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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
Wow! I didn't expect to get as hooked in the story as I did. I'd picked Ironskin up a while ago and had to stop reading it because of school so I was glad to finally get the chance to finish it, and I really enjoyed it! :D I loved the mystery aspect and I loved the whole fey and dwarvven mythologies interspersed throughout.
Also, I expected this to be very similar to Jane Eyre because it's pitched that way but I think just referring to Ironskin as a retelling does it an injustice. The character names are similar yes and the main character's love interest is hiding a dark secret, but I felt that was where the similarities pretty much ended. Rather, I would refer to Ironskin as inspired by Jane Eyre, but in no way is it a straightforward retelling. Instead there are plot twists and mysteries to uncover that not all Jane Eyre fans would uncover, but trying to figure it all out is definitely part of the fun. :)
I would definitely recommend Ironskin and I do think Jane Eyre fans will appreciate it if they're also fans of fantasy and paranormal stories. Also, I think that fans of gothic stories with tortured heroes and heroines will really enjoy it. :)
Also, I expected this to be very similar to Jane Eyre because it's pitched that way but I think just referring to Ironskin as a retelling does it an injustice. The character names are similar yes and the main character's love interest is hiding a dark secret, but I felt that was where the similarities pretty much ended. Rather, I would refer to Ironskin as inspired by Jane Eyre, but in no way is it a straightforward retelling. Instead there are plot twists and mysteries to uncover that not all Jane Eyre fans would uncover, but trying to figure it all out is definitely part of the fun. :)
I would definitely recommend Ironskin and I do think Jane Eyre fans will appreciate it if they're also fans of fantasy and paranormal stories. Also, I think that fans of gothic stories with tortured heroes and heroines will really enjoy it. :)
Meh. Jane was all right, Dorie was the most annoying child ever, and Edward was a twat.
Full review here: http://www.booksofamber.com/2012/12/ironskin-by-tina-connolly.html
This was disappointing. I had heard good things about Ironskin before it was released, but once it came out the rating on Goodreads started to slowly decline. I ignored that - mostly - and was quite excited when I finally got to it this month, given the enticing premise. Alas, it fell flat.
Jane was a great character in the beginning of the novel. She was determined, bordering on stubborn, and very hard-working. Unfortunately her romance/weird obsession with Mr Rochart brought down her character. Their 'relationship' was too rushed, and dull, and I didn't understand why she felt so drawn to him considering he was hardly even there! And despite him being a father, he barely said two sentences to his daughter, and I don't understand how Jane would have found that to be an attractive or intriguing quality in a guy. I OBJECT.
I thought that the fey part of the story was interesting, though. To begin with, anyway. I wanted to learn about the war, Dorie's powers, and what exactly Jane could do. However, around half way through, I started to lose interest since it felt like nothing was progressing. I wasn't interested in anything Mr Rochart did, and I spent the latter half of the novel completely bored out of my skull. I began to skim, and as a result I didn't pay attention to what was going on. I tried to find something that would grab my attention again but there just wasn't anything there, not even the ending could draw me back in.
Wouldn't recommend it. Meh. I've not read Jane Eyre, so I can't say how it compares. You'll have to check other reviews for that!
Full review here: http://www.booksofamber.com/2012/12/ironskin-by-tina-connolly.html
This was disappointing. I had heard good things about Ironskin before it was released, but once it came out the rating on Goodreads started to slowly decline. I ignored that - mostly - and was quite excited when I finally got to it this month, given the enticing premise. Alas, it fell flat.
Jane was a great character in the beginning of the novel. She was determined, bordering on stubborn, and very hard-working. Unfortunately her romance/weird obsession with Mr Rochart brought down her character. Their 'relationship' was too rushed, and dull, and I didn't understand why she felt so drawn to him considering he was hardly even there! And despite him being a father, he barely said two sentences to his daughter, and I don't understand how Jane would have found that to be an attractive or intriguing quality in a guy. I OBJECT.
