SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
George and Edie need to rescue the Gunner but they don't know where to start. Things get complicated when they get separated. Not to mention the Walker is busy sending taints after them.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
George decided to take the hard way. But he didn't know exactly what that meant. Since he spends most of his time away from both the Gunner and Edie we don't see much in the way of relationship development. He still cares about both of them, but his attempt to sacrifice for Gunner falls flat. I kind of wish he had debated if his idea to follow the “hard way” had been a mistake. Or at least realized he had been ignorant about the consequences.
Edie shares some of her past with George, but since she spends most of the story away from him, their relationship still feels lacking. Especially in comparison to the first story. But I do feel like she is much more the focus of this story than George.
Gunner has for the most part, his own story. He doesn't reunite with George and Edie until near the climax. We do see how emotional he gets, regarding the fates of the glints. Also how resourceful he is regarding his escape.
Walker is still the main villain, but he isn't in the story much. We get little snippets of him in many short chapters. It sets up some suspense, but other times I just felt bored by it.
Queen is a statue that seems to see the importance of Edie and her gift. I didn't really like or dislike her.
THREE STORIES
The Gunner has his own story for most of the book. While Edie and George end up separating half way through. So they both get different stories which I suppose helps the pacing.
I think Edie's story is quite important, as we learn about her mother and her past. As well as some of Edie's past. But except for the discovery about how evil the Walker is, I wasn't really interested in his story.
And George's story may have been fast paced, but I don't feel like I got much crucial information to the plot. But to be fair, it was really action packed in the chase scenes. And rather original as well.
EDIE & GEORGE
Since they don't spend lots of time together, there wasn't necessarily a lot of development between their relationship. They do clearly care about each others fates in the climax.
And before that they do argue about their feelings. Edie says she feels cursed and asks if he does. George thinks of his father and the cruel words he said. He eventually reveals this, and Edie laughs at him. So there is some tension between them. But after Edie reveals the truth about her father, the tension deflates.
NAMING A SPIT
George ends up getting attacked by a spit he named “Spout”. Mistakenly, he believes that the spit wants the broken head of the statue. Turns out he just wants his spout, and he wants to be fixed. George suspects that Spout is special because he was named.
But this isn't really explained. I like the idea of him having an ally, but the fact that the spout spoke strangely was kind of annoying. I would have rather he couldn't speak, or he spoke more simplistic, but clear words.
A DUEL TO THE DEATH-SPOILERS
George accidentally agrees to take part in three tests. The first is the face the statue of a knight on horseback.
FOR THE GUNNER-SPOILERS
George's second task turns out preventing the Gunner from dying. He learns that if he heads to the plinth and stands on it before midnight, he can save his friend. But by doing so he will experience what the Gunner experiences: the memories of a WWI soldier. I liked the idea of him having to do something for the Gunner, since no one actually rescues him.
But when George experiences this, he still retains his old memories. So he knows that essentially none of this is real. I felt like that completely missed the point. If he knew he had no risk of dying, going to war for a few hours wasn't terrifying at all.
GEORGE'S FATHER-SPOILERS
George ends up meeting a soldier who has his father's face. Because of this, after the event, George explains that he feels better about his father. This made no sense to me and just felt lazy. Yes, he has matured, by deciding to risk his life for others. And that could translate to realizing the mistake he made as a child had nothing to do with his father's death.
EDIE'S PAST
Probably the most important aspect of the book, we dive into the past of her mother, as Edie learns all sorts of secrets. I found this the most interesting and most suspenseful. Edie learns to let her mother go, as well as to forgive and respect her. It was almost like all of the time was spent on Edie's mother so that George's father was ignored.
THE BLACK FRIAR-SPOILERS
When Edie ends up in trouble, the Black Friar ends up risking his own life. It was surprising to wonder what his motivation is. But I hoped that she would develop a relationship with him that was similar to the Gunner's. Either way, I was glad to see Edie surprised at his kindness.
THE ORIGINS OF THE UNIVERSE
Edie is betrayed and ends up with a strange woman who used to be a glint. She ends up spinning some story about the origin of the universe that seems kind of vague at first. As though little thought went into to it. Just the basic, darkness versus the light.
But it evolves into the idea that the pagans moved from sacrificing people (they thought killing people would make it easier to make a statue) to only asking for a spot of blood (that was nice of them) when they made their statues. Sounds logical.
But the first time a spot of blood was used the boy dies (because the dagger was flint so it was evil. I guess) and the bond between maker and statue was forever made.
It was interesting but also kind of awkward. It left me with a lot of questions that Edie doesn't bother to ask. I do felt that some thought went into it, just not much. And I didn't add “spoilers” because this seems to have no effect on the story. Edie never tells George because she doesn't seem to think it's important either.
A BETRAYAL
George ends up being saved by a statue of woman, named Ariel. She is rather strange, but seems harmless. But she ends up taking George to the knight and then not allowing him to leave. George is shocked at her behavior, because she seems so nice. But we only knew her for a few minutes. So I didn't feel anything real shock, maybe just annoyance.
GEORGE'S HAND
George learns from the knight about his ironhand. He tries to worm out some information about it, but he doesn't learn that much.
TIPS FROM DAD
While trying to escape the knight, George remembers him and his dad and how they used to play rugby. I thought it was sweet, and a nice effort to incorporate it into the story. But in the end, with the addition of his father as a soldier, it just felt half-hearted.
CLIMAX
Gunner and George are reunited. Edie tries to escape the Walker but ends up being confronted by him. When George realizes what the Walker did to Edie, he goes after and tries to kill him. But the Queen stops him.
CONCLUSION
My favorite part of the first story is the relationship between Edie and George. So what I dislike is that for a large portion of the story is that they spend time apart. But to be fair, we do learn a lot about Edie and her past.
I just feel like there is no part where Edie takes George aside in confides in him about what everything the reader has just learned. And while we learn about Edie that helps her develop her character (or at least push her to where she has to decide what she really wants) we don't resolve anything with George. He just gets over his dad's death like that and we move on.
And I wasn't that interested in Gunner's story. And We still don't learn anything about the Walker (remember the flash of history that we got from Edie last time?).
I give “Ironhand” three and a half stars.
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