The Iron Witch - Book Review

Title ~ The Iron Witch
Series ~ The Iron Witch #1
Author ~ Karen Mahoney
Release Date ~ January 20, 2011
Age Group ~ Young Adult
Publisher ~ Flux
Source ~ Consumed by Books

GOODREADS SUMMARY

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

REVIEW

The Iron Witch is everything I hoped it would be.

Donna is the daughter of alchemists – you know, people who harbor magic and the elixir of life for The Order of the Dragon. The alchemists and the fey, especially the wood fey, have been at war for many centuries over land and the elixir of life. They will stop at nothing to defeat each other and their history is deep.

Everyone at school thinks Donna is a weirdo. She wears gloves to hide the iron tattoos that saved her arms and hands after the wood fey attack. Those tattoos also give her arms super strength beyond measure. If it weren’t for sweet Navin, Donna wouldn’t have a single friend in the world. It’s understandable, because she doesn’t make much of an effort with anyone else. Navin is funny, kind, and easy going. I really liked the special friendship these two shared.

After the wood fey kidnap Navin, Donna is joined by Xan, a half-fey, as she tries to save her only friend. This is when the action really takes off and the story gets more exciting. I wasn’t sure about Xan at first, but I grew to understand him and appreciate his loyalty. Oh, but I was so worried about what had happened to sweet Navin. Karen Mahoney’s writing got me so attached to these characters.

I am excited to read the next book in The Iron Witch series so I can keep up with the story.

RATING

5 Loved

COVER COMMENTS

Those intricate tattoos on Donna’s arm and hand are even more beautiful than I imagined. The swirls in the corners of the cover match the tattoos. I wonder if that is a bottle of the elixir of life?