Book Review; The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: MiraINK
Published: 6th January 2013
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Source:: ARC from NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads, Amazon UK, TBD

Summary:
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

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Out of the Darkness

As soon as I heard about The Lost Prince, I was instantly intrigued. I had really enjoyed the Iron Fey series (check out my reviews here and here) and I had also fallen in love with Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules (review here), so I was sure that this new novel was probably going to be just as exciting and interesting as the others and I am happy to report that I was right. While The Lost Prince is different to the other Iron Fey books, it still had the same beautiful descriptions, a gripping and fast-paced plot, and some well-thought out characters, which made it impossible to dislike.

Arises a New Evil

Ethan has been subjected to the fey ever since his older half-fey sister Meghan had to save him from capture within the fey world. Now that he’s older, he tries hard to ignore the fey who try to irritate him and get him into trouble but when his new half-phouka friend Todd disappears, he realises that he can’t just sit back anymore. The plot of this novel was captivating, to say the least, as there was always something going on. This is something that I have come to expect from Julie Kagawa but even I couldn’t guess what horrors would be around the next corner. This novel is covered in mystery, and it is up to Ethan to not only discover the truth but to fight whatever it is, but Ethan is merely a human, out of his element in the midst of a fey war. It is hard not to find this plot utterly enjoyable.

With Wicked Plans

As per usual, it is clear to see that Julie Kagawa has put a lot of time on making her characters realistic and likable. I instantly connected with Ethan, I wanted to do what I could to make it better. He may have seemed cold and distant but sometimes we just reach our limit and feel like we can’t do any more or deal with any more. But then, when things start to get real, Ethan knows that he cannot just sit back and I liked that about him. Despite everything, you could tell that deep down he did care because he was protective by nature. He was stubborn, and strong, but he also had very good reason to be. I’m not sure what it was but I just couldn’t help but enjoy his character. There were moments when his words and actions irritated me, but overall he was a good protagonist and one I was happy to see within this fey-world.

Kenzie was another character that I liked reading. She was strong, confident, stubborn and wouldn’t listen to Ethan because she was going to do her thing with or without his consent. She was caring and friendly, and it was clear that despite trying hard not to, Ethan was drawn to her. The romance between them was slow, it wasn’t something that was supposed to happen but something that they just couldn’t stop and I really liked that about them. It wasn’t a blinding, irritating love and that made it perfect for me. There was a third character I will mention – but not by name for spoilers – that I really enjoyed reading about. Unfortunately I knew who he was as soon as he made an appearance but even that made a massive grin appear on my face. He was mischievous, fun, and protective, and I really hope we get to see more of him soon! Bumping into the characters from the Iron Fey series was also great.

That Will Destroy

Once again, Julie Kagawa has proven that she is a talented and wonderful author who can write from many different perspectives and can keep the world she created alive and beautiful on the page. I have to admit that I am rather addicted to her writing style but I can understand that it may not be to everyone’s tastes. But if you’d like a story that is action-packed and fast-paced then you really should be reading her novels. When it comes to the inter-linking with the Iron Fey series, The Lost Prince can be read as a stand-alone, separate from the series, but I personally felt I got a lot more from this story because I had the background knowledge of the other characters. But then, that’s really probably only because I got to grin like a silly person when my favourite characters appeared on the page!

Until It Wins

This is a novel that is well-written, well-described, and highly entertaining. It holds a unique and interesting plot that really grabs the reader, making them not only want to know what’s happening but need to know. It was fun in some places, causing me to laugh aloud, and then there were moments of worry, anger, and sadness but it all just made the experience of the novel truly captivating. I would easily recommend this book to other readers, especially to those who like reading books with beautiful descriptions or those who just love fey stories, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has read and loved The Iron Fey series. This is a book that I am certain I would be able to re-read again and again!

** I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. **

Faye