Take a photo of a barcode or cover
the_cover_contessa 's review for:
The Iron Knight
by Julie Kagawa
Let me start by saying that this is definitely my favorite book of this series. Why, you ask? Because it's told from Ash's POV. I love Ash. And I rarely see young adult books told from the male POV, so it's a nice change! It's great to watch a male character develop and change.
Blurb from Goodreads:
"My name--my True Name--is Ashallayn' darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl..."To cold 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 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. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.
What can I say about Ashallyn' darkmyr Tallyn (aka Ash): tall and handsome, funny and kind, loyal to the core. He's definitely a fairy tale kind of guy. I loved him in the other books (I was always team Ash) but this book made me feel for him so much more. Kagawa took all those aspects we knew of Ash and she opened him wide up so we could take a deeper look inside. The character Puck so affectionately calls "Ice Boy" melts right before our eyes as he begins to experience life from a totally different point of view. The point of view of someone who will do anything and everything to get what they want and be where they want to be. he sacrifices so much, too. I loved how Kagawa got straight into his head, right to his emotions and made us feel exactly what he was feeling as he morphed and changed into someone who learns to face their past and accept mistakes they have made.
Puck (Robin Goodfellow) was his usual self in this book. He's funny and enchanting, a risk taker at his best. A loyal friend and confidant. I don't think I learned much more about Puck in this book than I already knew. He was still that joking, good natured fae continuing to show that he is an ever faithful friend to the end.
I loved the banter between Grim and the Wolf in this book. They really complimented each other well. And they certainly leant an air of mystery to this story.
And we are introduced to a character we never would have expected to be there. Although we did meet this character in the past, so it was more like a re-introduction.
The storyline really flowed well in this book. I actually found it hard to find a place to put it down once I picked it up and started reading it. I felt myself wanting to know what adventure the characters would run into next and how they would work their way out of the sticky situation that adventure was sure to show. I also love how Kagawa shows the process Ash goes through to find his soul. It's heart wrenching at times; I actually wanted to cry at several parts of this story. But these trials are necessary so Ash can find and understand what really lies within him.
The writing was great, as it has been with all of Kagawas other books. She has a knack for disclosing details that really put you right in the thick of it with the characters. Her descriptions are rich and detailed, I know this is hard to do, to build your world so well that your readers feel they are right there. But Kagawa seems to do it with ease. I really felt like I was in the Nevernever with the characters, like I was floating along the River of Dreams and that I had come to The End of the World with them.
Interestingly enough, I do think you could read this book without having to read the three books published before it. It is kind of it's own story, although the background of Ash's life with Meghan certainly leant to my understanding of his feelings and his struggle. I'm really glad I got to dive into Kagawa's world and experience what all the hype was about. It was truly an adventure that I am glad to have experienced.
I am looking forward to reading more from Kagawa in the future.
4 out of 5 stars.
Blurb from Goodreads:
"My name--my True Name--is Ashallayn' darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl..."To cold 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 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. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.
What can I say about Ashallyn' darkmyr Tallyn (aka Ash): tall and handsome, funny and kind, loyal to the core. He's definitely a fairy tale kind of guy. I loved him in the other books (I was always team Ash) but this book made me feel for him so much more. Kagawa took all those aspects we knew of Ash and she opened him wide up so we could take a deeper look inside. The character Puck so affectionately calls "Ice Boy" melts right before our eyes as he begins to experience life from a totally different point of view. The point of view of someone who will do anything and everything to get what they want and be where they want to be. he sacrifices so much, too. I loved how Kagawa got straight into his head, right to his emotions and made us feel exactly what he was feeling as he morphed and changed into someone who learns to face their past and accept mistakes they have made.
Puck (Robin Goodfellow) was his usual self in this book. He's funny and enchanting, a risk taker at his best. A loyal friend and confidant. I don't think I learned much more about Puck in this book than I already knew. He was still that joking, good natured fae continuing to show that he is an ever faithful friend to the end.
I loved the banter between Grim and the Wolf in this book. They really complimented each other well. And they certainly leant an air of mystery to this story.
And we are introduced to a character we never would have expected to be there. Although we did meet this character in the past, so it was more like a re-introduction.
The storyline really flowed well in this book. I actually found it hard to find a place to put it down once I picked it up and started reading it. I felt myself wanting to know what adventure the characters would run into next and how they would work their way out of the sticky situation that adventure was sure to show. I also love how Kagawa shows the process Ash goes through to find his soul. It's heart wrenching at times; I actually wanted to cry at several parts of this story. But these trials are necessary so Ash can find and understand what really lies within him.
The writing was great, as it has been with all of Kagawas other books. She has a knack for disclosing details that really put you right in the thick of it with the characters. Her descriptions are rich and detailed, I know this is hard to do, to build your world so well that your readers feel they are right there. But Kagawa seems to do it with ease. I really felt like I was in the Nevernever with the characters, like I was floating along the River of Dreams and that I had come to The End of the World with them.
Interestingly enough, I do think you could read this book without having to read the three books published before it. It is kind of it's own story, although the background of Ash's life with Meghan certainly leant to my understanding of his feelings and his struggle. I'm really glad I got to dive into Kagawa's world and experience what all the hype was about. It was truly an adventure that I am glad to have experienced.
I am looking forward to reading more from Kagawa in the future.
4 out of 5 stars.