I thought that the fey part of the story was interesting, though. To begin with, anyway. I wanted to learn about the war, Dorie's powers, and what exactly Jane could do. However, around half way through, I started to lose interest since it felt like nothing was progressing. I wasn't interested in anything Mr Rochart did, and I spent the latter half of the novel completely bored out of my skull. I began to skim, and as a result I didn't pay attention to what was going on. I tried to find something that would grab my attention again but there just wasn't anything there, not even the ending could draw me back in.
Wouldn't recommend it. Meh. I've not read Jane Eyre, so I can't say how it compares. You'll have to check other reviews for that!
This book is Jane Eyre, meets Tam Lin, meets a post apocalyptic story. It is slow at times, but the character’s are intriguing enough to keep the reader engaged. There was not a lot of action. It took until the very end of the book for some of the mysteries to finally unravel. And the love story seemed forced seeing as how Jane and Mr. Rochart probabley a day or two in the same space together, even though Jane lived there for months. I wish more focus had been spent on Dorie, since she is what drew our main character’s together. Problem’s aside it was an engaging story. The ending left the story open, but it was not a cliffhanger. I am looking forward to the next book in the Ironskin series, but I hope the pace and action pick up.
Right, so the front of the book advertised this as a version of Beauty and the Beast, which is always a good way to catch my eye. The back explained that it was a Jane Eyre story. Of course I jumped at the opportunity even though most books fail to capture what I love about either of those narratives.
This one, however, was good! I realize I sound surprised, but it was. It didn't feel the need to match every beat of the Jane Eyre story (and had some amusing references to the original). An homage rather than a straight retelling. And the narrative itself--with all the strange fey magic and world after war--was intriguing and made me want more, which is not usually the case with a romance retelling.
I don't remember if this was officially YA, but it felt like it and was definitely an enjoyable story.
This one, however, was good! I realize I sound surprised, but it was. It didn't feel the need to match every beat of the Jane Eyre story (and had some amusing references to the original). An homage rather than a straight retelling. And the narrative itself--with all the strange fey magic and world after war--was intriguing and made me want more, which is not usually the case with a romance retelling.
I don't remember if this was officially YA, but it felt like it and was definitely an enjoyable story.
Set in a alternate-history Britain, Jane Eliot, the MC, wears an iron mask over half of her face to protect others from the curse she holds there. In the last fey war she had been hit with shrapnel from exploding fey magic, like many others, but unfortunately her injury is much more visible which causes her some social awkwardness and makes it difficult for her to find and keep a job. Jane finally finds employment with the mysterious and reclusive Edward Rochart caring for his daughter Dorie who seems to have fey magic in abundance, which is frowned upon in society. She needs to help Dorie learn how to do simple things like eat, drink, and play without using that magic. At the same time, she seems to be drawn to the secretive Edward.
Apparently Ironskin is based on Jane Eyre, which I haven't read, so I don't know how it compares but from the very beginning, Ironskin had my attention with the unique way fey magic was presented. The fact that Jane carried this curse on her face that, without the iron mask, would seriously affect those she came into contact with was fascinating to me. That magic also affected her moods and she had to consciously try to tamp down the emotions stirred up by the fey curse.
The way Dorie used magic was interesting as well. This small child had never learned to properly use her hands to care for herself, using magic instead. I felt so sorry for her at times, she seemed so lonely and desperate for her father's love and attention. Edward, however, remains distant and locked away in his room of masks.
While the unique way magic and the fey were presented was what I enjoyed most about Ironskin, the alternate history and straightforward writing style also worked for me. The relationships between the characters were very subtle and at times puzzling. The slight romance between Jane and Edward felt a bit stilted but I enjoyed the way Jane interacted with Dorie, as well as the rest of the background characters. The dialog felt authentic and I enjoyed the whole gothic feel to the story as a whole. I would definitely recommend it to fans of gothic romance, alternate history fantasy, and steampunk.
