The Lost Prince (Iron Fey) (edition 2012)

Book Five of the Iron Fey series. Click here to read reviews of earlier books in the series. This review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.
Book One of the Call of the Forgotten series.

Fourteen years ago, Ethan Chase was kidnapped by the faeries, part of a trap to ensnare his sister Meghan. Not only did Meghan succeed in rescuing her brother, she overthrew the Iron King and took the throne herself. Now Meghan reigns over her faery court with her consort Ash. That’s great for her, but Ethan hates that his sister abandoned her human family when she left to rule the Iron Kingdom. She claims it’s for their protection, but Ethan doubts it – especially since he is constantly plagued by faeries to this day. They’ve gotten him kicked out of school with their little “pranks” and they torment his friends, so Ethan has decided that the only way to protect others is to become a complete loner. But isolation is not the answer, Ethan realizes, when he gets sucked into a battle against a new kind of fey that lives off the glamor of others. When a half-faerie classmate named Todd disappears, Ethan prepares to return to the Nevernever to inform Meghan of the danger.

The Iron Fey series has always evoked mixed emotions in me. On the one hand, I love the Nevernever and the faery realms; I love the mix of traditional fairy mythology and the new, modern “iron” race. But on the other, I found the two main characters of the original series, Meghan and Ash, to be unlikeable and often dreadfully dull. Several of the secondary character made me smile, but the romantic leads were duds. I hoped that this spin-off series, focusing on Meghan’s younger brother, would capture my interest anew, because the focus would finally be off Ash and his wife.

As a character, I appreciate Ethan. He started out as a sweet, innocent child but after dealing with faeries for over a decade, he’s become bitter and isolated. There’s a dark hopelessness to his character that I think is very natural and realistic, given his situation. But even though intellectually this character works in the story, as a narrator he falls flat. Constantly, he whines about how the faeries have screwed up his life. Yes, they have but dwelling on it for three hundred pages won’t change anything! He’s harsh, even cruel to Todd and his new friend/romantic interest Kenzie. This hostility against everything in the world just gets so old, so fast.
Kenzie reminds me a lot of Meghan. She’s the strong heroine who really would defend herself if she wasn’t powerfully outclassed – but since she isn’t a faery or a fighter, she’s constantly reduced to the role of damsel in distress.

The other new-ish character is Kierran, the child of Meghan and Ash. (Due to the inconsistent time flow between the Nevernever and the human world, Ash, Meghan, Kierran and Ethan are all roughly the same age.) His mischievous nature puts Puck to shame. I wish we could have spent more time with him. Although three-quarters human, Kierran has the ability to use glamor magic of Summer, Winter and Iron fey – it would be fascinating to learn more about how he is using the powers. I was really happy that Kagawa didn’t attempt to set up a love triangle between Kierran, Kenzie and Ethan. I mean, I’ve heard of history repeating itself but that would have been just a little much.

The old familiar crowd pops up: Grimalkin, Meghan, Ash, Puck, and Leanansidhe. Sometimes they appear to move the story along; Leanansidhe figures prominently in the plot, which is fantastic because I always found her to be the most interesting of the faery queens. Other times, they are little more than cameo appearances – Puck’s meeting with Ethan is little more than a nod to Puck fans who would have howled if he hadn’t appeared at all.

We meet and view everyone through the lens of Ethan’s anger, and to be honest that was not a perspective I wanted. Kenzie would have made a good narrator – as a high school newspaper journalist, she’d report things clearly and objectively – but a female lead would have been too similar to the original Iron King. As it was, a sense of “been there” and “done that” pervades the story – right down to the discovery of a new faery court that threatens the Nevernever. I like the faery realms, but I just couldn’t enjoy this book. ( )

I originally reviewed this with Ana on The Book Hookup

***Note: This book was provided to us by Net Galley but this did not influence the review in any way.

Ana and I gave The Lost Prince on 2 different ratings. You will have to keep reading to see which ones!

Our Review:

Ana: 4 stars…or, as we like to say…2nd shelf! I’m coming at this book from a different place than some of you. Although it patiently wait for me in my kindle, I have not yet read the Iron Fey series. So, I started The Lost Prince with a clean slate…no baggage, no expectations, nothing but the anticipation of reading a book by an author I’d heard so much about. And she did not disappoint! This book was great.

