The Iron Daughter - Julie Kagawa

I was hungry. My stomach growled, and the apple felt cool and crisp in my hand. Before I knew it, I’d taken a bite. Sweet, tart juice flooded my mouth, with just a hint of bitter after taste. “He was a perfect gentleman,” I said with my mouth full, my voice sounding strange in my ears. “He helped me rescue my brother from the Iron King. I couldn't have done it without him.”

Rowan reclined and gave me a lazy smile. “Do tell.”

The Iron Daughter is book no.2 in The Iron Fey series (no.3 if you count the e-novellas). It takes off from where the last book left off, for the most part. There is an e-novella that follows the transition from book 1 to book 2 but you don’t need to have read it to follow the story. Meghan made a deal with Ash in book one so book two finds her holding up her end of the bargain. Meghan is stuck in Tir Na Nog with Mab, Ash and his brothers to witness the exchanging of the Scepter of the Seasons. All appears to be going well until some iron fey appear and cause disarray in the Winter Court. The reappearance of Ironhorse and a few more favorites tie the new adventure together nicely. The relationship between Meghan and Ash and Puck reminds me a lot of Twilight so if you loved that series I would suggest giving this one a go.

Author website: http://juliekagawa.com/wordpress/

UnEnchanted - Chandra Hahn

“You’re right. You’re old enough to know the truth, to share the burden.” Sara waited until Charlie had left the kitchen and headed for a second round of favorite objects to pack away. “Mina, I’ve lied to you about your name, about everything.”“Okay,” she said, her voice sounding shaky.“Our last name isn’t Grime. It’s Grimm. And for as long as I could remember, we’ve been trying to outrun it.”“Outrun what exactly?”“Outrun what killed your father years ago…the Grimm curse.”

Fractured fairy tales are always fun to write, and read, but this is a different take on them completely. The story focuses around Mina Grime (Grimm) a teenager who always has ‘weird’ things happen to her. When they happen her mother freaks out and they move, again. UnEnchanted focuses on Minas story, it introduces the reader to her Mom, brother, best friend and high school crush while interweaving some of them into various fairy tales without her knowledge. Turns out Mina is a Grimm and her ancestors were cursed into completing fairy tale quests. It killed Mina’s Dad and so her mother has always run from it. Mina decides she has to protect her mute baby brother from the same fate so she tries to take on the tales herself. A fascinating take on some well known Brothers Grimm tales. If you enjoy stories with faeries and big bad wolves, with a little high school angst and romance, then this is a tale for you.

http://chandahahn.com/

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

I AWOKE TO LOW VOICES, talking in furtive tones, just beyond the curtains. I tried to love, but it felt like my body was wrapped in cotton, my head filled with gauze. I struggled to keep my eyes open. On the other side of the sheets, I saw two silhouettes.     “Don’t do anything reckless,” warned a low, gravelly voice. The nurse, I thought, wondering, in my delirium, if she would give me more of that chocolaty stuff. “Remember, your duty is to watch the girl. You must not do anything that will draw attention.”

The Iron King is book no.1 in The Iron Fey series. Meghan Chase is a normal teenage girl, at least she was, until her 16th birthday. She comes home from school to discover a changeling in the place of her baby brother and discovers her best friend is in fact Robin Goodfellow. Following a series of strange events Meghan finds herself travelling into a mythical world she thought only existed in stories. What begins as a journey to save her baby brother turns into an adventure and a fight for her freedom.

http://juliekagawa.com/wordpress/