De IJzerprins

The Iron Fey #4

by Julie Kagawa, Angelique Verheijen (Translator)

Mijn naam, mijn ware naam, is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

Ik ben de enig overgebleven zoon van Mab, koningin van het Winterhof. En wat haar betreft, ben ik dood. Mijn verhaal begint, zoals zoveel verhalen, met een meisje...

Als Winterprins zag ik liefde altijd als een zwakte. Maar toen kwam Meghan, half meisje half fae, en dat veranderde alles. Ik werd verliefd op haar en beloofde dat ik haar ridder zou zijn. Een belofte waarvan ze me - om mijn leven te redden - ontsloeg toen Nimmernimmer bijna ten onder ging aan de IJzerfae.

Nu is Meghan de IJzerkoningin, heerseres van een rijk waar Zomer- en Winterfae niet kunnen overleven. Om bij haar te kunnen zijn, zal ik sterfelijk moeten worden. Dus ben ik nu, samen met Puck, met wie ik nog steeds een flinke appel te schillen heb, en die irritante cait sith Grimalkin, die me ook al het bloed onder de nagels vandaan haalt, onderweg naar het Eind van de Wereld.

Daar zal ik de proeven moeten afleggen om mijn ziel te verdienen. Maar de prijs is hoog, en de keuzes die ik moet maken zijn onmogelijk.

Zal ik Meghan ooit nog terugzien?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Fae, Paranormal, Fairies, Magic

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 2011

Reviews

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Read in October 2011**

***Firstly, thank-you to Harlequin Teen Australia for sending me a copy to read and review**

The Iron Knight marks a dramatic conclusion to Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series. Weaving together all the beauty and wonder that has made this series so captivating, The Iron Knight explores the darkest places of the Nevernever as Ash faces truths, challenges and revelations in his quest for a soul; racing towards a climax that will leave you breathless!

In all honestly I’m saddened to see this series come to an end, but I found this book to be a very fitting end to a series that has taken me on highs and lows, through danger and adventure, shown me love and heartbreak and ultimately captured me with each and every book. Julie Kagawa has created a gem right here, with a world and characters beautiful in their own rights and magic when she put them together. Every page, ever book has just gotten better and better and Kagawa proves she can still knock our socks off with more twists and turns, and shocks and revelations than I knew what to do with in this book!

There wasn’t a moment during Ash’s adventure that I was bored or able to be dragged away. It was stunning watching as he and Puck travelled far and wide as part of their journey to find Ash a soul. Of course it was fantastic seeing Puck (AKA Robin Goodfellow) return in all his pesky glory, creating more mischief and making me smile even when ten seconds before I’d wanted to cry. Brimming with old friends and new, all of which helped Ash in some way or another, this story takes us into the heart and head of Ash, allowing us a glimpse into the very depth of the Winter Prince. This book is an emotional roller-coaster ride as Ash faces his past in an attempt to find his future. Just when it seemed like we all knew what would happen with this book, Ash is faced with not one, but two equally difficult choices to make in his quest to return to Megan.

I really felt for Ash in this book—it was impossible not to, but I feel like he really cemented and proved why he is, and will always be, one of the best male leads in YA fiction. We’ve all known Ash had led a hard life, and had done some horrible things but in this book the reality really sinks in as we see the horrors Ash was a part of and the blood that once stained his hands. We must face the horror of his past with our hero as he attempted to pass his tests and return to his love. I think Ash grew so much in this book and it was brilliant to see.
Now I’m not going to go into a lot of detail for fear of giving too much away, but throughout the series we’ve watched Ash morn his lost love, even as he fell for Megan and in Iron Knight Ash faces a revelation and choice I doubt any of us readers ever expected he’d face. Julie Kagawa certainly knows how to pull our heart strings, but in the end Ash made the right decision. We all knew he loved Megan, but by throwing in this twist Kagawa has truly validated their love and proven that it really is the real deal; that it’s stronger than anything else.

There were heart-wrenching moments and throughout the whole book you truly do wonder how it will end. Nothing ever seemed safe, even towards the end of the book when everything seemed to come crashing down, before soaring higher and higher than before.
There’s been pain and tears, laughter and joy and heart-breaking sorrow, but in this book we finally find the ending we were all searching for as The Iron Fey series comes to a close. As we face the final chapter in what truly has been an incredible series, Kagawa delivers one of the best books and doesn’t disappoint as she ends the series with endless hope and possibilities and I’m sure leaves us all wishing we could get our hands on the spin-off right now.....

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! I love Ash so much and I love this book so much ♥



This book picks up basically where the Iron Queen ended. Ash and Robin Goodfellow are going on quests in Nevernever. Ash is looking for something and they have the help of that sweet ish kitty, Grimalkin =)

And I love Nevernever. You just never know what kind of wonderfully, magical stuff you will find there. And things that want to eat you but we won't mention those!



On this journey, the friends run into all kinds of crazy stuff. At one point the run into a huge wolf that helps save them from a giant troll or whatever he was, I forget. Anyway, come to find out the wolf was sent by Ash's mom Mab to help him on his journey. I guess a mom is always a mom even if she did disown you.

And then . . .

someone else returns that really made me mad at first. I was mad as hell because I didn't want that person in the picture, but it turns out that it was fine in the end. Things happen for a reason and it was all good.

Ash has to journey to the end of the world in order to take some tests and if he passes he will get his wish and be able to be with Meghan again. It was a very trying time but love does conquer all, at least in books =) I'm so very happy with this ending and this book is wonderful! ❤



Fin

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the time I started listening to this series, I have been unable to pull myself away from it. Over the course of a week or so, I have read the entire series from start to finish. I have enjoyed every minute. (Okay, maybe not all of the time spent discussing Ariella.) Gladly, I can say that this series did not fizzle out at the end like many series do. This story was action-packed and engaging right to the very end.

Picking up where 'The Iron Queen' and 'Summer's Crossing' left off, Ash and Meghan are separated for most of this book. He's working diligently to find a way to get back to Meghan's side, even if it means becoming human so that he can survive the Iron Realm. He'll stop at nothing to get back to her.

In some ways it was kind of fitting that now that Ash has finally figured out that he loves Meghan that he would be kept apart from her. After all, Meghan endured his cold shoulder treatment repeatedly. So, I kind of felt like most of this book was Ash's dose of karma for how he rebuffed Meghan in 'The Iron Daughter'. (I'm blood-thirsty that way.)

I don't want to say too much, but I will say that there were some pretty big twists along the way. I can't say I was completely surprised, but there were definitely some wrenches thrown in the plans. One of my biggest pet peeves - the perfect, dead ex-girlfriend - continued to be an issue in a huge way. (Why can't this dead girl just GO AWAY???)

Maybe I should be more sensitive and try to like Ariella, but I just can't. Ash's wishy-washy feelings also got on my nerves where the dead ex was concerned. It made me question the genuineness of his feelings for Meghan.

Meanwhile, Puck started looking better and better. The poor guy's loyalty was infallible, but he was destined to forever remain in the "friend-zone". My heart broke for him.

As Ash endures multiple trials on his quest to gain a soul and become human, Puck, Grimalkin and the great Wolf hunter are right by his side. Like 'Summer's Crossing', Meghan was absent for a large part of this book. However, the robust cast of characters in 'The Iron Knight' did not leave me wanting the way that the earlier novella did. There was never a dull moment.

More so than any of the books that preceded this one, 'The Iron Knight' provided insight into Ash's character. I felt like I really got to know him in this book. I won't lie, he definitely had some pretty big skeletons in his closet. However, in my opinion, he had a soul all along. He clearly had a conscience, even if he was taught to ignore it from the time he was young.

I really felt for Ash, especially as a child. His world was so cruel and cold. Never was he nurtured like a child should be. It is a wonder that he didn't turn into a total psychopath.

At long last, things worked out the way that they should have. I was left feeling relieved and contented at the end of this book. A part of me was even a little sad that I had reached the end of this series.

