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Iron Codex #2
The Nightmare Garden
Everything Aoife thought she knew about the world was a lie. Her brother isn't at Ravenhouse. Her best friend isn't who she thought he was. And there's no such thing as the Necrovirus. Her mother didn't go mad from a dormant strain, she's simply allergic to iron. As is Aoife. Because Aoife is no ordinary girl. Like her brother, Conrad, she is half human and half Fae, from the land of Thorn.
And now she's a fugitive, and beginning to realize that the destruction of the Lovecraft Engine was only the start of a cataclysm.
Her world is falling apart when the dreams begin. Dreams of a mysterious figure telling her to go north, to the frozen wastelands of the Arctic Circle; and find the Brotherhood of Iron. The Brotherhood holds the secret that can put the world right again: a device known as the Nightmare Clock, which can be reached only in dreams.
But can it actually fix what Aoife has destroyed? Or is someone using her to remake the world according to their own sinister visions?
The only way for Aoife to find out is to embark on a journey that would surely be the end of any average girl - and to complete it before the land she calls home poisons her mind just as it did her mother's.
And now she's a fugitive, and beginning to realize that the destruction of the Lovecraft Engine was only the start of a cataclysm.
Her world is falling apart when the dreams begin. Dreams of a mysterious figure telling her to go north, to the frozen wastelands of the Arctic Circle; and find the Brotherhood of Iron. The Brotherhood holds the secret that can put the world right again: a device known as the Nightmare Clock, which can be reached only in dreams.
But can it actually fix what Aoife has destroyed? Or is someone using her to remake the world according to their own sinister visions?
The only way for Aoife to find out is to embark on a journey that would surely be the end of any average girl - and to complete it before the land she calls home poisons her mind just as it did her mother's.
417 pages, Hardcover
First published February 14, 2012
45 people are currently reading
3296 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Kittredge
171 books1,118 followersCaitlin started writing novels at age 13. Her first was a Star Wars tie-in. Fortunately, she branched out from there and after a few years trying to be a screenwriter, a comic book writer and the author of copious amounts of fanfiction, she tried to write a novel again. Her epic dark fantasy (thankfully) never saw the light of day but while she was struggling with elves and sorcerers she got the idea of writing a story about a werewolf who fought crime.
Two years and many, many drafts later, she pitched Night Life to a bevy of agents and one of them, Rachel Vater, sold the series to St. Martin’s.
Caitlin collects comic books, print books, vintage clothes, and bad habits. She loves tea, loud music, the color black (especially mixed with the color pink) and ghost stories. She can drive a stick shift, play the violin and knows more English curses than American ones.
Caitlin lives in Olympia, WA with two pushy cats.
http://us.macmillan.com/bonegods/Cait...
Two years and many, many drafts later, she pitched Night Life to a bevy of agents and one of them, Rachel Vater, sold the series to St. Martin’s.
Caitlin collects comic books, print books, vintage clothes, and bad habits. She loves tea, loud music, the color black (especially mixed with the color pink) and ghost stories. She can drive a stick shift, play the violin and knows more English curses than American ones.
Caitlin lives in Olympia, WA with two pushy cats.
http://us.macmillan.com/bonegods/Cait...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
June 20, 2017
1.5 stars. I so desperately want to like this book, I want so desperately for the story to improve, but what I get from Caitlin Kittredge is a big fat 'Screw You!' and a middle finger.
How sad, how frustrating.
Oh, I'm always willing to give any Lovecraftian novels/movies/anime/manga the benefit of doubt, I'm more than willing to be patient with any Lovecraft-related material, but sometime, enough is enough.
Note: I read the Chinese translation of this book, so I don't know how good/how bad the original writing is, things can get lost in translation and I would be none the wiser.
The Good:
(1) the Lovecraftian references: but there are fewer and fewer of them in the narration of the story.
(2) the idea that a girl with super awesome power for destruction, and she uses it for her own reason, and (for most parts) not feeling guilty about it.
(3) the adventure: not among the best, but it's agreeable.
The Bad:
(1) The romance: glad to know the love triangle is now broken off, but the main couple..........they are just...........meh at best, annoying and shallow at worst.
(2) The poorly written characters: the only emotion they can show seems to be anger, said emotion being expressed through yelling at each other, being impatient to one and other, characters losing their temper at the drop of a hat, etc.
(3) The poorly written heroine:
(i) Throughout two books, mysterious figures show up here and there and tell her to do this thing and that thing, and she just listens to what those mysterious figures/creatures says and does what they want her to do anyway?
(ii) Did I mention the heroine has awesome destructive power and she uses it? So did I also mention she used it with all the wrong and poorly constructed reasons?
(4) Lovecraftian monsters and evil deities and the myths of fae don't really merge together well.
I am getting sick of all these faes in the story, I want more Lovecraftian monsters and evil deities, who won't bother reason with humans or play games but only drop right in TO DESTROY YOUR SOULS AND SANITY AND THE WORLD.
(5) The few new characters: I don't care for any of them.
I could have gone on, but I've decided this book doesn't worth my effort.
Will I read the third book? Sadly, yes. Just to see how the ending will turn out.
My review for the 1st book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In the very end....anyone...?
How sad, how frustrating.
Oh, I'm always willing to give any Lovecraftian novels/movies/anime/manga the benefit of doubt, I'm more than willing to be patient with any Lovecraft-related material, but sometime, enough is enough.
Note: I read the Chinese translation of this book, so I don't know how good/how bad the original writing is, things can get lost in translation and I would be none the wiser.
The Good:
(1) the Lovecraftian references: but there are fewer and fewer of them in the narration of the story.
(2) the idea that a girl with super awesome power for destruction, and she uses it for her own reason, and (for most parts) not feeling guilty about it.
(3) the adventure: not among the best, but it's agreeable.
The Bad:
(1) The romance: glad to know the love triangle is now broken off, but the main couple..........they are just...........meh at best, annoying and shallow at worst.
(2) The poorly written characters: the only emotion they can show seems to be anger, said emotion being expressed through yelling at each other, being impatient to one and other, characters losing their temper at the drop of a hat, etc.
(3) The poorly written heroine:
(i) Throughout two books, mysterious figures show up here and there and tell her to do this thing and that thing, and she just listens to what those mysterious figures/creatures says and does what they want her to do anyway?
(ii) Did I mention the heroine has awesome destructive power and she uses it? So did I also mention she used it with all the wrong and poorly constructed reasons?
(4) Lovecraftian monsters and evil deities and the myths of fae don't really merge together well.
I am getting sick of all these faes in the story, I want more Lovecraftian monsters and evil deities, who won't bother reason with humans or play games but only drop right in TO DESTROY YOUR SOULS AND SANITY AND THE WORLD.
(5) The few new characters: I don't care for any of them.
I could have gone on, but I've decided this book doesn't worth my effort.
Will I read the third book? Sadly, yes. Just to see how the ending will turn out.
My review for the 1st book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In the very end....anyone...?
April 3, 2012
Totally awesome!
Though, it wasn't as good as the first.
Just sayin'.
Before I start this review, I just wanted to clear something first. As excited as I was to finally read this book (I totally loved The Iron Thorn), I sort of had a hard time reading it. But that wasn't the books fault - not entirely. Mostly it was because I've been in a reading slump for the past week. I don't know why. Guess it could be because of all the school work, or I maybe it was because I was having a crappy week. So it really effected how I read this book, and the experience wasn't too pleasant. This book, like the first one, is heavy in the details, so it might not be a great idea to read it while you're stressed. But I'm going to try to review this book without all the crappy feelings I went through in the past week.
Ok, enough of me and my weird problems.
The Good
- I kind of liked how we were never sure who the "bad guys" really are. Not every situation is black and white. Each group of people had their own reason for wanting the Gates to be opened or closed. This would make me really confused in other books, but here, it just made sense. With that much power, there would be many people who want to manipulate it.
- Loved the adventure! It was so much fun following Aoife into these other worlds - The Mists, Innsmouth, and The Bone Sepulcher. One of my favourite parts had to be in The Mists, it was just so creepy!
- The ending was so kick ass! Best part of the whole book. Oh man, it was SO shocking.
The Bad
- The plot was a little...disoriented. I mean, at first I wasn't even sure where the story was going. I thought it would be clearer later on, but it was even more confusing. It wasn't until the last part when there was finally some clue. Also, the way Aoife kept getting captured and escaping got boring after a while.
- The romance had basically NO development. Which sucked because Aoife and Dean have so much chemistry to gether.
The In-Betweens
- Not a lot of development of the secondary characters, though I could see why, since the story was more about Aoife.
The Characters
- Aoife's dark side comes out! And was she ever scary. I notice this happens a lot to the main female characters in YA Paranormal novels, how around the second book they become and mad and scary. Anyways, Aoife did some really dumb things (and boy, does she know it), yet I loved her determination to ten what she made wrong into a right. That takes guts. Especially of you're dealing with the Fae folk.
- Dean was Dean. Awesome as always. Always by Aoife's side...even when she's bitchy.
