Cait Files 30 Books In 30 Days

 30 Books in 30 Days

Cait Files is holding a special event in June. The aim is to read a book a day, or at least attempt to. How will you fair? Sign up today at Cait Files to join! I will be doing weekly updates every Tuesday.

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The Iron Witch Review

The Iron Witch 

Karen Mahoney

Published 20th January 2011

Corgi Childrens

"Donna is a freak. An outcast. Branded with iron tattoos that cover her hands and arms, she is cursed with a magically-enhanced strength that she does everything she can to hide.

But now, the dark outcasts of Faerie are coming and Donna must choose between saving her best friend - or betraying one of the world's greatest secrets." From the back cover

Amy’s adumbrations

The Iron Witch has one of the prettiest covers I’ve seen. I just love everything about it.

When I first opened the book and started reading I was a little put off. I found Donna to be a little self-deprecatory, and the scene akin to some episode from One Tree Hill. However, once I’d got over this small problem I started to enjoy the story.

We meet the love interest Xan very early on, which is quite usual in YA. The romance does not over shadow the story though, as this can sometimes dissuade many people. I was somewhat unsure about the love triangle too, as it was distracting, and I personally feel, unnecessary.

The story is slightly different from the usual faerie tales, as Donna is the one aware of the things that go bump in the night. One significant aspect was that the other characters are introduced to her world, rather than the ‘girl meets world’ cliché that is so popular today. I found this to be refreshing, and it endeared me to The Iron Witch.

There was a nice pace to the novel, and the characters were interesting. I also enjoyed the different spin on elves and faeries. Furthermore, I found Xan to be sweet, and he really made the book for me. 

I found many parts of this to be cliché, as well as parts rehashed from other novels I’ve read. In addition to this I was a little disappointed with the ending, although this is the first book of the trilogoy.

The second in the trilogy The Wood Queen, is set for February 2012. Although The Iron Witch isn’t the best book I’ve read it is worth a read, and I will be investing in the sequel.

I give this book three bags of Milky Way Magic Stars

Cover VS Cover 1

Cover Vs Cover

Weekly meme that compares the front covers of international books at http://asthesepagesfly.blogspot.com/. This week I am going to compare the Night Watch series. 

For those who haven't read or watched the Night Watch...go do it now. 

UK Version. I like this cover as it's dark and coincides with the original film, which I adore. The cover doesn't need anything to be pretty or appealing, as if you're lucky enough to have watched the movie you'll be eating this book up, or vise verse.

The US version is very different, although I think it is pretty unlike the UK version. However, it does not really establish anything significant to the story, and neither do I think a pretty cover is necessary to this story as it's not meant to be pretty.

I wanted to compare it to the original Russian version, but I can't find it anywhere. So this is as far as the comparison will go unfortunately. 

 DVD cover, I think they should make this the book cover too, as it just looks so bad-ass.








Amy

Ultraviolet

 

Ultraviolet 

R J Anderson

Synopsis

"Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. This is not her story. Unless you count the part where I killed her.'

Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution. As she pieces her memory back together, she realizes she’s confessed to murdering Tori Beaugrand, the most perfect girl at school. But the case is a mystery. Tori's body has not been found, and Alison can't explain what happened. One minute she was fighting with Tori. The next moment Tori disintegrated—into nothing."

I came across this book a few weeks ago and it really intrigued me. I was lucky enough to receive it for review. From the first page I was thrown in, which is why I had to finish this in one sitting.

Amy's Adumbrations

Cons:

I couldn't find anything to criticise in all honesty, because I really enjoyed this book. The only thing I could say is it left me wanting more in terms of Alison and Faraday. 

Pros:

There are plenty of pros in favour of this book. Although the pace is not necessarily quick it does set its own, which works well with the story. The characters are all interesting and engaging, and not just because many of them are mentally unwell. My favourite character was Kirk, and I continued to enjoy the light he brought to the book, even when he was dark. I found Kirk to be a constant bit of comic relief, which was useful. 

The most significant aspect I enjoyed was Alison's gift. I don't want to spoil this, as I was actually surprised by it. I expected telekinesis or the usual brands of superpowers, but Alison is far more interesting than that.

Furthermore, I loved the reason for Alison's attraction to Faraday. It was not because he was 'hot' or anything as mundane, but because he tasted like chocolate. There is a girl after my own heart. 

I experienced a full range of emotions while reading this book, which is sign of a great book. I was able to connect emotionally with the main protagonis, but also many of the other characters. Even by the end of the novel I respected and liked Tori. 

Therefore, I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in reading something a little different. The story is beautiful, and full of pretty descriptions which would be out of place in any other area. 

I give this story five bags of Milkyway Magic Stars

 Amy