The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney

Publication Date: 8/03/13

Publisher: Flux

Pages: 336

Genre: Fantasy/Fiction/Faerie

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults

Synopsis: After being tricked into opening the doorway to the Demon Realm by Aliette, the Wood Queen, Donna Underwood is faced with a terrible ultimatum from the newly released demon hordes. They demand that the alchemists deliver the Philosopher's Stone, or their reaper storm will plunge the world into a devastating modern-day Dark Age.

Donna is sent to London, England, where she must complete her alchemist's training and learn how to recreate the Stone. But time is running out. Between facing the vengeful demon king, Demian, and collecting the Stone's elements, Donna realizes she must give her own life in order to succeed. And this time, even braving death may not be enough to save the world.

My Review: I was so thrilled when Netgalley approved me to read this especially since I've been hooked on this series since the very beginning and it's with regret that I'm now waving goodbye to Donna, Xan and Navin. This series has been a fun but bumpy journey and though there have been many occasions I've wanted to yell at certain characters, I have to admit, the story came together nicely. 

This installment in particular is steeped in myth, legend and the kind of quest story line that I like. The attempt to make the philosophers stone is nothing short of trouble strewn and filled with danger and some truly horrible moments that made my heart break. One part in particular featuring Navin and Donna had me in tears, even though really if I'd thought about it, I should have sensed it was coming.

Miss Mahoney has achieved what few manage, creating a story that comes together perfectly, characters that not only screw up but are also aware they they messed up and desperately try to fix things. From the last book everyone will know what Donna did, but I have yet to find one review slating her as stupid. Why? because she's human and humans make mistakes, that's just the way it is. 
This is especially prominent in this book since, when compared to the vain and egotistical Demian, it becomes important to really understand what it means to have a sense of messing up and then putting it right.

It was great to have an insight to other characters to such as Aliette and the Faerie Queen, and finding out about Xan's past was pretty awesome too. It was also awesome to see more of Newton the demon stone head. I love that annoying dude for some strange reason that I can't fathom, there's something about bad characters with a streak of good that just tugs on my heartstrings.

Getting to the point though, there are some things that I can't tell you in this review. Do they make the philosophers stone? Find out for yourself. Does Donna marry Xan and have twenty kids? Sorry, not telling. Does Demian get locked back where he came from? Again, I'm not telling. Needless to say I found the ending brilliant and it ties all the loose ends nicely, so I don't think you'll be disappointed. But sorry, you'll have to wait until April. Trust me though, it's worth the wait

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: 02/11/12

Publisher: Harlequin

Pages: 416

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults

Genre: Faerie/Fantasy/Fiction

Synopsis: 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.

Review: Loved, loved, loved this! I fan girl screamed when I got approved to review this on Netgalley.  It was great seeing everything from Ethan's perspective and just as great seeing what had become of Meghan and Ash in the years that they've been in the Iron Realm.

The Lost Prince doesn't just revisit the ordinary Fey and the Iron Fey but also draws on the Forgotten Fey that were mentioned in The Iron Knight, something I was very intrigued about at the time. The plot unravels pretty fast and I was reading furiously fast towards the end of the book just to find out what happens.

Ethan proved to be a charming, infuriating, fascinating (and hot) protagonist and when teamed with the 'take no crap' Kenzie, they made a great team and though I did suspect that there was something Kenzie was hiding from the beginning, I was still surprised when I found out what it was. 

I was also left feeling deeply sorry for Ethan with everything he had gone through because of his ability to see the Fey and try as he might to avoid them he ends up smack in the middle of trouble all over again. I also however, admire how resilient he is without ever truly losing touch with his emotions...oddly enough he reminded me of a certain Winter Prince from the Iron Fey series. :)

This review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Keirran...if you don't remember the echoes of that name from The Iron Knight from when Ash was being tested then it will certainly mean something to you by the end of the book. As for what he does and what happens to him, I guess that will have to wait until the next book.

Speaking of the end of the book, I was pretty much screaming in frustration that I have to wait ages for the next book.  But hey, I'm sure It'll be worth the wait and I can't wait to find out what happens to everyone. I can't write with much more detail because I don't want to spoil anything. But Iron Fey fans: Go forth and read this when it's released! Also, Grimalkin is in it and Puck!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

Release Date: 22/02/11
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 493
Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Fantasy/Steampunk/Fiction

Synopsis: In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.


Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

My Review: Steampunk meets Faerie! I never thought I'd see the day, so of course, I simply had to read this and it was amazing! To top it off, just look at the stunning cover, I mean really look at it, it's beautiful! Anyway, moving on to my thoughts...

It's been a while since I got so completely lost in a complex and beautifully built world and though at times Lovecraft and the other places in this novel were pretty freaky, I still had the bizarre desire to explore this incredible fictional city and that amazing Grayson mansion.

The idea of the Necrovirus was truly terrifying, not knowing on a day to day basis if you're going to wake up crazy is something no one would like to face, especially if all the evidence tells you that eventually you will. As for the ghouls and other creepy things, I would not like to go out walking after dark in this world as it just sounds too terrifying to contemplate.

