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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
Honestly, I was really into this book until the part where everything is supposed to come together in the end, and then it didn't work for me. Too easy? Too predictable? Something. I love the concept: steampunk Jane Eyre, where Jane has rage issues (yes!) and is a veteran from the fae wars. Great concept, and like I said, started well. I love the fairy tale touches throughout as well. I think I just don't buy her sudden superpowers, or really believe in the fae plot. Your mileage may vary, don't let me put you off.
This review originally appeared on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have long been fascinated by tales of faeries and mythological creatures. Those same people will also know that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time. When I learned of Ironskin and that it combines two of my favorite literary things, I knew I just had to get my hands on it. Jane Eyre retold with the twist of faeries? What could be better? While I did see many of the elements that gave evidence to its characteristics as a Jane Eyre variation, Ironskin didn't quite turn out as I had thought it would. It also didn't have as much of the steampunk element as I would have liked. While it succeeded with an eerie plot surrounding the nature and dangers of faeries in the world the story is set in, Ironskin's incorporation of the story of Jane Eyre left a lot to be desired and proved to be my least favorite element of the book.
When compared to the basis of her inspiration, Jane Eliot is, at first, nearly unrecognizable as a version of Jane Eyre. In fact, I would hazard to say that the only consistent characteristic the two share is their initials. Where Jane Eyre is a young woman who deals with the traumatic nature of her past with a reserved nature and no-nonsense personality, Jane Eliot's personality is supposedly comprised largely of rage enhanced by a fae curse. You will notice I say "supposedly," for Jane Eliot struck me more as an irritable character than an enraged one. Even during descriptions of her rage burning hot behind her mask, her thoughts were more along the lines of being perturbed. She wound up being less believable as a character because of it and I just couldn't connect with her at all due to the number of inconsistencies. Edward Rochart is more recognizable as a counterpart of Edward Rochester, complete with eccentricities and sardonic sense of humor. His presence in the story, however, was too little to distract from Jane's flaws as a character. Instead, I found myself more fascinated by the butler (at least, I suppose that is what you would call her) that answered the door upon Jane's arrival than by the other two (precisely why I won't say, as that would be a spoiler, but there is more than meets the eye with her). Character-wise, Ironskin just didn't capture my complete interest and I found myself wanting for some truly engaging protagonists.
The world-building is the one area that I truly found myself intrigued by. There is just enough of the Gothic present to provide the settings with that sense of foreboding one would expect of a story about a world brought to the bring of destruction by homicidal faeries with horrific methods of warfare. From Mr. Rochart's manor home to the dark wood just at its boundaries, there is a distinct sense of danger around every corner, which makes for the perfect setting to read about in a story such as this. The woods themselves had enough presence to become a character in its own right, which always makes for some entertaining reading. My only complaint is that they weren't incorporated into the story more than they were. I think I would have enjoyed Ironskin even more if that were the case.
Though Ironskin fell short in its capacity as a re-telling of Jane Eyre, it still proved to have many entertaining qualities. My best advice would be to approach this book as though it had nothing to do with Jane Eyre. If you've read Jane Eyre as many times as I have this tactic may not work, but you might find yourself enjoying the story more. This is where reading variations and re-tellings proves challenging, for if they veer too far from the original, it is very easy to become hung up on all those little details. However, I can say that Ironskin still has much to recommend it. Its world-building is fantastic and the background concerning faeries is truly eerie and, at times, frightening. If you enjoy novels involving faeries, Ironskin is worth checking out. If you are more interested in its qualities as a Jane Eyre variation or re-telling, however, proceed with caution. It pays to be more open-minded.
Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Edelweiss. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have long been fascinated by tales of faeries and mythological creatures. Those same people will also know that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time. When I learned of Ironskin and that it combines two of my favorite literary things, I knew I just had to get my hands on it. Jane Eyre retold with the twist of faeries? What could be better? While I did see many of the elements that gave evidence to its characteristics as a Jane Eyre variation, Ironskin didn't quite turn out as I had thought it would. It also didn't have as much of the steampunk element as I would have liked. While it succeeded with an eerie plot surrounding the nature and dangers of faeries in the world the story is set in, Ironskin's incorporation of the story of Jane Eyre left a lot to be desired and proved to be my least favorite element of the book.
