Blog Tour Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa + an Excerpt and a Giveaway!

Published October 25, 2011.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her
irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice. (netgalley.com)

Well, to be honest, this was my least favorite of the series. I didn't hate it. I didn't even not like it. I just wasn't thrilled with it (prepare for the zombie apocalypse as my twin at A Jane of All Reads had opposing feelings and when we don't agree, worlds die). Suffice it to say, I don't think Ash's is the best set of eyes to get behind. Unless you actually like the brooding spawn of Louis Point du Lac, then you'd like it. But the boy pinned far too much for my liking. All of his brooding and internal ponderings in this one book outnumbered Meghan's in all three of her books. She's a chick and even she didn't think in terms of the (heinously) overused irrevocably and End of the World and some such.

But the thing is, Meghan's story was done. Ash's soul-searching, literally, couldn't have been done from anyone else's eyes and Meghan's story, at this point, would have been a little dull if we just sat on her shoulder and watched her rule a kingdom. Except with the story told in Ash's POV, aside from the endless brooding, the surroundings aren't as magnificent as they were in the rest of the books. I think that's because that's Ash's home. That same wonder and awe is lost on him, even as he traveled through areas of the Nevernever that he'd never been to. That wondrous shine that was there for the first three books is dulled, I think simply because the POV switched to the eyes of a local. They're going to see things differently.

And that means seeing other people differently. Grimalkin remained the same, which I loved. But Puck? For the first half of the book I wanted to run him over with a truck. While in Meghan's eyes he's quirky and bouncy and just normal jokster Puck but from Ash's eyes, he's nails on a chalkboard while rubbing a cat backwards and scraping a fork against a plate. I really stopped liking him. It leveled out a bit when the story got a little more serious but holy crap. Kagawa really nailed just how Ash viewed Puck and it made me twitchy.

Ariella added an element that threw a wrench into Ash's spokes but in very odd ways. Ultimately her seer abilities dropped to being the Seer of the Obvious. All of her "real" seeing happened off page, before Ash even came upon her again so anything she "saw" after that, for me anyway, had me going 'duh' a lot. But she ultimately served a greater purpose than just being a hitch in Ash's story and when she does fulfill it I will say it brought tears to my eyes.

As did the ending of the story. What can I say? I'm a sap. It is a very poster fairy tale ending but if you didn't expect that going in, then you're obviously not familiar with Kagawa's writing. The overarching plots in her stories wrap up and if you honestly thought Ash would say eff it all and keep being Fey, you need to just go home. But it's not the ending that makes the book. While it got me teary, I'm ultimately not a fan of such cookie cutter endings, simply because they're too neat. Not that Ash didn't earn it, or Meghan didn't deserve it. They just never sit right with me, in any context. In THE IRON KNIGHT's case, it's the story that gets Ash to that standard end that really matters.

And overall, I did like it. I liked seeing all the new parts of the Nevernever (although I probably would have liked them better if I was seeing them through Meghan's eyes) and the Big Bad Wolf is pretty sweet. Although I would have liked to have seen him more threatening. That was another thing. The threats that would have been threats to Meghan weren't to Ash so any big action scene was kind of tampered. You knew going in he'd get out of it relatively unscathed and Puck would barely have a scratch on him. So the underlying expectation was much higher here. You could guess with greater certainly what was going to happen with Ash's story. It's just what he would face next that would remain a mystery.

I was surprised that I ended up liking THE IRON KNIGHT as much as I did because I had two reviewers whose reviews I trust (my twin and Sya at The Mountains of Instead) warn me that I probably wouldn't like it, so I was worried going in. But it really wasn't that bad. Nowhere near the pine factor of TWILIGHT (and I'm kind of insulted that the blurb 'Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series is the next TWILIGHT' is on the cover) but Ash is up there with Louis. If you haven't read INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE by Anne Rice, go do it and you'll see what I mean. Just almost constant brooding and pinning for a life one doesn't have and contemplating one's soul, or lack of one, and being human and blah blah blah. At least in Louis's case I could tell him to get a tan. But with both books, there was more going on than tons of internal mooing that it held me and I actually really liked IWTV. Except I haven't read further in that series. Had THE IRON KNIGHT been the first, I most likely wouldn't have gotten this far. But I did, because the other three books totally rocked and, really, THE IRON KNIGHT isn't so bad either.

Just be warned that Ash is a perpetual brooder, always contemplating something to within an inch of its life. But the writing is just as phenomenal and the book closes out the series nicely. It's not necessary, I don't think, to read THE IRON KNIGHT but it's not necessary to read 'Winter's Passage' or 'Summer's Crossing' either but it's the enrichment that's worth reading. It makes the world that much more dynamic and the story more beautiful for how many eyes you get to see it through. I just won't be glimpsing through Ash's again. I've had enough of his brooding to last me a lifetime.

