In My Mailbox (#16)

Donna's IMM hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

 

Bought,Swapped & Gifted books: 

The Book of Luke  by Jenny O'Connell 

A Need so Beautiful by Suzanne Young 

Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaly

A MASSIVE thank you to Lesley My Keeper Shelf for the swaps and the fab RAK.  

Stolen: A Letter to my Captor by Lucy Christopher 

Forever  by Maggie Stiefvater

The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen for UK Swap's Travelling Book

To Review:

Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling

Wow! You don't know how excited I was to receive all of these books for review. Firstly, I'd like to say a MASSIVE thank you Spencer Hill Press for shipping Half-Blood over to me. I know how expensive shipping is but the fact they wanted me to review it, was fantastic. 

Secondly, *Screams* Stealing Phoenix! I screamed when Oxford Publishing emailed me asking me to review this book. I was a huge fan of Finding Sky so to get Stealing Phoenix is phenomenal. Oohh and its signed by the author too. ;) 

And last by not least, Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a huge surprise waiting for me in my mailbox. I didn't even know it was coming so I was gob-smacked when I got it, it looks so good. Thank you H&S! 

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies (see review)

Tris and Izzie by Mettie Ivie Harrison (see review)

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

Thank you to NetGalley, Egmont & HarperCollins.

That's it for me this week. Come back next week! :)

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Jess's IMM hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

For Review:

Crushed Seraphim by Debra Anastasia

Gifted Books/Bought Books

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs - Massive thank you to co-blogger Donna for this one :)

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton- Thanks you again to Donna for this ARC :)

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini-Thank you to Jodie at Books for Company for sending me this ARC :D

Hereafter by Tara Hudson- Again thank you to Donna for sending me this :)

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Darkside by Beth Fantaskey- I purchased this one, after winning a $10 Amazon gift card from a giveaway :D it has my name!! 

That's it from me! So as you can see I've had quite a week. I've got plenty of books to read now, so you may not here from me for a while.

Come back next week because I'm sure Donna is going to have another 100 books to show you...

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What's in your mailbox this week?

 Leave us your links below! :) 

Battle of the Sexes: Girls (#2): Katniss Everdeen vs Zoey Redbird

Battle of the sexes is a new weekly meme created by us at Book Passion for Life. Every Friday we'll post a poll with 2 characters from 2 different books. We will alternate each week between boys and girls. We'll be running the polls for 12 weeks, at which point YOU thats right YOU bloggers will vote for your favourite character (boy or girl) depending on which week it is. At the end of the 12 weeks, we will place all previous winners into one poll where you will all vote for your ULTIMATE CHARACTER. That character will be crowned King or Queen in the Battle of the sexes final. 

Bloggers that wish to take part in this meme are welcome to do so. When you post the meme please link back to us. You are welcome to alternate each week, so if you would prefer to do girls first then you are welcome to. When posting this meme please include the following info on your characters:

• Their stats like full name, date of birth, eye colour, hair colour, books they've featured in etc...
• Three quote's for each character
• The book cover from where these characters originate OR a photo that best reflects the character

Other than that, there isn't anything else to add to the meme. There are no rules, so pretty much anything goes. 

 vs 

Katniss's Stats:
Name: Katniss Everdeen, 
Nicknames: Catnip, The Mockingjay, Sweetheart and The Girl on Fire
Age: 16 
Hair: Long straight black hair usually in a braid down her back
Eye Colour: Grey 
Description: Olive skin, small but strong, natural survivor.
Books featured in: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay

Zoey's Stats:
Name/Nickname: Zoey Mongomery, Zoey Redbird, 
Nicknames: Z.
Age: 16
Hair: Long brown 
Description: Zoey has lace-like markings on her face, shoulders, back, waist, hands, and chest
Books featured in: The House of Night Series 8 books in total

Katniss Quotes:


"The question is, what are you going to do?"
It turns out the question that's been eating away at me has only ever had one possible answer. But it took Peeta's ploy for me to recognize it.
What am I going to do? I take a deep breath. My arms rise slightly - as if recalling the black-and-white wings Cinna gave me - then come to rest at my sides.

"I'm going to be the Mockingjay." 




"Sometimes when I'm alone, I take the pearl from where it lives in my pocket and try to remember the boy with the bread, the strong arms that warded off nightmares on the train, the kisses in the arena." 