The world Ms. Kagawa builds is wonderful. The ideas are so well drawn out that I am sure if I closed my eyes I would see exactly what she intended me to see and maybe even be able to reach out and touch it. Nevernever and it’s inhabitants were painted before me clearly and distinctly, as were the main characters. Ethan, the reluctant hero, who would prefer to do just about anything instead of dealing with the Fae finds himself being lured into an adventure and back into the Iron Realm. People and Faery alike are in trouble and, much as he wants to, he cannot stand aside and do nothing, especially when a friend is in danger. Kenzie is a normal teenage girl who comes into his life and steadfastly remains there, even though he tries to distance himself for her own protection. With very little sense of self preservation, she plays a huge role in the story and, even though she’s got her own battles to fight, she helps Ethan try to set things right. I loved these two characters from beginning to end. Now, Keirran, is another story. He’s witty and smooth and completely likeable from the first time he walks on to the page…he’s a prince, after all. However some of his actions leave me unsure of his intentions. He is definitely a mystery to be unlocked in the next book!

Hearing the story from Ethan’s POV was refreshing…after all, most YA stories come to us courtesy of a female lead and it’s always good to see the world from a different perspective. Ethan’s inner voice was cynical, brave, scared, witty and caring…often at the same time and that made him all that much more endearing.

This adventure has just begun and I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series due out in 2013.

Celeste: 2.5 stars. Le sigh. I reallllly struggled to finish this book. And let me mention I have read the Iron Fey series and really enjoyed them. I went in with fairly high expectations but the general feeling I had by the ending: the story was so flat.

This story picked up where the Iron Fey series left off. I loved Meghan and Ash. Loved. This story is about Meghan’s younger brother, Ethan Chase, who is now 16. While I knew he was 16 I could not get the little boy image out of my head and the whole book seemed middle grade to me, not young adult. That isn’t a negative, but for me it just felt immature. Ethan has the “sight” (he can see the fey), and he is determined not to get anyone else mixed up in the crazy world of fey and the Nevernever. Naturally, the story is about just that, but with no real twists and turns or points where I went oooooh.

It felt like the usual cast of characters with good guys, bad guys and a girl. Which brings me to the romance side of things. There wasn’t any. Like zero. Kenzie was a nice girl, but foolish the way she jumped into the whole situation. I just couldn’t buy into it. She and Ethan are partners on this journey to save themselves, their friend, and all the other fae and half-breeds.

While I was not emotionally attached to the story in any way, the world Ms. Kagawa creates is fantastic. I can visualize all the fae, the poukas, the Iron Kingdom, the in-between. All those characters and places are quite vivid. The author definitely has a way with words.

My feelings on rec’ing it? If you loved the Iron Fey series and can’t get enough of this world this is a good book (but with a novella feel to it in my opinion). But if you are looking for lots of adventure, twists and turns and romance this just didn’t do it for me. ( )

Hmmm...I was super excited to hear that Ms. Kagawa was going to continue the Iron Fey series but have Ethan as the MC this time around. I was especially happy when the publisher through NetGalley approved me for an early copy. Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley!

I loved seeing my favorite characters, Grimalkin and Puck, along with Meghan, Ash, and Razor, come together again for another fun dangerous adventure. The action is truly non-stop while keeping you guessing as to who is behind everything...and who is who.

Ethan was an interesting MC. I found myself struggling to relate to him and understand his point of view. I understood his prejudice towards the Fey to some extent but his anger with Meghan seemed a bit extreme and unfounded...but thats how emotions usually are- no real good reason for why we feel the way we do. It surprised me how much he knew about the Fey and Nevernever...he was 4 when he was kidnapped and was in captivity the whole time so his recognition of certain places in the Nevernever had me looking back at Iron King. I sorta missed the scared and adorable little Ethan who loved his sister dearly. However, everyone has to grow up sometime(well, everyone but Puck) and Ethan is definitely not little. He has grown strong and able to hold his own ^.^ so go Ethan!

New characters involve Meghan and Ash' son, Kierran, and the new girl, Mackenzie. If you read Iron Knight, you got a glimpse of how baaaaaad Kierran can be and I LOVE it! His sly self shows up from time-to-time but also manages to be a complete gentleman; the best of both his parents! Kenzie is a tough girl who doesn't wallow in self-pity even though she's thrown into the unknown with no answers to when she will get home...or if. Kenzie doesn't take the back seat to anyone and comes through when needed (girl can kick butt!). She supports Ethan through everything for which she is a great addition to the Iron Fey series.

I still want more of Meghan, Ash, Puck, and Grim but am eagerly awaiting the sequel to The Lost Prince. Full of action, mystery, and suspense, fans of the Iron Fey series will enjoy this new spin-off that brings back all of our favorite characters and introduces us to many more >. ( )

This and other reviews can also be found on my blog : (un)Conventional Bookviews

*Review copy received from Netgally on August 7th 2012*

A solid five stars from me! Ethan Chase really is a tough guy, and the way he was brought back into fairy politics was very well done. Keirran was a surprise, and I was wondering for a little while if I should have known who he was; and I should have!

