Review ~ THE IRON KNIGHT (IRON FEY #4), by Julie Kagawa

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.
I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…
(From GoodReads) 

In One Word ~ Magnificent

What a fantastic, in every sense of the word, ending to a brilliant series! I would be lying if I said I didn't have ridiculously high hopes for THE IRON KNIGHT. This book was everything I hoped for and more. In hindsight, I don't think there is one thing Julie Kagawa could have done to make this book any better.

In the interest of remaining spoiler-free, my hands are sort of tied when it comes to details. Let me just share some of my feelings while reading THE IRON KNIGHT. I laughed, mainly at Puck and Grim. I was shocked. But I can't say why. I was angry. Again, can't say why. I cried. Because there were lots of goodbyes, reunions, and general angst and pain. The IRON FEY series has consistently brought these feelings to the surface with each book, building a little more with each book. All of that emotional build-up crested and then overflowed in THE IRON KNIGHT.

THE IRON KNIGHT isn't an easy book. It's easy to read, of course. Just not an easy journey to take. Julie Kagawa is not afraid to bring it, and bring it hard, to her characters. I jokingly sent a tweet to my friends (and IRON FEY experts) Jaime and Patricia at Two Chicks on Books saying something like "What's going on here? I thought this book would be sunshine and rainbows." To which they replied (and I am generously paraphrasing) "Are you freaking kidding me? You know that's not Julie's style." It's not Kagawa's style. Ash got blown wide open emotionally in this book. It was tough to read, seeing his pain, seeing who he used to be. But it was something he, and the reader, must go through to gain resolution.

And my goodness! I really loved Puck. He was my favorite guyin THE IRON KING. Then, in THE IRON DAUGHTER, I jumped ship and became Team Ash. Don't get me wrong, this is Ash's book, but Puck shone brilliantly, reminding me why I fell in love with him in Book One. His lines were among my favorites. His actions were beyond admirable. I love Ash, but sometimes I just want a guy with an easy laugh and open face.

And Grim. He has single-handedly made me want to own a cat. That's not good, I'm allergic to cats! He is the curmudgeonly old man who gripes at the kids, but secretly hopes they'll succeed. He is the guide, the truth, and in some ways, the soul of the series. Yoda. Every question aimed his way is easily answered with "I am a cat". He has easily kicked the Cheshire Cat off the perch, becoming The. Best. Cat. Ever.

I just realized, this isn't really a review. It's more of a "love letter" to the IRON FEY series. I know I'm so dramatic sometimes. And this review may not seem objective. But it is my honest feelings and opinions. And I'm okay with that.

Favorite Quote~
(There were many. This is only one of my favorites.)

" 'You think I don't know pain?' Puck shook his head at me. 'Or loss? I've been around a lot longer than
    you, prince! I know what love is, and I've lost my fair share, too. Just because we have a different
    way of handling it, doesn't mean I don't have scars of my own.' "

THE IRON KNIGHT Trailer

(Trust me, it's perfect.)

Paperback, 361 pages

Published October 25th 2011 by Harlequin

You can find THE IRON KNIGHT at :

GoodReads |  Book Depository  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon

You can find author Julie Kagawa at her website.