Even the Fae in this book are darker and scarier than in anything else I've read and I wanted to punch a certain Fae character in the face multiple times, and though I spent a portion of the book silently yelling at Aoife (pronounced Ee-fah, for those who are wondering. I looked it up, it's an old Gaelic name by origin)  not to do certain things, I have to admit that girl has guts when dealing with the Fae.

This book isn't short on romance either and lets just say the love interest is one amazing guy. He isn't some over the top 'I can't live without you' sort, but his and Aoifa's relationship is genuine, develops slowly, is a bit funny and is pretty heart-warming and wow, is he a bit of an enigma.

The ending took me by surprise and I don't just mean the literal ending, I mean several events leading up to it too including some pretty shocking revelations and a bit of a cliffhanger finish that has made me really want to read the next book. It should be arriving soon in the post, and my wait will be over! Awesome.

Blood and Ash by Kate Aaron

*Contains Adult Content*

Release Date: 26/06/11

Publisher: Self-published/Smashwords/Amazon

Pages: Unknown

Target Audience: Adults

Genre: Fantasy/M-M Romance/Faerie

Synopsis: War is coming...

Ash has never left the palace. For seventeen years he has been kept close by his father and brother, bound by their vow to protect him. He has grown up safe, innocent, and lonely.

Now the fae Realm is under attack, and the witches have threatened Ash personally. To protect his younger brother, Skye has done something unthinkable. He has brought a vampire into the Realm.

Azrael owes Skye a great debt. He takes his position as Ash's guardian out of loyalty to his brother, but everything changes when he finds himself falling for the young prince: the first mortal he's loved in a thousand years.

With his enemies closing in, and the king slowly dying, can Skye trust Azrael to protect Ash while he prepares to defend the Realm? Will Azrael be able to control his feelings for Ash as he reconciles the demons from his past? And will Ash ever feel like he truly belongs anywhere?

'Blood & Ash' is the first book in the Lost Realm series.

My Review: I hadn't read any male/male romance or erotica before and I wasn't sure really what to expect. Honestly, I can't say I'm a huge fan of the bedroom scenes, maybe it just isn't my thing. That isn't against the author or against anything else either, just didn't appeal to me a lot. You may therefore be wondering why it got four out of five?  Simply put, the emotional romantic side coupled with the incredible Faerie/Vampire story was amazing!

I enjoyed reading about Azrael's past and about his developing relationship with Ash, despite the obstacles that they both have to overcome in order to get there and  it made a change seeing a male/male romantic relationship develop in such challenging circumstances. Among all the usual conventional romances out there, it really stands out.  As well as romance, there is no shortage of action, peril and danger as war is set to be unleashed on the Lost Realm, with Ash at the centre of the conflict. 

I think after reading this I will definitely read the sequel at some point simply to find out what happens next. There is so much potential for this series to take flight to greater heights and there's so much that could be explored in future books and so much I want to know about Ash's and Azrael's world. 

Finally, I have to admit I stumbled on this book by accident but clearly that's the best way to find some books, if you love your romance and your faerie or vampire tales, give this book a go! :-)

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Fantasy/Romance/Fiction

I can't believe it's over and such a wonderful end to the series! I'd like to thank Julie Kagawa for writing yet another astounding novel and I'd like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review the ARC, for which I am very very happy about.  If you haven't read the previous books stop now. If you have read the rest of the series and want to read this review, you can do so without worry; I'm not going to post spoilers!

The Iron Knight picks up after the end of The Iron Queen with Ash now desperately trying to find a way to be with Meghan, who had to banish him from the Iron Realm to save his life. Now joined by Puck, Ash starts a journey to get the one thing that will allow him to be with the woman he loves: a soul.

Wow and wow again this is a really incredible roller-coaster of a book and so worth the wait after the ending of The Iron Queen and I'm incredibly glad that this has become the end of the series instead as it offers a lot more closure for what I suspect will be most of the fans of the series.
I was surprised by some of the things that happened and I definitely had a few 'Wow' moments where the plot twists simply took me by complete surprise, but having said that I was thrilled with the turn of events because at times Ash's quest seemed completely hopeless and as a reader this made me really want him to succeed.
Some of the things that you discover about Ash are incredible too. You gain a fascinating insight into his past from when he was a cold winter prince as well as glimpses into his softer side which helped to gain a better idea of what Ash has had to deal with throughout his life and although at times you will truly hate him, you will also really feel for him.

Most of the old favourites are back too! Puck is still his usual mischievous self but we see a more serious side at times as he and Ash learn how to work with one another and I have a feeling that everyone will love those two together in this book without Meghan to intervene in their arguments all the time.
The Big Bad Wolf makes an appearance in this novel and he really is big and very very dangerous and yet oddly enough I warmed to him by the end (even if I did for a while think of the three little pigs and blowing down houses).
There's also a character appearance that will take you by complete surprise and will give all series fans a bit of a shock (I know it did with me), but without this particular character the ending that happened certainly wouldn't have. I'm sure there will be a few cry's of shock from readers when this book is officially released but ultimately I think that most of the Iron Fey fan base will be thrilled with how the series is wrapped up.

On a final note I will say that this is not just a story about Fae, romance, friendship and adventure but also a story about humanity. What does it mean to be human? Is it our frailty, our mortality, our emotions, our conscience or is it a mix all of those. If there's one thing that this book will make you wonder and try to figure out, it's that and so much more as you get lost in the pages of what is, in my opinion, easily the best book in the series.
Thank you once again to Julie for bringing is readers one of the most romantic, imaginative and captivating Faerie stories of our generation. I can't wait to read whatever she releases next.

