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taherah98's review against another edition
1.0
I had very high expectations from this book, especially because all the steampunk kind of books that I've recently read have been quite good and I've never read Jane Eyre or any retellings of it before so I wanted to see how this would turn out. The beginning started out nicely and did have me intrigued, but then as I kept reading on, I just got reaally bored with it. There was so much detail that didn't need to be there and the main character got on my nerves at times. However the aspect I really enjoyed about this book was the setting and the era it took place in. All the glamour women wanted and the way life was for both the rich and the cursed ones was brilliantly shown.
The romance was meh. There yet not quite. I'm not a fan of romance with the age difference , its just super weird reading about for me. Some I can take *cough* Vampire Academy *couch*. But this one, I wasn't connected with the love interest, which in this book was Edward or Mr. Rochart, like I usually am. He kinda disappeared along the book and didn't make much of an impression on me. I mean he was the one that called for a governess to help Dorie yet he was never really there to support her and his feelings and the way he was written coul'dve been put together better.
The other supporting, additional characters were an added plus and I enjoyed getting to know them. And the added fey interest and problems was nice. It's a pretty short book and I think if there was more development with the characters and plot, it wouldn't seem so rushed but boring. However, those you who like retelling, then I totally would recommend like this book especially with the fey, steampunk twist to it.
The romance was meh. There yet not quite. I'm not a fan of romance with the age difference , its just super weird reading about for me. Some I can take *cough* Vampire Academy *couch*. But this one, I wasn't connected with the love interest, which in this book was Edward or Mr. Rochart, like I usually am. He kinda disappeared along the book and didn't make much of an impression on me. I mean he was the one that called for a governess to help Dorie yet he was never really there to support her and his feelings and the way he was written coul'dve been put together better.
The other supporting, additional characters were an added plus and I enjoyed getting to know them. And the added fey interest and problems was nice. It's a pretty short book and I think if there was more development with the characters and plot, it wouldn't seem so rushed but boring. However, those you who like retelling, then I totally would recommend like this book especially with the fey, steampunk twist to it.
seeingnight's review against another edition
3.0
GENRE: Fantasy
THEME: Fae/ Romance
RECEIVED: Tor for honest review
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
3.5 stars
REVIEW:
When I saw that one of my favorite authors quotes that Ironskin was “A steampunk Beauty and The Beast tale but reversed” I couldn’t wait to start reading. It’s a very dark and twisted tale; a unique take on fae was what really pulled me into the story that made it very original.
Ironskin follows a young Jane Eliot who is known for be an excellent teacher, but since the war against the fae left her scarred she doesn’t keep a job long. She takes a chance in becoming a governess for a wealthy man’s daughter who was born during the war and is also “fey curse” like Jane. Though where Jane wears a mask to shield her curse face, the young daughter has a curse that could be a problem in the real world. Jane must learn to understand this little girl, understand her own curse and try not to fall for her very mysterious boss Edward.
Jane, as I’ve heard from many others say, that this story takes on the essence of Jayne Eyre. Jane is a strong and independent woman, her sister and her are close but very different in society. I like how devoted she was to finding a way to connect with Edward’s daughter Dorie, whom is very dependent on her curse and doesn’t use her hands. The growing romance between Edward and Jane seemed odd, they had little interaction and I couldn’t really feel the connection and it fell a little flat for me. I would of rather there had been no romance and more scene with Jane working with Dorie. But overall Jane discovers a lot of secrets in the house and that Edwards behind a lot of it.
Edward is a huge mystery and really quite strange. I couldn’t connect with his character and didn’t like the fact he didn’t help his daughter a little more. He does however have a great backstory when it comes to these horrible mask that are in his office. It’s a bit dark but once the readers find out more about the mask, that’s when things start getting interesting.
The setting of this story is in Britain and it’s been five years since the fae war changed the world and people. Iron is used as shield to keep the curse at bay. The war had a huge impact and the readers will hear how Jane got curse and what happened to Dorie and Edward. The fae are written very differently, normally they are good in the books I’ve read but in this, they are the enemy.
