. Everything was too pat, too clearly explained. Then if you consider her decision to reveal everything - Did telling all make her a good friend, or was this just a convenient means to an end? Couldn’t she have kept on lying? Would it not have been safer? Her blase explanation of what was what and Nav’s acceptance of everything was very contrary to the need to keep everything secret. (view spoiler)

Love triangle. All right, I complain about love triangles all the time but since I haven’t read one in quite some time I was not as bothered as much as I normally would be. There’s Donna Underwood, Alexander Grayson and Navin Sharma:

Donna Underwood, survivor of a wood elf attack that left her essentially orphaned, is special. She’s so different that she is even considered special in the Order of the Dragon, what with being the daughter of legends, the niece a rising star AND with having “iron” hands.

Navin Sharma, her best friend kind of reminds me of Puck from Iron King etc. It's his story that got a bit predictable (We all know he is in love with her and that she is the only one unaware.) Nonetheless, I enjoyed his sense of humor, his allusions to Orlando Bloom and Charmed at the beginning of the book already told me that he was my kind of guy (read geek.)

Then there’s Alexander Grasyon. Xan is, again a bit predictable, being older, cool and cocky (Ash, is that you?) But underneath it all, a tortured soul (Why, Ash it is you! JK!)

The chapter endings were all a tad melodramatic because I kept hearing this “DUN DUN DUN DUN” after each. Otherwise Iron Witch was cute, trying hard at times but cute nonetheless.
(less)

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Feb 12, 2011 Erica (daydreamer) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairies, i-own, 2011-reads, anticlimatic, coolio-covers, so-wanted-to-love, could-have-been-better, release-in-2011, ya

I was so anxious to read this book. The premise sounded intriguing, and I thought the cover was pretty cool (not that the cover honestly says anything about the story behind it or that I read a book based solely on the cover, although *cough cough* I kind of do :P). Then I read a couple reviews that said the book wasn’t so great, and my excitement deflated a little, but I still wanted to read it and find out what I thought about it. And, if truth be told, I was kind of disappointed.

The Iron Witc...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Krystle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Derivative and lackluster. That’s the best I can sum up this book as.

Okay, so the romance is another one of those gag me, “Dude, you are sooooo hot!” “You too, babe.” “You wanna bone?” “RAVISH ME NOW!” Donna is all obsessed with the bloody bastard and is all in lurve as soon as she meets him. Bleh. I’m tired of this stuff.

Donna is some super special girl with these uber awesome tattoos on her arms which is supposed to hideous as heck, but if I had tattoos like that in high school I’d be the badd...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Emilija rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, first-in-series, pixies-faeries

So. Iron Witch.

It didn't leave a lasting impression on me. I read it yesterday and already I have trouble remembering what happened. I guess it's just an entertaining enough story to pass time with, and that's pretty much it. The writing didn't have the certain depth I like or a story even should have if the goal is to make the readers feel something towards the characters.

Not gonna lie, the storyline is pretty weak. It didn't impress me at all and overall I just expected more from this. There w...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Ebony rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Indiscriminate fans of love-triangles (no matter how banal)

Shelves: abandoned

This book was painfully dull, I regret to say. I pride myself on my ability to stick it out to the bitter end, but with so many other books commanding my attention, I had to leave The Iron Witch unfinished.

I will say this though - If you base a part of a character's personal struggle on a physical imprefection, let that imperfection be a tangible thing. I wasn't sold on the heroines aversion to her tattoo/scars. Let your characters be physically flawed in a way that really is cripping or confro...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Corinne rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faeries-and-elves, fantasy, sorcery-and-magic, books-the-world-do-not-need, swapped, school-a-o-university-life

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If I ever invent a time maschine, I would surely use it in the first place to wind back the time I "squandered" while reading this novel!!!

To sum it up, this book is simply a reheated and rehashed YA fantasy story and I was really grinning a little bit about the "The making of the iron witch" at the end of this book, when the author writes about the long process this book took, because I for once didn't feel a thing of this research while reading it! There is no real background behind the plot,...more If I ever invent a time maschine, I would surely use it in the first place to wind back the time I "squandered" while reading this novel!!!

To sum it up, this book is simply a reheated and rehashed YA fantasy story and I was really grinning a little bit about the "The making of the iron witch" at the end of this book, when the author writes about the long process this book took, because I for once didn't feel a thing of this research while reading it! There is no real background behind the plot, i.e. the history and concept of the alchemists coves isn't described at all and Donna as well as all the other characters in the book are flat stereotypes out of a role-playing game, although Donna herself stated in her journal that :"I don't believe in things being that black or white; life is rarely that simple". Karen Mahoney should have heeded Donna's opinion! And that brings me to my 2nd critique point: the different viewpoints of the story. Between several chapters in the 3rd person's view are Donna's diary notes and the only likely explanation of this mixed style is that the author did realize that without the main character's view, nobody would start to connect with her on an emotional level! However, I found these notes merely annoying and Karen Mahoney needs to develop more connections with her figures and think more about her characters and their history. But what really annoyed me - besides paying for my copy and the killing of trees for this rubbish - is the cop-out ending! There's not even a real fight, the action is comprised of two paragraphs then Donna kills the elf dog and that's it. But even worse is the scene with the wood elf queen! The exchange from prisoners against the elixier of life (or whatever it was called) would and should never have happened in such a way!!! The queen basically let the two prisoners get away and waits patient and trustingly on the sideline for the promised elixier! LOL Maybe the author didn't saw some of the countless movies where such an exchange happens and is maybe a little bit naive, but even a 5 year-old child would do this better!!! No one would exchange something that essential simply on good faith!!! A complete waste of time ;((less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, romance, fantasy, fairy-tales, magic

