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The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1)

by Julie Kagawa (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 63,676 ratings · 6,247 reviews

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...more

Paperback, 363 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by Harlequin Teen (first published January 26th 2010)

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Jan 10, 2011 Kat Kennedy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kat-s-book-reviews, the-great-shelf-of-meh

ICOFA (InCase of Fairy Abduction)

In the event that you are abducted by fairies, please adhere to the following guidelines so that I don't have to watch or read about you blundering through fairyland like an incompetent idiot.

1. Never thank a fairy for services rendered.
2. Never eat fairy food.
3. Never dance with fairies.
4. Never strike a bargain with a fairy unless you've agreed on the fine points.

The Iron King is a book about a sixteen year old girl, Meghan Chase. Can I advise all people readi...more

158 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-ya-ya

Wow!- As many others have stated, at first glance THE IRON KING appears to be your typical faerie book. Summer court? Check. Winter court? Check. Shakespeare-esque characters? Check. Yes there are similarities, but these lie only in the bare backbone of the story. Yes there are those faerie courts and A Midsummer Night's Dream characters (Oberon, Titania, etc), but they are necessary for the make-up of the story. From here on out, Julie Kagawa makes THE IRON KING shine in the already-faerie inun...more Wow!- As many others have stated, at first glance THE IRON KING appears to be your typical faerie book. Summer court? Check. Winter court? Check. Shakespeare-esque characters? Check. Yes there are similarities, but these lie only in the bare backbone of the story. Yes there are those faerie courts and A Midsummer Night's Dream characters (Oberon, Titania, etc), but they are necessary for the make-up of the story. From here on out, Julie Kagawa makes THE IRON KING shine in the already-faerie inundated YA world.

Julie Kagawa writes in a style that is easy and refreshing to read. She doesn't weigh you down with a barrage of information, rather, she slowly immerses the reader into her world, page after page. Descriptions flow off the page and her tone is never stilted. It's narrated in first person point of view, through Meghan's eyes, and I found this great because she had a voice that was believable and easy to relate to.

The thing I loved most about THE IRON KING was its multiple story lines. Meghan embarks on a journey that takes her far and wide, to diverse regions of Faeryland and all over America. There wasn't just one set plot where she travels into the Summer court and stays there for the rest of the novel. Nope, her quest brings her from one plot to another, from one crisis to a new one, from one mission to the next.

THE IRON KING has a more action and adventure feel to it, though that is not to say it didn't have romance. There was a love story, but it did not overwhelm the fantasy-like realm of the Nevernever (faery land) and its unique and engaging inhabitants. First off, I love the feel of THE IRON KING. It's like a quest in the sense that Meghan, the main character, encounters all sorts of odd and malicious beings along the way as she nears her main goal. Unlike many faerie books out today, there was SO much going on! And in a good way. The story wasn't just about faerie drama and court intrigue, although there was a good portion of that in the beginning, which was actually done in a superb way. There was a lot of fighting, which was written well so it wasn't boring- usually, I dislike fight scenes for their dull descriptions and constant sword clashing, etc, but in THE IRON KING, I was actually very very enthralled!

The romance was very well done as well. There was a "love triangle" going on, although that was subtle and not very well emphasized because one love interest took the backseat to the other, in a good way. I love the push and pull, the chemistry between Meghan and the guy, which was very believable and made it all the more satisfying when they admit their feelings, sorta.

And the characters! I loved them all, which is a rarity in these types of books, where only the main character and one or two others stand out and all others are only fleetingly described or mentioned. Meghan has a companion in a Cheshire-like cat named Grimalkin, whom I adored, and all the other characters were well fleshed out to the point where I could visualize them in my mind and understand their actions. THE IRON KING is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland in that there is this feeling of being in an alternate and extremely quirky and surreal setting, which is true to an extent because a lot of the novel takes place in the Nevernever, home to the faeries.