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Romance


I'd come across mixed opinions when reading reviews on this book and I was reluctant to start it because of the number of negative reviews I'd read. Which goes to show why you should never ever read reviews and decide not to read a book because this book is really really good :-)

Morgan is 15 and about to celebrate her sweet sixteen along with boyfriend Cam, who she has known forever. Things look set to be perfect and their future as perfect couple is set. That is until, Pip comes to stay and it's revealed that Cam is actually a Faerie King and has to go back to Otherworld on his sixteenth birthday. Determined to keep her boyfriend, Morgan and Cam come up with a plan for him to stay,  but as Cam continues to change Morgan begins to wonder, is it really for the best that he stays?

Fairy Tale is a lot more than a fairy story, it is a beautiful love story as well as a tale of growing up, making difficult choices and making sacrifices for those you love. I had huge respect for Morgan in this book and with the final choice she made, I knew it was going to happen yet I was still surprised when it did.
The story itself was cleverly written and I loved the growing relationship between Pip and Morgan, and the changing relationship between Cam and Morgan. There were a lot of highly amusing moments as well as the emotional and romantic storyline.

Perhaps one of my favourite characters was Pip, he was so selfless and I haven't read about such an innocent and sweet person in a long time. And as the story unfolded, I felt even more for him, and by the time the ending came along I was routing for something good to happen to him.
I won't spoil the ending, but the chemistry between all of the various characters was flawless and beautiful, and the romance had me internally going 'awwwwwwww'

I will say one thing, although it isn't a cliff hanger, it will feel like one. And you'll want to know what happens after. But sadly people, as far as I'm aware, this is a stand alone novel, so you will have to use your imagination.

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Fantasy

This has been on my to-read list for a while now and it struck me just how many books now have the word 'Iron' in them. Yet it's also struck me how wonderfully different they are, which goes to show that titles and covers don't tell you everything!
The Iron Witch focuses on a teenage girl called Donna Underwood who, after an horrific attack as a child in which her father was killed by the Fey, ended up with severely damaged arms which were then reconstructed using magic and metal.  As if this isn't enough to make her stand out in the crowd, there is also the fact that she is part of a secret order whose main purpose is to discover immortality and develop the Elixir of life.
Donna's life isn't easy, but it's reasonably steady, then a random encounter at a party and the kidnapping of her best friend shortly after changes everything.

Considering the amount of Fey related book's I've read in my life, it takes a good plot for one to jump out at me and keep me interested. I still remember the first Faerie story I read, which was Holly Black's Valiant, quite a few years ago now and I'm still amazed by how many different takes there can be on the Faerie genre.  Karen Mahoney does a brilliant job of taking an age-old genre and breathing some new life into Faerie whilst twisting it with other mythical and magical folklore and legend.
The idea behind the Elixir of Life is brilliant and the way it blends with the Fey fits perfectly and makes sense; not an easy thing to do, and for that Karen deserves a round of applause.

Something else that really struck me about this novel was that the enemy wasn't always the most obvious candidate and as the book progressed I found myself doubting the integrity of most of a few of the so-called 'good-guys'.  Some characters really made my skin crawl, namely Simon *shudder* and a few other left me feeling a bit edge, which is a good thing in my eyes. If a character is well written enough to make me actually cringe then the writer has done a really good job in describing them.

As well as being a really well told story this is one of the best slow burning romances I've read in a novel.  Well, I say slow burning but the romance between Donna and Xan is pretty intense but there relationship in a romance sense progresses pretty slowly, which is good, I find it a bit irritating when a couple meet up and the progress from kissing to jumping into bed together within a few chapters (Just a small pet peeve of mine, especially in a Young Adult book).
Friendship was another predominant theme throughout and Donna's relationship with Navin made for heartwarming reading and even spiked a bit of jealousy. Who wouldn't want a friend that would go to any length to save them? Donna was willing to risk anything for him and in turn Navin was very understanding despite the things he goes through throughout the course of the novel. Where will there relationship go from here? I guess I'll have to wait for the next book!

The one thing that annoyed me slightly was the fact the ending was left slightly too open for my liking and there wasn't enough resolved. In order to find out what's happened to certain characters I will have to read the next book. This isn't a problem because I want too, but I do like some form of closure at the end, and to me it felt a bit rushed.
Having said that, don't let that put you off, I'm still giving it a high rating because it truly is an amazing book. Karen Mahoney has a bright future ahead of her as an author!

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Fantasy/Romance


OMG! I know that is not the usual way to start a review but i don't know how else to start it, because this book was a truly amazing read. It was my day off work yesterday and i haunted two different coffee shops in Canterbury in order to stop and read this throughout the day. I then spent the evening in bed reading this non-stop, it was that good! Anyway, onto the actual story...

The Iron Queen begins where The Iron Daughter left off. Meghan and Ash are in exile following their banishment from King Oberon and Queen Mab and are about to visit Meghan's family when they are attacked by Iron Fey completely out of the blue, and they are forced to go into hiding in order to stay alive long enough to think of a way to stop the Iron Fey. As i knew from the last installment, there is a false king on the Iron throne and the Iron realm is spreading fast, and before long Meghan, Ash, Puck and Grim find themselves in a war that will have devastating affects for everyone.

