Net Galley Review: The Iron Knight

Title: The Iron Knight

SubTitle: Book 4 in the Iron Fey Series

Publisher: Harlequin

Author: Julie Kagawa

Pub Date: 10/25/2011

ISBN:9780373210367

            “I want to become…mortal,” I said in a low voice.  My stomach recoiled, hearing those words for the first time.  “ I promised someone…I swore I would find a way to survive the Iron Realm, and I can’t go there as I am.” The witch raised an eyebrow, and I drew myself up, fixing her with a cold stare. “I want to become human…”  pg. 11

  Ashallayn’darkmyer Tallyn, last prince of the Unseelie Court, has sworn an oath to his true love Meghan Chase, the Iron Queen that they will be together.  Before Meghan entered into his life, Ash never let anyone or anything break through the icy barriers surrounding his mind and heart.  In order to be with her, Ash must do the seemingly impossible~ travel to the end of the world to earn the one thing fey and magic folk do not have… a soul. Without it, he cannot live with Meghan, for the Iron Kingdom she rules burns him.  Ash starts off on his quest, but he is not alone. Traveling with him is his regretful friend/enemy Puck [that he has vowed to kill], Grimalkin the knowledgeable cait sith, Ariella, the knowledgeable seer and lost love, and the legendary Big Bad Wolf, offering strength and protection to the group.

            Surviving the quest is the challenge, and all five travelers commit to helping Ash see his way through the River of Dreams to the end of the world, where he will have the opportunity to run the gauntlet and earn a soul. Ash is strong, but has no idea what it will take to become human. He must leave behind his magical ways and embrace the uncertain vulnerability of humanity.  What Ash realizes is that accomplishing his quest not only offers him mortality, it offers him the chance to change his life forever…with love.

            Julie Kagawa has outdone herself with The Iron Knight. I loved the first three books in the Iron Fey series, but I loved LOVED this book. Ash is the star, and because of Julie’s superb writing abilities, I felt like I was on the quest with him. I experienced the emotions along with the characters, and I could see the River of Dreams and the dream debris through the words on the page. The strong motifs of friendship, sacrifice, and destiny kept the plot exciting, deep, and emotional. Almost as brilliant as Ash is Puck- the comic relief in the story. His one-liners and ability to joke in deadly situations made me laugh- and wish that he was also finding what Ash was so desperate for, true love. This book is magical, and needs no glamour or spell to entice you. The words, the characters, and outstanding writing is the magic that makes The Iron Knight one of the best books I have ever read.

I give this book my highest rating: A+

Bulldogs with SPIRIT!

VAVPA Bulldog ASB

did an AMZING job this morning leading the K-8 Boogie! Everyone was getting funky and criss crossing to the Cha Cha Slide. It's going to be a great year!

BIG Lots Check Presentation

Thank you to all the VAVPA families and Bulldog News team members who came to Big Lots yesterday! It was a lot of fun to accept the check for our school; I am so proud of my students for producing the winning video! Congratulations to the Bulldog News team for winning $2,456.00 for our school arts program.

Photos by Anthony Carrasco- freelance photographer and former Bulldog News member!

Matched by Ally Condie

Matched

Ally Condie

Penguin Group

ISBN 978-0-525-42364-5

YR fiction

“Cassia Reyes, the Society is pleased to present you with your Match. “

           

I smile as Xander’s face appears on the portscreen immediately following the recorded message….I reach up to touch the words Courtship Guidelines on the screen, but before I do, Xander’s face darkens and then disappears. The portscreen beeps and the voice says again, “Cassia Reyes, the Society is pleased to present you with your Match.”

My heart stops, and I can’t believe what I see. A face comes back into view on the port in front of me. It is not Xander. Page 34-35

     Have you ever wondered what life would be like if everything was determined for you? If you didn’t know any different, it might not bother you if your meals, activities, occupation, and even your marriage were predetermined.

     Cassia, a young teen ready to be Matched, trusts that the Society’s system works.  She is ready to start her relationship with her Match Xander without question, until a mysterious glitch plants doubt in her mind. For a brief second, Ky Markham’s face flashes on her screen, and Cassia wonders if this unusual boy was meant to be her true Match. As she struggles to learn the truth, she keeps the dying words of her grandfather in her heart….

“It’s all right to wonder….”

     Ally Condie’s dystopian romance proves that finding true love, however dangerous, is worth the risk.  Cassia finds the strength to question her prearranged destiny, and to believe in the forbidden poetic words, “Do not go gentle into that good night.”  Condie’s Matched is a futuristic thriller that will leave you questioning the rules and cheering on love.

Other books:  The Yearbook Trilogy, Being Sixteen, and Freshman for President, and Crossed