Although THE IRON KING is only 368 pages, it was 368 pages of captivating adventure and page-turning action. I wholeheartedly recommend this to all those who love faeries, and ok- everyone else too!(less)

89 likes · like · see review

May 03, 2010 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of faery folklore and tales blending magic and horror

Shelves: 2010-reads, reviewed

(Actual Rating: 3.5 stars)

The Iron King . . . What can I say about this book? Well, it's probably one of the best faerie books I've read in a long time. (For the sake of giving a short but sweet review, I won't spit back the plot since anyone can go read the book synopsis if they're interested.) I loved how the book weaved together familiar and popular elements to make something fresh and remarkable. Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Peter Pan, the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales, and...more (Actual Rating: 3.5 stars)

The Iron King . . . What can I say about this book? Well, it's probably one of the best faerie books I've read in a long time. (For the sake of giving a short but sweet review, I won't spit back the plot since anyone can go read the book synopsis if they're interested.) I loved how the book weaved together familiar and popular elements to make something fresh and remarkable. Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Peter Pan, the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales, and faerie folklore from around the world were obviously some of the influences and inspirations for this tale, but it's done so well. Even while seeing the nods to Alice or Peter Pan, you have the feeling that you're reading something wonderful and magical -- and you are.

Faery books these days are a dime a dozen (I'd say faeries are almost as popular as vampires right now), but it's hard to find one that stays close to the roots of a "fairy tale" but also paves the way for something new in the genre. This book holds the mixture of horror and fantasy of Holly Blacks faerie books without the grittiness (don't let the Harlequin Teen imprint scare you off this title; this book, by itself, is much more an adventure than a romance); it has the spark of Melissa Marr's inventive fey world without the point-of-view flip-flopping (The Iron King is strictly first-person); and it is a book that does not rely on romance to draw readers into the plot (such as Wondrous Strange, Wings, and any number of faery stories on the market right now).

This book's plot is a true fairy tale -- the pre-Disney kind, where gruesome horror and magical fantasy walk hand in hand, where true love and a happy ending are never guarantees, and where nothing is gained without a hefty (and sometimes unforseeable) price.

And the characters . . . I am ready to start a Puck fan club right now, even though I've never really cared for the Good Fellow's other incarnations (even the original character in Shakespeare's play) before. (The Winter prince Ash is just not my cup of tea. I have my heart too set on Puck.)

So need I tell you more? You must read this as soon as you can get your mortal hands on it. The faeries won't forgive you if you don't. (less)

56 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2010 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 0-faves, 01-hall-of-fame, 05-literary-crush-worthy, 14-faeries

Endearing Heroine? Check. Unique plot? Check. Gripping story that sucks you right in? Check. Loveable and interesting secondary characters? Check. Hot romance? Check!

You see? DING DING DING DING DING ! Jackpoooooot!

God, I literally devoured this book. As so many others I find it rather difficult to review books that I loved and seeing as the Iron King will join the rest of my favorite books in my personal hall of fame I can hardly come up with anything to say about it except for: This.Was.Truly....more

33 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2013 Kristalia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lol-lol-lol-make-me-stop-loling, be-my-hero-plz, reviewed, me-likey-mucho, mature-young-adult

FINAL RATING: ★★★★/★★★★★

To venture in a world of The Iron Fey, you must proceed with this knowledge:

1. This is not a book about fairies like these:

Imagine evil - well, not all of them are evil- ELVES, so called FAERY or plural FEY.

2. They don't have wings (well, most of them don't) and there are many of them like dryads, goblins, gremlins, kelpies, ogres and so on and on.

3. In this world, fey are not to be trusted! They will always go for favors and bargains and never-ever-never say "thank you"...more

30 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2010 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-arc, books-i-own, signed-arcs, signed-books

This book was outstanding. I mean really... I was totally enthralled from page one to page three hundred and sixty eight. I am blown away at the sheer awesomeness that emits from this book.

