Skip to main content

The Iron Thorn


The Iron Thorn is an AWESOME YA fantasy by Caitlin Kittredge.

Aoife has always dreaded her sixteenth birthday. Both her mother and her brother went insane when they turned sixteen. And the day is drawing nearer for Aoife - something that she can't deny, but tries to anyway.

In the city of Lovecraft madness is an epidemic - a result of the necrovirus, a virus that causes all the horrifying creatures that haunt the darkness and the heretical magic and witchcraft that the Proctors stamp out with enthusiasm. There are many madhouses in Lovecraft, one of which houses Aoife's mother - and threatens to house Aoife as well if she begins to show any signs of following in her family's footsteps.

For now, Aoife focuses as much as she can on her schoolwork - having gained an impressive slot at the Lovecraft Academy where she stretches her intelligent mind and is fascinated by the engines that run the city. But as her sixteenth birthday looms even closer a letter arrives - it is penned in the familiar handwriting of her brother Conrad. He had escaped from the asylum a while back, and she occasionally received a forbidden correspondence with he who had once been her rock, but had tried to kill her on his sixteenth birthday as the madness consumed him.

In the letter is but this enigmatic message: Find the witch's alphabet. Save yourself.

Is it the ramblings of a mad man? Or could it be a warning from the brother who used to take care of her and love her? All Aoife knows is that her only hope of avoiding the mad houses and losing her grip on her mind, which she already feels slipping away, is to find Conrad and get answers. To do this she must leave Lovecraft, dodge militaristic Proctors, and slip into the outside world that doesn't offer the same protections against the night creatures. It's a world full of Heretics, people whom her very association with would garner her punishment, including air pirates.

What Aoife doesn't know is that her own family secrets may cause her the most danger of all...

But will she find any answers before her mind succumbs to the necrovirus?

Oh my goodness!!! I knew I liked the sound of The Iron Thorn - but wow!!!!! What a fantastically creative and original novel! I was absolutely flabbergasted by Caitlin Kittredge. In The Iron Thorn we have an ominous and suspenseful dark fantasy adventure filled with new, different creatures and origins which are terrifying both in their physical appearance and the psychological ramifications!

The alternate 1950s setting of Lovecraft, Massachusetts offers a perfect locale to begin this steampunk novel - featuring a feisty, flavorful tone and the ever-worrisome fear of madness. Amazing! I have honestly never read anything like The Iron Thorn before - and I was gobbling it up!!!

It's full of clockworks and engines and brilliance! Incredibly unique with dark fantasy, wit, a fully realized universe, and pure genius! I plain and simply loved The Iron Thorn! It shines brightly with promise and cleverness, it has a heavy but addictive plot, sparkling characters, and an involving, rousing adventure with unmatched spunk and style!

The Iron Thorn is a gem of a book - and should be embraced by all lovers of phenomenal YA fantasy!!!!!

And then there are the unspeakably stunning, terrific revelations that I never saw coming, charming romance, and breathlessly climatic end that leaves off with a cliffhanger that left me needing more. Thank goodness there is more coming!!!

I hope to follow Aoife for many more books and continue to delve into this colorful, awesome, nail-biting, multilayered world! More details would only ruin your own experience, so just please, please, please read The Iron Thorn bibliophile!!!

*Want some free books? Click here to enter my contest to win TWO books!!! Plus, there's gonna be TWO winners, so your chances are even better!!! Don't miss out, click here before July 5th!!! :)

Comments

Lovkyně said…
well, you've sold me on it!
June 29, 2011 at 6:28 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reckless

Reckless is a YA fantasy adventure by the ever-revered (for good reason) Cornelia Funke.

Jacob Reckless has been passing through a mirror portal in his father's forgotten (or, rather, ignored) study for years now. After his father disappeared and his mother became a shell of her former self, he found it. Since then, it's been hard to stay tethered to his world - instead, he's become more and more connected to the alternative option.

In fact, he's managed to make a name for himself as a treasure hunter. And always by his side is a loyal vixen named Fox, a shape-shifter. She's probably the closest thing he has to a friend - but Jacob still considers himself a loner. But he's become comfortable with the different creatures, monsters, and magic this world has to offer - even though right now they are at war with a stone people called Goyl. None of that interests him. He just seeks out his mysterious objects and fetches good prices.

But that's all about to change. …
3 comments
Read more

Real Live Boyfriends

Real Live Boyfriends is a YA contemporary novel by E. Lockhart, and the fourth novel in the Ruby Oliver quartet.

Here we are on the last day of “Ruby Oliver Week” and if you aren’t already reading these books – well, why not?

But I’m more than sure most of you are – and hopefully you’re all caught up, and therefore not at risk of being spoiled by my review of Real Live Boyfriends. You’ve been warned!

Ruby Oliver is beginning her senior year of high school with a real live boyfriend: Noel.

At least she thought she was.

After having spent the rest of junior year and the beginning of summer being fully in love (okay, they never actually said the word, but the vibes were strongly in that direction), Ruby is now confused.

Again.

When Noel went to visit his brother in New York for a while, almost every day they talked on the phone and exchanged funny emails. She never once felt insecure.

Until all of a sudden – communication stopped. Ruby would call and he wouldn’t answer. She’d leave a voice mai…
Post a Comment
Read more

Titanic: S.O.S.

S.O.S. is the third and final book in Gordon Korman's middle-grade Titanic trilogy.

This is the third book in a trilogy, book addicts! You must, I repeat, must read the first two books (Unsinkable and Collision Course) before you read this review. Otherwise you are just going to ruin all the twists! Sure, we know the Titanic sinks - but the surprises that are revealed about our characters, among other things, should not be spoiled!

But all of you that have read the first two books (which I hope are many of you, because this a great series), can rest assured that I won't spoil anything from S.O.S. itself - just a basic recap and my opinion.

Here goes:

The Titanic is sinking. No one wants to believe it, but the bow is almost imperceptibly starting to dip into the freezing Atlantic Ocean - and our four main characters are thrown into a race for survival.

Paddy is locked up below deck, having finally been caught as a stowaway. In one cell over are the very criminals that wish him dead…
1 comment
Read more