Overall, this was a fantastic book. It was the perfect finale to this series. I'm glad that I read it and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a "clean" fantasy/adventure/paranormal type of story. It has romance, as well as plenty of action.

Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ash, I love you. Enough said.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, let me say that I really enjoyed the previous installments of this series; so I'm not happy to squash this one down. Maybe I'm in a bad mood lately, or maybe my standards have suddently become impossibly high, but I didn't like this novel.

Brief recap of what this story is about: to be with girl, boy has to acquire a soul. To do so, boy must pass an unspecified test. Girl has to do absolutely nothing in the meantime.

For the first 2/3 I was so bored that I wanted to gouge my eyes off with a spoon.
The book is written in first person, from Ash's POV. Given that now he's kind of depressed, sad, tired, indecisive and generally behaves like an emo, that's not conductive for a lively read.

If you don't know what an "emo" is:



And then he discovers that his ex girlfriend is not dead, but is still pining for him. She's almost as depressed and sad and all-of-the-above as he is.
What a huge pile of depression and sadness. Shall we throw an emo party? (Or is that an oxymoron?)
From that point on, I trudged on just to see her die. Because it was obvious that sooner or later she would, possibly in a coherently sad and depressing way.
(Here I was thinking "if I'm lucky, she's going to cut herself or something")

Well, our depressed and sad characters face a series of pointless and wholly inconsequential challenges. I'm sure there's every sort of metaphorical significance in those, but all the philosophizing is lost on me. I just found these parts unnecessary. Maybe they were needed to give some thickness to the book.

And then Ash comes to the End of the World where he'll prove himself worthy of a soul. We are on chapter 15 out of 24, and you could delete all that's already happened without losing anyhing of the plot's backbone (as detailed in my nice recap).

The trial consists in three rather stupid tests. Sorry, but I'll have to need some spoilers here.
- The first test is survive a pretended attack of monstrous birds without using glamour (fey magic); and no one has ever done that before!? Please.
- The second test is to relive all the bad actions he has committed; same comment as above.
- The third test is to grow old, while your immortal companion never ages. As this require some insight in the future, it can be confused with the normal course of events. For me, this part was a continuous string of WTFs.

Finally, we are freed from the burdensome presence of the ex girlfriend, who kindly sacrifices herself for the happiness of her boyfriend with his new girlfriend.
...WHAT!?
So, our boy can live happily-ever-after with the new girlfriend, carrying around the soul of his ex. Because it's not like this is creepy or bothersome in the least. In fact, I'd love to know my boyfriend lives with the soul of his ex. Absolutely.

Bottom line: don't bother with the actual book, just hit all the spoilers above and call it a day.
In the meantime, I'm going to pull a certain author down from a very high pedestal.



DISCLAIMER:
This review is meant as a joke. I don't intend to belittle depression or other kinds of psychological distress. I've suffered of depression myself, so believe me, I should know.

[Michele (Reading Lark/CanadianTwiMom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put... PURE PERFECTION!

Story telling does not get any better than this...

I am utterly struggling for the right words to adequately review the brilliance of The Iron Knight, and the series as a whole, and do it ANY justice, so please bear with me.

How could Julie Kagawa meet the excellent story telling of The Iron Queen and her previous books in her series? While, from past experience, I had no doubt she could... I was still amazed that SHE DID... so expertly and so eloquently as only a master story teller can do.

Going into this final installment in The Iron Fey, we knew that this was going to be Ash's story and it would be about his journey in finding his way back to Meghan. Meghan is now the Queen of the Iron realm -- a place where Ash, as a faery, cannot follow despite his vow to protect her as her knight. Ash's solution to be with her again is to become human... he admits to not fully understandng what it will require of him, but he's determined to do whatever it takes to keep his promise to her.

As much as this was a story about Ash's pursuit of becoming human and ultimately returning to Meghan's side, it also became a very personal journey for him as well. Not only does he have to meet some very hard challenges head-on that involve strength, determination and skill, he also had to make some excrutiating choices, too. Is his love for Meghan strong enough to get him through this - that is also put to the test. The tests are next to impossible... no other has lived to tell about it.

Ash's evolution from The Iron King to this last installment in The Iron Fey series is, in my opinion, one of the best character arcs I've ever read... and probably more so than Meghan's, which I thought was very impressive. We thought we finally broke through Ash's icey-facade in The Iron Queen, but what we find in The Iron Knight, is that there is many more layers that needed peeling away to get to the heart of this amazing character. And some of what we find at his core is not pretty, and difficult to reconcile with the Ash we all have loved in these books. Julie took a huge risk in humbling the icey-prince but it was so well done and purposeful.

Ash's arduous and yet fantastical journey takes us to the edges of the Nevernever... to The River of Dreams and The Deep Wylde, and culminates at The End of the World and The Testing Grounds, all the while accompanied by Puck and Grimalkin and two VERY unlikely characters from Ash's past.

During Ash's quest, Julie cleverly inserted some wonderfully romantic moments as well (remember... this is Ash's quest to returning to Meghan's side). And Julie knows how to write about love without it being corny or mushy... just natural, heart-melting and sigh-worthy.

Puck also plays a pivotal role in Ash's journey - he does not just provide the comic relief and live to be the thorn in Ash's side. I have to say that he really shines in The Iron Knight. While I've always loved his lightheartedness and funny antics... we get to see a lot more of the REAL Puck, and I loved him for it. Some of the best scenes were between him and Ash. I really came to ADORE and appreciate Puck in this final book.

Of course, Grimalkin is... well... Grimalkin. As always, he pops in when it's convenient for him and mysteriously vanishes when trouble is near. He never changes, there is no personal growth, but he plays one of the most enjoyable parts in this series.

There were two surprising characters who join Ash in his quest and they were wonderful additions to the story and so very integral. I can't provide more description than that without providing some big spoilers, so you'll have to take my word for it till you can read for yourself.

The Iron Knight reached beyond my expectations and Ash gave a whole new meaning to that old declaration of love, "I'll go to the ends of the earth for you." I couldn't ask for a more befitting ending either, where we briefly switch back to Meghan's perspective. And that very last page just hit it out of the park for me. Julie nailed it with that very last scene. It was understated just a bit... but so very perfect.

So now my all-time favourite story has come to an end and I'm left with a mish-mash of incredibly content and sad emotions. Throughout The Iron Fey series, Julie took us to some very magical, fantastical, almost impossible to imagine places... all through some pretty wonderful story telling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for the privilege of reading this early. Now I won't have to wish the summer away afterall. Meghan, Ash, Puck, Grimalkin and a wonderful cast of supporting characters will forever live in my heart and never cease to exist. Most of all... thank you Julie for sharing your brilliant imagination with us.

Originally read: July 16-23, 2011

Audio: I listened to the audio of The Iron Knight over the last couple of weeks. I LOVED reliving Ash's journey to gaining his soul and finding his way back to Meghan. What an adventure! The narrator's voice was smooth, albeit, somewhat older sounding for Ash a bit too New Yorkish (??) for Puck, but awesome for Grim, and the female voice imitations were a little funny coming from such a masculine voice...but I did get used to him and quite enjoyed his narration. I also appreciated the Meghan's voice returning at the end for the epilogue...perfect!

[Kristalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Final rating: 2/5 stars





This will be a really difficult review to write...this is my fifth time of rewriting it actually.

I enjoyed the book, and i loved the story. It's a roller coaster of emotions (as a matter of fact, i cried, laughed like crazy and was pissed off and raging a lot).

But! But! And more but! there is a reason it's not higher than 2. The reason lies in our famous ice prince of the Winter court, Ash.



There is just one thing for certain. You will either hate or still love Ash - or be stuck in between like me. And that decision can be, or... most possibly... life destroying.




Also, the thing is that this book was kind of weird to me. Weird as in dinosaur in middle of a town, playing with children. Oh wait, i don't need to imagine it, here it is:





And still i cannot say that i didn't love this book. Because i did. It was addicting and i couldn't stop reading it even if i wanted. I wanted to know what happened next, and next and next. I also liked the story, even if it was cliched in some parts but i loooooooooooooved it.



