The Iron King. A Review.

I have to give this book a five out of five. It was absolutely fantastic. And I know I always go on about how the characters make a book great (and this book did that too), but I have to say, Julie Kagawa did some wicked awesome world building in this novel.

The reason why I compliment her world building is because she was not wordy. In fact, she has the wondrous talent of being able to describe, in very few words, an entire setting. Kagawa trusts her readers to use their imagination to run wild, but she provides the perfect amount of describe to lead readers in the right direction.

I believe that Kagawa's talent of world building strengthened her story immensely, and make the characters fit so much better into the world of Faery.

Puck (Robin Goodfellow) fell into place perfectly with the transition from the real world into the Faery world. He was such a finely developed character that the transition made him fit even better into the story than when he was simple "Robbie." I loved his joking side and his loyalty to Meghan, despite his being a Faery.

Ash was the perfect version of a "bad boy" Faery. He was strong, intelligent, and well, quite handsome in my head. One of my favorite things about him is his strong ties of loyalty. Although he warned Meghan about forming certain attachments, as you read, you can see that he is also trying to convince himself of the same thing. I believe that he learned a valuable lesson at the end of this novel about fighting for the people you care for, even if it means bending the rules.

Grim. I think he is my all time favorite. He is not your average cat. He's a fantastic ball of fuzz that always pops up just when you need him. I can't wait to hear more about little Grimalkin.

Meghan Chase is a girl sent into a crazy world that crushes everything she has ever known and forces her to look at life through new eyes. She had to have been strong to overcome a challenge like this, and I feel that Kagawa successfully brought out that strength (even among the vulnerabilities) in Meghan. Meghan was diligent, proving to Ash that the love for her brother (and her determination) can overcome even the seemingly impossible to defeat oppositions. I like that she never strayed from her goal--that even though she had two men at her beck and call, she didn't let her relationships get in the way of saving her brother. I loved that even though the romantic factor wasn't as focused on her and Ash as it could have been, you could tell it was happening underneath the superficial and immediate problems.

One of my favorite quotes from this book is from Meghan, "Briefly, I wondered if it was great adversity that made a person stronger." (pg 354). I enjoyed it because it is so true--strength comes as we are challenged throughout this life. Kawaga incorporated such a deep, sort of "rude awakening" of real life into her fantasy, allowing readers to connect more fully with Meghan and her adventures through the Faery land.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is certainty a must read for those who enjoy fantasy. Julia Kagawa is a gifted author. Click to go to her blog here.