Okay, so my love for this series has not diminished. It's actually gotten borderline obsessive. I'm starting to worry about what the heck I'm going to...moreOkay, so my love for this series has not diminished. It's actually gotten borderline obsessive. I'm starting to worry about what the heck I'm going to do with myself once I finish. haha!I have become so completely wrapped up in this 'world' that it's all I can think about half the time!
Expect a doozy of an ending and an immediate desire to scoop up book four (which is what I'm doing ... right now.) :)(less)
Okay so the main character Evie is like some Paranormal Agent for the International Paranormal Contaimment Agency (IPCA). Right off the bat this book...moreOkay so the main character Evie is like some Paranormal Agent for the International Paranormal Contaimment Agency (IPCA). Right off the bat this book reminded me of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series…just with a vampire here and a mermaid there. It’s an easy read but I have a hard time with YA novels that are extremely immature. For example, one of the intro lines about her taser is pink with rhinestones and named Tasey. That was almost too much for me.
The story continues with Evie doing her job to capture paranormals and bring them back to the agency for their protection or if they’re wreaking havoc on humans. All kinds of paranormals too; werewolves, vampires, mermaids, shapeshifters, banshees… hags? There’s also an underlying story about Evie and her kind of ex-boyfriend faerie. I found him extremely creepy and didn’t like him one bit. Or Raquel. That woman sighed way too damn much.
Once the story picked up around the halfway point, it actually got pretty interesting, but there was just something about this story that didn’t click with me. Not sure what exactly. Maybe it was the continued reference to Tasey and her pink knife.
The story is about Meghan Chase, a normal girl living in a small town with poor parents and her 4 year-old brother. Meghan discovers that she’s the da...moreThe story is about Meghan Chase, a normal girl living in a small town with poor parents and her 4 year-old brother. Meghan discovers that she’s the daughter of a mythical faery king and of course gets involved in a faery war.
For some reason I couldn’t get into The Iron King no matter how hard I tried. It took me almost a week to read and for me that's pretty much unheard of. I had heard such great things about this entire series and I was really looking forward to it but the storyline was just so-so. I loved the parts about Ash. I had heard everybody rave about Ash so I couldn’t wait for him to be introduced… unfortunately that didn’t even happen till almost halfway through the book. The story just lacked originality for me and I would like to continue the series, I just won’t be doing it immediately.
So this is a short quick little interlude between stories… there was a lot of reiteration of stuff that happened in the first book. If it’s been a whi...moreSo this is a short quick little interlude between stories… there was a lot of reiteration of stuff that happened in the first book. If it’s been a while since you read Iron King (#1) then this would be a nice little refresher for you. I had just finished Iron King though so the reiteration was a little, well, repetitive. :)
This story is about Ash taking Meghan back to his Queen in accordance with their agreement and the introduction of yet another elusive creature following her; the Hunter (Or the self-proclaimed Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. Yeah… okay. lol) Grimalkin joins them on their journey as well, and I don’t know why but I love Grim. Although when I envision the story as it progresses, I imagine Grimalkin looks like the white fluffy Fancy Feast cat for some reason. lol
Of course since Grim is supposed to be a ‘faery cat’ (whatever that means) I’m sure that’s not the case. But to me, that’s Grim. Grim and his Fancy Feast.
As far as Ash and Meghan go… as much as I love Ash, the storyline is getting old. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy… they’re not supposed to like each other, it’s not allowed, but they just can’t help it! So boy acts like he cares, but wait! Boy turns into a prick faster than a speeding bullet! Come on… *sigh* I’m still a sucker for these books and will keep reading this series. This mini-book actually made me more interested in the series overall so that works, mainly because I’m interested to see what happens once they actually reach the Winter Court and what all these weird dreams are all about.
This is your pretty standard fantasy story that wasn't bad but was definitely far more memorable.
'Lara Jansen is a truthseeker, gifted—or cursed—with...moreThis is your pretty standard fantasy story that wasn't bad but was definitely far more memorable.
'Lara Jansen is a truthseeker, gifted—or cursed—with the magical ability to tell honesty from lies.'
I was sold completely on the originality of the plot but was sadly disappointed at how dull it ended up being. Wayfinder drives right into the action from the supposed cliffhanger ending from the first installment. I didn't actually read the first one and didn't feel like I was missing too much by skipping it.
If this series continued I wouldn't likely continue it. Overall, the pretty cover was enticing but failed to please.(less)
In the Iron Queen, Ash made an oath to Meghan to be her knight; however, after she became the Iron Queen and she severed the bond with him he was unable to honor the oath since remaining in the Iron realm would have meant his death. Ash realizes that he has only one choice: he’s going to travel to the end of the world to obtain a soul and become mortal so he can remain by her side.
