The Iron King(Iron Fey 1)Author: Julie KagawaPublisher: Harlequin Teen, 2010
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.
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.
My Review:
Meghan Chase wished to finish high school, get a car, and leave her small town forever. It’s not that she doesn’t love her family. She does, especially her little brother. Meghan just feels there is so much more out there in the world to see. And boy was she ever right! On her sixteenth birthday her wish sort of came true. You see faeries kidnapped Meghan’s brother and took him to faery land, her best friend is a famous faery trickster, and she is faery too! Megan will have to venture into the beautiful but deadly Nevernever to rescue her brother. Along the way she’ll meet devious allies, deal with beautiful enemies, and discover her true heritage.
Julie Kagawa has managed to do what no other author could. She has made me fall in love with faeries! From the creepy changeling kid to the scary wild fey, from the awesome fey magic that rocked my world to the characters themselves. I can’t get enough of it. Especially the magic battles! Like the one between Puck and Ash. The illusions, the element manipulation, and the action were skillfully written. I could feel the energy coming in waves off the page! So exciting! Also, I must bow to Julie Kagawa for having the idea of the Iron Fey. I’ve read the myths that say that iron is deadly to the fey, but to actually have Iron Fey. Brava! It’s really original, and I think the underlying message of the iron corrupting the Nevernever (aka Nature) makes the story a whole lot cooler.
Now I’ve talked about the fey world, the action and magic, but what about the characters? Powerful, rich and so full of life! Megan is very brave even when facing the scary unknown. She will risk her life to save those she loves. Ash, oh Ash, I too want to fall into your arms every five minutes. I found him to be a complex character, always waging war between his emotions and his duty. Puck is just a ball of fun all the time…until he is not. He is very carefree but shows great emotion when it comes to Megan and her safety. Another character that I loved was Grimalking. I totally saw him as a version of Alice’s Chershire cat! Very devious too.
I am so happy to have given this series a chance, even though I didn’t care much for faeries. This kind of original story writing and world building genius is seldom found. The Iron Fey series has everything I could ever ask for in a series, and more. Maybe I’m not an all faeries fan, but now I’m certainly an Iron Fey fan.
My Review:
Winter’s Passage tells of the little side trip Meghan and Ash take before he finally delivers her to Queen Mab. She insists on checking up on poor Puck who is still inside the tree recuperating. But something old and powerful is chasing them! Ash will once again protect Meghan with his life.
I just loved getting to know Ash’s character better. To see how he struggles with his feelings for Meg, and how ultimately he surrenders. He’s also very, um, creative when it comes to saving Meghan from becoming a human icicle. Just get the heart racing and the blood pumping right? ^__^ This story definitely builds up the emotions for The Iron Daughter.
Favorite Quotes:
~Book 1~
I was left facing two giant trolls with nothing but a cat and my backpack.
~
“Do not lose your heart to a faery prince. It never ends well.”
~
Puck stepped forward. “Ladies and felines,” he stated grandly, grasping the doorknob, “welcome to Tir Na Nog. Land of endless winter and shitloads of snow.”
~
He shook his head, examining the wound again. “It’s not frostbitten,” he muttered. “It’ll blister, but you should be fine. You might only lose a couple of fingers.”
I glanced at him sharply, but he was smirking. For a moment, I was speechless. Good God, the Ice Prince was making jokes now; the world must be ending.
~Book 1.5~
“You’re playing with fire, you know that?”
“That’s weird, considering you’re an ice prin—” I didn’t get any further…
