Review: The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch #1) - Karen Mahoney

5/5 Stars

The Iron Witch follows 17 year old Donna Underwood, raised her whole life to join the ranks of the secret Alchemist organisation her family has belonged to for years. Donna has been raised by her aunt ever since she and her parents were attacked by fey. Ever since then she has been left with iron tattoos covering her arms.

Donna tries her best to keep up with the Alchemist lifestyle and studies in order to become a full member when she reaches her 18th birthday, trying to keep that huge part of her life secret from her best friend Navin is proving to be too hard and when he stumbles across the truth Donna is faced with a major dilemma.

I have had this book sitting on my bookcase ever since it came out last year, it somehow ended up near the bottom of my reading pile and I am so glad I finally picked it up! I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one day, I got so completely wrapped up in the story and with Donna's life that I didn't even notice the time passing around me.

Donna is a great main character, Karen Mahoney managed to make me feel sorry for her, laugh with her and urge her on all at the same time! She is very easy to relate to, and I think she will be for a lot of teenage girls as well. To me that just makes her more likeable and made me want to keep on reading.

I really liked the journal entries in the book, it lets the reader see another side to Donna which doesn't come across fully through the story-line. 

I loved the Alchemist element to this book, I think it's the first book to do with Alchemy that I've ever read and I loved it! It did make a nice change from the usual YA paranormal plot lines that I read. I think to me thats what made the book really stand out.

The plot is well put together and thought out, the ending ties up all the loose ends and left me desperate for the next instalment in the series, luckily I had it on hand and got started right away!

Overall it is a great, romantic and magical book that will keep you glued to the pages!