Overall I liked how dark and creepy the tone was, it gave an eeriness into the effect of the war it had on society. My only issue was that as much as I wanted too, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and at some points I wish there was more fae and fantasy that was focused on. I did enjoy the mystery behind Edward and the connection to fae with Dorie, everything in the end came together.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult series that has lots of mystery and a dark edge. Fans Kresely Coles Poison Princess and Talia Vance’s Silver will enjoy Ironskin by Tina Connolly.
THEME: Fae/ Romance
RECEIVED: Tor for honest review
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
3.5 stars
REVIEW:
When I saw that one of my favorite authors quotes that Ironskin was “A steampunk Beauty and The Beast tale but reversed” I couldn’t wait to start reading. It’s a very dark and twisted tale; a unique take on fae was what really pulled me into the story that made it very original.
Ironskin follows a young Jane Eliot who is known for be an excellent teacher, but since the war against the fae left her scarred she doesn’t keep a job long. She takes a chance in becoming a governess for a wealthy man’s daughter who was born during the war and is also “fey curse” like Jane. Though where Jane wears a mask to shield her curse face, the young daughter has a curse that could be a problem in the real world. Jane must learn to understand this little girl, understand her own curse and try not to fall for her very mysterious boss Edward.
Jane, as I’ve heard from many others say, that this story takes on the essence of Jayne Eyre. Jane is a strong and independent woman, her sister and her are close but very different in society. I like how devoted she was to finding a way to connect with Edward’s daughter Dorie, whom is very dependent on her curse and doesn’t use her hands. The growing romance between Edward and Jane seemed odd, they had little interaction and I couldn’t really feel the connection and it fell a little flat for me. I would of rather there had been no romance and more scene with Jane working with Dorie. But overall Jane discovers a lot of secrets in the house and that Edwards behind a lot of it.
Edward is a huge mystery and really quite strange. I couldn’t connect with his character and didn’t like the fact he didn’t help his daughter a little more. He does however have a great backstory when it comes to these horrible mask that are in his office. It’s a bit dark but once the readers find out more about the mask, that’s when things start getting interesting.
The setting of this story is in Britain and it’s been five years since the fae war changed the world and people. Iron is used as shield to keep the curse at bay. The war had a huge impact and the readers will hear how Jane got curse and what happened to Dorie and Edward. The fae are written very differently, normally they are good in the books I’ve read but in this, they are the enemy.
Overall I liked how dark and creepy the tone was, it gave an eeriness into the effect of the war it had on society. My only issue was that as much as I wanted too, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and at some points I wish there was more fae and fantasy that was focused on. I did enjoy the mystery behind Edward and the connection to fae with Dorie, everything in the end came together.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult series that has lots of mystery and a dark edge. Fans Kresely Coles Poison Princess and Talia Vance’s Silver will enjoy Ironskin by Tina Connolly.
kmherkes's review against another edition
3.0
The elevator pitch would probably be, "Jane Eyre with magic," but that doesn't to justice to this book. The writing has a lush gothic feel, the characters are fully-realized and original, and the world is wonderfully complex and well-described. I love a good gothic romance, and this one is well worth the read. I would recommend it to fans of steampunk, urban fantasy or even just good ol' fiction of indefinable genre.
I'm starting to think that suspense is in the eye of the beholder. I enjoyed the way the plot wound along at its own pace through a veritable thicket of words, revealing itself in flashes and glimpses of revelation between quiet witty dialogue exchanges. I liked this. Others didn't. I like that the characters, scarred and damaged, struggle with their limitations and do not always win. I especially appreciate that not all storylines were tied off, and not all mysteries were solved by the completion o
It wasn't the slow pacing or the humanity of the characters that make me reluctant to award four stars. It's merely the lack of some quality in the main character's personality. I just didn't like Jane (yes, she's even named Jane) and that did affect my enjoyment. Mileage varies by reader, of course. I loathe the character of Stephanie Plum, and she's the star of one of the best-selling series around. The pace also got uneven near the end, as if there was too much action left to cover than could fit into an allotted word limit.
