Julie Kagawa’s The Iron Queen is the third book in the Iron Fey series. After Ash and Meghan were banished from Faeryland, they thought their troubles were over. Just as they were attempting to start a new life, they find themselves dragged back into the affairs of the fey. The fake iron king is waging war against the combined force of the Winter and Summer Courts. Unfortunately, the older are fighting a losing battle and find themselves in desperate need of the half-breed they banished. Once again, Meghan must return to the world of the fey and save the faeries that once disowned her.
Meghan has grown over the course of the past few books. She came into the faery world naïve, yet fiercely loyal and stubborn. She gained wisdom and love over the course of The Iron Daughter. Finally, in The Iron Queen, everything comes together. Her love for Ash grows and matures as their relationship evolves from a teen obsession to an actual love. Her friendship with Puck becomes increasingly complicated as she discovers more of the secrets he hid from her. Her knowledge of glamour continues to develop through the series and it becomes especially important in this installment. Sadly, some of her lesser qualities remained with her. She can be unbelievably naïve at times, although this could be helped if her companions bothered to explain things to her before she does something stupid. She is annoyingly stubborn and has a tendency for temper-tantrums. Despite this, her kindness, loyalty and determination never left her throughout the series, and she has gained considerable power, knowledge and courage.
The Iron Queen was addicting. It was an exciting rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. The plot rarely slowed down, moving almost constantly and gathering intrigue. With each passing chapter the stakes are raised and each page brings the book closer to its stunning finale. This book isn’t lacking in the world-building department either. Julie Kagawa beautifully describes the beauty and horrors of the Faeryworld. Over the course of the three books, we explore parts of the Winter Court, Summer Court, and Iron Realm. We are given a taste of these regions and knowledge on how they interact, but enough is left open for exploration in future novels. The romance was also beautifully written. No longer did Meghan sound like an obsessed teen from Twilight. She is now powerful and willing to fight. Of course, this upsets the Ice Prince, who wants nothing, but to protect her. Prepare for lots of angst from this immortal Ice Prince. The love triangle in this book is also abolished\s by making Puck seem like a terrible person. While I’m against love triangles, I am also against characters getting unprovoked hate for acting in everyone’s best interest. Despite some of its flaws, The Iron Queen remained an enjoyable read. I give this 358 page book 4.5 stars.
Meghan has grown over the course of the past few books. She came into the faery world naïve, yet fiercely loyal and stubborn. She gained wisdom and love over the course of The Iron Daughter. Finally, in The Iron Queen, everything comes together. Her love for Ash grows and matures as their relationship evolves from a teen obsession to an actual love. Her friendship with Puck becomes increasingly complicated as she discovers more of the secrets he hid from her. Her knowledge of glamour continues to develop through the series and it becomes especially important in this installment. Sadly, some of her lesser qualities remained with her. She can be unbelievably naïve at times, although this could be helped if her companions bothered to explain things to her before she does something stupid. She is annoyingly stubborn and has a tendency for temper-tantrums. Despite this, her kindness, loyalty and determination never left her throughout the series, and she has gained considerable power, knowledge and courage.
The Iron Queen was addicting. It was an exciting rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. The plot rarely slowed down, moving almost constantly and gathering intrigue. With each passing chapter the stakes are raised and each page brings the book closer to its stunning finale. This book isn’t lacking in the world-building department either. Julie Kagawa beautifully describes the beauty and horrors of the Faeryworld. Over the course of the three books, we explore parts of the Winter Court, Summer Court, and Iron Realm. We are given a taste of these regions and knowledge on how they interact, but enough is left open for exploration in future novels. The romance was also beautifully written. No longer did Meghan sound like an obsessed teen from Twilight. She is now powerful and willing to fight. Of course, this upsets the Ice Prince, who wants nothing, but to protect her. Prepare for lots of angst from this immortal Ice Prince. The love triangle in this book is also abolished\s by making Puck seem like a terrible person. While I’m against love triangles, I am also against characters getting unprovoked hate for acting in everyone’s best interest. Despite some of its flaws, The Iron Queen remained an enjoyable read. I give this 358 page book 4.5 stars.