Ironspark is a fun YA fantasy set in our world but with murderous fae and magical creatures added in. For the past nine years, Bryn has done everything she can to learn how to kill fae after what happened to her family. They killed her mother, cursed her father, and forced the rest of them into hiding. So Bryn wants revenge. Will she be just as determined when she finds out why the fae are really after her family? Filled with characters you love to root for and a f/f romance I dare you to not ship, Ironspark is sure to be a hit. There is a massive cliffhanger, so readers will be dying for the sequel. Highly recommended to anyone looking for something fresh in YA fantasy.

I think seen this book described somewhere as Supernatural meets Buffy the Vampire Fae Slayer, and I think that's such an accurate depiction of this book! It's also sort of reminiscent of typical YA fae, but more-so showing the fae to be the tricksters they really are rather than just some ethereal "higher-than-thou" type of being.

One of my favorite things about this book were the aspects of friendship and family, and how Bryn was learning that she didn't have to do everything alone. Dom and Jasika were great side characters - Dom is the dumb boy himbo sidekick of my heart. I loved how all of the relationships, both friendly and familial, felt so real and organic and nothing felt forced. There is a lesbian love triangle as mentioned in the synopsis, though I think it's more appropriate to call a sapphic love triangle because one character outright said she was not a lesbian, and the other two sapphic characters were not labeled. Idk, I appreciate seeing the word lesbian on a YA book synopsis, but if all the involved characters aren't lesbians, it doesn't seem right to me. Regardless of that, I did genuinely love all of the relationships in this book!

Another thing that I loved was the amount of action in the book. It wasn't overly detailed or full of gore, but there is definitely mention of blood and like blistered skin, things of that sort. Ironspark is fairly fast-paced, and the action scenes were well written and definitely helped moved things along while also keeping my interest in the book. I prefer books that are fast-paced, but I liked how this one also had scenes of downtime where the characters are just being their teenage selves. There's mention of school and homework and hanging out amongst other teenager things, which I think is really well balanced with the fantasy aspects, and makes this a really well written urban fantasy.

I think the only reason this wasn't quite a 5 star read for me is because it felt like the exposition in a trilogy and nothing more. I believe that every book in a series should be able to stand mostly on its own, and the series should act more like an evolution than an addition with each coming book. While I loved this book, it felt like it was mostly setting things up for the book(s) to come.

3.5/5, rounded up

The opening scene of this book–Bryn and her mentor, a priest, hunting a changeling that had replaced a human baby–gave me big-time Supernatural vibes. Tons of action, herbs and iron, creepy evil things pretending to be human, all that good stuff. That scene in and of itself was enough to thoroughly hook me, and the rest of the book held my attention as well. The plot wasn’t what I would call twisty, but it threw in some unexpected sources of inspiration, drawing directly from, among other things, the King Arthur mythos and the works of Shakespeare. My inner literary nerd geeked out a lot at both of those.

Bryn’s narrative voice is very distinctly teenager, laced with sarcasm and emotion in equal measure, depending on the situation. Her feelings of isolation, longing for friends and normalcy and a place to really call home, are very clearly rendered even as she insists on putting up a brave face to the world. Her conflicted feelings regarding her ex–who, by the way, is definitely not human–are a convincing blend of awkwardness and appreciation, in a way that really works. (As an aside, though: the blurb for this book emphasizes a “lesbian love triangle,” but honestly, it didn’t feel like a triangle at all–just a girl getting over her ex while also becoming interested in someone new.)

Speaking of that ex: this book was one of those rare titles where I actually liked all of the characters, or at least found them all interesting. From flirty, optimistic, research-obsessed Dom, to the serene and dutiful Gwen, to Bryn’s mischievous and upset little brothers with issues of their own, the majority of the characters were convincing and engaging. When the plot started to get weird, the characters were what kept me invested in what was going to happen next.

