The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publish Date: October 25, 2011
Series: Iron Fey #4
ISBN: 0373210361
ISBN-13: 9780373210367

Synopsis: Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her
irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is so much to say about Julie Kagawa’s The Iron Knight. When I finished, I closed the book, closed my eyes, and had a large smile on my face. The Iron Knight is one of those stories that allows a reader to fully embrace their love for reading.

I was introduced to the Iron Fey series by one of my best friends. She gave me The Iron King and said, “Read this because I know you’ll love it.” And she was right. I did love The Iron King, as well as the next two books. When I began The Iron Queen, the third book in the Iron Fey series, I had a moment of sadness. I had thought the series was complete. I had thought that Meghan, Ash, and Puck’s adventure was at an end. As I read the last few pages, I realized I was wrong. There was one more chapter in the story that made its way into my heart. There was one more story to be told, and this time it was told through the eyes of Ash.

I will try not to say any spoilers. If I sound vague, I apologize. It’s to protect those who will be reading The Iron Knight in October.

The Iron Knight is Ash’s story, through and through. The voice of this book is what one would expect from Ash. There are some books that do not voice a male’s thoughts, feelings, and actions, but Kagawa did a great job of keeping the integrity of Ash and of a winter prince. Ash’s journey to obtain the impossible is one for the “books.” His determination is commendable and his devotion to love is inspiring. Ash is tested through and through, and the realizations that come out of the journey makes for an amazing character arc.

Without getting too detailed about the story, I want to talk about the characters who star in this book.

Ash is the star of the fourth installment in the Iron Fey series. In the beginning, I was not a fan of Ash. He appeared to be the assertive Winter Prince who was sure of himself, in every way. It wasn’t until The Iron Queen that I slowly fell in love with him. Yes, I didn’t not love him until the third book.

In The Iron Knight, he won me over completely. While he may be cold and emotionless to everyone on the outside, The Iron Knight gave me, the reader, a glimpse into his thoughts and feelings. It also helped fill in some of the missing pieces throughout the rest of the series. Kagawa did a fantastic job getting to know Ash in a way that I would have never thought imaginable.

Puck also plays an integral part of the story. He has taken the task to accompany Ash to the end of the world. Puck also matures in this book. His constant comic relief has been a shield to showing his emotions as well, but in The Iron Knight, we see another side of him that we didn’t get to see in the other three books. It’s a two-for one deal!

The friendship between Ash and Puck are tried, tested, and put through some grueling events, with each one questioning the reasons for this journey. With the help of a few others, does Ash have what it takes to obtain what he covets the most?

This was a fantastic read. I loved every minute of it and am looking forward for the day when I can read each one of the Iron Fey series, back to back. Julie Kagawa proves that there is magic that lies within each fey, and all they need is to talk about them.