I never thought i would actually miss being in Meghan's head, because i really did miss her. Being in Ash's head was tiring sometimes.

It's true! O_O

► STORY:

After the end of third book, where Meghan claimed her throne and became the Iron Queen, she exiled Ash using his true name to keep him away from staying with her and dying in pain.

So, our stubborn fey prince swears an oath to find a way to be with her again.

Which leads him to being in a company of his frenemy Puck, Grimalkin, Big Bad Wolf and...... Ariella. Le gasp!

Which makes him question... does he truly love Meghan and will he be able to do everything to be with her?



BE WARNED: SPOILERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS. SERIOUS ONE IN FACT, AS IN END OF THE BOOK SPOILERS


Those trials were freaking awesome O_O!!!! I loved how they made Ash suffer, mwahahahaha. He did deserve it, but i kind of felt sad in the end... Especially with all of his regrets. At least he regretted the monstrosities he did. But the final one, with vision of the future... it kind of broke my heart :(

Then, the visions. They were kind of.... interesting. Especially Ash being the winter king and killing everyone O.o... But Puck died so i was not happy about it.

And chapter 14 with mirror reflections - epic! I loved that chapter the most <3

and i cried during the part where Ash and Puck fought for the last time :(

► CHARACTERS:

♦ Ash :

Ash fans, please don't kill me.

#cause i have an opinion.

Ash, the winter prince, the one who makes the whole world swoon - drastically changes in this book. I don't know what happened, but this is not Ash i was used to. It is different, whiny, undecidable character. As much as i loved him before, my opinion drastically changed as much as it did with him.

I was in love. With a human.
I smiled bitterly at the thought. The old Ash, if faced with such a suggestion, would've either laughed scornfully or removed the offender's head from his neck.

As far as i know, i am able to tolerate irritating heroes and heroines. And i once loved Ash. Now, i want him to burn in hell (actually i want him to suffer, because what he had gone through was really not nearly enough for what he had done in the past). Well, not really, i don't. But i do. And then again, i don't. I am quite conflicted about my feelings for him.

I just know that i want my old Ash back. This version of him destroyed everything i loved about him. If i could just go back in time or erase everything which irritated me (which would be from chapter 6 to chapter 14)....sigh....it would be awesome :D

Serious spoilers:



As for his past, as mentioned above... i can understand that he was not, in fact, always a positive character. He did belong to the evil side of the faeries, to the emotionless, brutal and uncaring race. And what he did before was unspeakable and nothing can change it. No matter how much he regretted it, it wasn't enough. Are you sure you want to proceed? Nothing can change that he was in fact, a cold blooded murderer, kind of rapist, destroyer of lives and stealer of babies. Nope, he lost my respect for that. .

So, the appearance of Ariella was kind of irritating to me. Because, all Ash did was think if he loved Meghan or Ariella more. It pissed me off so much. And i couldn't bear it and it made me rage over and over again. I get it that he loved her once, and that he was truly in love with her, but its time to let the past go, and embrace the present. He loves Meghan too, but after this book, i was not convinced. It felt like he was doing it only for himself, because if he hadn't sworn an oath, he would probably be with Ariella. But he had to do it, and therefore he had to be with Meghan because he couldn't do anything else. And that made me hate him in a way. And when he did get his soul, he stayed with Meghan ONLY because of a vision of his son. Again, he did not do it for Meghan. and yet again he said this:

“Ari...I will always love you. I always have.Nothing will change that." I squeezed her hand, then gently released it. "You'll always be a part of me. But...I'm not in love with you...anymore.And despite my promise,despite seeing you again, I do this because I want to be with Meghan, nothing else" Ariella's eyes glazed over, and I eased back, speaking as gently as I could "I can't be yours, Ariella. I'm sorry.”

And everything he endured in the trials was well deserved. But i think he should have suffered more.



And yet, i still kind of love him. But not as much as i did before, and in the end, i was sad for him. After all, he was one of my favorite characters before. Many people forgave him, but i just cant decide.



♦ Puck :

I totally root for him now. I love him, and have always loved him, ever since the first book. Despite everything, he was always there. No matter how much it hurt him or damaged him, he was always there to support. I actually love him the most, and i think it would have been better if Meghan actually stayed with him instead of Ash. He truly loves her. I even think he was more and better characterized than any other character in the series. I even cried for him! After all he didn't lose one, but three people he loved the most. Two friends and the love of his life.

"Just because we have a different way of handling it, doesn’t mean I don’t have scars of my own.”
“Name one,” I scoffed. “Give me one instance where you haven’t—”
“Meghan Chase!” Puck roared, startling me into silence. I blinked, and he sneered at me. “Yeah, your highness. I know what loss is. I’ve loved that girl since before she knew me. But I waited. I waited because I didn’t want to lie about who I was. I wanted her to know the truth before anything else. So I waited, and I did my job. For years, I protected her, biding my time, until the day she went into the Nevernever after her brother. And then you came along. And I saw how she looked at you. And for the first time, I wanted to kill you as much as you wanted to kill me."

♦ Everyone else :

◉ Grimalkin was as awesome as usual, i think he was even more cooler in this one of them all. And he is always, oh so mysterious.
◉ The character who returned from the Winter's passage is the Big Bad Wolf, and he was a nice addition and his arguments with Grimalkin were so hilarious!

“The Wolf snarled, tensing his muscles, as if he wished he could climb the tree after the feline. "One day I will catch you on the ground, cat," he said through bared teeth. "And you won't even know I'm there until I tear your head off." "You have been saying that since before humans had fire, dog," Grimalkin replied, completely undisturbed. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't hold my breath."

◉The mystery guest of this book: Ariella!...I kind of feel sad about her. She did survive and everything but was forced to see everything that happened to Ash and Puck and Meghan.... But i didn't want her here and i just wanted her to go away as soon as possible. It is clear how much Ash loved her - and it made me dislike her.

◉ Meghan did not appear much in this one, but i think i love her even more now.

► OVERALL:

Don't get me wrong - i looooooooooooooove this series. And it's worth reading. But, i kind of prefer how third book ended comparing to this end. But still, interesting addition and i need more of these books. Thank god there are more ;D



And p.s. Because of this i did not do anything productive for past two days.

Except writing this enormous review.



And p.s. the end of the book dialogues were so much fun <3

Puck: Well, she likes me best, of course. I’m the handsome, charming one.
Ash: Yes, that’s why she gave you your own book. Oh, wait.
Puck: No one asked you, ice-boy.
Julie: I like them all in different ways. But I will say that Ash was the hardest character to write sometimes. It’s so hard to get him to talk! I’ll be pushing him to open up and say something and he just crosses his arms and acts stubborn.
Ash: …
Julie: See?

Tell us a little about other things that interest you, besides writing.
Julie: Well, I enjoy reading, painting and drawing, but I also love anime, manga and comics. I’m an avid gamer—I have a PS3, an Xbox 360 and a Wii. My favorite food in the whole world is sushi, and I’m taking classes in Wing Tzun kung fu.
Puck: *singing* “Everybody was kung fu fighting …”
Julie: Agh. Ash, stop him before that song is stuck in everyone’s head.
Ash: Too late.

What is your favorite part of the Nevernever? Where would you live if you were a faery?
Julie: I was going to say the wyldwood, but on second thought, I think I’d live in the Iron Realm with Meghan and Ash.
Ash: See? She prefers my company to yours.
Julie: Not really. It’s just hard to find a wireless signal in the wyldwood.
Puck: *snicker*

► REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:

◉ The Iron King (The Iron Fey, #1)
◉ Winter's Passage (The Iron Fey #1.5)
◉ The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey, #2)
◉ The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey, #3)
◉ Summer's Crossing (Iron Fey, #3.5)
◉ The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4)
◉ Iron's Prophecy (The Iron Fey, #4.5)
◉ The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #1)
◉ The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #2)
◉ The Iron Warrior (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #3)



This review can be found on my blog: infinity-of-time.blogspot.com also known as...

