Julie Kagawa
The Iron Queen
Iron Fey, Book #3

Brought to you by OBS staff member Annabell Cadiz

Note: Spoilers ahead!!

Synopsis:

Review:

The Iron Queen picks up right where The Iron Daughter had left off. Meghan and Ash heading to Meghan’s house so she can see her family, both having been exiled from the Nevernever. Meghan can’t stay long though because her battle to find the father she had lost isn’t over. She returns to New Orleans to reclaim the memory she had no choice but to give up to an oracle on her first journey into the Nevernever to save her little brother, Ethan. Meghan and Ash run into some trouble though but Puck comes to the rescue, revealing he had been exiled from the Nevernever as well since he had gone after Meghan. But just as Ash and Meghan get use to the idea of never returning to the Nevernever and Meghan works toward building a relationship with her long lost human dad, the Summer and Winter Court come searching for her. King Oberon and Queen Mab have reluctantly agreed to allow Meghan, Ash, and Puck to return to the Nevernever but there’s one condition: Meghan must venture into the Iron Realm and defeat the false Iron King who has taken the throne.

Those dang fey! Always a catch!

I was a lot more impressed with the third installment in the Iron Fey Series than with the previous two. Meghan has grown up a great deal in Iron Queen. I still don’t really care for her character but I have finally gained some respect for her. She was still whinny and over dramatic and clueless. But she  also had a lot more strength. She actually kicks butt this time around without needing the guys to save her every two seconds. She is much smarter and less selfish. Ash and Puck are still as fun loving as they were from the first book. Puck is still as delightfully mischievous and loyal as he has always been. There is also a more serious note to him in Iron Queen. Puck shows a more sensitive side of himself which I liked reading. Ash has grown a great deal as well from the first book and he opens up his heart to Meghan. He is still strong and scary fierce.

Grim, that flippin cat, is also back and I just love his character! Always full of sarcastic wisdom and always mysterious, Grim kept me laughing and wishing I could have him in real life. There are two new characters I really liked, Razor and Glitch. Razor is the cutest Gremlin ever! He was even more mischievous than Puck and was like a robot with ADD. He wasn’t in the book very much but was a lot of fun when he was. Glitch is the leader of the vigilante Iron Fey who have bounded together against the false iron king. He is calm and strategic and isn’t scared of Ash or Puck. He starts off being a little afraid of going up against the false king but grows in bravery.

The pacing for the most part is a lot better. I did get bored a few times and skipped chunks of some chapters but for the most part, I didn’t feel boggled down. The romance between Ash and Meghan could have been toned down. It felt like every five pages, they were once again declaring their love for one another and making promises. I could have done without all the dramatics and the melodrama of Meghan.

For you fans who have waited for the hook up between Meghan and Ash to finally happen, well, *drum roll*  . . . You will be happy to read it finally happens in the third installment. I could have done without it because it was cliché and pointless to the plotline. Meghan is just as over dramatic in that moment as she has always been.

The battle scenes are probably the best part to the novel. Except for the final battle. It started off well enough but as usual Meghan has to be stupid and dramatic. The battle between her and the false iron king ended abruptly. The entire book is a build up to the battle between Meghan and the false king, as well as the special powers Meghan holds, and it’s really just a let down.

Fans of the Iron Fey Series will be happy with a lot of what happens with the third installment. As for me, I have been a reluctant fan from the beginning, but found myself enjoying the third installment. The ending was left open and apparently, there will be a new book entitled Iron Knight which will be told from Ash’s point of view. I must say I am still looking forward to reading from his point of view. As cliché as Ash’s character can be, he is still one sexy fairy!

For more information on the Iron Fey Series and the author, check out Julie Kagawa’s site here.