Karen Mahoney's "The Iron Witch" evokes conflicted sentiments within me. I probably should not have liked this book as much as I did given the familiar elements and progression, but somehow it had its moments of bringing me into the overarching story. I didn't go into this novel with high expectations, and part of the reason I decided to pick it up were because I was approved for an ARC of the third and final book of this respective trilogy. It seemed interesting, so I jumped at the chance.

Donna...more Karen Mahoney's "The Iron Witch" evokes conflicted sentiments within me. I probably should not have liked this book as much as I did given the familiar elements and progression, but somehow it had its moments of bringing me into the overarching story. I didn't go into this novel with high expectations, and part of the reason I decided to pick it up were because I was approved for an ARC of the third and final book of this respective trilogy. It seemed interesting, so I jumped at the chance.

Donna Underwood is a girl with a rather dark secret. As a child, her father sacrificed his life for her after she was attacked by a Wood Elf, which in the treatment of her injuries, her hands and forearms were covered in an alchemic iron tattoo. Her mother was committed to a mental facility after the event as well. Ever since, Donna's lived with the secret of hiding her "scars" under gloves, and being a part of a special order that keeps the fey world in line. Her aunt supervises and cares for her.

Donna's a bit of an outcast at her school due to her having to wear gloves and an incident that had her permanently labeled as a freak. Her only friend Navin keeps her spirits up, but even he doesn't know the truth about her involvement with the Order, and about her respective injuries or abilities. But at a party one night, Donna meets Xan, a boy who has more common links to her than she realizes. Over time, Xan and Navin both will discover the secrets that Donna hides (with varying reactions to it) and become involved in a plot that culminates when Navin is captured and taken into the Fey world.

The more that I think about the aftermath in reading this novel, the more structural problems I saw with it, but I actually enjoyed reading this. It kept my attention and I liked the interactions between the characters in spurts. Some of the worldbuilding I understood and appreciated some of the time taken into developing it, and the eerie creatures of the world were certainly worth reading about. I think the major problem I had were the times when Donna would focus on the wrong thing in the heat of the moment. There was one point where I said something akin to "Donna, this is not a time to be thinking about Xan's boy parts, you're in danger. Focus." There were bit parts of this through the narrative where I did a series of mental facepalms because it occurred in transitions of major plot/tension points. At the same time, there were other times when Mahoney is aware of these parts and pokes fun at them for the sake of doing so. I liked her narrative voice and flow in the story for the most part.

There's a formulaic measure to this story if you think about it in some terms. Outcast girl with dark secret/past, best friend who feels cheated out of the secrets the girl keeps, outcast special boy who likes outcast special girl - which then leads to insta-love connection. Best friend gets abducted, girl must betray society which she knows to save him. I didn't mind the formula that much here (because it really wasn't worse than other YA books I've read), but I did mind the abrupt ending. Gah, that ending, I felt it concluded far too quickly and left quite a few threads dangling, not in a good way to lead into the next book of this particular series. I have to admit I had fun in the journey, but it was a rough conclusion point. Still, I'm curious to see where this work goes, and am looking forward to it because I liked - collectively speaking - the characters and realm built here.

Overall score: 2.5/5(less)

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Nov 04, 2011 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 104-in-2011

This book was just ok for me. I liked how it began and was excited to see a book that mixed witches/alchemists with more paranormal fantasy characters like the fae. But the world didn't come together for me. There wasn't anything about the world or the characters that I adored or couldn't live without. There were some plot holes (Maker?) and the book felt a bit jumbled. I also would have liked more connection with Donna, more time in the world Mahoney created, and more climax build up.

One thing...more This book was just ok for me. I liked how it began and was excited to see a book that mixed witches/alchemists with more paranormal fantasy characters like the fae. But the world didn't come together for me. There wasn't anything about the world or the characters that I adored or couldn't live without. There were some plot holes (Maker?) and the book felt a bit jumbled. I also would have liked more connection with Donna, more time in the world Mahoney created, and more climax build up.

One thing that I DID like, though, is the back matter (the author's note) about how she formed her ideas. I could feel the author's passion for the story in that note more than I could in the book itself. I hope Mohoney can find a way to put more of that into her next books!

Better character development, more conflict, and smoother writing would have made The Iron Witch rate higher for me. I will most likely not be continuing this series.

Full review posted to www.fictitiousdelicious.com on 9/15/11.