[Areeba · Rating 3 out of 5]

[High Lady of The Night Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I haven’t written reviews for the first 3 books I would like to start off by saying that all four of the books get 4.5 stars from me. I was pleasantly startled to see that it was really easy to get absorbed into this world and I got through each book pretty quickly. When I started this series, I think the first thing I noticed was that the plot for each book is relatively simple and the figuring out the twists and turns was not a hardship at all. Despite the simplicity of the storyline, I was shocked to see that books somehow always managed to keep me wanting to read more.

The books were overall very entertaining and in due course of time, grow on you. The ‘fairy’ world of Nevernever comprises of the Seelie Court, the Unseelie Court, and now the Iron Kingdom. I enjoyed seeing the incorporation of the characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream as humans began dreaming of them. The idea that myths, stories, and simply remembering a creature from a story fuels their existence in the book.

Our protagonist, Meghan, is not one of my favorite female leads but there is a vast growth in her character when compared with her personality in the first book. In the first 2 books I feel like she has a hard time keeping her emotions from overriding her actions so they lead to situations that could have been better or even completely avoided, but in the third book she is more put together and makes well thought out decisions and comes into her own. I truly admire her loyalty to the people who matter to her and her willingness to do what is right even if it is very much easier to extricate herself from the issue. 

I also really love both Ash and Puck, both of them have great personalities and are the most loyal friends you will find. Those last chapters revealed a lot about both Ash and Puck not just to us but themselves. Puck's fame and other people's opinions and previous encounters with him are truly amusing. Reading about bits of their past as best friends is so endearing it make my heart want of shatter into a million pieces.
And you can't not love Grimalkin.

I don’t think the entirety of how attached I’d become to this world, to these characters hit me only when I was reading this final book. As I neared the end of this book the reality that I was actually going to leave this world of faeries, love, and friendship hit me like a punch to the gut. Each of the character in their own way have grown on me to the point that I will always want to come back to these characters, I will truly miss this series.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Kagawa knows how to end a series.

It's always sad (and a bit scary) to say goodbye to a favorite series. Last books come with such emotionally-fueled expectations. And after, some authors leave you feeling wrung out and crushed, while other authors make your heart sigh with happiness and contentment. Whenever I read a last book, I'm always overwhelmed with that feeling of Please don't ruin what you've created. Well, I am ecstatic to say that in The Iron Knight, Julie Kagawa gives us the perfect journey to the perfect ending that this stellar series deserves.

The Iron Knight was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2011, and WOW did Julie deliver. It was everything I was hoping for: adventure, anguish, romance, danger, and a slew of game-changing twists that left my head spinning. Within the first ten pages, Julie hit me with a whiplash twist that I just didn't see coming (the summary wasn't available then) and then she kept them coming for the rest of the story. Things that weren't anywhere on my radar were thrown into the mix, keeping the story fresh and compelling.

And let's talk about ASH. This is his story. His narration is everything my little fangirl heart was wishing for: some moments were pure bliss, and others, as Ash begins to thaw that icy cold heart, were harrowing and heart-wrenching. Everything about Ash--his emotions, his intense love, his regret--is laid bare. We see every vulnerability Ash hides behind that cold exterior, and we feel the extent of his absolute devotion to Meghan. And as Ash has told Meghan many times, there are horrific crimes in his past, and as Ash atones for those crimes to be worthy of what it will take to be with Meghan, we see how much his love for her has changed him--how much her love for him as already redeemed him.

For fans worried there may not be enough Meghan, I thought Julie devised some sneaky, delicious ways to fit in plenty of Meghan. Besides, we've had three books with her, and I'm a sucker for any kind of alternate POV, especially from the hero's perspective, to truly feel the extent of his love for our heroine.

So this Ash fangirl thanks you, Julie Kagawa, for creating such a satisfying, stirring end to this beloved series. I found myself re-reading entire chapters just so I didn't have to say goodbye so soon.


(And let's all give Julie's editor a big cheer for convincing Julie to write The Iron Knight and not leave that heartbreaking goodbye in The Iron Queen as the end like Julie initially intended. Yes, those parting words of Ash and Meghan in TIQ were tragic and all-sacrificing and made me cry, but oh, how I love my happily ever after instead.)

[Simona B · Rating 1 out of 5]

"I will be with her again, or I will die."


(this gif is everything)

Yeah, I know that there was all that oath thing, so he was obliged to keep his word, yadda yadda, but stil: gag.

•I did like Ash as main character more than Meghan (not that it took that much). But then Ariella joined the gang, because apparently Kagawa is completely incapable of writing a book without a love-triangle. As if this were not enough, the explanation given for her return is totally plucked out of thin air, just because the author thinks that without all this useless, nauseating and gratuitous drama a story cannot be interesting, quite apart from the fact that she herself is contradictory in trying to give clarifications as to what actually happened: first it is said the she is actually alive (even if more than once it is implied that she may be something more akin to a ghost or something similar), and indeed at last she gives her life in order for Ash to gain his soul. But then Grimalkin says this:

"She was already dead, prince.” Grimalkin paused and looked back at me, narrowing his eyes. “She perished the day you swore your oath against Goodfellow."

But then she couldn't have actually given her life and I've wasted my time reading shit!

Oh, screw it, I'm done with this nonsense.

To me, this is called ineffective and clumsy usage of narrative devices.

•The part about the second trial, when finally we get to see what a bastard Ash was in the first centuries of his life, reminded me why I started this series in the first place, that is, to see Faeries being mean, sly, sneaky and cunning. Which, sadly for me, I didn't. Not at all.
Had I known...

•Half of the plot is filled with random attacks from monsters and co. that have no connection with Ash's quest and whose only purpose is to fill with something a hundred pages more, thus my boredom and my luck of interest.

In a nutshell, my suggestion is to skip this series and try something else. Even without considering my personal annoyance with the characters and their attitudes, the series lacks a solid structure and presents various logical inconsistencies. I can find very little good in it, maybe only the main concept, which had, in my opinion, a lot of potential.

[~Tina~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to read a book so badly, and wanting it to be everything you hoped it would be, and then it turn out to met not only your expectations but went beyond anything you could imagine?
Well, that what's happened to me after reading The Iron Knight.

I feel in love with this series right from the very first book. One after the other getting stronger and better. So when I heard the last and final book was on it's way I was excited to see how it would end and sad to see this beloved world and it's characters go, but after reading the final book I was filled with such contentment and a satisfaction that rarely happens with books. See I always, always want more, but the way Julie Kagawa wraps this up is pure perfection.

I don't know how Kagawa does it really, but I'm always floored, amazed and in complete awe of this women imagination and creativity. Really, how does she come up with this stuff? Her writing is like word-candy that I want to devour and savor at the exact same time. The world is so vivid, busting with energetic characters and adventure so colorful and fantastical that I want to climb in the pages, hide in a tree and just witness it firsthand. The plots get thicker and richer with each book and just when I think that Julie can't outdo herself, she proves me wrong by throwing twists after remarkable twists, making her readers hang on every.single.word at the very edge of their seats.
Amazing, amazing stuff!

In The Iron Knight, we follow Ash and Puck as they try to find a way for Ash to keep his vow to Meghan. Through an absolutely soaring journey across the River of Dreams, and to the depths of the End of the World, while fighting constant evil surrounding their every step. Trials must be faced, old feuds met and a past filled with regrets and sorrow put to rest. But fear not, for Ash and Puck are accompanied with a couple of familiar characters and one other companion that we nevah saw coming.

This was by far my favorite of the Iron Fey books. Not only did I simply adore the ending, I also loved that we finally got a glimpse of Ash and his very complex thoughts.
We learn the story of Ash and Ariella and get to see Ash and Puck on civil terms (but not tongues mind you) I adore the teamwork. They seem like such an unlikely pair cause of their heated history, but it felt as natural as breathing with these two.
I laughed, I cried and I felt like a sentimental fool.
I was pretty shocked with what Ash was attempting to do, as well as the incredible twist I never even thought could happen, but I forgot I was in Julie's world and anything pretty much goes. But I think what I loved most was the challenges Ash had to face and how he dealt with each one. Illuminating the human spirit and recognizing it for what it's truly worth.

