The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis
"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."

Midnyte's Review
Wow! I loved this book! It started out just a tiny bit slow for me, but after Meghan finally gets to Faery, I couldn’t put it down. Every time I was forced to stop reading, (you know because I had to go to work or bed), I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. The vocabulary is beautiful and I really envisioned fairyland and the world she painted. This is not the cutesy Otherworld where friendly creatures abound. In fact, it is more the norm that they want to do you harm. Meghan quickly learns the rules and has to utilize her own resources especially when she faces evil alone. There are so many novels with a similar scenario but Kagawa made her story refreshing and the characters very relatable.

Speaking of the characters, I loved them! When I first met Grimalkin, I thought “Oh, it’s Chesire Cat”. However, he hooked me by the time he uttered his 3rd or 4th sentence and I realized he was very much his own, original being. His wit and his attitude made him one of the best characters in the book. And then there is Ash. It’s hard to put your finger on him and what attracts Meghan to him, besides him being “beautiful”. (Sound familiar?) I actually went back to re-read their scenes together and while the attraction is apparent, it is hard to figure out what connects them. But connect they did. Maybe it is his cool aloofness mixed in with his heroism, chivalry and seductiveness. And really in all fairness, I think he won me over even before he did Meghan. Move over Edward Cullen!

Puck was fun too. Playing the prankster that we know from Shakespeare combined with a modern day flair. The tension between him and Ash provided great back story and a hint at Ash’s personality. King Oberon and Titania were very unlike the frolicking royalty in Shakespeare’s play. Instead they were menacing obstacles for Meghan. I liked Meghan too. A 16 year old who discovers who she really is, what she is really capable of and, what is really important to her. She keeps her eye on her goal throughout.

What I liked less about this book. Sometimes the author repeated descriptive words enough for me to notice them. Also, at times the descriptions themselves were more “telling” than “showing.” But these are just things that I am being nitpicky about. I truly LOVED this book. In fact, I am going to keep it! Something that is very rare for me. I cannot wait for her next one to come out, THE IRON DAUGHTER. Do I really have to wait till August?