Release Date: 02/02/12
BOOK BLURB:
Born into the mysterious world of an ancient alchemical order, Donna has always been aware of the dark feud that exists between the alchemists and the fey. Her own mother - bound by a dark Faerie curse - has been confined to a hospital bed for as long as she can remember ...But now there is a chance to release her, and Donna will stop at nothing until she is free. Armed with her own brand of powerful magic, Donna must face the fearsome Wood Queen in order to save her mother. But in the Ironwood - a place that haunts Donna's dreams - there is far greater and more dangerous magic already at work...
REVIEW:
I loved Karen’s original novel, The Iron Witch, so when I heard that the second title was coming out I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. After all if she continued to world build and draw the reader in the way she had in the first book, it was going to be a series that was hard to miss. However on the downside, if she hadn’t done her work and let the title down a little due to pressure, it could damage her career.
What unfurls within is a story that allows Donna to grow emotionally as well as physically with twists and turns that allow the world to not only breathe but work its way deeper into the readers unconsciousness. Add to this solid prose, great descriptives and of course an author whose writing style guides rather than forces the path. All in a cracking story and one that really will establish Karen to the Young Adult world. Magic.
Release Date: 20/01/11
BOOK BLURB:
Freak. That's what they call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood at Ironbridge High School. A horrific fey attack that killed her father when she was just a child left Donna branded with iron tattoos that cover her hands and arms - and magically enhanced strength, that she now does all she can to hide. Now, after ten years of wishing for a normal life, Donna finally accepts her role in the centuries-old war against the darkest outcasts of Faerie - the dark elves. Aided by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout, Donna must save her best friend's life - and that means betraying one of the world's greatest secrets and confronting the very thing that destroyed her family.
REVIEW:
Having kept an eye on Karen from her web appearances from a few years back, I was quite interested to see what she’d bring to the table with this, her first Young Adult novel. Whilst the title feels set in the states, it has an indomitable Britishness about it as the titles lead character discovers not only herself but has to deal with emotional conflict as well as learning who to trust in a world of danger where one slip could see her sink below the surface forever.
It’s a great read, the characters realistic and above all else it is the wonderful weaving of ancient myths into the modern interpretation that helps this title keep its feet firmly upon the ground. Add to this a great sense of pace, so me seriously delicious dialogue and the book will quickly pass without you realising how long you’ve been reading for.
Release Date: 02/02/12