Apparently Ironskin is based on Jane Eyre, which I haven't read, so I don't know how it compares but from the very beginning, Ironskin had my attention with the unique way fey magic was presented. The fact that Jane carried this curse on her face that, without the iron mask, would seriously affect those she came into contact with was fascinating to me. That magic also affected her moods and she had to consciously try to tamp down the emotions stirred up by the fey curse.
The way Dorie used magic was interesting as well. This small child had never learned to properly use her hands to care for herself, using magic instead. I felt so sorry for her at times, she seemed so lonely and desperate for her father's love and attention. Edward, however, remains distant and locked away in his room of masks.
While the unique way magic and the fey were presented was what I enjoyed most about Ironskin, the alternate history and straightforward writing style also worked for me. The relationships between the characters were very subtle and at times puzzling. The slight romance between Jane and Edward felt a bit stilted but I enjoyed the way Jane interacted with Dorie, as well as the rest of the background characters. The dialog felt authentic and I enjoyed the whole gothic feel to the story as a whole. I would definitely recommend it to fans of gothic romance, alternate history fantasy, and steampunk.
3.5
If you haven't guessed by the synopsis, this is a sort of Jane Eyre retelling. I didn't realize it was when I requested it, so I was stuck with it, hoping that it was a decent story.
And it was. I was surprised. I usually don't read these kinds of fantasy stories, but I think the 'Eyreish' qualities of the story is what kept me focused. And somehow, the book managed to pay homage to Jane Eyre, while still being its own story. Also, the story seems to take place in an alternate past setting. Although never specified, it definitely doesn't take place in current times.
The book was slow going at first, but a little more than halfway through, it started to pickup, and then the action didn't stop. There were a lot of 'holy crap, did that just happen?' moments.
There will be a sequel, and I'm interested in how that's going to go. Perhaps that will be even more of its own story, and less Jane Eyreish.
If you haven't guessed by the synopsis, this is a sort of Jane Eyre retelling. I didn't realize it was when I requested it, so I was stuck with it, hoping that it was a decent story.
And it was. I was surprised. I usually don't read these kinds of fantasy stories, but I think the 'Eyreish' qualities of the story is what kept me focused. And somehow, the book managed to pay homage to Jane Eyre, while still being its own story. Also, the story seems to take place in an alternate past setting. Although never specified, it definitely doesn't take place in current times.
The book was slow going at first, but a little more than halfway through, it started to pickup, and then the action didn't stop. There were a lot of 'holy crap, did that just happen?' moments.
There will be a sequel, and I'm interested in how that's going to go. Perhaps that will be even more of its own story, and less Jane Eyreish.
It's been five years since The Great War between the humans and the fey ended, and the humans are trying to rebuild their society to manage without the magically enhanced technology they previously got in trade with the fey. Jane Elliot lost her brother during the war, and has permanent scarring on her face. Those injured with fey sparks have to wear to control the fey influence overwhelming them and spreading to those around them. In Jane's case, she has to wear an iron mask, or her rage will affect those around her in terrifying ways.
Jane works as a governess to support herself and her younger sister, but never gets to stay long in a position before she is let go with thinly veiled excuses. When she sees a listing for a governess to help with a child born during The Great War, she is certain it's a child who's also fey-cursed, and she's eager to help. The position proves harder than Jane could've imagined. Nearly alone at the large, partially ruined manor with a willful child who refuses to use her hands, and is able to move things with her mind, Jane is close to despair. She is one in a long line of governesses who've been driven to despair by the girl, Dorie, and the girl's widowed father, Mr. Edward Rochart, is an elusive and mostly absentee artist, clearly fond of his daughter, but mostly preoccupied with his work.
Jane is drawn to her employer, even when she knows it's a terrible idea. She's also curious as to the mysterious nature of Mr. Rochart's work. Plain or downright ugly women come to the manor and enter his studio, and leave beautiful as the fey. How is it that the lights in the manor are still run on fey technology? What is the real truth behind Dorie's strange powers and why is her birth shrouded in secrecy? Why does Mr. Rochart visit the woods around the manor, where the fey are known to live? How does he transform the women who come to his studio?
