skip to main |
skip to sidebar
THE IRON WITCH BY KAREN MAHONEYTHE IRON WITCH SAGA #1"When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood's father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy-the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.""But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin-even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect."Donna's life was torn completely apart when her father was killed and she was gravely injured by a nasty group of Fey. They did something to her mother's mind, leaving her irreparably damaged, and incapable of taking care of Donna. In order to heal the damage to her arms, Donna underwent countless surgeries that implanted iron onto her arms creating beautiful, but strange tattoos. The only happy moments in her life come from the time she spends with her best friend, Navin. Things change when she meets the mysterious Xan, who has his own secrets, but Donna still finds herself drawn to him. When Navin gets kidnapped by the wood elves, Donna and Xan team up to rescue him. However the cost of his freedom may just come at too high of a price.This book was very unique, and I loved the Alchemy aspect. I only wished that more than just the surface of those aspects had been scratched. Donna has been kept mostly in the dark about her very secretive order and her own parent's past. I have a feeling as things get revealed, the lines between good and bad will be completely blurred. The order just seemed to have too many strange things to be completely on the up and up. Donna may have thought her life was difficult before, but as she starts to play more of a role in the Alchemic and Fey worlds, she will realize just how wrong she was. However, underneath her timid exterior, she has a solid core that does her nick name of The Iron Witch justice. I cannot wait to see how she grows in future books, as I think once she gets her "bearings" she will be a force to be reckoned with.There were hints at a potential love triangle in the future, but it isn't the typical bad boy/good ole' boy theme you usually see. While Navin hasn't really made any obvious moves towards changing their relationship from being strictly platonic, I just get the feeling that he would like to. In most stories that involve a love triangle, I pick the guy that is the snarky, broody, bad boy type. However, in this book, I find myself choosing Navin. He is such an important part of Donna's life, and both of them have helped each other get through some pretty terrible times. I have a feeling that if Donna had of been more open and honest about her life sooner, he would have opened up and revealed his feelings. Perhaps I am just being overly hopeful, but I just think there is something there. Of course, none of my preferences towards Navin means that I don't like Xan's character. I think he could be good for Donna, and help build her confidence. Perhaps either one of them will surprise me in the next book.This is definitely not a cookie cutter paranormal YA. The world was very unique and mystical, and we have barely even begun to see everything. I can only imagine how complex the "world" is going to get as Donna gets further involved. I look forward to future installments as I really enjoyed this book. It was an incredibly fast read, that seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Definitely a must read debut novel! Two thumbs way up!Rating:Buy now at Amazon:The Iron WitchChallenge Categories:Outdo YourselfYA New Author
