So good. Kagawa is always so good. ( )

This is the first in a spinoff series from The Iron Fey. It centers around Meghan Chase's younger brother Ethan, a human that can see the Fey. It's been a while since I read the first three books in the regular series so I think I've forgotten some of the details that I am probably supposed to know. There was a little bit of a slow build with this one, I wasn't immediately pulled in. However, it did pick up and there was quite a bit of action going on. Ethan had more growth than you would expect from the first book, but it wasn't forced. We see alot of our favorite characters from the previous books but they are definitely secondary characters at best.

All in all, if you like the original series, you'll enjoy this spinoff one. It's not overly teenage angsty or romeo&juliet. ( )

I feel like Julie Kagawa is gradually disappointing me with the Fey series, it is only because I started the series that i do intend to finish it.

The Lost Prince is told from Ethan's point of view, which was alright I guess, if you like soppy romantic teen angst....which...I don't (I know surprising given that this series is full of it.)
Anyway, Ethan starts off a determined people hater with no intention of changing until dun dun dunnnnnnn..... enter Kenzie *whispers* she has a vagina. And everything Ethan was trying to be (a total badass) predictably melts away to reveal a soppy I care to much and don't know why guy that is just.....tedious.

Nothing in this book is new to the series (okay apart from the new potential threat to Faery.) And even the little gasping moment of who Keirran is, wasn't at all kept secret from the author, bleeding a predictable story line page after page.

One thing about this series I do enjoy reading is the exile queen Leansidhe (sp?) Kagawa does a great job of creating a fantastic glamorous queen with a upper class voice and wonderful intrigue... unfortunately she just isn't in the story enough. The exile queen reminds me of Cruella De Ville, only less evil.

The Iron series started out as a fantastic find for me and reading from Megan's point of view was probably the best perspective, as it shows Nevernever for the first time and everything is woven into a fantastic story of a girl not quite human and not quite fae, trying to balance the two worlds.
With these alternative perspectives being released I feel the author has lost her 'sight' of the world she created and is now spiralling to a painful death with the series.

I was going to rate the story 2 stars, but as it has captured my curiosity (no, its not as hard as you might think) about how Ethan and Keirran will progress together in the next book I rate it 3 grudging stars. (whoopee for curiosity.) ( )

2017 re-read: My opinion of this hasn't really changed... While like the original Iron Fey series, the main character isn't the most compelling, but at least Meghan had some interesting sidekicks (Puck, mainly, but I enjoyed Ash and Grimalkin too). Ethan just has Kenzie, who I find more irritating than endearing, and I don't really care that much for either of them. The real world bits are pretty boring and cliche for the most part-- I read Iron Fey for the magic and the awesome worldbuilding (that's where I feel Kagawa's strengths really lie), so I felt my eyes glazing over during all the school scenes. Ah well. On to the next one.

August 2012, 1st read: An ok read with plenty of flaws. On the bright side, Julie Kagawa totally delivers on the things I was expecting her to-- fantastic world building and fast-paced adventure. She reveals lots of interesting new elements in the Faerie world, and even some familiar parts of Faerie such as the Iron kingdom, get an update, and this should have made this journey into the Nevernever feel fresh and exciting. However, much of the storyline felt like a rehash of The Iron King in terms of the way the story plays out, and the book ended without any real climax. Kagawa is also at her weakest when writing scenes that take place in school. Like in the previous Iron Fey books, whenever there's a school scene in The Lost Prince, Kagawa relies on cliches and stereotypes-- Ethan as the new kid who doesn't fit in and gets into a fight with jock-type characters, attracting a super popular girl, etc... Too predictable. I was majorly disappointed by this book and seriously reconsidering continuing with this series despite the fact that I loved the original Iron Fey books. ( )

2.5/5 It's amazing to me that an 18 year old boy could be even more whiney and, one of Kagawa's favourite words, brooding than a 16/17 year old girl. Ethan's self-deprecation got on my nerves early on, but I'm enjoying the world and side characters of the series so much that I persevered. And love interest Kenzie wasn't much better. The cancer plot device was unnecessary but predictable.
I wanted more background on the Guro as he was just added as a plot device but was more interesting and realistic than either of the leads.
Kagawa should also write male characters in third person rather than first since she has a hard time portraying realistic male POV's (especially when trying to convey the thought processes of an ancient fae).
If Ash doesn't get that the Forgotten are here because of his little love quest last series, then what's the point of this entire series? ( )