I first read about [b:Ironskin|9860837|Ironskin (Ironskin, #1)|Tina Connolly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333049212s/9860837.jpg|14752133] several months ago on The Book Smugglers' blog. A steampunk retelling of [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639], one of my favourite historical novels? I couldn't wait to get my hands on the book, and my joy was hard to contain when I was granted an ARC through NetGalley. The book is indeed a re-imagining of Jane Eyre, but it's more fey-punk than steampunk and there are elements of other stories in it too. Aspects of Beauty and the Beast and Tam Lin are absolutely present, and anyone expecting a beat for beat fantasy version of the Brontë-novel is going to be disappointed.
This Jane is not an orphan, and actually has valid reasons for being upset about her appearance. If Jane Eyre had had to wear a face mask to cover hideous facial scarring, I would've had more sympathy for her whining about being so plain all the time. Mr. Edward Rochart doesn't have a mad wife in the attic, and the little girl needing a governess is actually his daughter. Unfortunately, while the world building is excellent and the events of the Great War and aftermath are portioned out without any heavy info dumping, the romance side of the book is less well done than I would've liked.
Jane is a great character. As the story is told from her perspective, we get to know her intimately. We know her fears, hopes and dreams and feel deeply for her when she's struggling to get Dorie to behave more like a normal child than one fey-touched. We understand her loneliness, and how distant she feels from the life of balls and high society that her younger sister is part of after an advantageous marriage. Mr. Rochart is clearly an attractive and intriguing man, but unlike Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, they barely spend any time in each other's company. Barring a few scenes together, where it's made clear that Mr. Rochart's past is somehow intertwined with the fey, and that he loves his daughter very much, they barely see each other, and it makes me wonder what she's building her infatuation and later passionate affection on. I'm not a fan of "tell, don't show". The author has to give me reason to believe a romance is actually viable, something [a:Tina Connolly|2731809|Tina Connolly|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1315198333p2/2731809.jpg] sadly doesn't. Jane just falls in love with her employer because Jane Eyre does. That's not good enough.
Despite this, I really very much enjoyed the novel, and thought it was a very clever re-working of a book I'm very fond of and have studied in depth while doing my degree. As well as being an entertaining reading experience with many clever twists in its own right, [b:Ironskin|9860837|Ironskin (Ironskin, #1)|Tina Connolly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333049212s/9860837.jpg|14752133] made me consider new aspects of [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639] and different interpretations of the influences that may have inspired [a:Charlotte Brontë|1036615|Charlotte Brontë|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1335001351p2/1036615.jpg]. Best of all, [b:Ironskin|9860837|Ironskin (Ironskin, #1)|Tina Connolly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333049212s/9860837.jpg|14752133] is the first book in a series, and I enjoyed the book enough that I will absolutely check out any sequels as well.
Jane works as a governess to support herself and her younger sister, but never gets to stay long in a position before she is let go with thinly veiled excuses. When she sees a listing for a governess to help with a child born during The Great War, she is certain it's a child who's also fey-cursed, and she's eager to help. The position proves harder than Jane could've imagined. Nearly alone at the large, partially ruined manor with a willful child who refuses to use her hands, and is able to move things with her mind, Jane is close to despair. She is one in a long line of governesses who've been driven to despair by the girl, Dorie, and the girl's widowed father, Mr. Edward Rochart, is an elusive and mostly absentee artist, clearly fond of his daughter, but mostly preoccupied with his work.
Jane is drawn to her employer, even when she knows it's a terrible idea. She's also curious as to the mysterious nature of Mr. Rochart's work. Plain or downright ugly women come to the manor and enter his studio, and leave beautiful as the fey. How is it that the lights in the manor are still run on fey technology? What is the real truth behind Dorie's strange powers and why is her birth shrouded in secrecy? Why does Mr. Rochart visit the woods around the manor, where the fey are known to live? How does he transform the women who come to his studio?