- Yay for Conrad! I was really looking forward to getting to know him in this book. And yeah, he was a jerk. And he didn't hide it. But I liked him. His and Dean's arguments were hiiiilarious!
- Aaaaaand then there were the "bad guys". Tremaine = cleverly creepy. Grey Draven = EVIL...and kind of crazy.
- I wish Cal and Bethina had bigger roles, but oh well. Their relationship also needs to develop soon!
Reccommended?
I wouldn't say this series is for everyone (heck, I didn't even think that I would like it) but if you were able to get through the first book, then you'll like The Nightmare Garden.
And now, with an ending like that, I desperately need the third book. GAH.
Though, it wasn't as good as the first.
Just sayin'.
Before I start this review, I just wanted to clear something first. As excited as I was to finally read this book (I totally loved The Iron Thorn), I sort of had a hard time reading it. But that wasn't the books fault - not entirely. Mostly it was because I've been in a reading slump for the past week. I don't know why. Guess it could be because of all the school work, or I maybe it was because I was having a crappy week. So it really effected how I read this book, and the experience wasn't too pleasant. This book, like the first one, is heavy in the details, so it might not be a great idea to read it while you're stressed. But I'm going to try to review this book without all the crappy feelings I went through in the past week.
Ok, enough of me and my weird problems.
The Good
- I kind of liked how we were never sure who the "bad guys" really are. Not every situation is black and white. Each group of people had their own reason for wanting the Gates to be opened or closed. This would make me really confused in other books, but here, it just made sense. With that much power, there would be many people who want to manipulate it.
- Loved the adventure! It was so much fun following Aoife into these other worlds - The Mists, Innsmouth, and The Bone Sepulcher. One of my favourite parts had to be in The Mists, it was just so creepy!
- The ending was so kick ass! Best part of the whole book. Oh man, it was SO shocking.
The Bad
- The plot was a little...disoriented. I mean, at first I wasn't even sure where the story was going. I thought it would be clearer later on, but it was even more confusing. It wasn't until the last part when there was finally some clue. Also, the way Aoife kept getting captured and escaping got boring after a while.
- The romance had basically NO development. Which sucked because Aoife and Dean have so much chemistry to gether.
The In-Betweens
- Not a lot of development of the secondary characters, though I could see why, since the story was more about Aoife.
The Characters
- Aoife's dark side comes out! And was she ever scary. I notice this happens a lot to the main female characters in YA Paranormal novels, how around the second book they become and mad and scary. Anyways, Aoife did some really dumb things (and boy, does she know it), yet I loved her determination to ten what she made wrong into a right. That takes guts. Especially of you're dealing with the Fae folk.
- Dean was Dean. Awesome as always. Always by Aoife's side...even when she's bitchy.
- Yay for Conrad! I was really looking forward to getting to know him in this book. And yeah, he was a jerk. And he didn't hide it. But I liked him. His and Dean's arguments were hiiiilarious!
- Aaaaaand then there were the "bad guys". Tremaine = cleverly creepy. Grey Draven = EVIL...and kind of crazy.
- I wish Cal and Bethina had bigger roles, but oh well. Their relationship also needs to develop soon!
Reccommended?
I wouldn't say this series is for everyone (heck, I didn't even think that I would like it) but if you were able to get through the first book, then you'll like The Nightmare Garden.
And now, with an ending like that, I desperately need the third book. GAH.
January 30, 2012
This is the second book in the Iron Codex series by Kittredge. This third book is supposed to be titled, The Mirrored Shard, and from what I could find is scheduled for a late 2012/early 2013 release. I absolutely loved the first book and couldn't wait to read the second. In this book we venture into the Mists and get to meet the secret Brotherhood that Aoife's father was part of. I love the world and the characters created in this series; although I was a little disappointed that Aoife kept making the same mistakes over and over again.
Aoife has destroyed the Great Engine, unintentionally loosing the monsters of the Thorn (faerie lands) into the Iron lands (our world). She is forced to flee into the Mists with her brother, Cal, Dean, and Bethina. Eventually Aoife meets up with her father back in the Iron land. She finally decides that rather than slowly go insane in the Iron land waiting for her father to do something, she is going to take matters into her own hands and try to find the Nightmare Clock. With the Nightmare Clock she should be able to turn back time and mend the world.
I know a lot of people are upset that Aoife makes the same huge mistakes in the second book that she does in the first. In a way though I kind of liked this, it made the story ironic and makes Aoife a perfect tragic heroine of sorts. I love Aoife's blend of toughness, rashness, tenderness, and vulnerability. This blend makes her a very realistic character. The fact that she makes her decisions out of a well-intentioned need to protect those she loves makes the whole story all that more gothic and tragic.
I continue to absolutely love this world. In this book we get to venture deeper into the Mists and deeper into the land of Thorn. We also join the characters on a trip to the Brotherhood's icy and distant headquarters. The worlds are beautifully described and absolutely came alive for me. I was sucked into these worlds and really want to read more about them.
I enjoyed most of the characters as well. There are no simple characters in this story; they all have tragic backgrounds and complicated motives. Dean is another favorite of mine; he continues to be supportive and respective of Aoife in a way that makes me just love him. Cal also continues to be a wonderful addition to the story.
I will say that the story starts to a get a little ambiguous at parts. Especially as Aoife begins to teeter on the edge of insanity again, sometimes it is hard to tell her dreams from her real actions. Some readers may not enjoy this, but I thought it was cleverly done and gives the reader an excellent feel for what Aoife is going through.
The end of the book is heart-rending and ends on a super horrible cliffhanger. It had me dying to know what happens in the final book, The Mirrored Shard.
Overall I absolutely adored this book. I love the dark and gothic steampunk world that the story takes place in. I love Aoife's realistic personality and how she is a tragically flawed heroine. I love the supporting characters. I love the strange and unpredictable shifts in the plot and I love the new worlds we get to explore in this book. I highly recommend this book to steampunk and fantasy fans of all ages.
Aoife has destroyed the Great Engine, unintentionally loosing the monsters of the Thorn (faerie lands) into the Iron lands (our world). She is forced to flee into the Mists with her brother, Cal, Dean, and Bethina. Eventually Aoife meets up with her father back in the Iron land. She finally decides that rather than slowly go insane in the Iron land waiting for her father to do something, she is going to take matters into her own hands and try to find the Nightmare Clock. With the Nightmare Clock she should be able to turn back time and mend the world.
I know a lot of people are upset that Aoife makes the same huge mistakes in the second book that she does in the first. In a way though I kind of liked this, it made the story ironic and makes Aoife a perfect tragic heroine of sorts. I love Aoife's blend of toughness, rashness, tenderness, and vulnerability. This blend makes her a very realistic character. The fact that she makes her decisions out of a well-intentioned need to protect those she loves makes the whole story all that more gothic and tragic.
I continue to absolutely love this world. In this book we get to venture deeper into the Mists and deeper into the land of Thorn. We also join the characters on a trip to the Brotherhood's icy and distant headquarters. The worlds are beautifully described and absolutely came alive for me. I was sucked into these worlds and really want to read more about them.
I enjoyed most of the characters as well. There are no simple characters in this story; they all have tragic backgrounds and complicated motives. Dean is another favorite of mine; he continues to be supportive and respective of Aoife in a way that makes me just love him. Cal also continues to be a wonderful addition to the story.
I will say that the story starts to a get a little ambiguous at parts. Especially as Aoife begins to teeter on the edge of insanity again, sometimes it is hard to tell her dreams from her real actions. Some readers may not enjoy this, but I thought it was cleverly done and gives the reader an excellent feel for what Aoife is going through.
The end of the book is heart-rending and ends on a super horrible cliffhanger. It had me dying to know what happens in the final book, The Mirrored Shard.
Overall I absolutely adored this book. I love the dark and gothic steampunk world that the story takes place in. I love Aoife's realistic personality and how she is a tragically flawed heroine. I love the supporting characters. I love the strange and unpredictable shifts in the plot and I love the new worlds we get to explore in this book. I highly recommend this book to steampunk and fantasy fans of all ages.
December 10, 2012
I have a mad girl-crush on Aoife. For serious.
August 25, 2017
2.5 stars.
I dunno what happened within a year, but I just wasn't feeling this book. I got so bored, that by the end I could barely tell you what had happened in the book. The main character just really vexed me. And I have no idea what she accomplished in this book. I went about fifty percent of the way, not sure of where the book was going. And by the end she hadn't even accomplished anything, she just managed to make things worse. So on the whole plot facet of this book, I just couldn't like it.
As for the writing, I did quite understand why it was written the way it was. To me the setting felt like it was at least fifty years before now, but the writing sure didn't show it. Other than the say, "stone and sun", there was barely an indication of the way they spoke. Rather it seemed like they were speaking as if they were from the 21st century, given the slang they were using.
As for the characters, the main character irritated me to no end. I just couldn't buy what she was selling. Just, arghhhh.