I can go on forever praising this book but I think you get the picture. I loved it would never be enough. So all I'm gonna say is that for any fans of this epic series, this book is a must have to add to your collection.
I will miss Ash and Meghan, Puck and Grim and the countless adventures, but while their story ends here, another will begin in her Iron Fey Spinoff that stars Meghan's brother, Ethan, all grown up. It is greatly anticipated as well as anything else Julie writes. Her books are all a must-have in my eyes.

Congrats to Julie Kagawa on the success of this exceptional series.
It will forever be treasured among my favorites!

Team Ash <3!!!!

(Special thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin teen)

[Diane ϟ [ Lestrange ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m very thankful that Julie Kagawa didn’t leave us the bittersweet ending of Megan and Ash story in the 3rd book (The Iron Queen) for making this 4th . . . [drum roll] The Iron Knight!

As the final installment of Iron fey series, Ash must take an impossible journey to find his way back to Megan. Since as Winter Fey he cannot survive in the Iron Kingdom and being a human is his only choice but will it be that easy to be human or more gaining a soul? Does he understand what that solution really means? Would he still want it if he did?

It’s sad to see the characters and their journey that true marked in our heart comes to an end. For an amazing series I can say that this final book is almost perfect to its pure brilliance. Why almost? Because ehem I’m team Puck and I didn’t see his happy ending, what do you expect? Hell! That’s bloody broke my heart. Anyway, except to that, The Iron Knight had everything I could have asked for, maybe more.

We see our Icy prince and his icy heart melted slowly from Iron King to Iron Daughter and we loved him more in the Iron Queen. But did you think that you already see all of him in those three books? Well, being said that this book is at our prince point of view we see a side of him that I don’t think many people had ever seen before. Being inside his head was so . . . different. He isn't very chatty unlike Puck, and at first his thoughts are kind of dull and focus only at his mission. Gratefully, Puck and Grim was there plus the two new members of the gang to distract him and break his icy mind and have a party with Hitler.
Ok let see. Former Icy Prince + Summer Jester + “unknown” + smart-mouth cat + an irascible DOG = Dynamic. Oh maybe “syntax error”? nah! LOL

So overall this book is a feast. It has twice the number of adventures, twice the humor and twice remarkable compared to the previous books. The places they been and the quest of their journey leaves me enchanted and trap to its overwhelming brilliant imagination of Julie Kagawa. Her characters emotion strikes a chord within me. Especially the strings between Ash and Puck, their friendship is indisputable despite the tons differences they have.
Oh how much I love this book. Never get me bored, emotionally satisfying, and an epic adventure. I would like to tell you more but I don’t want to spoil them so ill just shut my fat mouth. And recommend it to those who want a new perception of fairy tale for them. Julie Kagawa’s talent surely will not let you down. I promise.

Big thanks to netgalley of letting me read this book in advance.

[shady boots · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review of the entire series on my blog!

_______________________________

Julie Kagawa is a god.

This series is easily my most favorite series of all time. And Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn is easily the best hero in all of YA fantasy. Just when I thought I couldn't love him more, I read this book. I realize now that love is an understatement for what I feel about Ash.

There wasn't a single part of this book that disappointed me. And the ending...oh... <3 Thank you is all I have to say. Thank you Julie Kagawa for giving me the ending that I was desperately craving for. Five stars is barely enough for this book, as also for the rest of the books in this series. Actually, five stars is kind of an insult.

And I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER!!!



But I cannot wait for the spin-off, starring Ethan, Meghan's brother. Aaaagh! So excited for that, I can't even tell you. x3

So anyways, yeah. Julie Kagawa?



<3

[Mizuki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought The Iron Queen is bad enough, but it was before I read The Iron Knight...

Julie Kagawa herself revealed in the interview at the end of this book, that The Iron Knight was written because her editor convinced her Meghan and Ash should not be broken apart.

Shame on you, editor.

So what should Ms. Kagawa do in order to get Meghan and Ash back together? What should she do to give her editor and all the Ash/Meghan shippers the Happy Ever After they want? Let's do a checklist:

(1) Put Ash on a quest to find a way to become human.

(2) Get Ash's dead girlfriend to come back to life so she could help Ash to finish his tasks.

(3) We need some plot development and fight scenes! Put Ash and everyone else to go to the End of the World...otherwise nothing would happen in this book!

(4) Add A LOT OF ANGST and Ash carrying on about "Meghan I love you but you rejected me!!!!" whining into the story.

(5) Get Ash's supposedly dead girlfriend to make the final sacrifice for Ash so he can become human.

(6) Let Ash grant his wish...without having to pay any real price.

There're a few more reasons why I think this book is awful, but I will mention them when I have time.

Edited @30/04/2015 10:00PM:

Warning: all-out ranting starts here, don't like don't read:

Let's get down to business, shall we? First, let me tell you I didn't care much about Ash throughout the first three books, still I at least did think he is a decent love interest in Book 3 (Don't get me started with Book 1 and Book 2, I don't want to be reminded of Meghan's Too Stupid To Live, unreasonable lust with the mysterious ice prince) however it all changed after I read The Iron Knight.

In The Iron Queen, Ash hinted to Meghan about his dark past, and in this Book 4, his past is revealed and oh, dear goodness it only shows me how much of a bastard he had been during his long immortal life! I know, Ms. Kagawa might probably want to use Ash's dark past and his quest for redemption as a plot device to give Ash more depth, to make him different from the other brooding, darkly handsome YA male love interests, but unluckily Ms. Kagawa seems to go overboard on this part.

Well...I've read characters with dark past before, I've read characters redeeming themselves despite of their past wrongdoing. However, Ms. Kagawa had done TOO LITTLE to make Ash worthy enough for redemption. Supposedly Ash should go through three trials to prove himself and face his past mistakes, but in the end those trials are nothing, none of them is harsh nor torturous nor soul-shattering nor life-changing enough to prove Ash is indeed worthy of a soul.

Those ridiculous trials aside (plus the story about how Ash's dead ex girlfriend is really not dead after all is just as ridiculous), Ash's backstory also makes one thing become clear: the romance between Ash and Meghan makes no sense. Although it's easy for me to understand why a TSTL little girl would fall in love with Ash, but on the other hand, what has Ash ever seen in Meghan anyway? What makes him love her so much? What makes Meghan different from the other love-sicked human girls he toyed with and then dumped without a second thought? The only explanation I can think of is: for the sake of driving the plot onward, Ash must fall in love with Meghan, so Ms. Kagawa just...made it happen, despite logic and reason and stuff.

To add insult to injury, Ash never has to pay any real price to gain a soul because conveniently enough his ex girlfriend paid the price for him. By the end of the book, it becomes clear that Ms. Kagawa created nothing but one plot convenience after another to make way for a Happy Ever After.

The only problem is, does Ash deserve this HEA? Nap, in my opinion as TSTL as Meghan is, she still doesn't deserve to end up with a mass murderer (who obviously has never really confessed to her about his past wrongdoing). In my opinion, Ash should have been spending the next 100 years to redeem himself before he can win back the right of being with anyone else.

You know what, not every YA book needs to have a Happy Ever After, The Darkangel trilogy doesn't, and it's freaking awful to create one plot convenience after another to make way for your HEA!

But stupid me, what am I thinking? Of course Ash would be allowed to go back to Meghan ASAP in the end, of course Ash and Meghan would have their HEA, because it's what Kagawa's editor and her readers would want! This series is about wish-fulfilling and handsome boyfriends, just like most of the post-Twilight YA novels out there, it is not about realism, the art of storytelling and real redemption. Silly me.

[Penny Well Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I just don't care about anything that happens here. I am not interested in the story and characters.

I am very disappointed with this series, everyone seems to love these books but I can't bring myself to care for this story. Although, to be fare, I must admit that the fey has never been a favorite fantasy topic for me, unlike vampires, who are my number one fantasy beings.