After wrapping up Iron Queen and dubbing it my favorite of the series, I was actually kind of surprised that there was an additional installment in the series; I felt it could have been left as is despite its imperfect ending. The puzzle pieces of this series came together a bit too well in The Iron Knight; however, it was still an enjoyable read.
In this story we got to travel to the end of the Nevernever. The River of Dreams, the Deep Wyld, Phaed… all unknown territory which added some much needed mystery to the story and which I really enjoyed. Julie Kagawa’s descriptions were extremely vivid. Puck, Grimalkin, and even the Big Bad Wolf were along for the ride. Puck and Grimalkin definitely added some much needed humor to Ash’s dreary story.
I think die-hard fans of this series will be extremely pleased with how the author wrapped up this series, but will still be sad that the story is over. I think the wrap-up was done enjoyably well and I’m thankful that it wasn’t stretched to its breaking point with additional and unnecessary installments. (less)
A review copy of The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There was kindly provided to me by Macmillan.
'Shadows are the other side of yourself'
Hardly a day has passed since September hasn't thought about Fairyland and Ell and Saturday and the Green Wind. Sometimes she even wonders whether she imagined the whole thing, but it was all so very real because September's shadow is gone; she left it behind in Fairyland. But she's thirteen now, and so much time has passed and she begins to think she'll never make her way back, until one day she sees a rowboat floating across the fields behind her house. She knew this was her opportunity and hastened to follow them to wherever they were going. Upon her return, she realizes that Fairyland is quite different from when she left it several months ago and that September is not the only one missing her shadow now.
"...your light side isn't a perfectly pretty picture, either, I promise you. You couldn't dream without the dark. You couldn't rest... You need your dark side, because without it, you're half gone."
September was once again an incredible character: full of heart, strength, and loyalty. Realizing that the problems in Fairyland stemmed from her actions from her previous visit, she didn't hesitate for a second before starting her adventure to make things right. I loved the implications of the purpose of shadows and how their importance reaches far beyond their physical presence. Very mature topics that I see as being a fantastic 'learning opportunity' for children during a potential read-along with their parents. The writing is not just full of beautiful prose but manages to also have substantial meaning behind every word.
'She did not know yet how sometimes people keep parts of themselves hidden and secret, sometimes wicked and unkind parts, but often brave or wild or colorful parts, cunning or powerful or even marvelous, beautiful parts, just locked up away at the bottom of their hearts... all of those brave and wild and cunning and marvelous and beautiful parts they hid away and left in the dark to grow strange mushrooms--and yes, sometimes those wicked and unkind parts, too--end up in their shadow.'
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland was wonderful, original, and full of incredible prose and The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland doesn't disappoint. If anything, the second installment is even more brilliant. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland will be well received by children but I so love that it's equally (if not more so) able to be enjoyed by adults. Catherynne M. Valente has definitely done it again; full of adventure mixed with a new take on old-world fairytales.(less)
“Stories have a way of changing faces. They are unruly things, undisciplined, given to delinquency and the throwing of erasers. This is why we must close them up into thick, solid books, so they cannot get out and cause trouble.”
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making tells the story of a girl named September, who was actually born in May, who was fortunately born on a Tuesday, who is 12 years old, who's mother builds planes and who's father is off fighting in the war, and who is from Nebraska. She leaves her home one night with the Green Wind on the back of his flying leopard and doesn't say goodbye and never looks back.
“... but as has been said, September read often, and liked it best when words did not pretend to be simple, but put on their full armor and rode out with colors flying.”
September was a charming child who was full of heart. She escaped to Fairyland in hopes of a little fun but what she got was not what she anticipated. Fairyland was full of violent and evil beings which was in all actuality no different than the world she left behind, yet, along the way she made some dear friends like Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday that made it all worthwhile.
“I wouldn't even consider it if I were you. But then if I were you, I would not be me, and if I were not me, I would not be able to advise you, and if I were unable to advise you, you'd do as you like, so you might as well do as you like and have done with it.”
I'm quite glad that I took this adventure to 'Fairyland' via audio because I think the flowery words and huge sentences would have been too much for me to bear on print. As it was it still took some getting used to but I ended up enjoying this. 'Fairyland' (because it's simply too long of a title to say repeatedly) is one of those Middle Grade novels that will be well loved by children because it's adventurous and imaginative yet in retrospect will only be able to be truly understood and appreciated by an Adult reader. I do wish I had the second book on audio, but I think now that I know what to expect from the writing style I won't have such difficulty.
Recommended for those that enjoy children fantasy stories with a dash of seriousness. (less)
I was ridiculously hooked to this book from the very first page. Great characters, exciting...moreInterested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
4/4.5 stars
I was ridiculously hooked to this book from the very first page. Great characters, exciting storyline, and more important an original storyline.