I dunno what happened within a year, but I just wasn't feeling this book. I got so bored, that by the end I could barely tell you what had happened in the book. The main character just really vexed me. And I have no idea what she accomplished in this book. I went about fifty percent of the way, not sure of where the book was going. And by the end she hadn't even accomplished anything, she just managed to make things worse. So on the whole plot facet of this book, I just couldn't like it.
As for the writing, I did quite understand why it was written the way it was. To me the setting felt like it was at least fifty years before now, but the writing sure didn't show it. Other than the say, "stone and sun", there was barely an indication of the way they spoke. Rather it seemed like they were speaking as if they were from the 21st century, given the slang they were using.
As for the characters, the main character irritated me to no end. I just couldn't buy what she was selling. Just, arghhhh.
April 12, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: An improvement on the first installment, creepy and fast paced, but our heroine is still whiney and I’m still not impressed with anything but the world-building.
Opening Sentence: In my dream, I am alone.
The Review:
If you read the synopsis, you’ve already spoiled yourself for The Iron Codex, but reading this review will make it worse! If you haven’t read book one, you don’t need to read this review yet. SPOILERS AHEAD.
This sequel picks up where The Iron Thorn left off, with Conrad swooping in with the People of the Mist to rescue our Fantastic Four — Cal, Aoife, Dean, and Bethina, from the Winter Folk. Except, no one with Fae blood is welcome with the Mist people and Aoife’s new-found blood ties to the Land of Thorn mean they have to run. A fugitive in the Mists—which lie between the Land of Thorn and the Iron Land, Aoife wants to return home, save her mother, and fix basically everything she did in The Iron Thorn. Destroying the Lovecraft Machine has ruined everything, destroyed everything Aoife cared about. But Grey Draven, who wants Aoife’s father Archibald Grayson the way Voldemort wanted Harry, and Tremaine are still hunting them. To set everything right, Aoife needs to find the Nightmare Clock, which has plagued her dreams and lead her to the Artic Circle.
Hands down, my favorite thing about Kittredge’s series is the world-building. We have the Protectors, the Brotherhood, The Crimson Guard, the Crimson Guard — someone want to explain to me how Germans always end up on the wrong side of literary wars? The Kindly Folk, the Erlkin — and so on and so forth. I thought The Iron Codex was intense, but clearly Kittredge has been saving some great backstory. It’s creepy and beautiful and everything fantastical comes out sounding organic. Everything feels real. We get to ride on a submarine in this novel! It’s got much better pacing than book one.
There are, however, things I hated. Like Archibald Grayson’s reason for abandoning his children and wife. Like Aiofe’s whining and general lack of concern for the consequences. Her brother’s a total jerk — though I think that’s just a character aspect, he and Dean have some hysterical arguments. Dean stood by Aoife even when she made really stupid decisions — and I do mean “stood by.” Their relationship took a hiatus in this novel, as its focus is mostly on Aoife. Still, majorly disappointing for all us shippers who wanted some steamy scenes! Bethina’s character didn’t develop at all, despite the lovely romance we have blooming between her and Cal.
But the worst was the plot. While The Mightmare Garden skips over Middle Book Syndrome, I was thrown by where the story headed. Capture, escape, capture, escape — I need more than that from a plotline. It wasn’t until the very end it came together and made sense to me — while I could guess what the ending would be, I had nothing to base that on but past novels I’ve read. It’s a cliffhanger that totally got me excited for book three!
Hopefully, the final novel in the Iron Codex Trilogy will have some maturity development for Aoife, who’s now annoyed me in both novels. Kittredge’s writing style is very heavy on the details — in a lot of places it felt over-edited and over-done. I love the creeptastic Mist scenes and how dark the fantasy/steampunk aspects are, but for the most part I found myself skimming over the exposition and description infodumps.
If you got through The Iron Thorn, you’ll probably like this sequel even more, but it’s not a series I go out of my way to recommend.
Notable Scene:
“You have a choice, Erlkin,” Draven’s voice purred. “It’s an easy one. Give me Aoife Grayson or I blow that floating scrap heap out of the sky.”
I backed toward the door, desperate to get away from Draven’s voice and the view of his great dark shadow of an airship. If I couldn’t see or hear him, I could pretend this wasn’t happening. Shard wasn’t paying attention to me now. She was screaming orders, and her crew was scrambling to obey.
“I guess you’ve made your choice,” Draven said. “Too bad.” With that, tracers of orange fire streaked across the distance between the zeppelin and Windhaven. One shell shot through the glass of the pilothouse and embedded itself in the far wall. Wind screamed through the opening, and cracks like spiderwebs spread from the hole. Windhaven appeared to be well armored, but Draven’s gunners had been lucky, and the glass fell away in jagged slices as the negative pressure fought with the bullet holes.
“Return fire!” Shard bellowed. “Don’t let them get another shot like that!”
I bumped into the hatch and reached behind me to spin the wheel. My heart was hammering in time with the rounds from the Gatling guns on Draven’s airship.
FTC Advisory: Delacorte Books for Young Readers/Random House provided me with a copy of The Nightmare Garden. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: An improvement on the first installment, creepy and fast paced, but our heroine is still whiney and I’m still not impressed with anything but the world-building.
Opening Sentence: In my dream, I am alone.
The Review:
If you read the synopsis, you’ve already spoiled yourself for The Iron Codex, but reading this review will make it worse! If you haven’t read book one, you don’t need to read this review yet. SPOILERS AHEAD.
This sequel picks up where The Iron Thorn left off, with Conrad swooping in with the People of the Mist to rescue our Fantastic Four — Cal, Aoife, Dean, and Bethina, from the Winter Folk. Except, no one with Fae blood is welcome with the Mist people and Aoife’s new-found blood ties to the Land of Thorn mean they have to run. A fugitive in the Mists—which lie between the Land of Thorn and the Iron Land, Aoife wants to return home, save her mother, and fix basically everything she did in The Iron Thorn. Destroying the Lovecraft Machine has ruined everything, destroyed everything Aoife cared about. But Grey Draven, who wants Aoife’s father Archibald Grayson the way Voldemort wanted Harry, and Tremaine are still hunting them. To set everything right, Aoife needs to find the Nightmare Clock, which has plagued her dreams and lead her to the Artic Circle.
Hands down, my favorite thing about Kittredge’s series is the world-building. We have the Protectors, the Brotherhood, The Crimson Guard, the Crimson Guard — someone want to explain to me how Germans always end up on the wrong side of literary wars? The Kindly Folk, the Erlkin — and so on and so forth. I thought The Iron Codex was intense, but clearly Kittredge has been saving some great backstory. It’s creepy and beautiful and everything fantastical comes out sounding organic. Everything feels real. We get to ride on a submarine in this novel! It’s got much better pacing than book one.
There are, however, things I hated. Like Archibald Grayson’s reason for abandoning his children and wife. Like Aiofe’s whining and general lack of concern for the consequences. Her brother’s a total jerk — though I think that’s just a character aspect, he and Dean have some hysterical arguments. Dean stood by Aoife even when she made really stupid decisions — and I do mean “stood by.” Their relationship took a hiatus in this novel, as its focus is mostly on Aoife. Still, majorly disappointing for all us shippers who wanted some steamy scenes! Bethina’s character didn’t develop at all, despite the lovely romance we have blooming between her and Cal.
But the worst was the plot. While The Mightmare Garden skips over Middle Book Syndrome, I was thrown by where the story headed. Capture, escape, capture, escape — I need more than that from a plotline. It wasn’t until the very end it came together and made sense to me — while I could guess what the ending would be, I had nothing to base that on but past novels I’ve read. It’s a cliffhanger that totally got me excited for book three!
Hopefully, the final novel in the Iron Codex Trilogy will have some maturity development for Aoife, who’s now annoyed me in both novels. Kittredge’s writing style is very heavy on the details — in a lot of places it felt over-edited and over-done. I love the creeptastic Mist scenes and how dark the fantasy/steampunk aspects are, but for the most part I found myself skimming over the exposition and description infodumps.
If you got through The Iron Thorn, you’ll probably like this sequel even more, but it’s not a series I go out of my way to recommend.
Notable Scene:
“You have a choice, Erlkin,” Draven’s voice purred. “It’s an easy one. Give me Aoife Grayson or I blow that floating scrap heap out of the sky.”
I backed toward the door, desperate to get away from Draven’s voice and the view of his great dark shadow of an airship. If I couldn’t see or hear him, I could pretend this wasn’t happening. Shard wasn’t paying attention to me now. She was screaming orders, and her crew was scrambling to obey.
“I guess you’ve made your choice,” Draven said. “Too bad.” With that, tracers of orange fire streaked across the distance between the zeppelin and Windhaven. One shell shot through the glass of the pilothouse and embedded itself in the far wall. Wind screamed through the opening, and cracks like spiderwebs spread from the hole. Windhaven appeared to be well armored, but Draven’s gunners had been lucky, and the glass fell away in jagged slices as the negative pressure fought with the bullet holes.
“Return fire!” Shard bellowed. “Don’t let them get another shot like that!”
I bumped into the hatch and reached behind me to spin the wheel. My heart was hammering in time with the rounds from the Gatling guns on Draven’s airship.