The plot itself was complex, twisting and took me by surprise at every turn. There was honestly never a dull moment throughout and i found myself turning the pages at super speed in order to find out happens next.  I'm going to be honest and say that unlike the previous two books i found myself in tears at two different points in this book and for two different reasons. It is most definitely the sign of a well written emotional book when i start crying and can't stop for a good while, and i most definitely needed the tissues.
I'm not going to post any spoilers because i don't want to spoil any of the plot for anyone so with regards to the content of the novel, all i am going to say is that there were multiple surprises throughout and i was left stunned on several occasions and ultimately shocked by the turn of events.
One particular thing i will share is that there is a lot more learned of Ash's past, the past of the faerie realm in general and of Meghan's 'father', but i am not going to go into detail, so i apologise for those looking for spoilers :-)

There is a lot of character development in this book and Meghan herself perhaps did the most developing which, by the end was needed as she had some very tough choices to make. Honestly, after going through some pretty rough times with Meghan throughout the books, i felt very proud of her by the end of this book. I doubt i could make the difficult choices she had to make, and make the right ones.
It was also interesting to see another side to Ash who surprisingly has a beautiful carefree and softer side when he allows it to show.  His feelings for Meghan ultimately spurred him into most of his actions and i loved some of the things he did for her, and the things he was willing to sacrifice for her.

Puck is also another person to show another side of himself in this book, and it was interesting to sometimes see his non-jokey side for a change. His devotion to Meghan, despite the fact she choose Ash over him in the previous novel, is still very strong and incredibly selfless.
Grim also makes his usual timely appearances, and i love his dry wit, i can't help but laugh at Grim's opinions and plans. That Cait Sith is truly a genius and i love the part he plays. Not to mention, there are also moments when he is just a very very cute cat and i love the fact that one minute he's the wise smart-ass Fae and the next he's a fluffy cat looking for attention.
As well as all the older characters, some new ones make an appearance including Razor (who is just adorable and i love him to bits) and Glitch (who grew on me after the first encounter) both of which play pretty important parts when it comes to the ending.

I can't say much more without giving away the plot. I will say that you will be surprised when the false iron king is revealed, i was left stunned, it certainly wasn't something i suspected in any way, and i was even more surprised by what Meghan had to do to fight.
This book is scary, emotional, beautiful, romantic and the most powerful book about sacrifice and difficult choices that i have read in a long time. A truly wonderful read that will leave you longing to read the next in the series; The Iron Knight, just to find out how things unfold, and believe me you will really really want to know what happens next!

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adult
Genre: Faerie/Horror

Having read quite a few books about changeling's, replacements and the Fae i was looking for something with a darker and creepier twist, and this book turned out to be very very creepy and extremelly dark and twisted at times.
Mackie Doyle is not actually human, but a replacement from the underground world of demons or Fae (among the many other names they are given throughout the novel). When he was a young child he was switched with the human Mackie Doyle and left in his cot as a changeling. Now grown up, Mackie is fully aware of what he is and is slowly dying from exposure to Iron, Steel and consecrated ground and realises that he probably wont last much longer.
But when Tate, a girl at his school, has her sister 'die' he becomes involved in the underground world of demons, blood sacrifice, a tiny sharp-toothed princess and a town wide conspiracy that has been going on for centuries.

Probably the most amazing thing about this book is the pace and the way it evolves. A lot of authors have trouble revealing the plot at a steady pace but not so slowly or quickly that it seems to drag or feel alternatively feel rushed.  Brenna has no such issues with The Replacement, and she reveals important and juicy parts of the plot in such a way you can't help but turn the next page to find out what happens next. Miss Yovanoff deserves a round of applause for her skill in writing, she really does.

Content wise, there is a lot to get through. From the conspiracy and secrets of Gentry, to it's past, to the underground world of The Morrigan (who is awesome by the way) and the even darker world of The Lady (The Morrigan's evil sister), the action never stops and the plot links together perfectly, no matter which of these places you end up in as the reader.
I loved the Morrigan's underground world, with all the little dead people (no, i'm not morbid, i just found it intriguing) and i felt that there were valuable lessons to be learned about prejudice, discrimination and judgement in reading about the Morrigan and her people. Some of the people in her world were kind and so beautiful beneath the surface, it seemed a shame for them to be shunned and called demons.

With regards to characters i felt captivated by each and every one of them. Roswell made an amazing best friend for Mackie. He was understanding, accepting and very supportive and stood by him even though he new the truth of his birth. Mackie himself, made for a complex but clearly distressed and hurt young man, who struggles to find normality and find his place in the world. I think what makes this even more difficult is the little things that happen, such as accidentally touching a knife or touching canned food, which are all poisonous to him because of the iron in them. It's the ordinary every day things that other people take for granted that, ultimately, make Mackie's life strange and difficult.

Tate was another wonderful character to me. She was smart, strong and didn't bow down to the towns usual rules of keeping quiet and not saying anything, something which i admired in her. After all, it can be very hard to stand up for what you want and what you believe in when the world is against you, and she did this at a time when she was already dealing with so much.  Her relationship with Mackie was beautiful, and i loved the a certain conversation between them when she tells Mackie that he's 'Normal enough', which is probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever told him.

