Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey, #1) 
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format: ebook from Audrey @ holes in my brain
Read: 8/27/2011 [Bout of Books Read-a-Thon]
In Six Words: Interesting glimpse into the Fae world.

Links
Julie Kagawa — Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Amazon — Paperback | Kindle
Book Depository — Paperback
Add it to Goodreads

Book Order

1. The Iron King 
2. The Iron Daughter
3. The Iron Queen
4. The Iron Knight (Oct 25, 2011)

Why I Started This Series and General Thoughts

Another book (and series) recommended to me by Tara.  I received The Iron King from Audrey for a July RAK.  I’ve also seen tons of talk around the blogosphere about this series and know that it is beloved by many.  I read it as part of my Bout of Books read-a-thon, and despite a slow start, really enjoyed The Iron King.

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.
-from Goodreads

Thoughts on Book 1

Perhaps that I had been warned it might take time before I got into the book better prepared me than if I hadn’t known.  It did take a bit before I settled into the story, but the aforementioned knowledge and a nasty case of cramps (TMI? sorry; reading keeps my mind off the pain) kept me pushing forward.  Also, I was slightly weirded out by the names at the very beginning because Kyle has a sister-in-law named Meghann and a brother named Luke.  And I’ve got a friend whose son — who is 4 — is named Ethan.  Coincidences are fun, no?  Maybe it is for this reason many fictional characters have such unique names.  Anyway.  The Iron King was the first book (I think) I’ve read set in the fae world and about them as well.  Other books have features fae characters, either as enemies or very uneasy and untrustworthy allies, so this was an interesting change of pace.

Meghan struck me as naive and somewhat annoying at the beginning of The Iron King.  A couple times I had to roll my eyes at what she got into.  It was probably necessary for the story to move forward, but it still made me roll my eyes.  Once Puck, Ash, Meghan and Grim all got together on their adventure, I started getting pulled into the story.  I really enjoyed the four of these characters together, and the relationship (or lack thereof?) between Puck and Ash promise to make the next books in this series good ones.

I’m trying to decide whether the end would be considered a cliffhanger or not.  To me, it’s a logical conclusion of the story while at the same time indicating that Meghan’s story isn’t over yet.  And when you consider that The Iron King is the beginning of the series, it’s obvious Meghan’s story is far from being complete.  And I will definitely pick up the next books, especially since they are supposed to get better from here.  But I don’t feel forced to do this, like I did with other series that will remain nameless. *cough*feverseries*cough*

You Might Enjoy This Book If…

I think I’m pretty behind the reading curve on this series, but I suspect this book (and series) will appeal to YA paranormal fans.

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holes in my brain