Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Synopsis: Meghan Chase’s 16th birthday starts off much like she expects. There’s no fanfare from her family. Most of the time, Meghan feels as if they have forgotten she is even there. Why would her birthday be any different? The only one who remembers is her friend Robbie, but even he can’t make up for the slight. None of that really matters, though, because Meghan’s birthday is about to become unforgettable.
Her younger brother, Ethan, is kidnapped and replaced with a changeling – a violent, evil type of faery. In trying to explain what has happened to Ethan, Robbie must explain himself. He is really Robin Goodfellow or Puck, the faery made famous by Shakespeare. He’s been sent to watch over her by King Oberon of the Seelie Court. Meghan doesn’t want to believe in a world of faeries, but she wants to find her brother who has been taken into the Nevernever.
With Puck (Robin Goodfellow) as her guide, Meghan heads into the Nevernever to find Ethan. What she encounters there is nothing she could have ever imagined. Goblins, talking cats, three-headed monsters, and Ash. Beautifully stunning Ash. Ash is the prince of the UnSeelie Court. He comes from a land of perpetual snow and winter, and his heart seems as frozen as the landscape from which he comes.
But Meghan can’t be distract by boys right now. She has to navigate the customs and terrain of this new world, and find Ethan before it’s too late.
Review: I started this novel with a large helping of trepidation. I had heard so much hype around this book and the series that I was convinced the book could not possibly live up to the hype. I am pleased to say that I stand very corrected. The Iron King was everything every review made it seem, and then some.
I adored the mixture of faery folklore, fairy tales, and Alice in Wonderland that make up the foundation of The Iron King. When a talking cat was introduced, I was extremely leery, but Grimalkin quickly became one of my most favorite parts of this novel. Grimalkin is an excellent example of how Kagawa mixes together all these stories we are familiar with to create her world for this novel, but then truly makes it her own.
I thought the characters were spot on. Meghan is an excellent heroine. She is easy to experience as a reader, and she is very genuine. I found Puck to be endearing and Ash to be an aloof hottie. I will proclaim my team affiliation (Team Ash or Team Puck) after reading the next book.
Let’s not forget the plot. It would be easy to in the fantastical world that Kagawa has created. But she doesn’t abandon the plot, so neither shall I. Girl-is-thrown-into-a-harrowing-situation-to-save-a-loved-one is a compelling story. It might not be as compelling as I found it to be were Kagawa not such a talented author. This story could have quickly deteriorated into a rehashing of tales familiar, but that is definitely not what happened.
Fresh, exciting, and very hard to put down. The Iron King is amazing. I highly recommend this novel.
Her younger brother, Ethan, is kidnapped and replaced with a changeling – a violent, evil type of faery. In trying to explain what has happened to Ethan, Robbie must explain himself. He is really Robin Goodfellow or Puck, the faery made famous by Shakespeare. He’s been sent to watch over her by King Oberon of the Seelie Court. Meghan doesn’t want to believe in a world of faeries, but she wants to find her brother who has been taken into the Nevernever.
With Puck (Robin Goodfellow) as her guide, Meghan heads into the Nevernever to find Ethan. What she encounters there is nothing she could have ever imagined. Goblins, talking cats, three-headed monsters, and Ash. Beautifully stunning Ash. Ash is the prince of the UnSeelie Court. He comes from a land of perpetual snow and winter, and his heart seems as frozen as the landscape from which he comes.
But Meghan can’t be distract by boys right now. She has to navigate the customs and terrain of this new world, and find Ethan before it’s too late.
Review: I started this novel with a large helping of trepidation. I had heard so much hype around this book and the series that I was convinced the book could not possibly live up to the hype. I am pleased to say that I stand very corrected. The Iron King was everything every review made it seem, and then some.
I adored the mixture of faery folklore, fairy tales, and Alice in Wonderland that make up the foundation of The Iron King. When a talking cat was introduced, I was extremely leery, but Grimalkin quickly became one of my most favorite parts of this novel. Grimalkin is an excellent example of how Kagawa mixes together all these stories we are familiar with to create her world for this novel, but then truly makes it her own.
I thought the characters were spot on. Meghan is an excellent heroine. She is easy to experience as a reader, and she is very genuine. I found Puck to be endearing and Ash to be an aloof hottie. I will proclaim my team affiliation (Team Ash or Team Puck) after reading the next book.
Let’s not forget the plot. It would be easy to in the fantastical world that Kagawa has created. But she doesn’t abandon the plot, so neither shall I. Girl-is-thrown-into-a-harrowing-situation-to-save-a-loved-one is a compelling story. It might not be as compelling as I found it to be were Kagawa not such a talented author. This story could have quickly deteriorated into a rehashing of tales familiar, but that is definitely not what happened.
