tea. books. love.: [REVIEW] The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Published: February 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teens
Age Group: Young Adult
Series: The Iron Fey #1

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 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 Goodreads)

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa was, to be honest, just a curious read. I though perhaps after reading so many different fairy books, this one would be different. In fact I had no idead it was about fairies, the cover sort of grabbed me.

Overall, The Iron King, the first in the Iron Fey series, was okay. It had the usual fairy guidelines, the four courts, the reference to Shakespeare's a midsummer's night, a predictable romance and practically all the similar factors you would find in a book about fairies. The only different aspect of this book, that I was disappointed to only come upon in the last third of the book, is the introduction of a new court, the iron fey.

Being a very avid reader, I have encountered many different books about fairies. The most popular being Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston and Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely. They are both similar to this one and I feel that the story sort of dulls down when you have already read about the same characters and settings in three other books.

I did enjoy the romantic climax in this book. Although predictable, the relationship between the main character and the one she loves is intriguing, partially because of how the author sets it up.

The story starts slow and the main plot isn't revealed until at least half the book. It seems like a good series and for all fairy readers, you should definitely try it but it isn't my favourite.