Also, quick note: THE SHADELINGS. Oh my god, these tiny little two-foot-tall, perpetually hungry creatures with bat wings whose sole purpose is to keep Bryn and her family safe. They’re just amazing. Every time they came on the page, I smiled, and most of the time, they’re just plain funny. But one line from one of them, maybe around a third of the way in–I won’t tell you what it was, because spoilers–made me feel a little bit choked up. So pure and sweet, if not always entirely innocent. A certain purple shadeling has completely stolen my heart, not gonna lie–and also allowed for a brief but affirming comment on gender identity, which was a nice touch.

While we’re on the subject of queer rep, as has been mentioned a few times, this book does a nice job of normalizing queer characters without making their queerness a central focus. Without spoiling things, just know that there’s a f/f relationship, a character who identifies as bi or pan, a character who knows they’re queer but is still figuring out their sexuality, and a character who is ace. There’s a nice scene around three-quarters through the book where the characters, who are close but relatively new friends, actually discuss their sexualities and identities, which was a tad awkward, but also made me happy, because it explicitly put labels on them instead of leaving it to the reader to guess. With ace characters especially, if they’re not the main character, that aspect of their identity can be hard to determine if you just go based on their actions, so this upped their visibility.

All that said, this book did have some shortcomings. I was a little hesitant on some of the mental illness representation in the book–Bryn’s panic attacks were depicted very well, and I have no issue with those. However, her father was depicted as having schizophrenia…sort of. We learn very early on that he was cursed by the Fae to see fairies everywhere, regardless of whether there are actually any present. Because of these hallucinations, they say that he is schizophrenic. I could understand them saying this just to people outside their family (let’s be real, there’s no “socially acceptable” way to tell people that the poor guy was literally cursed by fairies), but they internally refer to it that way as well, which struck me as a little insensitive, especially given that his symptoms do not even fully meet the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia; he only has one major symptom, and a minimum of two are required. As someone who is big on mental health advocacy and a major psychology geek, this rubbed me the wrong way.

There were also some moments where the narrative strained believability–not the magic itself, but the choices made by some of the characters. For example, there’s a brief plot point involving a friend with a sick family member, where Bryn is very easily talked into making some questionable choices. Yes, teenagers do stupid things on impulse, but (a) Bryn typically comes off as more rational, except on things where her mother is involved (which this was not), and (b) this specific choice was for a reason that she literally just found out about and didn’t really have any personal stake in. This is just one example; things like this happened several times, where characters made out-of-character decisions, or where characters’ voices in dialogue started sounding like…not themselves. You know, like the quirky, old-school shadeling suddenly talking in casual, teenage English.

And my biggest annoyance: what the heck was that ending?? I thought this would be a standalone, but apparently there’s going to be a sequel, and the setup for it involved transportation to a location previously only discussed in dreams (I’m still a little fuzzy on how that worked) and a character making a choice that truly made no sense, given all of their values, even though they have an extended monologue leading up to that moment with repeated heavy-handed use of an analogy about a chess game. I was loving the book up until that point, but the implausibility of that part pulled my rating down from a 4-star to a 3.5.

With the exception of those quibbles, though, I really did like this book. Urban fantasy tends to be hit or miss for me, but I think this one was especially helped by its emphasis on family, its excellent diversity, and its minimal romance. That last point especially was refreshing–romance wasn’t absent from the book, but it didn’t become a central point. This really is mostly a teenage girl and her friends fighting Fae, kicking ass and taking names. And that’s exactly what I like to see.

Thank you TBR and Beyond and C. M. McGuire for the opportunity to read this lovely fantasy book about faeries because I am a big fan of them. Well.. I am a fan of everything that is fantasy and not real world. So of course I had to read this book!

Ironspark was an interesting read but a bit confusing in some parts. I loved to find different kind of fairies and that they aren’t like in fairytales beautiful and sparkling. These fairies are the real deal. At the end of the book you can find a glossary about all of them. The idea of Bryn and Father Gooding fighting Fae gives Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes.

The plot was pretty good, but it ended with a lot of unanswered questions, but maybe we will find more in the sequel. Unfortunately some parts felt flat, like the discussion between Bryn, Jasika and Dom in Bryn’s bedroom or the chemistry between Bryn and Jasika.

