The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa

Reviewed by Lauren M.
Grade 12

Is it really possible to forgive and forget? That is the question the characters face in Julie Kagawa’s latest novel, The Iron Raven, which takes a fantastical spin on Shakespeare's beloved A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Endearing and thought-provoking, it leaves readers craving more. 

Robin Goodfellow-or “Puck”, as he prefers to be called- has seen a lot. After living for centuries, he figures he pretty much has seen and done it all. Life is slower in recent times, as his best friends are busy ruling a kingdom and adventures are harder and harder to find. That is, until a mysterious creature arises and poses a grave threat to the Nevernever, which the Fey call home. Puck joins forces with the King and Queen of the Iron Court, a prickly cat, and long-lost sidhe to stop it--but more trouble looms as Puck is put against his greatest enemy: himself.

I loved this book. Laced with Puck’s signature inappropriateness, it balances gravity and levity beautifully. The novel is mostly description with dialogue dispersed throughout, and focuses on Puck’s internal battles and changes as he becomes his own worst enemy. The adventure serves more as a backdrop and tool to force Puck into the dark parts of himself, and he has to deal with long-held grudges he had thought were gone forever. As the journey becomes more and more dangerous, and the stakes are lifted, Puck has to decide what and who he wants to be once and for all. 

I would have loved to see more characterization of the others, such as Ash or Nyx. Kagawa just glossed over their pasts before refocusing on Puck. There was also much telling instead of showing, so I was unable to get into the story as much as I would have liked to, but those are my only complaints. 

For anyone who enjoys creative retellings and witty comebacks, I would definitely recommend The Iron Raven. Whimsical and entertaining, it will keep readers on the edge of their seats. 

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Reviewed by Arthi J.
Grade 12

*spoiler warning for A Court of Thorns and Roses!*

A Court of Mist and Fury is the sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses, a story where the main character, Feyre is pulled into the faerie world of Prythian. Set three months after the catastrophic events that concluded the first novel, Feyre is back home in Spring Court, preparing for her marriage to Tamlin and the rest of her new, immortal life. Yet even though she was brought back from death, a part of her died Under the Mountain and she continues to grapple with the horrors she faced. And she certainly has not forgotten about the bargain she made with the High Lord of Night Court. 

After three months of dead silence, Rhysand finally calls in his bargain with Feyre: one week per month at Night Court. In this sequel, as Feyre struggles to harness her newfound powers, a new threat arises, one that makes Amarantha seem like child's play, and Feyre may be the only one who can save them all. But before she can even hope to save this world that she has come to both love and hate, she must find a way to heal herself, or else everyone will be doomed. 

In my opinion, this is one of the rare times in which a sequel is better than the original novel. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed reading the first novel and I didn’t think it could possibly get better . . . until I read A Court of Mist and Fury. There are honestly so many things I liked about this novel. I really enjoyed how it explored the other courts of Prythian and the complexity of Rhysand’s character, who is anything but the reader's first impression of him as a morally questionable character. I also think that Maas beautifully wrote Feyre’s emotions in this novel as she struggles with her PTSD from Under the Mountain. It felt so heartbreakingly realistic and it really made the reader sympathize with Feyre.    

I would recommend this book, more accurately this entire series, to anyone who enjoys reading novels with a magical world like no other, crazy plot twists and turns, and some romance. Enjoy!  

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Reviewed by Arthi J.

Grade 11

If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.

Jude was only seven years old when her life was forever changed. One minute she was watching cartoons on the television with her twin sister Taryn, and older sister Viviene and the next, a dangerous stranger was banging on the front door of their home. Madoc, a powerful military commander of the fey, had finally found Jude's mother, whom Madoc had a complicated past with, and due to this, killed both her parents in retribution. Now orphaned and with nowhere else to go, Jude and her two sisters were whisked away to live in the dangerous High Court of the Faerie, fostered by their parents’ murderer.

After ten years of living in a beautiful, but deadly world where she has come to love her parents’ killer as a father, Jude wants nothing more than to belong and will go to great lengths to do so. After all, where else can she go? Though she was born in the mortal world, it is not nor will it ever be her home. Against all odds she fights for her rightful spot amongst the fey. But, many of them look down upon the mortality she was born with, especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and cruelest son of the High King. To win her place in court she must defy him and suffer the consequences for it. In doing so, she becomes tangled in the palace intrigues, trickery and deceptions of the High Court, whilst realizing her own alarming capacity for bloodshed. Yet, as a civil war in the fey kingdom threatens to destroy the only, however cruel, world she’s ever felt at home in, circumstances cause Jude to find herself in a dangerous alliance, which could crumble to pieces at any given second, with the one she hates most: Cardan. Working with the cruel prince of fey, Jude must risk her life to save everything she’s ever known and loved, or possibly lose it all.  

I really loved reading The Cruel Prince. I have read other books that follow the concept of fae, or fey, like A Court of Thorns and Roses (another great read) and it truly astonishes me how distinct and amazing this novel really is. Even though only two characters actually have the ability to lie, it's ironic to find out the numerous deceptions, lies, and trickery that are revealed throughout the novel. Holly Black does a fantastic job in developing Cardan and Jude’s characters, building the hidden fey world they live in, and subtly working up to an ending that truly comes crashing down upon the reader.  

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy novels with various plot twists and turns. I think Holly Black did a wonderful job with this series, and I’m also really excited to read her upcoming novella to this series which is going to be from Cardan’s point of view. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Reviewed by Arthi J.
Grade 11

Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is a fantasy novel, loosely based off of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. It is set in the world of Prythian where humans and a different species, called fae, live with nothing but a wall separating them. Long ago, these faeries fought against the humans in a large scale war, and it resulted in very little land being left for the humans. The fae have special strengths and abilities, and their world is separated from the humans with a great wall due to lasting tensions and resentments from the war. Their own lands are divided into courts--Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Dawn, Day, Nightmare--each of which are led by a High Lord.

 The human and fae worlds have had little to no interaction since the great war. However, that all changes when nineteen-year-old huntress, Feyre, kills a large wolf in the nearby woods, and a beast-like creature arrives at her family’s cottage, demanding retribution for the fae life she unknowingly ended. According to an old treaty between the fae and humans, written at the end of the war, Feyre has two choices: either be killed or spend the rest of her human life imprisoned in the Fae lands. And so, she is dragged away from her home, family, and everything she’s ever known to live in a dangerous, magical land with her captor, who she later discovers is not an animal, but in fact Tamlin, the High Lord of Spring Court. As she dwells in his estate, her feelings towards Tamlin transform from icy hostility to a fiery passion as she learns more about this beautiful world and uncovers the hidden truths beneath every lie and myth she has ever been warned of. But, with a mysterious “blight” quickly damaging and taking over the fae world and beginning to seep into her own, Feyre must find a way to stop it--or risking losing everything she loves.This is a book of magic, love, fate, power, revenge, and so much more as Feyre comes to know her captor and the strange world she now lives in.

This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. I never expected what was going to happen, and it had the most complex characters that I loved to read about. It was a bit slow at first, but then sped up and became much more interesting later in the book. I’m not a huge romance person when it comes to reading, but this was a truly wonderful exception and I think that Sarah J. Maas did a fantastic job in building her characters and the unique world surrounding them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes magic and romance, along with some drama and excitement. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a magnificent book with many twists and turns, and I am so excited to read the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury and later Throne of Glass, another renowned series by Maas. 

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Reviewed by Ben F.
Grade 11

For centuries, the fairy People have hidden undisturbed from the perils of humanity--that is, until one criminal mastermind dares to con them of their wealth. The catch? He’s only 12.

Artemis Fowl is many things; a criminal, a millionaire, and a child prodigy, but he is no fool. So, when he attempts the impossible, cheating a fairy of their gold, he is well prepared for anything the People have to counter--until they change the rules. Artemis Fowl delivers superbly, from the brilliant mind games and ploys, to the compelling, diverse nature of the players, and the vast magnitude of the hidden Fairy world, one which is both believable and imaginative. Fowl serves as an enticing, yet diabolical character; one will easily empathize with the boyish sentiments behind the calculating genius. Supporting characters Butler and Juliet shine in their immense trust of their young charge, and the charismatic presence of Commander Root will be sure to bring a smile. The brightest player, though, is undoubtedly the spunky Holly Short, whose street smarts and gut instincts provide a perfect contrast to the scheming mind of the young master Fowl.

In short, Artemis Fowl is recommended to young readers over the age of 11-12, fans of detective dramas, heist stories, fantasy adventure, and anyone intrigued by the summary.
Language count is at a minimum, and hardly a problem excepting the concerned parent; at least one count of ‘damn’, ‘dammit’ , and ‘hell’ each; a fairy fill-in cuss word “D’Arvit’ is quoted at times.

Drugs/Alcohol; A fairy drinks whiskey, another has a habit of smoking. Sleeping pills are taken with champagne in a scene, but is a minor part of a scene, the major emphasis is elsewhere. Truth serum is spoken of/administered. Dock workers illegally roll cigarettes in a brief scene. In all honesty, book content should be treated separately than film content, and all of the above, including language mentioned are small turns of phrase, such as ‘he lit a cigar’ and easily overlooked in the grand story.

Violence: Nothing above a PG-13 equivalent rating. A character is nearly mauled to death, with graphic language at a medium.

Adult Content; None.

Spiritual/Religious themes: Magic is naturally a major part of the story, but is treated more as a currently inexplicable science, and seen as a natural ability of the fairy kind. Fairies all possess a Book that holds their laws and could be seen as a ‘fairy bible’. Fairies also have a limited amount of magic that is refilled through ‘The Ritual’ which involves a brief chant and superstitious tie-ins; while a critical portion of the story, superstitions and religion are not present.

Concepts to discuss; The character development and morality of Artemis Fowl and his decisions serve as excellent discussion material for children and teens alike to consider.

For the Teen readers; Childish and toilet-level humor are present in small doses to appeal to a younger audience, particularly showcased in the magical abilities of one character, but it is kept minimal.

Spoiler Alert Mini Review: A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

A History of Glitter and Blood
Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies.

But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected.

Spoiler Alert reviewer: Savannah

1=No. Just, no. 2=It's OK. 3=I liked it. 4=I really liked it. 5=It was EPIC!

The Book Itself
How well designed was the plot? 5
How vivid was the setting? 4
How believable were the characters and the dialog? 5
How well did the book hold your interest? 5
How well did the author's language add to the book? 5
How well did the writing match the books intended audience? 4

Worldwide
Rank this book's mass appeal. 4
How readable was this book? 5
How pleasurable will reading this book be to most teens? 4

Personal
How highly would you recommend this book? 5
How likely are you to read something else by this author? 3
How memorable was this book? 4
How did you feel about the ending? 3
If you did not finish, how did you feel about the beginning? finished it
How creative was this book? 5

Marketing
Rank the cover (only if the final cover version has been released).
How well does the cover match the story? 4
Rank the jacket blurb. 3
Rank the title. 3
How well does the title match the story? 4
Stopping point in the book? Finished

Tell us what you thought of the book overall:

In one word: Unique

Tell us what you really did not like about this book: First few chapters confusing; no character development until later

Pick 5 words to describe this book: Fast paced, original, different, fantasy, adventure