Monday, October 10, 2011

Review: The Iron Knight

THE IRON KNIGHT (Iron Fey #4)
Julie Kagawa
Paranormal Young Adult
386 Pages
Harlequin Teen
Available October 25th
Received via NetGalley for review

THE STORY
Ash made the girl he loves a promise when he became her Knight. He would be there to protect her with his sword and with his life against any and all enemies, but when she became queen of a realm that would slowly kill him should he stay in it with her, she banished him to save his life. Now, he's on a mission to earn his humanity so that he may return to her side and fulfill his vow.

With the enthusiastic help of trickster Puck and the somewhat reluctant assistance of cat sithe Grimalkin, Ash starts out on his journey to return to Meghan. A few new friends join them on their quest, fighting unusual creatures and traversing never before seen landscapes to get to the end of the world where the trials to earn a soul will be held.

While Ash knows the journey will not be easy, it proves more physically and emotionally difficult than he ever could have imagined, and his confidence in a joyful reunion with Meghan begins to wane. Ash has never been one to admit defeat though, and he leans on his friends for strength when the final steps to earning his humanity require more than he thinks he can give.

MY THOUGHTS
The Iron Knight gives us the welcome opportunity to slip into the mind of a character whom we’ve previously only seen through the eyes of another, allowing us full access to the thoughts and feelings of the frigid winter prince who finally began to thaw in book three. Accompanying our highly anticipated new perspective is Ms. Kagawa’s unparalleled creativity, the journey she’s created for Ash and Puck glorious proof of her ability to stretch her characters and readers to their physical and emotional limits as we all find ourselves irrevocably invested in the outcome of the winter royal’s personal quest. At no point is a happy ending guaranteed, our fingers constantly twitching as they itch to flip the pages and skip ahead just to end the apprehension caused by our uncertainty. Part of the beauty of this world and these characters is the unpredictability however, and placating ourselves with any absolutes robs us of the true Iron Fey experience.

Spending an entire book with Ash is an absolute pleasure, our need to know more about his past and his feelings for Meghan straight from the source blissfully satisfied in this tale. Dark details of not only his relationship with Ariella, but also of life as a soulless fae are mixed with the action of the present-day adventure, crafting a stunning character portrait that starts from opposite edges and slowly works inward to reveal every facet of the Ash we've longed to see. We start out reading his story wondering if we’ll miss the romantic tension given Meghan’s noticeable absence, but Ms. Kagawa crafts a compelling and unexpected solution to that particular issue, and once again our hearts seem to swell until we’re full to bursting with conflicting fears and desires.

Puck is another highlight for us as readers, his normal humorous arrogance and big mouth present and accounted for, but we also get glimpses of a man whose life has not consisted entirely of jokes and pranks, the pain of his long and tangled history with Ash breaking through to dim his shining smile now and again. His fierce loyalty and unwavering friendship is both beautiful and tragic as he places Ash and Meghan’s happiness above his own repeatedly, proving himself to be a character we will hold dear for a long time to come in the hopes our feelings for him might magically make their way through the ink and paper to hit home.

The only mild complaint with this tale is to be found in the concluding pages as Ash faces his final trials before earning his soul. The trials themselves are brilliant–both emotionally and mentally intense–however Ash’s reaction to them is the tiniest bit disappointing. After each of the three, Ash reverts to the brooding prince we’ve seen pop up on occasion, needing one of his traveling companions to find him and remind him of the reasons they’ve all come as far as they have. The first time, and perhaps even the second, the melancholic reflection is understandable and the support of a good friend necessary, but it would have been nice if by the third time Ash could remember for himself his feelings for Meghan so that we might experience the renewal of his confidence in his love along with him, no outside assistance needed. That aside, The Iron Knight is a dream for fans of the series, each page a gift for the extra time it allows us in this world and with these characters.

Rating: 4/5

33 comments:

  1. I'm glad you enjoyed this. I loved it. I see what you mean about needing outside interference to build his confidence. Overall, I loved having Ash as the MC. Meghan is the least interesting character in the series. I loved the Wolf too.

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  2. I loved this too! Though I do agree with you about Ash having to rely on his friends a lot during the trials to remind him rather than coming to figure it out why he's there himself. I love it though! I actually teared up a lot while reading this! Great review, Jenny! You write everything so eloquently! :)

    Liza @ Book Crook Liza

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  3. I really need to finish reading this series. I loved The Iron King and found Julie's prose vivid and poetic and adored her characters. Good to know that The Iron Knight give great insight into Ash's character too. Lovely review

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  4. Alison - I thought it was great, I love, love, loved the trials he had to go through, I thought they were really well done! Wolf was fabulous:)

    Liza - I was a blubbering mess when he was going through a couple of the trials. A mess I tell you!

    Jan - I think they get better as they go, though the Iron Queen is still my favorite:)

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  5. Awww, I'm SO glad you liked this one, Jenny! I read The Iron Knight a while back too and I agree with you completely when you say that this book was like a dream. All of them are, actually! Julie Kagawa's writing style is just so vivid and beautiful and enchanting, which is why this series is one of my favourites! :)

    Awesome review, Jenny! We can be major Team Ash fan girls together! ;)

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  6. I still haven't started reading this series. I know, right. Why Nina? No freaking idea. :) I really should start.