I first read about [b:Ironskin|9860837|Ironskin (Ironskin, #1)|Tina Connolly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333049212s/9860837.jpg|14752133] several months ago on The Book Smugglers' blog. A steampunk retelling of [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639], one of my favourite historical novels? I couldn't wait to get my hands on the book, and my joy was hard to contain when I was granted an ARC through NetGalley. The book is indeed a re-imagining of Jane Eyre, but it's more fey-punk than steampunk and there are elements of other stories in it too. Aspects of Beauty and the Beast and Tam Lin are absolutely present, and anyone expecting a beat for beat fantasy version of the Brontë-novel is going to be disappointed.
This Jane is not an orphan, and actually has valid reasons for being upset about her appearance. If Jane Eyre had had to wear a face mask to cover hideous facial scarring, I would've had more sympathy for her whining about being so plain all the time. Mr. Edward Rochart doesn't have a mad wife in the attic, and the little girl needing a governess is actually his daughter. Unfortunately, while the world building is excellent and the events of the Great War and aftermath are portioned out without any heavy info dumping, the romance side of the book is less well done than I would've liked.
Jane is a great character. As the story is told from her perspective, we get to know her intimately. We know her fears, hopes and dreams and feel deeply for her when she's struggling to get Dorie to behave more like a normal child than one fey-touched. We understand her loneliness, and how distant she feels from the life of balls and high society that her younger sister is part of after an advantageous marriage. Mr. Rochart is clearly an attractive and intriguing man, but unlike Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, they barely spend any time in each other's company. Barring a few scenes together, where it's made clear that Mr. Rochart's past is somehow intertwined with the fey, and that he loves his daughter very much, they barely see each other, and it makes me wonder what she's building her infatuation and later passionate affection on. I'm not a fan of "tell, don't show". The author has to give me reason to believe a romance is actually viable, something [a:Tina Connolly|2731809|Tina Connolly|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1315198333p2/2731809.jpg] sadly doesn't. Jane just falls in love with her employer because Jane Eyre does. That's not good enough.
Despite this, I really very much enjoyed the novel, and thought it was a very clever re-working of a book I'm very fond of and have studied in depth while doing my degree. As well as being an entertaining reading experience with many clever twists in its own right, [b:Ironskin|9860837|Ironskin (Ironskin, #1)|Tina Connolly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333049212s/9860837.jpg|14752133] made me consider new aspects of [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327867269s/10210.jpg|2977639] and different interpretations of the influences that may have inspired [a:Charlotte Brontë|1036615|Charlotte Brontë|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1335001351p2/1036615.jpg]. Best of all, [b:Ironskin|9860837|Ironskin (Ironskin, #1)|Tina Connolly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333049212s/9860837.jpg|14752133] is the first book in a series, and I enjoyed the book enough that I will absolutely check out any sequels as well.
This review originally appeared HERE on my blog My Life is a Notebook.
There are books that I would die to have enjoyed completely, and this is one of them. Sadly, it fell short of my expectations.
In case you didn’t already realize, this book is a fey/steampunk retelling of Jane Eyre–you know, that book by Charlotte Bronte we all had to read in school. Jane Eyre was a school book that I actually didn’t mind, surprisingly, and I had high hopes for the awesomeness that could come out of adding fantasy elements.
For much of the book, however, it seems like Connelly stays too close to its original text. The names are hardly changed (not a big deal, but still) and the biggest part for me is that Ironskin reads just as slow as Jane Eyre did for a majority of the text. Retelling or no, this is still a YA book and people still want a faster pace than classic books–that’s why I read YA, at least.
My biggest problem was characterization. I never connected with Jane as a character–she was far too stiff all the time. Worse, she all of a sudden simply decided she was in love with Mr. Rochart without ANY kind of connection being made between them at all. This Mr. Rochart is more absent and strange than the one in Jane Eyre, and that’s saying something. Several other decisions and plot points were also simply made without any preamble or reasoning, and that bothered me to no end. Much of the story seemed to happen without much reason other than that it had to happen for the sake of the story.