My other favourite female in the book was Emma, Mackie's sister. There are no words to describe the amount of love and loyalty she showed towards Mackie, she truly was the perfect sister, willing to risk so much for her brother, despite the risks. There were some true emotional moments between those two, and one of the best portrayal i've seen of siblings in a long time.

I'll conclude my review by saying that i can't wait to see what Brenna writes next. She is clearly a talented and exceptional writer with a bright career ahead of her. Whether it's a sequel to this or a completely different story, i don't really mind. This really is an emotional, action packed, creepy and slightly gory debut novel. Many thanks for a really good read Miss Yovanoff!

Entice by Carrie Jones

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

I really really love this series and not one book in the series has disappointed me in any way, as each took new twists and turns and developed the plot instead of dragging it out like some novels do.
Entice pretty much picks up where Captivate left off; Zara is a pixie and the Queen of Astley, Nick is still missing in Valhalla and Zara is dead set on finding him, no matter what it takes.

The story moves quickly and easily, with the absence of a certain character (Nick) not halting the storyline in any sense of the word.  Instead, i noticed a greater focus on Zara and her relationship with Astley (who i admit is pretty awesome!) and i found myself pretty annoyed at Zara's mother who was pretty narrow minded with some of the things she said to her daughter, not to mention insensitive.

I found this book a lot more adventurous than the last and some of the events that occurred were completely unexpected and i found that Miss Jones was not as frightened to take risks in this book, some of which made me go OMG pretty loudly.
There's a significant increase in deaths in this installment and you will find yourself stunned by the characters that do bow out and how they do so. Lets just say, deaths by pixies and various other magical means are not normal.

There's a lot of character development in this book and despite the absence of Nick he is by no means forgotten. In fact to an extent, the whole plot revolves around finding him and i was stunned by Zara's strength and commitment in finding him.  And it is Zara that develops the most, it was extraordinary to watch her go from strength to strength and make some truly difficult decisions.
The usual suspects are also a solid part of this novel and i loved Issie and Devyn to bits and Cassidy gained a lot more depth and character in this story.
Zara's grandmother was her usual strong self and there was a lot more of Zara's mother who, as i have previously mentioned, is not as likable for most of this book as she has been in others.

The ending is once again the sort that would leave any reader longing for the next in the series, as i am, but unlike the others the cliffhanger is not a tense 'i will scream if i don't read the next book in the series'.
Truly wonderful, romantic, mythical and raises some interesting questions regarding prejudice and what it means to be human.

Forever Frost by Kailin Gow

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults

Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

Following on from Bitter Frost, Forever Frost finds Breena in the Summer Palace at the Summer Queen's mercy facing a difficult task in persuading the queen to let her go.

Eventually, Bree finds herself taking Princess Shasta (Kian's Sister) back to the Winter Court, in exchange for her mother who is being held hostage in the Summer Court.

She also has her sights set on finding Kian and is still heartbroken from her friend Logan's death. But things don't go to plan and the Pixies have other ideas...

Of course myself as a reader knew that Logan was still alive and so i had the expectation the pixies were up to something and i found it eye opening to learn more about the pixies who clearly are not as evil as have been depicted (despite what they do, i get the feeling their not solely to blame)

Although i have to admit that Delano is still a pervert wanting to marry and have kids with a sixteen year old girl.

Anyway, back to the point, the pixie side of the story wasn't the most surprising to me, it was acutally a lot of little revelaitons along the way such as the reason Shasta was in the Summer Court and the origins of both the Faerie queens (who aren't what they appear to be) but i'll talk about this more a little later.

I learned a lot more character wise in this book. Breena is clearly a lot stronger than she appears and she takes on her role of summer princess with pride and her responsibilities seriously. But like all teens she still has teen issues such as choosing between guys who like her and it was interesting watching her make such decisions when also trying to consider a political standing.

Kian displayed a much softer side in this book and Logan displayed a level of devotion i only wish i could find in a guy.

But in honesty, the stars of the book were the queens to me, as more and more were revealed about their roles in events, even i couldnt fail to be amazed by how much they had affected the events that had occured.

I was surprised by how different they both were and even more surprised to find which was the kinder of the two. As events unfolded i couldn't help but feel deeply for both queens but for very different reasons. And it made a change to gain a better understanding of both monarchs as opposed to having them as often mentioned but never really used, characters.

Leading on from that, the ending left me truly gobsmacked. For one, i honestly didn't see it coming and for another it was heartbreaking. I most definately do not envy Breena's situation.

I only hope all is resolved nicely in Silver Frost, which i can't wait to read!

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adult
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

Darklight continues a few months after Wondrous strange finished. Sonny is still in the Otherworld and is still hunting the remaining members of the Wild Hunt. Kelley is currently rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and waiting for Sonny to return to her. But there are things in motion that neither Kelley or Sonny have foreseen and the lead players are not who they appear to be and even more seems to stand in between Sonny and Kelley being together.