All in all, I enjoyed reading Ironspark and I can’t wait to see more of Bryn in the future.

Thank you so much to Swoon Reads and TBR and Beyond Tours for the ARC of this book!

Ironspark is the story of Bryn, a girl who spends her time fighting fae and protecting her town from their magic. Ever since her mother was taken by them nine years ago, she's made it her mission to protect whoever she can. When the court fae show up, she realizes he's not going to be able to handle them on her own. She has the help of her friends, but it might not be enough when she learns the truth of what happened to her mother and why the fae are after her family.

You'll recognize some of the lore in this story if you're a fan of fae reads (which I absolutely am!), but there are some new bits here that I thought were super interesting. It did take a bit to get to the mystery, but I really loved how Bryn's family were woven into a relationship with the fae. The book end on a cliffhanger, so I hope we see even more of this if there's a book 2!

Bryn as a character is the classic oldest sibling trying to shoulder everything. She wants to protect everyone, even if it means not protecting herself. She starts out as a kick ass faerie slayer, hellbent on destroying them all so they can't hurt her family anymore. By the end of the book, we see a few more of her layers and I was glad there was more to her.

Her friends are important to the story, and they manage to be that way without detracting from it. Jasika's help ends up being more important than Bryn can imagine, and having Dom steadfast by her side while she tries to navigate this terrible world of court fae without expecting anything in return was refreshing to see.

There's also really great queer rep in this book. There's a sapphic love triangle with the MC being bi, and there's another character who is asexual. In the entire book there's only one real conversation on page about this, and yet that one conversation was so well done, especially the ace explanation. I was so glad to see it!

All in all, a pretty great read!

*I WAS PROVIDED A DIGITAL GALLEY FOR THE PURPOSES OF A TOUR. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

When I started reading this book, I was deep in the trenches of one of the worst book slumps I've ever experienced. Ironspark recognized that, tutted at my slump, and forced my brain to overcome it.

This book was as magical as its contents promised. We have a bisexual main character who just wants to protect her family from the evil fae that stole her mother away just after her brothers were born. This story was deeply alluring, and I really felt myself loving it as it continued on.

I really loved the setting and world-building that C.M. McGuire provided. I think it was definitely some of the best I've seen. However, when it came to the plot, there were parts I loved and parts I didn't. I really felt like there were some holes toward the middle to end of the story. It wasn't so much there were inconsistencies as it was things that were rushed or didn't have much context/meaning to them.

Along with that, I wasn't a fan of how Bryn and Jasika kept asking Dom if he was sure he was asexual. They asked him "are you sure" around three or four times in just one scene after he'd said yes, yes, yes, and that didn't leave me with a good feeling.

All in all, I did like this book. I definitely felt like there was an equal amount of strengths and weaknesses, and there was room for improvement. I hope to see that in the sequel, and for that, I rate Ironspark 3.75 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

Rep: WLW characters, Bi/Pan character(Bryn isn't sure which label is for her), Panic Attacks, Ace character

I read this book in four days while I was on holiday. It was the sort of book that even though I wanted to read it all in one go, I enjoyed it better reading it in chunks. Almost instantly, I fell in love with this book as I found all of the characters quite endearing, even when they were not fully fleshed out (due to being side characters)

Bryn is an angry teenager after her mother was taken away by the Unseelie court ten years ago. With her father having to work and also having to deal with delusions given to him from the fae. Jasika has her own grudge against the Fae but she also practices in witchcraft and is a school friend of Bryn's who is really nice and always looking out for people which I adored. Dom is the new kid in town who gets dragged into the mess of the Fae and almost immediately becomes protective (not in a bad way) of his new friends. Gwen is a water witch who is so gentle and kind and also the ex-girlfriend of Bryn. There are plenty of other characters in the story such as the twins who are Bryn's younger brothers and even shadelings who I love and adore so, so much.