I did, however, greatly enjoy the idea behind the story. This retelling was far more interesting than the original. However, the plot holes that were left in several places continued to irk me throughout the book. I can’t ask many of the questions I wish without giving away the plot, but I found myself at least mildly confused throughout the entire novel.
So why the 3 1/2 star rating, then? Because of the idea. This refreshing, interesting idea that–yes–wasn’t fleshed out to all its credit. Also, towards the end of the novel, the pace picked up greatly and was actually exciting. If Connolly had put that kind of pacing into the first three-fourths or so of the novel, I would have been much more invested. Also, moving towards the end, the story began to depart more and more from it’s very serious Jane Eyre parallels that were present in the beginning. I kept waiting for key plot points of Jane Eyre to crop up, some with dread (St. John, anyone?), but fewer of them actually came up, and when they did they were decidedly different from the original text. The end of Ironskin did not entirely make up for the beginning, but it did make the rating of this book much higher than I thought it would be.
All in all, though I enjoyed Ironskin, I wanted more from it than I was given. Perhaps this book requires more love for the classics than I have, or more patience, but I consistently felt like I was being let down by all the potential it most certainly had. The end of the book was a great deal more exciting than the beginning, but in truth I was lucky to make it that far. I have put the second Ironskin novel, currently untitled and due out in 2013, on my TBR list just because I’m curious to see where Connolly will take this story now that she’s exhausted Jane Eyre. Perhaps being freed from that model will open up more of the story’s potential.
There are books that I would die to have enjoyed completely, and this is one of them. Sadly, it fell short of my expectations.
In case you didn’t already realize, this book is a fey/steampunk retelling of Jane Eyre–you know, that book by Charlotte Bronte we all had to read in school. Jane Eyre was a school book that I actually didn’t mind, surprisingly, and I had high hopes for the awesomeness that could come out of adding fantasy elements.
For much of the book, however, it seems like Connelly stays too close to its original text. The names are hardly changed (not a big deal, but still) and the biggest part for me is that Ironskin reads just as slow as Jane Eyre did for a majority of the text. Retelling or no, this is still a YA book and people still want a faster pace than classic books–that’s why I read YA, at least.
My biggest problem was characterization. I never connected with Jane as a character–she was far too stiff all the time. Worse, she all of a sudden simply decided she was in love with Mr. Rochart without ANY kind of connection being made between them at all. This Mr. Rochart is more absent and strange than the one in Jane Eyre, and that’s saying something. Several other decisions and plot points were also simply made without any preamble or reasoning, and that bothered me to no end. Much of the story seemed to happen without much reason other than that it had to happen for the sake of the story.
I did, however, greatly enjoy the idea behind the story. This retelling was far more interesting than the original. However, the plot holes that were left in several places continued to irk me throughout the book. I can’t ask many of the questions I wish without giving away the plot, but I found myself at least mildly confused throughout the entire novel.
So why the 3 1/2 star rating, then? Because of the idea. This refreshing, interesting idea that–yes–wasn’t fleshed out to all its credit. Also, towards the end of the novel, the pace picked up greatly and was actually exciting. If Connolly had put that kind of pacing into the first three-fourths or so of the novel, I would have been much more invested. Also, moving towards the end, the story began to depart more and more from it’s very serious Jane Eyre parallels that were present in the beginning. I kept waiting for key plot points of Jane Eyre to crop up, some with dread (St. John, anyone?), but fewer of them actually came up, and when they did they were decidedly different from the original text. The end of Ironskin did not entirely make up for the beginning, but it did make the rating of this book much higher than I thought it would be.
All in all, though I enjoyed Ironskin, I wanted more from it than I was given. Perhaps this book requires more love for the classics than I have, or more patience, but I consistently felt like I was being let down by all the potential it most certainly had. The end of the book was a great deal more exciting than the beginning, but in truth I was lucky to make it that far. I have put the second Ironskin novel, currently untitled and due out in 2013, on my TBR list just because I’m curious to see where Connolly will take this story now that she’s exhausted Jane Eyre. Perhaps being freed from that model will open up more of the story’s potential.
