Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean (Secret McQueen, #1)

Some secrets are dangerous. This Secret is deadly.
For Secret McQueen, her life feels like the punch line for a terrible joke. Abandoned at birth by her werewolf mother, hired as a teen by the vampire council of New York City to kill rogues, Secret is a part of both worlds, but belongs to neither. At twenty-two, she has carved out as close to a normal life as a bounty hunter can.

When an enemy from her past returns with her death on his mind, she is forced to call on every ounce of her mixed heritage to save herself—and everyone else in the city she calls home. As if the fate of the world wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s Lucas Rain, King of the East Coast werewolves, who seems to believe he and Secret are fated to be together. Too bad Secret also feels a connection with Desmond, Lucas’s second-in-command…

Product Warnings
This book contains a sarcastic, kick-ass bounty hunter; a metaphysical love triangle with two sexy werewolves; a demanding vampire council; and a spicy seasoning of sex and violence.
-from Goodreads

I’m torn what to think about about this book. I liked it. I definitely did. But it pushed a couple buttons I don’t like being pushed: love triangles and cliffhangers.

There’s really no way around the cliffhanger I suppose, but the love triangle was definitely interesting. It was better than most, yes, but it’s also partly because there didn’t really seem to be any time to get to know and make a connection with either werewolf, despite there being sex. I was all, “Woe! Who to choose?!” even as Secret is smexing it up with one of her love triangle options. It’s likely this made it easier to deal.

Other than that, I adored this world, and I adored Secret. Secret is bad ass, and she’s got a secret. A big one. It influences her decisions and basically her entire life. I wanted to spend more time getting to know Secret and her world, but this book felt remarkably short. Too short, almost, and incomplete, given the cliffhanger.

I want to know what happens next, though. Even if I am a little worried about said love triangle.

Note: downloaded as a free Amazon download on Feb. 1, 2012

Pyxis: The Discovery by K.C. Neal (Pyxis, #1)

Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring. Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path.
Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world–and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.
-from Goodreads

I’m not really sure what I was expecting from Pyxis, but I was pleasantly surprised. My largest complaint about Pyxis was the lack of information, and a few of Corinne’s choices (which made me want to smack her upside the head a bit).

Pyxis is a relatively short book that yes, ended on a cliffhanger, but I was suitably entertained enough to be interested in picking up the next book in the series.

Though I would have liked more background information about the Pyxis and various roles, I felt that it was a pretty unique concept, and uniqueness is always a valued commodity in YA books these days.

Pyxis was a free download from Amazon I picked up on March 6, 2012.

Ascension by Felicity E. Heaton

A witch on the verge of achieving phenomenal power, Lealandra must turn to her half-breed demon ex-lover Taig for protection from the dark force that is after her and also from her own magic.
With her Counter-Balance dead and her coven against her, Taig’s blood and power is the only thing that can help her control her magic and survive the ascension and gain the strength to defeat her enemy.

Old feelings come flooding back as Taig allows her into his world and Lealandra finds herself fighting not only for survival but to win his broken heart again and heal the pain in their past. Can he forgive her for walking out on him all those years ago and will he ever believe her when she tells him that he’s not a monster but the man that she loves?
-from Goodreads

I didn’t dislike this book, though I didn’t particularly like it, either. I suppose a 2.5 rating would be more accurate. I went in looking for some smut, and got, as Tara said, a lot of repetitiveness about love and feelings, to the point where I got confused about who thought what and I just started to skim. First they were sure the other loved them, then they didn’t know because the words “I love you” were never mentioned and it just kind of got tangled all up.

The world building was minimal, and I could have done with a little more information about witches and demons (and vampires) as they seemed to play by slightly different rules than I’m used to. Perhaps I could have overlooked this in favor of the romance, but the romance wasn’t a favorite.

I also caught a few typos and that always rankles my inner editor.

I got Ascension as a free download from Amazon on March 25, 2012.

Summer’s Crossing by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey, #3.5)

A Midsummer’s Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon’s right hand, bane of many a faery queen’s existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl’s death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.
Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone’s come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck’s help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.
-from Goodreads

Summer’s Crossing was a fun jaunt in Puck’s world. Normally I am not a fan of novellas because there is either too much or too little story. But not here! This was a quick, simple story about Puck and Ash and one of their adventures between full length novels.

I also found myself liking Puck a lot more in this novella than in previous books. He was fun, and you have got to love his pranks.

Summer’s Crossing was a free Kindle download on October 22, 2011.

Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels, #5.4)

A dinner date after a hard day at work sounds heavenly. Of course, when that date is between the Beast Lord and Kate Daniels, things don’t go as planned. Before you know it, undead are running amok, heads are being chopped off, lawyers are deployed and used with extereme prejudice, and drunk vikings are calling people out.
-from Goodreads

This was JUST what I needed to survive the wait between Kate Daniels books (hopefully Gunmetal Magic will help with that as well at the end of July). I actually really enjoyed the brief look into Kate and Curran’s life and was very satisfied with how their relationship is progressing. You know, now that they’re together, I had fears that their relationship would become complacent, but if the sixth book goes something like this, I think those fears will be assuaged.

