ARC Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Hi Everyone!

Today I am pleased to review:

(Cover photo provided by Goodreads)

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: October 23, 2012

Source: NetGallery and Harlequin Teen

Rating: 5/5 SIZZLING STARS

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The Nightmare is Over!

I do not know about you, but I was frightened that I would not be able to enjoy The Lost Prince as much as the Iron Fey series. That I would be constantly wishing that Ethan was Ash instead. That the story would be too reminiscent to this book’s preceding series. Thankfully, all my worries were for not. Reading The Lost Prince was an excellent journey where I enjoyed every marvelous moment.

I was amazed at the direction this story went. The Fogotten were frightening, eerie antagonists. Kagawa yet again went somewhere that is usually forgotten in fairy stories. The iron side of fey was just the beginning. Now, we get to see the side of the story of the humans who are related to and encounter fairies. Now we get to see the side of the story of the fairies that know one remembers.

Kagawa's writing was just as beautiful as I remembered. Her writing is the perfect blend of efficient exquisite descriptions and lyrical language. I adore how she describes people just enough so I can visualize them but not too much that I’m like “Move on to the story.” This story caused me to need to read this story till my eyes hurt in the early morning and want to spread my love of this story to everyone I meet. Kagawa’s writing is of flowing lyrics that I wish I could create as well. Basically, her writing is phenomenal.

The Lost Prince may have miniscule flaws, (What? Only one scene with Meghan and an anticlimactic ending?), but it does provide what I search for in an unforgettable book. It is a stress reliever. It has excitement. It has growing characters. Best of all, it holds a new side to a story. There was not one page of The Lost Prince that I did not enjoy reading. Not one character that I did not find intriguing. Reading The Lost Prince was the perfect break from reality.

I never wanted this story to end. I valued seeing Ethan grow from a distant outsider to someone who could actually be friendly to others. I miss the sweet four-year-old Ethan from the Iron Fey series, but this damaged Ethan is even better. He was not one of the characters I immediately bonded with. His refusal to be friendly to others irked me in the beginning. But I knew that his reasons for being aloof were justifiable. I have no idea how I would deal if my sister, Rebecca, left me to be Queen of a magical world that once imprisoned me. As the story went along, Ethan started to stop being so distant and become an impressive snarky hero. He took charge and his slowly growing love for Kenzie drew me in. I also enjoyed the scene where he performed kali, an awesome Filipino martial art. And the Whedon moment! Anyone who loves Joss Whedon’s work is a friend of mine.

The other characters were just as amazing and constantly changing. Kenzie, a normal girl, at the beginning seemed too similar to Meghan. Thankfully, she grew into her new distinct character as she went on her adventure with Ethan and Kierran. I’m so glad that she did not believe fairies existed till she had proof and was confident, brave and tenacious. Kierran was mostly a good character, but not as impressive as Ethan, Kenzie, Razor and Grim.

Razor! He is such an adorable gremlin. I laughed so much during his scenes. Especially when he says “Master.”

Grim! The feline terror! He is still my favorite character. (Though Razor kept inching forward to his territory.) He is still his amazing sassy self and has many appearances!

Overall, The Lost Prince is a fantastic book that I hope you buy next Tuesday when it finally comes out. Razor orders you too. “Grrrrrrr. Bad kitty. Not reading good book.”

Thanks for reading!