FTC Advisory: Delacorte Books for Young Readers/Random House provided me with a copy of The Nightmare Garden. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
July 8, 2015
I listened to the first book after my retina surgery. I’m really glad I did because I know how to correctly pronounce Aoife. :-) Anyway, that was a couple of years ago and I didn’t remember tons from the last book.
Kittredge does an excellent job of summing up the previous book. For a couple of chapters, we read Aoife’s journal which reminds us what has happened. Kittredge did such a good job that you could probably just skip the whole first book, not that I would recommend that.
Like the first book, there’s a strange mix of steampunk, magic, fae, and ghouls. I think this installment rambles less than the previous one. It has a more concise storyline. I appreciated that. However, I kept wishing for more character development. It seems like none of the characters have progressed since the last book.
Once again, I enjoyed the theme of the danger of extremes and the blurring of the lines between good and evil the most. 3.5 stars, but rounding up to a super solid 4.5 stars because of the last action scene! I need to get my hands on the last book now!
Kittredge does an excellent job of summing up the previous book. For a couple of chapters, we read Aoife’s journal which reminds us what has happened. Kittredge did such a good job that you could probably just skip the whole first book, not that I would recommend that.
Like the first book, there’s a strange mix of steampunk, magic, fae, and ghouls. I think this installment rambles less than the previous one. It has a more concise storyline. I appreciated that. However, I kept wishing for more character development. It seems like none of the characters have progressed since the last book.
Once again, I enjoyed the theme of the danger of extremes and the blurring of the lines between good and evil the most. 3.5 stars, but rounding up to a super solid 4.5 stars because of the last action scene! I need to get my hands on the last book now!
January 22, 2012
Fantastic, fantastic sequel to The Iron Thorn. If you like dark YA fantasy, definitely check out this series.
December 21, 2011
First Thoughts:
Now that I’ve taken a few moments to pull myself together I can finally write this review…there was a moment where I had to stop reading and grab a tissue, I seriously couldn’t believe I found myself crying for a fictional character, but there I was blubbering like an idiot crying over something as trivial as a book but I guess some books can do that to you and it’s such a new and interesting experience.
This book was so much different than “The Iron Thorn”, for one it definitely was more emotional, so much happened good and bad. There was literally so much going on in this book, there really wasn’t a slow moment and when there was it wasn’t what you and I would consider slow, it was more of okay let me just think for a moment about it and poof! You’re on to the next scene. I guess books like this one take an avid reader; I literally found myself re-reading scenes because I couldn’t take in all the information. The concept of the story is very complex in this book it took it to another level, I found myself brought to whole new concepts, it took me awhile to accept, I mean it almost contradicted all the ideas I had of things and forced me to see it a different way; I liked it! As for the characters themselves, I definitely saw transformations of them, especially Conrad, I didn’t think I’d see the day where he would become this whole new character and as for Dean he changed in a way that wasn’t noticeably different but there was some tweaking going on there. As for Aoife she did change, like I mean a lot and at times I did kind of find her annoying in the end I fell in love with her personality all over again. You have to be a strong person to go through all she does, and as always the characters were lively; a bit too realistic, kind of freaked me out. The feel of the book was darker than the first book if that’s even possible. As for the plot it was well played out, I thought the author did a great job at creating all the elements required to make a satisfying novel, and though there is going to be another book in the series she has a way with ending the book to where you’re satisfied for all that happened in that book; you’re definitely left with questions but at least they are ones that can wait to be answered. The writing style is just as beautiful as always, she has a way of describing ugly things and making them awesome to read. As for the description in the book it was definitely detailed, she didn’t leave a scene unpainted but though I found it at times a little overwhelming I ended up enjoying it in the end. This book will definitely leave you stunned by the end at least that’s how I found it to be by the last word.
Goodreads summary:
Everything Aoife thought she knew about the world was a lie. There is no Necrovirus. And Aoife isn't going to succumb to madness because of a latent strain—she will lose her faculties because she is allergic to iron. Aoife isn't human. She is a changeling—half human and half from the land of Thorn. And time is running out for her.
When Aoife destroyed the Lovecraft engine she released the monsters from the Thorn Lands into the Iron Lands and now she must find a way to seal the gates and reverse the destruction she's ravaged on the world that's about to poison her.
Last Thoughts:
I would recommend this to people who enjoyed the first one, you’ll definitely learn more about the characters themselves and ideas in this book and I’ll rest assure you that you’ll want to know the ending to this one. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy and dystopian type stories; it definitely deals a lot in those genres. I would also recommend this to anyone who is a lover of books that mess with your mind; it definitely digs deep into the subconscious. I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t like to read detailed writing and don’t enjoy having to actively read the entire book but it’s so worth it when you put forth the effort. And though I found the beginning lacking spark it did pick up later on. I’m still reeling from this book and as far as stories go I’d give it 4 stars, it did have potential to be 5 if only I could have grasped onto some of the ideas better…but I can’t wait for this story to continue, it’s definitely one I’ll keep an eye out for.
Now that I’ve taken a few moments to pull myself together I can finally write this review…there was a moment where I had to stop reading and grab a tissue, I seriously couldn’t believe I found myself crying for a fictional character, but there I was blubbering like an idiot crying over something as trivial as a book but I guess some books can do that to you and it’s such a new and interesting experience.
This book was so much different than “The Iron Thorn”, for one it definitely was more emotional, so much happened good and bad. There was literally so much going on in this book, there really wasn’t a slow moment and when there was it wasn’t what you and I would consider slow, it was more of okay let me just think for a moment about it and poof! You’re on to the next scene. I guess books like this one take an avid reader; I literally found myself re-reading scenes because I couldn’t take in all the information. The concept of the story is very complex in this book it took it to another level, I found myself brought to whole new concepts, it took me awhile to accept, I mean it almost contradicted all the ideas I had of things and forced me to see it a different way; I liked it! As for the characters themselves, I definitely saw transformations of them, especially Conrad, I didn’t think I’d see the day where he would become this whole new character and as for Dean he changed in a way that wasn’t noticeably different but there was some tweaking going on there. As for Aoife she did change, like I mean a lot and at times I did kind of find her annoying in the end I fell in love with her personality all over again. You have to be a strong person to go through all she does, and as always the characters were lively; a bit too realistic, kind of freaked me out. The feel of the book was darker than the first book if that’s even possible. As for the plot it was well played out, I thought the author did a great job at creating all the elements required to make a satisfying novel, and though there is going to be another book in the series she has a way with ending the book to where you’re satisfied for all that happened in that book; you’re definitely left with questions but at least they are ones that can wait to be answered. The writing style is just as beautiful as always, she has a way of describing ugly things and making them awesome to read. As for the description in the book it was definitely detailed, she didn’t leave a scene unpainted but though I found it at times a little overwhelming I ended up enjoying it in the end. This book will definitely leave you stunned by the end at least that’s how I found it to be by the last word.
Goodreads summary:
Everything Aoife thought she knew about the world was a lie. There is no Necrovirus. And Aoife isn't going to succumb to madness because of a latent strain—she will lose her faculties because she is allergic to iron. Aoife isn't human. She is a changeling—half human and half from the land of Thorn. And time is running out for her.
When Aoife destroyed the Lovecraft engine she released the monsters from the Thorn Lands into the Iron Lands and now she must find a way to seal the gates and reverse the destruction she's ravaged on the world that's about to poison her.
Last Thoughts:
I would recommend this to people who enjoyed the first one, you’ll definitely learn more about the characters themselves and ideas in this book and I’ll rest assure you that you’ll want to know the ending to this one. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy and dystopian type stories; it definitely deals a lot in those genres. I would also recommend this to anyone who is a lover of books that mess with your mind; it definitely digs deep into the subconscious. I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t like to read detailed writing and don’t enjoy having to actively read the entire book but it’s so worth it when you put forth the effort. And though I found the beginning lacking spark it did pick up later on. I’m still reeling from this book and as far as stories go I’d give it 4 stars, it did have potential to be 5 if only I could have grasped onto some of the ideas better…but I can’t wait for this story to continue, it’s definitely one I’ll keep an eye out for.
March 24, 2013
In the first book The Iron Thorn, Aoife destroyed the Lovecraft engine, setting war about all the lands. The gates that have always been closed, have been opened and creatures have set an all-out war amongst each other. Aoife is taken to the Mist lands to stay safe from the danger with her brother and friends, But soon finds that even they are not welcomed there. The more the portals are opened, the easier the Proctors can find them. Aoife cannot fall into the hands of the Proctors because it just may mean death for her, her friends and her family.
Aoife knows that she is the only one that can save their world. By setting all the things right, but everybody is advising Aoife that what is done is done, they must fight and make due with what has happened. When Aoife gets the opportunity to be with her father again, she is more unhappy than ever and has to be true to herself. The Proctors soon get to her, and use her for their own advantage, with threat of killing her boyfriend and keeping him jailed until she completes her tasks. But all Aoife can think about is finding her mother, and to see if the the rumors of the Clock are true. And to do that, she must betray her father, her family and head out on her own.
