Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

In a sentence or so: Meghan discovers she is part fae and thrust right in the middle of a crazy conflict between the Summer and Winter courts, as well as a third court that no one – fae or human – knows exists.

Meghan Chase thinks she’s leading a normal, if supremely disappointing, life. She has a relentlessly upbeat best friend, a loving mother and stepfather and a sweet little brother. After having been publically humiliated by the cutest boy in school on her sixteenth birthday, she thinks her day has hit rock bottom…but it hasn’t.

It’s not until her little brother is replaced with a changeling that she learns she is the daughter of a Faery King. Meghan discovers she is a half fey princess and that her bestie Robbie has been protecting her. Meghan journeys into the world of fey with determination to get her brother back. The journey will be hard, complicated, dangerous, and life-threatening. The journey will also include a dark prince from the Winter court who is ridiculously gorgeous…so it’s not ALL bad.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a fae book. And you know what? I missed it. A LOT. I missed reading about the different courts and creatures and things like CHIMERAS and CHANGELINGS and OTHER COOL THINGS.

Meghan had a genuine teenage voice and reacted to this onslaught of information in a totally believable way. This definitely has some familiar elements for paranormal readers: she doesn’t know she’s special, she requires a guide to tell her information, things have to be explained to her so that the reader can understand them as well, a love triangle, etc. For some reason, these did not bother me in the slightest. Either I’ve been avoiding books like this for long enough that I can read it without getting annoyed, or Julie Kagawa packaged it in such a way that I just didn’t care! Also, her sassy and rad guide Grimalkin is a cat. HE RULES.

For anyone out there who has yet to read The Iron Fey series, it starts off fabulously. I was hooked into the story and the pace was a perfect blend of action, information, character development, and emotional connections. If it isn’t obvious, I’ll be digging into the next book in the series pretty dang soon.

Fave quote: "What if I can't?" I whispered. "What if the Iron King truly is invincible?" 

"Then we will all die," said the Elder Dryad, and faded back into her oak. The other dryads left, leaving me alone with a cat, a prince, and a stick. I sighed and looked down at the wood in my hands.

"No pressure or anything," I muttered. (pg. 279)

Fix er up: The only thing that bothers me in the slightest in all of this was near the end. Again, for those who haven’t read this, I will spare you a spoiler. For those who have, I’m referring to the big nosed girl at the coffee shop. What the what?

Title: The Iron King (Iron Fey #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publishing Info: 2010, Harlequin Teen

Genre: Fantasy

I read this book as part of the Rewind and Review feature hosted by Ginger at GReads! and myself. HOLLA at reading books out of my tbr!

[FTC Notice: I read a finished copy of this book that I borrowed from the amazing and awesome and fantastic Yani at The Secret Life ofan Avid Reader. I was not compensated in any way for this review.]