Best of 2010: Best I've Read

This post features the best books I've read in 2010. It is not necessary that they are published this year, as long as I read them between 1st January - 31 December 2010. If you have a post with the similar theme, please tell me in the comments section and I'll check it out! :)

Deadly Little Secret (Touch, #1) by Laurie Faria Stolarz (Read my review)
Reason: Bone-chilling, suspenseful and unexpected.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Reason: Love, lies, betrayal and redemption. Outstanding characters and a powerful story. Thought-provoking.

Devoured by Amanda Marrone
Reason: A creatively-fabricated retelling of Snow White.

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Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins (Read my review)
Reason: Gruesome, gripping and horrifying.

Forgive My Fins (Fins, #1) by Tera Lynn Childs (Read my review)

Reason: Quirky, cute and funny. Absolutely lovely!

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (Read my review)
Reason: A girl's fearless attempt to resist her fate of marrying her 60-year-old uncle. Brilliantly plotted and very convincing.

The Iron King (Iron Fey, #1) by Julie Kagawa (Read my review)
Reason: Awesome writing style and an exciting plot.

The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey, #2) by Julie Kagawa (Read my review)
Reason: More adventures and surprising outcomes.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (Read my review)
Reason: Heartfelt, palatable and an extraordinary literary prose.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Reason: Brilliant story with lots of twists and turns. Intelligent protagonist.

Book Review : The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa

Product Details:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (February 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373210086
• ISBN-13: 978-0373210084
  

MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY— ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

I have nothing bad to say about this book, really. The Iron King was fantastic! I love Julie's writing style, and I mean it when I say the front part of the book spooked my out. Meghan was a nice, well-liked character, and I was really amazed at how far she was willing to go to get her [kidnapped] half-brother back. She exuded intelligence and unswerving determination even though she had to face various obstacles on her journey to the magical realm to save her brother.

The Iron King is not a book about cute and adorable faeries. In the fey world, Meghan learned that most fey are abominable and that nothing is free. When you request for a help, you must know that you have to return the favour some day.

I thought that the cait sith, Grimilkin was an interesting character. He was earnest in helping Meghan to find Puck in exchange for a small favour, but only when he met Oberon, the King of the Summer Court did I realize that he was actually aiming for Oberon because he knew that Meghan was the daughter of Oberon. However, I don't think he was a bad character. He was just mysterious, elusive and calculative.

Meghan's relationship with her fey-friend Puck a.k.a. Robbin Goodfellow and love interest Ash a.k.a. the third prince of the Winter Court is one of the major aspects in this book. While I was glad that Puck's mischievous, caring and supporting character provided fun and comfort for Meghan, I was even touched by Ash's willingness to trade his life for Meghan's in The Iron King's fortress, even though he did it in the name of his contract with her. I somehow figured out that he was in love with Meghan, and I was hoping he would have a happy ending with Meghan in the future, despite the serious affection that Puck, his sworn-enemy, obviously had for her.

Thumbs up for the great plot! The author inserted a lot of twists and turns throughout the story and it kept me interested the whole time. Each chapter ends with a clue of what is going to happen next or a last line that will will implore readers to read more, regardless of the time. The writing has a constant flow that will make you read with ease and excitement. As the plot builds, you will find yourself entranced by the beauty and danger of the Fey world.

Overall, The Iron King is a wonderful, fascinating depiction of the Fey world through the eyes of a half-fey. Julie presents a strong, solid opening with The Iron King, and I'll definitely be reading The Iron Daughter to see what will Julie present in this second book of the The Iron Fey trilogy.

Rating:

Thanks to Chris Fontes for presenting me with a paperback copy of The Iron King! Thank you so much, Chris!

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

The Iron King is now available!

Current Status

I'm currently reading two books, Pretties by Scott Westerfeld and The Iron King (Iron Fey, Book #1) by Julie Kagawa. You can read the synopsis of both books below. Due to a coming exam, I will stop blogging for a while and concentrate on my studies. I will be back on next Wednesday or Thursday! Happy reading, friends! :)

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

This sequel to Uglies (S & S, 2005) continues to provide a gripping look at a dystopian future, but does not stand on its own. Tally, the protagonist of the first book, has forgotten all that she did as an Ugly and has completely embraced the mindless life of a New Pretty, going to parties, drinking heavily, and thinking of nothing more than the next bit of entertainment.

It is not until one of the Uglies from New Smoke comes and delivers a message for her that leads her to two pills, that she begins to remember the real reason she is Pretty: to see if the cure will work. Tally and her new boyfriend, Zane, each take one of the pills and both begin to stay focused for longer periods of time. Then he has a bad reaction to the pill, and Tally has to make a desperate attempt to get him to the only doctors who can help him–the ones outside the city.

The Iron King (Iron Fey, Book #1) by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.