{Review} Copperhead by Tina Connolly

Copperhead by Tina Connolly

Ironskin #2

Publication Date: October 15, 2013

Genre: Historical, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Helen is determined to find her missing sister, as well as continue the good fight against the fey. But when that pits her against her own husband—and when she meets an enigmatic young revolutionary—she’s pushed to discover how far she’ll bend society’s rules to do what’s right. It may be more than her beauty at stake. It may be her honor...and her heart

Helen Huntingdon is beautiful—so beautiful she has to wear an iron mask. Six months ago her sister Jane uncovered a fey plot to take over the city. Too late for Helen, who opted for fey beauty in her face—and now has to cover her face with iron so she won’t be taken over, her personality erased by the bodiless fey.

Not that Helen would mind that some days. Stuck in a marriage with the wealthy and controlling Alistair, she lives at the edges of her life, secretly helping Jane remove the dangerous fey beauty from the wealthy society women who paid for it. But when the chancy procedure turns deadly, Jane goes missing—and is implicated in the murder.

Meanwhile, Alistair’s influential clique Copperhead—whose emblem is the poisonous copperhead hydra—is out to restore humans to their “rightful” place, even to the point of destroying the dwarvven who have always been allies.

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Disclosure: I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

What I Felt

The threat of the fey was not over after the defeat of fey queen. Not when fey magic was present in the faces of about hundred women, who wanted to be more beautiful. Edward Rochart from Ironskin made it happen via surgery. However, something went wrong in the midst of Jane's surgery to remove the fey from the women's faces and she went missing. Helen has to go on a search for Jane and prove that her sister's innocence. 

As with Ironskin, I find the pacing for Copperhead to be a little slow at the first part of the book. However, things definitely got interesting as Helen grew as a character within the book. From a meek woman who followed her husband's wishes to one who assumes responsibilities. The book also offers more explanation about the fey, its impact and people's reaction to it. The story grew to be more engaging towards the end of the book, especially with the addition of several characters such as Tam, Fyre and Rook.

Copperhead is a good continuation in the Ironskin series and I'm definitely curious about book 3 because Dorie is the main character!

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{eARC Review} Ironskin by Tina Connolly

Ironskin by Tina Connolly
Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Published October 2nd 2012 by Tor Books
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: eARC from publisher in exchange for honest review
Buy: Amazon | Kindle | Book Depository

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. 

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin. 

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help. 

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey. 

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

RATING: 3 Stars out of 5

The idea of the iron mask fascinates me when I read the summary. I had to find out about the fey curse and the iron mask. Ironskin is an enjoyable read despite the slow pacing in the first half of the book. In truth, I almost gave up reading the book but I'm glad I finished reading it. Otherwise, I would have missed the wonderful interaction between Jane and Dorie.

I totally adored Dorie! It's obvious that she's gifted and even spoilt. Well, the adults had difficulties handling her. The transformation in Dorie was a process that captivates me.The author really did a good job in writing about Dorie and also Jane's efforts to help her.

The real action only started nearer to the end of the book and it felt kind of rushed. Also, I was taken by surprise in the turn of events in the second part of the book.

As I've said, Ironskin is an enjoyable read. This book is great for fey lovers who doesn't have very high expectation for romance.