With the world and characters already established, Magic Gifts really did feel like the perfect mini-story between books. So glad Kelly convinced me to read this one.

Magic Gifts was a free download I got from the author’s website on December 29th, 2011.

Copyright © 2011-2013 On a Book Bender, All Rights Reserved

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
(Iron Fey, #4)

Links
Julie Kagawa — Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon — Paperback | Kindle
Add it to Goodreads

Book Order

1.  The Iron King
2. The Iron Daughter
3. The Iron Queen
4.  The Iron Knight

Why I Started Reading This Series

I started reading the Iron Fey series because Tara told me to.  Though I admit that it is not my favorites series, and at times disliked Meghan and the love triangle, I needed The Iron Knight.  Though The Iron Queen could stand on its own as the end, I wanted more.  I wanted the happy ending.  I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Iron Knight through NetGalley, and I was glad I did.  I needed what this final book provided to the series.

Summary

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.
-from Goodreads

Thoughts on Book 4

I almost gave up on this book.  Those who have read the book before and know of my dislike of love triangles will understand why.  There is an appearance of a certain character that throws the balance of this book off about a third of the way through and I wanted to give up in despair.  I’m glad I did not.  Though I struggled with certain elements of the book, the struggle is necessary, just as Ash’s journey to find his soul was necessary.

I found Ash’s narration to be the perfect reflection of who he is and what he quest was on.  Throughout the series, I liked Ash more than Meghan, and I enjoyed delving into Ash’s perspective.  At times, however, especially toward the beginning of the book, I almost felt that Ash was too distant and aloof.  But then, those feelings are needed to contrast with who Ash must become to possess a soul.  We can literally track his change.

The Iron Knight tore me up.  I was not even sure how to rate this final installment, but no matter my problems with the book, the ending more than makes up for the frustration and pain.  In fact, everything that Ash is dragged through is necessary, as though everything must happen for a reason.  It does, but it does not necessarily make sense at the time.  That is simply how life works.

Seeing Ash and Puck together was fantastic.  We got an inside look into their relationship, and it gave me an appreciation for their history and everything that they went through together.  Puck was one of those secondary characters that tended to steal the show at time, not just in this book, but throughout the entire series.  The Iron Fey series would not have been the same without Puck.  And, of course, we can’t forget the special treat that is Grim, either.  The Iron Knight was a necessary part of the Iron Fey journey; not only did it provide closure to Meghan and Ash’s relationship, it also gave us a chance to get inside the mind of Ash and really get to know him in a way that we had not had before.

Other Reviews
Gone with the Words
Creative Deeds
Reading the Paranormal

Copyright © 2011-2013 On a Book Bender, All Rights Reserved

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey, #3) 

Links
Julie Kagawa — Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon — Paperback | Kindle
Book Depository — Paperback
Add it to Goodreads

Book Order

1. The Iron King
2. The Iron Daughter
3. The Iron Queen 
4. The Iron Knight (October 25, 2011)

Why I Started Reading This Series and General Thoughts

The Iron Fey series was one originally recommended to me by Tara (does that surprise anyone? no? okay).  I started The Iron King during my Bout of Books read-a-thon, and was enchanted by the story enough to buy and start reading The Iron Daughter soon afterward.  The love triangle spoiled some of my initial enjoyment of the series, but I managed to pick up The Iron Queen.  Except for a few minor details that bothered me, The Iron Queen was a fantastic read, and now I’m dying to read The Iron Knight.

You Might Enjoy This Series If…

Fans of YA paranormal will probably enjoy this series.

Summary

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.
-from Goodreads

Thoughts on Book 3

Before I really get into this review, I have a couple of observations about my ratings: 1. I’ve been feeling like I’ve been inflating my grades (not on purpose, of course, just unintentionally) so I have been trying to be more honest in my ratings, 2. I’ve been noticing that if I start a book and don’t finish it the same day, I generally like it less, as if the act of putting it down and starting again the next day gives me time to get critical about it.  I am not really sure what I can do about this phenomenon though.  And I did read The Iron Queen over the course of a couple days, so keep that in mind with my review.

Okay, so now that the love triangle drama is pretty much over (thank goodness), I enjoyed The Iron Queen much more than I would have if the triangle had continued.  There were a few instances where Meghan got on my nerves with her reactions (overreaction, much?), and in these moments I struggled a bit, because I really just wanted to roll my eyes and smack her upside the head for her idiocy.

In some ways, I thought that the conclusion of the story was predictable — the entire series thus far has been leading to that point, and I’d wondered about it multiple times (and duh, the titles kind of make it obvious).  But predictable or not, The Iron Queen was an enjoyable read that gave us some more answers (finally?), and wrapped up a big part of the series plot.  But there are still some questions that remain, which mean I must get my hands on The Iron Knight.  And the sooner the better.

