The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa
YA Fantasy
January 25, 2011
Paperback, 358 Pages
Harlequin Teen

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “Do what you must. I’ll be here whatever you decide. If it takes one year or a thousand, I will keep you safe.”

Fairy tales are often told of the beautiful and benevolent fae bestowing gifts of wonder and delight to unsuspecting humans. But Meghan Chase knows better. She sees the real fae and has lived in their cruel world. Being half human and half fae has brought her nothing but ridicule and pain as she tries to navigate her life-straddling the gray area between fact and fantasy.

At the end of The Iron Daughter, Meghan (a child of the Summer King) and Ash (a child of the Winter Queen) were banished forever from Nevernever for daring to love one another and are back in the human world for good. This appeals to Meghan as she sees it as a chance to leave everything fae behind and for her and Ash to be together. But nothing is ever concrete with the fae and a missive appears from Meghan’s father asking for her attendance. If Meghan can defeat the Iron King, her and Ash’s banishment will be “pardoned” without fear of reprisal.

Meagan knows that she must go back and defeat the (false) Iron King if she is ever to go forward with her life.

Ms Kagawa has created a stunningly imaginative and vivid ever changing world filled with fantastical creatures, emotional intensity and heart stopping action. One can almost reach out and touch the land of Nevernever and its inhabitants. I am in constant awe of Ms. Kagawa’s ability to submerge me into her reality and drive me to the brink of madness with want and need.

The Iron Queen deals primarily with Meghan and her emotional, mental, and physical growth. Meghan is going to war and you can physically see her change in attitude as she dons a metaphysical armor and prepares herself for the battle. We not only see changes in her, but changes in how she perceives other people in her life. I really liked how she never voices doubt in here. Failure is not an option with her.

Ash matures in here as well. We see him go from a cold and unsure romantic interest to accepting his love for Meghan and embracing it. There is a small romantic scene between them that tastefully embraces their physical love without over stepping any bounds. It gives a feeling acceptance and hope to Meghan’s and Ash’s relationship that boosts the storyline to new levels.
We are reunited with Puck and he too changes. Even though he stayed in Nevernever after Ash and Meghan were banished, he returns to the “scene of the crime” and it further reinforces our knowledge of his feelings for Meghan . Though he loves her madly, we see that his feelings for her are strong enough to let her go romantically and still be her friend.

The battle scenes are epic and even when there is down time; the story continues to flow steady and we are carried right along with no awkward pauses. Multiple story lines are present that flow and ebb right along side our main story line. Towards the end, each one blends into the main with the brilliance of a falling star and offers the illumination we needed to see what was always in front of us.

The ending is Machiavellian in the twists and turns used to being us to the finale. I honestly thought my heart was going to break as I read the last remaining pages. While we are shown a conclusion of sorts to Meagan’s true destiny, we are also left standing on a cliff with no way up or down as Ms. Kawaga waves goodbye to us promising “rescue” with the release of her 4th installment-The Iron Knight.

With fast action pacing, a smooth constantly evolving storyline, and fresh non repetitive dialog, The Iron Fey series is definitely this readers choice as a top read. The Iron Knight, 4th and possibly finale in this series, is set to release this year.

Rating: A+

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Goodreads

The Iron Fey
The Iron King
The Iron Daughter
The Iron King
The Iron Knight – November 2011

Author’s Website.

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