Review: The Iron King

Title: The Iron King

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: The Iron Fey #1

Publisher: Mira (UK) | Harlequin Teen (US)

Publication date: February 2011 (UK) | Feb 2010 (US)

Format: Paperback - 363 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Young Adult

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 fitted in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her little brother is taken, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

She could never have guessed the truth. Meghan is the daughter of a faery king and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will have to choose between a normal life and her magical destiny - and between her best friend and a darkly dangerous prince.

It's time for Meghan to enter the faery world...

My thoughts:

I've always been incredibly apprehensive before starting any book based on faeries simply because the first I had read was absolutely terrible - it  ruined the whole faery experience. This book was no exception which is why I've put it off for so long. I have to say though, it has absolutely restored my faith in how reading about the faery world can be an incredible experience.

You start reading this book knowing that Meghan is the daughter of a faery king but that soon becomes the tip of the iceberg when Meghan finds herself trying to escape both the Seelie and Unseelie courts to try and find her brother Ethan. 

What I loved most about this read is how original it is. It has so many aspects to the faery world thrown in and this is just the first book in the series. The book started off with what any reader of faery worlds would expect - talk of glamours and someone starting to see the faeries behind them in the human world. It quickly takes a really unexpected turn even after both the Seelie and Unseelie courts have been introduced which was brilliant. 

I also loved how diverse the characters are. The Kings and Queens were all different and equally brilliant, Meghan was really endearing and loveable, Ash was really dark and sexy (loved him!) and Puck was really fun but had this really creepy dark side at times which was really captivating. 

The plot is just fantastic. My only criticism is that the beginning of the book seemed to be out of place to me. It did just make the turn in the story really dramatic but it felt somewhat out of place. I think once the plot starts to reveal itself the book just becomes a really unputdownable read. It's fast and engaging, it's packed with imagination and magical world building and it certainly makes you feel like this place exists. I loved it.

To anybody who is like me and has a habit of putting off reading books based on faeries this is definitely the one to read. I'm really excited to read the next in the series and see where what kind of reading experience it has in store!

I rate it: 9/10

 

Julie Kagawa

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Books in the series:

1. The Iron King
2. The Iron Daughter
3. The Iron Queen
4. The Iron Knight