What we have come to know about Aoife in The Iron Thorn is challenged a bit in the beginning of The Nightmare Garden. The once strong, determined and very stubborn Aoife becomes more timid when confronted by her father. A man she has not seen since she was a child. Fighting with those emotions of being abandoned by him and his newly formed authority over her. But this doesn't last for long, Aoife could not get as far as she does in her travels, and battling both Fae and Proctor, and even Pirate without the tenacity that we have come to know and love in her.
Aoife has to experience a lot of sad and hardened times in this novel. It is heartbreak after heartbreak and each time she is having to force through another blockade she grows stronger and harder than ever. She is one of my absolute favorite heroines. A girl that doesn't know what it's like to have it easy. Her whole life knowing that she is going to become crazy or contract her "weird" as they refer to it in this book. But unlike the stories of the weird she has heard about. She overcomes and learns to wield it, magically. She becomes stronger and pushes harder.
There is a lot of traveling in this series. But each new land brings a whole new dark, mystical adventure. The descriptions of the mists/ether/ open starry skied lands. Each setting completely mind blowing and visually engrossing. A highly flawed main character that has to deal with her weird, and staying away from the poisonous iron must overcome so much and travels so far. To complete so much, yet to still have so much to learn. I loved every minute. It's going to get you thinking, especially that ending. What kind of repercussions the actions of one world can have on all the others, completely mind blowing. I cannot wait to read the next installment.
Aoife knows that she is the only one that can save their world. By setting all the things right, but everybody is advising Aoife that what is done is done, they must fight and make due with what has happened. When Aoife gets the opportunity to be with her father again, she is more unhappy than ever and has to be true to herself. The Proctors soon get to her, and use her for their own advantage, with threat of killing her boyfriend and keeping him jailed until she completes her tasks. But all Aoife can think about is finding her mother, and to see if the the rumors of the Clock are true. And to do that, she must betray her father, her family and head out on her own.
What we have come to know about Aoife in The Iron Thorn is challenged a bit in the beginning of The Nightmare Garden. The once strong, determined and very stubborn Aoife becomes more timid when confronted by her father. A man she has not seen since she was a child. Fighting with those emotions of being abandoned by him and his newly formed authority over her. But this doesn't last for long, Aoife could not get as far as she does in her travels, and battling both Fae and Proctor, and even Pirate without the tenacity that we have come to know and love in her.
Aoife has to experience a lot of sad and hardened times in this novel. It is heartbreak after heartbreak and each time she is having to force through another blockade she grows stronger and harder than ever. She is one of my absolute favorite heroines. A girl that doesn't know what it's like to have it easy. Her whole life knowing that she is going to become crazy or contract her "weird" as they refer to it in this book. But unlike the stories of the weird she has heard about. She overcomes and learns to wield it, magically. She becomes stronger and pushes harder.
There is a lot of traveling in this series. But each new land brings a whole new dark, mystical adventure. The descriptions of the mists/ether/ open starry skied lands. Each setting completely mind blowing and visually engrossing. A highly flawed main character that has to deal with her weird, and staying away from the poisonous iron must overcome so much and travels so far. To complete so much, yet to still have so much to learn. I loved every minute. It's going to get you thinking, especially that ending. What kind of repercussions the actions of one world can have on all the others, completely mind blowing. I cannot wait to read the next installment.
February 17, 2012
The Nightmare Garden is the second book in the Iron Codex series. I've been eagerly awaiting it ever since I read the first book last year. In this series we follow Aoife and her ragtag group of companions on a quest for answers and ultimately redemption. All Aoife wants is to fix the things that she has broken. To find a way to be normal again. Unfortunately for her that doesn't seem to be in the cards. Everything that comes her way is dark, and adventurous.
One thing I completely loved about this second book is how much more of Kitteredge's world we get to see. In The Iron Thorn Aoife shows us Lovecraft and a glimpse at some of the surrounding area. In this book we are treated an in depth view of The Mists. A drab, cold and in between place that is hauntingly beautiful. On top of that, Aoife treks across all manner of new and interesting areas. From a high flying city in the sky, to a quiet shanty town, it was a delight to watch Kitteredge effortlessly craft more of the world I wanted to be lost in.
Making it even easier to get lost in this book, is the fact that all the familiar characters are back. Aoife and her brother interact a lot more here, and I loved the way that they were so different. Dean is back and sweet as ever. I was so excited to find out more about him this time around! My one gripe was Cal. Poor, sweet Cal. In the first story he was such a standby for Aoife, such a best friend. In this one he doesn't really make much of an impact and is kind of just there to be counted among the group. It bugged me that he changed so drastically and Aoife just seemed to push him to the side.
The other thing that nagged at me was the pacing in the book. I understood that it was a slow buildup to what was coming at the end, but it felt bogged down at times. Although I deeply love these characters, the first few chapters were a slight chore for me to get through. I am happy to say though that, once things were off and running, I was in for the long haul! Despite the length of this book, it seemed to fly by once I was fully immersed. If you are a reader who is easily daunted by slow first chapters please keep reading! The Nightmare Garden picks up pace and you'll be breathless by the end.
Speaking of the end, cliffhangers. I am thourougly hooked and baited, waiting for the next installment. Although this isn't my favorite in the series, I'll be honest and say it is still fantastic! The Nightmare Garden sets up some questions that I really want to see answered in the last book. If you enjoyed getting lost in Lovecraft the first time, I can guarantee you'll find even more to love this second time around.
One thing I completely loved about this second book is how much more of Kitteredge's world we get to see. In The Iron Thorn Aoife shows us Lovecraft and a glimpse at some of the surrounding area. In this book we are treated an in depth view of The Mists. A drab, cold and in between place that is hauntingly beautiful. On top of that, Aoife treks across all manner of new and interesting areas. From a high flying city in the sky, to a quiet shanty town, it was a delight to watch Kitteredge effortlessly craft more of the world I wanted to be lost in.
Making it even easier to get lost in this book, is the fact that all the familiar characters are back. Aoife and her brother interact a lot more here, and I loved the way that they were so different. Dean is back and sweet as ever. I was so excited to find out more about him this time around! My one gripe was Cal. Poor, sweet Cal. In the first story he was such a standby for Aoife, such a best friend. In this one he doesn't really make much of an impact and is kind of just there to be counted among the group. It bugged me that he changed so drastically and Aoife just seemed to push him to the side.
The other thing that nagged at me was the pacing in the book. I understood that it was a slow buildup to what was coming at the end, but it felt bogged down at times. Although I deeply love these characters, the first few chapters were a slight chore for me to get through. I am happy to say though that, once things were off and running, I was in for the long haul! Despite the length of this book, it seemed to fly by once I was fully immersed. If you are a reader who is easily daunted by slow first chapters please keep reading! The Nightmare Garden picks up pace and you'll be breathless by the end.
Speaking of the end, cliffhangers. I am thourougly hooked and baited, waiting for the next installment. Although this isn't my favorite in the series, I'll be honest and say it is still fantastic! The Nightmare Garden sets up some questions that I really want to see answered in the last book. If you enjoyed getting lost in Lovecraft the first time, I can guarantee you'll find even more to love this second time around.
March 4, 2012
I received this book to review from Netgalley. I have not read the first installment, but as it happened, it wasn't really necessary. "The Nightmare Garden" was written in such a way, that a new reader, who has no idea what she's got in her hands - what world she's entering - would have no problem to follow the story. I sure did, you would too if you like a mix of steampunk, paranormal, dystopian kind of thing that has a tinny tiny flavor of romance underneath all the drama.
Well, unfortunately, for the time from 33% to 80% the story got so boring, I was a second away from putting it down and just dismissing it. I was totally ready to do it, but decided against it out of respect for the author who put so much time and effort into writing this story. Instead, what I did was skip around and read just the dialogues and some of the descriptions. It's unbelievable how good it felt to read it this way. No tedious explanations that repeated themselves, no descriptions that went beyond the necessary... And then at 80% the action, tension and drama picked up, and with them so did my interest. It's why I gave it the 3 star rating.
I was annoyed by the repetitive explaining of the main character, Aoife, how terrible she felt for leaving her mother in Lovecraft. That happened at least once every couple of pages, and after the first several times, I got tired of it. Then Aoife was saying how much regret she felt for ever trusting the Fae Tremaine, but she did it again and oh, how terrible she felt!!!
Also, there was so much telling, that the showing kind of got lost somewhere in between the lines. So, me skipping around was kind of helpful. And with reading so little of the overbearing descriptions, I was still well aware of what and where was going on. So why make a novel so unbearably heavy with needless narrative?
I don't think I liked Aoife. She felt superficial and lost in herself for the better part of the book. She didn't really care what anyone else around her felt like or thought. The only important thing to her was... well... herself. Her feelings, her inner turmoils... It was too much.
And Dean, her Erlkin boyfriend, never got angry at her even though she had to be yelled at at least half the time. It was unnatural, like he was a toy and he had to be played.
Conrad, her brother was more with his wits than Aoife wanted to portray. He saw things in their real image, he saw what was right and did it. I can say that I liked that guy.
