Book Review: The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

Hey all! Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it and Happy Tuesday to those who don't. Anyway, A couple months ago I said that if we got to 100 followers I'd have a giveaway for the entire Iron Fey series and last Saturday we hit our goal. I also said I would review each of the Iron Fey books, one at a time for each 25 followers I got, however the follows came in so fast that I've decided to review them all during the giveaway. So without further ado, let's get on with the review.

Release Date: February 1, 2010
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Length: 363 pages

"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."

Review:

Characters: Meghan Chase thought she was an ordinary girl, as most unsuspecting heroines do. However, after a series of strange events she is pulled into a world full of fey and magic. Meghan had always been shy and timid, as she was practically invisible both at home and at school, but after her brother is switched for a changeling she does whatever it takes to get him back. To do this she has to traverse the Nevernever, the land of faeries, with her best friend Robbie Goodfell and the Winter prince Ash, accompanied by the talking cat, Grimalkin. Grimalkin is that character that adds a good amount of comic relief and easily becomes a fan favorite. He is witty and always has a funny retort or observation.

Romance: The romance for this book was one of those opposites attract ones, while at the same time it kept a slow burn for more than half of the book. I was surprised at how long it took for the romance to develop, especially since the tension was fairly thick between the two characters. There is also a sense of of a love triangle that Meghan doesn't exactly catch on to, but it's easy for the reader to discern it.

World-Building: The Nevernever is home to all fey and is reliant upon the dreams and fantasies of man. The ways into this mystical land are doors known as trods, which spring up in places of great imagination such as children's bedrooms. There are many types of fey, however the most humanoid ones are referred to as sidhe, however the Nevernever is full of trolls, goblins, satyrs, kelpies etc. The Nevernever is divided into two known courts, the Seelie/Summer Court ruled over by Oberon and Titania from A Midsummer Night's Dream while the Unseelie/Winter Court is ruled over by Queen Mab who I believe is referenced in Romeo and Juliet, though other than that I hadn't heard of her before. The two courts have a shaky truce that may be broken by the uprising of another court of fey who are poisonous to the other fey.

Predictability: This book was fairly predictable, though not in a bad way. There were a few moments when I thought a twist would present itself, but when it got to the point for a big reveal it wasn't what I thought which was sometimes good, but other times I would wish it turned out differently of more dramatically. However, even the moderate predictability of this book didn't deter me from it one bit, it's still packed full of action, fun and a good twist or two.

Ending: The ending was great! I loved how much was revealed, while introducing new questions that will tie into the second book. There was no twist or cliffhanger at the end of the book, you know what going to happen before it does as it's referenced many times throughout the book, however there is still a bit of anticipation that leads to reading the next book quickly.

Overall, I'm giving this book 4.5 out of 5 stars it's a great book and it's sequels are even more exciting. Be sure to enter my giveaway over on my Contests/Giveaways page also, as a special treat if I get to 150 followers before the giveaway is over I'll throw in a copy of The Iron Legends a compendium of the three Iron Fey novellas that add a even more adventure into this series. Aldo if I get 200 followers I'll trow in a copy of The Lost Prince the first book in the Iron Fey Spin-off, Call of the Forgotten.

Up Next: Winter's Passage (An Iron Fey Novella)