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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

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 :
You can find author Julie Kagawa at her website.

11 comments:

  1. I loved you review!! I am so glad that you picked this series up. For me, this series is right up there next to the awesomeness that is HP. I think that's saying something. I am very much looking forward to reading more of Julie's creations whatever they may be.

    -Patricia

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  2. I *loved* this! It was actually my favourite in the series, I think. We got to see so much more of Ash and it was emotional! I actually cried a few times! Of course I'm a bawl baby when I read! ;)

    I LOVE that Puck quote!

    Wonderful, wonderful review! :)

    Liza @ Book Crook Liza

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  3. OMG Andrea I love this review! It sums up my feelings from The Iron Knight too! Haha I love that you called us Iron Fey experts we sure try ;) Team Ash all the away baby but, I do love Puck. And Grim what a great explanation you're definitely right I'd rather have him instead of the Cheshire Cat!

    Hugs-
    Jaime

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  4. I LOVED this book! In fact, I loved it so much, that I voted for it on Goodreads in the YA fantasy category. Definitely my favorite in the series. And yep, I cried too (& had some good laughs!)

    Awesome review Andrea!

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  5. Everyone seems really pleased will how the series ended. I haven't started it yet but this kind of response makes me more inclined to pick it up.

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  6. Squeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I'm going to read this next week! Next week! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you for NOT spoiling the story for me. You are awesome. I'm always afraid to read any reviews of this book because people like to drop spoiler bombs, and I really hate those.

    So, this review is perfect for me to read because it's all about how we feel about it.

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  7. I'm right in the middle of reading this one...hopefully I'll have it done in the next few days.

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  8. I can't even say anything smart ass on this review.. which tells you how much I respect this series. lol

    I just can't wait to read this one.. got it in the mail yesterday. Can't start it right away though. :( Soon though!

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  9. Great review. I've just finished reading it too. I had a feeling it wouldn't be 'sunshine' :) not with the brooding Winter Prince, but it's awesome that we get to know him so thoroughly. Come a long way since the Ash in the first book...and the end was perfect.

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  10. There are elements of the story that touch on other well-known myths or stories, such as Titania, Oberon and Puck, the trickster which makes it a lot of fun if you are familiar with these. She also adds her own fun things, like (without saying too much) the gliders. We get to see all the range of emotions that each of these characters go through and you find yourself feeling them in turn and rooting for them.

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    Replies
    1. Hi there! I don't know any of the myths or stories of Titania or Overon, but I sure would be interested in reading them. Julie Kagawa is a master storyteller.

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