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unluckyprimes's review against another edition
3.0
Man, the first like, 60-75% of this book was definitely 4 star material. I mean, a Jane Eyre retelling crossed with Man in the Iron Mask? The unique worldbuilding around fey magic and the fey-cursed? The kind of ridiculous but totally swoony romance? Hell yes.
And then... well, I'd say I lost the plot, but it's more like the plot lost me. Things took a turn, especially in the last 50 pages or so that ... I mean, it was interesting, I guess but I just think I expected something different?
And not going to lie, I totally hated
I'm not really super interested in reading on either. Despite the clear set up for more, the turnaround in the back part of the book makes me think the sequels are going to be more paranormal action and romance as opposed to the historical fantasy retelling I originally was really liking. So. Meh?
And then... well, I'd say I lost the plot, but it's more like the plot lost me. Things took a turn, especially in the last 50 pages or so that ... I mean, it was interesting, I guess but I just think I expected something different?
And not going to lie, I totally hated
Spoiler
that Jane gets a new face at the end of this. I mean, her pulling of the first mask to try and defeat the Fey Queen was badass as hell, but... uh, it sort of left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Especially the second time. Like, that her deformity is something to be fixed and that she deserves to have fixed. Which... I was liking the way the narrative was handling the feelings Jane had about herself in that regard, but for that to be the ultimate payoff kind of felt... cheap? Like we were doing so well with the realization that iron was harmful and that the curses could be mastered and those afflicted didn't owe anything to anyone about their appearance....... And then that ending happened. And ugh.I'm not really super interested in reading on either. Despite the clear set up for more, the turnaround in the back part of the book makes me think the sequels are going to be more paranormal action and romance as opposed to the historical fantasy retelling I originally was really liking. So. Meh?
schomj's review against another edition
3.0
The world building was inventive, if you like fairy stories and gaslamp settings -- and if you accept a story that's noticeably influenced by Jane Eyre, Tam Lin and Beauty & the Beast as inventive -- but the romance made no sense to me at all, which meant that the denouement was a bit of a muddle.
I might try more from this author, but I'm not really interested in trying more of this particular series.
I might try more from this author, but I'm not really interested in trying more of this particular series.
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
In the five years since the end of The Great War, Jane Eliot has grown used to the iron mask she must wear to cover her fey cursed scars. A teacher and governess by training, Jane has excelled in many positions but has always found that her scars and her mask have been held against her in the end. But then a certain advert for a governess catches Jane's eye and she knows the position will be perfect. The job specifies a child born during the war, one with a delicate situation. Even Jane is unprepared for the extent of said situation, though. Jane is determined she succeed, though, especially upon hearing how all the other governesses have abandoned the child in the past. It also helps that the girl's father, Edward Rochart, appeals to Jane in a way she's never experienced.
Tina Connolly's debut is an inventive twist on JANE EYRE. The Great War is one with the Fey, and they are wicked in a way that I've not seen in most books. Yes, they're tricksters, but Connolly's Fey have declared war on humankind. They're weapons, Fey bombs, leave survivors like Jane afflicted with a curse -- emotions that they can't control themselves and are forced on those around them -- leaving them not only physically scarred but shunned in society. The only way to "cure" the person is to bind the cursed and scarred area in iron.
Like the classic Jane, Connolly's version is also headstrong and smart. She's one of my all-time favorite heroines and I really love seeing her pop up in so many books, either in new interpretations or simply in inspiration. Connolly does her justice here in IRONSKIN but has definitely made her version of Jane her own.
I also love that IRONSKIN is essentially an alternate version of a somewhat Jane era England, barring the fey technology that is. Even down to slight twists on Shakespeare's classics that earn mention in a couple of places in the book. It's a fun blend of historical fiction and fantasy that I think will appeal greatly to readers comfortable with either genre.
Tina Connolly's debut is an inventive twist on JANE EYRE. The Great War is one with the Fey, and they are wicked in a way that I've not seen in most books. Yes, they're tricksters, but Connolly's Fey have declared war on humankind. They're weapons, Fey bombs, leave survivors like Jane afflicted with a curse -- emotions that they can't control themselves and are forced on those around them -- leaving them not only physically scarred but shunned in society. The only way to "cure" the person is to bind the cursed and scarred area in iron.
Like the classic Jane, Connolly's version is also headstrong and smart. She's one of my all-time favorite heroines and I really love seeing her pop up in so many books, either in new interpretations or simply in inspiration. Connolly does her justice here in IRONSKIN but has definitely made her version of Jane her own.