Jane Eyre retold with a fey twist. The Fey War ended five years ago. Jane Eliot wears an iron mask on her face to cover her scar and contain her curse of rage. She is hired by Edward Rochart to help his fey-cursed daughter, Dorie. Jane has to uncover the limits of her curse and her inner strength.
Ironskin is the first in a fantasy gaslamp trilogy that merges a Jane Eyre retelling with deadly fairies. Only they’re not really fairies… if you’re familiar with a wide range of “fairy” tales, they’re more “fey” than “fairy” – Less Neverland, more … otherworldly beings, pissed off at the humans who have taken over the world. Manipulative and dangerous, they certainly aren’t cute little fairies with wings.
What makes this world interesting is its mix of fey and gaslamp. The events take place in what feels like an alternate Between the Wars period (the World Wars, that is), where the Great War was actually fought against the fey, who resent the humans that have taken over their territory. Fey technology rules – humans traded for it before the war (because it’s easy, of course), and with supplies dwindling, have descended into something like a small dark age, because they never developed their own technology, having depended on what the fey sold them. Other technology is limited to somewhat primitive, alternate forms of power and locomotion. Magic really is under the control of the fey, who in this novel use it to surreptitiously continue their war against the humans in pretty gruesome ways. Dwarves make their home here, as well as fey and humans, and they may be the most interesting characters of all. Also affected by the fae magic in similar ways, the dwarves have avoided trade and interaction with them for decades. One of the most interesting secondary characters hints at a unique dwarven culture.
The novel’s plot relies on the war between the fey and the human, and how the fey operate – by killing and then riding a human body as a host. Their magic affects survivors by amplifying certain emotions or needs, and transmitting those feelings to others around them. Years ago, the heroine, Jane, was trying to save her brother from becoming a fey puppet when she got hit by fey shrapnel. The shrapnel left her with ugly scars on her face and the need to wear “ironskin,” or an iron mask that muted the fey’s magical effects on the people around her. She has spent the intervening time between her injury and the events of this book depressed, angry, withdrawn, and struggling to maintain employment in the face of stigma and prejudice. For the world around her has been seduced by beauty, which is all that matters in the higher echelon of society.
As with the Glamourist Histories series, I found this book to be so closely connected to the Jane Eyre story that it distracted me. The names are all too similar (for example, “Jane” and “Rochart”), and the plot clearly based on the British classic. The only novelties are the additional species (fey and dwarves) and the magic. I haven’t read Jane Eyre yet, which probably explains why I liked this book slightly more than I liked Shades of Milk and Honey.
The romance, obviously inevitable, lacked depth – Jane arrives at Rochart’s manor almost immediately smitten with its owner. Rochart similarly indicates his own attachment early on, when he mentions the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale as he hands Jane into a carriage for a visit home with her sister. He then tells her he won’t leave it up to her, he’ll send the carriage back for her at the end of her vacation, to make sure she returns to him. Later on, hidden agendas and deeper motives are revealed, which should change the lay of the romantic land, but don’t seem to. In other relationships, the same insta-affection occurs. Even right up to the end, Jane’s affection for and attachment to the child Dorie never really made sense to me.
Jane, a likeable enough character, occasionally (in one case, spectacularly) decided on courses of action that made me want to shake her. In the spectacularly annoying incident, the plot actually hinges on her decision. Had she made a different (the more sensible, even character-fitting) decision, the plot would have sagged, to be sure - but as it stands, it felt forced, out of character, and idiotic. While this novel should have been about self-acceptance, overcoming tragedy, and the true meaning of "beauty," I felt that it fell short, and that Jane's journey from wounded and self-conscious girl to confident, self-loving woman no matter her scars, was derailed by the actions she took. When she finally does accept who she is, it doesn't have the same impact as it would have had it come earlier. Ultimately, I was disappointed in the way this theme evolved. Seemingly headed to a strong resolution of Jane's internal conflict about beauty and strength (Yes! You can be different/disfigured/scarred and still be strong and beautiful), Jane's choice ruins that message by turning back to prefer physical beauty over internal strength. There was such potential here that I felt was rejected in favor of a plot twist.