"I don't want to lose the boy with the bread." 


"I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun." 

Zoey Quotes:
"As your girlfriend, you've just pissed me off. As your High Priestess, you've just insulted me. And as someone with a working brain, you've made me wonder if you've lost every bit of your sense. 


"I'd sacrificed true love and a popped cherry to the god of deception and hormones."


"If I died, would it get me out of my geometry test tomorrow? One could only hope." 


"I still didn't look at him. I was afraid if I did that, I would turn around, run back to him, and hurl myself into his arms." 

Okay everyone! There's all the details on our women this week. Here's the voting poll...so time to cast your votes! Winner will be announced once the 5 days of voting is up! Have fun :)

A review for Tris and Izzie by Mettie Ivie Harrison

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: October 11th, 2011
Finished Date: July 6th, 2011
Source: ARC - NetGalley 
Format: Egalley
Pages: 272
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The Blurb from Goodreads: A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.
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***Spoilers***
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The Review: When I found out this book was up for review on NetGalley, I immediately snapped it up because I’ve always been a massive fan of the story ‘Tristan and Isolde’.....however, I can honestly say I’m definitely not a fan of this book.

Izzie is a witch, a young witch who doesn’t really understand or know how to us her powers. She’s happily dating Mark, the captain of the Basketball team but when new boy Tristan starts school, she can’t help think there’s something about him. While trying to pair her best friend Brangane and Tristan together, Izzie steals a love potion from her mother and tries to get both Brangane and Tristan to drink it. But when Izzie accidently drinks it with Tristan, it leaves them bound together, falling in love and throwing them into the world of magic.

Firstly, don’t let the blurb fool you. This book sounds totally to die for but guess what, it’s not. Tris and Izzie is supposed to be a modern re-telling of the German fairy tale but the only thing that was slightly similar to the original story was the names of the characters and Tristan’s wasn’t even his proper name. To say the least I was more than a little disappointed with this story. 

I had seen a few negative reviews around before starting this book, so I did try and not let them affect my opinion on the story but it was so hard when you completely agree with the other people. The story was not well developed, the characters were not well developed and the story was, in my opinion poorly written. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an expert books but when I look at some of the other books I’ve read over the past few months and compare then, I can definitely spot the faults. 

Izzie as a character, I found to be quiet annoying. Mostly, all the way through with her match making and then her feelings towards Tristan. She tries to fight her feelings but after taking the love potion their romance is pretty instant which I didn’t like because it didn’t feel right. There was no suspense and then suddenly Tristan is declaring his love for Izzie but yet she is still in love with Mark. She refuses to listen to the advice that people around her have given and pretty much sends Tristan away as soon as she realises there’s something more going on. Only then to change her mind two seconds later once trouble arises. 

The second issue I had was with Izzie and Mark who are supposed to be in true love so they claim. However, as soon as Mark realises that Brangane is in love with him, with the snap of your fingers their suddenly declaring their love for one another and Izzie is giving her blessing. It was honestly done within seconds and it was so totally unrealistic. Then there’s Tristan, strong and handsome Tristan. Who all we actually really know about him is he has snow white hair and his name isn’t actually Tristan. The way his character comes across in the book, it totally out of place, his accent and way he talks, I just didn’t get it and he’s one character that just didn’t do anything for me. 

And finally, the magic in the story was another thing that felt out of place. You’re introduced to a magic community and demons that aren’t interesting and aren’t developed enough to make you truly understand the story. In the end, I’d read three quarters of the book and skipped to the last page to see what happens. I just couldn’t read it any longer.

Thinking back on the story now, it may suit a younger audience. An audience that isn’t going to want to much detail, maybe the age range of 11 – 16 years old but this book definitely wasn’t for over 16 year olds. 

Thank you NetGalley and Egmont for giving me to the opportunity to review this book.

A Review for A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: September 27th, 2011
Finished Date: July 8th, 2011
Source: ARC - NetGalley
Format: E-Galley
Pages: 320
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Skye never questioned the story of her life. Her Aunt Jo adopted her after the death of her parents when she was just a child, and together they flip through memories the way some people flip through photo albums. She never questioned if the stories were true. Until the night of her 17th birthday, when the arrival of two strangers intrudes on her cozy life. Polar opposites, like fire and ice, Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair, cold, and aloof. Skye has no idea what they want—only that their presence coincides with the beginning of some shockingly strange events. Events that Skye, if she dares to think it, might be responsible for causing. 