I also love that IRONSKIN is essentially an alternate version of a somewhat Jane era England, barring the fey technology that is. Even down to slight twists on Shakespeare's classics that earn mention in a couple of places in the book. It's a fun blend of historical fiction and fantasy that I think will appeal greatly to readers comfortable with either genre.
literaryfeline's review against another edition
3.0
http://www.literaryfeline.com/2012/10/bookish-thoughts-ironskin-by-tina.html
emlickliter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
5.0
Ironskin by Tina Connolly – It has Jane Eyre meets Irish fey vibes, and you will love the world building! Happy Reading!
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
2.0
So much potential in this plot, all reduced to, "Wah, wah poor me. I'm not pretty." And "Oh, woe is me, I've been cursed with rage...or, well, at least mild irritation." (I certainly never sensed any more than that.) With a romance that boiled down to "Mr. Rochart is never here. I wish he was here because it makes his daughter happy when he is. Oh, I love Mr. Rochart." It came out of nowhere! Not least because Mr. Rochart was completely flat as a character. Jane was a bit better, but not by much.
Sure the book has a creepy atmosphere. And it really is an interesting premise. Unfortunately, I think all that potential was just smothered under all the self-absorbed angst. I'm afraid being a retelling of Jane Eyre was enough to salvage this. I'll not be bothering with the sequels.
Sure the book has a creepy atmosphere. And it really is an interesting premise. Unfortunately, I think all that potential was just smothered under all the self-absorbed angst. I'm afraid being a retelling of Jane Eyre was enough to salvage this. I'll not be bothering with the sequels.
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
4.0
I missed in the early pub info that this was a send up/re-imagination of Jane Eyre, making this the third such book I've read this year! While it has nods toward Bronte's classic -- most notably the romance between governess Jane and her employer Edward Rochart -- the novel isn't strictly a Jane Eyre retelling.
Jane Eliot moves to a rural estate to act as a governess to a girl born during the Great War. The Great War, fought between humans and fey, left the world in shambles and Jane scarred by a fey weapon that requires her to wear half an iron mask. Her employer, Edward Rochart, is handsome and mysterious, apt to disappear without a word, who wanders in the dangerous woods now and then, and keeps company with the country's richest and prettiest women. But parts of the house are forbidden to Jane, as is the truth of Edward's past, and Jane is curious about both. Stuff happens -- stuff totally unrelated to Jane Eyre and stuff closely related to it -- and by the novel's explosively odd end, I was pretty satisfied.
Connolly's world building is thin but it worked for me -- the unknown fey technology that fueled the human world is now no longer an option, and the fey are still a mysterious, frightening specter. The Industrial Revolution as we know it was delayed as a result of the heavy dependence of fey technology and so we have coal-burning power plants just coming into smoky existence, while cars run on remaining fey 'bluepacks'. I don't think this is 'steampunk' precisely, but it is a kind of techno-fantasy that I liked -- light on the science and gears, light on the speculative technologies --
In terms of romance, this one was 'eh' for me. I don't get the appeal of the Rochester archetype, but then again, I'm not a fan of the Byronic hero, so in that sense, the romance between Jane and Edward was wasted on me. The does-he-love me schtick, while authentic perhaps to the original novel, made me impatient. It was the odd note in Jane's otherwise rather strong and sensible disposition.
I was most intrigued by Connolly's toying around with the vaunted concepts of 'beauty' and 'anger' in this book. Women are often told not to mix with anger; literature is full of women struggling to tamp down their strong feelings. In this case, Jane literally has to struggle to control her rage -- it's part of her 'fey curse', a lingering wound from a fey bomb, causing unceasing rage to radiate from her face, impacting her and infecting those who are around her. While Jane has to tame her rage -- in the form of her 'ironskin' mask, which dampens the effects -- she also comes to learn to work with it, and in time, her rage proves an essential element to her success. I rather appreciated that.
I am very curious for the sequel -- I was surprised by the novel's end and some of Jane's choices -- and I'm very interested in seeing where Connolly takes Jane and her fey world.
Jane Eliot moves to a rural estate to act as a governess to a girl born during the Great War. The Great War, fought between humans and fey, left the world in shambles and Jane scarred by a fey weapon that requires her to wear half an iron mask. Her employer, Edward Rochart, is handsome and mysterious, apt to disappear without a word, who wanders in the dangerous woods now and then, and keeps company with the country's richest and prettiest women. But parts of the house are forbidden to Jane, as is the truth of Edward's past, and Jane is curious about both. Stuff happens -- stuff totally unrelated to Jane Eyre and stuff closely related to it -- and by the novel's explosively odd end, I was pretty satisfied.