Storyline McKenzie is a hot commodity in the faerie war. She’s a shadow reader who is able to track faeries that fissure out. She’s been assisting the faerie King since she was 16; it’s now been 10 years. For those past 10 years McKenzie has also been pining over Kyol, the king’s swordsman, who is forbidden from being with a human. They share kisses and private moments but they’ve never gone further as Kyol’s loyalty to the King keeps him from doing so. McKenzie herself has been loyal to the King for the last 10 years and when she is abducted by the faerie rebels and discovers pertinent information that’s been kept from her for all these years her loyalties begin to divide.
Single Issue The emotional bonding with a captor or an abuser known as Stockholm syndrome was referred to in this story after McKenzie began having feelings for Aren. I felt that the fact that she could have had Stockholm syndrome would have been better left implied rather than stated so bluntly. Also, do victims even realize they have Stockholm syndrome? McKenzie kept referring to it almost like it’s a third person.
’Damn this Stockholm syndrome. There’s got to be some cure for it.’
Other than that, I really didn’t have any problems with this story.
Thoughts I’m sure we all know by now how much I despise love triangles and I know I’m not the only one that feels this way. This one wasn’t the worst by far; I believe it was one of the most well-handled love triangles I’ve read to date.
I loved the originality of the story. I feared that this would end up being a variation of the Iron Fey series, just with adult alterations. I ended up being quite wrong in that assumption, quite wrong and pleasantly surprised. I also loved how it wasn’t your typical badass heroine stories where she’s unbelievably powerful, super-hot, and can kick everyone’s ass. This was not the case. McKenzie may have had a super awesome power that came in handy and made her super important to a large number of people, but she was still vulnerable and real. At first I was kind of irritated at the fact that she seemed to be a major weenie, but it made the story and McKenzie more realistic in my opinion.
I look forward to the next book in the series coming out. The author already released the name of the next book in the series… ‘The Shattered Dark’. Sounds fabulous! I can’t wait! :D(less)
Wow. Incredible. And highly recommended. I cannot believe I went so long without enjoying this series! Once I started, I could not stop. I read all 5...moreWow. Incredible. And highly recommended. I cannot believe I went so long without enjoying this series! Once I started, I could not stop. I read all 5 books in a week.
Considering that this was a pretty long series and that so many questions were raised in all five books I was extremely pleased to have not only had all of them answered (except for one), but answered in a way that wasn't corny or predictable. That was one major thing; this series was anything but predictable. As soon as you had an idea of what the hell was going on you got thrown for a loop and were given a completely different answer to the mountain of questions. Reading all of them at once was a bit overwhelming at times because of the mystery to everything going on; got a little hard to keep up sometimes. I loved that it wasn't foreseeable or expected... I loved that I thought I had it all figured out but wasn't even close. I absolutely loved it.
(view spoiler)[The one small unanswered question or.. situation that I would've liked seen resolved: Dani. We find out Alina's killer and 'What?! It was WHO?!' Completely out of left field. Then we find out (and feel completely guilty for immediately hating Dani) that she was forced to do it by Rowena. We don't know what happened to her, they never duked it out, nothing. Considering she was such a huge part of the story I didn't feel she got the ending she deserved. But then again, maybe it's not the ending. :) (hide spoiler)]
Now that I've finished the series, I really want to go back and be able to read them again to be able to understand what's going on when it's actually happening. :) Definitely taking up permanent residence on my favorite books of all time.
I really feel like I’m missing something with this series. I started reading it based solely off the declarations of love and whatnot and I’ve since b...moreI really feel like I’m missing something with this series. I started reading it based solely off the declarations of love and whatnot and I’ve since become sorely disappointed.
The Storyline In The Iron Daughter, Meghan has become the prisoner of Queen Mab the Winter Faery Queen. After Meghan witnesses the death of Queen Mab’s son by the hands of the Iron Fey she once again gets entangled in that drama. Meghan and a few friends set off in search of the Iron Fey where all kinds of predictable fun is in store for them.
The ‘Romance’ Is there some manual out there for aspiring YA writers? Is there a requirement listed that in order for a YA book to be successful there must be a love triangle? I don’t know who started it (My hunch? It’s all Twilight’s fault) but the idea that love triangles are fun, exciting, and makes a book all sorts of romantical is so so wrong. But I’m not picking sides! I’m going to go a complete different route.
Team Grimalkin! One bad ass kitty cat. Even though he is kind of a shit. (
Bottom Line I feel so entwined in this series that I feel I must continue, but I can’t promise I won’t complain the entire time. Meghan’s character is the WHINIEST person I have ever had the unfortunate opportunity to read about. I understand she’s like 17 or something but COME ON. Between the constant whining and crying about Ash, and the whining and crying about Puck, and not having powers, and wanting to go back to high school, wanting to go home, some more whining about Ash… it really got old. I feel no connection with this main character and honestly? Somebody really needs to slap some sense into that girl. The ending was somewhat redeemable though… what with Meghan turning into kind-of a badass. I did say kind-of. I can only hope for more in the next book. (less)
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