THE IRON WITCH is a really cool premise that, unfortunately, fell a bit short for me. I loved the concept of the book and felt like it had a lot of potential. And the back matter (the author’s note at the end) was phenomenally detailed with a great story about how her idea started and all sorts of really cool background information. I could tell Karen Mahoney
is a very passionate and creative person, and I love that!

Unfortunately, this passion didn’t translate into the story for me. From the start I was confused and never felt like I got my footing in this book. I really, really wished the story would have done more world building and more character development.

Obviously, Karen Mahoney had some fabulous ideas! (Read the back matter!) I really wish those ideas would have come through more while I was reading. Because I wasn’t convinced by or cared much for this fantasy world, there really wasn’t enough of a climax.

I also wanted to feel more connected to, or even just understand, the main characters. Again, Donna’s story sounded really great, but it didn’t come alive for me. I also didn’t understand her relationship with either Navin or Xan, which also took some major oomph out of the story.

All in all, I’ve rated THE IRON WITCH a 3 because it has a great concept that doesn’t quite deliver. However, I don’t want to give up hope in this series! If THE WOOD QUEEN (book #2) possess more of Karen’s passion for story and manifests it in world building and character development, it could make up for this slightly dull first book.
(less)

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Mar 28, 2011 lilly bear ♡ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-haves

How would I describe this story in one word? Underdeveloped. It had so much potential that went unrealized. I was rather intrigued by the premise (a girl whose arms have been adorned in iron tattoos as a result of powerful alchemy that saved her life. I mean, sounds kick-ass, right?), but overall the reading experience left me with a very underwhelmed feeling. Although it was well-written, it lacked a degree of freshness and new ideas that made it hard to engage in the story. I had a hard time i...more How would I describe this story in one word? Underdeveloped. It had so much potential that went unrealized. I was rather intrigued by the premise (a girl whose arms have been adorned in iron tattoos as a result of powerful alchemy that saved her life. I mean, sounds kick-ass, right?), but overall the reading experience left me with a very underwhelmed feeling. Although it was well-written, it lacked a degree of freshness and new ideas that made it hard to engage in the story. I had a hard time immersing myself in the story from the very start. I really, really wanted to like it. I had been looking forward to reading this book for quite a while (and the author seems like such a sweetheart!), but unfortunately it just wasn't my cup of tea. I think this book will be better received by readers that are hardcore fans of the genre.

The characters were hard for me to connect with. Donna, the protagonist, has only one friend (who happens to be in love with her), she is viewed as an outcast and a freak, and she has appallingly low self-esteem. I read an entire book about her, and I still don't really know anything about her personality beyond those simple clichés. Xan, her love interest, is handsome, mysterious, aloof, and inexplicably interested in Donna. I liked him, for the most part (so sue me! I don't care how overdone the mysterious, aloof hot guy is, I swoon everytime). I'm interested in learning more about him, at least. I would have liked to see his backstory a little more developed. Nav, Donna's best and only friend, is loyal and likable enough. I never got too invested in him, though. Between the three of them there is, you guessed it, a love triangle! Unlike a lot of readers, I don't mind a good love triangle. As long as it's well-written and relevant to the plot (not just tossed in pointlessly in order to incite readers to pick "teams" or what have you), I'm fine with it. This one felt a little weak to me, and the end result appears to be pretty obvious. Maybe that's because I don't feel strongly for any of the characters involved. I suppose that's the crux of the matter: I just didn't care. I didn't feel any passion for these characters or their stories.

That being said, I am still planning on reading the next book. I have read some of Mahoney's work previously (in Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love and The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire) and really loved it. I won't rush out to buy the sequel like I did with this one, but I do want to read it at some point in the future. I really feel that if Mahoney had spent a little more time developing her characters and setting and delving into the alchemy aspect of the novel (which was barely touched upon, but supposed to be a major component of the story), this book could have been a great read. I'm very interested in the mythology and the alchemy, and I hope to find out more about them in the second book. The idea is there, it just needs to be fleshed out a little bit more.(less)

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Feb 19, 2011 Skye rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

I had The Iron Witch on my to-read list ever since the (gorgeous) cover was unveiled months ago. The blurb made me think the book would have a twisty, complicated, clever plot, though I found after reading that it didn't have that. A complication was introduced - Navin's kidnapping - and it had a fairly straight-forward solution.

Overall, though, I did enjoy this book. Even though the plot wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be, it...more This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.

I had The Iron Witch on my to-read list ever since the (gorgeous) cover was unveiled months ago. The blurb made me think the book would have a twisty, complicated, clever plot, though I found after reading that it didn't have that. A complication was introduced - Navin's kidnapping - and it had a fairly straight-forward solution.

Overall, though, I did enjoy this book. Even though the plot wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be, it was still compelling. A lot was left open for further series installments, which I'll be sure to read in hopes of more of the suspense and drama I anticipated.

I liked Donna's character. She was strong-willed and determined, though insecure at times, which made her more relatable. Her past was tragic (though I maintain that the iron markings on her hands are cool, as well as useful) and had a realistic affect on her persona.

(view spoiler)

I liked the writing style, and how that even in third person it could make me feel a connection to the characters.

