After being tricked by Aliette into opening the door for the demons to return to Earth, Donna has two days to create the philospher's stone the demon king is demanding or else he'll destroy London and her home town. Donna is pretty much on her own since the alchemist's have said it is an impossible challenge and are gathering forces to fight a war with the demons.

Donna does have some allies. Her best friend Navin may only be a "commoner" but he is smart and loyal. Xan may be busy working with Maker to get wings so that he can fly again but he comes when Donna calls. And Maker, himself, is on Donna's side.

This was an exciting conclusion to the Iron Witch series. It was filled with action, danger and romance. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This book is about Donna Underwood, a girl who has been raised her whole life to be an alchemist. Now because of a wood elf she has been tricked into opening the gates of hell and setting free the demon king. To save the world she must face many trials and tribulations.

Opening Sentence: They say that the truth sets you free.

The Review:

For starters this is the third book in the Iron Witch Series. I do recommend reading the first two books before reading this book. The story is about a seventeen year old girl named Donna Underwood. Donna is no ordinary girl; she is an alchemist in training. On top of that she contains a very important material in her body called the “first matter.” This is the material that everything is supposed to come from. In this, the third book, Donna has released demons onto the world and only she can stop them from destroying the world by making the philosopher’s stone, which will not be an easy task.

Donna for me, was one of those characters that I sometimes liked her and other times I hated her. I understand she is only seventeen and there is a lot happening in her life but she becomes very whiney and blames others for her problems. Other times though, she is awesome and isn’t afraid to face off against some very powerful beings such as the fae and the demon king himself. She does step up and make some very hard decisions. Also, I understand she was just supposed to be friends with Navin and in love with Xan but sometimes I felt like she was leading Navin on and maybe was a little closer to him than she should have been.

This was a good story but the reason you should definitely read the other two books is because by the time you get to this book you should know all about the characters so you will recognize how they relate to Donna. The third book is focused on Donna. The one character who is new to the story is Demain, the demon king. Demain is after one thing, the philosopher’s stone. He will do anything to get his hands on it including romancing Donna to try and make her like him or destroy the world. He’s the perfect villain. He comes off as charming, good looking, and nice until he does not get what he wants. When this happens he becomes the demon king that you would expect; angry, hateful, and destructive. He is such a evil being that even enemies are willing to work together to send him back to hell.

For those who have read the rest of the series this is a wonderful conclusion to the series and a must read. Of course if it is the last book the ending makes the romantic in me want it to go on but the other part of me who just likes a good book is satisfied. I recommend this book to those who like a bit of light magic, demons and a daring heroine.

Notable Scene:

The woman stares directly at Donna and smiles with a mouth full of blood-stained teeth. Her eyes are strange… inhuman. The pupils are shaped like hourglasses, and sand is slipping through them like tears.

“We all die,” the woman says. “That’s the secret to life.”

FTC Advisory: Flux provided me with a copy of The Stone Demon. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

This is going to be short and sweet as I don't want to give away spoilers.

Donna has been through a lot in her life and has come a long way since book 1. THE STONE DEMON was the completion of her journey and follows her quest to the end. There were a few points in the book that didn't keep me glued to my seat or particularly interested. For the most part I enjoyed the happenings just not as much as the previous two books.. I'm content with the way everything ended. I felt like Donna found herself and figured out who she was by the end and that was the whole point of her journey. Those most important to her all had a place in the final installment of The Iron Witch Trilogy and all were important to getting Donna to the end. If you read the first two books in the series you can't NOT read THE STONE DEMON. ( )