Title: The Iron Warrior
Author: Julie Kagawa
Published: November 19th 2015
By: Mira Ink
First line: My name is Ethan Chase
Last line: Sorry, not telling!
Synopsis: Waking after a month on the brink of death, Ethan Chase is stunned to learn that the Veil that conceals the fey from human sight was temporarily torn away. Although humankind's glimpse of the world of Faery lasted just a brief moment, the human world has been cast into chaos, and the emotion and glamour produced by fear and wonder has renewed the tremendous power of the Forgotten Queen. Now, she is at the forefront of an uprising against the courts of Summer and Winter—a reckoning that will have cataclysmic effects on the Nevernever.
Leading the Lady's Forgotten Army is Keirran himself: Ethan's nephew, and the traitor son of the Iron Queen, Meghan Chase.To stop Keirran, Ethan must disobey his sister once again as he and his girlfriend, Kenzie, search for answers long forgotten. In the face of unprecedented evil and unfathomable power, Ethan's enemies must become his allies, and the world of the fey will be changed forevermore.
Well, what can I say? The years have come and gone and I have been glued to the Iron Fey world since it first began with the Iron King. Back then Ethan Chase was, whilst important to the family tree, more a secondary character I felt. With the Call of the Forgotten series he became a central character in his own right and Kagawa certainly made it feel as though this series were in some ways detached from the first Fey series. Whilst we were happy to read about the regulars this series really stood out on it's own.
The last in the series, The Iron Warrior almost feels like an amalgamation of the two series, even though it's core characters are the same. There's a lot more of the oldies in this one, which is not surprising given the story unfolding and it kind of feels like a cast bow at the end of a particularly good play.
There's a lot hanging on Ethan in this finale. Civilisation itself even, and Kagawa keeps the action going right until the end. The journey each character takes is well written and there are more twists and turns than a rollercoaster but a few things stood out for me as the plot unfolded.
The first was the way that Ethan has evolved. He's become a true warrior and he really does put himself on the line to do what is right whilst still ensuring the safety of those he loves. The second element of the story that kept me addicted was the return of Annwyl. Considered an outcast by so many, but not all, her role here is a pivotal one. Annwyl brings the anguish I love in Kawaga's stories. And then there's Keirrran. Naughty boy. He just keeps the baddie alive right to the end but there are so many elements within his character it's hard to hate him (completely). Throw in the usuals, Ash, Meghan, Puck, Grim etc and you've got yourself an amazing read. One to be read in front of a fire I think.
I'm a little heartbroken to be saying goodbye to this series. The Iron books have been a mainstay of my reading world for so long now! On the upside, this also means that Kagawa gets to write more new stuff so in the end we win either way!
5/5 - A perfect ending to a wonderful series. I hope you'll pop back to say hi again one day.....
