The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

Pages: 363
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 1st February 2010

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny - one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

The Iron King is one of the best debuts I’ve read in a long time. I loved every single page of it.

The faery world that Julie Kagawa created was enchanting. The lore was a mix of traditional elements and a unique incorporation of features from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As I’m only vaguely familiar with the story, I only spotted a few references, but those that I did find were seamlessly worked into the story. This, along with the myth that belief and imagination causes the faery world to exist and the lack of it destroys it, has made The Iron King one of my favourite ever faery novels. It really is a truly unique spin on such old mythology.

One of my favourite elements of the novel is the cast of vivid and engaging characters. Meghan charged straight into the Nevernever to save her brother with no thought of her own safety, and though this made her similar to many heroines in faery novel, she really began to stand out as The Iron King progressed. She has weaknesses, damsel-in-distress moments and makes some pretty unwise decisions, but she eventually came into her own and kicked fey butt. And you’ve got to love it when the girl saves the guy! The guy, however, is pretty special too. A Faery Prince who carries a sword (and knows how to use it) and can shoot icicles out of his hands. Enough said, really. But my favourite character in The Iron King is Grimaulkin. He’s a sneaky talking cat who can make himself invisible. What’s not to like?! And even though he reminded me a lot of the Cheshire Cat (who creeps me out a little), he really made me want a cat!

Julie Kagawa’s rich imagination and beautifully descriptive writing really came into it’s own when Meghan was in Faeryland. And once again I found myself wanting to go there. I’m sure there’s something wrong with me! Meghan’s world came alive on the page and I felt her every emotion. The Iron King actually felt reminiscent of Holly Black’s Modern Tales of Faerie trilogy (which I loved), though there were very few plot similarities and they’re written in very different styles.

I loved this novel full of fey princes, talking cats and forbidden love so much that I pre-ordered the sequel, The Iron Daughter, before I’d even finished the book.

For my 2010 Debut Author Challenge, 2010 100+ Reading Challenge

Sophie