Just read it. I think you'd like it, if for nothing more than Kagawa's awesome writing. That should be enough.

Ban Factor: High - FAERIES! And death.

And now, for your reading pleasure, a short excerpt from THE IRON KNIGHT -

The cat stood, waving his tail, regarding me with a solemn gold gaze. “I will name no price, not today. But the time will come, prince, when I arrive to collect this debt. And when that day comes, you will pay it in full.”

The words hung in the air between us, shimmering with power. A contract, and a particularly nasty one at that. Grimalkin, for whatever reason, was playing for keeps. A part of me recoiled, hating being bound in such a way. If I agreed to this, the cat could ask anything of me, take anything, and I would be forced to comply.

But, if it meant being human, being with her in the end…

“You sure about this, ice-boy?” Puck caught my gaze, worried as well. “This is your quest, but there’s no backing out if you agree to do this. You can’t just promise him a nice squeaky mouse and be done with it?”

I sighed and faced the cait sith, who waited calmly for my answer. “I will not deliberately harm anyone,” I told him firmly.

And, of course, the giveaway! One lucky winner will win a copy of THE IRON KNIGHT by Julie Kagawa! But it doesn't end here. Be sure to check out the next left of the tour over at Review from Here!

• Open to US and Canadian residents 13 years of age and older only.
• One entry per person per email address.
• Duplicate entries will be deleted.
• Being a follower of my blog via Google Friends Connect is required for entry.
• Giveaway ends December 5th at midnight, EST.

Keep Your Eyes Open for The Iron Knight Blog Tour Here Tomorrow!

Because I won't be able to post my review until later tomorrow (Monday) evening, I just wanted to let everyone know that's it's coming! So tomorrow evening (again that's Monday, 11/28), be sure to stalk my blog for not only my review of THE IRON KNIGHT by Julie Kagawa but an exclusive excerpt from the book and your chance to win your own fresh copy! Exciting, right? You know it. So stay tuned!

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa

Published June 1, 2011.

A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist. (goodreads.com)

Of the two novellas (WINTER'S PASSAGE being the other), I definitely prefer SUMMER'S CROSSING. There's a bit more spunk to it, probably because it's told from Puck's point of view. What Kagawa has really showcased to me with her writing is just how well she knows her characters and just how different a single character can be portrayed. The first three books in The Iron Fey series are all from Meghan's POV so Puck is pretty harmless, quirky, the jokester. In THE IRON KNIGHT, it's from Ash's POV and Puck is coming off exceptionally annoying. But here he just is. He's neither too quirky because you're actually inside his head so his hijinks are tampered down and he's definitely not annoying because, well, why would he find himself annoying? You get to see a depth to Puck that you don't otherwise see in the rest of the series and I really liked that.

The overall story was really good and a great precursor to THE IRON KNIGHT. It threw a wrench into their spokes before the whole quest got started, plus it fleshed out some of the secondary characters a little more. You get to see a somewhat softer side of Mab that definitely hasn't been seen anywhere else. And while you probably already knew that Leanansidhe was as Fey as you could get, you get to see the lengths that she really goes to in order to get the pretty things she likes. Kagawa really knows how to develop her characters and make each one of them really stand on their own, no matter how small they are to the plot. Love it.

Getting to see Ash through a prankster's eyes was also really funny. It lightens the aura around the brooding love interest and it's a reminder to not take it all too seriously. Because he might be cross dressing when you're not looking.

If you don't read SUMMER'S CROSSING before THE IRON KNIGHT you won't be missing anything central to the greater plot of the series. It's just some really good extra information, and a new look into the Nevernever that you don't get in the regular series that'll just add more depth to an already dynamic story. It's an awesome extra and I'm glad I read it.

Ban Factor: High - I've said it before, I'll say it again: Faeries.

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Published January 25th, 2011.

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back. (goodreads.com)

Kagawa does not fail when it comes to the third installment in The Iron Fey series. I'm always a little wary of series simply because it's not uncommon for some aspect of the writing to taper off. Not here. Kagawa holds strong and delivers yet another amazing installment.

Meghan has a problem: the two glamours that exist within her, Summer and Iron, really don't like each other. Sure, she can use them but they make her throw up a little in her mouth. Literally. The iron and the oldblood magic violently react to each other, just as a Fey would who wandered into the Iron Kingdom. Except this is going on with Meghan's insides. So if she wants to use her glamour, major hurdle. Loved it. Why? Because it didn't let Meghan have anything easy. I love it when authors do that.

