Mundie Moms

Monday, October 22, 2012

Book Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa


By: Julie Kagawa
Published by: Harlequin Teen
To Be Released on: October 23rd, 2012 TOMORROW
Source: ARC from publisher to review
4.5 stars: I REALLY Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Iron Fey, Call of The Forgotten #1

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. -quoted from Goodreads

Fans of The Iron Fey series will love being back in the world they fell in love with when they first met Meghan, Ash and Puck. Now years later, and with a whole new generation of characters, the Fey world is about to get a lot more interesting. Readers are going to fall in love with a different Chase family member. Ethan Chase. When you're done with the first installment of Ethan's story you'll be wanting more.

Ethan Chase is definitely not that little boy that we all first fell in love with back when we first met Meghan. He's now a teen and aside from not being someone you'd want to mess with, he's a deliciously written broken boy who will pull at your heart strings the moment you start reading his story. To understand why Ethan feels the way he does, and acts the way he does now, you have to go to the beginning and understand the sacrifice Meghan made in order to protect him, and her family. But, for Ethan life since then as been anything but blissful. Once you have the site you can't hide from the Fey. Ethan's had anything but an easy life since Meghan left. When you're a kid who's had to deal with the Fey following you around since you were little and causing problems what do you do? Learn self defense, change your appearance so people will keep their distance, and do everything you can in your power to protect your family and your home. 

If you guys thought Ash was a broken boy, wait till you meet Ethan! I LOVED his character. Julie has a way with creating these in-depth characters that weave their way into my heart, and leave me wanting so much more of them when the story is over. Well really I just want to crawl into this world Julie creates and go hang out with the characters. As The Iron Fey fans know, Julie Kagawa has a knack for to breaking our hearts (in a good way). She makes us understand her characters in a way that leaves you wishing you could reach out and do something to help them. With Ethan it's no different. I loved the way she introduces Ethan, and how little by little she reveals a little bit more of Ethan as the story goes on, revealing the hurt he's carried with him for so long.  I also liked how he starts to change and see the other side of his hurt, and the "why" things happened they way they did.

Oh Ethan, Ethan, Ethan. I just... I don't know how to describe him other than I think Julie's fans are going to LOVE him! Julie did an awesome job at writing a story from a guy's point of view. I love that that this entire story is from Ethan's point of view, and even though he's a little bit angst at times, and other times a little bit ferocious, he's also hilarious with his inner monologue and some of the things he thinks, and who those thoughts are directed at. Aside from Ethan, I LOVED being back with my favorite characters, Ash, Puck, Grim, Meghan and Glitch. Sure they play a much smaller role than they did in the previous series, but I loved how present they were in the book even if they weren't involved with each scene. Of course in true Puck fashion he knows how to liven up the more dramatic scenes that take place in the book. I also enjoyed meeting a few new characters and um, let's just say one new character gives Ash a run for his money, and I'll leave it at that. 

This is such fabulous first book in a whole new Fey series that compliments Meghan's story perfectly. The trickery, romance, all the action, and plenty of humor that I loved with The Iron Fey series is just as prominent in this new series. Ethan, and his new friends are just as easy to fall in love with like it was with Ash, Meghan and Puck. I HIGHLY recommend going out and picking up this book tomorrow when it's out. Trust me, you'll be wishing the next book was already out when you get to the last page. I will say there's a lot of crossover in this book from The Iron Fey series, and I know fans who have read that series will get everything that's going on, but Julie also writes this book in a way that I think fans who haven't read would be able to understand what's going on as well. I'd personally recommend reading The Iron Fey series first, but you certainly pick this book up and jump right in with all that's going on and not get lost. 


Don't miss my tour stop for today's Call of the Forgotten: The Lost Prince. I've got two copies of the Lost Prince you can enter to win HERE.

The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten Blog Tour: Giveaway

I'm thrilled to be one of today's stops in Harlequin's The Lost Prince: Call of The Forgotten Blog Tour. Today I not only get to tell you a little about Ethan's story, but I've got 2 copies of the book (which is out TOMORROW) to giveaway! I think fans of The Iron Fey series are going to love getting to know Ethan. Meghan's little brother is all grown up and boy, did he ever break my heart and make me love him the more I got to know him. I can't wait to read more of his story as this series progresses. You can read my *spoiler free* review here! Trust me fans, you'll want to go pick this one up tomorrow.




About The Lost Prince

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them. That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

About The Iron Fey Series

(picture found via google, source bestbooks1 blog

The Iron Fey saga follows half-human, half-faery Meghan Chase as she fights to claim her magical birthright.

Meghan’s journey begins in the mortal world, when her half-brother Ethan is kidnapped. The mission to rescue the innocent child draws Meghan into the Nevernever—the magical world—where the never-before-seen Iron fey are raining destruction upon traditional faeries. Meghan’s quest is fraught with unimagined dangers, unpredictable powers…and an utterly forbidden love.

Now little Ethan is all grown up—and a new breed of fey has come for him. Bound by blood to a world he despises, Ethan plunges into the Nevernever searching for answers: who are the ghostly assassins hunting him? Who controls them? And why are exiled and half-breed faeries vanishing from the mortal world?

With a vulnerable human girl to protect and an enigmatic faery ally he could never have imagined, Ethan embarks on his own Fey saga. Along the way he will encounter kin, comrades and deadly new enemies. He will discover his formidable strengths, and his deepest weaknesses—and he will fight for his life against the Forgotten.

In addition to The Call of the Forgotten trilogy, Julie will be releasing book 2 of her Blood of Eden series, THE ETERNITY CURE, in May 2013.

The second book in the Call of the Forgotten trilogy will be released November 2013.

