The Iron Witchby Karen Mahoney

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect. (goodreads.com)

The Iron Witch was on my list of most anticipated new books of 2011. It took me a while to realize it wasn't so much about witches as it was about elves, but, eh, it was still up there. However, I am torn on what I feel about the book (don't worry Kaz! It's not bad! ;)). On one hand I loved the plot idea, I also loved that we start off the story with a main character who KNOWS she's different and already knows of the secret fey/sorcerer world that's out there. In fact she's been keeping it a secret from her long-time best friend, Navin for a while now.Just that made the book somewhat original, rather than the same ol' "quiet girl suddenly discovers she's Super Powerful and that Only She Can Put Out Forest Fire....er... Save the World" storyline I am tired of. I quite enjoyed the story in The Iron Witch and I think Mahoney had a great idea when she put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) and started on this journey.What I had trouble with was the following - first off, there is that whole "I just met you and I am in LOVE with you!" thing. I sadly lose any interest I might have had in a book when this happens. What bothered me the most about it was how Donna was keeping all of this from her best friend (and potential love interest?) Navin for so long and only just starting to tell him things, but not everything and then she meets Xan for 5 minutes and she's all throwing off the gloves and spilling her entire life story. I couldn't get into to that. I just couldn't find that believable at all. I'm really sorry, but it was just so hard to swallow. Also, it made me mad that Donna could just ignore something as precious as the supposed friendship with Nav was and go completely out of (what I think was) character for her. Made no sense.I loved the journal entries, but the third person telling of the actual story wasn't my cup of tea. I'm just not a third person narration sort of girl, so that's not the author's fault. ;) The journal entries were first person and I just found them to flow a little better than the rest of the book.I did find the book somewhat rushed. This could have been so much more if it were a little longer. The characters would have had time to become a little more three dimensional and less "just thrown in there to have them there but you don't really know much about them but you should love/hate/fear/swoon them because it says to". The book was short, so you don't really have much time to catch your breath between meeting new people and suddenly finding out someone has turned on you, because you didn't realize they were supposed to be good in the first place.I am hoping the sequel to this book will focus on Donna's mother because she was sort of just thrown in there in a journal entry and then forgotten about. I think that story will be very interesting if it gets told. I am certainly getting the sequel when it is published because I did actually enjoy the STORY if not some of the elements within it.I can't help it, I'm jaded or cynical or something but I just can't accept this instant I LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH OMGWTFBBQQQ!!! attraction. I know so many people who do love that reaction, but I am old and crotchety and just shake my cane at it in disgust. hehAnd sadly, as much as I wanted to insta-love The Iron Witch I didn't. Instead I am building a relationship with the story and will see where this takes us. Maybe I will let it buy me dinner and take me to a movie. I do have to warn the story though, I AM happily married, so it can never be much more than really, really good friends. (No benefits, I'm a prude!)I did not hate this book, but I am also not all Bella&Edward over it. It's a great debut novel that I think will result in a promising trilogy!Iron Witch series

1. The Iron Witch
2. The Wood Queen (2012)
3. The Stone Demon (2013)

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