Early Review: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa
Series: The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 29th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) in exchange for an honest review

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice. 

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as “normal” as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he’s forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, “normal” simply isn’t to be. For Ethan’s nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan’s and Keirran’s fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan’s next choice may decide the fate of them all.

Um, wow. I… did not see that ending coming at all. Like, holy crapola, that has got to be the biggest freaking cliffhanger of ALL TIME. God, Julie Kagawa, what are you doing to me?!?

Ahem, well, aside from that ridiculous cliffhanger, I am SO happy with The Iron Traitor. This spinoff series has really stepped up its game. The first book I was only slightly disappointed with, but it was still good, because hello, it’s Julie Kagawa! And besides, it’s hard to measure up to the epic badass-ness that is the original Iron Fey series (If you haven’t read it, GO READ IT). But The Iron Traitor ended up being better than I expected! Ethan was alright in the first book, but in this sequel, he’s certainly wormed his way into my heart. He’s become so endearing, with his snarky wit, his need to be the heroic savior, and just his basic teenage boy-ness that I want more of him! I’m now very much invested in this spinoff series and am dying for more books in the series!

Ethan has grown throughout the series. At first, he completely hates the Fey, because they’ve done nothing but cause trouble to him. But now, after becoming more involved in their world, and meeting other Fey, he can’t exactly hate all Fey. Because like it or not, he’s related to them. His older sister is the queen of the Iron Court, and he has a nephew (who is the same age as Ethan–freaky, right) who he’s become friends with. Keirran is a huge part of Ethan’s transformation. Both their fates are entwined, and not necessarily for the better. It was all very worrisome, to be honest, and I kept feeling like something terrible was going to happen. And oh my god, it did. It was like, BAM, it comes out of nowhere, and I’m just reeling, shocked. If you’re going to read The Iron Traitor (which you should!) be ready for some serious plot twists.

Keirran is a difficult character to like. Throughout the entire book, he’s searching for a way to save the faery girl he loves from Fading–or basically, dying. And while he’s searching, he embraces the darkness more and more. It was really hard to see him as Meghan and Ash’s son, you know? It was just… weird. Like, oh my gosh, MEGHAN and ASH have a SON, and he’s turning slightly BAD?!? He’s got a good heart underneath, but desperate times call for desperate measures… and I got very frustrated with him. Because he’s the main reason why Ethan and Kenzie and everyone are getting into so much trouble and are risking their lives over it. And I just didn’t like that. I wanted to give Keirran a big shake so he’d come back to his senses, but I guess that wouldn’t make for a good plot, would it.

Oh my gosh. The BEST BEST BEST part of the book was… wait for it… PUCK!!!! YES! PUCK. IS. BACK! You have NO IDEA how much I love this Summer faery. I adore him. Him and his antics and his comic relief. I’d missed this trickster so much. And Ash too. I’m not sure I should say this because I’ll sound crazy, but basically, every time Ash appeared in the book, I would start fangirling like crazy. Seriously, I love him. I’d just be squealing with joy for every ten second appearance he’d make. I’d just missed him so much! *sighs* Ash is the. best. I missed these two enough that I basically reread the entire Iron Fey series while I was reading The Iron Traitor. I’m such a crazy huge fan of the series.

And of course, a certain cait sith is there to help all their sorry asses traipse through the Nevernever so they can fight epic battles against the Fey 😉

ARGH! That ending! I want to know what happens in the next book so bad! Julie Kagawa, I hate love you so much for making me so agonized over the end!

4.5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten series

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

#1 ~ The Lost Prince: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Iron Traitor: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 28th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. “Dance with me, Beth.”

“No.” I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again….

“I dare you…”

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s home life, they’d send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom’s freedom and her own happiness. That’s how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn’t want her and going to a school that doesn’t understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t get her, but does….

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn’t be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won’t let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all….

Guys. HOLY FREAKING CRAP. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO SO MUCH OMG I LOVE RYAN WITH ALL OF MY HEART WHY CAN’T I BE IN HIS GROUP OF FRIENDS T_T AND THE BOTTLE OF RAIN OMG.

At the beginning I wanted Isaiah and Beth to go out because COME ON. After reading Pushing the Limits, how could they not be your OTP!? BUT I WAS WRONG. BECAUSE RYAN AND BETH ARE SERIOUSLY SO SO PERFECT TOGETHER YOU DO NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND.

Beth totally came off as a really tough and “do not mess with me” type of girl in the beginning of this book as well as in Pushing the Limits, but she’s seriously so sweet and has the best intentions for everyone and HER ATTITUDE IS SO BADASS I LOVE IT.