First off, I’m a huge fan of “Fae” in general, especially love reading this type of story. But at the same time, when it comes to book about fae there are a lot of similarities. Many books share the same mythology, the Summer Court and Winter Court, references to Midsummer Night’s Dream... The Iron King has t...more

44 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2011 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, ya-kids-teen, harlequinteen, series-books, own, paranormal, mc-girl

The Iron King was an enjoyable read, but not exactly a memorable one. And while there were certain elements to it that were fairly original, the majority of the story felt like the same old tired scenario that Holly Black and Melissa Marr have already used. And because I'm ornery for details - the linguistically accurate term is fay, not fey. Just saying.

For a protagonist, I certainly enjoyed Meghan Chase more than whosit from the Holly Black book and Madam Skank from the other author's book. Th...more The Iron King was an enjoyable read, but not exactly a memorable one. And while there were certain elements to it that were fairly original, the majority of the story felt like the same old tired scenario that Holly Black and Melissa Marr have already used. And because I'm ornery for details - the linguistically accurate term is fay, not fey. Just saying.

For a protagonist, I certainly enjoyed Meghan Chase more than whosit from the Holly Black book and Madam Skank from the other author's book. Though prone to rash decisions and over-assumptive, Meghan seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and, when she wasn't jumping to conclusions, was a pretty reasonable character. Unlike a lot of other protagonists in fairy books, Meghan's motives and reasons for acting made sense to me, and she was easy to relate to - a definite plus. As for the other characters in The Iron Fey, I have to mention Grimalkin (the talking cat) and Puck...the dude from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Puck makes so many appearances in fiction nowadays, he's practically a stock character, and while I'm not sure I think he's a viable love interest, he was certainly a fun, sympathetic character. I like the way Kagawa portrayed him. Grimalkin the talking cat was definitely my favorite character - by a long shot. I guess I just have a thing for talking animals with a know-it-all and a Nell-if-I-care attitude. I tell you what, Grimalkin definitely had the best lines, that's for sure.
And it just wouldn't be a modern fairy story without Meghan falling in love with a fairy...dude. Sorry, but for me, Prince Ash was the worst character in the book. I know he and Meghan are going to end up together - surely - but it's a shame. One of the drawbacks I've encountered in paranormal fiction is the near-constant appearance of this type of love interest: the smooth-talking, cocky, oft-smirking bad boy (view spoiler). I just don't like bad boy characters as love interests, and I'd rather see them done-in than reformed, to be honest. So every scene with Ash had me rolling my eyes. And really, it's the reason I'm not keen on continuing the series with The Iron Daughter and The Iron Queen - I don't think I can stomach more Ash. Blah.

It's a shame, too, because Julie Kagawa is a more than decent writer. Her style isn't overly-wordy and flowing with pace-slowing descriptions, but it isn't choppy, either. However, there was a repetitious pattern I noticed in The Iron King's plot. I can't tell you how many times Meghan and company would encounter scary, nasty creatures...then escape. Then they'd encounter more scary, nasty creatures...then escape. Here's something that I've noticed: it really doesn't matter how many scary, nasty creatures the characters encounter. It really doesn't. Because if the reader has guessed that nobody's gonna die, and nobody's gonna lose a limb...it just doesn't have the same effect.
As far as fairy books go, I'm not exactly sure why authors feel the need to portray fairies the same, worn way. The problem with portraying fairies amorally is that you really can't turn around and call the 'good guys.' Both of the courts (Summer and Winter, if I remember correctly) were portrayed the same way - so who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys? When the "good guy" characters act almost exactly like the "bad guy" characters, what kind of contrast exists? Tell me, how are Mab and Titania any different? And yet one is queen of the Unseelie Court...Unseelie usually implying malevolent. No contrast. And that's what frustrated me about the portrayal of fairies. (view spoiler).

