The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King

Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Year: 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Age: YA 13+

Meghan Chase is a half human/half faery sixteen year old princess who is about to learn the truth about her family, who she is, & what is waiting just on the other side of our world. Her brother Ethan is taken into the world of the fae called the Nevernever & replaced by an evil changling child. In order to get Ethan back,  Meghan's best friend & faery guardian Robbie Goodfellow takes her through the veil on a perilous adventure through the wyldwood filled with dangerous fae creatures, into a deadly faery nightclub in Detroit, & a meeting with a voodoo witch in New Orleans. The pair is accompanied by Ash who is the prince of the Winter Court, his mother is the dangerous Queen Mab of the Unseelie fae. The group is also getting tips from a cat named Grim who has a way of disappearing when things get scary.

They know that Ethan is being help captive by someone called the Iron King, but no one has ever heard of him before now. In order to get to the realm of the Iron King they must escape from Meghan's father King Oberon, the ruler of the Seelie fae & the king of the Summer Court. But trouble is brewing in the Nevernever: their journey is full of danger, a chilling winter landscape, & a few unexpected allies.

The realm of the Iron King is filled with the electronic waste of the human world & thrives upon the technological energy expelled from the other side of the veil. Normal fae can't handle iron, it is deadly to them. So the group must get in & out quickly in order to stay alive. Will they rescue Ethan & save themselves, or will they become a part of the Iron King's collection?

Likes: I have been reading more fantasy lately in the past year or so & because of that I'm starting to see a pattern in the stories of the fae. Names, characters, & places are becoming more recognizable & I am becoming akin to the ways of the fae & their kingdoms.

This particular story has some cool 21st century elements that make the story more relatable.

Grim the cat reminded me of the cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland which is one of my favorites.

Dislikes: The story line was a little bit predictable but still enjoyable.

I'm also seeing a Twlight moment happening between Robbie, Ash, & Meghan...

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