The Iron King (The Iron Fey, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Feb 02, 2012 Jessie Marie rated it really liked it

3.5 Stars

Meghan Chase is an abnormal almost-16-year-old who starts seeing and experiencing things that are out of this world. Suddenly, she discovers her toddler half-brother has been switched with an impostor faery and she has to go to the Nevernever to retrieve him. Eventually, she discovers that Oberon, King of the Seelie (Summer) court is her real father, but he's not exactly dad material. And she's still on a quest to find her brother. Then she meets Prince Ash, who's mother is Queen Mab of 3.5 Stars

Meghan Chase is an abnormal almost-16-year-old who starts seeing and experiencing things that are out of this world. Suddenly, she discovers her toddler half-brother has been switched with an impostor faery and she has to go to the Nevernever to retrieve him. Eventually, she discovers that Oberon, King of the Seelie (Summer) court is her real father, but he's not exactly dad material. And she's still on a quest to find her brother. Then she meets Prince Ash, who's mother is Queen Mab of the Unseelie (Winter) Court. While trying to determine if he's going to kill or sweep her off her feet, Meghan, Ash, Puck (Meghan's best friend, also faery) and Grimalkin (fascinatingly hilarious cait sith) set out towards the Unseelie Court and eventually into the Iron Court, an unimaginable evil, to find little Ethan.

The world that Julie Kagawa brings us is something to be admired, truly. I loved reading about the Seelie / Unseelie / Iron Court. Even the bar/basement and Meghan's house were superbly described and I felt like a shadow with the unlikely group traveling through and beyond the Nevernever. The creatures were fabulously described as well, most of which I hadn't come in contact in reading or otherwise before. And that was all necessary to make this a very well done fantasy. Add in a quest to find someone and a scary unknown villain, and I'd say you have the definition of a fantasy.

My biggest complaint with this, however, is also related to the world-building and plot. I felt like there was too much going on and none of it was drawn out enough to really stick in my mind before I had to readjust and start imagining something completely different. This book is short, even by young adult standards and now I understand why most fantasies are described as "epic" and usually span 500+ pages - you need those pages to slowly develop the world, the characters, the plot. I felt so much was crammed into The Iron King and eventually, the trip lost me. In the end, I felt dizzy. I don't think I've ever wished a book to be longer before!

That all being said, it made for a very fast-paced ready that was high action.

The characters were amazing. Grimalkin was by far my favorite with his witty, sarcastic comments. I was a little influenced by Alice in Wonderland's Cheshire Cat so Grimalkin had disappearing pink/purple stripes in my mind. I liked both Puck and Ash as well, and found the semi - love triangle to be a nice addition to the story, one that made up for the insta-love between Meghan and Ash at the ball/party. Meghan was annoying to me. She complained, made stupid mistakes and asked ridiculous questions, both out loud and internally. Maybe she was supposed to be that way? Maybe all 16-year-old faery princesses are that way?

The story ends with a little cliffhanger but with a really great moral that I think about often - technology and its advancements are ruining our imagination on the whole. Somehow, we need to regress a little bit and find the Nevernever in our lives.

Overall, I liked The Iron King but I didn't really love it. It got too jumbled and crazy for me to say I loved it. I will more than likely continue with the series, however, because of the cliffhanger ending and a general curiosity to know what happens next. PS. Team Ash - going for the bad-boy this time! ...more

Like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 Jojobean rated it it was amazing

Shelves: set-in-made-up-world, 2010-publication, fairies, series-book-1, set-in-us, 5-star-ratings, paperback, physical-books-owned, julie-kagawa

Ok so I did something I said I'd never do and that is read a fairy book. I don't know why but the fairy genre turns me off. Every time I see and book read the synopsis, if I see the word fae, fey, fairy or faery it goes immediately back on the shelf. I really don't know what it is about fairies but I just can't. However many of the reading challenges I'm doing have options to read a fairy book and I decided to give this book a shot. I love Julie Kagawa and her Blood of Eden series; she's one of Ok so I did something I said I'd never do and that is read a fairy book. I don't know why but the fairy genre turns me off. Every time I see and book read the synopsis, if I see the word fae, fey, fairy or faery it goes immediately back on the shelf. I really don't know what it is about fairies but I just can't. However many of the reading challenges I'm doing have options to read a fairy book and I decided to give this book a shot. I love Julie Kagawa and her Blood of Eden series; she's one of my favorite authors. So I figure if anyone can do fairies , Julie Kagawa can right? and she totally did. I loved this book and its one of my favorites.