I also really liked how the love triangle really wasn't drawn out. Meghan loves Ash all the way. Puck was a mistake in the romantic relationship department. She admits this to herself. He's her best friend and that's how she loves him. So the kibosh is really smacked down on that. Doesn't leave Puck too happy but I'm loving it. None of this pseudo OMG-who-will-she-choose-although-it's-already-totally-obvious? Loved it.

I am in love with the world that Kagawa created. Reading it is like listening to a brilliant piece of music. It invoked envy and joy and even euphoria simply because it's so beautiful. I think Kagawa really captured the essence of the Nevernever superbly and when it came to creating the Iron Kingdom, it felt just as real as the Nevernever. Just as Kagawa relied heavily on old stories to build up her Faery, she created just as complex of a history for the Iron Kingdom, making it just as pulsing with life as everything else was. She didn't just rely on a few randomly-placed Iron fey in the hopes that people would believe it. The Iron Kingdom was its own character within the story and I wanted to hug it to my bosom and never let it go.

The ending? Effing phenomenal. Talk about not letting your characters off easily. Kagawa should get a crown for that. Totally didn't expect what came and while the overarching plot resolved itself, it left so much open in the end that I'm really looking forward to THE IRON KNIGHT.

THE IRON QUEEN was heads and tales better than THE IRON DAUGHTER. It felt like the story was more alive, there was more passion, more love for everything going on. If Kagawawere to say this was her favorite book to write, it wouldn't surprise me because it totally shows. There is just so much that is phenomenal about THE IRON QUEEN that I can't possibly express it all without drooling on myself a little. No wonder my twin Laura at A Jane of All Reads was super fangirl over this one. I get it now. I have so much love for this book that I want to go all John Cusack with Peter Gabriel on the boom box. Is that weird?

Ban Factor: High - Faeries + Christian Godlessness = Shenanigans

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Published August 1, 2010.

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey - ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart. (book back blurb)

THE IRON DAUGHTER is the second book in The Iron Fey series and showcases Meghan toughing it out in the Winter court, trying to maneuver around survival from a bitch queen and, well, freezing to death. I didn't like this one as much as THE IRON KING but I did enjoy it. It's got that Romeo and Juliet aspect without the moronic teenagers killing themselves after knowing each other for three days. That doesn't mean Meghan and Ash don't make some bonehead moves for the sake of their feelings for each other but I've seen a hell of a lot worse so I'll take it.

Really the only aspect I'd want to complain about is the overuse of some facial expressions. Everyone, multiple times throughout the story each, slitted or narrowed their eyes. I would make a joke about a super awesome 80s song steeped in sexual innuendo as a ploy into the whole slitted eyes thing but there's going to be some douche nozzle thinking I'm being racist so I'll refrain (although I'm pretty sure I just did it underhandedly . . .). Also, Meghan was constantly fighting back tears, more so than she was fighting anything else. At least once a chapter there were tears at some level of cry in her eyes. It made her look like a bit of a crybaby. It got to the point where I just wanted to tell her to suck it up. There's no crying in baseball. And Puck's eyebrows made their way into his hairline a lot. I guess they liked to go on vacation.

But other than that, I was totally sucked into the story once again. Mab's a psychopath and I kind of like her because of it. I don't even want to smack her for being unreasonable, which she very obviously is. I like her just the way she is, delusional psychosis and all. Kagawa really keeps to the faery lore and I felt all of the characters she created. Nothing was watered down or sugared up so if a faery was supposed to be gross, she made it gross. Actually, none of them were anything close to being Disney clones. They were realistic and true to form. Loved it!

I also really liked how Meghan being the daughter of Oberon really doesn't come into play except for the romance part. There aren't any moments of spoiled brat syndrome. No running to Daddy or easy ways out. Meghan was really and truly on her own and despite all of her crying (literally), she stood up on her own. She fought on her own. Of course she had help. She couldn't have done it on her own. Another part I liked. It wasn't just "up to her" to handle. There were others involved, and other sacrifices, that helped her along. But Meghan walked on her own. She wasn't leaning on anyone and wasn't dependent on anyone. She knew what she had to do and she did it. That's a rarity in YA heroines, sad to say.