Anyways, I feel like I really enjoyed this book because it had the typical sporty jock guy, and the other girl, and I JUST LOVE BOOKS LIKE THAT. So I feel like that’s why I loved this one slightly more (actually just kidding, I don’t even know if I like it more than Pushing the Limits.) It was just… It felt like my type of contemporary book. But in a way, it’s also so much more than that because of both of Beth and Ryan’s family problems. I STILL LOVE ISAIAH THOUGH DON’T GET ME WRONG. I just like Beth with Ryan together more hehe. And I love that we see a different side of Beth than we did before!

OBVI.

5 hearts
shirley

Reading Order: Pushing the Limits series

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry
Dare You To by Katie McGarry Crash Into You by Katie McGarry Take Me On by Katie McGarry

#1 ~ Pushing the Limits: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.1 ~ Crossing the Line: Ebook • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Breaking the Rules: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dare You To: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Crash into You: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Take Me On: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To by Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 28th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. “Dance with me, Beth.”

“No.” I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again….

“I dare you…”

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s home life, they’d send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom’s freedom and her own happiness. That’s how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn’t want her and going to a school that doesn’t understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t get her, but does….

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn’t be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won’t let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all….

God, Katie McGarry. You are ruining my life. Not only did Dare You To cause me to not pay attention in class (because I just HAD to read during class. There was no way I was waiting til I got home to read), but also… my standards in guys are getting way. too. high. KATIE MCGARRY YOU ARE RUINING MY LIFE AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT.

In case you didn’t already know this, I loved Pushing the Limits. Like, loved loved loved it. It’s one of my favorite books of all time, and one of the few books that have made my cry a huge, sobbing mess. I rarely ever cry for books (I get teary-eyed more often than crying), but Pushing the Limits was just… incredible. Heart-wrenching. Absolutely fantastic. So if you haven’t read it, you should definitely check it out. But Dare You To is quite different than Pushing the Limits. It has a whole different feel to it that is still simply amazing. We have already been introduced to Beth in Pushing the Limits, and her story is with Ryan. I was pretty surprised when I found out that Beth wouldn’t end up with Isaiah (whose book I am SO EXCITED to read!!!). But of course Katie McGarry would find a way to make everything work out in the end. And it did!

Beth, at the start, is basically… a bitch. She’s very mean and pissy to everyone, including her uncle, Scott, and Ryan. But the thing is, I still liked her character. Yes, she gets very frustrating because of her hesitance and reluctance to have a relationship with Ryan, but I never hated or disliked her for her bitchy behavior. And honestly, her attitude is pretty reasonable, considering her mother is a drunk, a drug abuser, in love with her abusive boyfriend, and doesn’t give a crap about Beth. Beth’s deadbeat father left when she was young. She had no adult to take responsibility for herself and had to grow up on her own. So she’s definitely a tough girl. What I loved and was sad to see go away is Beth’s friendship with Noah and Isaiah. Once she moves in with her Uncle Scott, he wants her to cut all ties to her old life, including Noah and Isaiah. She meets up with them once or twice (and we get to see Echo!!!), but overall, she knows that she’s done with her old life. She’ll never have any best friends as awesome as Noah and Isaiah, but she can’t keep living in the past anymore. She has to move on, and Ryan is a huge part of that process.

Ryan Stone. *swoon* Ryan is probably one of the sweetest, most incredible boys I’ve ever read. He’s not a bad boy. He’s a good guy through and through. I never expected to like reading about a jock, and a baseball player at that, but Ryan is just… amazing. I fell completely in love with him and his heartwarming gestures. Katie McGarry is able to write him in such a way that he has depth, that shows us how much he loves baseball, and that he’s so much more than a jock. And he loves to write too! Rarely do I ever read about a guy who loves to write and can write well, so it was a nice and refreshing change, one that made Ryan all the more endearing.

And that bottle of rain. So. Damn. Sweet. My heart was going wonky for him during that scene.

One thing I love is that Beth is very straightforward. From Pushing the Limits, we know that Isaiah is in love with Beth, but we’re not sure if she feels the same way. In Dare You To, once she meets Ryan and finds a connection with him, she knows that she’ll never return Isaiah’s feelings, because she loves Ryan. And I was so glad that she got that. She shot Isaiah straight down, didn’t allow him to be strung along on a love that would never work. I really liked that about Beth, admired and respected her for it.

I loved seeing both Beth and Ryan grow and mature throughout the book. And the ending was so intense! So did not expect that. Basically, I loved everything about Dare You To, and am so so so excited for the 3rd book in the series to come out! I am 1000% sure that Isaiah’s story will be perfection.

5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Pushing the Limits series

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry
Dare You To by Katie McGarry Crash Into You by Katie McGarry Take Me On by Katie McGarry

#1 ~ Pushing the Limits: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.1 ~ Crossing the Line: Ebook • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Breaking the Rules: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dare You To: Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Crash into You: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Take Me On: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads