Review: The Iron Witch

Publisher: Flux
Pages: 290
Format: Paperback
Released: January 2011



















When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

An easy read

Not original, an easy read - but holds promise for the next installment.

Donna Underwood has been through tragedy. Her father was killed by a vicious fey when she was a little girl, and her mom went mad. She now lives with her aunt and spends her time with her best friend Navin. He is the only one that likes her - at school she is labeled as a freak. But soon, Donna's life is about to go in a whole new direction. She meets Xan at a party and soon dramatic events unfolds.

The Iron Witch was an easy book to get in to, at first. The writing flows easily and you are a bit curious about Donna and her past. But, there is a but: It takes too much time before there is actually anything happening. You read about Donna's life, her interaction with Navin and her past - but that's just about it. There is nothing here to compel me to go on reading.

I didn't get under Donna's skin and I felt that Navin became to vague. When he is kidnapped, I didn't feel Donna's anxiety for him. It was more like: Ok, so now that he is gone can we please get down to real business and get to know Xan a little bit more pleae? I never really got emotionally involved in the story. It was more like: an easy read - easily forgotten.

I also felt that the book was not that original, but my main problem with this was that it reminded by too much of The Iron King. Here are some examples:

* The first sentence in both books are very much alike:
Ten years ago, on my sixth birthday, my father disappeard.
(Quote from the Iron King)
My father died saving my life when I was seven years old.
(Quote from the Iron Witch)

* In the Iron King, Meghan must enter the fairy world to save her brother Ethan. In order to get to this world, she gets help from Robbie. In the Iron Witch, Donna must enter the realm of the Woodelves to save her best friend Navin. In order to get to this world, she gets help from Xan.

* Both of the covers have ornaments on them. Like this:































And I will not mention the obvious part about the titles of both books being almost a match.

That said, the book also had it's qualities. The language worked well, and when things really started to happen - in the last part of the book - I got more intrigued. I really like the dark world the author has created for the woodelves and I am really looking forward to reading more about that.

So all in all I think this was a book that could have been a little more original. But I will also go on reading the next installment in this series because I believe the author is talented enough to give us something more unique in the next book.

Other reviews:
Wondrous Reads
Book Chick City
Tales of the Ravenous Reader
All Things Urban Fantasy

Karen Mahoney's webpage
Goodreads