Though I sound critical, I still enjoyed The Iron King, and I'm glad I read it. It was entertaining, but I don't really feel an overwhelming urge to continue the series. (less)

38 likes · like · see review

Nov 25, 2012 Haleema rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: brilliant-story-telling, complex-world, disturb-me-and-die, ninja-paced, i-am-in-love, omigosh, hello-handsome, believable-characters, love-the-quotes, a-chunk-of-chocolate, can-t-get-you-off-my-mind, consumed-my-life, my-emotions, stupid-love-triangles, fine-fey-folk, damn-good-writing, insta-love

Beware of spoilers!

See, I haven't read many books on the fey. The last one I read was Spells by Aprilynne Pike. That didn't go well, meaning that it sucked platypus poop. So when I devoured The Iron King in a week, I was utterly mesmerized by it. The characters, the concepts, the world building, the colors and mist, the overall beauty of it, made me want to take a stroll in a garden while munching on Godiva neapolitan truffles.

Robin Goodfellow (Puck)
I haven't read A Midsummer Night's Dream. How...more

28 likes · like · see review

Nov 27, 2010 Flannery rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: swords-and-lasers, kcls, read-in-2010, young-adult-teen, i-want-to-go-to-there

Before I begin this review, I'd like to clear something up. Keep in mind, it is complete fact*:

If there were 100 women in the world, 90 of those people would think long hair on a guy is gross. Of the 10 remaining women who aren't totally turned off by long hair, 8 of those women are scifi, fantasy, or romance authors.

Julie Kagawa, what the heck? You took a guy that could be a total babe (okay, who am I kidding, he still is) and gave him "silky" long locks. Blech.

This book took my ultimate night...more Before I begin this review, I'd like to clear something up. Keep in mind, it is complete fact*:

If there were 100 women in the world, 90 of those people would think long hair on a guy is gross. Of the 10 remaining women who aren't totally turned off by long hair, 8 of those women are scifi, fantasy, or romance authors.

Julie Kagawa, what the heck? You took a guy that could be a total babe (okay, who am I kidding, he still is) and gave him "silky" long locks. Blech.

This book took my ultimate nightmare topic--fairies--and turned it into something I could stomach, nay, something I thoroughly enjoyed. Meghan Chase is a teenager living in backwoods Louisiana. She isn't very popular but she does have a best friend. (whose family and house she very conveniently yet unrealistically never sees) Surprise! (but not really, this isn't really a spoiler) It turns out she is part-fey and must go into the Nevernever (I know, right?) to save her kidnapped brother. The only thing this book was missing was David Bowie in his tights. I mean, we all like Labyrinth, right? There are a few more similarities--namely, the poisonous fruit and the pack rats besides the baby (or 4-year old) retrieval quest. I also felt some similarities to The Princess Bride which is a pretty badass book compliment.

Kagawa works in references to A Midsummer Night's Dream, both in terms of fey folklore and character names/traits but it doesn't feel forced. I have to say, I truly appreciated the update to current times. Fairy folklore is pretty alienating to me so I was/am excited that I was engaged and interested in what was going on despite so many random creatures and words.

There are definitely a lot of characters and potential side plots that are introduced but it didn't bother me in this book. I knew going into it that it is the beginning of a series so I wasn't expecting everything to be wrapped up with a bow at the end. (this is very much NOT the case) Perhaps it was a case of great book at the right time, but I really hope not. I read it in one day, so it is definitely a quick read. The narrative moved quickly, the plot was fun, the pacing was mostly perfect (the ending felt a little hurried) and I couldn't find too many typos or annoying grammatical errors. (contrary to this review, which is probably riddled with them) And if ponytail-length hair on the male love interest is all I have to complain about, then this book must be pretty awesome:-)

Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

*Source: My opinion. (less)

27 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2011 The Flooze rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, owned, vanquished_2010, ya_teen

**6.12.2011 ETA: Finished book three and this is one of the most frustrating YA series I've read to date. If you've no tolerance for angsty, bratty, obtuse heroines, steer right clear of it.**

**3.5-ish?**

Julie Kagawa’s YA novel is an interesting treatment of Celtic legend, with characters reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and the movie Labyrinth. Kagawa’s vision of Faerie (or the NeverNever) is fully-realized and her particular talent lies in description--her world feels incredibly alive. I can...more

