Title: The Iron KingAuthor: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult
Sub Genre: Fantasy
Series: Iron Fey #1
Words really can't describe how much I loved this book. Julie Kawaga makes the worlds of the summer and winter fae come alive so completely that I felt like I was there and experiencing everything with Megan. When I started this book I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into. I was enraptured with the book from page 1, and read the entire book in almost one sitting. I can't remember the last time I did that! This is one of those books that totally lived up to it's hype.
Meghan Chase never really belonged or fit in at her high school, and only has one friend-Robbie Goodfellow. She's about to turn 16, and feels like she is misunderstood by everyone, including her mom and stepdad. When her little brother is kidnapped, everything changes for Meghan. She is drawn into the world of the fae, and will do anything to get her brother back. She discovers that in the Fae world nothing is at it seems, and everything you say can and will be used against you...along the way she finds out why she never really fit in at home-she is the daughter of the Summer King, Oberon. She is helped in her quest to find her brother by her best friend Robbie, who she discovers is really Puck the fairy we all know about from A Midsummer Nights Dream and Prince Ash of the winter court who is out to get Puck for a past offense, but ends up helping Meghan.
I know what you're thinking by now: Oh no, not another book about faeires. Been there, done that, right? Wrong! I don't know how to explain it, but this book describes everything in such detail that you really do feel like you are in the world of the fae, and the animals just come alive like in very few books I've read before. The love interests, while seemingly obvious are extremely well written and believable. I'm not ashamed to admit that I spent a better portion of the book trying to decide which guy I liked better. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I'm firmly on Team Ash. (I can't help it the guys in books I side with are all a bit jerky. It's a sickness!)
This is one of those rare Young Adult books that are just so fantastical (I think that's the only word that can describe this book) that you just have a feeling it's going to be around for generations to come-at least I hope this one will be.
(Edited to add: I was going to include a review of the Winters Passage, but it made the review way too long, so it will be up tomorrow)