High up in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado, Skye finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient battle, one that began untold millennia ago. Torn between unpredictable Asher, whom she loves, and the infuriating Devin, who she can’t stay away from, her fate is murky as a starless night. And as the secrets of her true identity are revealed, Skye realizes that her destiny may reside in the Heavens—or somewhere darker.

The Review: "All of a sudden he’d taken two giant steps towards me, and before I knew it, had taken my face into his hands and taken me into the darkness of his wings, and he was kissing me and I was kissing him and we were kissing each other in my little bedroom, in my little house, in my little town, while the mountains soared into the sky." 

Wow! What a beautiful cover, don’t ya think? When I first seen this book a few months ago, I was instantly drawn to it because of the cover but then after reading the blurb, I just knew this was a book I needed to read…..as I’m so glad I was right. 

This story follows Skye, a seventeen year old girl who lost her parents at a very young age and was taken in by her mum’s best friend. Skye appears to be pretty normal, however a few strange things have been happening since her birthday but things get even stranger, when two new stunning boys start fighting for her attention. First there’s Asher, the tall, dark and handsome type and then there Devin, the mysterious blonde haired boy. As both boys try to get to know Skye she realises there’s something else going on, one that involves her having to choose between light and dark and good and evil. 

When I say I loved this book, I mean I loved this book. It had everything I could have wanted……mysterious boys, a forbidden love triangle and a kick ass story. What’s not to love? I’ve read a few Angel stories over the past few months and they left me thinking that maybe the angel story has been……..kind of played out but Jocelyn Davies has managed to write a captivating, exciting and intriguing story that leaves you wanting more and officially bringing ‘A Beautiful Dark’ in my 10 favourite reads for 2011. 

From the very first page you’re thrown into the world of Skye and instantly meeting Asher and Devin. The chemistry between these characters is amazing. Not only does it leave you falling for both boys and even though I had made my mind up pretty early on whose team I was supporting, you still manage to feel exactly what Skye feels….very confused. She’s torn between both Asher and Devin but I personally felt she was leaning more towards Asher. I felt there was a stronger connection between the two and in the end I ended up resenting Devin for getting in the way. Don’t get me wrong, Devin is a good character but Asher definitely gets my vote. 

The secondary characters were a great addition; Ian, Dan & Cassie were great friends to Skye. I did find Cassie slightly annoying to start with but the more you get to know her, the more I liked her. I have to say though; my favourite secondary character has to be Aunt Jo. She’s a pretty awesome legal guardian and you can truly see how much she cares for Skye, it was nice to see their love for one another come out so much during the story. 

The story itself was completely addictive from page one; you never knew which way the story would turn. Jocelyn Davies hasn’t stuck to the traditional ‘Fallen Angels’ story, it is something completely different and unique. Your constantly questioning who is good, who is bad and who will Skye end up with. It was one hell of a journey and I only wish it was longer because that cliff-hanger at the end has left me wanting to know more. I NEED MORE! 

Overall, this story doesn’t disappoint. It’s a fantastic start to new and exciting series and I can’t wait to read more. 

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to review this book. 

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Hey all! We're finishing off Tera's blog tour for Forgive my Fins and we have a few fun stuff for you during this post...including some facts on Tera, what we thought of Forgive my Fins, and then a giveaway...awesome huh? 

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

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The Authors Bio: 


Tera Lynn Childs is the award-winning author of the mythology-based Oh.My.Gods and Goddess Boot Camp the mermaid tales Forgive My Fins and Fins are Forever (June 28, 2011) and a new trilogy about monster-hunting descendants of Medusa, starting with Sweet Vemon (September 6, 2011). She has also epublished two fun chick lit romances, Eye Candy and Straight Stalk. Tera lives nowhere in particular and has spent time fleeing hurricanes, making character profiles on MySpace, blogging on her own and with the Buzz Girls, and writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages.

Website: http://www.teralynnchilds.com/

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Jessica's Review

Awe this was a good read. Its was fun, fresh and new. Its the first mermaid story that I've read and it had me from page one. I loved how Quince managed to take everything in his stride regarding Lily's 'fishy' (pun intended), situation. Lily is so caught up in wanting Brody Bennett the boy of her dreams, that she doesn't see what's right under her nose.

