YA Review: THE IRON QUEEN by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Queen

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: The Iron Fey #3

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: January 25, 2011

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Synopsis:
My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Review:
It’s been a while since I read the second book in the series, the Iron Daughter, so it took me a bit to remember everything, but I got back into the groove quickly. Like any series book, there’s a little bit of recap of what happened in previous books, but not to the point of annoyingly redundant. To me, it was the perfect amount to get me caught up on everything again.

Meghan, exiled from the fey realm with her beloved prince, thought it was all over, but the false king will not let her go in peace. To protect her family and save the Nevernever from the poison of the false king, Meghan must return to the fey realm, with her best friend Puck, the banished Unseelie Prince, and the cath sith to accomplish one last impossible task.

In the Iron Daughter I really didn’t like Meghan, but in this one I found little fault with her. She really comes into her own in this one. She still had a lot to learn throughout the book, but she’s a lot stronger than she was in the previous books. It may have a lot to do with her relationship with Ash. There’s no more annoying back and forth between her and Ash. No, their feelings for each other are clearly out in the open. Banished from the Nevernever for their forbidden romance, they only have each other. I seriously loved the romance aspect in this book! Ms. Kagawa found the perfect balance between despair and hope with the romance. Their plight is heartbreaking and I loved every moment these two spent together! Ash also makes some very romantic gestures in this one that almost had me in tears.

Ash, oh Ash, I’m officially a Team Ash convert!! I cheered for Puck in the previous books, because that devilish prankster makes me laugh and I just love him! I mean, who doesn’t love Robin Goodfellow, right? I still like Puck, but he’ll stay the best friend. As I’m a sucker for a dark and tortured hero, Ash fits the description perfectly. A lot more is revealed about Ash’s past in this one that leads into the next book. You know that lone hero you always see in movies, standing atop a skyscraper, with his cape billowing behind him as he surveys his city? That’s Ash. Or is that Batman? Anyway, my point is, Ash stole my heart with his unwavering love and loyalty for Meghan. For someone who is soulless, Ash has more honor and heart than a lot of other people. After this one’s ending, I can wait to read his book!

Once again, I tip my hat to Ms. Kagawa’s ability to bring to life the amazing world of the Nevernever. Other than the scenes with Ash and Meghan, my favorite scenes to read are the battle scenes. I totally immersed myself in the book as the battle came to life around me. I could hear the clash of weapons and the howl of the faeries as they fought one another in a battle of immortals that’s beyond the imagination.

Filled with action, adventure, and romance, The Iron Queen hit all the right spots for me! The ending alone deserves a 5! It fits the rest of the book perfectly. Happy isn’t the word I’d use to describe how I felt at the end, but more like “satisfied”. It’s one of those books where when you close it at the end, you want to keep reading, but you also just want to take a bit of time to savor that satisfied feeling you have before moving on to the next book. Anyway, I highly recommend this series if you enjoy adventure filled books with a romance that transcends time and space.

Books in this series:
1.     The Iron King - Review
1.5.  Winter's Passage
2.      The Iron Daughter - Review
3.      The Iron Queen 
3.5   Summer's Crossing
4.      The Iron Knight
4.5   Iron's Prophecy