Iron Fey - Trilogy #01: The Iron King

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The Consulting Reader, May 1, 2013 (view all comments by The Consulting Reader)
A girls sixteenth birthday is supposed to be a magical day where a girl gets a party and falls in love, but on Meghan Chase’s sixteenth birthday she discovers that her brother has been replaced with a faery changeling and that her long time best friend, Puck, is actually a faery of the Summer Court in Nevernever. And that’s only the beginning. Puck and Meghan must go on a mission into the fairy land to get back Meghan’s brother, Ethan. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she is the daughter of the king of the Summer Court, King Oberon. So she is half fey and half human making her both powerful and resistant to Iron which is the one weakness of the fey. During the characters trying adventure through the faery land, they discover a dark secret that could affect the life of the fey forever, and Meghan is the only one powerful enough to stop it.
Kagawa does a unbelievably good job describing this fictional world, letting you envision the Nevernever to a tee, yet she never overdid it. The majority of the characters were well developed and relatable. Kagawa also had the undeniably unique idea of a dark type of faery world that isn’t nice or sweet. The entire world she created was magically detailed. However, Meghan’s character was completely limp and lifeless despite the fact that she is the narrator. The great heroine of the novel isn’t smart or savvy except once when making a deal with one of the fey. She comes off as an uncaring, naïve, and love-sick girl the rest of the time in the book. Her character seems to follow the great archetype of the stupid American teenager. Kagawa could have also stayed away from the predictability of this novel that seemed to follow the story through the entire book.
There was a very good and well developed theme woven expertly throughout the novel that makes the reader really think. That you should never lose your childhood imagination or forget the childhood innocence we all once had. Throughout the novel the only people who can see the fey are imaginative and creative people. It reminds the reader that you can’t get rid of the imaginative hopeful child that we all once were.

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Nicole Hazen, May 19, 2010 (view all comments by Nicole Hazen)
I absolutely loved/love this book and can't wait until the next one comes out!!!

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The Eager Readers, February 22, 2010 (view all comments by The Eager Readers)
As shared on The Eager Readers blog:

Urban fantasy blends deliciously with a spooky fairytale ambiance in Julie Kagawa's debut novel, The Iron King. This book was much creepier than I expected it to be, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I love reading about brave heroines who are thrust into challenging circumstances. I am also a fan of excellent world-building, particularly when that world happens to include a beautiful boy, a clever illusionist, and old grudges colliding with new rivalries. This book was a lot of fun!

What I Liked:
- The dark fairytale world. From the eerily hazardous Nevernever to the dangerous fey-filled streets of New Orleans, it was easy to get caught up in the fabulously spooky atmosphere of The Iron King.
- Ash! Who doesn't love a dangerous ice prince? Beneath his cold, handsome exterior lies an honorable and surprisingly gentle heart. Plus, the boy can dance and is exceptionally handy with a sword. ;)
- Puck. He is more than just a playful trickster. It is impossible not to be charmed and amused by Meghan's devoted friend and protector.
- The creepy creatures. From nixies to gremlins to chimeras and goblins, this book is brimming with mysterious fey creatures & many of them are seriously scary. There are several nightmare-worthy moments & characters to be found within the pages of The Iron King.
- Grimalkin, a clever & snarky cat with his own agenda. He reminded me of a cross between Lewis Carroll's mischievous Cheshire Cat and Tamora Pierce's intelligent constellation cat.
- The blending of traditional fey mythology (Seelie Court, Unseelie Court, Shakespearian fairies - Oberon, Titania, Puck, and Queen Mab) with totally new & intriguing elements like the Iron fey.
- The conflict that has been brewing between Ash and Puck since long before Meghan entered their lives, which is only made more complicated by their newfound rivalry & desire to help Meghan.
- Lines that made me laugh in the midst of tense scenes. For example, when Megan thinks "Good God, the Ice Prince was making jokes now; the world must be ending."
- The first book, while leaving much to be explored in the rest of the series, is still conclusive enough not to be frustrating.

What I Wished:
- More Ash! More Puck! Okay, I suppose those two characters probably could not logically have been on all 363 pages, so I know this is a slightly unfair request. But a girl can dream, right? Luckily, there are two more books to come, so there should be plenty of time for Meghan to find herself dealing with forbidden romance & unrequited love (aka shirtless winter prince Ash & devoted 'I would've given everything for you' Puck).
- I wanted Meghan to experiment with her abilities a little more. Hopefully, more time will be devoted to that in books two and three.
- A few of the human characters leaned toward cliches (the obnoxious jock & the snotty cheerleader), and they probably could have been reworked or developed a little further.
- Occasionally, I wanted Meghan to be a little less naive or ready to jump into fairy bargains, but she'd generally redeem herself with her unflinching determination so I never held that character trait against her for too long.

If you enjoy modern faery stories or traditional fairytales, I would highly recommend this book. Fans of Neil Gaiman, Melissa Marr, or Holly Black should definitely check out The Iron King. This book also has elements that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, The Neverending Story, and Labyrinth, so if you enjoyed any of those stories, you will want to pick up this novel. I am looking forward to reading the next two books in The Iron Fey series - The Iron Daughter (August 2010) & The Iron Queen (February 2011).

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780373210084

Author:

Kagawa, Julie

Publisher:

Harlequin

Subject:

Fantasy & Magic

Subject:

Children s-Science Fiction and Fantasy

Subject:

Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic

Copyright:

2010

Series:

Iron Fey - Trilogy

Series Volume:

01

Publication Date:

20100231

Binding:

TRADE PAPER

Grade Level:

Toddler - Up

Language:

English

Pages:

368

Dimensions:

7.90x5.10x1.00 in. .50 lbs.

Age Level:

03-UP