The romance part is probably my least favorite but that's going to be true for me for pretty much any book I read. I'm not in it for the romance. I'm not Team Ash or Team Puck. I'm Team Give Me A Good Fucking Story And I'll Read It. Which is what I got. I do think Meghan let Ash off a little easily after everything in this book but it's not suspension of disbelief shattering. I get the whys. I'd personally fester a little more about it but that's just me. But the thing is they're not doing insanely stupid things for the sake of their relationship and their relationship alone. They're considering the greater repercussions of their actions, another rarity in YA. There's thought there, not just pulsing hormones and OMFGBBQ luuuuuurve. Another awesome.

The ending could have nicely ended the series, but considering I have two more books and a novella to read, I'm guessing something else happens after this. Just my guess. I'm sure Meghan's relationship with Puck is going to get more complicated and, as a result, so is hers with Ash. Her confusion about Puck is real and I really like that. Does she like Ash simply because of how dangerous and seemingly unattainable he is? Didn't she admit that to herself? Isn't Puck the more natural choice since he knows her and she's already loved him in some aspect for a good chunk of time? Of course a YA novel can't be without its love triangles but I'm not minding this one. It just feels better than a lot of the ones that I've seen around. It doesn't make me want to punch a baby in the face. Always a good thing for everyone involved. It just seems to fit better.

I'm looking forward to seeing where the series takes me next. With the way THE IRON DAUGHTER ended, and with Meghan's blooming powers, I'm really curious to see what happens. Again, an excellent addition to The Iron Fey series, and a must read for anyone that likes faeries as they really are, strong heroines and a captivating and mesmerizing story.

Ban Factor: High - Faeries are evil creatures that need to stop corrupting the youth. Ban it! But all religions have their own mythology . . . Ban it anyway!

Author Bites - Julie Kagawa and Faeries

After reading THE IRON KING I sort of started fangirling Julie Kagawa and she was nice enough to answer some interview questions for me (and humor me about some 80s movie love). So read on and join the Iron Fey love. Thanks for stopping by, Julie!

What initially gave you the idea for the Iron Fey series?

Faeries, the old, ancient fey, not the glittery winged sprites, have always fascinated me. But I wanted to write a book that was different than other faery books. So I began thinking: what are the fey afraid of?The answer, in most ancient mythos, is iron. Faeries can't stand the touch of iron and steel. So, what if there was a new type of fey that had evolved with progress over the years? What if they weren't only immune to iron, their existence was slowly poisoning and corrupting the lands of the traditional fey? And I realized we already have "monsters" in machines: gremlins, bugs, viruses, ect. And from that thought, the Iron fey were born.

Be honest: how much did Labyrinth and The Neverending Story factor into your stories' creation? :)

I did love Labyrinth and The Neverending Story as a kid (Okay, maybe I enjoyed Labyrinth more when I was older), but the story of a child abducted by faeries and having a changeling left in his place is not new, nor was it solely Labyrinth's creation. This is an old, old tale, far olderthen David Bowie and his army of dancing goblins. ;-) Labyrinth and other movies did play a part in The Iron King's creation, but so did many other things.

Did you have any speed bumps when it came to character development?

Meghan was probably the hardest character for me to write, because it was difficult to balance loyalty, strength, and determination with the fears of a teenage girl. She isn't some superhero or martial arts expert; she's a normal girl thrown into extraordinary, terrifying circumstances, and she has to muddle through as best she can.

Meghan appears to have feelings for a guy that wants to kill her. Why go down this path?

One, because I wanted to drive home the point that the fey are dangerous. That they are the faeries of old: beautiful, intriguing, seductive, and eternally caught up in the politics of the courts. Ash is an Unseelie Prince, Meghan is a Seelie Princess--in his mind, she was the enemy. But, two, I wanted to show Ash's character progression as well. From a cold, heartless Winter fey completely loyal to his court and Queen Mab, to someone who discovers he can love again after all. If Ash didn't start out cold and dangerous, his character arc would not have been as dramatic or compelling.

Do you think that with today's growing technology, the world's ability to wonder on the fantastical is dwindling?

Not at all. Look at the shelves of YA books today; paranormal and fantasy continue to dominate. Even in the tech world of computers and gizmos and video games, people are still drawn to magic and fantasy (As any WoW gamer will tell you, if you can drag them away from the computer long enough to talk.). I think technology is just another platform to explore the fantastical, like Summer and Iron glamour, merged together to become one. :)

What do you think makes your work stand out from the other Fey-centric stories out there?

*Grabs gremlin, tosses out window before it can eat computer wires.* Sorry, what? I was distracted. Crazy Iron faeries.

What do you hope your readers take away from your novels, if anything?

I only hope that readers will close the last book with a sense of rightness, that Meghan's story could not come to an end any other way, and that everything finally came full circle. That this was the story of a young woman discovering who she was, learning responsibility, and accepting that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one. Not a Happily Ever After in the traditional sense, but it was the right ending for her.