I really, really liked this novel, although my one gripe is that it took a while to get to the point. Lots of seemingly random things happened but then took a while to come together. My problem was that i started to lose a little patience between events happening and the plot coming together and i forgot certain parts. In honesty, this is a minor thing. Because when it did come together i had one of those, Ah Ha! moments and it all made sense, even if it was a bit dragged out. Anyways, onto the many positives...

There is rather a lot of plot development and character development within this book. As a reader i got to see different sides to Sonny and Kelley and this helped to reinforce the fact that neither is perfect, which is something i loved about these two characters. That despite there obvious non-normalness, they are still normal in their ability to screw up so to speak. We also get to see the developments and twists in their romance as well which leads to a heartbreaking decision on Kelley's part that left me on the verge of tears.

The plot develops nicely and things that seemed of only slight consequence in the last book become of vital importance. It was also nice to see Mahb play such a different role on this book as well. I find her character fascinating, though i'm not sure why. It was also weird watching Oberon behaving somewhat different to what i'm used to and he makes a confession about his part in the events of Samhain that somewhat surprised me.

I don't want to say too much so i'll finish by saying that this book is a rather charming faerie story but with a more adventurous and dark edge to it. I also adivise that you pay attention to the events so that it all comes together easier nearer the conclusion. And finally...this is a twisty, romantic, well-written magical faerie tale with a cliff-hanger that will leave you demanding the next in the series be released early. Can't wait for the release of tempestuous!

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Target Audience: Young Adults/Adults
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

It took me longer than i would have liked to read this because of everyday things like work, eating, sleeping :-) But i loved it so much, in a way even more than the first in the series. If i was to sum this up in five words they would be: Riveting, Romantic, Unputdownable, terrifying and beautiful.

The Iron Daughter picks up a little while after the events of the Iron King. Ash has taken Meghan to the Winter Court and left her at the mercy of his mother; Queen Mab. Meghan also finds that her powers are cut off and that she can't use her glamour from the summer fey side of her heritage and to make things worse Puck has still not returned from being healed.

There were so many twists, turns, revelations and surprises that i found myself shocked on several occsasions throughout reading this. But having said that, the events that did occur weren't stupidly pulled out of the blue. The hints were there, but cleverly disguised on several occasions i had one of those 'of course, how thick am i?' moments. Some of the events in the previous book such as Meghan having her memories taken come back to haunt in this novel (although i don't want to say how because i don't want to spoil it) and we also end up with a so called bad guy turning friend as well, and i totally loved that by the end.

With regards to the characters, i have to say, my favourite was Puck. He played a much bigger role in this installment and i found it fascinating how much his relationship with Meghan developed. He truly is the perfect best friend and i would personally love to have him in my life. I'm also a big fan of 'puck brand' humour, the guy is hilarious and he is responsible for most of the laughs that occur throughout the novel.
Meghan also develops a lot in this as she tries to make her way without Ash's help, she grows a lot stronger and independent, while still keeping her healthy emotional side. Her powers also develop oddly as we see some rather weird and wonderful things occur around her, and i found some of it to be a strange turn of events, and i can't wait to see where it will lead.

Ash also changes a lot and we get to see a much softer side to him in this book and also the abosolute depth of his feelings for Meghan, as he makes sacrifices i simply could not imagine.

As well as the old faces, there also some new, including Leanansidhe (i think i spelt that right!). She is awesome! Imagine your stereotypical gay stylist but in female form and you have her. And its so funny, i just never imagined any fae being like that until she came into the picture. She is truly a brilliant and inventive character!

Now for my view on the romance aspect, and what a romance it is. A bit more complex than in the last book as Meghan gets torn between Ash who claims it can't be and Puck who worships the ground she walks on. I won't tell you what the outcome was because i don't want to spoil it. But it did make me go awwwwww and nearly sob my heart out at the end, it was truly a beautiful conclusion to the novel, although it does end on a cliffhanger with several things left unresolved, things that i really badly want answered so i can't wait for The Iron Queen!

Honestly, if you loved The Iron King, then this is a must read. Romance, danger, magical creatures and a twist on a popular genre, make this one of the champions of the Faerie Genre. Love it!

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance


I found this along with Rules of Attraction in Waterstones metrocentre and had to buy it because it's one of those books that i've meaning to read for ages but could never find a copy, so when i saw it, i grabbed it. BUT...i didn't expect to fall in love with it as much as i did, it is fantastic!


Kelley Winslow is 17-years-old and chasing a dream to become an actress in New York City. Originally an understudy for the role of Titania she finds herself promoted when the original actress hurts herself. Feeling a connection to central park, she decides to practice her lines there where she meets Sonny who, though she doesn't know it yet, is a Janus guard, a changeling who is charged with guarding the gate between faerie and the mortal realm along with 12 others. Events soon take a turn and Kelley and Sonny find themselves involved in events that could literally end in the death of thousands of people and have the diffcult task of stopping it from happening.


There were so many things about this novel that i could rave about because it was simply awesome. The plot was addictive and fast paced and i found myself turning the pages extremelly quickly in order to find out what happened next. Try as i might, i couldn't see the way the plot was going to take and i was left surprised by how things turned out, which is good, i hate it when stories are predictable. Every twist made me gasp and i loved the path the story took, especially that final cliffhanger twist that allowed for a sequel.