Connolly's world building is thin but it worked for me -- the unknown fey technology that fueled the human world is now no longer an option, and the fey are still a mysterious, frightening specter. The Industrial Revolution as we know it was delayed as a result of the heavy dependence of fey technology and so we have coal-burning power plants just coming into smoky existence, while cars run on remaining fey 'bluepacks'. I don't think this is 'steampunk' precisely, but it is a kind of techno-fantasy that I liked -- light on the science and gears, light on the speculative technologies --
In terms of romance, this one was 'eh' for me. I don't get the appeal of the Rochester archetype, but then again, I'm not a fan of the Byronic hero, so in that sense, the romance between Jane and Edward was wasted on me. The does-he-love me schtick, while authentic perhaps to the original novel, made me impatient. It was the odd note in Jane's otherwise rather strong and sensible disposition.
I was most intrigued by Connolly's toying around with the vaunted concepts of 'beauty' and 'anger' in this book. Women are often told not to mix with anger; literature is full of women struggling to tamp down their strong feelings. In this case, Jane literally has to struggle to control her rage -- it's part of her 'fey curse', a lingering wound from a fey bomb, causing unceasing rage to radiate from her face, impacting her and infecting those who are around her. While Jane has to tame her rage -- in the form of her 'ironskin' mask, which dampens the effects -- she also comes to learn to work with it, and in time, her rage proves an essential element to her success. I rather appreciated that.
I am very curious for the sequel -- I was surprised by the novel's end and some of Jane's choices -- and I'm very interested in seeing where Connolly takes Jane and her fey world.
shellygreninger's review against another edition
3.0
I don't really know where to start with this review. I had really high hopes for this book based on the synopsis and the stunning cover. I don't really think that the actual story lived up to the expectations that I had. I realize that this is a liberal "re-telling" of the Jane Eyre story and I must admit that it's been SO long since I have read Jane Eyre that it was like a whole new story to me. I won't even begin to say that I could compare the two stories because, honestly, I tend to not remember plots of books after so many years. So I didn't have any issues with that like I know some readers did.
I really did like the plot and I think that while Ms. Connolly did a great job building her world there were a lot of things that were confusing about it. There seemed to be a lot of missing information concerning the Great War and details about why it ended, etc... that I think really needed to be elaborated on. I also really wanted to know what year it was, but that's just something that bugs me personally.
I did like her descriptions of the Fae and how they needed to use human bodies because they didn't have corporeal forms of their own. I also liked that in this story the Fae and the "bad guys". I know in a lot of YA books the Fae are glamorized, not so in this case!
For some reason I never really connected with Jane, I don't know why. She was a likable enough character. My favorite character was probably the butler, Poule. I also really was unsatisfied by how the romance between Edward and Jane was left off. It seemed really unfinished it and it wasn't a very satisfying end, for me anyway. I never really got a great feeling about Edward anyway, I think his character needed more work. Overall, I think there needed to be a lot more character development.
The ending seemed really rushed to me. I think that it was great that Jane was able to help Dorie and that she learns about her curse and how to deal with it in a better way. I just think that the pacing and flow of the story needed help. I think this had the potential to be a really great story, I just think that in actuality the execution here was just a little off for me.
I am sure that there are a lot of readers who really enjoyed or will enjoy this book, I just didn't like it quite as much as I was prepared to. I know that there is another book coming in this series, but I don't know if I will read it or not.
I really did like the plot and I think that while Ms. Connolly did a great job building her world there were a lot of things that were confusing about it. There seemed to be a lot of missing information concerning the Great War and details about why it ended, etc... that I think really needed to be elaborated on. I also really wanted to know what year it was, but that's just something that bugs me personally.
I did like her descriptions of the Fae and how they needed to use human bodies because they didn't have corporeal forms of their own. I also liked that in this story the Fae and the "bad guys". I know in a lot of YA books the Fae are glamorized, not so in this case!
For some reason I never really connected with Jane, I don't know why. She was a likable enough character. My favorite character was probably the butler, Poule. I also really was unsatisfied by how the romance between Edward and Jane was left off. It seemed really unfinished it and it wasn't a very satisfying end, for me anyway. I never really got a great feeling about Edward anyway, I think his character needed more work. Overall, I think there needed to be a lot more character development.