I loved Kagawa's who fairy realm and mythology. I liked how she explained how fairies were born and how they are kept alive. It was very interesting, after I go over the ridiculous names of the realm like Nevernever, Tir Na Nog, Seelie, Unseelie for example. I also liked the creatures she included as the fey. When I think of Fey, I thing of Tinkerbell like creatures (which I found are are called pixies). Kagawa's term of "fey" means other creatures like Chimera, Mermaids, Sirens, Goblins, Satyrs, Centaurs and others that I wouldn't think of as fey. It was an interesting take on the mythological creatures I know of. I also liked how each part of the Nevernever was different from each other. The forest was its own territory with goblins and other creatures living in it. Then there was the Seelie court of the summer fairies where everything was green with flowers, bushes and trees. The Unseelie court of the winter fairies was cold with snow, ice and mountains. The Iron Fey kingdom was basically a junk yard with all kinds of electronics and machinary. I especially liked the iron dragon. I also liked how Kagawa subtly explains why the other fairies are hurt by iron and how the iron fairies came about. She doesn't outright say why they can't touch iron but from the conversations going on you understand why that is.

I gotta say that this was one book where I loved all the characters. I loved Meghan who was brave in the face of what she found out. She panicked a bit when she found out about the fairy realm and that she was half fairy but that was to be expected. Meghan is very loyal to her friends and family and thinks of them first before herself. She is willing to do anything to save her brother, Ethan from the iron fey. She goes through hell and back to get to him. She never complained about what she had to do to get him and she lost a lot doing so. She is also very determined, loving and caring. You can see that she has what it takes to become a fairy queen.

I loved Puck as well. His tricks and pranks were hilarious and the laughed out loud at the things that came out of his mouth. He is very easy going and its like nothing bothers him. He is very protective of Meghan and you can see that he's in love with her although it was never said. He was willing to risk his life and the wrath of King Oberon for her which shows how loyal he is to the people he cares about. It was crazy to find out how old he was especially since he has the body of a 16 year old. I hope there's a lot more of him in the next book.

I also loved Ash. At first he was cold and hard but as he continued on the journey with Meghan, he became loving and caring and more like her. You are told why Ash was the way he was at first and what happened to him is sad and you feel for the guy. But I loved how Meghan melted his heart and made him "Feel alive again". Ash is also very loyal to Meghan and risks his life to help her save Ethan. At first he helped Meghan because of a deal she made with him (note: making deals with fairies is a very bad idea). But then as the romance heated up between them, he helped her because he loved her. He went willingly into the iron realm where he became physically sick from being around all the iron. He actually almost died helping her. I like the romance between them because it was subtle and not in your face. Romance was not the main focus of the book~ rescuing Ethan was. The romance was a happy accident. I like Ash with Meghan and hope that they end up together.

I loved Ethan. He is four in this book and he is able to see fairies because of his imagination and because of the fact that he is a kid and believes in them. He does seem wise beyond his years especially after Meghan rescues him. I absolutely loved Grimalkin. He was hilarious and just as funny as Puck. His antics made me laugh as well as his attitude and sarcasm. I liked how he helped Meghan, even if she did make a deal with him, and in the end how he helped her because he wanted to. I also loved how he would constantly remind Meghan that he is coming along with her for entertainment. He is a character I would love to meet. I also loved the pack rats who help Meghan and Ash in the iron realm.

The book was heavy with fairy mythology which I loved. There was some action in it especially near the end. There wasn't a million things going on. There was one focus of the book and that was to rescue Ethan. The book wasn't all over the place and was nicely written. Julie Kagawa did a marvelous job. While I can't say that I will read anymore fairy books by other authors (still something about fairies I con't like) I will say that I will be continuing this series. Maybe after I finish this series I will be willing to try other authors. Baby steps.

This review is also posted on Spantalian's Book Reviews ...more

Like · see review

Aug 23, 2012 PepperP0t rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series-r-us, romance, paranormal, series, sci-fi-fantasy, ya, urban-fantasy

Now where did I put those rose colored glasses? 3.5 stars actually

Meghan Chase is looking forward to going to the DMV for her 16th birthday and is excited about finally getting a drivers permit. She’s flabbergasted to find that everything she thought she knew is not exactly as it seems when she has to take an unplanned trip to Nevernever or to the Seelie Court escorted by her friend Robbie.

This easy to get into story reminded me of fairytales I heard as a child as it filled me with the wonder a ...more

Like · see review

Feb 20, 2016 Allison Ann rated it it was ok

Shelves: loaner, uno-2016, series-start

I'm not generally a fan of YA fantasy and this book perfectly encapsulates why. It used to be when a human had the chance to go to fairyland or some other magical place they were as excited as I would be. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don't want to read about a whiny teenager who hates everything about magic and whines about missing American Idol. She is always scared and screaming and angry. Where is the joy and magic in that?

Also it seems like magic is always the bad guy now. Human ...more

Like · see review

Jun 03, 2013 Megan rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, 50-states-challenge, behind-enemy-lines, read-in-2014, out-of-this-world

I haven't read too many fey novels, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The beginning was a little weird for me, as it felt like I had read something very similar before, but besides that it was easy to read and drew me in right away.

There's a little romance in the book, but not too much as it's more about Meghan's journey to rescue her brother. I loved the adventure feel to the story and plan on continuing this series. ...more

Like · see review