The Iron Fey series (including the novellas)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA, urban fantasy, romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a picture of all five pieces of the series (Summer's Crossing would come after The Iron Queen), but this is a review of them all regardless.
First of all, I have to say that I loooooove the way that Ms Kagawa integrated the Iron Court into the well-loved and concrete world of faery mythology that already exists (i.e. the Seelie and Unseelie courts, Summer v Winter, etc...). It's imaginative and a breath of fresh air for the world of faery stories.
The storytelling is gripping and the characters are strong. I'm mostly one for the "dark, broody, and emo" characters and Ash was no exception. However, I have to admit that I fell in love with Puck, even more so after reading Summer's Crossing. Reading in his POV (especially since The Iron Knight is going to be in Ash's POV versus Meghan's POV throughout the first three books). Puck is a fun and intriguing character. While his love for Meghan is admittedly cliche for this particular genre, the way he handles it is well done. I really do want him and Ash to be able to put aside their differences and become friends again. Considering they'll be travelling together throughout The Iron Knight, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :D
The Witches of Santa Anna novellas 1-7
Authors: Lauren Barnholdt and Aaron Gorvine
Genres: YA, witchcraft, romance, angst
Kindle Edition
Rating: 3 out of 5
This isn't the greatest series out there. The storyline is predictable, the pages are littered with typos and/or incorrect punctuation/grammar, and it would have made more sense to put them all together as one novel (kind of like this package) rather than released seven different novellas. However, the story makes for a quick and easy read (I read through it one afternoon while babysitting) and it's one of those guilty pleasure stories that's hard to put down. I, for one, will most likely be getting my hands on season two of the series, if only to see what the hell Raine will come up with next to screw with Natalia and Campbell.
Virtue
Author: Amanda Hocking
Genres: YA, fantasy, romance
Kindle Edition
Rating: 2 out of 5
Part of me feels guilty for giving this book such a low rating, but the holder of a BA degree in writing feels differently. A LOT differently. While I enjoyed this story and read through it quickly, there were several things that bothered me about it. The most glaring of these things is the overwhelming about of "telling v showing" that occurs throughout the book. As one of my favorite writing professors always said: "Don't tell me the woman walked across the street. Show it to me!"
One of these such lines is "For a moment, he was stuck completely mute by her beauty, and that response to her started him."
SHOW ME HE WAS STARTLED! How did he show he was startled? Did he stare at her with wide eyes? Did he stumble a bit? Catch his breath? I want to know how strongly Lux reacted to Lily's beauty rather than having the author use something so unemotional as "and that response to her startled him." How am I as a reader supposed to connect to Lux's emotion otherwise?
I could keep listing instances of this, but I think I'll just leave it at that. The number of typos and such throughout the text were also bothersome, though not so much as the telling. The characters were stock. Lily and Lux felt flat rather than fully rounded, and I didn't relate to their struggle at all. Wick was a bit more rounded in her desire to help and rescue Lily in memory of an old friend (Lily's mother), as was Gula in his readiness to help Lux regardless of what may happen to him in the end. Valefor, however, was a stock villian, as were his minions. I DID like the concept of the Sins and their opposite Virtues, but it wasn't expanded or developed enough to really excite me.
All in all, I'd recommend someone who was interested in a good read, but it's definitely not for someone who is always on the lookout for good literature.
Anywho, I hope you all were able to glean some good or bad vibes from the books here. The Iron Fey series is a definite "YES" for anyone who is interested in YA literature of any sort. The Witchee of Santa Anna isn't the best book around, but it's a quick read and one of those guilty pleasures you won't be able to put down. And Virtue is a good book for someone who wants something to read in order to waste some time, but not for much else.
Happy reading, guys! I'll see you tomorrow with three more reviews!
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