"Waiting On" The Iron Traitor

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating!

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In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice. 

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again. 

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.  (From Goodreads)

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Dude, if this cover doesn't draw you in, I don't know what will.  That eye is hypnotizing.

This is one of my favourite series.  Julie Kagawa is a master of world-building and wonder.  Fey don't usually do it for me, but this series definately does.  I'm excited to see more of Ethan, Kenzie and Keirran!  The Iron Traitor is out on October 29th, 2013.  (Next week whaaaa?!)

Book Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Published October 23rd, 2012
HarlequinTeen
379 pages (Paperback)

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.
That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. (From Goodreads)

Personally, I am apprehensive when authors do books like this, where secondary characters from one series become main characters in another.  This is even more true when I love the characters from the original series.  I don't want my favourites to become secondary.  However...

Julie Kagawa is simply too amazing.  Any worries I had about Ethan and how The Lost Prince would play out were quickly wiped away.  The Lost Prince is a roller coaster of emotions that left me in a comfortable place, but craving more.

Ethan had me wrapped around his finger instantly with his teenage angst.  Still angry about his sister's decision to live in the fairy realm, Ethan is not at all the character I expected him to be.  Perhaps I was still too caught up on him being a little kid, but his transition into adolescence was done well.  In fact, all of the characters were well developed, and I'm excited to see what future Kagawa has in store for them.  The complexity and back-stories are great.

The Lost Prince is written in a way that allows it to be read independent of the original Iron Fey series, but not in a way that makes it boring for those of us who have read the previous series.  My one problem with the story was this: all of the characters look like they're around the same age.  It's a little bit "trippy" to think of Ethan, Meghan and Kierran all looking about 17 years old, when there should be several years between each of them.

The Lost Prince had a couple plot twists I didn't expect, and left me with a few burning questions.  If you aren't afraid of spoilers, highlight the middle of this paragraph to see a few of those.  What will happen to Kenzie?  What about Kierran and Annwyl?  And what is up with Kierran and this new queen?  I have a feeling he made some sort of deal.  After all, the next book is called The Traitor Prince... <End of Spoilers.  Carry on.>  I particularly enjoyed how the ending left me with these questions, but wasn't a huge cliffhanger.

Yes, this is a longer review than I typically write, but The Lost Prince deserves it!  This book left me laughing and in tears.  Move over Meghan, Ash and Puck, because Ethan, Kenzie and Kierran are bringing it!  The Lost Prince will be on bookshelves tomorrow, October 23rd, 2012!

Much love, Samantha

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Lost Prince

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating!


This week I'm excited for...

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.  That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. (From Goodreads)

It seems like everyone and their mom has already gotten to read this one.  Alas, I have not, but I am freakin' excited to!  Way back in March, I was procrastinating from studying for midterms.  I happened to start reading The Iron King.  Little studying was done from that point on, and I have been hooked on Julie Kagawa's writing since!

At first I was unsure how I felt about a series based around Ethan.  He's the baby brother, after all.  The idea has grown on me, though.  I like that he has grown up knowing about the Fae, unlike Meghan, who had the world suddenly dropped on her.  It will be nice to see things from Ethan's perspective.

And who could resist the possibility of more Ash and Puck?

The Lost Prince is officially released October 23rd, 2012.  You know where I'll be.

Much love, Samantha

TGIF (3): Unexpected Books

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger over at GReads!  She asks a question, and everyone can get involved!

And today's question is...

Unexpected Books: Which books did you have reservations about reading, but ended up loving once you did?

Easy.  Vampire Academy.  Yes, the same Vampire Academy that I know rave about on a regular basis.  It was orginally the title that got me.  Vampire Academy wasn't really an appealling title to me, but my mom bought me it anyways, and the rest is history.  

Another was The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.  Again, this was bought for me by my mother, and it ended up sitting on my shelf for a long time.  It wasn't so much that I had reservations against reading, just that I never felt like reading it.  I actually just tackled it a few months ago, when I had no interest in studying for midterms.  I had that whole series done in under a week.  

What books do you have reservations about reading?  Did you end up loving them?

Much love, Samantha