Early Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotton #1
Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.
Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.
Forced to live by a set of rules in order to survive and keep those around him safe, Ethan Chase does everything he can to avoid notice from the fey who stalk him. But all his carefully constructed barriers come down as the very fey he avoids start to disappear, and he himself is attacked. As a result, along with a very stubborn girl who doesn't seem to realize that staying away from him is for her own good, Ethan is forced to escape to the one place he swore he would never return, Faery. What they find there will forever change their destiny, and make them question everything they have ever known.
The characters in The Lost Prince earn a mixed range of emotions from me, with some earning admiration and others not so much. As for Ethan, once I looked beneath the broody surface he portrays, I really loved his character. Sure, he is more than a little bitter and angry at the world, but in all honesty I think he has coped remarkably well considering the very rough life he has been dealt. I was only further endeared to him when I realized that much of his gruff manner was used in order to keep people at arms length and therefore safe from the ones who would use them against him. Kenzie was another character I absolutely adored. She is very spunky and her iron will is amazing, which is only more apparent latter on in the story. She has her own secrets, ones that will both shock and simultaneously only further ensnare you to her. Keirran was much on the unsure and leaning towards dislike category in all honesty. I just couldn't connect with him and his behavior on a lot of things was more than questionable. He just seemed rather spoiled and selfish, but also powerful, making for a very bad combination. I'm going to reserve final judgement for now, until we get to know him a little better in the next book, but I will say that he definitely hasn't impressed me yet.
I really enjoyed the twisted story line of The Lost Prince. Not only did we have the new and nasty, fey that were preying on others, but there also were hints of the Prophecy that was foretold in Iron's Prophecy, a short story from Meghan's perspective. I would highly recommend reading that prior to The Iron Prince as it gives you insider information, you wouldn't otherwise have, and gives you a better clue at the reasoning behind some things in the book. Rounding out the book was the budding romance between Kenzie and Ethan, which was both sweet and promising.
In all honesty it really surprised me how different this book felt than the Iron Fey series. At first I thought that was due to the change in narration from a female to male, but then I remembered that we already made that change in The Iron Knight as Ash took the reigns. So, that being said I can't really put my finger on what was so different considering it still involves the same world and similar characters. So, it did take me a little while to get used to the changes, making the learning curve a just little higher than I had anticipated. That being said, once I got used to the differences, I was completely ensnared, especially as it became apparent that this series would more than shine on its own and shine. From start to finish, The Iron Knight was an enthralling read that will more than please fans of The Iron Fey Series.
(Received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley)
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