Jen's review of "The Iron King" by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

Publication date: February 1st, 2010

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Number of pages: 363

Format: Paperback

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide)

Description: 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.

Meghan thought she had it all. A great family, a best friend and a shot to look good for her long-time crush. Then everything changed. On her sixteenth birthday, Meghan sees things that shouldn't be there, her brother gets kidnapped and some monster is put in his place. With her best friend, Robbie by her side, one would think he would give her some reasonable explanation for what happened, but no... he tells her the truth. Her brother has been kidnapped and taken into faery. Yes, fairies are real.. and he --- is Robin Goodfellow, or you might know him by.. "Puck". 

Meghan and Puck then head into the Never Never, which is what they call the land where the fey preside and try to find a way to find and bring her brother, Ethan back to where he belongs.
But things don't go as easy as she thought.
She goes on quite the journey between meeting her real fatherm discovering things she wish she didn't have to discover, and along the way, she finds herself drawn and falling for the one that is forbidden to her: Ash - Prince of the Unseelie court.

What she doesn't realize is that Puck, her best friend for as long as she can remember is in love with her too, but is it a little too late?
Will Meagan find her brother so they can both go home?

I admit, when I first read this book -- this was more like a re-read since it had been forever since I read the first two books, I really didn't like Ash all that much. I was Team Puck then, and still Team Puck now.
While, I know it would never have gone a way that I might have liked, I did eventually come to understand the love between Meghan and Ash, and it was sweet.  And Ash wasn't that bad of a guy/fey.
I fell in love with Puck the instant he came onto the scene. He is by far my favourite character of the series/book. I would go anywhere with him if he asked.

The world that Julie created was an interesting one. I have read a few Faery books, and I like that each one has a different take on the genre and mythical creatures.

I especially liked this because of the whole Midsummer nights dream aspect. I remember I had done the play of it and watched the film when I was young in High School, and always had a thing for Puck.

                                                          Rating: 4/5