So good. A must read series.

This is one of my favorite fantasty/UF series. It's a well built world and I love the characters. Each of the three books in the series focuses on a different couple with a main plot running through out. These two were great together and I really loved the romance. You get to see the previous couples in this one too which was a bonus. This would not be a stand alone read. You need to start at book one.

*ARC provided through Netgalley**

I really adore this series and was anticipating this conclusion. Unfortunately the timing just ended up not working for me - when the pandemic hit my ability to read intense stories plummeted. Rather than force myself to read this and struggle, I just have to set it aside. I hope to one day be able to pick it up because I love this world and the characters are intriguing, but right now just isn’t that time.

If you like oblivious idiots who have been married for centuries but haven't realized it yet, this is the perfect book for you. And you should definitely read it.

Seeing as this is the third book of a trilogy though, you absolutely have to read the other two books first. Which is great news because they are just as amazing as this one.

The Iron Crown follows the story of the youngest Prince of the Unseelie Court Lugh and his best friend and protector Keiran. Keiran is human and since getting rescued by Lugh after almost dying centuries ago, they've never left each other's sides. They are basically a couple already (but haven't noticed it yet) and diving into this book you see how comfortable they are around each other after having spent all this time together already.

The story runs parallel to the events of the first two books and we finally see what happened after Lugh went off into the Wylds to get the support of the Sluagh for the approaching war. I loved finding out more about Lugh and Keiran, since we've only got to know them through little appearances and mentions in the previous books. I also really liked finding out about their hidden talents, like Lugh's gift with the shades or Keiran's belt.

I'm not sure what more to say about the story without spoiling anything so here are other things I loved about the book:

- Getting to know the Sluagh through Lugh and Keiran's eyes for a change. Their ride through the Wylds with the Wild Hunt, visiting villages and Keiran telling stories of their adventures made me see the Sluagh in a different light. Each book we see the perspective of a different side involved in the war, the Unseelie in Prince of Air and Darkness, the Seelie Court in The Marked Prince and now the Sluagh in TIC. It makes you realize how biased you get while reading each book, forming an opinion on the courts based on the MCs views. I appreciated getting to know everyone's story through the entire series

- Even though I'd call The Iron Crown a romance novel, I'd say the story is pretty plot driven. Which is great since the two main characters already have lots of history together and there was no need adding unnecessary romantic drama. I really liked Lugh and Keiran's development from best friends to lovers (and let's not forget the pining)

- One of my favourite parts: the reunion of the princes. Loved seeing them slowly get back to being a family and fighting together

- Roark (Though I'm probably biased seeing as he's still my fav character). And seeing him with Finny, of course.

- The story of Aage, Breoca and Liv even though it makes me sad thinking about them

- Queen Mab, because she's just such an interesting character


The only 'issue' I prossibly had was that the majority of the story felt a bit <i>too calm</i>. I remember not being able to put the first two books down and while the final installment was never boring, I didnt quite feel the same urgency to constantly keep reading (though maybe I just didn't want the series to end).

Nevertheless, The Darkest Court is one of my favorite series and it deserves so much more attention. You can get the entire series for under 7€ which is crazy, considering you pay so little and get so much in return. Also, I will forever be frustrated that this series isn't available as physical copies. If I had anything to say about it, The Darkest Court series would get <i>Special Hardcover Collecter's Editions with sprayed edges and embossing on the naked cover</i>. I'd gladly pay for that. (Why won't they let me show my support by spending lots of money?)


Even though I'm sad to see this series end, I'm very happy with the ending and I don't feel like I'm left with any unresolved issues. It was a great conclusion to a great series and it's not like I'll have to say goodbye to these characters forever. Knowing me, I'll probably be rereading the series over and over again.

There is something wonderful about Grant's writing that make me fall in love right along with the characters!

5 stars - MORE IF I COULD!! I LOVED this series!! From the first page of The Prince of Air and Darkness to the final page of The Iron Crown, this series had me HOOKED. My only complaint? That it’s over.

