Early Review – The Lost Prince (Call of the Forgotten, Book 1) by Julie Kagawa (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 400 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: October 23, 2012
ISBN: 978-0373210572
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Forgotten, 5th book in the Iron Fey series
Source: eGalley though NetGalley(dot)com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the first book in the Call of the Forgotten series by Kagawa, this is a side-series that takes place after the events of The Iron Knight and features Meghan’s younger brother Ethan. I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. I definitely recommend reading the Iron Fey series before this one because it is a great series and provides some wonderful background for this new series. This was a very well done book.

Ethan has spent his whole life running from and avoiding the Fey. He tries to not let on the he can see the Fey and tries not to get too close to anyone so that the Fey can use them against him. Things get complicated though when the Fey start disappearing and then Ethan is attacked by a new type of Fey. Now Ethan must journey into the Iron Realms to consult his sister and see if he can figure out the mystery of the disappearing fey.

Excellent start to a great new Iron Fey based series. Kagawa’s writing style is easy to read, action packed, and just as engaging in this book as in her other Iron Fey novels.

I don’t like Ethan as much as a character as I liked Meghan. Ethan comes off as a standoffish and whiny jerk. I know that’s kind of the point; but it makes it hard to relate to him. As the book continues Ethan does start to change his tune a bit, but his anger at pretty much everything and everyone is hard to deal with. I do think he has potential to become an excellent hero, but only time will tell.

Ethan’s friend Kenzie is a much more interesting character. She’s spunky and fun and has secrets of her own. She wants to be a journalist and I love how she is always where she shouldn’t be making trouble. She adds a lot of fun to the story and she offsets Ethan’s brooding, dark personality nicely.

For those who want more of our favorite Iron Fey characters, don’t worry they are here. Grimalkin features in the story quite a bit as does Leanesidhe. Puck is in the story a lot as well. We do get to see Ash and Meghan but they are more in a supporting role.

One of my favorite things about this book is that Kagawa introduces a whole new type of Fey. I am curious to learn more about this Fey and to find out how it is tied up with the Iron Fey.

This book is incredibly well written and fun to read. There is humor throughout as well. It’s fast-paced and has some excellent twists and turns that were impossible to predict. A perfect blend of action, some mystery, and of course a sweet little love story.

Overall an excellent start to a new Iron Fey based series. Fans of the Iron Fey series should be pleased. Ethan is a bit dark, brooding, and whiny for me at times…but I think he has potential. We get some excellent new characters, but the ones we know and love aren’t forgotten. A whole new race of Fey is introduced as well. Highly recommended for fans of YA urban fantasy. This is a great start to another wonderful series by Kagawa.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
– 150+ Books Reading Challenge