3,989 books
—
11,964 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Ironside (Modern Faerie Tales, #3)” as Want to Read:
Ironside
(Modern Faerie Tales #3)
by
In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben's coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing -- her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can't see or speak to Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows
...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 323 pages
Published
April 24th 2007
by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Ironside (Modern Faerie Tales, #3)
It only took to the last book of the trilogy buuuuuut....I LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH! It's like the Holly Black style that I adore and it's everything that I wanted and it's immensely faerieish and creepy and cruel and dark and WELL I AM A PLEASED SPRITE.
...although I have to admit, book 2, Valiant still makes exactly zero sense. It was about Luis, who has a part in this book, but it was narrated by Val, who has NO PART IN THIS BOOK WHATSOEVER. Random and odd? I thinkee yes.
ANYWAY.
I loved how creep ...more
...although I have to admit, book 2, Valiant still makes exactly zero sense. It was about Luis, who has a part in this book, but it was narrated by Val, who has NO PART IN THIS BOOK WHATSOEVER. Random and odd? I thinkee yes.
ANYWAY.
I loved how creep ...more
May 16, 2020
Elle (ellexamines)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
z-2020faves,
sff-pn-urban-fantasy,
z-2020reads,
y-2000sreleases,
x-series,
4-star,
author-love
It’s not often that a series conclusion elevates a series to another level. This does.
In Ironside, the conclusion to the Modern Faerie Tales series, Roiben sends Kaye on an impossible quest, and Kaye must come to terms with her identity between faerie and human worlds.
Ironside’s biggest success is in its newfound development of characters who didn’t feel as if they had internal lives earlier. Specifically, Corny, who came off like a gay best friend trope in the first book, has a far more inter ...more
In Ironside, the conclusion to the Modern Faerie Tales series, Roiben sends Kaye on an impossible quest, and Kaye must come to terms with her identity between faerie and human worlds.
Ironside’s biggest success is in its newfound development of characters who didn’t feel as if they had internal lives earlier. Specifically, Corny, who came off like a gay best friend trope in the first book, has a far more inter ...more
In Ironside we are back to following the adventures of Kaye, the pixie.
Her adventures in this final book include an impossible quest to find a faerie who can lie and to retrieve the human girl she was replaced with in infancy.
Somehow Kaye finds herself as a pawn to be used by the Seelie queen against Roiben.
In all honesty I would give this whole trilogy 2.5 stars.
I wish I had dnf'd this in book 1, but alas, I was stubborn.
These characters were bland, and the writing was so bad I could not be ...more
Her adventures in this final book include an impossible quest to find a faerie who can lie and to retrieve the human girl she was replaced with in infancy.
Somehow Kaye finds herself as a pawn to be used by the Seelie queen against Roiben.
In all honesty I would give this whole trilogy 2.5 stars.
I wish I had dnf'd this in book 1, but alas, I was stubborn.
These characters were bland, and the writing was so bad I could not be ...more
Jul 16, 2018
Alaina
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
fantasy,
july-challenge-2018,
fiction,
young-adult,
paranormal,
romance,
sci-fi,
supernatural,
fairy-tales,
contemporary
Loved this book!
Ironside is the third installment of the Modern Faerie Tales series. I just love this dark and creepy series. Learning about the faerie world just keeps getting interesting and interesting. However, I'm still just wondering why the food is never good? Or is that just me...
Now in this book, you will meet and fall in love with Corny. He was definitely amazing and perfect in my eyes. Any character that speaks sarcasm will always connect with me. ALWAYS. Yeah, that's pretty much it. ...more
Ironside is the third installment of the Modern Faerie Tales series. I just love this dark and creepy series. Learning about the faerie world just keeps getting interesting and interesting. However, I'm still just wondering why the food is never good? Or is that just me...
Now in this book, you will meet and fall in love with Corny. He was definitely amazing and perfect in my eyes. Any character that speaks sarcasm will always connect with me. ALWAYS. Yeah, that's pretty much it. ...more
I loved this one just as much as Tithe! I like how we get a sort of collision with Luis from book two and get to learn more about him. Also, loved him and Corny!
Kaye has really grown as a character. She is strong and brave and fierce, and I love her, too! I wish there would have been more of Roiben, but the scenes that he was in were awesome!
Again, Holly Black has created such a magnificent world where character's feel real because they may not be a hundred percent likeable yet are! Highly recom ...more
Kaye has really grown as a character. She is strong and brave and fierce, and I love her, too! I wish there would have been more of Roiben, but the scenes that he was in were awesome!