Despite being left unmoved by the Iron Fey series, Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series is still one of my favorite young-adult fantasy series of all time, thus, I am not giving up on this author.



The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) - 2 stars
The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2) - 2.5 stars
The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3) - 1.5 stars

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My name, my full, True Name, is Ashallyn'darkmyr Tallyn, and I am the last son of the Unseelie Court.

I was not a big fan of the first two Iron Fey books, but The Iron Queen completely stole my heart! Those of you who've read it know all about the beautiful romance, the fierce battle and the bittersweet ending that ensued. I suspect many of her fans were unhappy with the way Kagawa wrapped things up. In fact, some were probably even outraged, but not me – I loved it. That’s why I wasn’t too thrilled about The Iron Knight to begin with. A fourth book, written from Prince Ash's point of view, could only mean a different ending for him and Meghan. I’m not sorry that I got to spend more time with Ash, Puck and especially Grimalkin, I just wish there was a way to make everything less perfect in the end.

The Iron Knight is an adventure novel. Ash, Puck, Grimalkin and the Big Bad Wolf travel to the End of the World knowing that no one has ever come back alive. Reaching the end of the Nevernever means almost certain death for them all, but Ash swore an oath that compels him to move forward. That boy sure loves his oaths. How very dramatic. Of course Robin Goodfellow has his reasons for following the Winter prince through the enchanted forest, as does Grimalkin, my personal favorite.

I'm obviously not a huge fan of love triangles and I was very upset that Julie Kagawa felt the need to add another one to this story, no matter how well she resolved it in the end. I also had some minor issues with the quest itself. To be honest, I found it a little boring at times and more suitable for 14-year-old boys. BUT there were parts that were fabulous and compelling, and they evened things out a bit.

Worldbuilding is the strong point of this book. This time, Kagawa removed her characters from the comfort of both Summer And Winter Courts and built for them a completely new and very creepy challenge called the Deep Wyld. If you thought Tir Na Nog was full of hidden dangers, wait till you read about a ferry sliding through the River of Dreams or, even worse, Phaed, a city where everyone seems to forget the purpose of their existence in just one night.

It is impossible to write more about their quest without including spoilers for the previous book. Suffice it to say that I didn’t miss Meghan at all.
Despite my many problems with The Iron Knight, it was still extremely fun and I'm happy Kagawa decided to write it. I'm not so sure about the spin-off trilogy, though.

[Maria✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally done! An achievement unlocked! Although, there are some side stories and a spin off series, but I am not going to touch any of those as I have already spent too much time on a series that was only mildly enjoyable and terribly written.

So, how did the last installment fare? Judging by my 2 stars, not very well, but let us start with the positives (+negatives)!

1. THERE IS NO MEGHAN CHASE. I cannot stress this enough, because despite Meghan's efforts to prove to us how different she is from every other girl, yet so ordinary, she is extremely cliche and boring. She always does what you expect her to do and most of the time, her POV is booooring. Instead, we have Ash as the main character which is of course better, if not for the fact that he is surrounded by a boring set of characters that always save him and always do the right thing and always have the answer and always and always and always.

Of course, Grimalkin, the omniscient cat, is with them so you know they will never be lost in their quest to get Ash his soul. That alone already cuts more than half of the dangers they might face. But did they stop there? Oh no, they had to add to the fellowship a super strong "villain", Big Bad Wolf, who of course is their good ally in this case for reasons that were not entirely convincing plot-wise, so you know he was just there so they had even better chances of survival.

2. Despite the problems with the cast, if you can somehow separate this book from its context (aka, Ash doing this for Meghan, etc.), there was a portion of the book that was perfectly enjoyable with characters going through trials. Definitely not the heart-stopping, never-finished trials the Guardian tried to convince us they were (they just weren't that hard for fey with powers and a brain), but some standard ones that the heros need to pass to get closer to their goal. There was a legitimate part that the characters' interactions and trial development was fun to actually read. Too bad that did not last long.

3. Part of the ending was genuine in its storytelling, something really rare for this series and it proved to be even rarer when it late negated itself. Throughout the series, plot points, information, twists and even emotions and reactions are always conveniently placed as to have the "proper" conclusion. Therefore, a lot of what is happening falls flat and only makes me cringe more. However, there was a part with Ash exploring his potential human mortality that for once felt a bit more natural than the forced "happy ever after" or a cliffhanger that will lead to that "happy ever after" and it was really nice to read. I knew it would not last because of the writing, but I hoped that revelation of sorts would prove important for the ending. It did not. We got another extremely well placed happy ever after (because God forbid there is some relatability in the story).

Unfortunately, that is all when it come to positives, but the negatives continue on. First of all: THE ROMANCE.

If there is no Meghan in the book, where do we get our angsty romance dose? The answer is of course... the past. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought. Or sooo he thouuuught. Of course we had to invent a new triangle now (literally bringing it back from the grave) that Puck had stepped down from being a romantic rival and that there was virtually no Meghan around. Despite these characters living for hundreds of years, they all act like 7 year olds who just liked someone for the first time. Ash starts doubting his choices the moment he meets Ariella again and it has to be Ariella herself to lead him back to Meghan every time, even though she is also the one trying to steer him off. I mean, I don't know anymore. Ariella could easily be one of the most complicated characters, but she is reduced to a part of a convoluted triangle that was never a triangle to begin with and only serves the role of... serving Ash.

Then, there is this whole idea of getting a soul. The series has tried explaining how Fey have no soul since they were born from human emotions/myths/etc so they cannot really feel or have any regrets, but... they do? THEY REALLY DO? Apparently it is easier to shut off that part of them, but it is there, as it is obvious from these 4 books, so the whole "human" understanding is kinda silly, since every main and important side character has gone through many, many, many, many emotions and thus it really does not bring anything new to the table when Ash is discovering how humans feel.

I could write more in depth about every problem, but enough time has been wasted on this. Goodbye, Iron Fey series. I will never understand your popularity and I hope to deter even one person from ever picking you up! That would be my happy ever after!

[nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can only hope that this will put my heart at ease. After the iron queen, my heart felt shattered. I hope beyond hope that this ends up being ash and puck, their journey to find grim and hopefully mend the frayed fabric that was ash and meghan.

[♥ Becky 22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that feeling you get when you finish the last book in a beloved series? Like a good friend just moved away?



I'm going to have a MASSIVE book hangover from this series.

This review is full of spoilers (Don't read it if you haven't finished this book;))

The Iron Knight = An emotional roller coaster of epic proportions.

One minute I was laughing at Puck's jokes, the next I was dying inside because I felt so sorry for Ash.

Puck and Ash are my favorite characters in this series. I love, love, LOVE their best-friends-turned-enemies relationship. It developed perfectly throughout this book. It got to the part where I actually felt sad about the loss of their once good friendship. And then you get to watch them grow closer again in this book. SO PERFECT. <3
(Now that I think of it, who needs Meghan? I ship Ash/Puck. Kidding.;))

"If Puck was dead, my world would become as cold and lifeless as the darkest night in the Winter Court." - Ash

In the beginning of the book, I was a bit pissed at Ash. What really bugged me was the whole I-love-you-Ariella,-if-I-hadn't-made-that-promise-to-Meghan-I-don't-know-what-I'd-do thing. That really bothered me, because after reading 3 books from Meghan's POV, I kind of felt like I was Meghan, and god was I jealous of stupid Ariella. (Sorry, Ari. I'm biased here.)
But luckily, Ash eventually figured out that he wasn't in love with her anymore, so that ended well.

After that the crying started. That's when I really began feeling sorry for Ash. And when I say I felt sorry for him, what I mean is that I wanted to pull him out of that horrible book where terrible things kept happening to him, and just hug him and give him some chocolate and tell him that everything would be ok.




And I just kept thinking "Ash, what are you doing, you can't become mortal! Meghan's immortal now, you can't start aging now! DON'T DO IT!"

