Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: February 1st 2010
Series: The Iron Fey #1 
Source: ebook


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Summary: 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.

Review: Let me start off by saying that this is my first fae book. I have tried reading other stories but I just never really got the whole fae thing. I picked up The Iron King to see what all the hype was about and stuck through it just to say that I've read at least one fae book. That was my initial thoughts, until about page 200. In the beginning, I just didn't really get into the book. I hated the school scenes and the explanation about the fae world was drowning me since I haven't read any similar ones before and also because I was cranky about having to work 6 days in a row.
But then I started to get the world and the characters and the rest is history.

First, lets talk about the characters. I really liked how all the characters played a part in the plot instead of just the main lead charging ahead. It gave a nice variation and my favourite was Grimalkin, he was funny, cute, cool, nice, witty, sarcastic and he is a cat! :)
Megan Chase was great at times but a little too weak at times. A really odd character I would say. Her I-would-die-for-everyone spirit was sweet (I guess) but honestly, if you are just going to stand there and let monsters kill you I don't see how that's going to help anyone. Her life had to be saved like 6 times by 3 different people throughout the book and the only time she wasn't being a damsel in distress is towards the end when she confronted the Iron King. I am really hoping that I will like her better in The Iron Daughter.
I can't wait to find out more about Ash, he is so mysterious and hot! *swoons* In real life, I prefer guys like Puck but I absolutely adore bad boys when it comes to fictional characters. TEAM ASH!

The plot was paced fairly well especially once the adventure started. Romance was cute, tension between Puck and Ash was relatable, Kings' and Queens' behaviours were justified. There is probably more to it but I am too hungry to think straight right now. :P I didn't really care for Ethan being kidnapped though, I am not heartless! I just didn't get it, the whole changeling thing was unnecessary but I think its part of the fae thing right?


The cover and book title is pretty amazing and I really like how the whole series has a common cover theme and that the titles are so appropriate.


Overall, the plot was very strong and I like how reality plays a part in the fae world. I really enjoyed the concept of imagination and creativity vs technology. Julie Kagawa has a great writing style, I could imagine everything she was describing and I can imagine this book translating to the big screen! This is a pretty unique theme for me, I assume it has not been used in other fae books? As you can probably tell I am still a little confused about the whole fae idea, I am hoping that the subsequent books in the series would straighten me out! I am more psyched about reading the next few books after writing this review, woot!


My rating:

Recommended for anyone who loves fae and enjoys reading about an adventure.