Review: The Iron King

Title: The Iron King (Iron Fey #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 363

My Rating:

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 that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart. -summary from goodreads.com

I had heard nothing but awesome things about this book, and since I couldn't wait to get my copy and read it, when it came in the mail, it jumped straight to the top of my TBR pile. And let me tell you…. It was WELL worth it! I loved almost everything about this book! The cover is gorgeous, the story is fast paced, interesting, and funny!

In this story we follow Meghan Chase, a typical 15-year-old girl who lives on the outskirts of town, has always felt like an outsider, and it doesn't help that her family is poor. Meghan is about to turn sixteen, when she is humiliated at school by one of the popular boys that she's had a crush on forever (it was super sad! My heart broke with Meghan’s). Things only get worse when she gets home and finds out her younger step-brother has been kidnapped. Robbie (her only friend and somewhat of a trickster) and Meghan were supposed to be celebrating her sixteenth birthday, but instead they set off on an unexpected adventure.

I thought Meghan was a believable character who reacted like a sixteen year old girl would when confronted with strange situations and horrible threats. It does get a little old when a character that supposedly lived a normal human life, suddenly turns into superwoman and saves the world. I liked that Meghan was scared and broke down in tears at times, but she was also strong, grew up fast, and discovered hidden strengths she didn't realize she possessed. Her courageousness in the Nevernever is nicely portrayed, as is her devotion to Ethan. Yet she often wanders into danger without thinking or listening to warnings and I groaned as she repeatedly made bargains with Faery characters even after seeing the devastating consequences. But all in all, I really like Meghan.

Robin Goodfellow, a.k.a. Puck-- Three words: I LOVE PUCK! He’s loyal, charming and hilarious. What more can you ask for? I wasn’t a very big fan of Prince Ash. The only reason he felt attracted to Meghan in the first place was because she reminded him of his dead wife? Uh, creeeepy. But hey, the boy is handsome, mysterious and can dance (that’s a bonus!)… I’d like to see what happens with the Meghan/Ash relationship.

Overall, The Iron King has made a fan out of me! If you’re into the action, peril, romance and adventure, then this is the book for you! You will not be able to put it down. The next book in the series, the Iron Daughter will most likely find its way to the top of my “to be read” stack as well.