This book follows the story of the third and youngest brother, Lugh, and his fight to save his fae family from destruction. It was not at all what I expected, but I still LOVED it! This story is definitely grittier and darker than its predecessors, so be warned. But MA Grant STILL manages to work in all the feels.

ALL the love for this book and series! You’d better believe this is an insta-read author for me now!

The Iron Crown is a great conclusion to a fascinating trilogy; it introduces Lugh and Keiran well and brings all the previous stories together, with a battle of almost epic proportions at the end. A very satisfying conclusion, I definitely wasn't disappointed by any of the twists or surprises. Lugh and Keiran were enchanting main characters; both were so noble in their own ways, nice and gentle despite being battle-hardened after centuries of adventures. And so perfect for each other - let me tell you, The Iron Crown had one of the slowest burn with lots of subtle pining. Centuries worth of love and loyalty, what a gorgeous story.

While I enjoyed The Iron Crown overall, there is one thing that stops it being perfection. For me, the first half was rather confusing at times. Those parts became clear by the end of the book, but my reading experience hindered and I'd rate first half as three stars. Now, the second half more than made up for it, it was more on the five star category.

I do recommend the series for anyone up for a solid M/M fantasy romance: the individual stories and romances from each book are all good, and there's a great overachieving storyline. There's definitely plenty of cunning, dangerous situations, takeovers, but also sweet, gentle moments.

I really enjoy this series. It was epic and intriguing and you can't help but be invested in the characters.

I enjoyed the relationship between the MCs; very little angst between the two of them, which I like. Sometimes when a lot of drama is happening 'out in the world' you just things between the MCs to be easy. That's what I got here and I was happy.

An excellent conclusion.

A magical, thrilling, and romantic conclusion to the Darkest Court series, the Iron Crown centers on Lugh, the youngest prince of the Unseelie Winter Court, and Kieran, his longtime companion and protector.

I completely enjoyed their journey from a platonic friendship to a greater love and sexual intimacy, and I loved how they became true equals in the end. They had a truly special relationship that was built on long-standing trust, friendship, and loyalty. From the moment Lugh found Kieran, they were inseparable.

I was fascinated by the pair’s magical abilities, which turned out to be more awesome and important to the main plot than I first thought. And I liked how their partnership was so vital in identifying and defeating the main villain.

I liked how the villain and the princes’ mother Queen Mab were complex and interesting characters as well. And I liked how the brothers came through for each other and their family, while treasuring and fighting for their found families.

I hope the author writes more fantasy m/m romance, because I enjoyed this series very much. (It’s even better in audiobook!)

The Iron Crown is the conclusion to what has been a powerhouse series. This time we get to see the third brother, Lugh and his forever companion Keiran. Throughout the other two books we have heard about Lugh and his decision to live in the woods with the Slaugh instead of in the Winter Court, but we never learned the why. With the Iron Crown we learn about the Shades that drove Lugh from his home and the way they haunt him to this day. We also learn his history with Keiran: the seidhr and his poet. I really enjoyed meeting the members of the Slaugh and especially the members of the Hunt. One of my favorite part was when everything finally came to a head in the war between the courts and the dispicable Goodfellow. The final battle was something to behold with justice served and the ultimate sacrifice of a very polarizing character. But the best part? The bonding of the brothers at last. Watching Roarke, Slaíne and Lugh finally be a family and be true brothers to one another was pure joy and I hope we get some more shorts along the way with their visits together. The Triumvirate rules at last, as it should be and the weight of the crown is a little less heavy at last.

This is a book that requires your undivided attention because a lot happens. This is also not a book that you can read as a standalone because a lot of what happens is tied to the previous books in the series. For that reason alone, I see a reread of both The Prince of Air and Darkness and the Marked Prince followed closely by The Iron Crown in my future reading schedule. 😉

This book is the conclusion to an epic tale of Queen Mab and her three sons and it does an amazing job of tying all the threads together. Lugh and Keiran have been together for centuries and a sense of duty to the Queen and gratitude for being saved aren’t the only reasons that Keiran has sworn to protect the prince. Although they think it’s well hidden, even from each other, their love story began a long time ago, they just never acted on it physically. They also don’t act on it throughout most of this book, yet their love for each other is obvious.