Again, Holly Black has created such a magnificent world where character's feel real because they may not be a hundred percent likeable yet are! Highly recom ...more
In Ironside, Kaye returns as the protagonist, and the plot continues a week after the events of Tithe…which I shall try not to spoil, haha. In order to do so, I’ll be very brief. Kaye no longer knows where she belongs in the Unseelie Court as a changeling, but is sure of one thing and one thing only: her love for Roiben. At his coronation, Kaye gets drunk on faery wine and declares herself to him. He then sends her on a seemingly impossible quest…She cannot see or speak to him until she finds a
...more
2.75 stars
I suppose this is a solid end to this trilogy, but it was my least favorite book of the three and this series in general is one of my least favorites by Holly Black.
Thoughts on Book #1, Tithe.
Thoughts on Book #2, Valiant.
This is another reaction review, folks, so please check the book description if you want more detailed info!
Okay, so Ironside wasn't exactly what I expected—or, to be brutal, even wanted—for the end of this trilogy. That sounds dramatic. It was fine. But I wanted mo ...more
I suppose this is a solid end to this trilogy, but it was my least favorite book of the three and this series in general is one of my least favorites by Holly Black.
Thoughts on Book #1, Tithe.
Thoughts on Book #2, Valiant.
This is another reaction review, folks, so please check the book description if you want more detailed info!
Okay, so Ironside wasn't exactly what I expected—or, to be brutal, even wanted—for the end of this trilogy. That sounds dramatic. It was fine. But I wanted mo ...more
Reviewed by Andie Z. for TeensReadToo.com
I have been looking forward to this book ever since I finished TITHE, and Holly Black most definitely does not disappoint. IRONSIDE picks up soon after the events in TITHE and VALIANT, and takes the reader on another breathless journey into the amazing and deadly world of Faerie.
Things have been uneasy ever since Roiben assumed the throne of the Unseelie Court, and with the threat of war in the air and Roiben's coronation drawing near, everyone is on edg ...more
I have been looking forward to this book ever since I finished TITHE, and Holly Black most definitely does not disappoint. IRONSIDE picks up soon after the events in TITHE and VALIANT, and takes the reader on another breathless journey into the amazing and deadly world of Faerie.
Things have been uneasy ever since Roiben assumed the throne of the Unseelie Court, and with the threat of war in the air and Roiben's coronation drawing near, everyone is on edg ...more
A mixed bag, like previous 2 books (faerie lore - yeah!, romance, teen angst - meh!). Glad to see mostly the better aspects of Black's early faerir books made it into The Cruel Prince.
...more
I'm very fresh out of all the Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black, and I have to say that this garnered the most bland reaction from me, even though I think it stands on par with the others rating-wise.
It has no major flaws that I can really highlight, it just wasn't endowed with the most engaging plot, in my opinion. I wasn't very invested in Kaye's quest for Roiben (view spoiler), and I could predict from early on Silarial's plot. While I loved to spend time aga ...more
It has no major flaws that I can really highlight, it just wasn't endowed with the most engaging plot, in my opinion. I wasn't very invested in Kaye's quest for Roiben (view spoiler), and I could predict from early on Silarial's plot. While I loved to spend time aga ...more
This was nearly as good as the first book, which is my favourite in this series. It had an actual quest and adventure, like the first. But it focused mostly on Kaye, Corny, and Luis (a returning character from book 2), and not enough Roiben. And there was very little romance. The most sexually charged scene was actually between two supporting characters. It was brief but you could tell it was heated. I wouldn't have been disappointed if we had seen more of them. This book remains primarily a fae
...more
Just like Tithe, this story is an OG Fae story so I love it for that alone and have to say that this one held up a lot better than Tithe did. Of course, Holly's writing had only improved over the years but for being twelve years old, this story was super enjoyable, diverse, and just the right amount of dark.
I read this as a direct sequel to Tithe (skipping Valient) and didn't find that I was confused or missing information. This story was richly woven in terms of Fae court intrigue, romance, an ...more
I read this as a direct sequel to Tithe (skipping Valient) and didn't find that I was confused or missing information. This story was richly woven in terms of Fae court intrigue, romance, an ...more
Far better than Ironside, this still just fell a little flat for me.