The paranormal aspects of the story were creative and different, and thus, intriguing. Human alchemists trying to use science to understand the paranormal living alongside Fey - what's not to love? I hope more about the world introduced in The Iron Witch is elaborated upon in further books.

I give The Iron Witch a 4 out of 5. I would have given it a 3, but it doesn't feel fair comparing a book to what I expected it to be. I hyped it up a lot in my head before reading, but I'd still recommend this to anyone up for a paranormal romance that's heavier on the paranormal than the romance.(less)

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Mar 20, 2011 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fae-faeries, read-2011, ya

Review orginally posted at http://bookstobrightenyourmood.blogsp...

2.5 stars
The Iron Witch,left me with somehow mixed emotions.Although i wasn't really amazed by it,i can't say i didn't like it at all either.There were times i was really excited with it and eager to know how things evolved and times were i was a bit bored.I just couldn't get into this book,no matter how much i wanted it.

I was more than excited when i picked up this book.It was among those books that i wanted to read as soon as i...more
Review orginally posted at http://bookstobrightenyourmood.blogsp...

2.5 stars
The Iron Witch,left me with somehow mixed emotions.Although i wasn't really amazed by it,i can't say i didn't like it at all either.There were times i was really excited with it and eager to know how things evolved and times were i was a bit bored.I just couldn't get into this book,no matter how much i wanted it.

I was more than excited when i picked up this book.It was among those books that i wanted to read as soon as i saw that gorgeous cover and read the interesting premise.And the story in this book is really interesting.And well written.My problem was that despite of those facts,i couldn't care about what happened in the story.Maybe it's just me and i wasn't in the right mood to read this book.I honestly can't say.

My main problem was that i felt that everything in this story were a bit rushed.The romance between the heroes was rushed.The explanations for the world again were quickly given and everything the heroine, Donna, needed was again right in front of her.I mean,she wanted to find her abducted friend,voila,she was able after a good guess to find him.She needed something very well hidden,again,she only needed a good guess,a little effort,and she had it in her hands.I don't know if that happened because the book is so small.Maybe that's the case.But after how quickly and easily Donna found what happened to Navin,i just had lost my interest.
Again,i have to point that maybe that's just me.To anyone else,maybe this book is a small and cute and wonderful story wrapped in a gorgeous package.Which it is!

The Iron Witch is a cute story,set in an interesting world.The writing style is good and i really enjoyed the pictures Karen Mahoney was able to draw in her book.I just wanted something more to hold my interest.
I really liked Donna, her character and the way she delt with problems.I found interesting her friendship with Navin.I couldn't care less about Xan,her love interest.Really,although he made quite an impression on me when he first appeared,that interest was short lived.He was just a secondary character,standing beside Donna,eager to help her with anything!
And the Order of the Dragons...For such a major and long lived alchemist order,i found a bit naive the way one of their own was able to steal their property.

Anyway,The Iron Witch is surely a fun way to spend your hours and due to the fact it's small you propably won't even notice when you'll reach the last page.I just wish the writer would delve into some more details,at least on the suspence scenes.To be honest,i'm not sure i will read the next installment but i'm also a bit curious,so who knows!

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Jun 14, 2011 Alexandra Shostak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted at: http://alexandrashostak.blogspot.com/...

THE IRON WITCH is a YA urban fantasy novel centering around Donna Underwood, a high school student branded a freak by her classmates because of extraordinary strength due to the iron and silver tattoos covering her hands and forearms. The tattoos are alchemical--the result of an attack by malicious fae creatures and the magic used to save her.

The story is fast paced like the best action movie (I love action movies.) Only a few pages g...more Originally posted at: http://alexandrashostak.blogspot.com/...

THE IRON WITCH is a YA urban fantasy novel centering around Donna Underwood, a high school student branded a freak by her classmates because of extraordinary strength due to the iron and silver tattoos covering her hands and forearms. The tattoos are alchemical--the result of an attack by malicious fae creatures and the magic used to save her.

The story is fast paced like the best action movie (I love action movies.) Only a few pages go by before Donna is swept up in mystery and danger. There are a few nice down-time moments, in which Donna has heartwarming conversations with her best friend Navin, or steamy interaction with half-fey love interest Xan. The book flies by in the best way possible--and by that I mean it is impossible to put down. (I carried it around with me the day I got it and said "LOOK! LOOK AT THIS! SHE'S MY INTERNET FRIEND!" I got several odd looks and people saying "Oh, well that's nice, Alexandra." I don't know if they believed me.)

I think my favorite thing about the book was Donna. Don't get me wrong, I adore paranormal romance, but it was nice to read a book that was centered around the protagonist, her abilities, and her intelligence. She has a level head, genuine emotions, and does so many things for herself I was a little jealous (I want magically strong hands!) Understandably she felt like an outcast at being so marked as different (because living around alchemists for her entire life wasn't different enough) but she also used her ability when she needed to, without waffling over it, without feeling weird. She didn't need Xan to save her, because she was more than capable, and in fact, when Navin is kidnapped, it's up to Donna to save him. Love it like I can't explain. Makes my feminist heart all smiley.