Minor quibbles, really, but they're mine, and I'll own up to them. I like it. You might too. Check it out.
I'm starting to think that suspense is in the eye of the beholder. I enjoyed the way the plot wound along at its own pace through a veritable thicket of words, revealing itself in flashes and glimpses of revelation between quiet witty dialogue exchanges. I liked this. Others didn't. I like that the characters, scarred and damaged, struggle with their limitations and do not always win. I especially appreciate that not all storylines were tied off, and not all mysteries were solved by the completion o
It wasn't the slow pacing or the humanity of the characters that make me reluctant to award four stars. It's merely the lack of some quality in the main character's personality. I just didn't like Jane (yes, she's even named Jane) and that did affect my enjoyment. Mileage varies by reader, of course. I loathe the character of Stephanie Plum, and she's the star of one of the best-selling series around. The pace also got uneven near the end, as if there was too much action left to cover than could fit into an allotted word limit.
Minor quibbles, really, but they're mine, and I'll own up to them. I like it. You might too. Check it out.
teghan's review against another edition
2.0
Well that was.....polarizing.
I should state that I have read Jane Eyre, but I am not a super Bronte fan (more of an Austen&Gaskell kind of gal) so going into this book I was familiar with the source material, but I wasn't going to hold it against that standard.
The first half of the book was actually pretty decent, it kept my attention for the most part and I enjoyed the world building. I wish the book was about the actual war, or explored more of the social and political consequences of the war. The technicality of the writing was good and the author was very effective at communicating the eerie mood of a large estate on the moors.
However, there were just a bunch of things that irked me and they only grew more pronounced as I read.
I should state that I have read Jane Eyre, but I am not a super Bronte fan (more of an Austen&Gaskell kind of gal) so going into this book I was familiar with the source material, but I wasn't going to hold it against that standard.
The first half of the book was actually pretty decent, it kept my attention for the most part and I enjoyed the world building. I wish the book was about the actual war, or explored more of the social and political consequences of the war. The technicality of the writing was good and the author was very effective at communicating the eerie mood of a large estate on the moors.
However, there were just a bunch of things that irked me and they only grew more pronounced as I read.
dahliamorgana's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Interesting take on fantasy and the Jane Eyre story.
ersandoval's review against another edition
4.0
When the 2012 Nebula Award nominees were announced, I was pleased to find I had read (and enjoyed) four out of six in the Best Novel category. The fifth has been on my reading list for a while. The sixth, the only one I’d never heard of, was Ironskin by Tina Connolly.
I picked it up so quickly in part because of some idiot comments floating around the web about the genre becoming too girly, and it made me happy that books like this are starting to get serious recognition. Once I read the description, I was curious about what made this book so special that both it and [a:Mary Robinette Kowal|2868678|Mary Robinette Kowal|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1272385963p2/2868678.jpg]’s [b:Glamour in Glass|12160890|Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories, #2)|Mary Robinette Kowal|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316282715s/12160890.jpg|17131945] were included on the shortlist (both being alternate histories in the regency era).
Ironskin is a retelling of Jane Eyre with fey. Unlike Glamour in Glass, where society is practically unchanged by the addition of magic, Connolly’s world is dramatically different. Society had become dependent on fey technology, powering everything from lights to motor cars with magical “bluepacks”—until the Great War. The story starts five years after the war’s end. The fey are gone, but the country is left devastated, and scrambling to make do with coal and steam. A generation of young men is slaughtered, and many unlucky survivors are left with fey curses that can only be suppressed by covering the scars with iron. Jane Eliot is one such ironskin, hiding her deformed face with an iron half-mask.
