The Iron Flower

August 1, 2018
Thoroughly committed to the anti-Gardnerian Resistance, aspiring apothecary Elloren Gardner also struggles with the question of committing to a man--and if so, which one?As Gardneria tightens its fist around nominally independent Verpacia, Elloren's cell weighs its options. Refuge in the Noi lands to the east beckons, but there is still work to be done in Verpax City--including mining Gardnerian Cmdr. Lukas Grey's obvious attraction to Elloren for information. She's attracted too, but that's nothing compared to what she feels for Kelt and fellow Resistance member Yvan. Much happens over the course of this sequel: horrific Gardnerian mob violence; a trip to impoverished Keltania; a delegation to the all-female Amaz; and more. Despite this, the narrative arc feels flat, as Elloren accomplished much of her character growth previously. Forest piles trope on trope, encouraging readers to make associations with real-world history (Gardneria evokes Nazi Germany), but the associations are not firm (the Gardneria/Keltania relationship can be read as a cognate to modern Israel and Palestine), causing readers to constantly reassess them. Readers who loved the first book will find Forest's consciousness of the dynamics of allyship further raised. Elloren rescued a Selkie named Marina from sexual slavery in the first book, The Black Witch (2017); here, after she facilitates a deal with the Amaz to free all similarly enslaved Selkies, Marina and the Amaz accomplish the deed with ruthless efficiency while Elloren waits. Once Marina is reunited with her skin, she is dangerously bad-ass. Those who hated the first book will find more to dislike: Repellently, the reason Selkies in sexual bondage do not fall pregnant--because love is not involved--is reminiscent of former U.S. Rep.Todd Akin's (R-Missouri) obtuse theory about rape rarely resulting in pregnancy: "If it's legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."Though imperfect, the novel warns, "Power changes everything"; those intrigued by Elloren's desire to halt "the normal cycle of history" may wonder how this might change in Volume 3. (map) (Fantasy. 14-adult)

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August 1, 2018
Grades 8-11 In a world where magic powers and race determine one's fate in life, Elloren Gardner has it rough: though she is part of the ruling Gardnerian class, granddaughter of the all-powerful and extremely controversial Black Witch Carnissa, she herself has almost no magic. Though she is sent to university to try to develop what little magic she may have, her scheming Aunt Vyvian's real plan is to handfast Elloren to Lukas Grey, a powerful Mage, for political alliance purposes. However, Elloren has instead fallen in with a group of outcasts: winged Icarals, despised Selkies, wayward dragons, shape-shifting Lupines, and more, and feels more alliance with these persecuted classes than with Gardnerian Mages. The romance elements heat up as Elloren must deal with her attraction to both hated Lukas Grey and mysterious Yvan Guriel Myriad. Complicated plot twists and a huge cast of characters will likely limit readership to series fans, but those fans will be delighted and begging for the next title?and the cliff-hanger ending promises us there will be one. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Elloren has unofficially broken with her oppressive home country, joining a united undercover rebellion with her brothers and school friends. Every day, it's a race to evacuate all those she cares about while personally battling her attraction to two powerful men as well as her grandmother's destructive witch legacy. This sequel to The Black Witch is once again a timely portrayal of gender and racial oppressions.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)