The backstory and worldbuilding were also such a pleasure to read. Karen gives us hints of the world Donna lives in, but doesn't dump information on us that doesn't pertain directly to the plot. I'm already imagining so many ways that this stuff will come into play in future books, and I cannot wait to find out more details about the Order of the Dragon (one part of this secret society of alchemists), alchemy itself, and Donna's heritage (and her mother!!!) And faeries are my favorite supernatural creature, so I can't wait to see more of them. Plus, there's this whole setup with the doors between the worlds being closed, and faeries getting trapped in all sorts of places, and it's just so tantalizing.

Karen's prose is minimalist and tight--no words wasted, and the words she does use are exactly the ones you need. This coming from someone who is wordy like a Victorian novelist, I really enjoyed this aspect of the book as well! It really reminded me that this was an urban fantasy more than anything else. And the excerpts from Donna's journal that were interspersed throughout the chapters were written in such a clear, distinct voice, I felt I really knew her by the end of the book--like if she knocked on my door right now, we'd already be friends. Because of her voice and her very distinct interactions with each character, I also had a feel for the supporting cast; they didn't blur at all, I knew who every single person was.

A fantastic addition to my YA faerie fantasy collection next to Lesley Livingston, Melissa Marr, and Holly Black.(less)

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Feb 15, 2011 Tina (Fantastic Book Review) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, faeries, paranormal

Mini Review
I love the cover of this book and the synopsis is what really made me want to get my hands on it. With high praise from and a comparison to some of my favorite authors, I had a feeling I would enjoy THE IRON WITCH immensely. This book immediately pulled me into the life of Donna as she tried to remain in the background while keeping her secrets. A secret that she’s kept from her best friend Navin until an attack blows the lid off of her hidden world.

I really liked how Donna met Xan. I...more

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Jun 06, 2013 jv poore rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: buried-under-books, young-adult

The Iron Witch
by Karen Mahoney

We’ve all heard “don’t judge a book by its cover”; although I can’t seem to help myself. Apparently, you can’t judge a book by its title either. Both the cover and the title of The Iron Witch intrigued me. Of course, I adore all things witchy, from the cauldron stirrers to Wiccans and all things in between. I expected some version of a “typical” witch in this book. I was wrong.

Donna Underwood is a typical teen in many ways, but her peers are not interested in seei...more The Iron Witch
by Karen Mahoney

We’ve all heard “don’t judge a book by its cover”; although I can’t seem to help myself. Apparently, you can’t judge a book by its title either. Both the cover and the title of The Iron Witch intrigued me. Of course, I adore all things witchy, from the cauldron stirrers to Wiccans and all things in between. I expected some version of a “typical” witch in this book. I was wrong.

Donna Underwood is a typical teen in many ways, but her peers are not interested in seeing that. She stands out because she wears long gloves. Always. This small differentiation is enough to bring out the meanness in her class mates and she is taunted and teased relentlessly. Luckily, she has her best bud, Navin. He is really the only friend she needs.

As if the hell of being the brunt of jokes and pranks at school isn’t enough, Donna’s home-life is a mystery, even to Donna herself. Technically, she lives with her aunt, but mostly she is alone. She remembers very little about her father’s death, although she was there. Her mother in an asylum and Donna can’t really understand why.

The largest peculiarity is that Donna is “in training”. She is being groomed to be a full member of an incredibly secret Order. So secret, in fact, that she knows almost nothing about the Order, which means she can’t really trust them.

Despite Navin, Donna is totally alone. Oh, and she is being pursued. By faeries. Okay, nothing about the title (or cover) prepared me for the Fey. What a pleasant surprise!

By chance, and because of Navin, Donna meets Alexander (Xan). It is quickly apparent that the two share similar secrets, but can they build enough trust to share them in time to save themselves? We shall see.

Ms. Mahoney has created an intriguing and quite original story. Her characters are rich, with depth. There is humour, strength, support, and unparalleled loyalty; the kind you see in teenagers that are still sweetly naive. The book pulled this reader in abruptly, and held me until the very end. Each chapter shares a bit more information, and because the characters are so compelling, I felt invested in their adventure.

This book is the first in a trilogy, and since it was released in 2011, I was able to promptly purchase the following books, The Wood Queen and The Stone Demon. This luxury is one of the best things about discovering a book that has been out for awhile. As Karen Mahoney is not necessarily a well-known YA author (in the US), I highly recommend this for the readers that say “I can’t find anything to read”.

This review was written for Buried Under Books blog.(less)

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May 26, 2013 Blake rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Initially, I thought this book was going to take place in Faerie, but the characters stay in the human world for the better part of the book. I liked how the author brought the faeries to us, instead of making us go to them. It was different.

I really, really enjoyed the alchemist twist! I haven't read very many books about them, and I've always been curious about their place in the world. (Richelle Mead mentions them in her VA series, but that is the only other other book I can think of.) I also...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Vivien Hogg rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, urban-fantasy, paranormal

Ok peoples, so I'm usually all gung ho about telling you allllll about the latest and greatest book I just read.
But not this time

Oh no. No no no, indeed No! This time, I'm going to share with you the most exquisiteness pain I felt reading what I'm pretty sure was one of the worst books I've read in the past year...Put nicely, it just didn't do it for me.