48 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2013 Palice Pottle rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: could-ve-been-better, dissappointed, don-t-expect-me-to-finish-it-all, hate-a-female-character, hate-all-characters, hate-most-characters, needs-cutting, shit-on-paper-i-tell-ya, why-am-i-reading-this-shit, wtf-is-with-the-cover

(view spoiler)...more

17 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Erika rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy lovers

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, best-of-heroes, first-love-with-the-genre, favorite-series, favorites, forbidden-love, romance, auto-buy-author

Yeah I need fireworks. It is my highest rating for YA book so far. I know there are only a few YA books on my shelves. But if I had to put all YA books which I tried and read no more than four chapters, I would have made myself look like a villain. Which is not gonna happen. I almost gave up after a couple first chapters because of the heroine. She had been weak, spineless, and reckless. Thank God for Goodreads! After reading a friend's review, I decided to keep reading. She was right, it was wo...more

14 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2012 Nicole rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, paranormal-romance, young-adult, fey

I know allot of people loved this book...don't kill me but... eh, I really didn't like this book much. Half way through I was enjoying it, but then it just fell flat for me. It was quite hard to finish. I just keep hearing the same inner debate from Meghan and thought she needed to stop thinking about what she should do and just F***ing do it! I mean really how many times are you just going to stand there and let something happen to you without catching on that you should move the H*LL out of th...more

20 likes · like · see review

May 09, 2013 Whitley Birks rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, can-t-get-more-cliched, failed-potential, made-me-uncomfortable, mean-spirited, not-as-sexy-as-you-think, paranormal-romance, worldbuilding-fail, ya-fantasy

I don’t mind if you want to write a story with a “green” message, if you want to encourage people to value and protect nature, if you want to say the narrative equivalent of “yo, bro, you don’t seem to have noticed that pollution is bad.”

But when you do that by literally killing the embodiment of the dream of human progress?

Sweetie, we’re going to have issues.

So let’s break down all the many ways this doesn’t work, shall we? In this anti-science, anti-reason, anti-all-that-is-separating-us-from-...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 25, 2011 Angelic Zaizai rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ghost-djinn-witch-fairy-immortal-de, fantasy, 2010-13-t, julie-kagawa, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *belum selesai*

heeee ternyata belum direview ya *garuk-garuk*
ini buku bersejarah buat gw soalnya - jadi bingung bikin reviewnya

cerita aja deh +___+

ngelirik buku ini sebenarnya udah lama, covernya yang cantik itu bikin tergoda
ibuknya pun didonlot, dan terbengkalai lama ga disentuh2
suatu hari, ketika sedang menjelajah GR, ngeliat buku ini lagi, katanya mo diterbitin di indonesia
daan
penerbitnya bilang lagi nyari2 penerjemah - karena yang ada udah pada full
yah dengan pedenya gw kirim pm, nodong de...more

10 likes · like · see review

Dec 13, 2010 Arlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: faeries, read-2010, ya-paranormal, young-adult

The Iron King definitely holds a respectable spot in the world of faerie fiction. Fans of the Wicked Lovely series will enjoy this highly fantastical adventure that spans across three fey courts; includes numerous seelie and unseelie characters that abide by the rules of engagement of faerie lore; and creatively parallels a beloved Shakespearian play. Well done!

The story does include your usual suspects found in most YA books such as your typical teenage girl who is unaware of her true self and...more The Iron King definitely holds a respectable spot in the world of faerie fiction. Fans of the Wicked Lovely series will enjoy this highly fantastical adventure that spans across three fey courts; includes numerous seelie and unseelie characters that abide by the rules of engagement of faerie lore; and creatively parallels a beloved Shakespearian play. Well done!

