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A review by essjaye
Iron Kin by M.J. Scott
2.0
I bought this book in an airport (as I always need a book when I get on a plane) and I didn't realise until I started reading that there were books in this series that probably should have been read first. For that reason, I was ready to give my critique of this book a bit of leeway, but Scott gave enough information about the world and previous characters throughout that that wasn't a problem.
What was a problem were a few main things that simply cannot be ignored:
1 - I felt ZERO chemistry between the hero and heroine. And what a shame because I enjoyed their characters as individuals, I really did, but aside from the moment they met where there was an obvious attraction on both sides I never felt their attraction for each other again. The author did a lot of telling the reader from either characters point of view that they liked or were attracted or whatever to the other, but not nearly enough showing to make me feel it and believe it. Additionally what brings them together - - makes their motives and feelings for each other completely unclear... I don't think we really ever hear them say/think about why else they want each other. That was a major let down as their romance was a big part of the book and it just fell really flat no matter how much I liked Fen and Saskia.
Speaking of liking Saskia - there was not enough SHOWN about her character - she's a damn metal mage, how badass is that?! Yet we only get a brief look into her life at her craft, and few odd moments (though fairly good ones) of her setting things on fire or whatnot, and usually just to prove herself to someone. Otherwise it's just a lot of her sensing metals, which, I'm sorry, is rather boring considering what a metal mage is capable of. She talks a lot about wanting to learn from the Fae metal mages so I assumed we'd get to see that at some point but we don't. I would have liked to have seen Saskia's skills on display more and to have been shown her craft to a larger extent... there was just so much potential to have not gotten more.
2. The Reggie character. Perhaps this is minor, and I don't know how this character was handled in the previous books (because it's implied she was around for a long while before this book takes place). But I found the use of this character infuriating. She is the epitome of a damsel in distress (which apparently was a plot point for Holly's book as well), it's almost like all the characters revolve around this world simply to keep this one character from peril... it's confusing, it's annoying, and frankly it seemed more often that Fen was in love with Reggie instead of Saskia even though their relationship was described as like siblings. It was just bad.
3. The 'villain'. I guess this may be another case of telling instead of showing, but the big bad of this story - - is built up to be this horrifying person (well, vampire) but it's all told without us experiencing any evidence which makes him a lot less terrifying to the reader and makes the stakes feel a lot lower (or even non existent) compared to what the author is trying to get us to feel. We were taken into the Blood hub of horror - why weren't we shown anything the characters talk about? We get told all these rumours throughout the book, and for what? In most fantasy stories, the plot and/or heroes are only as good as their villains... this villain had plenty of potential but landed well below the mark.
4. Potential never comes to fruition in this book. There are a variety of plot points that are framed in an interesting way and built up at length like something really incredible is going to happen so hold on to your seat.... and then nothing. I think my key word for describing this book is "flat" - the romance falls flat, the action points fall flat, even the intrigue of the over-arching political plot falls freaking flat. The book ends and it feels like you've read all these pages and nothing's actually happened. I had to remind myself that there were actual plot points since they were so easily faded out by nothing ever reaching the point of excitement we seemed promised, and even those things fall flat because you don't feel any different at the end of book.
I'm really disappointed in this book, and I'm always sorry to give a book such a low rating... maybe the first two books were better. The author did some decent world building and DESIGNED characters that, in theory, are interesting and dynamic, but there's a serious case of telling and not showing in this book that just makes it impossible to sink into. The Veiled Queen for instance - she was set up to be this awesomely terrifying character and I loved the image of her that Scott put in my mind, but we don't actually experience anything awesome and terrifying from her, we're really only told by other characters how awesome and terrifying she is. She's also a great example of there not being nearly enough follow-through on the action/dramatic parts of the story... if she has so much power and she's so well-feared than there should have been some sort of magical storm of fury when her veils went black, but there was just a resounding nothing. There's way too much exposition, I felt like I spent most of my time reading about a group of people sitting in a room talking about the world around tham and the troubles they face and barely getting to experience the world that seemed truly interesting. Flat.
What was a problem were a few main things that simply cannot be ignored:
1 - I felt ZERO chemistry between the hero and heroine. And what a shame because I enjoyed their characters as individuals, I really did, but aside from the moment they met where there was an obvious attraction on both sides I never felt their attraction for each other again. The author did a lot of telling the reader from either characters point of view that they liked or were attracted or whatever to the other, but not nearly enough showing to make me feel it and believe it. Additionally what brings them together -
Spoiler
Saskia's ability to make Fen's vision and therefore pain awaySpeaking of liking Saskia - there was not enough SHOWN about her character - she's a damn metal mage, how badass is that?! Yet we only get a brief look into her life at her craft, and few odd moments (though fairly good ones) of her setting things on fire or whatnot, and usually just to prove herself to someone. Otherwise it's just a lot of her sensing metals, which, I'm sorry, is rather boring considering what a metal mage is capable of. She talks a lot about wanting to learn from the Fae metal mages so I assumed we'd get to see that at some point but we don't. I would have liked to have seen Saskia's skills on display more and to have been shown her craft to a larger extent... there was just so much potential to have not gotten more.
2. The Reggie character. Perhaps this is minor, and I don't know how this character was handled in the previous books (because it's implied she was around for a long while before this book takes place). But I found the use of this character infuriating. She is the epitome of a damsel in distress (which apparently was a plot point for Holly's book as well), it's almost like all the characters revolve around this world simply to keep this one character from peril... it's confusing, it's annoying, and frankly it seemed more often that Fen was in love with Reggie instead of Saskia even though their relationship was described as like siblings. It was just bad.
3. The 'villain'. I guess this may be another case of telling instead of showing, but the big bad of this story -
Spoiler
the new blood lord Ignatius4. Potential never comes to fruition in this book. There are a variety of plot points that are framed in an interesting way and built up at length like something really incredible is going to happen so hold on to your seat.... and then nothing. I think my key word for describing this book is "flat" - the romance falls flat, the action points fall flat, even the intrigue of the over-arching political plot falls freaking flat. The book ends and it feels like you've read all these pages and nothing's actually happened. I had to remind myself that there were actual plot points since they were so easily faded out by nothing ever reaching the point of excitement we seemed promised, and even those things fall flat because you don't feel any different at the end of book.
I'm really disappointed in this book, and I'm always sorry to give a book such a low rating... maybe the first two books were better. The author did some decent world building and DESIGNED characters that, in theory, are interesting and dynamic, but there's a serious case of telling and not showing in this book that just makes it impossible to sink into. The Veiled Queen for instance - she was set up to be this awesomely terrifying character and I loved the image of her that Scott put in my mind, but we don't actually experience anything awesome and terrifying from her, we're really only told by other characters how awesome and terrifying she is. She's also a great example of there not being nearly enough follow-through on the action/dramatic parts of the story... if she has so much power and she's so well-feared than there should have been some sort of magical storm of fury when her veils went black, but there was just a resounding nothing. There's way too much exposition, I felt like I spent most of my time reading about a group of people sitting in a room talking about the world around tham and the troubles they face and barely getting to experience the world that seemed truly interesting. Flat.