Now I do want to say that I find it rather intimidating/difficult to actually put out a bad review on a book, just because it's pretty amazing t...more Ok peoples, so I'm usually all gung ho about telling you allllll about the latest and greatest book I just read.
But not this time

Oh no. No no no, indeed No! This time, I'm going to share with you the most exquisiteness pain I felt reading what I'm pretty sure was one of the worst books I've read in the past year...Put nicely, it just didn't do it for me.

Now I do want to say that I find it rather intimidating/difficult to actually put out a bad review on a book, just because it's pretty amazing that someone actually writes said book! I mean, I haven't written a book, so who do I think I am for judging this book that someone most obviously HAS written! If you know what I mean...

*cough*

Ok, nuff said. Here goes.

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney. Ok, so this book is about Donna, a teenage girl who has been brought up as part of a secret society of alchemists....her father was killed by a fey monster while rescuing Donna (who had been kidnapped). During this rescue, Donna's mother was somehow psychically/magically mentally hurt (and is now living in a special home) and Donna was severely injured. Fortunately, one of the alchemists helped save her from the worst of her injuries (her hands/arms), by covering them with iron/silver-laced tattoos that embedded some sort of magical power/resistance to undo the damage....and also give her some kind of super strength.
Beyond that, essentially the story is that Donna discovers that the wood elves (the fey who kidnapped her) are becoming stronger/bolder...and then they steal a friend that Donna has to then go into Fairy to save...but she has to trade for them...and she's special for some reason to said Fey....and she meets a guy who she likes who also has a connection to the fey....and then the secret order of alchemists she belongs to is sketchy...and then her mentally confused mother tries to warn her? And then it's over.

Vopinion: EGADS!!!! I forced myself to finish this book just so that I could actually say without a doubt that this book sucked! I mean, the character had no depth or growth, nothing really fit together plot-wise...everything sort of just happened for no real reason...the dialogue between the characters was like something I might have written when I was in gr.6....meaning to say, that it was ridiculous and unnatural to any form of real conversation. There was no build up, there was no climax, there was no end. And apparently this is the first book in a new series.
This was a really, really, really bad book.

Which is sad, because this is Mahoney's debut novel (again, kudos to anyone who actually writes a book!), and the basic ideas that she was trying to work with were essentially interesting and could have created a very cool story. But it didn't.
The writing did absolutely nothing....it was the biggest waste of my reading time that I've experienced yet this year. Which is depressing.

Too harsh? Disagree with me? State your piece of mind below...All comments more than welcome! =)

Anywho, if you want to try a cool book that DOES actually - successfully (key word!) - blend the crazy world of Fairy with some modern twists, check out:
The Iron King, Wicked Lovely, Tithe, Glimmerglass, Fairy Tale, Wings, Lament, The Faerie Ring, Need(less)

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Feb 20, 2013 Gracia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really enjoyed the characters! Great world building! Had a fantastic storyline.

Negatives:

The synopsis gave away more than I feel it should have. If it would have left out some and been a little less detailed could have made for a wonderful plot twist.

Positives:
Wonderful romance. I enjoy romance so all the romance was good for me. Some might be put off because a good part of this book revolves around her liking and getting to know a boy, but at the same time you get to know a lot more about Donn...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Jennavier rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-debut-authors

I'm really sorry to say this, but the Iron Witch is a bit of a dud. Karen Mahoney has a lot of potential so I'm really hoping that the next book is better. I could see flashes of it throughout and kept hoping that the book would live up to those flashes. Not so lucky.
The plot centers around Donna, a remake of the old legends of the armless girl. She was attacked and her parents were killed/incapacitated by an wood elves when she was a child. Now she's been taken in by her aunt and an alchemists...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Blair Mirth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wanted-to-give-up-but-read-till-th, 1st-book-in-a-series-triology, i-read-for-a-challenge-challenge

Thoughts/ Review:

When I first picked up this book back in, well hell I can’t remember when [sometime this year] I was a little put off by the sheer amount of people who were disappointed with it. Still as stubborn as I am when it comes to reading, I managed to shrug it off and was determined to get into this book. I mean I paid 3.50 for it and God damn it I was going to get my money’s worth and that I did. It took me such a long time to get through this book and at so many times I wanted to get...more Thoughts/ Review:

When I first picked up this book back in, well hell I can’t remember when [sometime this year] I was a little put off by the sheer amount of people who were disappointed with it. Still as stubborn as I am when it comes to reading, I managed to shrug it off and was determined to get into this book. I mean I paid 3.50 for it and God damn it I was going to get my money’s worth and that I did. It took me such a long time to get through this book and at so many times I wanted to get it out of my house. The pacing is slow and draining, the perspective is different and it jolted me out of my comfort zone and the characters left me bored shitless for the majority of the book.

