Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publication: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: October 23rd 2012
Pages: 377
Spoilers: Some, but nothing big (only if you haven’t read the series of The Iron Fey)!
Some spin offs are doomed to fail. But this one is a complete success! Remember Meghan, Ash and Puck from The Iron Fey series? I reviewed the first book in the series (4 books total) here. Well, Meghan got into Nevernever to save her brother. She did save him and ended up being the queen of the Iron Fey. She married Ash after his almost lethal mission in becoming mortal. I know – it’s complicated. Anyways, in The Lost Prince, we zoom in on Ethan, Meghan’s little brother. We’re in the future and Ethan is grown up into a young adult. But even Meghan’s efforts didn’t really give him a normal, human life…
“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.
My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.” [GOODREADS]
Sounds promising right? I agree. I was excited to read The Lost Prince, but I was also a bit scared. The Iron Fey had been a major pleasure to read. I’ve read the series more than once. I loved Meghan’s P.O.V. and even got used to Ash’s P.O.V. But in The Lost Prince, Ethan’d be the main character. And that scared me.
Ethan irritated me. A. Whole. Lot. Like Meghan, I didn’t like him at the beginning of the story. He was moody, not social and very rude to everybody. I didn’t get him. At all. Luckily, after a few chapters (see what happens?) I started to get to know him. I felt like I finally understand him and why he did what he did. And after meeting Kenzie, things started to crumble down pretty fast.
What are those scary fey? Why are they attacking everybody? And why isn’t Meghan doing something about it? Where is Ash? Why is everything so freaking mysterious? Ethan doesn’t really want to talk about Meghan and to me, it felt like Meghan tried to ignore Ethan to protect him. But it wasn’t working. Ethan, of course, ends up in Nevernever, joined by Kenzie.
From that point, I felt so familiar with everything. We were back in Meghan’s world. Even Grimalkin and Puck were there.
BUT. Yup, there’s a big BUT. What’s up with Kierran and why is nobody explaining what’s wrong with him (and what’s wrong with him meeting Ethan)? Somebody (MEGHAN!! ASH!!) is not telling something. They know something is wrong but they’re not telling it and that bothered me. I’m used to Ash keeping secrets (Ariella) but Meghan… no. Anyways, I totally got why Ethan is mad at them. But I do have to admit that maybe his hatred for Ash is a bit misplaced. I mean: Ash wants only the best for Meghan. Meghan made her choice. It’s not Ash’s fault completely. My advice: the three (or: four?) of them should have a good and honest talk.
I think this spin off is perfect! I love it and I think Julie did a great job creating Ethan and making it believeable. I was worried I’d be far fetched, but that didn’t happen at all! I’m really looking forward to the second book in the series – The Iron Traitor.
To read this series, you first have to read The Iron Fey series. You NEED it to understand the world, to understand the jokes (OHMYGOD Puck still calls Ash “Snowball”) and to understand the background and myths. You’ll fall in love with the world and the characters!
Merry Christmas and enjoy your (book)presents!
