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tammy_m_nc 's review for:
The Iron Flower
by Laurie Forest
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great edition to the series
The second installment in this YA fantasy series was definitely a stay up too late, cannot put it down, it should get more than 5 stars kind of book. I once again fell head first into the story and was equally desperate to read it all at once and also to savor it and make it last. The storyline was imaginative, the characters were real and relatable, and the writing was captivating. The world building was meticulously done, woven together scene by scene, layer by layer until it became a living breathing place full of three dimensional beings. The story had a perfect balance of all the best plot elements. This is book 2 is the Black Witch Chronicles and picks up where the last book left us. Elloren, unlike her grandmother, the infamous Black Witch, is interested in fighting alongside the resistance rather than forcing other people to be subjugated to the Gardnerians. She has collected a large group of non-Gardnerians as allies. They are protecting a stolen military dragon and an abused Selkie in order to free them. Meanwhile, her affinity lines continue to strengthen despite not outwardly exhibiting magic. My least favorite part in the book is the sort of love triangle between Elloren, Lukas and Yvan. One she wants to be with but cannot and the other she does not want to be with but may be forced to. The conflict does allow for some character growth for Elloren. The pacing of this story was well done - the tension continuing to ratchet up higher and higher with a hopeful plateau right before the crushing storm. The story includes what you’d expect from this genre - intrigue, fighting, dangerous situations, end of the world scenarios, paranormal creatures, evil masterminds, henchmen, loyal friends and family, tragic back stories, secrets, mystical coincidences, snark, laughs, soulmates, redemption, deep emotions, and so many plots twists. There is another cliffhanger ending which means reading the next book asap.
Julia Whelan did a phenomenal job narrating the story and characters into life with enough change of inflection, tone and cadence to voice multiple characters quite convincingly.
Julia Whelan did a phenomenal job narrating the story and characters into life with enough change of inflection, tone and cadence to voice multiple characters quite convincingly.