I don't think I will recommend this book to my friends, seeing that it was too long for its own good. One must really be into extensive descriptions to like The Nightmare Garden.
Well, unfortunately, for the time from 33% to 80% the story got so boring, I was a second away from putting it down and just dismissing it. I was totally ready to do it, but decided against it out of respect for the author who put so much time and effort into writing this story. Instead, what I did was skip around and read just the dialogues and some of the descriptions. It's unbelievable how good it felt to read it this way. No tedious explanations that repeated themselves, no descriptions that went beyond the necessary... And then at 80% the action, tension and drama picked up, and with them so did my interest. It's why I gave it the 3 star rating.
I was annoyed by the repetitive explaining of the main character, Aoife, how terrible she felt for leaving her mother in Lovecraft. That happened at least once every couple of pages, and after the first several times, I got tired of it. Then Aoife was saying how much regret she felt for ever trusting the Fae Tremaine, but she did it again and oh, how terrible she felt!!!
Also, there was so much telling, that the showing kind of got lost somewhere in between the lines. So, me skipping around was kind of helpful. And with reading so little of the overbearing descriptions, I was still well aware of what and where was going on. So why make a novel so unbearably heavy with needless narrative?
I don't think I liked Aoife. She felt superficial and lost in herself for the better part of the book. She didn't really care what anyone else around her felt like or thought. The only important thing to her was... well... herself. Her feelings, her inner turmoils... It was too much.
And Dean, her Erlkin boyfriend, never got angry at her even though she had to be yelled at at least half the time. It was unnatural, like he was a toy and he had to be played.
Conrad, her brother was more with his wits than Aoife wanted to portray. He saw things in their real image, he saw what was right and did it. I can say that I liked that guy.
I don't think I will recommend this book to my friends, seeing that it was too long for its own good. One must really be into extensive descriptions to like The Nightmare Garden.
January 9, 2012
Thank the gods, for the recap moments in Nightmare Garden which caught me up on the details that were fuzzy at best. As much as I loved whole chunks of Part One, the book is simply too long to bother with. The thing that’s stuck this long is how much I liked how different Cal turned out to be.
There be SPOILERS for the first book ahead...
This second book did take things up a notch in terms of pace. My primary complaint in the first was how needless some moments were. And while this second installment is along one, most everything in it didn’t drag by. If anything it was one chase then another then another. Now, if that were all to be said, I’d stop. But there’s a couple of things nagging at me:
Foremost of which is Aoife. I could never settle what I felt for her. Did I like her? Was I annoyed by her? Did she make me sad? And it seems she made me feel all these things but never too deeply. One thing was clear to me: she was doing the same wrong things she’d done in the first book. And it had me wondering if she’d she ever learn. Add the fact that I did not like what Cal had become in this one. If in the first he was a major player (BFF and all that,) here little was heard from him. His presence felt like an afterthought to me.
If there’s one thing that’s got me more than a little excited it’s Dean. We finally know a little more of who he is. That aside... I need to find out what’s to come for him. Because that damned ending (cliffy or not) was effective.
3.5/5
Thank you Edelweiss!
There be SPOILERS for the first book ahead...
This second book did take things up a notch in terms of pace. My primary complaint in the first was how needless some moments were. And while this second installment is along one, most everything in it didn’t drag by. If anything it was one chase then another then another. Now, if that were all to be said, I’d stop. But there’s a couple of things nagging at me:
Foremost of which is Aoife. I could never settle what I felt for her. Did I like her? Was I annoyed by her? Did she make me sad? And it seems she made me feel all these things but never too deeply. One thing was clear to me: she was doing the same wrong things she’d done in the first book. And it had me wondering if she’d she ever learn. Add the fact that I did not like what Cal had become in this one. If in the first he was a major player (BFF and all that,) here little was heard from him. His presence felt like an afterthought to me.
If there’s one thing that’s got me more than a little excited it’s Dean. We finally know a little more of who he is. That aside... I need to find out what’s to come for him. Because that damned ending (cliffy or not) was effective.
3.5/5
Thank you Edelweiss!
April 23, 2012
The Iron Thorn was a surprise favorite from last year so I was very excited to pick this up. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, I had a huge stack of review books to get through first, meaning that this book has been staring at me for too long before I finally picked it up to read. Of course, it had also been about a year since I read the first one which mean that it took me a while to get back into the groove of the characters and the story.
While I remembered the uniquely named Aoife, I couldn't entirely remember the circumstances in which we last saw her. That made the beginning pages a struggle especially as I could not remember Conrad, who as Aoife's brother is actually an important character. Happily as the book progressed, most of the first book returned to me while Aoife's adventure in this book developed, giving her purpose and the book its own plot within the larger framework of the series.
That plot is Aoife's search to fix the damage caused by her opening the Gates in her world and specifically to find her mother who was lost in Lovecraft. To save her mother, Aoife would do almost anything, something I identified very strongly with. I would go to great lengths to protect my family and face the same things Aoife does.
However as the book progresses we focus almost entirely on Aoife. Understandably since she is the main character but sadly to me because I really liked Dean and Cal in the first book while they are almost entirely sidelined in this book. We also meet some new characters who do have bigger parts, most notably to me as Aoife's almost stepmother Valentina and the intriguing Rasputina, who gives Aoife a lift when she needs one.
Overall: I didn't like it quite as much as the first book but I wonder if that would be the case if I had saved them to read one right after the other. I bet that would have helped me to keep everything on track.
Cover: I don't think she looks quite human here; I guess her Fae side is being pulled out more but it looks really weird to me. I do really like the blues used though.
While I remembered the uniquely named Aoife, I couldn't entirely remember the circumstances in which we last saw her. That made the beginning pages a struggle especially as I could not remember Conrad, who as Aoife's brother is actually an important character. Happily as the book progressed, most of the first book returned to me while Aoife's adventure in this book developed, giving her purpose and the book its own plot within the larger framework of the series.
That plot is Aoife's search to fix the damage caused by her opening the Gates in her world and specifically to find her mother who was lost in Lovecraft. To save her mother, Aoife would do almost anything, something I identified very strongly with. I would go to great lengths to protect my family and face the same things Aoife does.
However as the book progresses we focus almost entirely on Aoife. Understandably since she is the main character but sadly to me because I really liked Dean and Cal in the first book while they are almost entirely sidelined in this book. We also meet some new characters who do have bigger parts, most notably to me as Aoife's almost stepmother Valentina and the intriguing Rasputina, who gives Aoife a lift when she needs one.
Overall: I didn't like it quite as much as the first book but I wonder if that would be the case if I had saved them to read one right after the other. I bet that would have helped me to keep everything on track.
Cover: I don't think she looks quite human here; I guess her Fae side is being pulled out more but it looks really weird to me. I do really like the blues used though.
June 2, 2012
Overall, readers who are already familiar with Caitlin Kittredge's work - adult or young adult - will find that it's no real surprise that THE NIGHTMARE GARDEN was a deeply engaging novel and is the perfect addition to the Iron Codex series. And boy, with such a heart-breaking and over-the-top ending that this sequel successfully delivers to us, I have to say the author knows how to really step up the game and I'm really, really looking forward to reading the final installment of this series, which I'm sure is going to blow my mind immediately!
Full review: http://talesoftheinnerbookfanatic.blo...
4.5 stars!
Full review: http://talesoftheinnerbookfanatic.blo...
4.5 stars!
September 8, 2013
I had a really hard time staying engaged with this book. it just didn't get my attention. however, it picked up more towards the end. AND the two seconds we get to see of Nerissa is awesome, I may read the next book just to see more of her. also can we get more of the lesbian pirate captain please?
October 1, 2016
I liked the first book of the series when I listened to it -- I originally DNFed it in hardback. (3 stars)
I listened to this one and ended up removing book three from my tbr.
So...I guess that makes my feelings pretty clear. I finished it, but it felt all over the place from the first and I just stopped caring at all.
I listened to this one and ended up removing book three from my tbr.
So...I guess that makes my feelings pretty clear. I finished it, but it felt all over the place from the first and I just stopped caring at all.
April 22, 2012
Oh, awesome and complex book! I loved it, and it just built and built, until there was the realization of how small you were, with everything and and everyone doing what they did, and yeah, it was such a great book! Can't wait to read the last book!
March 25, 2013
I'm reducing this to 2 stars because the female protagonist has just gotten on my last nerve. Repetitive mistakes in her choice of actions and too self centered. That she carries the story gives little to the other character development.
June 7, 2015
This is a really good and under-hyped series. This book is better than the first one for sure.
April 11, 2015
This was a different kind of book still pretty good tho.