The characters themselves were brilliant, Sonny and Kelley were by far my favourites, and their romance was beautiful, realistic yet innocent and sparkling (loved the shakesperean refrences). Bob was awesome too, i thought his characterisation was fantastic and he provided a bit of needed humour to the plot. With regards to other characters, the other shining star was the Kelpie. Yes, it doesn't speak and he just stands still for most of the novel, but i couldn't help but fall in love with it. Such a sweet thing :-)


I've given this full marks for everything, it has a brilliant plot, wonderful characters and the romance sparkles while allowing for some heart-stopping action and a novel that simply fizzes with magic!

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Fantasy

I finished this the day before i went on holiday and so haven't had a chance to review this until now, so ive had a week to forget a lot of the very fine details because I've had a lot to think about this week. But i will do my best.

To summerise, Dana is a teenager who has to deal with her mothers drunken state nearly all of the time and she has never met her father who apparently is a very dangerous Fae lord.

Sick of having to look after her mother, she leaves and goes to find her father in Avalon, but little does she know she posseses abilities that will ultimately make her a pawn in a battle for supremecy of the fairie world.

Needless to say theres a lot more to it than my own brief description and there were several things that made this book stand out from the other faerie novels i've read. The first of these was the merging of the fae and human world.

The idea that humans know about the existence of the fae and that there's a place where the two overlap was fascinating. It was amusing to see people buying t-shirts stating welcome to avalon, like they were visiting New York or London, i cracked up imagining it.

As well as being original in setting and ideas, i especially loved the mystery parts of the story and trying to figure out who was plotting with who and against who. It was confusing at times, but i loved it all the same, and i truly didnt see ending coming.

With regards to the characters, i thought Dana was awesome, not too strong as to be unrealistic, but able to handle a lot of what is thrown at her, a skill she obviously learned from dealing with her drunk mother.

She also isn't afraid to admit she is wrong, another trait i found refreshing as so many lead characters out there are way too egotistic and unable to back down.

Ethan i took a dislike to until the very end (the reason will become obvious once you get to the end, but i totally loved his sister Kimber who was awesome, girly and very gutsy.

In all honesty, i think this is one of the best fae books i've ever read, right up their with The Iron King, and i found the dialogue, plot and characters wonderfully different and witty in just the right parts.

Full Marks!

Bitter Frost by Kailin Gow

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Fantasy/Romance

This book is simply short and sweet. At only roughly 196 pages for the actual story it has to be one of the shortest i've read, and i would have loved to have had more backstory about some of the characters, but that is my only complaint.

I loved this, the characters were relatable, the plot was engaging and it ended on a fantastic cliffhanger, so much so i want the sequel now. Despite being short, a surprising amount happens, and as the reader i found myself breathless as event after event took place, and i couldn't help but really feel for the situation that Breena finds herself in.

The romance is beautifully told and i loved how the relationships developed over the course of the book, and despite the sheer number of romances i've read, this one really touched my heart. There was something beautiful and innocent about it that i couldn't let go of :-)

Anyways, stunning story and brilliantly written, can't wait for the next in the series

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Fantasy

I like to start with the positives wherever possible so that's what i do. Firstly, i'd like to say i want to give this a very good/ok rating rather than just an okay because it was slightly more than average but not into the awesome rating. When i have a split opinion like this i do find it easier to bullet point, so please do excuse my use of incorrect paragraphs:

1. The concept was wonderful and so unqiue that i was captured by it from start to finish. At times the devastation left from the war was so bad that i forgot it was set in a future/present time (i never found out which). It was only when Liza started having visions with roads and cars etc that i got reminded what century the book was set in.

2. The setting was another positive, for the whole book all you see is the damage left from Faerie attacks but then i felt an awful twist inside when i got a glimpse of the damage done to the Faerie world, it left me feeling stunned.

3. I have to admire an author who writes a faerie story that has hardly any faeries in it, and those that do are not the focal characters, in fact the impression i got was the fae were supposed to me merged more with our world than before.

4. The ending surprised me and i was left feeling very sad with the death of the poor cat. (poor tallow) It might sound silly but that cat was one of my favourite characters. And when Rebecca disappeared for the final time, i had to choke back a sob.

BUT...there some things that niggled me which brought the mark to a 3.5 (however much it hurt to, because the ending really moved me)

1. The characters weren't given enough depth, and i felt that i never got to know them very well at all and as a result i didn't particularly get attached to any of them. (Although i really loved Rebecca the shadow child and Tallow the cat!)

2. The plot itself also lacked depth. I would have loved the book to be more detailed and descriptive. Not too over done, but it would have been nice to know why the war happened for example, or what happened during the war. I appriciate that it was probably meant to be written this way, but i felt i needed to know more, or maybe that's just me.

In summery this was a good book. Loved the concept and plot but could have done with more description and character depth. But otherwise good. I'll probably still try some of her other books when i get the chance!

Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith

Target Audience: Kids/Teens
Genre: Faerie/Fantasy

To start with, i'd just like to say that i hate giving bad reviews for anything, but i wouldn't be honest if i said this was good. Don't get me wrong, some of the ideas were brilliant and there was massive potential for this to be an engaging and exciting read, but to me it just fell flat.

To start with, the story came across as confusing and disjointed, with no apparent direction and it seemed to take forever for any conclusions to be drawn, something that infuriated me to no end.