There are a lot of twists, turns, betrayal and heartbreaking loss in this epic finale. There is also a fair amount of hope and redemption.

*~~*ARC kindly provided from the publisher/author to me for an honest review *~~*

Full review to come

5 stars

OF the three books in this series this one is probably my favorite. It is peak idiots/friends to lovers and it was such a wonderful ride to watch Lugh and Keiran navigate how to go from being the closest of friends to lovers. I think my favorite moment is the oh shit he just drank from my mead tankard right where my lips have been oh shit I'm in love. I also appreciated seeing the other two brothers and their partners but that neither of them took away from Lugh and Keiran

I often have to prep myself for the ending of a series— especially one I’ve enjoyed. By the end, I’ll be saying good bye to these characters and their world. The Iron Crown marks the ending of The Darkest Court trilogy of books by M.A. Grant. It stands to reason that this one would focusing on Lugh, the youngest of Queen Mab’s children. Kieran had been previously also introduced as his right hand, his best friend. And there is a sizable chunk of this book that intersects prior events in the first two.

The final installment of The Darkest Court trilogy felt much more focused on the Slough and their history, which makes sense as they are technically the third party of whole conflict. It rounds out most of what was missing in terms of the 'why' of the war.

Lugh has long been in love with Kieran. There was a single rejection in their past and with that they had settled into a deep friendship instead. Grant has hit me with slow burn after slow burn this series. It doesn't change here. There is a hefty amount of longing for more, but the weight of responsibilities and conflict take precedent.

The actual final battle portion felt slightly rushed. I was starting to almost worry there wouldn't be enough pages left for a resolution- I was wrong by the way; there even is an epilogue I was quite happy with. Actually by that point I was sad to let them all go, I was so fond of all the characters. For me the satisfaction I got from each book was consistent and I was so pleased and happy with it overall.

The Iron Crown is the third book in M.A. Grant's m/m fantasy romance series and I think it's my favorite. The first book is enemies-to-lovers and contains a fair bit of torture and a brewing war. The second is friends?-to-lovers and again... torture and war violence. This one contains a friendship-to-lovers romance SEVEN HUNDRED YEARS in the making. Lugh's human bodyguard/best friend Keiran has been by his side since Lugh was a young teen and rebuffed Lugh's sexual advances once when Lugh was an older teen. And then 700 years passed and Lugh is still convinced that Keiran wants nothing romantic from him. They sleep next to each other every night, they comfort and encourage each other, they do everything a long-term couple would do. And they're absolute idiots. Seriously. 700 years of pining.


Readers will be swept up in the political and strategic events, but the romance is never shoved to the back burner. Grant's plotting and pacing skill is evident in the balance of internal and external conflict, even if the book does run longer than I really had the patience for.


As a series reader, I was especially happy that Grant brought back the previous two couples but didn't let them steal the show. Those four men were naturally integral to the war planning and action, but unlike many other series, this final book didn't lose its way in wrapping up the previous romantic arcs.


In all, The Iron Crown was a satisfying conclusion to a great series. I look forward to more!





Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.


Content Warnings: war violence, mental ghost invasion?, references to torture, references to child abduction and murder

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
With each book, this series has become more epic in scope. As the leader of the wild hunt, Lugh’s story feels miles away from the courtly power struggles waged by both Lugh’s brothers. Lugh’s book reads like an epic quest as the hunt moves through the Wylds attempting to protect the Sluagh people. Where book one mixed the contemporary world with high fantasy, this book is more like the second, set firmly in the fairy world. Lugh doesn’t have much skill as a courtier, so this is a book full of gritty action and bloody battles that culminates in an epic battle that will alter the entire fairy world.