I thought the language was lovely, and really captured the feeling of Jane Eyre. The societal consequences were well-thought out, and I loved the references to slightly altered titles and quotes from plays by “Shakspyr.” The fey were very traditional and satisfyingly malevolent in contrast with the recent abundance of urban fantasy reinterpretations.
Jane’s interactions with the fey-touched child, Dorie, actually bothered me quite a lot through the first half of the book, but I think they were meant to. It was heartbreaking to watch all the life and spirit drain out of the girl as Jane and her father insisted she deny her fey gifts in favor of acting “human.” There were strong reasons for her doing so, but rather lightly touched upon, and I can’t help but wish that I could have been made to really believe in those reasons along with Jane.
The other aspect of the story that bothered me was the easy resolution of Jane’s dislike of her scarred face by giving her a new, perfect fey face. It feels like a cop-out. I was disappointed in Jane for forcing Edward to make her a new face, and while I loved the horrifying way in which that backfired on her, I hate that she got to be magically beautiful anyway. It sends a conflicting message. On one hand, it tries to convince you that fey beauty is deadly and Jane’s scars mark her bravery, but the other hand snatches it all away in the ending with the impression that it can’t be a happy ending if she’s still ugly. Needless to say, that left a bad taste in my mouth.
If you can overlook that distasteful theme, however, I found Ironskin to be very engaging overall, and the faery queen beats the insane wife in the attic, hands down. Worth a read for fans of the classic.
I picked it up so quickly in part because of some idiot comments floating around the web about the genre becoming too girly, and it made me happy that books like this are starting to get serious recognition. Once I read the description, I was curious about what made this book so special that both it and [a:Mary Robinette Kowal|2868678|Mary Robinette Kowal|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1272385963p2/2868678.jpg]’s [b:Glamour in Glass|12160890|Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories, #2)|Mary Robinette Kowal|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316282715s/12160890.jpg|17131945] were included on the shortlist (both being alternate histories in the regency era).
Ironskin is a retelling of Jane Eyre with fey. Unlike Glamour in Glass, where society is practically unchanged by the addition of magic, Connolly’s world is dramatically different. Society had become dependent on fey technology, powering everything from lights to motor cars with magical “bluepacks”—until the Great War. The story starts five years after the war’s end. The fey are gone, but the country is left devastated, and scrambling to make do with coal and steam. A generation of young men is slaughtered, and many unlucky survivors are left with fey curses that can only be suppressed by covering the scars with iron. Jane Eliot is one such ironskin, hiding her deformed face with an iron half-mask.
I thought the language was lovely, and really captured the feeling of Jane Eyre. The societal consequences were well-thought out, and I loved the references to slightly altered titles and quotes from plays by “Shakspyr.” The fey were very traditional and satisfyingly malevolent in contrast with the recent abundance of urban fantasy reinterpretations.
Jane’s interactions with the fey-touched child, Dorie, actually bothered me quite a lot through the first half of the book, but I think they were meant to. It was heartbreaking to watch all the life and spirit drain out of the girl as Jane and her father insisted she deny her fey gifts in favor of acting “human.” There were strong reasons for her doing so, but rather lightly touched upon, and I can’t help but wish that I could have been made to really believe in those reasons along with Jane.
The other aspect of the story that bothered me was the easy resolution of Jane’s dislike of her scarred face by giving her a new, perfect fey face. It feels like a cop-out. I was disappointed in Jane for forcing Edward to make her a new face, and while I loved the horrifying way in which that backfired on her, I hate that she got to be magically beautiful anyway. It sends a conflicting message. On one hand, it tries to convince you that fey beauty is deadly and Jane’s scars mark her bravery, but the other hand snatches it all away in the ending with the impression that it can’t be a happy ending if she’s still ugly. Needless to say, that left a bad taste in my mouth.