The tests he had to endure were the worst. thing. ever. First he loses his glamour (SOOO SAD!!!!). Then he gets a conscience and nearly falls apart. (I cried a bit. I'm serious.) And then he experiences this horrible, sad fake-life with Meghan. (By then the tears were streaming down my face. I'm not even kidding. I cried.)



The ending was SO PERFECT. I was SO relieved that his glamour was back and that he wouldn't be aging (oh thank GOD). And then he said goodbye to Puck and they shook hands and I nearly started crying again, because a) they shook hands!!! and b) that would be the last time I'd ever see Puck.



So despite everything Ash and Meghan got their happy ending. THANK GOD.

This book was incredible and perfect and terrible and awesome and an amazing adventure with characters you can't help but love.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted on: http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/

"I’m almost there. Wait for me just a little bit longer."

I honestly don’t even know where to begin with this review and I don’t even think I could write a review that will do this book the praise it deserves but I will say this, The Iron Knight had everything I could have asked for and more. Julie Kagawa has utterly surpassed my expectations and blown all previous books away with her truly amazing writing, her creative imagination and her gift for storytelling. Not only has she done a fantastic job with this novel but she has left me utterly speechless. Never have I felt so much joy and sadness for a book before but that’s what I’m left with. I’m left with Joy because it’s the most perfect ending to a fantastic series and sadness because it’s finally come to an end. Not only am I sad to be leaving these characters that I love but I am also sad that I didn’t get to spend more time with them as I wished. After only discovering this series a few months ago, I feel my time has come to an end too quickly. But, I do believe it was the best possible way because the excitement I had when I first started this series, is still with me now even though I’ve finished the final book.

Looking back on all four books, I honestly would have been sad had it of ended with The Iron Queen therefore I am truly grateful to Julie to have continued on with the series and created another amazing piece of work. Ash has always been a favourite character of mine, I’ve loved him from the start and if it’s possible I think I love him that much more now. This story shows him in a completely different light, you get to see his deepest darkest secrets and somehow still manage to love him. Julie definitely did the right thing by doing this book from his point of view, I know it was sad to leave Meghan behind but she’s not truly forgotten. Honestly, if could rate The Iron Knight 10 out of 10 I would. This book is definitely my favourite out of the series and this series is definitely my favourite out of everything I’ve read.

Thank you once again to Julie Kagawa for captivating us, compelling us and taking us all on this incredible journey with you. Even though the series has come to an end, it will truly not be forgotten and will be forever in our hearts.

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Please note: It's been a while since finishing this book and I did not include many details in this review.

Initial thoughts after finishing the book:

Somebody get Stephenie Meyer on the phone because this is how you add onto a trilogy without completely screwing your characters over. This is how you make a semi-insta-love relationship awesome. This is how you end a love triangle. And this is how you write a freakin' book!

4 stars seems too low and I think I love Iron Queen a little more (which I gave 5 stars). So actual rating is more like 4.5 stars. Full review to come!

Thoughts after some time had passed:

Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this, but this book didn't hold the same magic as books 1-3. Don't get me wrong, I still really enjoyed it, which is why I think it belongs with my 3.5 star books.

I am an Ash girl through and through. You cannot begin to imagine how excited I was to receive this as an ARC from Netgalley! I seriously did a major happy dance.



In this installment, we find Ash set out on his final adventure: to travel to the End of the World to find a soul. Without one, he will never be able to step foot in the Iron realm. Besides Puck, Ash finds himself accompanied by a few surprise companions and of course, the Cat. This book seemed to be slower paced that the others, focusing mainly on a lot of character development. I think it's fair to say by the end of the book you will know as much about tAsh as you did about Meghan. And that's saying something considering she had three books in her POV and Ash has only one.

I gobbled this book up, attempting to savor every moment. As usual, the banter between Puck and Ash was awesome. Julie never disappoints with her character dialog. In this book we really got a chance to have a deeper understanding of Ash *and* Puck, which was a really nice bonus. We learn more about Ariella's death and Ash's vowel. We also get a chance to see just how much Ash loves Meghan. And he truly does since he travels to the End of the World for her. The world building was once again awesome. You could easily picture the scenes described.

So, why was I not feeling the magic as much? I think a big part was because I really missed Meghan. I didn't realize how much she shaped Ash as a character in this series until she wasn't a major player. She does make some appearances in this book, but this is virtually *Ash's* book, told by his POV.

The ending was a happy one, but I think I prefer the ending in The Iron Queen instead because it was just a very emotional ending. The Iron Knight did have me tear up a bit, but The Iron Queen opened the flood gates.

So, if you loved the Iron Fey series definitely give The Iron Knight a go!

More reviews and more at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

[Sara (Freadom Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 stars

Critically
Plot - 4.5 out of 5 stars
Really enjoyed it. It was exciting, action-packed, mysterious with a great mid-way plot twist and a very sweet and satisfying ending.

Writing Style - 4 out of 5 stars
It's very simple but with very beautiful and detailed descriptions. Every time there is a POV change, there is a slight change to match the voice of the person. Within the story, there's a lot of foreshadowing to later plot points which are a bit easy to catch on to.

Characters - 4 out of 5 stars
We get a new point of view in this book compared to the rest of the books in this series. Ash, one of the male protagonist in this series, takes center stage and becomes the main voice as he takes a journey for love. I liked getting the chance to get to know him better and more in depth in this book. He's strong and brave and determined. But he also shows a lot of vulnerability and openness that we hadn't seen from him before and it was really interesting to see the complexity of his character closer. He's torn about a lot of the possible decisions in his future and it was great to see him be a little on the weaker side throughout this book. We also get some of my lovable Puck, whom I love and who is one of my favorite characters of this series.

Emotionally
I was not expecting to like this book as much as I actually did.

The plot was fascinating. The concept was really intriguing concept, the act of a faerie becoming human and what that would take. The journey itself was intense. We saw a lot more of the Nevernever than we have had before in the previous books. Some of them were really cool and interesting, and others were downright frightening and almost made me want to stop reading because I am huge chicken when it comes to scary things. There was an amazing plot twists in this book that blew me away! I had no idea that that was even possible, let alone to see it happen was crazy. It definitely improved the series for me because I was not expecting something like that at all. The group that forms for this book was actually hilariously disconnected. They didn't always get along and weren't necessarily the best of friends but it worked. The dynamics of the team helped Ash in his journey. Which was super intense and amazing by the way. I didn't realize how deep the author was going to get when she built the becoming a human journey, but it was very through and well thought out. There were so many different facets and it was an eye opening experience for me to see human nature from an outside point of view.

Ash as a character was also fascinating. I didn't really connect with him very well in the first few books because of his cold personality and how we didn't really get to see his thought process. But in this book I could see into his head and his feelings and it was so much easier to connect and get to know him and overall feel for him and his predicament. It was so interesting to see his development from how he used to be, who he is at the moment of the journey and who he's trying to become for love. I didn't expect that much development in one book.

Overall, this is a really fun and entertaining series. I'm really glad I read it.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a YA fantasy story, about Ash trying to find a way to be with Meghan in the Iron court.

I liked Ash in this, and I felt sorry for him too. It didn’t seem fair that he had to sacrifice so much to be with Meghan, when all he wanted to do was to love her and protect her. We also didn’t get much from Meghan at all in this book, which was quite a change.

The storyline in this was about Ash trying to become human so that he could return to Meghan and live with her in the Iron Realm, which required a journey and several tests. This was quite a fun adventure, and I liked learning more about both Ash’s history and future.

The ending to this was a little confusing. So will Ash age and die like we saw? I thought that you couldn’t have a soul and be immortal, but that seemed to be what the story hinted at.
7 out of 10

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story with my beautiful Ash. 😍😍

[Saniya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! =D <3
(I wrote such an awesome review for this, so hardly, but one stupid click made all my hardwork gone) >.<
So yeah. Loved it! ^.^

[Krystle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have finally reached the end of this series. Finally. Let’s just say I’m just a masochist and I just had to find out how this damn things ends especially if I came this far. Hah.