April 14, 2018
In this lovecraftian/steampunk sequel to The Iron Thorn protaganist Aoife Grayson goes on fantastic adventures in a mad world where technology horror and magic walk side by side, she meets many various people, and proceeds to have disputes with pretty much everyone she meets. Seriously, for the most part she assumes the worst of more or less everyone she meets, does the exact opposite of what ever some well meaning person has asked her, and seems a bit of a train wreck in the making. I'd say maybe half or less of the other characters she meets deserve the disdain and cruel treatment she gives them and one gets more and more frustrated as they read this story, though it is all very engaging in a way. Overall there is lots of great plot and character development and I had a great time reading it. One keeps thinking and hoping that Aoife might slow down and stop making things worse but of course it is maddeningly delightful watching her hysterical journey in this mad hat land. Not sure if there is a third Iron Codex book, though rather hoping there is, as there's more story to find. I think the story might become more unwieldy as it goes on as there is a lot balls in the air right now and some of it threatens the suspension of disbelief at this point, but if Kittredge can keep juggling all the balls in the air I think the continued adventures of Aoife shall be engaging for sure.
May 22, 2012
This book has one awfully good storytelling for a sequel. I love the way Miss Kittredge weave her stories in a way that its entertaining and intriguing at the same time. Its been a long time since I last read the first book but in this book, I find myself back to where I was in the story which is by its own way, are not fillers. I like Kittredge's Nocturne adult series but I gave up after 5th or 6th book since the series is pretty familiar with Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson books so I probably will do a proper rereading of it. I haven't read her Black London books so I would definitely read those too.
Last year, there was these phase where I read mostly "steampunk" books that writers being experimenting with and I read the first book, Iron Thorn, along with another similar book, The Iron Witch. Both are extremely long winded read like hundred of episodes of a telenovela. A couple of weeks ago, I read the second book, The Wood Queen and oh my.. I was so pissed off with it. Thats why it took me long enough to get myself to read this book because I had to take my mind off YA genre with serial for a while. Plus, Iron Thorn is very lengthy book for me and although I love it, it does drain your soul away until you get to this second book. I dislike reviewing sequels without giving off spoilers from the first book, which is why I often comment several paragraphs on Goodreads but then its unavoidable.
The book started off immediately after Aoife escaped Lovecraft after destroying it with her weird, inherited powers from her father side as the Gateminder. Conrad was shaking off the effects of the iron madness, Cal in love with Bethina (is that her name? not sure) but he's hiding a darker side in him (involving flesh-eating part) and Dean supporting Aoife throughout the way while she's still reeling about her role as a destroyer and the thought of her leaving her mother in the chaotic cities, depressed her even more. While travelling through the mist, a group of Erlkin spotted them as fugitives and took them to a floating city in the air where Aoife met with Dean's mother. (sounded very FF9 I know) While in captivity, Aoife noted that she was of age where the effects of iron would cause her madness and began to feel sideeffects of it when she use her weird against mechanical machineries and she began a dream of a man who knew her by name and talk to her about time. In the floating city (I dont remember the name), they were attacked by the Procter (which I often pronounce with Protractor.. weirdly) and Aoife, Conrad, Dean, Cal and Bethina escaped and fell into a dead forest where they found a gate which Aoife open and she found out that she really did broke the veil of the world before she went back to Lovecraft and see the destruction that she had caused and found out that her mother was missing.
I had misgivings about this book, mostly because I felt the length was more appropriately well done for readers but shortening this book when the sequel will be out in a year is not a fun thing to do. I usually hated first POV novels but the storytelling is forgiving and I found myself empathising with the character with every steps she took and with the story interchangeable and without fillers, the book is enjoyable to read.
I found loads of reviewers hated the narration (calling the main character to shut up in a first POV defeats the purpose of writing a story about the character) which the book to be perfectly honest, doesn't do anything wrong. The character think a lot, I think a lot all the time. She's struggling with her identity, everyone wanted her dead or wanted to use her. She doesn't ask to be born half-fae and half-gateminder. She's conflicted, she's grown up despite being barely 16. When I was 16, I only worried that I can't memorize the geometric equations in advance mathematics and memorizing the dates in history text book about islamic civilization (which to be perfectly honest, most of it was sugar-coated) and weighted by the sudden responsibility and the world depended on her since she had something to do with tearing the fabric between the realms and making it vulnerable to wreck more havoc upon the world.
Really, it was that deep.
Unfortunately, certain parts reminded me of Olivia Dunham which in itself was a spoiler already. Why does everyone copy you, Olive?
But I do love this series more and look forward to the future publications. For most parts, it does build up well to the book's climax and provide the foundations for bigger things in the next book. Oh, Aoife screwed up many things and many irreversible things. Which made it a good read.
Most of all, I'm very critical about some reviewers preferences which may influence the Goodreads rating especially with some overhyped publications that people obsessed about and when I look at people who adore certain books, I find myself in utter bewilderment. But truthfully, this book is very well written unlike the steampunk failure I have to tolerate through. I like the details and the works of the world building, the airships, the subs, the palaces, ruins, forest, mist, ocean.... ... I do love descriptive works.
Oh another thing, I don't find romance elements in this book to be prominent enough to be label as Romance. Yes, there's Aoife and Dean but you know those insta-love thing that 80% YA books have? well.. Dean are like Peter Bishop. He helped the protagonist initially but stick around until the relationship blossoms. I guess, its more natural way to approach the story. It does retain the innocent fragility of first love and Aoife despite her kept falling into traps and trying to get people killed and herself nearly killed, she did try to do things right. She admitted herself that she did something terribly wrong and wanted to redeem herself.
That's the whole philosophical and psychological approach of growing up is right there. But unfortunately people don't get. Naturally.
Goodreads rating: 5 star (mainly because I like the inner conflict)
March 15, 2017
Second in the Iron Codex steampunk series for young adults.
My Take
I'm half and half on this. Kittredge wrote a great story, but Aoife drove me nuts. She is such a typical charge-in-and-pay-no-attention-to-the-consequences kid. I couldn't decide if I wanted to smack her or shoot her. She keeps charging into situations just to satisfy her own needs. She whines. Omigod, she whines on and on. Dork. She rushes off to rescue her mom without any planning. She runs away to find the Brotherhood of Iron and pays no attention to the signs that practically scream stay away when she gets to Innsbrook. I think her dad is as much of a jerk as her brother. Honestly, the only two I like in this series are Dean and Cal. And Dean is the most decent one in this.
I just don't buy the reasoning Archie Grayson has for abandoning his children. For not telling them why they go nuts at 16. If Archie knows that Nerissa has fae blood and she's allergic to the iron in the cities, why doesn't he get Nerissa out of the city???
I hate Aoife. She whines on and on about how she shouldn't have listened to Tremaine. That he lied to her. So now she decides she can fix things by ignoring what Crow tells her because he's "too scared to see clearly"? A-n-d…on what authority is she basing this decision?? And she just has to make the choice? I'd like to "choice" her!
I did like the lanternreel of nightmares Aoife endured as she saw what scared her friends and family the most. Lame ending…no, I'm not talking about it as it might ruin it for you…
The Story
At the end of Iron Thorn , the Winter Folk are coming to Graystone to take Cal, Aoithe, Dean, and Bethina, but Conrad shows up with the People of the Mist to rescue them and take them into the land of the Erlkin. Only. There's a problem. Seems Conrad isn't too welcome. No one with fae blood is particularly welcome. Fortunately, an attack provides an opportunity for the four of them to escape. Even more for Aoife to escape into dreams, into nightmares.
A world that seems both too real and too fantastic and yet one that holds truth for Aoife. Then there's another kind of truth that Aoife finds back in Lovecraft. A new name. A rescue. Family members she doesn't want to know.
Too impatient, too untrusting…for which she does have reason…Aoife runs. She believes the Brotherhood is her only chance to set things right. It doesn't matter what anyone says. It only matters what Aoife wants.
The Characters
Aoife Grayson and her brother Conrad are practically orphans what with their mother in the nuthouse. But we learned in Iron Thorn , 1 that it's not a virus that haunts them, that makes them go crazy when they turn sixteen. And it seems that Aoife is the one who will be the new Gateminder…
Archibald Grayson is her father and the fourteenth Gateminder. And he came to Aoife's rescue when Draven imprisoned her. It seems he'll rescue her again and again… Nerissa is their mother. Their insane mother. Valentina Crosley is Dad's girlfriend. Her father is Harold Crosley, a member of the Brotherhood of Iron. Turns out the Casey who helped in Lovecraft is an agent of the Brotherhood. A very unhappy one.
Calvin Daulton, a.k.a., Carver, is really a ghoul! Aoife learned that Cal was only her friend because Draven forced him to spy on Conrad and Aoithe to save his own family. Bethina is the maid left behind at Graystone. She's terrified of everything but desperate not to be alone — and she's in love with the Cal she believes is human. Dean Harrison, a.k.a., Nails, is half-Erlkin with magic of his own, and he'll do anything for Aoife. Skip is a childhood Erlkin friend of Dean's. Not so much anymore. Shard is Dean's mother. She's also captain of Windhaven.
Grey Draven was the Head of the City and still plans to use Aoife to lure her father in. Only, he's managed to turn the disaster of the engine being destroyed into a plus for him, getting himself more power and is now in charge of the Proctors, a type of policeman and guard combined. Tremaine is the Regent for the Winter Lands who lies, and doesn't care what he must do to get Aoithe to break the spell Grey Draven put on the Queens of Summer and Winter so the Thorn Land will live again. Octavia is the Queen of Winter with some huge secrets and a deal to broker with Aoife.
