The Iron Raven was an enjoyable fantasy adventure tale. I came to this book without having finished the Iron Fey series (I only read book one). In some ways that wasn't an issue. The promo for this book says it can be read as a standalone series, and I certainly had no trouble following the story. However, I did remember some of the characters, and there were frequent references to events in the past. Enough was explained that you didn't need further knowledge of them, but I do think that having that knowledge would add greater depth and meaning to the interactions between the characters. The pacing throughout the story was good, and Puck made a compelling narrator. The story ended in such a way that it left me wondering what would happen next, so I would be interested in reading on to book two in the future. In conclusion, while you can come to the Evenfall series without having read any of Kagawa's former works, I think it will hold extra appeal for existing fans of the Iron Fey series.

(My review will go live on my blog on 8 Feb 2021, at which time I will also share on Goodreads and across social media.)

The adventures of the Iron Fey continue! Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is back and as clever and prone to getting into trouble as ever. The trickster finds himself in over his head with a new sinister threat to the land of Faery. His friends (and Grimalkin) join together once again to fight to save the Fae world. If you liked The Iron Fey series, this is a must read. Funny, adventurous, and full of heart, the story of Puck and the Iron Fey lives on.

Confession time: I never read the Iron Fey Series. I did not even know it existed. I picked this book out on NetGalley because I absolutely love the character of Puck, and I was interested to read a story from his point of view.

That said, I’m so glad that I read this! It was so much fun! I know I’ve done a lot of complaining about the Y.A. genre in general, but this is everything a good Y.A. novel should be. It is full of action-packed fight scenes with fantastic beasts, has a love story that adds to the overall story rather than distracting from it, and has plenty of humorous moments that one would expect of Puck–Oberon’s personal jester. Also, the dialogue was fun, witty, and (most importantly) realistic.

I didn’t give it five full stars only because I thought it could use a bit more description in some areas–specifically of the big bad. However, the author may well have packed the previous books with world-building description that I missed.

For the record, I’ve now ordered three more books by Julie Kagawa as she is my new favorite Y.A. author.

This is a spinoff of Kagawa’s wildly popular Iron Fey series, which I haven’t read, but with the backstory sprinkled throughout this book I was never confused.

Puck, aka Robin Goodfellow – huge ego, lots of snark, big prankster. I loved spending time in his head. After losing the girl to his best friend years ago, he’s still nursing some mighty big wounds. With his many acts of pranking, bullying, and fighting over the years, he’s not in danger of winning any nice guy awards, but has made an effort to change his reputation.

Enter a pretty female assassin who sets his world off kilter, a strange beast threatening the lands of Faery, and a quest with old friends and new and you have the premise for this story. Plus, after being wounded by the strange beast, dark feelings Puck had thought long dormant begin to resurface, and he’s not so sure he can control his dangerous urges.

The world-building is phenomenal – the creativity is off the charts and, not being familiar with this world, I appreciated the descriptions of the various types of faeries and their magic. The supporting cast is wonderful, and I enjoyed learning about their friendships and previous adventures.

If you haven’t read the Iron Fey series, don’t let that stop you from diving into this humorous, action-packed spinoff. With a huge threat to the lands of Faery looming on the horizon, I definitely plan on continuing with this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

this was another great read from Ms. Kagawa, I always enjoy reading her books. This book had what I enjoyed from the series and improved on it.

The Iron Fey series just keeps getting better. The original series was a perfect fit for me at the age I was when I read them, but non-Meghan protagonists are much better for me now. I love the world Kagawa has built here, and I can't wait to go back for more!

Julie Kagawa always writes amazing books and this one was no exception! This was such a fantastic read. I need everyone to pick this up!

#TheIronRaven
#MustRead2021

The Iron Raven is a solid beginning back into the world of The Iron Fey. It has been several years since I had read the original series and maybe built them up a little more than they were in my own mind. Julie Kagawa is one of the most talent young adult writer's of fantasy that is on the shelves today. If you enjoyed the first set of stories about the Iron Fey then you will be happy and enjoyed this novel so much!

I read this title because I normally love this author. I’m not sure what turned me off this story. Maybe because it is similar to so many others I have read. It was an ok story.

This book was received as an ARC from Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so looking forward to reading this book, being a fan of Iron Fey and following along with Meghan and Ash's journey and adventures and now hearing about Puck and his prankster tactics, the series just got more interesting. I was also intrigued at the relationship between Ash and Puck and how they still remained enemies and now with Meghan in the mix as queen, it is more compelling than ever. I can't wait for more books in the series and see what happens with Meghan as the Iron Queen. I know our teen book club will have a lot to say.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.