The plot of this book was so predictable and dry. And that whole End of the World thing? Reminds me of the final bosses in the early Final Fantasy series. Yeah, call me not impressed. Everything seems so rehashed and overdone.

Do you remember what I said in my previous review?

“But anyway, the ending while actually resolved makes me mad because obviously it’s open ended and now there’s gonna be another book from ASH’S POINT OF VIEW! Watch I bet it’s all gonna be about omg, Puck that evil bastard killed my ex-girlfriend, then omg, Meghan I love and misses you so much and we needs to have more hot loving time, but NO YOU REJECTED ME.”

Totally happened in this book! Lots of angsting, and then more angsting, and then can you guess? ANGSTING! …With a side dose of an action scene here and there. I’m really sick of how the whole cold-hearted and emotionally absent people in stories later turn out to be such saps – which is what Ash became. A freaking overly emotional sap.

He spent the majority of the time bemoaning his faerie heritage and how he needs to be with Meghan, and then a sudden onslaught of “OH! What about my first love?” which brings up another round of somberness in our ice-prince because he relives all his hurt emotions and thus ensuing the Puck hating. This book could not be more predictable.

And then guess who shows up? GUESS! That’s right, ASH’S EX! Gee, who woulda thunk it? How transparent can this story get? Oh, and it’s really annoying how she’s basically a plot device to add “tension” to the book when I really felt none because her role in the book in the story will only end up one way – GONE. Yes, we are so convinced Ash is torn between his old flame and the new one when, you know, her tragic past, annoyingly obvious foreshadowing hints, and lack of an actual personality make it so easy to connect to her.

The witty comments that are supposed to be so funny from all the characters felt so... I don't know familiar? Like they've been used elsewhere and didn't feel "new". Everything had a sort of been there, done that type of reaction that I really wonder what source material she got her inspiration from.

I totally hate how all the other supporting characters are basically the same mold as they were when you first meet them. Grimalkin, especially, is the same pompous, cowardly, unloyal guide who always seems to have the answers for everything and never gets into trouble himself. How boring and lazy. Whatever.

The only part of the book I mildly liked is when Ash has to experience life as a mortal together with Meghan who is immortal. Many books actually have this conflict but we never ever see it played out because an answer is found for the leading couple without having to go through the trouble of experiencing this. But in this book we get to see this happen and feel his shame, resentment, and hurt when he grows old and frail while the rest of his family stays young and beautiful. I thought this was pretty nifty and fun but then, you know, it would get in the way our couple’s happy ending so this is totally not gonna happen.

I don’t get how it’s a sacrifice for him to give up his immortality to be with Meghan if he gets to LIVE FOREVER ANYWAY. WTHELL?! Pfft! Lame! No thanks. And I thought it was super annoying to be in Meghan’s head – nuh uh, Ash is way worse.


Fail in all ways. Just fail. Do. Not. Want.

[Louize · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Iron Queen, I remember saying that I was glad seeing Meghan mature. This time, it’s Ash’s turn…

“I promised I’d find a way for us to be together, I intend to keep that promise.”

I should have read the Survival Guide to the Nevernever first before I prowled into the book. Iron Knight is a non-stop action/adventure. Ash is so serious in keeping his promise that he was willing to go through everything as quickly as he should, and travel the extra mile needed to gain a soul. A very impatient young man, he doesn’t like wasting time indeed. He left me breathless and proud.

Again, the brilliance of Ms. Julie in choosing characters is superb. This book has the best party-of-five for this adventure. The daring Prince of Winter Court, Ash; the Summer Court jester, Puck; the cait sith, Grimalkin; the Big Bad Wolf; and Ariella. The exchange of wits and lines was very entertaining; there was never a dull moment. It was the roughness of their individualities that made the chemistry of characters smooth.

The setting is the second brilliant factor. From the River of Dreams (through the Deep Wyld and the Briars and then the gauntlet) to the End of the World, the description and vividness of imagination was flawless. It was the perfect blend for the intention of the adventure. Anything less is unacceptable.

It was also interesting how morality was applied into the story. Often, when we speak of gaining a soul, we speak of morality. Something so pure is not easily won. But there is no preaching on the matter. Simply that, having a soul doesn’t make us good; it makes us remember our offenses and vowing to live better in the future. That factor alone leveled up YA fiction.

“I am still yours, my queen,” Ash said looking me straight in the eye. “If you’ll have me.”

Finally, I’m happy that this was told from Ash’s point of view. I believe that the ending of the series was very powerful and effective because of that.

Congratulations Ms. Julie Kagawa, and thank you for the wonderful journey through the world of Iron Fey.

*Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the egalley.

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's this review?
See, I was going to write a real review for that one and not a compilation of my rambling thoughts but thanks to wonderful girls, there's a badge Kat created to add a little love in this GR world and to show that we can write great reviews without spamming the hell of everyone.

I chose Chelsea's review because she perfectly captured what I felt reading this book... and because she's an amazing friend. Go read her review people <3

So, Chelsea, you're famous ma belle <3 and you fucking deserves it. and yeah I know you're on your honeymoon, such a time to make a star of you ;D


________________________
Initial non-review aka I don't have the time to write a real review

"What do you think?"
He bared his fangs at me. "Be careful, boy. In some tales, the hero gets eaten by the monster after all."

What a quest! That was the most excruciating and tiring of all these outstanding books, and yet, exactly what I wanted. See, I have a thing :
although I can adore a world, the beautiful writing which brings it to live, a fast-paced plot and stunning twists, yet multi-layered characters always stay my undoing.

Closing The Iron Knight, there's only single thing I want to say, and that's Thank you, Julie Kagawa. Thank you to have brilliantly managed to create such an incredible flawed character.

Who am I talking about? Ash of course.

Ash who has an agenda, who's willing to respect his promise : to find a way to live in the Iron realm. In this quest, he will be spared nothing : fear, loneliness, regret, hate of himself, and above all that - courage to hope and to go on. To love. To overtake his past, to accept his weaknesses, to be whole again.

Oh, Ash, you made me so proud.

Full review to come - Just know that this world won a special place in my heart, and as always in this case, I'm let both happy and a bit empty as well.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My loyalty-and my heart-belong to another queen now”

The Iron Knight, was everything I could have imagined and more. Julie Kagawa has written such a beautiful series, which has come to be my favorite series of all…The Iron Fey series. No one can deny how amazing this series is, and now it is all over. Although I am sad it is over (more like depressed) Julie Kagawa has written the best final book anyone could even imagine. The romance is more beautiful then ever, the action is better, all our questions are answered.

Now I was planning on writing you a big review on how amazing this book was and how happy I am that Julie really gave this series the ‘firework’ ending I was hoping for, this book will captivate you from beginning to end, and when it’s over all you’ll want to do is pick it up and read it again, so you don’t have to face reality that it’s all over…but I’m not going to really write you guys a review on this one, it is one of those books that is so good, that no matter what I type in this review, everything I say will fall short of giving this book the justice it deserves. So with that said The Iron Knight, was the perfect ending, to the perfect series, and if you havnt picked it up please do when it comes out..it will not disappoint…

Now for fun since I’m not writing a review I figured I would give you some quotes I highlighted:

“My loyalty-and my heart-belong to another queen now”

“Seeing Meghan still made my heart beat crazily, made me long to pull her close and let that light consume me. If it burned until there was nothing left, would that be such a terribly fate?”

“No! Bad wraith! No thouchie!”

“Don’t you ever knock?” I asked Puck without turning around. He snorted. “Hi, I’m Robin Goodfellow, have we met?”

“Ash, the demon of the Unseelie Court, would finally perish alone, mourning the lives of those he’d destroyed, a fitting end I though”

“Aren’t you already centuries old?” Ash lowered his head, drawing us even closer. “I went to the end of the world for you, and all you have to say is how well I’ve aged?”

UGH there are SO many other good REALLY romantic quotes that I would LOVE to add here..but they give WAY too much away ):

Goodbye Puck, Meghan, Ash and Grim…you will be missed