Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4)
Author:  Julie Kagawa

ISBN-13: 978-0373210367

Publication Date: October, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Book Length:  386 pages

Acquired by Me:  NetGalley

 

Description Courtesy of Goodreads:

“Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

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.”

My Thoughts:

Julie Kagawa’s Iron Knight rounds off a book series that has been a pleasure for me to read over the past year. Without a doubt, it ranks as one my favorite collections in both Adult Fiction and Fantasy. Kagawa wove a thought provoking tale that subtly touches on modern issues, yet still maintains a whimsical hold on the tried and true love triangle of one girl choosing between two boys – at throughout the first three books. In Iron Knight, the story diverges from the heroine’s perspective and instead focuses more on Ash, the one she ultimately chose, but also let go for a whole host of reasons I won’t divulge.

Ash’s story is a journey of self-discovery. He faces his demons, both literally and figuratively, in order to find a soul. His soul is what he needs in order to be reunited with Meghan, who is separated from him by a world of iron, a land he cannot exist in. Friend and rival, Puck, accompanies Ash on his journey and the two set out to do what has never before been accomplished.

I was pleased with the dynamic between both heroes. I thought Kagawa played them off of one another very well and tied up some loose ends regarding their turbulent relationship. She also threw in a surprise that I should have seen coming, but didn’t, that added more intrigue to Ash’s progress in the book. Hard decisions to be made at a few stages in his journey. Great ideas and creativity on the author’s part.

One thing that struck me immediately when reading Iron Knight is that this is not a book about Meghan. She rarely present in the book, although she is eluded to constantly. You can imagine that she figures more prominently towards the end and its resolution. This read is much more masculine than the previous installments – something I really enjoyed. I love seeing events through the eyes of the hero rather than listening to the heroine analyze what his thoughts must be.

One part of this particular story that I was not enamored with was the pseudo-ending that takes place. It is hard to explain without throwing spoilers left and right, but suffice it to say that there is a part that takes place that feels extremely surreal and quite awkward. I am sure some readers loved it, but I wasn’t overly taken with the scene. I do think the ending made up for it though and was very satisfied with the outcome of the plot.

I don’t mind saying that I am sad to see the series end, but happy to have had the chance to follow its tale. I think it is an exceptional read for teens. I’ve passed the word around to all that will listen that they have to pick these books up. I highly recommend them!

The thoughts expressed in this post are solely based on my personal opinion and have not been influenced by any other entity or being. Use of my statements may not be reproduced without permission from me, the author of Fall In Love With Books.

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