RTC
RTC
Honestly, I don't know why I keep reading Holly Black, because even while I enjoyed this -- and it was enjoyable; if you liked Tithe or Valiant, you'll enjoy this one -- I always find myself ending up annoyed by her books, which overrides any enjoyment I get out of them. I don't know, I just feel like her books are too coy, like they're full of inside jokes that I don't get, and okay, you know what, that's fine, she can put all the inside jokes she wants in her books, but when her readers feel a
...more
Holly Black is an amazing writer, no matter which series you’re reading. Her writing is sooooo atmospheric, immersive and dark you can almost feel the chill in the air and smell crispy leaves 🍁 Nor does she shy away from portraying the dark side of humanity.
This was by far my favorite book of the series and I enjoyed every bit of it!
I loved the close friendship between Kaye and Corny, and their shared grief of Janet. I loved the support they gave each other in dealing with their different traum ...more
This was by far my favorite book of the series and I enjoyed every bit of it!
I loved the close friendship between Kaye and Corny, and their shared grief of Janet. I loved the support they gave each other in dealing with their different traum ...more
Apr 12, 2019
Noura Khalid (theperksofbeingnoura)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
In book three we go back to following Kaye (like in book one). I liked that we got to see some of the characters from the previous two books. I mostly loved seeing Kaye and Corny deal with the events from book 1 and this one. I felt like it was more in depth than what happened in book one. To me this one was a lot more suspenseful than the first one. It was a really crazy adventure and I enjoyed it so much more than Valiant. Everything happened so fast and I didn't even have the ability to put t
...more
Oct 03, 2020
Jasmine Burt
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
epic-fantasy-reads
I enjoyed this, and I enjoyed the plot, the characters, the relationships.
I liked seeing the characters from book one again, seeing them still getting over their grief, getting used to their new position of power, finding out where they fit amongst there family.
Corny was different in this one after everything he went through in Tithe he goes in search of power, and that makes for an interesting storyline.
I liked seeing the characters from book one again, seeing them still getting over their grief, getting used to their new position of power, finding out where they fit amongst there family.
Corny was different in this one after everything he went through in Tithe he goes in search of power, and that makes for an interesting storyline.
Sequel to Tithe. The one where Roiben of the Seelie Court finds himself in charge of the Unseelie, and tries to protect his love Kaye, a pixie changeling, by giving her an impossible quest.
I really want to know what I'm doing wrong that I keep checking out books without knowing that they're sequels. Wouldn't you think they'd say so on the cover?
The backstory/exposition was very skillfully done here (unlike Wicked Lovely, this book understands the difference between suspense and confusion), so i ...more
I really want to know what I'm doing wrong that I keep checking out books without knowing that they're sequels. Wouldn't you think they'd say so on the cover?
The backstory/exposition was very skillfully done here (unlike Wicked Lovely, this book understands the difference between suspense and confusion), so i ...more
August 2019: reread for #Faerieathon! Definitely my favorite of the trilogy.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
This is what I'm talking about!!!! This is what I want from a fae book written by Holly Black!!! Perfection! <3
...more
Apr 05, 2020
Faith M ✨
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
3rd-person,
3-stars,
mc-boi,
faeries,
fantasy,
urban-fantasy,
butt-ugly-covers,
mc-gurl,
young-adult,
lgbtq
This was both better and way way way worse than the first book. I won’t even compare it to the second (yikes)
As usual, the pacing was atrocious, with hardly any coherent transitions at all; a lot of the story was just left for me to figure out on my own, I guess. Characters would change location at the drop of a hat without any preamble or explanation. It killed any flow or suspense or tension the story had managed to garner and left me bored and confused, and only wishing it would end faster.
Th ...more
As usual, the pacing was atrocious, with hardly any coherent transitions at all; a lot of the story was just left for me to figure out on my own, I guess. Characters would change location at the drop of a hat without any preamble or explanation. It killed any flow or suspense or tension the story had managed to garner and left me bored and confused, and only wishing it would end faster.
Th ...more
I love all the faerie lore in this series. It's good to see Rath Roiben Riven again too. I have to admit though that once I saw the phrase "happy trees" all I could think about was Bob Ross.
