The Iron King

Julie Kagawa

Feb 2010 · Harlequin

About this ebook

From the limitless imagination of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Kagawa, enter the world of The Iron Fey.

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.

For Meghan is the daughter of a mythical faery king…and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Don’t miss the first book in Julie Kagawa’s highly anticipated new series, SHADOW OF THE FOX, AVAILABLE OCTOBER 2, 2018

“Julie Kagawa is one killer storyteller.”
—MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog

“The Iron King has the…enchantment, imagination and adventure of… Alice in Wonderland, Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, but with lots more romance.”
—Justine magazine

“The Iron King is a must read!”
—New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

Ratings and reviews

I rarely quit on books, but this book walks like walking through a big and getting stuck slowly. The blending of the face world and human world was clumsy and the pop culture references were cringe and far too frequent. The pacing of the story was too fast and some parts totally unneeded, like her being forced to work in the kitchens only to leave and never go back after 3 day, why bother to write that? Some people enjoyed the tie in with use of Shakespearian characters but I found it lazy and irrelevant. The far world being reliant on han imagination is also a tedious concern that the writer does not seem genuinely invested in resolving, just murmuring about every 3 chapters or so. I rolled my eyes and gave up. Better off reading A Counrt of Thorns and Roses.

I enjoyed this book a lot, but it didn't really wow me. I find books like this so hard to review. On one hand, I liked the book. On the other hand, I didn't love it. The one great thing that this book has going for it is the stellar concept behind the story. Kagawa has taken the common knowledge that people know about fae (or fey, faeries, etc.) and expanded on it in a unique way. I liked how she pulled from things that most people can relate with, such as characters from Shakespeare, and brought them to life in her own way. The concept alone had such potential to be a five-star read. Unfortunately, some of the execution dampened my enthusiasm. The flow of the story was very smooth and fast-paced. I think that this is where some of the issues that I have with the book stem from. While there was plenty of minor conflicts for the main character, the large conflict with the boss at the end of the book was over and done with in what felt like seconds. The book had been building up to this big showdown with the main villain, but it just felt like it petered out at the end. I feel that the book could have been lengthened to include more conflict. This brings me to the romance. I also feel like the book could have been lengthened to include more emotional interaction with the love interests in the book. The romance felt rushed and almost as if it came out of nowhere. It didn't feel believable. The main character was threatened by her love interest and they were guarded around each other. Then all of a sudden he is kissing her without really showing him soften to her at all. It just didn't work for me. Which is saddening because I was rooting for the romance in the background. Another thing in this book that really had so much more potential. In the end, I liked the romance, but it just wasn't convincing enough for my tastes. There was also the beginnings of a love triangle, though minuscule. I guess we will see if a love triangle blossoms forth in the next book? The character development in the book didn't really have anything lacking, but I didn't feel like the characters touched my heart as much as I would have liked. I was definitely interested in the characters, but I felt like they could have been portrayed more intimately. Interest and adoration are completely different. While I did not dislike the characters, I also wasn't enamored by them. I felt that the world building was also another high point in this book. While part of this book occurs in the real world, a good portion of the book occurs in Fairyland. I liked Kagawa's portrayal of the Nevernever (a.k.a. Fairyland). Her portrayal is pretty spot on with how I think Fairyland would be from folklore. Mystical and sinister. Both sweet and sour. I liked seeing all the bargains made since that is a key element to the fae's trickery in folklore. I liked the focus on their world existing because of mortals belief in them and them being remembered. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I will continue the series. While the book kept me entertained, I felt there could have been some minor improvements to a few aspects of the story. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys books about the fae.

At first the writing is drivel and the moments are obvious and predictable. But then you get used to the simplistic writing and some events take unexpected turns and you want to find out how this all ends. That is what compelled this reader to keep going. The larger story is an interesting concept on modern times packaged with cliche, and slightly forced, romance.

About the author

Born in Sacramento, CA, Julie Kagawa moved to Hawaii at the age of nine. There she learned many things; how to bodyboard, that teachers scream when you put centipedes in their desks, and that writing stories in math class is a great way to kill time. Her teachers were glad to see her graduate. Julie now lives is Louisville, KY with her husband and furkids. She is the international and NYT bestselling author of The Iron Fey series. Visit her at juliekagawa.com.