Note for the squeamish – there are some gory and gross parts in here.
While this is an enjoyable story, it didn’t really meet my expectations, and I find myself willing to pass over the next in the series.
What makes this world interesting is its mix of fey and gaslamp. The events take place in what feels like an alternate Between the Wars period (the World Wars, that is), where the Great War was actually fought against the fey, who resent the humans that have taken over their territory. Fey technology rules – humans traded for it before the war (because it’s easy, of course), and with supplies dwindling, have descended into something like a small dark age, because they never developed their own technology, having depended on what the fey sold them. Other technology is limited to somewhat primitive, alternate forms of power and locomotion. Magic really is under the control of the fey, who in this novel use it to surreptitiously continue their war against the humans in pretty gruesome ways. Dwarves make their home here, as well as fey and humans, and they may be the most interesting characters of all. Also affected by the fae magic in similar ways, the dwarves have avoided trade and interaction with them for decades. One of the most interesting secondary characters hints at a unique dwarven culture.
The novel’s plot relies on the war between the fey and the human, and how the fey operate – by killing and then riding a human body as a host. Their magic affects survivors by amplifying certain emotions or needs, and transmitting those feelings to others around them. Years ago, the heroine, Jane, was trying to save her brother from becoming a fey puppet when she got hit by fey shrapnel. The shrapnel left her with ugly scars on her face and the need to wear “ironskin,” or an iron mask that muted the fey’s magical effects on the people around her. She has spent the intervening time between her injury and the events of this book depressed, angry, withdrawn, and struggling to maintain employment in the face of stigma and prejudice. For the world around her has been seduced by beauty, which is all that matters in the higher echelon of society.
As with the Glamourist Histories series, I found this book to be so closely connected to the Jane Eyre story that it distracted me. The names are all too similar (for example, “Jane” and “Rochart”), and the plot clearly based on the British classic. The only novelties are the additional species (fey and dwarves) and the magic. I haven’t read Jane Eyre yet, which probably explains why I liked this book slightly more than I liked Shades of Milk and Honey.
The romance, obviously inevitable, lacked depth – Jane arrives at Rochart’s manor almost immediately smitten with its owner. Rochart similarly indicates his own attachment early on, when he mentions the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale as he hands Jane into a carriage for a visit home with her sister. He then tells her he won’t leave it up to her, he’ll send the carriage back for her at the end of her vacation, to make sure she returns to him. Later on, hidden agendas and deeper motives are revealed, which should change the lay of the romantic land, but don’t seem to. In other relationships, the same insta-affection occurs. Even right up to the end, Jane’s affection for and attachment to the child Dorie never really made sense to me.
Jane, a likeable enough character, occasionally (in one case, spectacularly) decided on courses of action that made me want to shake her. In the spectacularly annoying incident, the plot actually hinges on her decision. Had she made a different (the more sensible, even character-fitting) decision, the plot would have sagged, to be sure - but as it stands, it felt forced, out of character, and idiotic. While this novel should have been about self-acceptance, overcoming tragedy, and the true meaning of "beauty," I felt that it fell short, and that Jane's journey from wounded and self-conscious girl to confident, self-loving woman no matter her scars, was derailed by the actions she took. When she finally does accept who she is, it doesn't have the same impact as it would have had it come earlier. Ultimately, I was disappointed in the way this theme evolved. Seemingly headed to a strong resolution of Jane's internal conflict about beauty and strength (Yes! You can be different/disfigured/scarred and still be strong and beautiful), Jane's choice ruins that message by turning back to prefer physical beauty over internal strength. There was such potential here that I felt was rejected in favor of a plot twist.
Note for the squeamish – there are some gory and gross parts in here.
While this is an enjoyable story, it didn’t really meet my expectations, and I find myself willing to pass over the next in the series.