The story does include your usual suspects found in most YA books such as your typical teenage girl who is unaware of her true self and the bad guy romance turned forbidden love. For me, at least, it wasn’t until the final hour that I started to fall for this unlikely pair. To be completely honest, this book came together for me at the half. It took me over three weeks to read because I knew I was having a hard time suspending my reality to the level needed to appreciate Kagawa’s faerie world, so I set it aside for a bit. However, the second half of the book is where the magic began as I was submerged in a world of intrigue and high adventure, so I’m glad I didn’t give up on this book and gave it the chance it deserved.

Julie Kagawa’s writing is rather interesting. I was impressed by her ability to pen such a vivid and detailed account of the events and the setting of Nevernever, but at the same time, I found her writing periodically repetitive. I had to crack up every time she made mention of teeth. I think the author has a fixation with choppers. I read about needle-like teeth, sharp teeth, chattering teeth, teeth that resembled fangs and buzzing teeth. How do you make your teeth buzz? LOL It got a little distracting but not enough to pull me away from this story filled with page turning action.

I must make mention of one of the MCs…Ash… quite the character this one. At first, I was wondering if I met the wrong squee-worthy character many of the Bookers have fallen for. He came across IMO as mean and elusive, but then… that moment… yes that magical moment when he came to Meghan’s defense and dropped his guard for her and from there on out risked his life to get her to the Iron King…. I got it… I really did. Great character development on the part of the author as it takes a lot to have me change my feelings so drastically about a baddie turned hottie. Again… well done!

The ending was perfect IMHO as it left me with closure yet piqued my interest enough to want to continue on with this adventure. I’ll definitely be moving on to the next two installments and I can’t wait to see where Kagawa takes us as we reenter the world of Nevernever. (less)

14 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2010 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf-ya

I honestly loved this book. It was hard not too. Kagawa created an enchanting blend of classical fairy tale and modern-day adventure(much like the aforementioned villain, the "Iron King", creating a neat parallel).

Though it isn't a particularly funny book per se, I personally appreciated the quiet sarcasm and quirky wit thrown in at random times. That is,the universe was darker than I'd thought when reading the blurb, but frankly, it was a nice change.

The author does not only show great attenti...more

14 likes · like · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Katya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, the-ya-project

Well, that was mighty unimpressive.

I'd seen this series mentioned several times, but I never really thought about reading it. The premise was, sorry, just like any other girl-with-secret-destiny-and-two-hot-guys book out there, and I've read enough of those to be weary of sneaky marketing. But then I read Kagawa's "The Immortal Rules", and I admit, I was impressed, even if I thought the book had problems. So I picked this series up.

Um...

Well, first of all, I think that this is probably going to...more

29 likes · like · see review

Jun 16, 2011 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, awesome-covers, e-book, fantasy, series

This is going to be an embarrassing revelation but I thought faerie and fairy was the same thing. Meaning the spellings was interchangeable. I know shameful right? Obviously it's not quite the same. When I started reading this story I knew it was going to be about normal sized faeire folk, but I learned a lot about the whole workings of how their societies work. And there were swords. If I see a sword I have to read it.

Meghan Chase (cool last name no?) at this point of her life is worried about...more This is going to be an embarrassing revelation but I thought faerie and fairy was the same thing. Meaning the spellings was interchangeable. I know shameful right? Obviously it's not quite the same. When I started reading this story I knew it was going to be about normal sized faeire folk, but I learned a lot about the whole workings of how their societies work. And there were swords. If I see a sword I have to read it.

Meghan Chase (cool last name no?) at this point of her life is worried about getting her license and getting noticed by her crush. Unbeknownst to her she has much bigger problems than that. Much bigger. On her birthday one weird thing happens after the other. She comes back to see her little brother acting strange, like a monster actually. It turns out that her brother has been switched with a changeling. With the help of Puck, her best friend, she embarks on a journey to bring him back. There is a reason why they targeted her brother, it turns out her father is the King of the Summer Court in the land of Nevernever. To make things even better she is attracted to Ash, the youngest prince of the Winter Court. Lots of complications and close calls ensue and there will be a COWABUNGA ending, don't you just love those?

