Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Review: "The Iron Knight" Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4)
The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4)
Publication Date: October 25, 2011
Publisher Harlequin Teen
Paperback 361 pgs

Summary:
     The Iron Knight is about Ash's journey to find a way to reunite with the girl he loves.This novel differs from the previous books in this series since it is told form Ash's POV. The previous books in this series are told from Meghan's POV. His journey is a difficult one but he is not alone his is joined by his arch rival Puck and the always calm Grimalkin. Along the way they pick up a few unexpected companions. As Ash struggles to fulfill his promise he realizes just how difficult the road is going to be. He refuses to give up even when his past turns up to haunt him. What will Ash do when he is confronted with a past that he thought he left behind? 


Review:
     I was a little apprehensive when I heard this book would be told from Ash's POV. I was so used to being inside Meghan's head that I didn't know what to think about being inside Ash's. But once I started reading I was not disappointed. Though this book lacked the romance that the other books had I still felt Ash's desire to be with Meghan again. One of the things I loved about this story was being able to get into Ash's icey head.  On the outside he seems hard and uncaring. Once you are inside of his head the reader is able to get a clear understanding of who Ash really is. He had reasons from cutting himself off from his emotions as we learned in previous books but we get more of how Ash dealt with being a Prince of the Unseelie Court. 

     Another aspect of this book that kept me hooked was the interactions between Ash and Puck. They fight like crazy throughout the entire journey but when they have to fight they work together really well. Puck seems to do his best to get on Ash's nerves but he makes it clear that he will see this adventure through to its conclusion. Puck as always uses his humor to get him through tough situations and it is that humor that makes me love reading about him.

    All in all I really enjoyed the conclusion of this series. There were some sad sections that had me hoping things would not end horribly. You never know how an author will choose to end a series. Will the go for the Happily Ever After or will they leave readers scratching their heads wondering what the heck just happened? There were also some really great parts that had me grinning and smiling like a total fool. I was sad to see this series end. But I am looking forward to reading Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series as well as the next installment of the Iron Fey from Ethan's POV.

Cover:
     I really like the cover of The Iron Knight it fits well with the rest of the series yet it stands out on its own. Not only does it have Ash on the cover but Puck is on the back. One of the reasons I like The Iron Fey covers is because they are so colorful yet simplistic at the same time. Outstanding! 


4 comments:

  1. I'm so glad to read you enjoyed Iron Knight! It was the perfect closure for one of my favorite series of YA, so it always makes me happy to see that other people enjoy them as well.

    When I heard it'd be told from Ash's POV, I was a bit aprehensive too - not because I didn't want to get there, but because Meghan was so characteristic that I was afraid Kagawa would still sound like Meghan while writting Ash! Of course, that fear resulted to be quire stupid, since he was distinct and deep and lovable all around...

    Puck's going to come around again, in the Ethan Chase books! I can't wait for that, though Blood of Eden is going to definitely hit top of my shelves as soon as they're available.

    Thanks so much for the review!

    Ron @ Stories of my life

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  2. Ron C. Nieto-- I hope to more of Puck in the future, he is such a great character. I'm so excited that the Iron Fey series will continue with Ethan but I'm also interested to see what Blood of Eden is all about.

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  3. Hi, Nicole! From everything I've read, Ash does seem very cold and ruthless so it's interesting that Kagawa chose him to narrate this story, which is the last. So...I can figure out from that with whom Meghan ends up with? It's encouraging that you enjoyed this so that means the story ended the way it should have. Thanks for your review!

    New follower~

    Stephanie ~Misfit Salon~

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  4. StephanieD-- Ash does seem cold and ruthless but The Iron Knight gives you a look inside his head, which I enjoyed.

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