The characters themselves were another problem, there was a distinct lack of depth to them, as if the reader isn't allowed to get to know them properly or love them. The result? I really didn't care what happened to them by the end, which is unusual for me!

Also some of the things that happened weren't explained properly until further after the event, which i found distracting. I'd be reading about something else on page 200 and something and then something from 100 pages back would be explained. Not sure why really, i spent a lot of my time making 'eh?!' noises.

I do think that if this had been more organised and well written this would have been an amazing book. The idea of the story i don't have a problem with, the writing could definitely be improved upon.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Faerie/Romance

***Contains Quite A Few Spoilers***


I honestly can't find any fault with this book, which has to a be a rare occurence for me, i usually manage to pick on something, but i honestly can't!

I'm a big fan of faerie stories and admittedly i like it when one comes along that surprises me by adding an unexpected twist, in this case the Iron Fey are introduced, which i have to admit (despite the title) i didn't quite comprehend exactly who the Iron Fey were until they appeared.
But before i get onto that, i think i'll give a brief description ans summary of the actual plot:

Meghan Chase is a 15, soon to be, 16 year old girl who has never really fit in, and whose only friend is Robbie whose been in her life since forever. After an incident in the computer lab at school, Meghan finds herself humiliated at school and her birthday is then ruined when her four-year-old half-brother Ethan is switched for a changeling.
Determined to bring her brother back, Meghan enters the land of the Nevernever with Robbie in order to bring him back, but things are a lot more complicated than they seem and Meghan has more than one person after her...

Story wise, i found the pace absolutely breathtaking, yet not so insanely fast that i lost track of the events as they unfolded on the pages. Just when i thought i knew where the plot was going, another twist was flung up and i felt surprise at the turns it took so many times that i actually stopped trying to guess what was going to happen next because it was pointless (in a very good way).

Another difference i noticed was the authors ability to merge both science/computing with the Fey, something that i've wondered about for a while. The idea was amazing and in the wrong hands could have been a disaster, but it wasn't (just check out the character named 'Virus', think computers and you'll get the idea!) I loved the idea of human thought influencing the world of the Fey in such a way that you end up with Fey that are Iron/computer orientated, and in such are deadly to the Seelie and Unseelie courts.
For all those romance fans out there, there's the wonderfully complicated relationship between Meghan (the halfling daughter of the Seelie king) and Ash (the son of the unseelie queen), and although star-crossed love has been done countless times, there was something about those two characters that made it different in a beautiful way that i can't quite explain.

When considering the chracters i absolutely loved them all. Meghan was warm, brave and so damn stubborn (but in a good way) i admired her determination to do what she had to do, and her relationships with both Puck and Ash were brilliantly told. Puck was the classic protective best friend, with a rather strange twist to him and Ash was the dark, mysterious, icy prince whose heart begins to thaw as the book progresses.
Oberon and Titania were brilliant in their own way too, and i loved the literary refrences to 'A Midsummers Night Dream'. Although my overall opinion of Oberon is that he can be a selfish jerk at times!

Anyways, to summarise, this is a MUST READ, no doubt about it. Myth, faeries, romance, war and one amazing cliff-hanger ending will have you longing for the next in the series!

Need by Carrie Jones

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Faerie/Fantasy

***Contains Spoilers***

Although i categorise Need as a Faerie Story, i do it in a very broad way because technically it's about Pixies and Weres and it's one of the scariest books i've read and it took me a while to figure out exactly why.

Need starts with Zara being sent to stay with her Grandmother after the death of her father to help her keep her sanity. Traumatised by her fathers death, Zara is obsessed with phobias and constantly chants them when she's feeling scared and needs to calm down quickly, something that comes in useful further into the book.
When she starts at the new school she meets nick, a strange boy who is definately hiding something, and her two new friends Issie and Devyn (who also seem to really like one another).
Shortly after her arrival in Maine things really start to get weird, with a strange guy stalking her and leaving trails of gold dust, not to mention the weird feeling she gets when the stalker is near (which is described as spiders crawling over her skin)
Once it becomes obvious that it's a Pixie king stalking her the horror really notches up and it becomes clear that there are secrets that the people in her life have kept hidden from her.

As the main character, Zara is an easy person to relate to for anyone who has felt awkward, out of place and scared in some way. And i had to admire her bravery when faced with some truly horrifying events and truths. I also really liked Nick, even if he did really annoy me at one point by being a judgemental little...
Well you get the picture :-) Overall he's a good guy, very smart, daring always protecting others when in dangerous situations.
Issie and Devyn are also awesome characters. Issie is a little bit mad and i found myself loving her personality and Devyn is definately the knowledgable one of the group. They might sound like a mixed bunch of individuals, but it's part of what really makes the story, and the way they all work together is brilliant.

Moving on to what i actually thought of the story, i have to say i enjoyed it thoroughly and tension between the pixies and humans was, well, tense. One particular chapter in which Zara is trapped in a room with a Pixie outside the door was absolutely terrifying, knowing they could get her anywhere but in that one room was a bit scary and claustrophobic.
Overall, this an exciting, original and, at times, terrifying read that i could barely put down. Beautifully written and an unexpected crash course in phobias, this is definately a book to read!