Review: The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge 
Published: February 20th, 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Pages: 512
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2011, 350+ Page Books Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge
Other: The first book in the Iron Codex series. The second book, The Nightmare Garden, will be published in 2012.
Buy the book: Bookdepository

In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

This book took a little time for me to get into, but it was a great read after that! It was my second steampunk book and I feel like I'm liking it more and more.

The Iron Thorn was perfectly paced in my opinion and I loved that Aoife wasn't afraid to take risks. She comes across as a strong (but a little stubborn) woman, who will take matters in her own hand when she needs to. After receiving a worrysome letter from her brother Conrad, who has gone mad on his 16th birthday, she decides to escape the city and go look for him. She takes her best friend Cal with them, and when they team up with guide Dean, their adventure outside the walls of Lovecraft can truly begin.

Oh, how awesome their adventures are when they are traveling to the home of Aoife's father! I loved it. The world was so complex, yet so wonderfully described that I really liked how the book was built up. At 500+ pages, the book was quite big, but don't let that hold you back! Once you start reading, it's like a rollercoaster that you want to keep riding.

Having said that, I really liked this book. I didn't *love* it (hence the 4 star rating) but it was definitely a book that I would recommend picking up if you're into steampunk. Kittredge has created a world that is dangerous and fascinating, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, The Nightmare Garden.

My overall rating:

Because I definitely want to read more of her fabulous storytelling!