When compared to the basis of her inspiration, Jane Eliot is, at first, nearly unrecognizable as a version of Jane Eyre. In fact, I would hazard to say that the only consistent characteristic the two share is their initials. Where Jane Eyre is a young woman who deals with the traumatic nature of her past with a reserved nature and no-nonsense personality, Jane Eliot's personality is supposedly comprised largely of rage enhanced by a fae curse. You will notice I say "supposedly," for Jane Eliot struck me more as an irritable character than an enraged one. Even during descriptions of her rage burning hot behind her mask, her thoughts were more along the lines of being perturbed. She wound up being less believable as a character because of it and I just couldn't connect with her at all due to the number of inconsistencies. Edward Rochart is more recognizable as a counterpart of Edward Rochester, complete with eccentricities and sardonic sense of humor. His presence in the story, however, was too little to distract from Jane's flaws as a character. Instead, I found myself more fascinated by the butler (at least, I suppose that is what you would call her) that answered the door upon Jane's arrival than by the other two (precisely why I won't say, as that would be a spoiler, but there is more than meets the eye with her). Character-wise, Ironskin just didn't capture my complete interest and I found myself wanting for some truly engaging protagonists.
The world-building is the one area that I truly found myself intrigued by. There is just enough of the Gothic present to provide the settings with that sense of foreboding one would expect of a story about a world brought to the bring of destruction by homicidal faeries with horrific methods of warfare. From Mr. Rochart's manor home to the dark wood just at its boundaries, there is a distinct sense of danger around every corner, which makes for the perfect setting to read about in a story such as this. The woods themselves had enough presence to become a character in its own right, which always makes for some entertaining reading. My only complaint is that they weren't incorporated into the story more than they were. I think I would have enjoyed Ironskin even more if that were the case.
Though Ironskin fell short in its capacity as a re-telling of Jane Eyre, it still proved to have many entertaining qualities. My best advice would be to approach this book as though it had nothing to do with Jane Eyre. If you've read Jane Eyre as many times as I have this tactic may not work, but you might find yourself enjoying the story more. This is where reading variations and re-tellings proves challenging, for if they veer too far from the original, it is very easy to become hung up on all those little details. However, I can say that Ironskin still has much to recommend it. Its world-building is fantastic and the background concerning faeries is truly eerie and, at times, frightening. If you enjoy novels involving faeries, Ironskin is worth checking out. If you are more interested in its qualities as a Jane Eyre variation or re-telling, however, proceed with caution. It pays to be more open-minded.
Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Edelweiss. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
It was a good idea, but it really didn't work for me. I think the Jane Eyre angle hurt this story MUCH more than it helped since I kept anticipating the parallels in the storyline and all it really accomplished was making me want to reread Jane Eyre properly. I liked this take on fey/human/dwarf relations, but the writing was mostly artless. Lots of repetitive descriptions and tons of breaking off into flashbacks in the middle of things. It got very confusing at times and I had a tricky time pinpointing some of the timelines before, during, and after the Great War. The end veers off into horror a little unexpectedly and it's abrupt.
Also, Rochart just doesn't quite stack up to Bronte's Rochester. Close, but a little too pathetic for my tastes, and he also falls in love with Jane too easily and without reason. I never trusted him.
Also, Rochart just doesn't quite stack up to Bronte's Rochester. Close, but a little too pathetic for my tastes, and he also falls in love with Jane too easily and without reason. I never trusted him.
I only read the short sample available on Amazon for Kindle and while it wasn't terrible it also didn't really have me dying to read the rest of it.
I am sooo happy that this book is coming out soon, so that I can make all my friends read it! Tina snuck a preview my way, and I have been aching to tell people how much I enjoyed it ever since.
I love character driven stories, and this is one of my favorites in a long time. They are so subtle and so nuanced that we as readers can't just assume that we know these characters. I really liked one particular character, I wanted to trust this person and believe them, but I knew that there was something hidden about them that made me cautious. There was another character who I didn't connect to at first, but then they said something that made me doubt my initial reaction. The characters evolve not just because we learn about them and their backstories slowly throughout the book, but also because they change and grow organically throught the story. They are so rich and so real that it makes a very rewarding read.
