Scavanger Hunt and Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Today is my stop in the Scavanger hunt blog hop for Julie Kagawa's exciting fourth installment in the Iron Fey Series The Iron Knight.  My exerpt is just below, along with my review of the book.  Be sure to check out the next stop on the hunt, Love To Read For Fun, for another exerpt from the book!

Excerpt:
But Fate is a cruel mistress, and in the end, our paths were forced apart, as I’d feared they would be. Meghan became the Iron Queen, as was her destiny, and took the throne in the kingdom of the Iron fey. A place I could not follow, not as I am—a faery creature whose essence weakens and burns at the touch of iron. Meghan herself exiled me from the lands of the Iron fey, knowing that staying would kill me, knowing I would try anyway. But before I left, I swore an oath that I would find a way to return, that someday we would be together, and nothing would separate us again.

What a great quote, it even sums up what the whole book is about.

And now for the review:
Book: The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa, Harlequin Teen, 2011, 368 pages, YA fantasy romance.



Source:  ARC received from the publisher.

Goodreads Synopsis:
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…

My Thoughts:
Once again, I loved reading Julie Kagawa's writing, the vivid world she creates, the juicy descriptions, the tension, twists, friendships, romance and adventures.  This installment is different, though, as it is told in the first person from Ash's point of view.  I have to say, I found the shift interesting and enjoyed it, even if it took me a little while to get used to.  Ash is so distant and reserved in much of the other books that it was nice to get to know him more intimately.

Part of getting to know Ash better was getting into the rivalry and friendship between him and Puck.  I love Puck - he is such a great character - and enjoyed seeing so much of him in the book and watching him and Ash play off of each other. 

Also, Grim was back (yeah!), along with some new characters. The Big Bad Wolf was one of the new additions and I loved him, he was a fantastic foil for Grim.  But I also loved how he represented the old fairy tales and how creatures exist if stories are told about them.  That is such a fun concept. 

The journey that Ash had to take to find the End of the World created a deeper, more interesting level to the book.  There was so much adventure and watching this unlikely group work together and get along was so much fun.  And then there was the whole exploration about what it means to be human versus being fey...

This was a fantastic, can't put down read that will not disappoint all the Iron Fey fans out there.

Where to find more:
The Iron Fey Book Series Web Site
Julie Kagawa's Web Site
Julie Kagawa's FaceBook
Julie Kagawa's Twitter