Fresh, exciting, and very hard to put down. The Iron King is amazing. I highly recommend this novel.
I have a love/hate relationship with Young Adult (YA) books. While some people believe that your teenage years are the “golden years”, I heartily disagree. Even though I did have fun and I had great friends, I found those years painful and awkward. Teenagers can be emotional, hormonal, bratty, sarcastic, and self-centered. I was no exception, and I often cringe when I think back on my actions and behaviors. I have found myself wishing I could go back and slap some sense into my teenage self. Not that it would have worked. Teenage me would have rolled her eyes and, with a heavy sigh, told adult me to mind my own business. And that is precisely my problem with some YA books. They can be a painful reminder of my teenage attitude and blundering, and I would rather not dwell on that.
So, I felt a little hesitant about listening to The Iron King. Would the protagonist be a whiny, eye-rolling teenager? Would I want to yell at her? However, I love fantasy books, and the plot sounded good, so I decided to give it a try. For the most part, I was pleasantly (and thankfully) surprised.
Meghan Chase lives in rural Louisiana. Her father disappeared when she was young, and her mother remarried and had another child with her new husband. The family is poor and lives outside of town. The other students at her high school refer to her as the weird swamp girl. She only has one friend, Puck, although she knows little about him.
One day, Meghan’s little brother is abducted. Puck confesses he is a fairy that has been sent to watch over her. They learn that Meghan’s brother has been taken by fey creatures to the Never Never. Meghan convinces Puck to take her to the Never Never to rescue her brother. While there, she discovers her real heritage and lands in the middle of a struggle between opposing groups of fey.
The story borrows several themes from mythology and other tales. However, the author adds her own unique spin by combining steampunk elements and the effects of modern humans on the Never Never. As a huge fan of steampunk, I greatly appreciated those touches. While Meghan definitely acts like a teenager, she isn’t overly dramatic or self-centered. She experiences inconsistencies and indecision, like most teens. Sometimes, she is strong and self-assured, other times, she depends heavily on those around her. But through it all, she follows her moral and inner code. She stays focused on helping rescue her brother, and she shows empathy for those around her.
The book starts out slow, but once Meghan arrives in the Never Never, things get rolling. My biggest complaint was the narration. The narration of many of the male voices sounded almost like a caricature. I found most of the male voices annoying, especially those of the males in Louisiana. Southern males DO NOT sound like that. That detail left ME rolling my eyes.
The Iron King is book 1 in the Iron Fey series which currently includes 4 books and 3 novellas. I enjoyed this book enough to continue with the series. I’ve already purchased book 2. However, I would only recommend this book for fans of fantasy or YA books. If those are not the droids you’re seeking, than this book is not for you.
So, I felt a little hesitant about listening to The Iron King. Would the protagonist be a whiny, eye-rolling teenager? Would I want to yell at her? However, I love fantasy books, and the plot sounded good, so I decided to give it a try. For the most part, I was pleasantly (and thankfully) surprised.
Meghan Chase lives in rural Louisiana. Her father disappeared when she was young, and her mother remarried and had another child with her new husband. The family is poor and lives outside of town. The other students at her high school refer to her as the weird swamp girl. She only has one friend, Puck, although she knows little about him.
One day, Meghan’s little brother is abducted. Puck confesses he is a fairy that has been sent to watch over her. They learn that Meghan’s brother has been taken by fey creatures to the Never Never. Meghan convinces Puck to take her to the Never Never to rescue her brother. While there, she discovers her real heritage and lands in the middle of a struggle between opposing groups of fey.
The story borrows several themes from mythology and other tales. However, the author adds her own unique spin by combining steampunk elements and the effects of modern humans on the Never Never. As a huge fan of steampunk, I greatly appreciated those touches. While Meghan definitely acts like a teenager, she isn’t overly dramatic or self-centered. She experiences inconsistencies and indecision, like most teens. Sometimes, she is strong and self-assured, other times, she depends heavily on those around her. But through it all, she follows her moral and inner code. She stays focused on helping rescue her brother, and she shows empathy for those around her.
The book starts out slow, but once Meghan arrives in the Never Never, things get rolling. My biggest complaint was the narration. The narration of many of the male voices sounded almost like a caricature. I found most of the male voices annoying, especially those of the males in Louisiana. Southern males DO NOT sound like that. That detail left ME rolling my eyes.
The Iron King is book 1 in the Iron Fey series which currently includes 4 books and 3 novellas. I enjoyed this book enough to continue with the series. I’ve already purchased book 2. However, I would only recommend this book for fans of fantasy or YA books. If those are not the droids you’re seeking, than this book is not for you.
