[REVIEW] The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Published: January 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: The Iron Fey #3

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back. (From Goodreads)

The Iron Queen is the third book in the iron fey series.

The Iron Queen takes off where the Iron Daugher stopped. Meghan and Ash, after being exiled, are trying to find a place to stay. In the end, they go back to Leanansidhe, the Queen of Exiles that they had met in the previous book, seeking a place to stay there. At the quaint cottage, Leanansidhe lends them, Meghan trains with Ash and Puck in battle skills and soon learn from the two court envoys that the Seelie and Unseelie court have called a truce and have gone to war against the iron fey. The envoys notify Meghan that they will release the exile status of Meghan, Ash and Puck (who was exiled when he decided to follow Meghan) if she would journey into the Iron Kingdom and kill the false king. (NOTE: the "false" king is the fey that replaced the previous king but is not the actual heir to the throne) So, Meghan travels in to the Iron kingdom with Ash and Puck and journeys to kill the false king. Along the way, they face many troubles including acid rain and iron fey rebellion that refuses to let them pass. All of their troubles soon come to an end when the great war between iron and non-iron fey begins.

The Iron Queen was probably as exciting as the second book. 

To me though, it's sort of the ending of Meghan's tale and the start of Ash's as the next book in the series (titled, the Iron Knight) has Ash as the narrator, not Meghan. 
The plot is once again Meghan battling iron fey to save someone, this time the whole land of Nevernever (the fey world). 

The plot twist that Julie Kagawa put in to this series though was really surprising. There was foreshadow before this book but i didn't really give it a thought. When it suddenly happened though, i was really shocked and also sad because the twist made it so that Ash and Meghan couldn't be together! But i know, Ash will find a way back to Meghan. He has too...otherwise there won't be a happy ending! (as you can tell, I'm clearly on Team Ash) I believe in happy endings but i guess I'll just have to keep reading to find out. 

Give this book a try! i know i wasn't dissapointed when i decided to continue this series.

5/5!
(originally posted in the TPL Word Out program)

[REVIEW] The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Published: August 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Agee Group: Young Adult
Series: The Iron Fey #2

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart. (From Goodreads)

The Iron Daughter is the second book in the Iron Fey series.

The Iron Daughter starts off where Iron King ended, Meghan, the half-daughter of the Seelie court King Oberon, is stuck in the Unseelie court, prisoner to the Winter Queen Mab. There she meets the other prince's of Winter, Rowan and Sage. Ash, the youngest prince of Winter, had developed romantice feelings with Meghan but upon returning to his court, he became more distant and cold, practically avoiding her. So when the scepter of seasons is stolen and the oldest Winter price killed in battle, Queen Mab is furious and refuses to listen to Meghan and her constant pleas that the Iron Fey were the ones involved. Mab freezes Meghan but Ash rescuses her and the two escape. Along the way, Meghan's best friend and summer fairy Puck joins them and together, the three once again embark on a journey to bring back the scepter of seasons. But nothings ever as easy as it seems. Along the way, they'll meet new friends and new foes and Meghan may have to battle her toughest opponent yet.

The more I read in to the Iron Fey series, the more I'm starting to really enjoy it. 

I'm not a big fan of the Shakespearean fairy crossover tales. In fact, I find that adding Shakespeare to the storyline takes away from the fairy aspect of it so I really enjoy this story that focuses on the feys. 

The plot still remains relatively the same as the first novel, The Iron King. Meghan has to battle the iron fey in order to save someone, in this case, to restore the balance between Winter and Summer and to potentially avoid a war between the two courts. 

The romantic relationship between Meghan and Ash is taken to a new level as well. The only problem I had with their relationship was (spolier alert) that when Ash decided to become an exile for Meghan, I was happy BUT I didn't understand why all of a sudden he decided that. Throughout the entire story, he contemplates the moral of disobeying his court and I don't remember ever getting the feeling that he was going to but I guess love always prevails. That's what makes it a happy ending. 

The Iron Daughter was quite a page turner. It starts slow but then picks up and then pretty soon you won't be able to put it down. That's what happened to me and I'm so happy I had the sequel to this, The Iron Queen, with me too so I didn't have to wait in between. 

Definitely read this if you're in to books about fairies or even if you're looking for a good book about adventure. I guarentee that there are no other books that talk about iron fey (or at least no other books that i have found!)

5/5!

(originally posted in the TPL Word Out program)

[REVIEW] The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Published: February 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teens
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: The Iron Fey #1

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war.  Now Meghan will learn how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. (From Goodreads)

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa was, to be honest, just a curious read.  I though perhaps after reading so many different fairy books, this one would be different.  In fact I had no idead it was about fairies, the cover sort of grabbed me.

Overall, The Iron King, the first in the Iron Fey series, was okay. It had the usual fairy guidelines, the four courts, the reference to Shakespeare's a midsummer's night, a predictable romance and practically all the similar factors you would find in a book about fairies. The only different aspect of this book, that I was disappointed to only come upon in the last third of the book, is the introduction of a new court, the iron fey.

Being a very avid reader, I have encountered many different books about fairies. The most popular being Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston and Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely. They are both similar to this one and I feel that the story sort of dulls down when you have already read about the same characters and settings in three other books. 

I did enjoy the romantic climax in this book. Although predictable, the relationship between the main character and the one she loves is intriguing, partially because of how the author sets it up. 

The story starts slow and the main plot isn't revealed until at least half the book. It seems like a good series and for all fairy readers, you should definitely try it but it isn't my favourite. 

5/5!

(originally posted in the TPL Word out program)