Rating
4.5⭐ (rounded to 5 on Goodreads)

Would I read it again:
Yes

Would I recommend it:
Yes

3.5 stars

When I heard about Ironspark I knew it was a book I needed to read and I was right about that. Ironspark is a fast and fun read and it left me wanting more. That's always a good sign. I got a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes while reading this and that made my fan girl heart really happy!

It's really clear that our main character Bryn had a lot on her plate, but was also really determined to make sure her family felt safe. As much as that's possible. I really loved her, because she wasn't perfect. She didn't have all the answers and even made mistakes. In a lot of books the main character is the perfect hero, but it's such a nice touch when that's not the case. Bryn is definitely a strong character and her love for her family is something that really hit home. Even though she didn't know what was going to happen, as long as her family was safe, she was okay!

I loved the magical elements in our own world. I loved all the different type of fae and I have to say the Shadelings have a special place in my heart. Marshmallow was just so much fun! That's the first time I've seen something like them in a fantasy book and I loved how it made the story just a bit more unique. It was also interesting to see the difference between human magic and fae magic. I would've loved to have more time with the magic element and maybe even more time with her training and learning, because I think that would've added just a bit more for me to this story.

Besides our main character and the magical side of this book, the cast of side characters was one I really enjoyed. There was diversity and I just loved how loyal Jasika and Dom were to Bryn. They didn't have to get mixed up in any of this, but they wouldn't let her go on her own. Friendship is something I love seeing in books, so this definitely scored points. Also, I loved that there was a hint of romance, but that it didn't take over the whole book. I would definitely be curious to see how that continues.

I have to say I was the most shocked about how open Ironspark ends! I haven't seen anything around saying it's a series, but I really hope so. Ironspark has made me invested in these characters and their story and I need to know how it all plays out. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on C.M. McGuire for more books!

*I received a copy of this through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion*
I really loved the dynamics of Ironspark! The characters are so vibrant and lively, and I liked seeing the interaction of modern technology and research with ancient Welsh folklore. This book is also full of casual LGBT+ rep that is really refreshing to see (it even has a love triangle!) But the romance tends to take a backseat to the main plot. One thing I thought was really nice about the book, especially in the beginning, is that it really felt like a continuation of someone’s life when you’re dropped right in the middle of their story! Most books start at the beginning of the action but Ironspark begins close to the middle, referencing the Bryn’s past romances and adventures! Overall it was a fun, action packed read full of fairies, folklore, and fighting!

Ironspark by C.M. McGuire⁠
✨⁠
A teen outcast must work together with new friends to keep her family and town safe from murderous Fae while also dealing with panic attacks, family issues, and a lesbian love triangle in C.M. McGuires’s kick-butt paranormal YA debut, Ironspark.⁠
✨⁠
I had trouble getting into this book (I actually decided to re-read the beginning again, because I wasn't sure what was happening). But in the end, it was a fun read.⁠
✨⁠
⁠It's an action-packed book with loads of supernatural characters that reminded me a lot of The Near Witch. Even though the main character fights Fae, they aren't all depicted as evil. The main character befriends (and crushes on 😉 😉) all kinds of creatures. My favorite character, Gwen, was the voice of reason, and the polar opposite of the main character. I also liked the way the asexual character was portrayed-this person just happened to be asexual and their sexuality didn't influence everything else in their life.
✨
There was an equal amount of action and mystery, and the pacing of this book was great. There is a lot of suspense in the book connected to some past secrets reemerging, but this aspect of the book was very slow-burn and therefore, it was difficult to predict what was going to happen. I've been waiting for a book to surprise me as much as this one did for a very long time.
✨
The romantic subplot (queer, obviousy), was very subtle and I didn't see it coming, to be honest. I loved it because very often in fantasy books, the romance prat takes over the whole story. Here, it was just a nice bonus.
✨
I definitely wouldn't mind reading a sequel to this.

