Book Review-The Iron King

By Julie Kagawa

Published by Harlequin Teen

Released February 2010

Source: from Harlequin Teen

363 pages

4 stars

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 her dead than let her touch his icy heart. (from juliekagawa.com)

This was is on action packed, exciting read. I totally love the modern day faerie tale in which Julie has created. She has spun an amazing story wrapping in the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, and a beloved character from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck, as well as Queen Titania.

Megan's about to turn 16 and the world as she knew is changing before her eyes and she's soon forced into a whole new world she didn't really think existed, after her 4 year old brother is kidnapped by the monsters that are hiding in his closet. Her best friend Robbie, who has secrets of his own, is all the sudden very protective of her and she keeps seeing things.

Megan has spent the last 10 years of her life feeling as though no one really knew she existed. After her father disappeared when she was 6 yrs old, her mother and her moved far away from the home she knew. Now she lives on a pig farm with her mother, her year old half brother and her step father Luke who doesn't seem to realize she's even around. Her best friend Robbie, who is the only one who seems to pay her any attention, and she's even starting to realize that she doesn't know as much about Robbie as she thought. She soon realizes Robbie just the friend she wants to keep beside her as she faces the world of Seelie and Unseelie Courts to find her kidnapped brother.

This faerie world is far from friendly, as every where she goes someone wants her. Along the journey we met some wonderful characters like Grimalkin, a mysterious talking cat, Ash the mysterious dark stranger she's seen before, as well as other traditional mythical creatures. Megan grows a lot through out the course of the book, as she takes her journey to find her younger brother. She becomes a true heroine as she faces things from her own worst nightmare, but things in the faerie world come at a cost. She learns the hard way that you are bound by your word, and your word, once given isn't something you can take back.

I can't wait for the sequel, The Iron King's Daughter which will be out this August.

Here's a book trailer that Julie tweeted about:

http://reels.creativecow.net/film/the-iron-king

You can read an excerpt here:

http://www.juliekagawa.com/

Don't forget, we're giving away an ARC when we hit 315 blog followers!! Another ARC contest will be up at the end of the week. We're chatting with Julie next month. We can't wait to talk to her more about The Iron King. Thank you to Harlequin for sending us the ARCs to give out.