I had the pleasure of hearing Ashley Poston speak at my school right after her first novel, Geekerella, was published. Her love for fandoms and all things geeky was really endearing to hear, along with her writing process. Her second book is nothing like her first (a modern day retelling of Cinderella set at a comic-con convention). Poston’s description of Heart of Iron is “Anastasia in space,” and she’s totally right.
In this YA fantasy novel, Ana is a part of Captain Siege’s pirate crew and has been since she and her Metal humanoid companion, Di, were rescued from an escape pod. Ana has scars on her face from a fire she doesn’t remember and a melted medallion around her neck which she doesn’t remember receiving. When Di’s memory core starts to glitch, Ana is desperate to save him and will do anything…even stealing coordinates to a lost ship that supposedly has unused android parts on it. With Captain Siege, her group of outlaws that are her only family, and a tag-along rich boy, Ana ends up finding out her past and a hidden secret the top royal advisors don’t want leaked.
It’s a little bit like Star Wars, with space fights and quick flying. There are droids (called Metals) who are HIVED (connected together to a single mindless server) so they won’t rebel against the royal family. I admit, there’s a lot going on in this story, but it does all come together eventually. Yes, parts were predictable and a few of the “relationships” seemed forced (you know I don’t do “love at first sight” with no plausible reason for it) but it was an enjoyable fantasy read.
Reader warning: it does set itself up for a sequel, so be prepared for a cliffhanger!
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