Review of The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced reading copy of The Iron Queen from www.netgalley.com several days ago.
I've already read both The Iron King and The Iron Daughter, and while I found them good, I didn't find them great. I'm pleased to say that I found The Iron Queen was AMAZING.

Also, a warning: this review will contain The Iron King and The Iron Daughter spoilers.



My name is Meaghan 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 stay by my side. Drag me into the core of a conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it. 

This time, there will be no turning back.


The Iron Daughter ends after Meaghan kills Machina, the Iron King, and is exiled back to the mortal realm for her trouble. But she's back with her family there, and she still has Ash with her. It's then her understanding that with the threat of the Iron Realm negated, she can relax. There's no one to keep targeting her family to get to her, and there's no threat of the Summer and Winter fey dying off.

But with a False King taking the throne to the Iron Kingdom, seeking out the the Iron King's power that Meaghan - as his killer - now holds, she's back in the line of fire.


Julie Kagawa has a beautiful writing style that makes me certain that I'll love anything she writes, no matter the subject. I thus had high expectations for The Iron Queen, and I wasn't let down.


In all of the books in this series,  conflict after conflict comes up. The plot is bumpy and unpredictable, and you can't put the books down. The Iron Queen takes that to the next level, with higher stakes and more suspense.

What else I loved about The Iron Queen were the characters.

Meaghan grew so much. Over the course of the series you can watch as she develops and becomes  a stronger heroine, both physically and mentally. She lost that helpless and naive quality about her that she had about her in the previous two books.

There's still light-hearted and loyal Puck, if a little more bitter this time around. And Ash, still the cool and dangerous ice prince, less impassive without his ties to the Winter court. And my favorite, Grimalkin, with his dry humor and simple "I am a cat" explanations.

And the ending. Oh, God, the ending. I won't spoil it, but I will say that it didn't go the way I thought it would, and I'm glad for that. At first, when the fourth book was announced, The Iron Knight, I was unsure of how much longer the story could be dragged out. But with that ending, it creates a whole new conflict that I'm sure will keep the next book just as action-packed as the last.

I give The Iron Queen a 5 out of 5, and recommend you pick it up come its release date: February 1, 2011.

In the comments, tell me if you've read any of The Iron Fey series, and if so, what your thoughts on it are. Also, feel free to leave recommendations on what to read and review next.