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<p>I went into <em>Ironsparks </em>without many expectations. It sounded fun and sapphic. Yet, it exceeded any that I could have. It was an engrossing, captivating, and dynamic read with interesting characters and a mythology that finally depicts fairies as the tricksters they are.</p>
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<p>In lots of ways, It reminded me of the Iron Fey Trilogy by Julie Kagawa, that was the first series to introduce me to YA fantasy. And nostalgia is a funny thing because as I went through this book, I remembered what reading felt like at eleven or twelve-years-old, when you are reading just for the sake of it, without the pressure to analyze or overthink the meta-textuality. It was easy and light reading and I devoured <em>Ironsparks </em>in almost one sitting.</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>But hey, look at me. Going to a classmate's house after school. Maybe I was an asshole, but I was trying.</p></blockquote>
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<p>I loved how the relationships felt organic and wholesome.It was so refreshing to read about friendships that feel real and do not lack the actual chemistry of close friends group and do features a lot of bonding scenes. I really love the dynamics of trio and the one depicted in <em>Ironsparks </em>completely sucked me in. Dom is the dumb boy of my heart and I loved him so much, I loved how careful and gentle he was towards Bryn even though he was just pulled into secrecies and a reality that goes beyond the one he had as human. He is also asexual and I found the discussion surrounding it (and the whole scene) very sincere, nuanced, and heart-warming. </p>


<p>There is a lesbian love triangle as announced in the synopsis, and even though I was a bit worried about it turning into an unnecessary rivalry with drama uncalled for, it is a really soft and well-crafted love triangle. I can see where it comes from, and where does stand the two love interests.</p>
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<p><em>Ironsparks</em> is filled with action and has rather quick pacing, but allows you time to breathe and process. I tend to estimate that this is what is needed in most urban fantasies because the characters are still teenagers navigating in the real world. They need time to deal with what is happening to them. I loved how fantasy was incorporated into the mundane world through the Shadelings, Bryn's faes domestics, and how she tiptoed between her very humanity, her desire for an <em>after</em>, and the pull she feels towards the fae realm and its mystery.</p>


<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>When Jake and Ash demonstrate they can change the toilet paper rolls, then maybe I'll decide they can handle fairies</p></blockquote>

<p>The only reason I give it 4 stars and not five is because this first installment often felt like the exposition book for the rest of the series, having the purpose to introduce us to the worldbuilding and the characters. I was a bit disturbed by noticing how far I was in the book and yet not being anywhere near to have the questions answered or the narrative arcs resolved. And if this first book gave us some answers, it also left me with a desire to read more about Bryn's adventures as I ended <em>Ironsparks</em>. </p>


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<p>The ending left me gasping and it would be an understatement to say I wait feverishly for the sequel. I'm so excited to see how everything will unravel and how the second book will pick up from where <em>Ironsparks </em>left us. I cannot wait to read more about the mythology and the fae realms invented by C.M Mcguire.</p>
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There was so much to love in this book from the world-building to the characters and more.

Thoughts and Themes: My favorite part of this book was the world-building and the fantasy elements. I loved all the magic that was included throughout the book and how this world got more complex as you read on. I liked learning about all the different fae that Byrd and her friends encountered and how they all interacted amongst themselves. I thought it was great to see how they all were the same but also very different and some were good and others weren’t.

I’m really hoping that there is a sequel to this book because I can’t just have Byrd’s story end the way that it did. I need to know what happens after this ending, I need to know what happens not just to Byrd but to everyone else that we met along the way. I need to know how things wrap up if they even do wrap up.

Characters: I loved getting to learn about this world as Dom, Jasika, and Byrd learned new things about it. I enjoyed how the characters exploration of themselves and who they are goes along with them learning about the world they are living in.

There’s a scene in which Dom, Byrd, and Jasika are in the church discussing their sexualities which I really enjoyed. I liked how it was a casual conversation that they had with each other and thought the setting was spot on.

I loved that this book has asexual representation through Dom and I liked how he’s an asexual who has had sex before. I thought it was great that we got to see that asexuality presents differently for each person. I thought it was also nice to see that Jasika was still figuring things out and Byrd was between bi/pan. It was very refreshing to see them both kind of figuring things out and being okay with not knowing yet.

