ARC Review: The Iron Knight

The Iron Knight
Julie Kagawa
Young Adult Fantasy
Iron Fey/Book 4
Harlequin Teen/October 25, 2011

Spoilers for previous books

From Publishers Website ~

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase — a half human, half fey slip of a girl—smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end—a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything.

The final book in the Iron Fey series and I'm sad to see it end. But Kagawa ended it on a high with a different view to the ongoing struggle of the world of the Fae. Instead of getting Meghan's POV we get Prince Ash as the narrator. At first I wasn't sure how well this would work since I had come to enjoy Meghan's voice but Ash proved to have an exceptional voice, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Prince Ash of the Winter Court is on a quest. He's been through a lot since meeting Meghan Chase. Now he's without her but trying desperately to get back to her. The problem is that Meghan is now the Iron Queen and if Ash tries to live in the Iron Realm with her, it will kill him. So Ash comes up with a new plan. He will become human. He's willing to give up everything he is to be with Meghan.

This was such an adventure with Ash, Puck, Grimalkin and a couple of surprise companions to round out the group. They are taken on an journey through terrifying and amazing places filled with challenges they can't be sure they'll make it past. The excitement continued throughout the story with Ash forging on over obstacles, determined to make it to his goal. The adventure kept me entranced, wondering what would happen next and who might not make it to the end.

Since this is, in essence, Ash's story, it's not surprising we learn much more about Ash and his history. Details that even Meghan doesn't know. It's heartbreaking to learn some of what Ash has been through and how he was raised in the ice cold world of the Winter Court. Ash worked hard to fit in to the cruel world of the court to please his mother, Queen Mab. By seeing his past, the reader sees how far Ash has come and how far he's willing to go.

The one problem some readers may have is the lack of the presence of Meghan. She is featured in flashbacks, dreams and towards the end but otherwise, this is all Ash's quest. I did mention I liked Ash's voice but I also missed Meghan and her outlook on the world of the Faery. We do get a lot of Robin Goodfellow aka Puck and this is a very good thing. It's hard not to like and Puck and his tireless antics, especially when he sets aside those antics and becomes serious with insight and concern.

So we come to the end of a wonderful series filled with adventure, dangerous situations, friendship and hope. I can't wait to see what Ms. Kagawa has in store for us in her next series.

Rating: A-

Books in this series ~

The Iron King
The Iron Daughter
Winter's Passage
The Iron Queen
Summer's Crossing
The Iron Knight