Review ~ The Iron Knight ~ Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Knight

Author: Julie Kagawa

Published: 27th October 2011

By: Harlequin Teen

Source: netgalley

First line: “Oi, ice-boy! You sure you know where you’re going?”

Last line: Then, with a flick of it’s tail, it bounded into the undergrowth, a streak of grey fur in the sun, and the light swallowed it completely.

Fave Line: I couldn’t pick one if I tried.

It’s difficult to write this without it sounding like a complete gush-fest because there isn’t anything negative I can say about this book! I was addicted to the Iron Fey series after I finished The Iron King and have been captivated ever since. I loved watching Meghan develop into the strong, confident woman that is the Iron Queen and been utterly enthralled by the bond between Ash and Puck whose loyalty to each other when it mattered was completely endearing no matter how much they might have denied it!

So on to book four - The Iron Knight. At the beginning we are reminded of Ash’s promise to Meghan at the end of The Iron Queen that he will find a way to be with her and it is this promise which takes him on a quest to the end of the world. Knowing that he cannot remain fey and be with Meghan he decides that there is only way that he can fulfil his pledge and that is to become human.

His decision triggers an epic journey which brings in all your favourite characters as well as new ones, one of which, well, talk about your ‘I did NOT see that coming' moment! I love the physical challenges he faces during this story, particularly those in the gauntlet which force him to acknowledge all that he stands to lose should he become human. To add to this he is forced to question himself, old friendships and his commitment to those he loves as the trials continue.

The Iron Knight is Ash’s story told from his perspective and it works. It fills in all the gaps and by the time you finish the book you feel as though you have come full circle. You see his weaknesses, his darker side, his past misdemeanours and overriding all of this his unfailing loyalty. Meghan’s character is woven into the story beautifully, appearing in his dreams and challenging him further and the love/hate relationship between Ash and Puck is wonderfully written. You see a new side to Puck which brings fresh vitality to this tale. The action begins on the first page of this book and continues until the end and Puck is always there, as fiercely determined as he ever was to stick by Ash’s side no matter how much Ash protests! The wonderful Grim is as wise and witty as ever but then what did you expect, after all, he is a cat...

So how to sum up...The Iron Knight wraps things up perfectly. This book is so beautifully written you feel every emotion. It is heart-warming and gut-wrenching at times but it gives you more than you could ever expect. There are loads of twists and turns and the ending is superb. This is undoubtedly my favourite book of the series. As an aside, I would recommend that you have also read the accompanying Novella Summer’s Crossing before hand as the escapades in there are mentioned in The Iron Prince.

Rating: 5 out of 5. Just wow. That’s all. #TeamAsh