Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
Will be reviewing this soon...
__________________
Originally posted on Gaga Over Books.
The only way I can describe this book is by mentioning Percy Jackson and Hogwarts.
I was approached by the author to review this book earlier this year or was it last year. Don't really remember. It was earlier this year most probably. I am finally sitting down to write this review. "/
Now this is a trilogy and even though I liked this first book I still couldn't really connect with Ionikus, our narrator and The Iron Jawed Boy. *winks* So, the problem was with how Ion would react and I don't know I guess I didn't really like the writing. Cos I got bored and I really took my time with it. I definitely wanted to read it and it had good pacing but I got lost and had an up and down reading experience with it in terms of the storyline and the characters and the dialogue delivery.
I got interested when the academy portion began but then Ion would really annoy me. And I don't know I just-- I was not interested and wanted to finish reading the book as I took like 4 months to finish this book. I would stop reading it and well, grr.. Like I had problems with one of the teacher's speaking mannerism. Like the use of italics really got to me. :/
Also, I was reminded of Dobby and/or the elves form HP due to a certain God's behavior. It was certainly funny though. LOL. And Othum (that certain God, LOL) was dramatically funny sometimes. Only sometimes. He sure wasn't in the beginning. xP
It had the perfect ingredients of a good gripping book but if only I had been able to connect with it. I loved the whole jaw business but well, it got lost in the pantheon world. Teheh.
Teaser:
I would like to thank the author for this review copy.
The ending spoiled the book for me. The moment Vinya walked into the battle, I knew she was going to die. She seemed to have been brought in for the express purpose of dying and igniting Ion's anger. Worst of all though was the manner of her death, it was too simple and too...well, old-time bollywood movie-ish. That pissed me off a little. Also the revelation at the end kind of writes itself after that dying declaration!
My only problem with this book was that it was predictable (ok, only major problem). It was easy to guess what would go wrong and when. except for the treason by Spike and Solara! That caught me off guard. I thought they were just filling in for the mean cheerleader role. But, they meant more! I liked that. I like being caught off guard even with the little things and I was a little disappointed in that area.
Now, minor issues: the dialogues, esp towards the end, sounded kind of forced. He seemed to trying too hard for the humourous tone and the effort showed, which is never good. However, most interactions between guardians were fun to read. Narration was easy to follow and pleasurably ticklish in parts. I really liked the sister-brother dynamic between Ion and Oceanus and of course, my favorite character to read was Othum. Reminded me a teeny bit of Dumbledore, but way crazier! Good way crazier.
I also felt that the battle scenes could be described better. The exam was captured vividly and that was amazing. But, the final battle- I got the feeling of being left behind. Of course, action scenes, in my opinion are always the hardest to paint to writing. So, not too much beef about that.
Overall, I liked this book and I wouldn't mind picking up another Nikolas Lee. Of course, this series I'm going to follow. I like Ion. And Oceanus. And Theo. And Lillian. And Othum. :-D
My only problem with this book was that it was predictable (ok, only major problem). It was easy to guess what would go wrong and when.
Now, minor issues: the dialogues, esp towards the end, sounded kind of forced. He seemed to trying too hard for the humourous tone and the effort showed, which is never good. However, most interactions between guardians were fun to read. Narration was easy to follow and pleasurably ticklish in parts. I really liked the sister-brother dynamic between Ion and Oceanus and of course, my favorite character to read was Othum. Reminded me a teeny bit of Dumbledore, but way crazier! Good way crazier.
I also felt that the battle scenes could be described better. The exam was captured vividly and that was amazing. But, the final battle- I got the feeling of being left behind. Of course, action scenes, in my opinion are always the hardest to paint to writing. So, not too much beef about that.
Overall, I liked this book and I wouldn't mind picking up another Nikolas Lee. Of course, this series I'm going to follow. I like Ion. And Oceanus. And Theo. And Lillian. And Othum. :-D
The author sent me a copy of this book for an honest review...
and I honestly loved it!! I was hooked from the very first chapter. The world 'The Iron-Jawed Boy' is set in is so rich and wonderfully thought out, and I just love the idea of the Illyrian Gods and the Guardians. Although there are a lot of characters they are all so well developed. Ion is such a relatable character and I loved how he coped with wanting to bring his family back together whilst trying to live with the Gods he thought he hated. I maybe would have liked to have found out a bit more about Spike and Solara's background and what led them to do what they did, and also a bit more background on the other Guardians, Theo and Lillian.