Keiran and Lugh are possibly the most developed characters in the series and I really love the relationship between the prince and his poet. Unlike the first two books, this isn’t a traditional romance. Keiran and Lugh work together, battle together, and have enjoyed a platonic partnership for centuries. Both are more pragmatic than romantic, and their focus is on the battle they are preparing for, not their changing relationship. I love their rare, awkward emotional moments and the small glimpses of softness under their battle-hardened exteriors.

Personally, I enjoy political intrigue more than gory battles so this isn’t necessarily my favourite of the three books. Other readers will enjoy the fast-paced action and the escalating tension in this final story. And though I’m still a little confused about how the timelines of the three books match up, all the pieces of the series come together beautifully in the final epic battle at the end of this book. I’ve loved this series from the start and while I can see potential for multiple spin-off books, I feel like this is a satisfying end to the trilogy about Queen Mab’s three very different sons.

I love this series. I love it so much, and the last book did not disappoint.

The story of Keiran and Lugh is one so emotional and so sweet. You can feel the link between them and watch it get more intense at the story goes on. Grant, as always, does an amazing job weaving a fantasy tale in between the emotional moments. It's a story of court intrigue and careful steps to avoid land mines and war, and although the romance is a central point, it's not THE central point.

I will read anything MA Grant writes. If you haven't read this entire series, I definitely suggest you do!

Voici le troisième et dernier tome de la saga The Darkest Court, centré cette fois sur le troisième Prince.

J'étais hyper pressée de découvrir ce roman, j'avais vraiment beaucoup aimé les deux précédents tomes. C'est vraiment une super saga !
Le truc ici, c'est que ma lecture fut compliquée... J'ai eu beaucoup de mal à me concentrer et même si j'avais envie de me plonger dans cette histoire, je n'avais pas la tête à ça en fait. J'ai mis de côté ma lecture à un moment, puis j'ai recommencé depuis le début.

J'ai l'impression que les enjeux ici étaient encore plus complexes que dans les précédents tomes. Et à cause de mon manque de concentration et de mon manque de vocabulaire (je n'ai décidément pas le niveau pour lire de la fantasy en anglais...), j'ai eu du mal à intégrer certaines choses et je pense que je suis passée à côté d'un certain nombres d'éléments.

Ceci dit, j'ai pu quand même apprécier ma lecture. Lugh et Keiran sont deux personnages très intéressants et complexes. Du moins, leur relation l'est. J'ai aimé la façon dont l'auteur a traité leur couple, elle prend vraiment le temps à tout bien développer, même si ce n'est pas l'élément central de l'histoire. L'intrigue, elle, est vraiment très bien menée aussi, c'est hyper riche (peut-être trop pour moi ?).

Et puis, j'ai aimé aussi la façon dont elle a traité la relation entre les frères, qui est plus importante dans ce dernier tome.

Je pense que je relirai ce livre pour pleinement l'apprécier, ainsi que toute la saga :)
(3,75/5)

This is the third in a tightly woven series where the events overlap to create a beautiful tapestry founded in Celtic myth yet with elements all its own. Each novel is a gay romance where troubles in the fae world impinge on the relationships. This connection makes everything more complicated in some ways, but in others, moves fate and circumstance to bring the lovers together.

Part of what fascinates me, and why I’m speaking first on the series as a whole, is how each novel is unique. It’s not just the characters, but the circumstances and the challenges they face while moving the overall plot forward. This is never truer than with Lugh and Keiran, the youngest son of Queen Mab and a Viking child rescued from his destroyed village in the wake of the last great fae war.

Unlike the other novels, theirs is not a new connection. Instead, they’ve grown up together, fought, raced, and celebrated together for most of Keiran’s extended human life. The connection between them vibrates off the page from the first mention, though they each believe their relationship is platonic. It shows in casual touches, how Lugh leans into Keir’s strength, and their silent communication no one else shares.

