THE LOST PRINCE by Julie Kagawa

The Lost Prince
Julie Kagawa

Rating: C
Synopsis:
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 thoughts on the book:
I enjoyed the Iron Fey series, so I was looking forward to this spin-off featuring the adorable Ethan, Meghan's older brother. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in this one. The Lost Prince just did not live up to any of the Iron Fey books, in my opinion. While this novel did have the characters I know and love from the Iron Fey series, the new characters weren't terrific additions. The plot itself was good, and the writing, of course, was fantastic. However, the characters really killed it for me. 

Ethan is the narrator, and he was such a cute kid in the Iron Fey series that I was really excited to read a book from his perspective. Apparently dealing with the fey problems his whole life really ruined his personality, though, because he was whiny and super emo. I just did not enjoy reading things from his perspective at all. I understand, to an extent, the bitterness and anger, but he was just really overboard with it. I think if he'd been a tiny bit more positive, then I would have enjoyed the book more. 

The secondary characters were more likable than Ethan. Kenzie was okay. She's not my favorite female lead ever, but she was okay. She was a strong enough character, and she was fairly brave considering all she had to go through. Kiernan was pretty awesome and was reminiscent of the characters from the Iron Fey series, but still not quite as good. He was, by far, my favorite new character, though. 

Puck, Meghan, Ash, and GRIMALKIN!!! were all back in this one, just in smaller doses. I freaking love Grimalkin. Ahem. They've all grown since the end of the Iron Fey series, and it was interesting to see how much stronger Meghan was. She really grew into her role as a queen. Ash was still bad ass as ever, and Puck was still as puckish as ever. Grimalkin was still the best character in the world!!!! Anyway, it was good to see them. I enjoyed them much more than the new characters. 

The world-building and writing were top-notch, which I've come to expect from Kagawa. The plot was pretty good. There were no huge surprises. I didn't expect the ending with Kenzie, but that didn't shock me. However, I never felt bored, and I kept turning the pages. The romance was okay, but it moved a bit too quickly for my liking. Also, the chemistry that Ash and Meghan have was not really there for Ethan and Kenzie. The romance wasn't totally cold, it just wasn't as hot as Ash and Meghan were. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loved the Iron Fey series. If you're a fan of that series, then you're sure to like this new one, too!

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