Hit around the 170 page mark when I picked it up again this month and it wasn’t too bad. The plot thickened, the characters [especially Donna and Xan] grew a little closer together and their back-story was fleshed out till one point it actually made me cry and the premise of the book started to make a little more sense. Now I am not a fan of fey books, I will try some and for me they are not my favorite creatures but I did enjoy the different take on fey and wood elves as it was fascinating to learn about them, but when the main characters and the wood folk come together it didn’t really hit me like I expected it to and I was a bit annoyed considering I was finally enjoying the book.

However that enjoyment was often crushed when I felt the story was getting overly cliché and at times the story sounded like many I had read before. I rolled my eyes and persevered because there were small moments in the book that I actually cared for these characters, especially Navin, but my main let down was that it did not capture my attention enough for me want to devour it and Donna the main character was an inconsistent frustration. I also felt there was a little instant attraction going on there and it annoyed me when Donna remarked that after three days of knowing Xan that they had to be so much more than friends. [Oh Please-sighs]

What did make this book a 3 star for me was the mixture of interesting elements; the lore, the back-story of how she came to be the way she was. The concept of Alchemy that I am not too familiar with and the darkness that crept through ever so slightly pushing the story forward when it felt to me like enough was enough. I also enjoyed the little snippets of Donna’s journal entries as they were welcome break between passages of boredom. I think this novel could have the propensity for real promise had the author spent a little bit more time building the characters and setting the tone of the book. With better pacing I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but I won’t be recommending this book to anyone anytime soon. Will I read the second book – sure as I have it on my shelf and I want to know what happens, but probably not in the near future.

I am giving this book a generous
★★★
Droplets of Elixer
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Jul 08, 2012 Alexandra Harris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-covers, magic, not-as-good-as-cover, fey, crappy-reads, refered-by-friends, young-adult

I'm a cover junkie, as most of my GR peeps know, but wow, this cover is just stunning! Unfortunately what is after the cover is not so stunning.
For starters this story is all over the place and dull at the same time. I hate to write bad reviews because I think writing is like art and I hate to put down artists, but in this case I have to preach the truth, so here it goes.

The characters are mildly likeable but there is a weird lapse in there interaction with one another. The dialog made it impos...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Clary rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

L'ordine occulto degli alchimisti è il primo volume di una serie urban fantasy per adolescenti, romanzo d'esordio dell'autrice inglese Karen Mahoney, che aveva attirato la mia attenzione per l'originalità dell'argomento trattato: alchimia e magia. Spinta dalla curiosità per qualcosa di diverso dal solito panorama urban fantasy popolato unicamente da vampiri, licantropi e angeli, avevo acquistato questo romanzo in cerca di qualcosa che, purtroppo, al suo interno non ho trovato.

Protagonista del ro...more L'ordine occulto degli alchimisti è il primo volume di una serie urban fantasy per adolescenti, romanzo d'esordio dell'autrice inglese Karen Mahoney, che aveva attirato la mia attenzione per l'originalità dell'argomento trattato: alchimia e magia. Spinta dalla curiosità per qualcosa di diverso dal solito panorama urban fantasy popolato unicamente da vampiri, licantropi e angeli, avevo acquistato questo romanzo in cerca di qualcosa che, purtroppo, al suo interno non ho trovato.

Protagonista del romanzo è Donna Underwood, una diciassettenne emarginata da tutti a causa delle stranezze che la caratterizzano: un incidente anni prima le ha portato via i genitori (il padre è stato ucciso, mentre la madre è instabile), sta sempre per conto suo e indossa perennemente un paio di guanti che le coprono l'intero braccio. Quello che nessuno sa è che l'incidente che l'ha resa orfana è stato causato da un mostro terribile e che la ragazza, come i genitori prima di lei, appartiene all'Ordine del Drago, una società segreta di alchimisti che protegge da sempre il genere umano dalle creature fatate.
Il romanzo inizia quando Donna e Navin, migliore e unico amico della ragazza, si recano ad una festa dove Donna fa la conoscenza di Xan, ragazzo bello e affascinante che fa subito breccia nel cuore della protagonista. Tra i due nasce qualcosa, e ben presto Donna scopre la vera identità di Xan, essere metà umano e metà fatato, con un passato doloroso e oscuro.
La situazione precipita quando Navin viene rapito dagli elfi oscuri e Donna, aiutata da Xan, deve scegliere se cedere l'elisir di lunga vita tradendo così l'ordine, o perdere per sempre il suo migliore amico.