The two of them are a puzzle. Lugh has no faith in his magic and believes everyone would reject him if they knew the truth of it. This belief weighs on him, eating through his confidence and setting him apart when all he wants is to be close. He sees his abilities as a sign of weakness when they show his enduring strength.

Keir knows he’s there only because of Queen Mab’s reluctant consent, a tool to protect Lugh when she cannot understand what drives her youngest son away. This poisons his self-confidence and makes him discount all the ways the fae of the Wylds honor him as The Horned God’s Poet. He has earned his place in the Wylds and the Wild Hunt by his own measure.

Don’t let those descriptions make you think either spend their time bemoaning, though. They take on the world to protect their chosen family and home. While Roark’s and Slaine’s stories could possibly be read in either order, it’s Keir and Lugh who culminate the greater tale, and in a way that makes sense while being unpredictable. Just as they grow in their relationship, their connection with the world and their people grows in this novel. They change from adventurers with a purpose to an integral part of the Sluagh and balance from a direction none expected.

It’s a powerful story on a personal and larger scale. There were moments when my breath caught and tears threatened, not always grieving ones either. What binds Lugh and Keir together is also what holds them apart. There are both closed- and open-door intimacies as the romance fulfills its happy promise, but not everything resolves so cheerfully.

I found the way each story had a lesson to teach about perception fascinating as well. We learn of Slaine first from Roark, with his limited understanding of events creating a tainted impression, but Lugh is different. The facts of his actions are correct. It’s the why neither brothers nor mother can see that changes everything about those actions. I was not looking forward to Lugh’s tale, though I should have known better after reading Slaine’s. Now, I consider it my favorite in many ways. The unseelie princes are so very different and their relationships equally varied.

As must be clear by now, I enjoyed the series and this book very much. Stop reading me talking about it and try the series yourself. It’s creative fantasy, believable romance, and has a powerful moment or ten that I suspect will linger.

P.S. I received this Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

In my opinion, The Iron Crown is the best of the series, an excellent wrap up to everything that’s come before.

I’d call this a slow burn friends-to-lovers romance. When the story opens, Kieran and Lugh have been best friends and fighting companions in the Wild Hunt for more than seven centuries. Lugh has been attracted to Kieran since they were young, but Kieran doesn’t see Lugh as anything more than a friend. About a third of the way through the book, Kieran starts to realize that maybe what he feels for Lugh isn’t friendship after all, but something deeper. Seven hundred years and change for Kieran to fall in love—that is some seriously slow burn. 😊

Even after that point, both the plot and the romance are relatively slow going for a bit. The first part of the book is all about setting up the story. It establishes Lugh and Kieran’s role as the Sluagh’s Wild Hunt, the part they will play in the wider conflict engulfing the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, and the nature of their relationship. At about the halfway mark, though, everything starts to take off. Kieran and Lugh are almost ready to admit their feelings for each other, and the stage is set for a shocking attack that changes everything. From then on, the book becomes thoroughly absorbing, and I had a hard time putting it down.

I would say that the novel overall leans more heavily on the side of fantasy than romance. The author spends a lot of time on her worldbuilding, more so than in the first two books, I think. Lugh’s ability to see the shades of the dead, the talisman that gives Kieran his own magical ability, the armed clashes culminating in the epic winner-take-all final battle—it’s all thoroughly detailed. Kieran and Lugh have some thoroughly romantic moments, but they have to fit them in between everything else that’s going on.

Even with the slow start, this book is my favorite of the series, because when everything finally comes together, it’s terrific. Readers who enjoyed the first two books in the series are absolutely going to need to read this one, too.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

The Iron Crown has the action typical of this series, but strays the farthest from reality out of the three. Like the earlier books by this author, the plot slows down around the 75% mark and then picks back up again towards the end. We see some of the most character and relationship building out of every book in this series as these are people who have known each other for centuries, so the interactions between characters feel more realistic. Overall, this was not my favorite read but it still managed to create an interesting story and expanded more on Lugh, a character who is barely talked about in the other two books.