Review: The Iron Raven (Book 1 Everfall)

 

My Thoughts:

Fantasy, fey, girl power author Julie Kagawa is the Danielle Steel of YA fantasy books. In the Iron Series, Kagawa has created a formula that will work every time for her in the same way that Ms. Steel has figured out the formula for adult romance. First, Kagawa creates a world, or series of worlds that will continue to provide enough conflict and intrigue to keep the long living fey in business for a long time (think Lord of the Rings). Second, her characters are flawed in the best way. They are both powerful and vulnerable, loving and petty. They make the best heroes because they are also at times villains. 
This particular book follows Puck, or Robin Goodfellow of Shakespeare fame and enemy and bromance companion to Ash, son of Mab and prince consort of Megan, the Iron Queen. We also get to root for Megan and Ash's son Kieran, King of the Forgotten as Kieran, Puck and Kieran's silent assassin Nyx fight an evil that seems unbeatable. 
Fantasy readers know that Kagawa will weave a great adventure and then leave just when another somewhat larger problems comes up. I think that Kagawa uses Grimalken as her own voice of the narrator interjecting and moving the story along just enough before the narrator fades back into the background. 
Readers of Kagawa will not be disappointed, but if you are restless for Everfall Book 2, then hold off on reading this, or read it and go to other YA fantasy authors. There are many in this blog alone. 

From the Publisher:

“YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF ME…”
Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool… King Oberon’s right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat from a time before Faery began. A threat that brings him face-to-face with a new enemy…himself.
With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Puck’s longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten. Evenfall is coming, and with it a reckoning that even their combined powers and wits may not vanquish, as a shadow falls over the lands of Faery and the world slips into chaos.

Soul of the Sword

Description

One thousand years ago, a wish was made and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. A weapon powerful enough to seal away the formidable demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful Scroll of a Thousand Prayers to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the scroll. But she has a new enemy now, more dangerous than any she has yet faced. The demon Hakaimono is free at last, and he has possessed the very person Yumeko trusted to protect her from the evil at her heels, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has only one goal: to break the curse of the sword and set himself free to rain chaos and destruction over the land forevermore. To do so, he will need the scroll. And Yumeko is the only one standing in his way.

My Thoughts:

This second book from the Shadow of the Fox series suffers because it is the middle child. Like many middle of the series books, this one is given the difficult job of engaging the reader and keeping the reader invested in the series even if the job of a middle book, in the scheme of things, is to take the reader through the building action (think back to school when teachers gave out the story arc worksheet with setting, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution). 

To keep readers, most of the fantasy series take care of that by putting the main characters on a quest so that the second, or middle books just become a mini story arc in the middle of the journey (J.R.R. Tolkien mentored authors on how to do this ). Others may switch the point of view so that the there is a side story as different characters need to do something and then meet up with the protagonist at the final battle (like the Throne of Glass series). 

So what about this series? Kagawa is an experienced series writer so I know she can do it. This second book, though, fell short and I am trying to figure out why that is. She has the quest thing down (gather the scrolls, save the world from turning into hell on earth). That in itself, though, is not enough to keep the momentum going. Going back to Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings series -- the intention from the beginning was to destroy the ONE ring which is why they needed to go towards Mordor and cast the ring into the Cracks of Doom. 

Like the Throne of Glass series, this can prove tricky because the power of the item (the ONE ring, the wyrdkeys) is a temptation for the heroes/heroines because it could possibly give them just enough power to get what they want. However, it always comes at a price. 

The issue I had with the Soul of the Sword was in the nonsensical rationale to bring the one piece of the scroll directly into the hands of the enemy who actually had the other two pieces. I know it cannot be destroyed, but the time for the reawakening of the dragon is so close that destroying the scroll and waiting it out for the return would seem more rational than basically going towards the enemy with the scroll. 

I think the other thing that made this book go so slow is that there was no other sacrifice or other love interest that would give the impression that the heroine might abandon the quest. Without that, it felt like, as a reader, that I was just slogging through to get to the inevitable end of the book (getting to Tatsumi in order to help get Hakaimono back into the sword). 

Finally, I think the trick of the author at the end is not worthy of someone with her experience. In other words, after all that, to just say (in jist) oh now we have a common enemy so let's play nice for now to go after this new enemy and we shall fight again another day (or at the end of the next book) is not enough to keep readers invested for another year before book 3 comes out. Perhaps once this series is over the books as a whole will be more binge worthy. I can see that. At this point, though, it is just not memorable enough for me to calendar a reminder that I am supposed to be waiting for the next installment. 

An advanced digital copy provided by Net Galley and the publishers for an honest review.