Review: The Lost Prince

The Lost Prince
Julie Kagawa
Young Adult Fantasy
The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten/Book 1
Harlequin Teen/October 23, 2012

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.

Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series is a favorite of mine. The world Kagawa has created is filled with such memorable characters and fast paced action, I was thrilled to venture back into it.

Little Ethan is all grown up, mostly. He may be in high school but his past experiences with the Fey are still with him, governing his every move. He's going through more than the typical teenage angst, Ethan is being pulled back into a world he wants nothing to do with. Ethan was an interesting character when he was a little boy. I still found him interesting but his teen angst became redundant with his "poor me" attitude.

I like how we see Ethan trying to fit in to the "normal" world of teens all the while keeping his defenses up against whatever the Fey might thrown at him. It was a little odd, seeing Ethan as the main character without his big sis watching over him. As the story progresses, Ethan becomes a stronger presence and begins to come out of the shadow of his sister, the Iron Queen.

There is plenty of backstory so if you haven't read the previous novels, you get a pretty good idea of what has preceded up to this point.  The problems came up with the main female character, Mackenzie aka Kenzie.  She's determined to find out what is going on with Ethan Chase.  I found her pushy, overbearing and difficult to like.  She made me miss Meghan and her quiet strength. Maybe it's not fair to compare the two but I couldn't help but compare Ethan and Kenzie to Meghan and Ash and found the new couple lacking.  Still, I was left curious to see what happens next in Ethan's world.

Rating: B

The Iron Fey:  Call of the Forgotten Series ~

The Lost Prince
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