Tera Lynn Childs, has done a fantastic job in bringing the story together, the plot was well thought out and came together neatly. All the characters are loveable, with the exception of Brody who's a total jerk and I didn't trust him from the start. Quince, is divine. Not only is he a complete hunk, but he loves Lily for who-what-she is and that's what made their relationship such a great thing to read. I found myself getting a little annoyed with Lily in the first half of the book, and the way she was about her 'love' for Brody. She just gave off this vibe of 'school girl crush' but in the end she realises what a complete arse Brody is, and finds herself FINALLY admitting who she's in love with really. 

Overall, if you're looking for a happy, funny, quick read. Then I recommend you pick up Forgive my Fins. You won't be disappointed. I will be reading the next installment, as that epilogue left me in a spin...nice little cliffy there.

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Donna's Review: 

If you are looking for something new, fresh and beautifully written to read then this is the book for you. Forgive My Fins is the first book in the new Fins series by author Tera Lynn Childs and I have to say - it was fantastic!

Lily is a princess mermaid, who has been living on land for the past 3 years. She moved in with her aunt after discovering that her mother was human and wanted to see the human world before becoming the next ruler of Thalassinia. While attending Seaview High School, Lily has fallen in love with a boy called Brody but the only problem is, she can't seem to find a way to tell Brody how she feels. When Quince, Lily's annoying neighbour, who always picks on her, offers to help her catch the guy of her dreams, she reluctantly agrees. However, on the night of the school dance, while waiting for Brody to show up, Lily mistakenly kisses Quince and ends up forming a magical bond that is caused by Lily's mermaid destiny. While doing everything in her power to break the bond, Lily believes being bound to Quince is the worst thing possible…….or is it?

This was my first book by Tera and I was not left disappointed. I have read a few mermaid stories over the past year but, this is the only one I have loved. Tera did a fantastic job with it as it was beautifully written, very funny, quirky and I loved how I could imagine myself in Thalassinia. The world Tera has created has left me wanting more and oh my! The fish slang….I’ve never laughed out loud like that before in a story. It’s so cute and it truly makes this book a joy to read.

I really enjoyed the story line and felt it has a few good twists to the story. The characters especially Lily were a massive highlight for me. Lily is totally loveable but with her only being seventeen she is quiet naive about her feelings toward Brody and Quince and it sometimes clouds her judgement. She doesn’t see Brody for who he really is, but most importantly she doesn’t see Quince. I mean come on, how can she miss him? He’s gorgeous! Quince is a classic guy, who picks on the girl he loves type but once you get to know him, you know it’s just his way of getting closer to Lily and I loved both of them. Their such a cute couple.

The story was tied up nicely but honestly leaves readers wanting more. I'm so glad there weren’t any major cliff-hangers at the end but yes, the author has left the story open with a little preview of what the next story will be about. I love that the Lily & Quince's story was rounded up so nicely and I can’t wait to see what in store for them next.

Overall, this was a fantastic start to a unique series. Forgive My Fins is definitely one of my favourite reads for 2011. Try it…I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

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We have one copy of Forgive My Fins to giveaway to one lucky UK winner. 

So want to enter? 

All you need to do is comment on the bottom of this post with your email address and please make sure you have a UK mailing address. You do not need to be a follower to enter.

The winner will be announced on July 15th and the winner will be picked by Random.Org. 

Good Luck everyone!  Thank you to Templar Publishing for hosting the giveaway. 

Battle of the Sexes: Boys: Winner....

And the winner of the second Battle of the boys is.....

*Drumroll Please*

Jace Wayland!!!

What do you all think of Jace winning? As much as we love Patch, Jace totally steals the spotlight on this round. 

Stay tuned on more Battle of the Sexes. Next coming on Saturday due to Forgive My Fins blog tour tomorrow. 

What is this? 20 questions? No it's actually just 3! (#14)

This is a weekly meme created by us:  Book Passion for Life. We created this so you could get to know us a little better. If you want to join in....all you have to do is create three questions for yourself each week and answer them, OR to make things fun, ask your followers to ask you a few questions each week!

Jessica's Q & A's

Q: What's the worse colour you've ever dyed your hair?

