Sunday, February 13, 2011

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

The past year has been beyond life-altering for Meghan Chase. Suddenly thrust in the world of Faerie and the rivalries between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, Meghan realizes her importance in this beautiful yet cruel world, a world that has silently existed alongside hers ever since she was born. To complicate matters further, the Seelie and Unseelie have become threatened by a new kind of Faerie - the Iron Fey, brought to life by the ever-increasing reliance humans have of technology. Meghan, with the aid of the Unseelie prince Ash and childhood friend, the Faerie Puck, has already defeated the first Iron King and successfully retrieved a stolen scepter in time to stop a Faerie war. Meghan thought she was never going back, especially since she and Ash had been banished from the Faerie world together - a punishment for their forbidden love. But the rise of a second Iron King changes all that, and Meghan finds herself once again in the complicated world of Faerie, on a quest to save the entire Faerie race.

This third installment of Julie Kagawa's The Iron Fey series does not disappoint and continues the momentum of the two previous novels. There were barely any dull moments, and the trio is always on the move. I did find the apparent helplessness of Meghan a bit annoying at times - every time they meet an enemy, it was Ash and Puck protecting her while she screamed or fainted -but the girl did mature emotionally throughout the book. I adore the twist at the ending and applaud Meghan for her courage and sense of responsibility. This trilogy-turned-saga will end with The Iron Knight, told from Ash's perspective. I simply cannot wait to get my hands on the next book and would recommend this series to fans of fantasy and faerie novels.

sex is implied, although not graphically described

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Palo Alto, CA US