Writing Style: I liked that this book was told in first person perspective because you can see how everything affects Byrd but you don’t see how her actions affect others until its late. I liked that we don’t really get to see what the others think about what Byrd does or how they fell. We really only get to see things happening from her perspective.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Ironspark

Author: C.M. McGuire

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: LGBT characters (f/f and love triangle, ace male), anxiety rep

Recommended For...: fae lovers, revenge story, ya fantasy

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (death, anxiety, anxiety attacks, parent with mental illness, violence, slight gore, arson, kidnapping)

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Pages: 336

Synopsis: For the past nine years, ever since a bunch of those evil Tinkerbells abducted her mother, cursed her father, and forced her family into hiding, Bryn has devoted herself to learning everything she can about killing the Fae. Now it’s time to put those lessons to use.

Then the Court Fae finally show up, and Bryn realizes she can’t handle this on her own. Thankfully, three friends offer to help: Gwen, a kindhearted water witch; Dom, a new foster kid pulled into her world; and Jasika, a schoolmate with her own grudge against the Fae.

But trust is hard-won, and what little Bryn has gained is put to the test when she uncovers a book of Fae magic that belonged to her mother. With the Fae threat mounting every day, Bryn must choose between faith in her friends and power from a magic that could threaten her very humanity.

Review: For the most part this was a good book. The plot was intriguing and the world building was really well done. I also liked the pacing of the book. I really liked the anxiety rep and I'm genuinely intrigued by the mythology.

However, the characters were a bit off in my opinion. The fae were.... kinda lackluster and the other characters flat. I also had issues with the "father cursed with mental illness" thing. It felt kinda offensive to me because I have a mother who has anxiety and I had to grow up trying to figure out why my mom would sometimes go off on me unexpectedly and why sometimes she would lock herself in her bedroom for the rest of the day. I never felt like I was cursed or she was cursed by whatever her health though, it was just something I had to learn and adapt to. I got the vibe the author was going for but it kinda hurt. I don't like books where the author uses mental illness as the punishment for a curse or uses it to explain away why people don't believe they're actually seeing the supernatural. It really rubs me the wrong way when mental illness is used as a villain. And while this book wasn’t doing that intentionally, it gave off that vibe.

Verdict: It was well done and I liked it overall.

When I first found out that this book was about a friend group that hunted Fae, I knew I had to read it.

McGuire wrote Fae in a way that I considered to be a more traditional style of fae. There is a Fae court and a hierarchy within it - in addition to good and bad. The Fae she decided to include in this contemporary world were well picked. Most felt familiar, but with some differences in appearance.

When we met all the characters, I couldn't help but think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (but obviously with Fae instead of vampires). They reminded me of a less experienced version, one that was still figuring out the rules and their role. Bryn felt stubborn and determined, but still relatively unaware of everything overall. I felt that her two friends were more willing to accept magical beings than what I would believe to be realistic and rather quickly for one of them. I found it odd with just how quickly they wanted to join up with Bryn's cause and endanger themselves for her. There were also times that lines were crossed, but people were easily forgiven. I was also disappointed with how little involved the one character was in the overall fight.

I did find the twists rather interesting; however, one twist I found happened so late that I now suspect that this isn't a standalone like I had originally thought (although I can find nothing to confirm this new thought). It felt like the beginning of the book was evenly paced, but then next thing I knew there were less than 50 pages left and it didn't feel like we were heading towards a clean wrap-up.

Despite wanting a little more, I did enjoy McGuire's writing style and I hope to read more from her. Overall, I enjoyed Ironspark and I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading about friend groups fighting against magical creatures. If you enjoyed Buffy and want something with a similar feel, then I suggest you give this a try. I do hope that there is another book so I'm given more of a conclusion that I was hoping for.

Ironspark is a standalone YA urban fantasy that brings a caste mystical creatures into our contemporary world. On the one hand, it is a delightful romp full of magic, mystery and strange creatures. On the other, McGuire tackles difficult questions about grief, identity and the relationships that shape us.