The ending seemed really rushed to me. I think that it was great that Jane was able to help Dorie and that she learns about her curse and how to deal with it in a better way. I just think that the pacing and flow of the story needed help. I think this had the potential to be a really great story, I just think that in actuality the execution here was just a little off for me.
I am sure that there are a lot of readers who really enjoyed or will enjoy this book, I just didn't like it quite as much as I was prepared to. I know that there is another book coming in this series, but I don't know if I will read it or not.
chantaal's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
I have to confess I've never read Jane Eyre. Really. It's on my list of classics to eventually read, though my goal of reading forty classics in 2013 fell by the wayside. (Damn you, comics! But not really, I love you.) As a result, I went into Ironskin completely unaware of what was a retelling and what was original story (well, obviously the fey stuff is original), which led to a pretty interesting reading experience.
The first two thirds of the novel unfold much like you'd expect it to. The story revolves around our main character, Jane, who is scarred with a fey curse on her cheek. Or the entire left half of her face, it's hard to tell at times. This scar is actually a bit of fey magic bomb shrapnel that sticks to the victim and lets out waves of some sort of emotion - in Jane's case, anger and rage.
This is where Ironskin thrives: in the world building and fey touches. There aren't huge dumps of exposition to describe Jane's world, but we experience the world through her instead. The fey aspects are so ingrained in her world and her life, that we get bits and pieces of the fey history, the fey-human war, and Jane's curse. Speaking of which, I really liked that bit of Jane's characterization. She wears an iron mask to protect others from being hit by the rage of her curse, but doesn't that mean all that rage has nowhere to go but within? Jane has spent years fighting against the anger she feels, and seeing it play out in her interactions and emotions is great.
The romance between Jane and Rochart, her employer, was very lukewarm to me. I just couldn't see what she saw in him, and it prompted me to accept it simply because that's how it's supposed to happen in Jane Eyre.
Then we get to the last third of the novel.
We've just spent the first part of the novel living through Jane, through her attempts to work with Rochart's daughter, through the lukewarm romance. The fey aspects of it are around in their daily lives, but never overt. A little mystery begins to unwind as Jane spends more time on the Rochart estate. This is all expected, right?
Then the fey stuff takes over quickly and completely. I can't even describe it without spoiling for the last sixty or so pages, but damn.
The last bit of Ironskin really threw me off. In any other novel the fey aspects of the plot would have delighted me (even if some parts made my skin crawl), but it seemed to come out of nowhere. Yes, seeds of it were planted early on in the novel, but the jump from placid country setting to FULL BLOWN FEY BATSHITTERY was insane.
And kinda fun. But mostly insane.
Two stars for the romance, four stars for the crazy.
I have to confess I've never read Jane Eyre. Really. It's on my list of classics to eventually read, though my goal of reading forty classics in 2013 fell by the wayside. (Damn you, comics! But not really, I love you.) As a result, I went into Ironskin completely unaware of what was a retelling and what was original story (well, obviously the fey stuff is original), which led to a pretty interesting reading experience.
The first two thirds of the novel unfold much like you'd expect it to. The story revolves around our main character, Jane, who is scarred with a fey curse on her cheek. Or the entire left half of her face, it's hard to tell at times. This scar is actually a bit of fey magic bomb shrapnel that sticks to the victim and lets out waves of some sort of emotion - in Jane's case, anger and rage.
This is where Ironskin thrives: in the world building and fey touches. There aren't huge dumps of exposition to describe Jane's world, but we experience the world through her instead. The fey aspects are so ingrained in her world and her life, that we get bits and pieces of the fey history, the fey-human war, and Jane's curse. Speaking of which, I really liked that bit of Jane's characterization. She wears an iron mask to protect others from being hit by the rage of her curse, but doesn't that mean all that rage has nowhere to go but within? Jane has spent years fighting against the anger she feels, and seeing it play out in her interactions and emotions is great.
The romance between Jane and Rochart, her employer, was very lukewarm to me. I just couldn't see what she saw in him, and it prompted me to accept it simply because that's how it's supposed to happen in Jane Eyre.
Then we get to the last third of the novel.
We've just spent the first part of the novel living through Jane, through her attempts to work with Rochart's daughter, through the lukewarm romance. The fey aspects of it are around in their daily lives, but never overt. A little mystery begins to unwind as Jane spends more time on the Rochart estate. This is all expected, right?