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  7. I loved this series and Im really thinking this last one was my favorite (Yay Ash!!) Even with his elffie ears I still think he sounds hot...:)

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  8. I can't wait to start this one!!! I just got an ARc in the mail the other day... I kinda still need to read the two before it! Ha!!

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  9. I've been looking forward to the Iron Knight for a while. For once I am actually caught up with the series. :)

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  10. Mimi - I do love me some Ash, I will so be a fan girl with you!

    Nina - I love it:) The first one took me a little while to get into, but then I got sucked in and couldn't stop:)

    Tina - YAY ASH! He does sound hot, Meghan's a lucky fictional girl:)

    Ashley - DO IT! Such a good series:)

    Amanda - Yay! Can't wait to see what you think of Ash in this one:)

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  11. I can't wait to delve in but I have to tell you Team Ash peeps that I am on Pucks side. I realize I am the minority but I love that little troublemaker :)

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  12. I still haven't read the 2nd and 3rd books! (I'm crazy, right?) I'm glad to hear The Iron Knight is a great addition to the story, though! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jenny! :)

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  13. WHile I lode THE IRON KNIGHT, I agree, Ash did get a bit emo during the trials. But I was willing to overlook it as I enjoyed generally really enjoyed the book.

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  14. Felicia - I enjoy Puck, I just love Ash more:) It would be fun to get a Puck story I think!

    Lauren - Book 3 is my favorite one:) I hope you get a chance to try them soon!

    Jennifer - I really enjoyed it as well, I just wanted him once at the end there to remember for himself why he was going through the trials:)

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  15. Skimming in fear of spoilers, I mean I have not even read book 1, but, the library is getting it :D

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  16. Gah, I need to read this series! I've heard nothing but rave reviews and I really need to meet Ash and Puck.

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  17. You're right about Ash at the end there. I felt the same frustrations. My excuse for him was how unaccustomed he is to feeling uncertain. Thank goodness Puck was there to lend us all a helping hand. :)

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  18. Still sounds like a winner. I haven't read it yet, but it is on my review tbr. Oh as long as there is still Grim in the novel, I won't be disappointed at all! ;)

    Team Grim!!

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  19. Blodeueudd - Yay for the library! Hope you like them:)

    Rummanah - I really enjoy it. The first one was a bit chaotic and took me some time to get into, but the others were amazing:)

    Missie - I just wanted to own up to loving Meghan you know? Not just nodding when someone told him he loved her:)

    Melissa - You will be a happy camper in this one, Grim is there in all his glory:)

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  20. Such a fabulous story and a very satisfying conclusion. Now, if only Puck could settle down with a nice girl... I loved the glimpses below the surface of his jokester persona.

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  21. I'm reading this right now, but haven't gotten very far yet. I'm already back in the Iron Fey spirit though!

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  22. Hey Jenny! How's your Columbus Day? I've never fully understood this holiday...except the banks close and ruin my payroll runs. I should make a complaint to the Federal Reserve. I'm done rambling now. LOL!

    So, admittedly I only skimmed this review because I haven't read any in the series and I fully plan on doing so because you love them so much. You know my unlike for YA fairy books, so if you like them I most likely will, too! YAY! Happy Columbus Day!

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  23. I had a hard time getting used to Broody McBroody Pants' POV at first, but once I got into the story I thought it was pretty enjoyable. I loved the Ash/Puck dynamic, and I can never resist Grimalkin. =)

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  24. Please don't kill me BUT I've yet to start this series. I KNOW! Ok, in my defense though, I have too many review books on my plate that I must review and not enough time for just fun reads. That said, this one sounds great, barring the final few pages. Great review, Jenny! :)

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  25. I only skimmed this review because I have yet to read this series, but it sounds like I'm going to enjoy both Ash and Puck as characters!

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  26. This book made me cry! My poor heart is still aching from it. Loved your review!

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  27. Afraid to read it because I still haven't finished Iron Queen. So I just read that last complaint paragraph and I get what you're saying. Maybe he still has ice in his blood? Anyway, glad you liked it so much. Can't wait to read it!

    I promise to read your review when I read Iron Knight!

    Heather

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  28. I struggled a bit with this one but the last half of the book totally redeemed the first part for me. I love the idea of seeing Ash's POV from his own perspective rather than through Meghan's!

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  29. This series has been such a treat so I'm glad to hear it doesn't disappoint. I'm excited to read from Ashe's point of view. And yes, Puck us such a sweetie. It all sounds fantastic - other than his over-broodiness, but I'll sure I can get over it for the sake of such a hottie! Thanks for the great review!

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  30. I loved this book but I'm really impressed with your suggestion for an improvement. You're so right. You'd make an awesome beta reader.

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  31. Every time you review a book from this series, I feel like smacking myself for not having started it. Ahh, I think you need to sit me down and force me to start reading them.

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  32. I feel like a booger. I have had this book on my Kindle all summer and I have yet to read it. Errrrr... Wait, perhaps I have been putting it off because I am still kinda on the fence about Ash. Hmmmmmmm... That is something to contemplate! ;)

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  33. I have this. Why the heck haven't I read it yet?!

    So glad that you liked this one (even with the slight disappointment in Ash).

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