About the author



Born in Sacramento, CA, Julie Kagawa moved to Hawaii at the age of nine. There she learned many things: how to bodyboard, that teachers scream when you put centipedes in their desks and that writing stories in math class is a fantastic way to kill time. Her teachers were glad to see her graduate. Julie now lives in Louisville, KY, with her husband and a plethora of pets. She still laughs whenever she sees a centipede.

* Be sure to stop by The Iron Fey website to unlock some extra context of the Iron Fey series! Like The Iron Fey facebook page for more content. You can also follow @HarlequinTeen and @JKagawa on twitter


The Giveaway:

Thank you to Harlequin Teen and Big Hancho, I've got 2 copies of The Lost Prince I'm giving away! To enter, please fill out the form below. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Since the first winner never replied to their email, a new winner was drawn, hence the reason why they are three winners shown.

The Moral Instruments Movie Monday #5: Magnus & Alec


Welcome to this week's of edition of The Mortal Instruments Movie Monday! Today we're talking about Malec, also known as Magnus and Alec. I can not wait to see Magnus and Alec come to life on the big screen. It will be really interesting to see their relationship become real. These two have an interesting relationship in City of Bones. Here we have Magnus, who isn't afraid of how he is, and has that assurance and confidence that Alec lacks with allowing himself the freedom to just be who he is. Alec is this brilliant, confident Shadowhunter, but when it comes to be open and honest with who he really is and his sexuality he's anything but. For me, I think that part of Alec in CoB will be a crucial in being portrayed in the movie, and I think Kevin will do an awesome job with doing just that.

(source: AlecsBlueEyes)

While I loved Magnus from the moment I met him, Alec was quite the opposite. I mean what's not to love about Magnus, right. Alec on the other hand was someone I had to warm up to. He comes across as a little cold, someone who's obsessed with Jace, and will also be hurt or upset at something Jace does or doesn't do for him. When I first read CoB (I've since lost count of how many times I've read),  I never got why he just didn't admit to himself that he was gay, and accept that. I excepted that same confidence he has as a Shadowhunter to bleed over into his personal life, because Shadowhunter was in his blood, it was apart of him. I thought that confidence would follow. I'm kind of glad it didn't, because in CoB, there's Shadowhunter Alec, and just Alec. The more I got to know him, the more my heart broke for him. I felt bad for Alec because I just wanted him to feel comfortable enough to not feel like he had to hide his being gay, even though Clary, and those around him saw/suspected he was. I felt like Alec needed acceptance with him being gay, but he couldn't get that acceptance unless he fully accepted it himself. Instead at this point he's too fearful to let that part of himself come out. It's that fear that holds him back.

While Alec is the more vulnerable one, Magnus is the over confident one. He has nothing to hide. He seems extremely conformable with who he is, and what he is. I swear that's one of the things that drew me to Magnus. He is what he is. I like that contrast between Magnus and Alec. Some part of me has always wondered if Magnus saw Alec for who he was really, and saw in him as the person he becomes much later in the series. But, I also feel there's a similarity between the two. They both seem to have this hidden yearning to not be lonely. Magnus mentions in one of the books (at the moment it's escaped my mind which TMI /ID book it is), how lonely immortality is. Then we have Alec who seems lonely in the fact he can't come out and just really be himself, because of his fear in others finding out he's gay. I think it's that level of loneliness is what connects Magnus and Alec in the beginning, and gives them something similar to understand in each other. 

I can not wait to see what Godfrey and Kevin bring to Magnus and Alec's characters on the big screen. Magnus is my favorite character from this series, and Alec is the character whom I feel grows the most from City of Bones to City of Lost Souls. I loved the confidence has gains by that point. What are you looking forward to seeing with both of these characters? What aspect of their relationship do you feel is important to see on the big screen? Or what are you hoping we see between these two in the movie? 

Mundane Monday #159 / TMI Movie News: Hands, A Song, and Wrapping up

Happy Mundane Monday! I swear this past weekend went by way too fast. Here's a little Jace sarcasm to get your Monday morning off to the right start. 

(source: Karalija's tumblr post here. I can't wait to see the finished piece.)

“Can I help you with something?"

Clary turned instant traitor against her gender. "Those girls on the other side of the car are staring at you."

Jace assumed an air of mellow gratification. "Of course they are," he said, "I am stunningly attractive.” 

- City of Bones, Jace & Clary

*********

Now for a little TMI Movie News!


It sounds like there was a twitter party last night and I missed it. Cassie was one last night tweeting about her dinner with some of the cast- Jamie, Lily, Robbie, Aidan, Jemima, Pangborn and Blackwell. I'm sure many of us wish we could have been there for that. Cassie did the next best thing, during her dinner, she replied to various questions and comments fans had tweeted to her, sharing them with the cast that was at dinner with her. Cassie also confirmed last night on Twitter that she would be in Toronto until the TMI Movie filming is wrapped. I know, say it ain't so since it feels like filming just started, and now the wrap is in sight. You know know what that means right? We're that much closer to seeing the movie! *let the fan girl screams begin* 

Check out the hands picture of our Luke with Cassie.... 


Of the picture Cassie said, "He is very proud of the fighting scar on his knuckle. Hello, our Luke!"

You can listen to a song Robert Sheehan sang to Maureen from last night's dinner with Cassie here


In other exciting news, the Mortal Instruments facebook page posted that 4 yrs ago (yesterday) that City of Bones was a YALSA Teens Top Ten Winner for 2008! Wow, time sure has flown by fast. 

Also, in case you missed it, Cassie posted a link for the CoB sneak peak from MTV's behind the scenes of the TMI movie set for International fans to check out.

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