Although this book is intended for readers much younger than my 22 year old self, I truly believe that it can be enjoyed by all ages. The plot, world and characters are incredible. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy :)
and I honestly loved it!! I was hooked from the very first chapter. The world 'The Iron-Jawed Boy' is set in is so rich and wonderfully thought out, and I just love the idea of the Illyrian Gods and the Guardians. Although there are a lot of characters they are all so well developed. Ion is such a relatable character and I loved how he coped with wanting to bring his family back together whilst trying to live with the Gods he thought he hated. I maybe would have liked to have found out a bit more about Spike and Solara's background and what led them to do what they did, and also a bit more background on the other Guardians, Theo and Lillian.
Although this book is intended for readers much younger than my 22 year old self, I truly believe that it can be enjoyed by all ages. The plot, world and characters are incredible. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy :)
I started reading this book on my flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles and was so engrossed that I finished the book before I landed! The story is amazing, with believable characters and makes you become fully invested in the main character, Ion. I found myself rooting for him to win and sad when things weren't going his way. As an adult, sometimes it is hard to find books that are worth reading, but this book would make my list every time. I plan on buying multiple paperback copies to give to family members and one to keep for myself. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fresh, new read, whether they are adults or children.
I was given a copy in exchange for a review.
This was a fun book. It reminded me of Percy Jackson mixed with Harry Potter, for some reason. The magic system and little details of the setting were of the kind that, when I was the age of the target audience, I absolutely loved.
The characters were great too. Again, for some reason I was reminded of Percy Jackson--probably because of the gods.
This was a fun book. It reminded me of Percy Jackson mixed with Harry Potter, for some reason. The magic system and little details of the setting were of the kind that, when I was the age of the target audience, I absolutely loved.
The characters were great too. Again, for some reason I was reminded of Percy Jackson--probably because of the gods.
'The Balance, my boy, is the war that has been waged since before time was time, the battle within ourselves to do what is good and reject what is bad. It is a delicate line we all walk, a constant struggle of push and pull.'
Plot
Ten year old Ionikus Reaves is a caller; a human who can control the elements. When the Illyrian Gods wage war on the Outerworld Humans, Ion is separated from his family. His parents and sister, Oceanus, are drafted to fight, and Ion is sent to Protea, the capital, to work as a Labourer. Before they were separated, Ion's father attached a piece of Iron to his chin, and left him with no explanation as to why.
Ion develops a deep resentment for the Illyrian gods, but in a cruel twist of fate, he discovers that he is a reincarnation of a Guardian, and must protect the Gods that he has grown to hate. Ion's new world is dark and secretive, but he must do his duty, if he wishes to free his family.
My Thoughts
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review, and I must say, I devoured it. From the very start, I was sucked into Ion's fascinating world of Gods,Dwarves,Giants,Elves and more. I can tell that a lot of thought and imagination went into this book, it really shows with the depth of the characters and the amazing descriptions of their surroundings. This book is mostly aimed at children, but as an adult who's read a lot of books, I can safely say that this is high on my list of amazing books.
Ion's character was a joy to read. A lot happens to him at such a young age; he's separated from his family and forced into slave labour. He has no idea if he will ever see his family again, and whether he will ever get out of his slavery. Despite all this, he's still a strong character. Understandably, when he discovers that he's a Guardian, he's frightened and overwhelmed by such a big change, but he quickly adapts and accepts his new life. His relationship with Oceanus was enjoyable too; there's sibling rivalry and taunting between them, but there's also a sense of loyalty there too.
I've seen a lot of reviews that compare this to Harry Potter, and I have to agree to some extent. Othum, the Skylord, especially put me in mind of Albus Dumbledore. He's a well looked up to authority figure, but he's also quite mad, and he made me laugh throughout the story. However, despite it's similarities with Harry Potter, this story is completely unique, with an interesting take on mythology. I really enjoyed the concept, and I found it difficult to drag myself away from it. Once again I find myself completely in love with a children's book. It's definitely too good for Adults to miss.
The Author
I'd like to thank the Author, Nikolas Lee, for giving me a free copy of his book to review. This is Nikolas' first book, and it's definitely a sign of things to come. The next book in this series is due to be published sometime next year, and I'm really looking forward to getting into that one too.
