The Iron Queen (Harlequin Teen) (edition 2011)

I bought this book when it first came up and added it to the pile of millions of books I had to read. Last week I started back and work and decided a great way to start the day would be delving into the Iron Queen. I started reading it but just couldn't get into the novel. I thought maybe I had outdone my quota on all things faerie and maybe this book was not as great as the others. I decided to put it to one side and figured, that was that.

Imagine my surprise when on Thursday, I decided to try again with the Iron Queen and fell into the storyline with so much ease and enjoyment. I feel about this series as I do about the Cassandra Clare Mortal Instruments series - I love it. The characters are enjoyable, believable and the plot never leaves you thinking, is it over yet? In fact, it's probably the opposite. I finished The Iron Queen with much disappointment Friday morning. Not with the disappointment that the novel did not live up to my expectations, but with the impending realisation that I would actually have to wait for the Iron Knight.

Another stellar novel written by Julie Kagawa and I can't wait to see what she does next after this series eventually ends. ( )

Book Three in The Iron Fey series. The Iron King (#1) and The Iron Daughter (#2) reviewed here. This review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.

Meghan Chase and her lover, Prince Ash of the Winter Court, have been exiled from the Nevernever. They will never again access the world of the fairies, but must make do as best they can in the human world. Initially, Meghan plans to rejoin her family, but as she and Ash approach her mother’s house, they realize they are being followed by Iron fey. Meghan realizes that she absolutely cannot return home, for that would bring endless trouble down upon her family. But now what?
Meanwhile, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts have formed an alliance to eradicate the Iron Kingdom, but the war isn’t going well. Oberon and Mab make a one-time offer to the exiles: if Meghan will return to the Nevernever and eliminate the new Iron King, she and Ash will be allowed to return. After all, Meghan has already killed one Iron King…so what’s one more?

I had hoped that this book would rekindle the enthusiasm I felt when I read The Iron King, and to some degree it did. Meghan’s always at her best when defending her family, and one of the first things she does in The Iron Queen is bargain for the restoration of the memories of her father so that she can rescue him from the mansion of Leanansidhe. He – Charles – has been driven mad by the beautiful fairy, but patiently Meghan coaxes him back from insanity. It is heartbreaking to see her sitting next to her father as he plays a song he wrote for his daughter, and know that he cannot reconcile the six year old Meghan of his memory with the teenage girl beside him.

The book is also about two civilizations at war, so there are battles and clandestine missions. Meghan has to be trained to fight with a sword and to use her glamor magic, but while it sometimes made me roll my eyes – in only a few days, Meghan somehow becomes proficient enough with her sword that she can hold her own against seasoned Iron fey warriors??? – it was far more interesting than watching her mope around and sulking about her feelings.

Don’t get me wrong  she still gets plenty of ooey-gooey mushy moments in with her beloved Ash, who joins her in pouting, sulking, and spouting exceptionally ridiculous promises of love and devotion. He even vows to be Meghan’s knight, sworn to live for her and be bound to her will  which naturally leads to all sorts of misunderstandings and epic sulks when Meghan says or does the wrong thing. Ash is such a terribly dull romantic lead.

But on the plus side, more Iron Kingdom! Meghan finally starts to use her iron glamor, and it’s really freakin’ cool. We meet some cool new characters and see old familiar faces, and it is quite fun.

If the story had ended with The Iron Queen, I would applaud Julie Kagawa for having the guts to sidestep the typical “happily ever after” that usually ends these Twilight-esque supernatural romances. But unfortunately, the story continues in The Iron Knight - and even worse, I think the next book is told through the eyes of Ash.

Maybe I should quit now? ( )

My Name is Meghan Chase
In less than twenty-four hours I'll be seventeen.
Déjà vu, right? Shocking how quickly time can pass you by, like your standing still.
I can't believe it's been a year since that day. The day I went into Faery. The day that changed my life forever.

When I first started reading the Iron King, the first book in this series, I thought I've read this before.....great another fairy book about the same mythological characters, Excellent! I mean how original can you be with the same story being retold over again. Yet, reading beyond my initial response,I realized that this story was something different, and special. I found myself unable to stop turning the pages, eager to find out what would be next in the journey for Meghan and her companions Ash, the Winter Prince, Puck, her mischievous best friend and Grimalkin, the forever disappearing cantankerous cat. What I love about the Iron Realm series is that Meghan has levels. She is not a weak female character, but strong in ways that others around her fail to even come close to what makes her great. She is not afraid to be human in world where she is surrounded by soulless fey, who only seek to take advantage of her lack of knowledge of the rules of Faery. As her character develops she becomes more capable of taking care of herself, not content to sit back and watch others die as she cowers to the side.No, Meghan is a fighter, and this character will be one that I'm sure teens can relate to and that hopefully will continue to be more of in future literature to come. Kagawa does an tremendous job of incorporating technology into the world of the Fey and on creating such richly developed characters.

But the beating heart of Nevernever, which I felt all around me in every tree, every leaf and blade of grass, was pulsing with rot. Everything was touched with Iron glamour, and it was slowly eating away the Nevernever,like paper held to a flame.

Summary:In the aftermath of defeating the Iron King, Machina, Meghan and Ash find themselves exiled to the mortal world never again to return to Faery. As they journey to Meghan's home, dreams of a happy future with Ash become shattered when on the doorstep of her parents home, the Iron Fey wait to take her back to the false king. In a tale that will have you flipping the pages for more, we follow Meghan back into the Faery Realm, as she may be the only hope to saving Nevernever from the destruction caused by the false king. Meghan now saddled with powers of the Iron and the Summer courts, which she is unable to master without the magic of one fighting against the other. With so much to lose, can Meghan learn to wield her power in time to save Nevernever?

My Recommendation: I would give this book to anyone interested in fantasy, paranormal, or magical worlds. This a book that will appeal to teens ages 14-18, who are embarking on the journey to finding their own strength and adults that are into young adult literature. ( )

Hands down...the best book in the series. ( )

This book was heartachingly beautiful! Meghan really found her way in this one, and all the main characters grew and showed a lot more maturity, and less selfishness, even the fey-boys :D
I loved how Meghan stood by her word, and even went so far as to be ready to sacrifice herself for fairy, and for all her friends.
Very well written, with some tender moments, awesome fight-scenes and overall a lot of excitement. ( )