Book Order
- The Iron King
- The Iron Daughter (Aug 1, 2010)
- The Iron Queen (???)
Book Links
Amazon : The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (paperback / eBook)
Book Review in 6 words:
I am officially hooked on Fae!
Why did I read this? And am I glad I did?
After hearing about the book via Book Bound and Story Siren, I instantly added it to my TBR pile and even pre-ordered the book… and then it got put into the coffee table pile. I (again) bought the eBook for my Kindle so that I could read it while traveling. ** which means there is probably a giveaway of the paperback coming up soon 
** I started it a few days ago and had a little trouble getting into the story (note to self: do not read too different YA books back-to-back)…. HOWEVER at about a third of the way through I was hooked. I stayed up late to finish it and really, really enjoyed it. I cannot wait to read the next in the series!
Brief Summary
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…
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 just 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.
– via Amazon
Plot/Pacing/Writing Style ** changed section up a little **
I LOVED the plot! I’m not (or at least wasn’t) overly interested in stories about the Fae, but I loved how Julie took old legends and turned them into a new exciting story. While I had a little bit of a hard time getting into the story, I had NO problem finishing it. (I think I need to start alternating between genres when reading one after another.)
I really liked the author’s writing style. It feels natural. The characters say things I would say (or if I was 16 I would say). There is some cussing, but I actually enjoyed it and felt it added a realness to the fantasy.
Characters & Setting
Meghan is going on my favorite lead female list. She is strong, smart, funny and brave. However, she’s also dealing with issues that are very real. Losing a father. Being picked on at school. Feeling left out at home. She is extremely caring to the point where it is her greatest weakness.
Ash and Puck are also fantastic! Puck is fun and mischievous. Ash is more serious and handsome and brave… I want to know so much more about both of them! Ash and Meghan also play off each other well.
Recommendations
I would highly recommend this to anyone who reads YA, YA Fantasy, or likes books about the Fae. If you like Midsummer Night’s Dream, you might want to check this out to see some of your favorite characters again.
Going Deeper
This isn’t the first story to talk about the world of the Fae dying due to disbelief and the ever-growing love of science and technology, but it breaks my heart every time. I was an extremely imaginative child and like to think I still have some of it (I even have “imagination” tattooed on my arm). I have vowed that my future children will read and play outside and create their own stories instead of playing on the computer all day
– contains spoilers –
I loved the idea of who the Iron King was! It completely makes sense that our dreams of science and technology would be manifest in the world of Fae. On a personal note the idea of mechanical spiders scared the crap out of me.
I **LOVE** your style of reviews! I am glad you liked The Iron King…hopefully you will get to read The Iron Daughter soon, it is even better IMO
I LOVED this book! And it had nothing to do with Ash!
So wildly creative. And even though I love my Kindle, I was kind of glad I read this one on paperback! I will not contribute to the destruction of the Nevernever! LOL! (yeah right)
I really can’t wait for the nest book!
@ Stacey (Wicked Walker) : Thank you
I like to scan reviews and this seemed like a good way to get the information out and still have it easy to skip through lol.
I will actually be reading it tonight
Thanks again for the tip!!
@ Missie : I liked Ash a lot, but you’re right… he is not why I loved the book
LOL I didn’t think about that :/ I feel like the Kindle is still imaginative because I’m reading on it?
oh, i’m so glad you liked it! i really enjoyed it, too. i just got my copy of The Iron Daughter (squee!) and i hear that it’s just as good or better.
@ the little reader : I’m starting it tonight
I’ve also heard it’s better and am making sure I have time to read it all tonight if necessary lol.
I love how you set out your reviews. They are heaps easier to read and as a reader, I can focus on the sections that I am interested in. Good work!
@ Rachel : Thank you! I’ve been worried that it makes them feel long. I really appreciate the feedback!
I loved The Iron King as well. I wasn’t a big fan of the Fae oriented books (YA or mainstream), but Kagawa definitely made it feel more…unique with the Iron Fey.
…is it bad I liked them a little bit better then the traditional fae? (Puck and grim excluded…)
@ Lexie C. : I wasn’t into Fae books either. I had read a few that weren’t bad, but none that seemed as original as this.
Nope I don’t think that’s bad at all! You’ll get to learn more about them in the next book
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