Then the fey stuff takes over quickly and completely. I can't even describe it without spoiling for the last sixty or so pages, but damn.
The last bit of Ironskin really threw me off. In any other novel the fey aspects of the plot would have delighted me (even if some parts made my skin crawl), but it seemed to come out of nowhere. Yes, seeds of it were planted early on in the novel, but the jump from placid country setting to FULL BLOWN FEY BATSHITTERY was insane.
And kinda fun. But mostly insane.
Two stars for the romance, four stars for the crazy.
renley's review against another edition
3.0
* 3.5 *
~ Thank you Tor Books for sending me a copy in return for an honest review! ~
I have very mixed feelings about this book right now.. I loved it, then I hated it, and then I loved it- and agh! I am going to have such a hard time writing a review on this one, so bear with me!
Our main character is Jane, who is one of the victims of the fey curse from the Great War 5 years ago. To keep the curse contained she must wear an iron mask, that blocks it's abilities. After losing her job, she applied to the Silver Birch Hall to be a governess and a teacher to a child named Dorie, who was born during the time of the Great War. Soon after she arrived she notices that Dorie is also cursed- but in a way that Jane has never seen before. While teaching Dorie how to control her curse, Jane also begins to get closer to her father- Mr. Rochart- Who seems to have many secrets hidden of his own.
This book was a roller-coaster for me. In the beginning I was very intrigued by the book and found myself loving Connolly's writing. She writes so descriptive and beautifully and I sometimes felt like I was right there with Jane the entire time. Also, the fact that it was pretty much a retelling of Jane Eyre only with Steampunk and faeries was a plus! But some parts of the book just didn't do it for me..
I loved Jane as a character. I really enjoyed following her and learning more about her as a person. But the thing is, she is the only character I felt attached to. Dorie was okay, she annoyed me quite a bit but I felt myself growing to like her a little bit more as time went on. Mr. Rochart though, I didn't connect with him at all. He wasn't anything really special, and I expected him and Jane to have all these heart-wrenching beautiful moments- but that never happened. The romance was very mild and there were very few moments with Jane and Mr. Rochart that didn't really go anywhere.
This book was very entertaining, even though there were dull moments in there. I loved the storyline of it and enjoyed Jane as a character. The other characters didn't do much for me, but maybe in future books they will grow some more on me! There was very little romance which was kind of a disappointment, but that might just be me because I just love romance in anything! But I definitely think this book was enjoyable and definitely worth a go if you are a fan of Jane Eyre or like faeries and steampunk!
~ Thank you Tor Books for sending me a copy in return for an honest review! ~
I have very mixed feelings about this book right now.. I loved it, then I hated it, and then I loved it- and agh! I am going to have such a hard time writing a review on this one, so bear with me!
Our main character is Jane, who is one of the victims of the fey curse from the Great War 5 years ago. To keep the curse contained she must wear an iron mask, that blocks it's abilities. After losing her job, she applied to the Silver Birch Hall to be a governess and a teacher to a child named Dorie, who was born during the time of the Great War. Soon after she arrived she notices that Dorie is also cursed- but in a way that Jane has never seen before. While teaching Dorie how to control her curse, Jane also begins to get closer to her father- Mr. Rochart- Who seems to have many secrets hidden of his own.
This book was a roller-coaster for me. In the beginning I was very intrigued by the book and found myself loving Connolly's writing. She writes so descriptive and beautifully and I sometimes felt like I was right there with Jane the entire time. Also, the fact that it was pretty much a retelling of Jane Eyre only with Steampunk and faeries was a plus! But some parts of the book just didn't do it for me..
I loved Jane as a character. I really enjoyed following her and learning more about her as a person. But the thing is, she is the only character I felt attached to. Dorie was okay, she annoyed me quite a bit but I felt myself growing to like her a little bit more as time went on. Mr. Rochart though, I didn't connect with him at all. He wasn't anything really special, and I expected him and Jane to have all these heart-wrenching beautiful moments- but that never happened. The romance was very mild and there were very few moments with Jane and Mr. Rochart that didn't really go anywhere.
This book was very entertaining, even though there were dull moments in there. I loved the storyline of it and enjoyed Jane as a character. The other characters didn't do much for me, but maybe in future books they will grow some more on me! There was very little romance which was kind of a disappointment, but that might just be me because I just love romance in anything! But I definitely think this book was enjoyable and definitely worth a go if you are a fan of Jane Eyre or like faeries and steampunk!