The plot is also well constructed, so that all of the pieces are revealed very naturally as our heroine moves through the story, and things that we learn early on become important in surprising ways later. Many scenes seem to do double duty as exposition and as important plot points, which makes for a very tight story. Not much is incidental information, but the story is told in such a way that I was still surprised at the way it unfolded in the end, surprised and satisfied.
I love character driven stories, and this is one of my favorites in a long time. They are so subtle and so nuanced that we as readers can't just assume that we know these characters. I really liked one particular character, I wanted to trust this person and believe them, but I knew that there was something hidden about them that made me cautious. There was another character who I didn't connect to at first, but then they said something that made me doubt my initial reaction. The characters evolve not just because we learn about them and their backstories slowly throughout the book, but also because they change and grow organically throught the story. They are so rich and so real that it makes a very rewarding read.
The plot is also well constructed, so that all of the pieces are revealed very naturally as our heroine moves through the story, and things that we learn early on become important in surprising ways later. Many scenes seem to do double duty as exposition and as important plot points, which makes for a very tight story. Not much is incidental information, but the story is told in such a way that I was still surprised at the way it unfolded in the end, surprised and satisfied.
3.5
I'm comfortable with the 3.5 for this book, but I'm not entirely decided whether to bump it up to 4 or down to 3. (It's 4 at the time of writing this review, but may change in the future.)
First things first - there's a blurb on the cover of the copy I read that says, "A steampunk Beauty and the Beast tale, beautifully and cleverly reversed." It is none of these things.
There is tech, but it's magi-tech, not steampunk, and it's mostly not working by the start of the book. Also, as many of the other reviews have point out, this is a Jane Eyre retelling, not Beauty and the Beast - despite one or two BatB references. This didn't make the book bad, but I was slightly disappointed at first because I was wanting to read a BatB story, so... Luckily I was able to alter my expectations, and luckily I also like Jane Eyre.
Anyway -
So, yeah - Jane Eyre with magic, but definitely enough of its own story where you felt like you knew what was coming, but it was unique enough to stay interesting.
One of the big differences was that Jane's governess job in this is actually an important part of the story, and not just an excuse to get her to the house.
It was a bit slow at the start, but nothing out of the norm, really, and I wondered if it was going to be a solid 3, but then it picked up and I got really into the book, even staying up a bit late last night to finish it, though I can't really afford the lose of sleep - and at one point I thought I was going to give this a solid 4. (I'm a sucker, what can I say?)
But then...
Well, there was something about the ending which bothered me. Something about Jane, really. I disliked
Also - I had hoped for a sort of Picture of Dorian Grey reference at some point, with the, but the author never took that seeming logical leap in the story.
Anyway -
The ending felt a bit rushed and not entirely deserved, but the build up was good, after a somewhat slow beginning. Overall, I enjoyed it... but I'm not sure I'm sold on this as a set-up for a series. Yes, there are threads left dangling at the end of this... but I sort of wish it was just a standalone re-telling and be done with it.
(I'm also not overly thrilled with Helen being the MC in the next book, since she seemed so utterly useless in this one. I suppose I'll see how it goes, though.)
I'm comfortable with the 3.5 for this book, but I'm not entirely decided whether to bump it up to 4 or down to 3. (It's 4 at the time of writing this review, but may change in the future.)
First things first - there's a blurb on the cover of the copy I read that says, "A steampunk Beauty and the Beast tale, beautifully and cleverly reversed." It is none of these things.
There is tech, but it's magi-tech, not steampunk, and it's mostly not working by the start of the book. Also, as many of the other reviews have point out, this is a Jane Eyre retelling, not Beauty and the Beast - despite one or two BatB references. This didn't make the book bad, but I was slightly disappointed at first because I was wanting to read a BatB story, so... Luckily I was able to alter my expectations, and luckily I also like Jane Eyre.
Anyway -
So, yeah - Jane Eyre with magic, but definitely enough of its own story where you felt like you knew what was coming, but it was unique enough to stay interesting.
One of the big differences was that Jane's governess job in this is actually an important part of the story, and not just an excuse to get her to the house.
It was a bit slow at the start, but nothing out of the norm, really, and I wondered if it was going to be a solid 3, but then it picked up and I got really into the book, even staying up a bit late last night to finish it, though I can't really afford the lose of sleep - and at one point I thought I was going to give this a solid 4. (I'm a sucker, what can I say?)
