The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2)

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Oh my goodness. Julie Kagawa ensnared me with her fantastic descriptions of the Faery world in The Iron Daughter, the second book in The Iron Fey series. Keeping her promise to Prince Ash, Meghan returns to the Unseelie Court where she becomes a volunteered prisoner to Queen Mab. That is until the Iron Fey show up and destroy everything. 

Meghan is still the loyal, loving, brave soul readers remember from the first book, The Iron King. But there's something more to her as she begins to feel and wield iron glamour. Not that we have time to focus on that just now. The situation in the Fey world is dire and no one believes that the Iron Fey are real. After the Scepter of the Seasons is stolen, the Winter Fey declare war on the Summer Fey. But Meghan knows that the war must be stopped. Readers will be impressed at her willingness to help a place that has never been home to her, though her help may be pointedly aimed at Prince Ash, even if he is being quite an ass. With Meghan being such a wonderful character, the writing style a world to get lost in, and the plot a complicated mess of intrigue, readers will love this sequel. 

The plot begins with Meghan being trapped at the Unseelie Court. During the celebration of the official season change from summer to winter, the Scepter of the Seasons is stolen. Blaming the Erlking, Queen Mab declares war. Prince Ash and Meghan escape, labelled as traitors, and begin a journey to find the Scepter. A new Iron King sits the throne, a fraud some say, and he's recruiting fey to join him in order to overtake the Faery realm. Readers will enjoy the very bumpy ride through Fey and the Mortal world with Meghan, Puck, and the unexpected ally, Ironhorse. Oh and Grimalkin. Who can forget him? Though all may be for naught when certain characters are banned from Faery... not that I think it will stop them from returning. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (124)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Vardin Villiage by Maggie Spence. I've just started it this one. George, a teenage boy, struggles to find a place to stay after his father loses their house.

02. Recently Finished:
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. The first book in the Iron Fey series, this book was wonderful. Meghan finds herself in the Fey world after her little brother is kidnapped and replaced by a changeling.

03. Reading Next:
Beastly by Alex Flinn. This one has been on my TBR list for a while. Modern day beauty and the beast. Can't wait to start it.

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1)

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

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 just 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.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Julie Kagawa writes of the Fey world in her novel, The Iron King, a book I wish I would have known about years ago. After spotting it at the library, I wondered why I had never read it. The novel that opens the Iron Fey series is a portal to the land of mischief and secrets, where saying 'thank you' puts you in debt and everyone is quick to make a deal. 

Meghan Chase is the main character of this book and the series. She's a high school girl who only has one friend and is often at the receiving end of bullying and pranks. Readers will immediately sympathize with her outcast label. Then, suddenly, Meghan's little brother is kidnapped and replaced by a changeling which leads Meghan to a familial revelation: she's the daughter of King Oberon of the Fey. Readers then bear witness as Meghan learns to be self-sufficient, strong, brave, and determined. Her loyalty is truly astonishing but is most often her downfall in the novel. The characteristics that Meghan has make her easy to relate to and give her a dimensional fluidity that allows her to reach the audience on a deeper level. 

The Iron King begins with the veil between Meghan and the Fey world slowly lowering. As she celebrates (or mourns) her sixteenth birthday, all is revealed. Then with Ethan's kidnapping, Meghan becomes determined to traverse the Fey world until she finds him and returns him to the human world safely. With the level of danger in the Fey world, the journey becomes a trial of Meghan's love and loyalty, faith and strength. I wasn't able to put it down until the last battle. And now, my fingers are itching to hold the second book and continue the adventure. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (137)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



The Iron King
     - Julie Kagawa

"It's him!" I whispered, cutting my gaze to the nobles approaching behind the queen. "That boy! He was hunting me that day in the forest, when I landed in your tree. He tried to kill me!"