...more
Mar 15, 2009
Wealhtheow
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
fans of Bordertown, Charles De Lint, Emma Bull
Ironside follows shortly after the events of Tithe and Valiant. Roiben was a loyal knight of the Seelie Queen, even after she sent him to serve her sister, the Queen of the Unseelie Court. After countless years of torment and cruelty, he brought about the Unseelie Queen's death and now presides over her court. At his coronation, he sets an impossible quest for his lover, the pixie Kaye, to keep her safe from the war between the courts. Of course Kaye will have none of this romantic nonsense, and
...more
I IMMENSELY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. This is definitely my favorite in the series. Another thing I love about holly black is how she writes so cleverly. I cannot even fathom how she came up with those riddles she loves so much in her faerie books and it must have taken real excellent brain cells to come up with sensible answers to them. Ironside reminded me just how much I love Holly Black's writing style. It's eerie, it's dark, it's witty. It was a pleasure to read about Kaye Roiben, Corny and Luis a
...more
A direct sequel to Tithe, Ironside picks up two months after Tithe left off. At Roiben's coronation as King of the Unseelie Court, Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, who in turn sends her on an impossible quest to prove her love to him. Meanwhile, Kaye decides to tell her mother that she is a changeling, and the Queen of the Seelie Court attacks Roiben, leading to a series of quests wherein Kaye must find her human double, find a way to save Roiben, and bring Roiben a faery
...more
Well... that was underwhelming :|
The story and I just didn't click, I think. I still didn't really connect with Kaye, let alone Corny. The weakest aspect was still ultimately the fact that the stories were centred on Kaye's relationship with her human side, and I just didn't have the sense of wonderment.
That is not to say that the machinations were pretty solid, though how Kaye solved her quest felt a little bit of a cop out. I can't fully comprehend what it was that I enjoyed, but I think that ...more
The story and I just didn't click, I think. I still didn't really connect with Kaye, let alone Corny. The weakest aspect was still ultimately the fact that the stories were centred on Kaye's relationship with her human side, and I just didn't have the sense of wonderment.
That is not to say that the machinations were pretty solid, though how Kaye solved her quest felt a little bit of a cop out. I can't fully comprehend what it was that I enjoyed, but I think that ...more
Ironside is the third book in Holly Black's Modern Faery series. I remember quite liking Tithe, enough that I bought Valiant when it came out in hardcover, which I also enjoyed, though not as much as the first. The world Black creates is intriguing. It's dark and gritty--these faeries ain't no Tinkerbell. In times it can almost feel too dark and disturbing, as the characters do their best to cause pain to others. There's always the bit of romance to offset the grittiness, though, and in fact
...more
Ironside is the third book in Holly Black's Faerie Tale series, though it's actually a continuation of book one,
Tithe
. The second book,
Valiant
, takes place in the same world as books one and three but with different characters, some of which appear here as well. Kay and Roiben's stories however, are pretty much found only in books one and three. :)
Roiben is now King of the Unseelie Court, and against his wishes, Kaye has declared herself to him, thereby swearing loyalty to the Unseelie ...more
Roiben is now King of the Unseelie Court, and against his wishes, Kaye has declared herself to him, thereby swearing loyalty to the Unseelie ...more
Holly Black never fails to entertain. I expect this book will be as good as her others that I've read.
Update: Yep, Ironside was just as good as her other books. I was a little confused in parts, but it was my own fault for not re-reading Tithe first, the book that went before this one. It was no fault of the author's.
Holly Black's writing style continues to impress me. I really like dark urban fantasy in general, and her novels are very well suited to the genre. She has wonderfully descriptive ...more
Update: Yep, Ironside was just as good as her other books. I was a little confused in parts, but it was my own fault for not re-reading Tithe first, the book that went before this one. It was no fault of the author's.
Holly Black's writing style continues to impress me. I really like dark urban fantasy in general, and her novels are very well suited to the genre. She has wonderfully descriptive ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YA Buddy Readers'...: Ironside by Holly Black - Starting March 5th 2020 | 15 | 10 | Mar 15, 2020 03:38PM | |
| "Who's Robert?" | 1 | 32 | Oct 09, 2013 06:19PM | |
| Madison Mega-Mara...: Ironside by Holly Black | 2 | 7 | Jun 18, 2013 06:16AM | |
Madison Mega-Mara...:
Ironside by Holly Black
|
2 | 6 | Jan 15, 2012 08:16AM |
Readers also enjoyed
Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house
...more
Other books in the series
Modern Faerie Tales
(3 books)
Related Articles
As dedicated readers already know, some of the best and most innovative stories on the shelves come from the constantly evolving realm of...
63 likes · 14 comments
7 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Ah coffee. The sweet balm by which we shall accomplish today's tasks.”
—
1058 likes
“You are the only thing I have that is neither duty nor obligation, the only thing I chose for myself. The only thing I want. ”
—
333 likes
More quotes…