Il primo punto che mi sento di far notare è la mancanza di originalità. Non nella trama, interessante e con grandi possibilità per il futuro, ma nei personaggi, incapaci di bucare lo schermo e di impressionare il lettore.
Donna è la classica ragazza dei romanzi YA, emarginata, diversa, incompresa... Non è riuscita a colpirmi particolarmente, tanto che alla fine del libro non avevo ancora deciso se mi andava a genio o meno. Un aspetto positivo sono le pagine del diario di Donna, scritte in prima persona, unico elemento che ci aiuta ad entrare nella psicologia di un personaggio altrimenti sconosciuto.
Xan, altro enorme cliché, fa da subito breccia nel cuore della protagonista, ma purtroppo non accade lo stesso col lettore. E' un personaggio non delineato o caratterizzato, incapace di farmi provare qualunque emozione.
E la stessa storia si ripete con tutti i personaggi del romanzo, anonimi e senza una vera identità, creati per uno scopo preciso, ma che non è ancora ben chiaro.
Un'altra cosa che mi ha deluso è la mancanza di azione e mistero che mi aspettavo quando ho acquistato il romanzo; sul retro c'è addirittura scritto che è un romanzo storico. No. Non è per niente un romanzo storico, non si avvicina nemmeno lontanamente al genere. Questa tuttavia non è una pecca della narrazione o della trama, semplicemente una mia aspettativa (creatasi forse a causa della copertina e del titolo fuorviante) che mi hanno portato a considerare il romanzo nel modo sbagliato.
Vorrei dire una cosa a favore dell'autrice per quanto riguarda lo stile. Mi è piaciuto molto: scorrevole, semplice, non confusionario, invoglia nel continuare la lettura e rende leggere anche le situazioni talvolta forzate presenti nel romanzo.

Non ho ancora ben deciso se questo libro mi è piaciuto o meno. Sono combattuta nell'assegnazione del voto, perché se da una parte le aspettative di un romanzo originale ricco di suspense e mistero sono state brutalmente demolite sin dalle prime pagine, dall'altra ho la netta sensazione che questo libro fosse più che altro un introduzione al seguito. Gli elementi per farne un buon fantasy in futuro ci sono; anche i personaggi, con un po' di lavoro, possono migliorare e subire la svolta che non c'è stata ne L'Ordine Occulto degli Alchimisti.
Al momento non mi sento di consigliarlo, se non a chi cerca una lettura leggera e senza grandi pretese. Poi, in futuro, sono convinta che l'autrice riuscirà a perfezionare i suoi romanzi, sfruttando al massimo gli ottimi elementi presenti in questo primo volume.
Perciò mi sento buona e gli assegno tre stelle, fiduciosa nello sviluppo di trama, personaggi e narrazione nel prossimo volume.

http://clary-booktime.blogspot.it/201...(less)

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Mar 18, 2012 Maranda Mcallister rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Title: The Iron Witch

Author:Karen Mahoney

Rating:.5 out of five stars

Genres: Modern/Contemporary, Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Quick Summary:

Donna Underwood is an average girl disguised as a YA kick-ass heroine. She has been brought up in a society of alchemists. When her best friend is kidnapped by the same entities who killed her father, she has to rely on the help of the mysterious boy she recently met in order to save him, even if it means destroying centuries of hard work and research of h...more Title: The Iron Witch

Author:Karen Mahoney

Rating:.5 out of five stars

Genres: Modern/Contemporary, Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Quick Summary:

Donna Underwood is an average girl disguised as a YA kick-ass heroine. She has been brought up in a society of alchemists. When her best friend is kidnapped by the same entities who killed her father, she has to rely on the help of the mysterious boy she recently met in order to save him, even if it means destroying centuries of hard work and research of her predecessors.

I picked up this book at the urging of an internet stranger who branded it as "one of the most amazing series" she had ever read. Note to self: Do not trust internet strangers so blindly. The fact that the kindle version was only ninety-nine cents was also a pretty big motivator, but I digress.

The Iron Witch, in theory, has amazing potential. It is about a girl brought up into a secret and mysterious group of alchemists who have the ability to manipulate nature and create eternal life. It is a unique concept in a genre that has become mind numbingly formulaic. Instead, Karen Mahoney takes her unique concept and molds it to follow the traditional YA formula because fuck anyone who wants to read this book, that's why.

You see, Donna Underwood wants to be the seemingly average kick ass heroine that is so often seen in YA novels these days, but she simply isn't. The first flaw with this book is that is reads like a sequel. It picks up in the middle of the action, which is all well and good, but it leaves you hanging throughout its explanations. I had to go back and make sure I'd gotten the first book, because it simply seemed like a lot had happened before the book had started. Instead, this novel works through flashbacks in Donna's journal, but fails because Donna really has nothing interesting to say beyond the basic facts.

Her parents are dead (ever read any YA books about someone with dead parents?!), she has one friend (sound familiar?), and she is falling in love with a mysterious guy (how unique!). When her best friend is kidnapped by wood elves, instead of getting the help of the alchemists she has been brought up by (but is steadily starting to find she does not trust, not that she bothers to say why beyond the fact that they keep secrets from young girls such as herself), she gets help from this guy she met a party a few nights ago! Why? Who knows?! I don't think Donna herself knows. This is most likely because it makes no sense. The romance between this guy, Xan (who she imagines kissing on the same page on which they meet), is so forced that it is hard to read.

I was ready to quit this book around twenty percent of the way through, but I trudged on. The premise was interesting, but in the end, the prose was juvenile. I don't mean juvenile as in written for young adults, I mean juvenile as in written by someone who hasn't thought through what they're writing, why, and who for. I'm embarrassed to have spent $.99 cents on this book because I'd like publishers to know that readers are tired of the formula.

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