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alyssa_tauber 's review for:
The Iron Trial
by Holly Black, Cassandra Clare
"The Iron Trial" is a fun YA novel.
I've read and listened to books by both Black and Clare, and while I've enjoyed all of Black's work, I haven't been a fan of Clare's. That made me unsure of how much I would enjoy "Iron." Thankfully, on the whole Black was able to temper Clare's need to over-describe, especially when it comes to clothes, weapons, rooms, or how people look. Every now and then you come across an line that was obviously Clare's hand, but generally it is toned down. Black also seemed to be able to hold back Clare' usual soap opera antics, where big stretches of the book are spent dealing with relationship drama while the antagonists conveniently sit around twirling their mustaches and twiddling their thumbs. Instead, the book moves at a good clip.
Overall, "Iron" probably would have been a better book if it had just been by Black, but it's still a fun, speedy read even with Clare's involvement.
I've read and listened to books by both Black and Clare, and while I've enjoyed all of Black's work, I haven't been a fan of Clare's. That made me unsure of how much I would enjoy "Iron." Thankfully, on the whole Black was able to temper Clare's need to over-describe, especially when it comes to clothes, weapons, rooms, or how people look. Every now and then you come across an line that was obviously Clare's hand, but generally it is toned down. Black also seemed to be able to hold back Clare' usual soap opera antics, where big stretches of the book are spent dealing with relationship drama while the antagonists conveniently sit around twirling their mustaches and twiddling their thumbs. Instead, the book moves at a good clip.
Overall, "Iron" probably would have been a better book if it had just been by Black, but it's still a fun, speedy read even with Clare's involvement.