Never really dyed my hair a bad colour, I've always tried to keep it as natural as possible.

Q: If you could be one cartoon character, who would you be?

Hmm, I'd probably be Belle from Beauty and Beast. It's my favourite movie, and she has the greatest adventure.

Q: You're known for stealing hot fictional men characters off other people, tell us who you've stolen so far?

Hahahahahahaha this funny...in my defense, they all came to me willingly. I don't steal! *cough* I borrow...with no intention of returning them...there's a difference. 

    -Jace

    -Barrons

    -Bones

    -Patch

    -Ren (but technically he was mine to begin with)

    -Will Rutledge

    -Jem

I think that it. I'm currently in the process of trying to steal Ash from Donna, but its difficult...he's a challenge. As I said the others all came to me willingly...*cough*

                                                                   Donna's Q & A's

Q: If you could have any job in the world what would you do?

As long as I was rich and didn't work to hard, I wouldn't care. Lol

Q: Tell us one great childhood memory that you love?
Going away on holiday to France with my family, I think that's why I'd love to go back again.

Q: We all know you're trying to keep Ash for yourself (which personally is rather selfish), apart from him who else are you not willing to let Jess steal *cough* borrow with no intention of giving back? 
Lucas from Starcrossed, Justin from Infinite Days...Oh and Peter from My Blood Approves and Peeta from The Hunger Games! And Quince from Forgive My Fins! There all mine....Jess you man stealer. ;)

A review for The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa

Posted by: Jess

Published Date: January 25th, 2011
Finished Date: July 6th, 2011
Source: Brought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 358 
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The Blurb from Goodreads: My name is Meghan Chase.I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it. This time, there will be no turning back. 
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******Small spoilers in this review******

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The Review: *Sputters*...I'm still sort of reeling from this ending. I finished this book this morning and I'm...sigh. There are no words on how much I didn't want it to end. I'll try my best at this review, but I'm making no promises that it'll make sense. 
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Books 1 & 2 were amazing, but The Iron Queen just totally trumped them both. It was intense, funny, full of danger and excitement. We saw brand new sides to old characters. New characters being introduced like the gremlin Razor, who-for a gremlin-is probably one of the greatest things about this book. I'm amazed at how Meghan's journey came to an end. Not abruptly but full of excitement and intrigue. Yes I did cry towards the end, when Meghan released Ash from his vow, my heart broke for Ash. I wanted to slap Meghan at thinking that after everything they went through, that he could just go on with out her. Silly girl. Their relationship developed so much in this book that it was an amazing journey to read about. Being that she is Summer and he is Winter, love really managed to conquer all...sort of. You'll see what I mean when you read it.
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I loved every single moment of this book, and if I didn't have to sleep I wouldn't have put it down. Again Julie Kagawa managed to create this amazing story world. The descriptions are so vivid that you find yourself wishing you could step foot into the Nevernever and help Meghan, Puck and Ash to defeat the false Iron King and return Faery to its original state. The journey these three characters go on, is an amazing one. Ash and Puck made it especially funny with their witty banter towards each other, both them constantly threatening the other. It put a good mood on a bad situation. 
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New allies came into play led by Glitch, who is an absolutely wonderful character and I loved him from the start. Teaming up with Summer and Winter the Iron rebels, were finally accepted for who they are and given some freedom which was good to see.
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Meghan, became really strong in this book. Really really strong. She went through so much in the previous two books that she eventually thought "Ah screw this!" and just went for it. Charged in with everyone behind her, following her lead. Ash and Puck at her back every step of the way, even the dreams about Machina didn't stop her from reaching her goal of defeating the false king and winning the war all for the fate of Faery. Apart from the ending where I wanted to slap her a little bit. I found I loved Meghan a whole lot more in this one. 
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Anyway, I'm not sure I have much more to say except that The Iron Fey series is wonderful. Aside from Fever, its probably the best Fey book I've read, and has slowly become one of my favourites of 2011. I'm really looking forward to The Iron Knight. I love that its going to be in Ash's POV we'll get to read about all his feelings and reactions and the turn of events from the end of the Iron Queen. I really can't wait to read how everything will pan out after the extraordinary ending to The Iron Queen. 
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If you haven't read this series, please, please do. You won't be disappointed. And I dare you not to fall in love with the characters and the Faery world that Julie Kagawa so wonderfully created.