The Iron King

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa is the first book in the bestselling Iron Fey series and explores an interesting take on mythical faeries.  I'm not talking wings and fairy dust faeries, but more like the dark, immortal beings known as the Sidhe.  In Kagawa's world, faeries and all things Fey, including their realm known as the Never Never, are contrived from mortal dreams.  The more stories are told about them, the stronger they are.  In the Never Never are characters from literary history such as the Seelie Court's King Oberon and Queen Titania, as well as the terrifying Unseelie Queen Mab.  

So when sixteen-year-old Meghan Chase discovers her four-year-old half-brother has been stolen, her entire world comes crashing down.  Escorted by the infamous Robin Goodfellow, better known as Puck, from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Meghan enters the world of Faerie to rescue him.  This is not an easy feat.  

Once in Faerie, Meghan finds herself a guest of the Seelie Queen---while making enemies with their queen---wanted by the Queen of the Unseelie, captured by goblins, nearly eaten by a kelpie, making bargains with a sarcastic feline and attracting the attentions---both romantic and lethal---of the dark but handsome, youngest heir to the Unseelie throne, Prince Ash.  

And that's not even the best part.

Long ago, when human dreams were filled with magic and myth, the realm of the Fey flourished.  Over the centuries, the belief in otherworldly beings diminished and the strength of the immortal Fey in the mortal realm along with it.  Then humans discovered iron and began dreaming new dreams, giving rise to an unheard of race of faerie: the Iron Fey.

It is in their realm that Meghan must go to save Ethan.  Accompanied by her three companions, Puck, Prince Ash and the feline cait sith, Grimalkin, she sets off on a grand adventure to face the Iron King, one that would change her world forever. 

I absolutely loved this book and once I finished it, I immediately went out to get the second one.  Kagawa weaves a world of magic and adventure punctuated with bits of romance, rivalry and a lot of humor.  Yes, some components of the story came off a little cheesy, but as the story was so compelling, I just went with it.  

My rating: 9 out of 10.