Ten year old Ionikus Reaves is a caller; a human who can control the elements. When the Illyrian Gods wage war on the Outerworld Humans, Ion is separated from his family. His parents and sister, Oceanus, are drafted to fight, and Ion is sent to Protea, the capital, to work as a Labourer. Before they were separated, Ion's father attached a piece of Iron to his chin, and left him with no explanation as to why.
Ion develops a deep resentment for the Illyrian gods, but in a cruel twist of fate, he discovers that he is a reincarnation of a Guardian, and must protect the Gods that he has grown to hate. Ion's new world is dark and secretive, but he must do his duty, if he wishes to free his family.
My Thoughts
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review, and I must say, I devoured it. From the very start, I was sucked into Ion's fascinating world of Gods,Dwarves,Giants,Elves and more. I can tell that a lot of thought and imagination went into this book, it really shows with the depth of the characters and the amazing descriptions of their surroundings. This book is mostly aimed at children, but as an adult who's read a lot of books, I can safely say that this is high on my list of amazing books.
Ion's character was a joy to read. A lot happens to him at such a young age; he's separated from his family and forced into slave labour. He has no idea if he will ever see his family again, and whether he will ever get out of his slavery. Despite all this, he's still a strong character. Understandably, when he discovers that he's a Guardian, he's frightened and overwhelmed by such a big change, but he quickly adapts and accepts his new life. His relationship with Oceanus was enjoyable too; there's sibling rivalry and taunting between them, but there's also a sense of loyalty there too.
I've seen a lot of reviews that compare this to Harry Potter, and I have to agree to some extent. Othum, the Skylord, especially put me in mind of Albus Dumbledore. He's a well looked up to authority figure, but he's also quite mad, and he made me laugh throughout the story. However, despite it's similarities with Harry Potter, this story is completely unique, with an interesting take on mythology. I really enjoyed the concept, and I found it difficult to drag myself away from it. Once again I find myself completely in love with a children's book. It's definitely too good for Adults to miss.
The Author
I'd like to thank the Author, Nikolas Lee, for giving me a free copy of his book to review. This is Nikolas' first book, and it's definitely a sign of things to come. The next book in this series is due to be published sometime next year, and I'm really looking forward to getting into that one too.
I received a copy of The Iron-Jaw Boy in return for an honest review, and I have to say I'm so happy I accepted the offer because I really did just enjoy this book. As I've seen in a few other reviews that it's been compared to Percy Jackson and Harry Potter I can see where they get that comparison from but The Iron-Jaw Boy is it's own book by far.
There are a lot of great characters each one have their own unique personality, the plot is fun and really kept me interested and I loved the ending.
Ion is a great main character he's the right balance between young,strong,as well is being just naive enough bring out his youth but with the right base to grow into a strong character in the future which I really hope there will be another book.
The part I really like but which also broke my heart was the whole thing with the banshee/Ions mother, I had a feeling that she wasn't either going to turn out to not be his mother and turn on him but it still was so sad to have given him hope of his mom only to have it turn out to be using him.
There were a few parts that were kind of corny but seeing as this is a book that is targeted more for children(but that any age could definitely enjoy)it wasn't something that really bothered me.
All in all The Iron-Jaw Boy was a great read that I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend it to other.
There are a lot of great characters each one have their own unique personality, the plot is fun and really kept me interested and I loved the ending.
Ion is a great main character he's the right balance between young,strong,as well is being just naive enough bring out his youth but with the right base to grow into a strong character in the future which I really hope there will be another book.
The part I really like but which also broke my heart was
There were a few parts that were kind of corny but seeing as this is a book that is targeted more for children(but that any age could definitely enjoy)it wasn't something that really bothered me.
All in all The Iron-Jaw Boy was a great read that I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend it to other.
I received a copy of The Iron-Jaw Boy in return for an honest review, and I can honestly say that this book is unlike any I have ever read before.
The plot sucked me right into the story, the pacing was perfect, and I didn't see the ending coming at all.
It has all the best elements of my favourite books wrapped up in one story, and still adds its own original twists to it.
It's definitely a must read for fans of the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series.
The plot sucked me right into the story, the pacing was perfect, and I didn't see the ending coming at all.
It has all the best elements of my favourite books wrapped up in one story, and still adds its own original twists to it.
It's definitely a must read for fans of the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series.