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navsy 's review for:
The Iron Knight
by Julie Kagawa
Greetings, fellow mortals. It’s been a ride, hasn’t it?
Starting my journey from The Iron King, I really hadn’t expected to become a fan of the series. However, that changed somewhere; maybe it was the third book, the Iron Queen, that made me realize that I really cared for all these fey characters even though I had been thoroughly annoyed by Meghan’s attraction, love and lust towards Ash or maybe it was the last book, the Iron Knight, that made me realize that Ash’s final journey, even though constantly met with my displeasure over his choices and sacrifices that seemed unworthy of the price, was remarkable and came with an unexpected revelation that I really cared for Meghan and Ash’s happiness
That said I really should make it clear to everyone that Puck and Grimalkin are my favorite characters; not only when it comes to this series but as the standing for favorites in fictional world goes.
To begin with, I had been wary of reading the final book; mostly because I was okay with the ending of Iron Queen and also cause the idea of reading a full book from the Ice-boy’s perspective was as thrilling as putting out garbage cans. That came out harsher than I intended, but really it was a struggle finishing the first 40% of the book.
Ash’s journey begins with Puck and him searching for the one and only, Grimalkin, the greatest cat in the history of cats. Ash wants to gain a soul and become mortal so that he can follow through his promise of finding a way to be Meghan’s knight which if he fails to achieve, would cause his essence to fade away, killing him slowly. He needs Grimalkin’s help to show him the way to a seer who would help him find a way to become mortal.
The beginning wasn’t uneventful. The entire road was full of challenges. After Grimalkin graced them with his presence and they set out to find the seer, they were joined by Mr. Wolf. Things turned really complicated with the entry of the seer. For a moment I was wide awake with the new arrival but soon the surprise faded and I dragged through a few pages till they reached the River of Dreams. I absolutely loved the idea of the river and the lost town. I couldn’t believe how daft all of them could get when they decided to spend a night in Phaeda. But as usual, it was Grimalkin who alerted them and made it possible for them to continue the journey. After that, there wasn’t any more skimming on my part.
Kagawa always amazes me with her vivacious writing style. Her imagination leaves me awed. She brought in so many new creatures even this time around; you’d have thought she’d exhausted her different species of monsters by now. After they reach the End of the World, I was again engrossed by the action, the puzzles and the anticipation that Kagawa brings in all her books. I was wondering what could be so challenging that Ash and Puck had already not faced? The mirror hallway fight was one of my favorite scenes. The tests that Ash faced were very well thought out. The questions that were left for discussion in the end of the book had me wondering, what makes us human? Ash’s last test had me fooled for a while. I was expecting it to be the ending at one point and if it would have ended that way, maybe I’d have liked the book even more.
Initially I wasn’t sure how to feel about. But the way her character’s role was executed left no room for complaints. I cried a little okay, more than a little when she made her final decision. I had a hunch that she’d not return with Ash and co, but it didn’t make her leaving any less hurtful. Maybe I’m just masochistic but I have a thing for sad, lost souls.
The happy ever after made me smile but I really would have liked the alternate ending better. A few questions are bothering me in the end:
-What happens to Puck now? Where did he go? Was his journey with Ash only for Meghan?
-What did Grimalkin mean in the end?
I was surprised that I liked this book when I had such low expectations. Even though I’m not a fan of the Ice..err..human prince, it felt like a suitable ending to know his life and read about how he finally made his way back to Meghan and what the cost for his soul was. I still don’t know if Meghan was worth all those troubles, but hell, I’m glad they’re happy.
Starting my journey from The Iron King, I really hadn’t expected to become a fan of the series. However, that changed somewhere; maybe it was the third book, the Iron Queen, that made me realize that I really cared for all these fey characters even though I had been thoroughly annoyed by Meghan’s attraction, love and lust towards Ash or maybe it was the last book, the Iron Knight, that made me realize that Ash’s final journey, even though constantly met with my displeasure over his choices and sacrifices that seemed unworthy of the price, was remarkable and came with an unexpected revelation that I really cared for Meghan and Ash’s happiness
That said I really should make it clear to everyone that Puck and Grimalkin are my favorite characters; not only when it comes to this series but as the standing for favorites in fictional world goes.
To begin with, I had been wary of reading the final book; mostly because I was okay with the ending of Iron Queen and also cause the idea of reading a full book from the Ice-boy’s perspective was as thrilling as putting out garbage cans. That came out harsher than I intended, but really it was a struggle finishing the first 40% of the book.
Ash’s journey begins with Puck and him searching for the one and only, Grimalkin, the greatest cat in the history of cats. Ash wants to gain a soul and become mortal so that he can follow through his promise of finding a way to be Meghan’s knight which if he fails to achieve, would cause his essence to fade away, killing him slowly. He needs Grimalkin’s help to show him the way to a seer who would help him find a way to become mortal.
The beginning wasn’t uneventful. The entire road was full of challenges. After Grimalkin graced them with his presence and they set out to find the seer, they were joined by Mr. Wolf. Things turned really complicated with the entry of the seer
Spoiler
who happened to be *gasp* AriellaKagawa always amazes me with her vivacious writing style. Her imagination leaves me awed. She brought in so many new creatures even this time around; you’d have thought she’d exhausted her different species of monsters by now. After they reach the End of the World, I was again engrossed by the action, the puzzles and the anticipation that Kagawa brings in all her books. I was wondering what could be so challenging that Ash and Puck had already not faced? The mirror hallway fight was one of my favorite scenes. The tests that Ash faced were very well thought out. The questions that were left for discussion in the end of the book had me wondering, what makes us human? Ash’s last test had me fooled for a while. I was expecting it to be the ending at one point and if it would have ended that way, maybe I’d have liked the book even more.
Initially I wasn’t sure how to feel about
Spoiler
Ariella’s presenceSpoiler
Ariella never made a lasting impression on me in the previous books because she was just a memory but in this book I loved her.The happy ever after made me smile but I really would have liked the alternate ending better. A few questions are bothering me in the end:
-What happens to Puck now? Where did he go? Was his journey with Ash only for Meghan?
-What did Grimalkin mean in the end?
Spoiler
Who did that reptilian skeleton belong to?I was surprised that I liked this book when I had such low expectations. Even though I’m not a fan of the Ice..err..human prince, it felt like a suitable ending to know his life and read about how he finally made his way back to Meghan and what the cost for his soul was. I still don’t know if Meghan was worth all those troubles, but hell, I’m glad they’re happy.