And besides, there's still The Iron Knight. ;-)

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Published February 1, 2010.

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 herdead than let her touch his icy heart. (netgalley.com)

When a book lives up to its hype, it really lives up to it. I loved The Iron King. Loved. Maybe it had to do with the Labyrinth undertones. Maybe it had to do with the fantasmagorically developed world Kagawa created or how closely she remained to the Fey myths. Maybe because Meghan was such a realistic character that I believed nearly everything she did. Or maybe it was a combination of all of that.

Seriously, one of the best Fey books I've read. It sticks nearly meticulously to the lore. It doesn't try to sweeten the Fey pot. Faeries are bastards and they stay bastards. Insert that into a plot that rightly has a character with The Chosen One syndrome but Kagawa plays it off so well that I just don't care. I feel for Meghan when she's humiliated, run down, exhausted, frustrated. When her heart beat faster, so did mine. When she thought she was going to lose someone, so did I. I felt so tied to her that she could have been an extension of myself. Plus I loved her reactions to things. None of this 'okay, I accept it all' attitude. She has some seriously WTFery going on and she sticks to it.

The only issue I had with this book, and why it won't be getting the top rating, is the blooming relationship between Meghan and Ash. Sorry. No dice. I don't care how hot a guy is. If he fully intends on killing me and/or handing me over to his crazy bitch mother, I'm not letting him in. I had a hard time getting past that. No matter how sweet he was to her, how soft his lips were, he still wanted to make a hat rack out of her. And she got googly. Pass.

I'm so much more rooting for her and Duckie Puck/Robbie. He's a much more solid character and I was sad to see him leave the plot. They just fit better together, there's a better relationship between the two, and a more believable one at that. Plus he wears his intentions on his sleeve, just like Ash. Except unlike Ash, he doesn't want to slaughter Meghan. Personally I find that a bonus.

The Labyrinth undertones? Oh absolutely. Jareth was just dance, magic, dancing in my head through some of those parts. Every time Meghan pleaded with a creature that she had to find her brother, Sarah was right there. Grimalkin? A more valiant Hoggle. The ogre in the club? Ludo. The baby brother? Toby. It was all there. There were sly little insinuations. Nothing drastic or even all that noticeable unless you were a Labyrinth nut like me. But I saw them. Oh I saw them.

Plus a hint of Neverending Story. The Nevernever being destroyed by mankind's lack of imagination and fantastical dreams? Hello? The Nothing (mankind's fizzling dreams of fantasy) eating Fantasia? Anyone?

Totally not saying it's a rip. Just that the hints are there. I see them. Not sure if they're intentional or not but when certain elements were revealed in the story, those were the places my mind went first. Definitely not a bad thing.

So if you're looking for a book with heavy Fey influence (and some 80s movie hints) that sticks close to the lore, tells a kick-ass story and will suck you right the hell into the Nevernever (and possibly have you checking your closets), The Iron King is it. Read it. You won't regret it.

Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

Published June 1, 2010.

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck-Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon-who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter-a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....(from betgalley.com)

I haven't actually read The Iron King but I've heard good things about it. When Winter's Passage came available, I figured I'd give it a try and see what it was all about. I thought it'd give me enough of a glimpse into the overall story to judge whether I'd like to read the greater works that bookend this novella.

Well, I read it and I thought it was okay. I wasn't floored by it. I liked that it gave me some exposition at the beginning so I wasn't totally lost in the storyline. And I liked the voice. Meghan seems like a pretty cool literary chick I wouldn't mind following around to hear her story. And Ash was definitely an intriguing character. I don't know how I like the deviation of his Fey ways (meaning he can turn the cold personality on and off) and I felt it was a little self-serving. But then I think back on books like Merlin's Harp which stuck true to the faerie lore that faeries weren't emotional and how I didn't like that and couldn't connect with it. So after gnawing on my foot a little, I came to the conclusion that Ash was compelling and I wouldn't mind finding out more about him either.

Really the novella was just a teaser, as I'm sure that's what it was meant to be. I got just little inklings of the greater plot (why was Puck sleeping in a tree?) but I'm not sure the story itself moved me enough to read more. Maybe if my TBR pile wasn't about to eat me I'd pick up a copy of The Iron King but right now I'm going to have to leave it as "if I get to it." It's intriguing but not enough to move me to immediately read more. But I can definitely see the greater aspects that people are drawn to. From just the peeks I saw, I get it.

Maybe eventually I'll get around to reading the rest.