The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight – Julie Kagawa

Pages: 361

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: 25^th October 2011

Other Titles in this Series: The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen

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...

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own lovehad died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase – a half-human, half fey – smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery fell to to the Iron Fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of of archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Gremalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end – a quest to find a way to honour his vow to stand by meghan’s side.

To survive the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way  Ash learns something that chages everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

After the heart-in-your-throat ending of The Iron Queen, I was extremely relieved to discover that there would be one more book in The Iron Fey series and even more excited when I discovered it would be in the voice of one of my favourite characters: Ash.

As ever, Ash managed to astound me with his loyalty and dedication to Meghan and I would like my very own Ash for Christmas, please. The lengths he went to to get back to her which included defying his own nature, risking his life countless times and giving up something so very, very important to him was beyond romantic. He seemed so much more human and accessible in The Iron Knight but we also got glimpses of the true Winter Prince from before he met Meghan, which only made his quest even more incredible. I didn’t think I could love him anymore. I was wrong.

The only thing that I love more about this series than the beautiful Prince Ash is Julie Kagawa’s prose. She writes softly and poetically but still manages a serious emotional punch and a fantastically engaging plot. I’m literally in awe of this woman’s skill. Then she goes and uses human myth and legend to create the Nevernever and faery itself and I’m completely and utterly sold. The idea of existing only as long as you are talked about and remembered is actually quite terrifying and completely brilliant. I have to admit that I did kind of miss Meghan though which surprised me.

I have only two complaints about The Iron Knight and one of them has absolutely nothing to do with the actual story at all. I hate the deckle edging on the pages. While it looks all pretty and stuff I found it awkward to turn the pages quickly enough and it felt kind of odd. Though that is me being extremely petty, I know. My only other complaint is that there wasn’t nearly enough of Grim – I love that cat. In fact, I would happily read a whole spin-off series about the exploits of that particular cait sith. I really do love him.

I adore this whole series and I was so pleased to see Ash and Meghan get the happy ending they deserve. All that’s left to say is: bring on more of Julie Kagawa’s books!

Sophie