Check out my review on my blog:
http://princessofpages.blogspot.com/2013/09/iron-king-by-julie-kagawa-fandomly.html
http://princessofpages.blogspot.com/2013/09/iron-king-by-julie-kagawa-fandomly.html
I think I just may have to make good on my promise to stop reading fiction (at least for a period of time) and get more into some non-fiction. There comes a point in life when you're just tired of being disappointed over and over again and I have reached that point.
Meghan.... sigh. What to say about dear old Meghan? To me she comes across as very unintelligent for 95% of this book as well as annoying (although she could probably never be more annoying than some characters that I won't name *cough*CLARYFRAY*cough*). At least Meghan sort of had the decency to fight some of her own battles unlike some people who do nothing but sit back and watch other people fight for them but then want to act like they're out doing everything and who shall also continue to be unnamed *cough*CLARYFRAY*cough*.
Anyway, besides being based loosely of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which I did sometime in high school and vaguely remember, the story runs like this in short: Meghan is a normal girl living a normal unassuming high school worrying about normal high school things until they kidnap her four year old brother and she realizes that she's not actually normal but part of something that she didn't believe in until now and embarks on an adventure to rescue her brother while making new friends, facing dangerous enemies and just all round having an adventure while simultaneously discovering more about this new world and meeting the Winter prince and inevitably falling in love with him only to learn that he has a lady friend he was very much in love with before but now he's totally in love with Meghan and together they face the mystery of the new iron fey while rescuing her brother and what not and what not. Been there, done that.
The only bright spots I can see to this novel right now were Puck, Ash, Grimalkin and the pack rats. That's it. That being said, I'm not sure if I care enough to find out what happens in the rest of the series but I suppose we shall see.
Meghan.... sigh. What to say about dear old Meghan? To me she comes across as very unintelligent for 95% of this book as well as annoying (although she could probably never be more annoying than some characters that I won't name *cough*CLARYFRAY*cough*). At least Meghan sort of had the decency to fight some of her own battles unlike some people who do nothing but sit back and watch other people fight for them but then want to act like they're out doing everything and who shall also continue to be unnamed *cough*CLARYFRAY*cough*.
Anyway, besides being based loosely of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which I did sometime in high school and vaguely remember, the story runs like this in short: Meghan is a normal girl living a normal unassuming high school worrying about normal high school things until they kidnap her four year old brother and she realizes that she's not actually normal but part of something that she didn't believe in until now and embarks on an adventure to rescue her brother while making new friends, facing dangerous enemies and just all round having an adventure while simultaneously discovering more about this new world and meeting the Winter prince and inevitably falling in love with him only to learn that he has a lady friend he was very much in love with before but now he's totally in love with Meghan and together they face the mystery of the new iron fey while rescuing her brother and what not and what not. Been there, done that.
The only bright spots I can see to this novel right now were Puck, Ash, Grimalkin and the pack rats. That's it. That being said, I'm not sure if I care enough to find out what happens in the rest of the series but I suppose we shall see.
Well, I actually really enjoyed this book. I put it off for a while as I wasn’t sure if it was my thing, but as soon as I had picked it up, I thoroughly read each page, sucked into a whole new world. I liked how it tied in aspects of many other fairy stories and made it into one, amazing version. The characters were well described and the storyline very unique. Overall, I really would recommend this book and it has made me realize that I should broaden my genres more…
I found this book to be very entertaining and a good read. It is not devoid of its potential love triangles and impossible deus-ex-machina moments of victory; however, I love faery lore and I love that they tied it into Midsummer Night's Dream (makes me want to reread it). I would recommend it to my fantasy-loving friends and I will definitely be reading other books in the series.
I think I'm officially in love with bad boys... I really enjoyed this first book in the series.
Our main character Meghan is quite the social outcast at school but on the day of her 16th birthday she starts seeing strange things. Her best friend becomes something/someone out of a fairytale and her life flips upside down.
On a mission to get her 'real' brother back from the land of Nevernever, Meghan learns her life isn't normal and boring at all.
Ash - the 'bad boy' of the story is someone she's immediately drawn to. In the land of Fey everyone is out to make a deal or pull the wool over someone's eyes and he is no different... or is he? LOL
I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and the world of Nevernever.
Definitely enjoyed this!
Our main character Meghan is quite the social outcast at school but on the day of her 16th birthday she starts seeing strange things. Her best friend becomes something/someone out of a fairytale and her life flips upside down.
On a mission to get her 'real' brother back from the land of Nevernever, Meghan learns her life isn't normal and boring at all.
Ash - the 'bad boy' of the story is someone she's immediately drawn to. In the land of Fey everyone is out to make a deal or pull the wool over someone's eyes and he is no different... or is he? LOL
I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and the world of Nevernever.
Definitely enjoyed this!
It was a really good book. I really want to read the second one now. I liked how she used a lot of different mythical creatures.