In the beginning I wasn't feeling the groove of this book. Meghan seemed kind of flat because she was constantly being rescued by Puck or Ash. Believe me I see the appeal in that, but I like our girl heroes to be able to pack a punch as well. At first I feel like I didn't know her well, but towards the end I saw growth in her and she definitely can wrangle with the best of them towards the end.

There is your typical brooding type and the funny sarcastic friend that I usually root for but always loses. Sigh ,but the author sets up some cool concepts. The Nevernever world is in trouble because people don’t believe in them anymore and technology has become the new thing humans believe in. It's troubling to see their world wither away. I felt weird because I read this on an e-reader and trust me I felt the irony in that. I'm betting Kagawa (that name really rolls off the tongue) will be able to fuse the good of mythical creatures and technology, or at least I hope she does.

It seems the book has taken a few things from A Midsummer Night's Dream, which I haven't read. I would guess the story is more enjoyable if you have but it's not needed. The cover drew me in and I'm already on hold for The Iron Daughter. I'm ready to see more glinting sword clashing; there wasn't quite enough of that in this one.
(less)

7 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2010 Misty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-appeal, recommended, juvenile-ya, own, read-in-2010, sci_fi-fantasy, series, supernatural-paranormal, ya-challenge-4, fey, 2010-debuts__tenners

2.5
Meghan Chase is an outsider. She lives in the middle of nowhere, barely has any friends, and her own family sometimes seems to forget she even exists. And all of that is bad enough, when Meghan's 4-year-old half-brother is kidnapped, replaced with a violent faery changeling, and Meghan learns that her best friend is really a faery, and hey, so is she -- the daughter of the Summer King, Oberon. And so Meghan must descend into the Nevernever to rescue her brother and reconcile the life she's al...more

35 likes · like · see review

Dec 25, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Reviewed by Jo for Book Chick City.

I do feel that Fae are the new Vampire in the YA catagory, but I love faeries, so it's not a bad thing but its a question if the latest faerie book brings something new or not. I thought 'The Iron King' was really enjoyable, and the mythology it brings really is new and magical.

This book felt like an original fairy tale. Before Disney sugar coated things, fairy tales were a thing of horror, with gruesome plots and where love is never guaranteed and a happy ever...more

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2011 Steph Sinclair rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, all-time-favorites, i-loved-it, i-need-to-buy-this-book, fey, surprised-me, best-characters, 2011-favs, young-adult

Ummm....WOW! That is how I felt after reading The Iron King. Simply amazing. I was lost in this book for a few days and I never wanted to leave the beautiful world Julie Kagawa painted. This is the best "Fey" book I have ever read!

What I liked about this book: everything! There is not one thing I would change. I rarely give books 5 stars unless the story really calls to my soul. And boy was this book singing! The characters were totally believable and realistic. Puck is my favorite bc he is simp...more

20 likes · like · see review

May 20, 2013 Basuhi Ravi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Basuhi by: Kristalia

Shelves: fey, okay-okay, fantasy, like-and-not-love, pnr, predictable-and-cliched

NOTE: This is no review. Just a voicing of end of the story thoughts.

This was an easy-breezy read.

It was like that TV show episode which you've already seen but watching it another time still seems like a good idea.
Just the feels, I mean. And I liked it.

Because... well, I was away from this kind of thing for a long time, a "half-blood princess who due to her dual lineage has extraordinary powers but doesn't know about it" kinda thing. And everybody knows it's trite, so I'll save that explanat...more

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 16, 2010 Joyzi rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who love Tinkerbell

Recommended to Joyzi by: Goodreads

Shelves: e-book, ya-books, fantasy, fiction, reviewed, book-series, author-japanese, paranormal-romance

To have a more organize review I'll use pros and cons(as always^^, OC that I am!).

