The Iron Witch

The Iron Witch
by Karen Mahoney
The Iron Witch, book one

When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.

But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin—even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect. (description taken from Amazon.com)

I think when I read this book I may have been in a funky mood. There were parts I really loved, but I just couldn't get into it. I've heard such great things...every review I've read has been good, so I think I may just have been overloaded on this type of book...

Anyway, what I liked:
*The awesome way that the alchemists repaired Donna's arms by infusing them with iron. Everytime I pictured the silver swirls on her arms, all I could think was AWESOME!
*The boys. Both of them. I liked Xan and his revealed secret about having fairy blood and I liked Navin, Donna's "normal" friend. PS - Did I mention that he's Indian...very cool!
*Alchemy. I've always been fascinated with it...and I love how it was mixed with magic in this story.

*Sigh* I really did like a lot of the elements of this story! I'll have to make sure to read the second book in the series, The Wood Queen, to see if it really just was that I was in a funky mood when I read this one...