A review by etoiline
Ironskin by Tina Connolly

4.0

I read Jane Eyre long ago and hated it. Perhaps it was the tiny type and thin pages, but the classic never pulled me in. But I was pretty excited to try IRONSKIN, even though it was supposed to be the Eyre tale with the fey. Masks and fey and forbidden romance...I had to see what this was like. I did end up enjoying the story, though some parts were predictable. There isn't as much fey interaction as I would have liked, but the fey permeate every bit of this society. Mr. Rochart (Mr. Rochester) has a talent that I didn't peg at first, but the reveal of certain secrets isn't quite as surprising as it could be. There are definitely twists and turns in this that are interesting even as they are squicky, and this alternate universe with fey-provided batteries and curses that project rage onto other folk is a well-imagined setting. There's not as much romance as there could be--there's even a hint of insta-love--but this is a case where love might not conquer all anyway. Our heroine Jane isn't too stupid to live, thankfully, though there aren't a lot of chances for her to stand her ground. The scenes between Jane and her fey-cursed charge, Dorie, are well done and seem real, even though this child is definitely not normal. The story wraps up at the end, but there's room for a sequel without it seeming contrived. I'll be looking for the next book in the series.

Received as a digital ARC via Netgalley.