At the heart of the story is Bryn, a senior in high school who hunts faerie creatures as her extracariculars in an attempt to understand the faes’ abduction of her mother who disappeared and the curse they subsequently placed upon her father. Accompanying Bryn is a colorful cast of misfits and otherworldly creatures. Honestly, they were my favorite part of the book, especially Bryn’s love interest Gwen (who is a very sweet water witch). The friendships in Ironspark are heartwarming and moving, making the story that much more beautiful.

There is also amazing LGBTQIA+ representation in Ironspark, including at least one aesexual and another bi-curious character. I really appreciated the diversity and would recommend Ironspark for anyone looking to pick up a fantasy novel with LGBTQIA+ characters.

However, it should be noted that Ironspark is not all fun and games. There are difficult topics of parental abandonment, heavy familiar issues, self acceptance, and identity formation as Bryn faces court fae who have come to kill her and her family.

Ultimately if you love books about faeries (I’m looking at you Holly Black fans) Ironspark is the book for you. With decent pacing, fun characters, and a moving story I gave Ironspark 4.5/5 stars.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ironspark is a fun adventure story with action at every turn. It's a refreshing addition to the fae-centric fantasy sub-genre of YA, with it being heavily inspired by the more traditional fairy lore.

For romance lovers, this book promises a queer love triangle, and while it delivers the romance often takes the backseat to the action. Which is a bit refreshing in itself as romance tends to overshadow the overarching plot. Additionally, this book includes a rarely represented group, with the character Dom being canonically asexual.

The book ends in such a way as to set up a sequel with the potential to have an even more riveting adventure, this time in the fae-lands.

The final review will be on Geek Declassified August 24, 2020.

Why I Requested This: Panic attacks? Family issues? Lesbian love triangle? Fae? Sign me up!

Pros:
The fae elements are excellently done. Especially relating to the mythology.
The panic attack representation is respectfully done.
Did I mention the queer representation yet? Because I knew going in that we would have a lesbian love triangle, but we get other representation throughout the story.

Cons:
The writing style does take some time to get into; however, this maybe due to the nature of the story-telling.

Overall: These are the fae you’re searching for with a lesbian love-triangle, but the writing is a bit hit-or-miss at times.

Sweet, fun, and intriguing, Ironspark is a fantastic story full of mischief and magic.
This book has an interesting, relatable, and diverse cast of characters and amazingly well done queer representation. The side characters are well developed and I really love their personalities and the main character has a very interesting arc. The plot started off as fairly unoriginal and uninteresting but then got better and better throughout the book, concluding with huge plot twists and a cliffhanger that has me on the edge of my seat in anticipation for a book two. The romance was done very well as well. I generally strongly dislike love triangles but C.M. McGuire executes her’s perfectly. It does not dominate the plot in any way and has a mostly clear resolution that still allows for a sweet romance instead of the ongoing battle that is usually seen to go along with love triangles. The magic system and world building, on the other hand, are cool but extremely unoriginal and fairly boring, to be honest. I think it could have been better if the magical side of their world had been explained more thoroughly although the ending of this book did leave a clear opening for delving deeper into this aspect of the story in the next book or books. I did enjoy how multiple classic tales were implemented in this story, though, as well as the descriptions of the many different types of fae.
Overall, while Ironspark did not blow my mind I very much enjoyed reading about the adventures of Bryn and her friends and am excited for more.

“Ironspark” is a young adult fantasy book centered around a teenager named Bryn. Bryn’s family was significantly impacted by Fae, and ever since then, she’s dedicated her life to learning how to defeat them. Over the course of the story, she meets three other teenagers – Gwen, Dom, and Jasika – who offer to help her with that difficult task.

I thought that the plot of this story seemed pretty interesting, and it was. There were some points where it didn’t really have my attention, but I still think it’s a pretty interesting book, and I would recommend this for anyone who likes YA fantasy stories.

The romance and the characters felt a little lackluster to me (or maybe I just wanted a lot of angst for the romance??), but still, I gotta give kudos to this book and the author because it was action-packed and definitely entertaining! Full review will be posted soon as part of Ironspark Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. (Actual rating 3.5)