Pros:
1. Okay this is my 1st fairy book, considered that a plus. ***I'm confused though if this is the 1st fairy book that I've read because I've already read Artemis Fowl (is that a Fairy book?) and City of Ashes (there's a little Fairy scene in it too)***

2. The Fairy Realm created in the book was really creative I love the Seelie(Summer) Court and the counterpart of it the Unseelie(Winter) Court...Oh I love the Po...more

21 likes · like · see review

Oct 18, 2012 Nessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, review

Oh here we go, I thought, upon cracking open the e-book of Julie Kagawa's The Iron King. Another star-crossed YA romance with supernaturally-inclined love interests. Ho hum. I suppose this could be enjoyable.

Upon finishing the book? I quite enjoyed it! Could it be that the author DID HER RESEARCH on mythology and fairy lore? YES!!! *fist-pump*

Now, I love anything and everything to do with fairies. I grew up in rural England, for goodness' sake, I used to go looking for them in gardens and parks...more

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Sarah (saz101) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: faeries, urban-fantasy, young-adult

Once upon a time The Labyrinth and Alice in Wonderland met in an enchanted wood. As they walked through the forest, they spoke of their mutual love of The Matrix, Melissa Marr and Shakespeare in the Park. It was the start of something beautiful. As things grew serious, The Labyrinth offered its cruel, mysterious king, its kidnapped brother, its dark twisted creatures and wild imagination. Alice In Wonderland offered its dark nonsense and whimsy, a scene-stealing talking cat, its cryptic riddles...more

9 likes · like · see review

Feb 27, 2012 Holli rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone with a love for romance and adventure

Shelves: favorites, i-own, audio-books, epic-reads, favorite-ya-authors, high-action, highly-recommended, paranormal, romance

Meghan Chase is a 16 year old, who is Half Summer Faery Princess, half human. She is abruptly introduced to the world that her mother, and biological father fought to keep her blind too, when her half brother Ethan, was kidnapped into the Iron Kingdom. Meghan has to make a continual string of hard choices in order to save the ones she loves. This book is full of action, suspense, and is magically romantic.

Meg has two love interests. The first and most endearing, in my point of view, is Robbie,...more

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 24, 2011 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paid-full-price, read-in-2010, books-i-own

The Iron King is a breath of fresh air after a string of mediocre novels.

I guess that's not entirely fair. Some of the novels I've read lately have captured my interest and kept me turning pages to the end. But, in recent memory, I can't recall a book that has literally made me forget who I am and what I'm doing. I feel like I body-snatched Meghan Chase and was in her shoes for the whole 370ish pages.

I felt her worry for her brother, Ethan.

I felt her confusion and frustration in Nevernever whe...more

13 likes · like · see review

Nov 13, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

Meghan Chase doesn't feel she has a place in her life. At home, her stepfather seems to forget her more often than not, and at school the popular kids tease her for her family's backcountry ways. Her only comforts are her one friend, Robbie, who always seems to be there when she needs him, and her little brother, Ethan, who adores her.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Ethan is stolen away, and Robbie reveals he's something far beyond a human boy. He gives M...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 10, 2010 (´*•.¸ღBexღ¸.•*´) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

The Iron King is a fast paced, magnificently written story that kept me turning the pages. The settings are exquisitely detailed without being overly wordy and even the supporting characters are dynamic and real. The heroine is tough, stubborn, and somehow vulnerable at the same time, and much more empowered than the female leads that I've found in other YA novels. While there is a wonderful romance woven throughout the tale, this is not a story of a teenage girl pining over the mysterious bad b...more

9 likes · like · see review

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What are the hottest couples you can think of from books?	3	24	22 hours, 22 min ago
Should I check this out?	15	55	May 23, 2013 10:36am
David Estes Fans ...: The Iron King Buddy Read	20	14	May 22, 2013 10:45pm
David Estes Fans ...: May 2013 BOTM	26	47	May 21, 2013 09:34am
Paranormal Boyfri...: Ash or Puck???	98	61	May 21, 2013 07:55am
Addicted to YA: Iron Fey Quotes	22	131	May 14, 2013 03:16pm
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