Other Reviews
The Unread Reader
Gone with the Words
The Grammarian’s Reviews
Supernatural Snark
Parakjunkee
25 Hour Books

Copyright © 2011-2013 On a Book Bender, All Rights Reserved

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey, #2) 

Links
Julie Kagawa — Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon — Paperback | Kindle
Book Depository — Paperback
Add it to Goodreads 

Book Order

1. The Iron King
2. The Iron Daughter 
3. The Iron Queen
4. The Iron Knight

Why I Started This Series and General Thoughts

I read The Iron King as part of the Bout of Books readathon, and it got stuck in the back of my head, so I decided I had to get the next book.  The Iron Fey series was originally recommended to me by Tara.  The Iron Daughter is a good continuation of the series, but it suffered a bit in my eyes, for reasons I will soon explain, or perhaps are obvious if you read my in six words summary.  Despite my hang-ups, I’ll probably continue with the series, though perhaps just not right now.

You Might Enjoy This Series If…

If you are a YA paranormal fan with an interest in the fey, you might enjoy this series.  And if you haven’t read the first book, and you’re still reading this, I suggest you stop and go pick up The Iron King before coming back here.

Summary

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan’s own fey powers have been cut off. She’s alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can’t help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.
-from Goodreads

Thoughts on Book 2

Fair warning: I hate love triangles.  Abhor them.  The only love triangle I only kind of but not really supported was the love triangle in The Mortal Instruments series because I understood the necessity of it.  The love triangle in The Iron Daughter had me wanting to bang my head on my desk, and what started off as heart-warming and romantic moments were completely and utterly ruined by the love triangle rearing its ugly head.  You know why I hate love triangles?  Because I always know exactly who I want, and I get pissed off when anything interferes with getting what — who, rather — I want.  So, I was not happy with this book, and I was ready to rate The Iron Daughter a solid B…until I read the ending.  That got it a + plus from me, but that’s it.  No more!  I cannot condone the use of love triangles.

I find that, although this series is incredibly fascinating and it certainly pulls me in, it is predictable at times.  Predictable as in I know how the characters (vagueness included lest I spoil it by saying who) will get out of dire situations before they do.  It’s obvious.  And it’s not even explained or even explored why it is the way that it is.  Neither are Meghan’s fey powers, really.  I’m definitely an information whore, and I wished this aspect was somehow touched on rather than simply accepting its existence (or lack thereof).

Other than all that, The Iron Daughter was an engrossing read, and I am interested to see where Julie Kagawa takes the characters next.

Other Reviews
The Grammarian’s Reviews
Gone with the Words
25 Hour Books

Copyright © 2011-2013 On a Book Bender, All Rights Reserved

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey, #1) 

Links
Julie Kagawa — Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon — Paperback | Kindle
Book Depository — Paperback
Add it to Goodreads

Book Order

1. The Iron King 
2. The Iron Daughter
3. The Iron Queen
4. The Iron Knight (Oct 25, 2011)

Why I Started This Series and General Thoughts

Another book (and series) recommended to me by Tara.  I received The Iron King from Audrey for a July RAK.  I’ve also seen tons of talk around the blogosphere about this series and know that it is beloved by many.  I read it as part of my Bout of Books read-a-thon, and despite a slow start, really enjoyed The Iron King.

Summary

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny–one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth– that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
-from Goodreads

Thoughts on Book 1

Perhaps that I had been warned it might take time before I got into the book better prepared me than if I hadn’t known.  It did take a bit before I settled into the story, but the aforementioned knowledge and a nasty case of cramps (TMI? sorry; reading keeps my mind off the pain) kept me pushing forward.  Also, I was slightly weirded out by the names at the very beginning because Kyle has a sister-in-law named Meghann and a brother named Luke.  And I’ve got a friend whose son — who is 4 — is named Ethan.  Coincidences are fun, no?  Maybe it is for this reason many fictional characters have such unique names.  Anyway.  The Iron King was the first book (I think) I’ve read set in the fae world and about them as well.  Other books have features fae characters, either as enemies or very uneasy and untrustworthy allies, so this was an interesting change of pace.

Meghan struck me as naive and somewhat annoying at the beginning of The Iron King.  A couple times I had to roll my eyes at what she got into.  It was probably necessary for the story to move forward, but it still made me roll my eyes.  Once Puck, Ash, Meghan and Grim all got together on their adventure, I started getting pulled into the story.  I really enjoyed the four of these characters together, and the relationship (or lack thereof?) between Puck and Ash promise to make the next books in this series good ones.

I’m trying to decide whether the end would be considered a cliffhanger or not.  To me, it’s a logical conclusion of the story while at the same time indicating that Meghan’s story isn’t over yet.  And when you consider that The Iron King is the beginning of the series, it’s obvious Meghan’s story is far from being complete.  And I will definitely pick up the next books, especially since they are supposed to get better from here.  But I don’t feel forced to do this, like I did with other series that will remain nameless. *cough*feverseries*cough*

You Might Enjoy This Book If…

I think I’m pretty behind the reading curve on this series, but I suspect this book (and series) will appeal to YA paranormal fans.

Other Reviews
Logan E. Turner
Reading the Paranormal
Gone with the Words
The Violet Hour
The Grammarian’s Reviews
25 Hour Books
holes in my brain

Copyright © 2011-2013 On a Book Bender, All Rights Reserved