But then...
Well, there was something about the ending which bothered me. Something about Jane, really. I disliked
Spoiler
her obsession with getting her "normal", beautiful face back. One of the things I liked about Jane Eyre is that whole "plain Jane" thing, but how she wouldn't tolerate being belittled even though she wasn't beautiful. I felt like parts of this got lost in the translation, with the focus on fey beauty. I guess that's the alleged 'Beast' part of the story from the blurb, but it just came off kind of superficial.Also - I had hoped for a sort of Picture of Dorian Grey reference at some point, with the
Spoiler
masks actually taking on the owner's sins, and that's why they were so deformedAnyway -
The ending felt a bit rushed and not entirely deserved, but the build up was good, after a somewhat slow beginning. Overall, I enjoyed it... but I'm not sure I'm sold on this as a set-up for a series. Yes, there are threads left dangling at the end of this... but I sort of wish it was just a standalone re-telling and be done with it.
(I'm also not overly thrilled with Helen being the MC in the next book, since she seemed so utterly useless in this one. I suppose I'll see how it goes, though.)
This review and others can be found on Cozy Up With A Good Read
A book that is a retelling of JANE EYRE, bring it on, I absolutely adored JANE EYRE when I first read back in my first year of university and it's what spun me into wanting to read more of the classics. I really enjoyed the little twist of the fey magic added in to this story, it brought about a completely new telling of such a classic love story.
What really stood out in this story is that how it focuses around Jane learning about herself, she has her own issues to deal with and I loved watching her grow throughout the story. A lot of this story was about the growing relationship between Jane and Dorie as well, their story was the center of everything and it was adorable to watch them grow together and learn from one another. Though there is a romance to the story it doesn't take over, the story was touching, and I loved what Jane learns about herself and how she deals with her life.
The writing in IRONSKIN is very similar to that of the classics, really bringing the story to life. Connolly describes the setting in such a way that you can put everything in it's place, and follow the characters around. It's not often I can map out a story in my head and I really enjoy being able to see and do what the characters do. What really interested me is that most of the book takes place in one setting, though Jane does travel a little bit, the main events happen at the Rochart house, and it was interesting to find out why.
This book takes some time to get into some interesting ideas, but I liked that because Connolly takes her time, letting the readers get to know the characters and understand the history. But as the story went on Connolly added in some interesting twists that I didn't see coming, Mr. Rochart's secret really surprised me, and it actually disturbed me a tiny bit. Connolly did a great job bringing this story to life, and I loved how classic it felt to me.
If you are a fan of JANE EYRE, I think this is a great read, and could even be a great introduction for younger readers into the classic genre.
A book that is a retelling of JANE EYRE, bring it on, I absolutely adored JANE EYRE when I first read back in my first year of university and it's what spun me into wanting to read more of the classics. I really enjoyed the little twist of the fey magic added in to this story, it brought about a completely new telling of such a classic love story.
What really stood out in this story is that how it focuses around Jane learning about herself, she has her own issues to deal with and I loved watching her grow throughout the story. A lot of this story was about the growing relationship between Jane and Dorie as well, their story was the center of everything and it was adorable to watch them grow together and learn from one another. Though there is a romance to the story it doesn't take over, the story was touching, and I loved what Jane learns about herself and how she deals with her life.
The writing in IRONSKIN is very similar to that of the classics, really bringing the story to life. Connolly describes the setting in such a way that you can put everything in it's place, and follow the characters around. It's not often I can map out a story in my head and I really enjoy being able to see and do what the characters do. What really interested me is that most of the book takes place in one setting, though Jane does travel a little bit, the main events happen at the Rochart house, and it was interesting to find out why.
This book takes some time to get into some interesting ideas, but I liked that because Connolly takes her time, letting the readers get to know the characters and understand the history. But as the story went on Connolly added in some interesting twists that I didn't see coming, Mr. Rochart's secret really surprised me, and it actually disturbed me a tiny bit. Connolly did a great job bringing this story to life, and I loved how classic it felt to me.
If you are a fan of JANE EYRE, I think this is a great read, and could even be a great introduction for younger readers into the classic genre.
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?
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.
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.