Saturday 11 February 2012

Review: The Wood Queen - Karen Mahoney

Born into the mysterious world of an ancient alchemical order, Donna has always been aware of the dark feud that exists between the alchemists and the fey. Her own mother - bound by a dark Faerie curse - has been confined to a hospital bed for as long as she can remember . . . But now there is a chance to release her, and Donna will stop at nothing until she is free.

Armed with her own brand of powerful magic, Donna must face the fearsome Wood Queen in order to save her mother. But in the Ironwood - a place that haunts Donna's dreams - there is far greater and more dangerous magic already at work . . .


The Iron Witch Series:
The Iron Witch
The Wood Queen
The Stone Demon

Check out Karen Mahoney's website for more information

Review:
I loved The Iron Witch when I read it last year so it has been a very long wait for The Wood Queen - I literally could not wait to get my hands on this book! Karen Mahoney picks up the story not long after the ending of The Iron Witch so Donna finds herself on trial with the alchemists for the loss of the last of the precious elixir. Not only is Donna in trouble with the alchemists but she also has the Wood Queen on her case again and this time Aliette is using Donna's mother for leverage.

So our heroine has a lot going against her but as I would expect she isn't going to go down without a fight. Donna is going to do whatever it takes to save her mum and she isn't going to let the alchemists walk all over her either. It was good to learn a bit more about the alchemists history and the different orders but I still have a lot of questions about them. The more we find out the harder it is to figure out just who Donna should trust but it's quite clear she has some powerful enemies.

I'm really interested in the new abilities that Donna is starting to develop and can't wait to see how that continues in the next book. The author has taken the series in a very different direction to the one I was expecting and I can't wait to see how that plays out - I have a feeling that things are going to get very exciting in The Stone Demon!

I absolutely loved Xan in the first book but I found myself feeling a bit less sure of him in this instalment. I still think he's hot (and there is a fab kissing scene with him and Donna!) but I found myself wondering just what he was up to and I'm not sure if he is 100% trust worthy. He was just a little too secretive at times and it makes me worry about what he could be hiding. I may be proved completely wrong though so I haven't written him off yet but I did find myself routing more for Nav in this book. I have a feeling he's been keeping his feelings for Donna a secret and I'm wondering if we could see them turn into more than just friends. Either way I think Nav is a great character and I love the fact that he is so supportive of Donna and always there when she needs him.

The Wood Queen is a great instalment in the series that has left me desperate for the final book in the trilogy! If you enjoyed The Iron Witch then The Wood Queen is a must read. If you haven't started this series yet then you really should read the books in order but I would highly recommend the series to any YA urban fantasy fans.

Source: Received from Random House in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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