If you can overlook that distasteful theme, however, I found Ironskin to be very engaging overall, and the faery queen beats the insane wife in the attic, hands down. Worth a read for fans of the classic.
mrsjenniferwheeler's review
4.0
What a great re-imagining of the Jane Eyre storyline. Fantasy with a slight tinge of steampunk, taking place in a world that pits human against Fey. I'll definitely be acquiring the rest of this series to see where it heads from here.
greentreetall's review against another edition
4.0
well, that was interesting.
The story itself was very good read, with beautiful imagery but I was a little put off with the ending honestly.
I felt kinda sick when I was reading about Edward and the Fae, I don't know why but it was a little disturbing to be honest.
I still really liked the book in general and it was really beautiful but I was just a tad terrified with their back story, actually the whole back story was down right creepy!
And his profession, yeah that was really disturbing, though that's not to say I wouldn't recommend it, I would just warn people it's kinda creepy in a weird way that I can't fully describe.
The story itself was very good read, with beautiful imagery but I was a little put off with the ending honestly.
I felt kinda sick when I was reading about Edward and the Fae, I don't know why but it was a little disturbing to be honest.
I still really liked the book in general and it was really beautiful but I was just a tad terrified with their back story, actually the whole back story was down right creepy!
And his profession, yeah that was really disturbing, though that's not to say I wouldn't recommend it, I would just warn people it's kinda creepy in a weird way that I can't fully describe.
authorheatherw's review against another edition
4.0
This book had an interesting concept: combine the classic tale of Jane Eyre with a steampunk twist. Although I liked the idea behind the novel and I found it interesting enough to finish, I was left wanting more in certain aspects. However, with a sequel in the works, many of the issues I had could be easily resolved.
What I Liked: I thought the reimagining of Jane Eyre was a fun idea. I always enjoyed the Bronte tale and haven't read a retelling before. Ironskin retained the gothic feel of the original.
The world-building drew me in as the author describes how humanity has come to rely on fey technology. The fey were eerie and mysterious and I loved their part in the story.
Jane's interactions with Poule and Dorie were probably my favorite. I liked how they both helped Jane learn more about herself and how to deal with her curse.
The pacing at the end of the novel was great and I finished the last third of the novel in one sitting. Once Rochart's secret was revealed, the story really took off and made me excited to see what would happen to Jane.
What I Didn't Like: The romance was lacking in Ironskin. The scenes with Jane and Rochart were few and far between. I never felt a spark between the two of them and had to wonder how she fell for him when she barely saw him.
The pacing was a little slow at times. There were sections that dragged, especially the beginning where Jane is trying to teach Dorie to use her hands instead of her fey powers. I think more interaction with Rochert or his female visitors would have been more interesting.
Ironskin was a good read and I hope the sequel improves upon the pacing and romantic aspects of the story.
Rating: 3.75/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!
What I Liked: I thought the reimagining of Jane Eyre was a fun idea. I always enjoyed the Bronte tale and haven't read a retelling before. Ironskin retained the gothic feel of the original.
The world-building drew me in as the author describes how humanity has come to rely on fey technology. The fey were eerie and mysterious and I loved their part in the story.
Jane's interactions with Poule and Dorie were probably my favorite. I liked how they both helped Jane learn more about herself and how to deal with her curse.
The pacing at the end of the novel was great and I finished the last third of the novel in one sitting. Once Rochart's secret was revealed, the story really took off and made me excited to see what would happen to Jane.
What I Didn't Like: The romance was lacking in Ironskin. The scenes with Jane and Rochart were few and far between. I never felt a spark between the two of them and had to wonder how she fell for him when she barely saw him.
The pacing was a little slow at times. There were sections that dragged, especially the beginning where Jane is trying to teach Dorie to use her hands instead of her fey powers. I think more interaction with Rochert or his female visitors would have been more interesting.
Ironskin was a good read and I hope the sequel improves upon the pacing and romantic aspects of the story.
Rating: 3.75/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!
ariereads's review against another edition
3.0
Fantastic in parts and very muddled in others... unsure what to think