The Nightmare Garden - Caitlin Kittredge

Title: The Nightmare Garden
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Pages: 417
Genre: Young Adult|Steampunk|Fantasy (eARC provided by NetGalley/Delacorte)
Publication Date: 2/14/2012
Rating: ****

Everything Aoife thought she knew about the world was a lie. There is no Necrovirus. And Aoife isn't going to succumb to madness because of a latent strain—she will lose her faculties because she is allergic to iron. Aoife isn't human. She is a changeling—half human and half from the land of Thorn. And time is running out for her.

When Aoife destroyed the Lovecraft engine she released the monsters from the Thorn Lands into the Iron Lands and now she must find a way to seal the gates and reverse the destruction she's ravaged on the world that's about to poison her.

*May Contain Spoilers from The Iron Thorn*

The Nightmare Garden picks up where The Iron Thorn left off, after Aoife destroyed the engine of Lovecraft. Aoife now knows that she is half fae and that the madness that overtook her mother was not the necrovirus, but iron poisoning. By destroying the engine, she has broken the gates of the Thorn lands and now is set out to fix them -- to keep the creatures of Thorn away.

I really love the world created by Ms. Kittredge. I feel like it is unique and original and so vividly described. The supernatural elements mixed in with the steampunk setting is fantastic.

I really enjoyed reading this one and I feel like it did not lack the adventure the first one had. The only real issue I had was with Aoife. While I still feel that she was a great heroine, her attitude nipped at me a bit. She started out so strong and courageous in The Iron Thorn whereas her I feel like she reverted in maturity a bit. While acting brave and mature in the last book, here she acted more of the sixteen year old girl that she was - sassy, rebellious and hard headed. With that said, I think some of it could very well be due to some of the events that occurred throughout the book. In the end, she did redeem herself, so it was incredibly disappointing and I hope her attitude in the end continues in book three, which I am impatiently waiting for.

This one has the same dark, foreboding feel that the first had and I was excited to continue unraveling mysteries and learning more of the Thorn lands, Lovecraft and Aoife. If you enjoyed the first installment, I really think you will love this one too and you will be eagerly awaiting the third.