Captain Rasputina Yelena Ivanova takes Aoife north in her submarine, the Oktobriana. Jakob is a fae spy planted by Tremaine. Crow is the man in her dreams. The one who keeps back the Great Old Ones.
The Crimson Guard were German witches and the enemy in the war. The Kindly Folk are the elves, fairies, Seelie and Unseelie; those who met with the Gateminder. The Erlkin are looked down upon by the Kindly Folk, considered slaves. Ruled by the Wytch King, they are also called the People of the Mists.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark, but in a warm way even as snow falls softly around Aoithe. A slightly thorny bit of wrought iron scrollwork encompasses the title.
The Nightmare Garden would be more appropriate as the nightmare clock since that's what this story is all about. Although, I suppose I am just a mite too unimaginative and Kittredge could be referring to all of Aoife's nightmares growing a garden of thoughts and ideas in Aoife's head. Stupid ones…
My Take
I'm half and half on this. Kittredge wrote a great story, but Aoife drove me nuts. She is such a typical charge-in-and-pay-no-attention-to-the-consequences kid. I couldn't decide if I wanted to smack her or shoot her. She keeps charging into situations just to satisfy her own needs. She whines. Omigod, she whines on and on. Dork. She rushes off to rescue her mom without any planning. She runs away to find the Brotherhood of Iron and pays no attention to the signs that practically scream stay away when she gets to Innsbrook. I think her dad is as much of a jerk as her brother. Honestly, the only two I like in this series are Dean and Cal. And Dean is the most decent one in this.
I just don't buy the reasoning Archie Grayson has for abandoning his children. For not telling them why they go nuts at 16. If Archie knows that Nerissa has fae blood and she's allergic to the iron in the cities, why doesn't he get Nerissa out of the city???
I hate Aoife. She whines on and on about how she shouldn't have listened to Tremaine. That he lied to her. So now she decides she can fix things by ignoring what Crow tells her because he's "too scared to see clearly"? A-n-d…on what authority is she basing this decision?? And she just has to make the choice? I'd like to "choice" her!
I did like the lanternreel of nightmares Aoife endured as she saw what scared her friends and family the most. Lame ending…no, I'm not talking about it as it might ruin it for you…
The Story
At the end of Iron Thorn , the Winter Folk are coming to Graystone to take Cal, Aoithe, Dean, and Bethina, but Conrad shows up with the People of the Mist to rescue them and take them into the land of the Erlkin. Only. There's a problem. Seems Conrad isn't too welcome. No one with fae blood is particularly welcome. Fortunately, an attack provides an opportunity for the four of them to escape. Even more for Aoife to escape into dreams, into nightmares.
A world that seems both too real and too fantastic and yet one that holds truth for Aoife. Then there's another kind of truth that Aoife finds back in Lovecraft. A new name. A rescue. Family members she doesn't want to know.
Too impatient, too untrusting…for which she does have reason…Aoife runs. She believes the Brotherhood is her only chance to set things right. It doesn't matter what anyone says. It only matters what Aoife wants.
The Characters
Aoife Grayson and her brother Conrad are practically orphans what with their mother in the nuthouse. But we learned in Iron Thorn , 1 that it's not a virus that haunts them, that makes them go crazy when they turn sixteen. And it seems that Aoife is the one who will be the new Gateminder…
Archibald Grayson is her father and the fourteenth Gateminder. And he came to Aoife's rescue when Draven imprisoned her. It seems he'll rescue her again and again… Nerissa is their mother. Their insane mother. Valentina Crosley is Dad's girlfriend. Her father is Harold Crosley, a member of the Brotherhood of Iron. Turns out the Casey who helped in Lovecraft is an agent of the Brotherhood. A very unhappy one.
Calvin Daulton, a.k.a., Carver, is really a ghoul! Aoife learned that Cal was only her friend because Draven forced him to spy on Conrad and Aoithe to save his own family. Bethina is the maid left behind at Graystone. She's terrified of everything but desperate not to be alone — and she's in love with the Cal she believes is human. Dean Harrison, a.k.a., Nails, is half-Erlkin with magic of his own, and he'll do anything for Aoife. Skip is a childhood Erlkin friend of Dean's. Not so much anymore. Shard is Dean's mother. She's also captain of Windhaven.
Grey Draven was the Head of the City and still plans to use Aoife to lure her father in. Only, he's managed to turn the disaster of the engine being destroyed into a plus for him, getting himself more power and is now in charge of the Proctors, a type of policeman and guard combined. Tremaine is the Regent for the Winter Lands who lies, and doesn't care what he must do to get Aoithe to break the spell Grey Draven put on the Queens of Summer and Winter so the Thorn Land will live again. Octavia is the Queen of Winter with some huge secrets and a deal to broker with Aoife.
Captain Rasputina Yelena Ivanova takes Aoife north in her submarine, the Oktobriana. Jakob is a fae spy planted by Tremaine. Crow is the man in her dreams. The one who keeps back the Great Old Ones.
The Crimson Guard were German witches and the enemy in the war. The Kindly Folk are the elves, fairies, Seelie and Unseelie; those who met with the Gateminder. The Erlkin are looked down upon by the Kindly Folk, considered slaves. Ruled by the Wytch King, they are also called the People of the Mists.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark, but in a warm way even as snow falls softly around Aoithe. A slightly thorny bit of wrought iron scrollwork encompasses the title.
The Nightmare Garden would be more appropriate as the nightmare clock since that's what this story is all about. Although, I suppose I am just a mite too unimaginative and Kittredge could be referring to all of Aoife's nightmares growing a garden of thoughts and ideas in Aoife's head. Stupid ones…
August 16, 2017
This book was good in itself, however, it was not as good as the first in the series. In this book, Aoife and her gang in their travels find Dean's mother and his old "pack". They escape Dean's mother's hold and travel back to find Nerissa but find that the asylum is full of ghouls and run for their lives. Aoife's father finds them and saves them. He brings them to the Cape to his girlfriend's home for safety.
In her travels, Aoife finds out that she is more powerful than she realized and could be used as a weapon for the Brotherhood. Tremaine brings Aoife before the Winter Queen and Aoife strikes a deal with the Queen in exchange to bring back her sister, Nerissa.
The Nightmare clock, the Old Ones, Crow, Tremaine, and others all want or need Aoife's weird..
The adventures continue...
In her travels, Aoife finds out that she is more powerful than she realized and could be used as a weapon for the Brotherhood. Tremaine brings Aoife before the Winter Queen and Aoife strikes a deal with the Queen in exchange to bring back her sister, Nerissa.
The Nightmare clock, the Old Ones, Crow, Tremaine, and others all want or need Aoife's weird..
The adventures continue...
February 22, 2025
The Nightmare garden was an interesting read. My favorite aspects of this book are the world building and magical mechanics. The author creates a large world with extraordinary detail. The magic elements are unique and are explained well. Unfortunately, what holds this book back from any higher a rating is the lack of character development. Not just for the main character but for the others as well. I do enjoy stories where the main character is slow to learn, however, this one becomes tiring. In addition, there were often frequent repeats of what the main point of the journey was. Overall, the overarching story and the build up of that was quite beautiful, however the ability to connect to characters often fell flat. 3/5
June 25, 2020
I like the writing, which is why I spent $10 on the second book, but am feeling disappointed. Feel much more of the teenaged anx’ than the fantasy story I was hoping. I almost stopped after the first chapter, not the way I do things, but all of a sudden there is talk of fae where before it was “ The Folk.” Pretty off-putting for me. It was almost half way through before I noticed a mention of the Folk. Maybe I missed something. I don’t want to be negative or put off other readers, but this is squarely YA fantasy. So if that is your thing, great, I am sure you will enjoy it. Up the lead character feels week and whiney...keep thinking she will “grow up” but she is 16 and staying there. Got through half the book hoping, but had to give up.
March 21, 2019
3.5 stars
While I really enjoyed this book, I got extremely confused. I wasn’t exactly sure where the book was going, even in the beginning, but I thought I would have more clarity near the end. This was sadly not the case and I feel that there was a lot left unexplained or under explained. Toward the end of the book, I was so befuddled that I had to read it over again probably 3 times before I had an understanding of what was going on. However, this being said, I did like the book quite a bit and am excited to see how the series is concluded.
While I really enjoyed this book, I got extremely confused. I wasn’t exactly sure where the book was going, even in the beginning, but I thought I would have more clarity near the end. This was sadly not the case and I feel that there was a lot left unexplained or under explained. Toward the end of the book, I was so befuddled that I had to read it over again probably 3 times before I had an understanding of what was going on. However, this being said, I did like the book quite a bit and am excited to see how the series is concluded.
November 7, 2017
Interesting book
December 13, 2017
I can't stand the main character, she's a spoiled dramatic brat. And the story just tumbles along with no direction at all. Just dreadful
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