The Lost Prince is everything I dreamed it could be, and more! I’m sure we can all guess how things are going to play out – right? Well, things don’t really go according to Ethan’s plan at all, but there is a lot of action, new friendships, and a mystery that has to be taken care of. Ethan finds out a lot more both about himself, Meghan and the rest of his family than he thinks he want to know. And this time, he’s entangled into the world of the fey without any hope to escape – even if he’s not trying to escape now anyway…


( )

Julie Kagawa revisits the land of Faery with The Lost Prince, an exciting introduction to her newest YA paranormal/fantasy series The Iron Fey – Call of the Forgotten. This time focusing on Ethan Chase, younger brother of Iron Queen Meghan Chase, The Lost Prince brings in a new batch of fey that threaten the entire faery population – including Ethan’s family. With danger around every corner, Ethan will need all his knowledge of the fey to survive what is to come – the rise of the Forgotten.

Traumatized by his previous experiences with the fey (and the loss of his sister to their realm), Ethan is just trying to keep his head down and get through each day without being driven crazy by the faery creatures who live to torment him. Unfortunately he has not always been successful, giving him a bad reputation. This bad-boy image turns out to be a challenge at his new high school and living a quiet life looks farther away than ever when he catches the eye of two fellow students, school journalist Kenzie St. James and half-breed faery Todd Wyndham. When Todd goes missing, however, it is up to Ethan and Kenzie to discover the cause. What they find will shake the world of Faery – and could get them killed.

The Lost Prince is a first-person narrative from Ethan’s point of view, which I loved. Ethan is very different from my favorite Iron Fey character, Ash, yet he grabbed my imagination and heart almost immediately with his fighting spirit and unexpected compassion. An unwilling loner due to his ability to see the fey, Ethan has done everything possible to protect himself and those he cares about against their tormenting ways. From learning kali (a form of martial art involving the use of sticks and blades) to wearing as much iron as possible to repel the fey, Ethan is a walking encyclopedia of faery knowledge. I loved that he is torn in his feelings for his sister Meghan due to the choices she has made, and how reluctant he is to get involved when Todd tries to gain his attention. He is surly, he is rough – and he has an unexpected soft center of vulnerability that is very attractive. He is also extremely protective of those he cares about – from his parents to Kenzie and even, begrudgingly, Todd.

It is this protectiveness that leads him to investigate Todd’s disappearance, only to find Todd is not the only half-breed – or even full-blooded faery – to fall victim to a race of fey unlike anything encountered before. Kagawa has created a nasty group of fey called the Forgotten that are creepy, vicious and a force to be reckoned with…and their hunting ground is the mortal realm. The story is set up in three parts, with sections one and three grounded in the real world and section two focused on the Nevernever. Basing the majority of the book in the real world gives the series a slightly different feel than the previous one, but the switch to the Nevernever in the middle provides opportunities to see favorite characters from the past like Grimalkin (the all-knowing and mysterious cat fey) and some nice fight sequences with fantastical creatures.

Kenzie is a kick-ass heroine, which really comes out once she and Ethan enter the Nevernever. Not in the sense that she can beat up the competition (although if she has to fight she will), but in her guts and determination to live life to its fullest. Where Ethan sees the fey as dark and dangerous, she only sees magic and possibility. She can swing a stick at a goblin if necessary (it is) and wants to protect Ethan as much as he wants to protect her. Her ability to see the good all around helps balance Ethan’s more negative outlook, and the chemistry between these two is palpable. Kenzie has a deep secret of her own, however, that will shake Ethan to his very foundation and test his protective instincts to their limits.

Assisting in Ethan’s investigation is Keirran, a young faery Ethan meets in Meghan’s Iron Court. Keirran is going to be pivotal to the series, so it is a good thing I loved him as much as Ethan! Polite, sweet, an able fighter and totally devoted to a Summer faery, Keirran is not the typical fey in Kagawa’s mythology – a fact which helps shake Ethan out of his long-held beliefs that faeries are bad. Ethan, Kenzie and Keirran make a great team, but with the way events unfold with the Forgotten – and the dark prophecy that was foretold in the novella Iron’s Prophecy - I have a feeling these loyalties will be tested in the novels to come.

With its change in focus from the Nevernever to the land of mortals and an engaging narrator in Ethan Chase, Julie Kagawa’s newest young adult paranormal/fantasy series is off to a very promising start. With strong characters, a new breed of creepy fey, action, romance, and plenty of questions to be answered, The Lost Prince jumps right back into the dangerous world of Faery and takes us on a ride not soon to be forgotten. ( )