Julie Kagawa revisits her characters from her series "The Iron Fey" in her new series "The Iron Fey: Evenfall". We follow Puck, Meghan, Ash, Grimalkin and Kierran, as well as some new faces, as they battle to save the realms from Evenfall. They do not know what it is or when it is coming, but they know that they must avoid it at all costs. Chaos is taking over the realms of humans and Faeries and will not be stopped unless our heroes can vanquish the shadow that is spreading. But are they strong enough for this incredibly dangerous battle.

I had not read The Iron Fey series prior to reading this series and did not realise that this was a follow on series leading to quite a lot of confusion in the beginning. There are multiple references to the events in the first series, however they are frequent and detailed enough that I was able to enjoy reading this series. I would say that as long as you know that there was a prior series, you don't need to have read it before starting this series. It would increase your enjoyment but is not vital as Julie Kagawa provided all the relevant information to the current series.

The Iron Raven is read from Puck's perspective, which I found incredibly interesting as it showed him battling his inner demons and trying to keep his mean jester/trickster internalized, something he thought he had achieved decades ago. The panic as his jokster traits begin to emerge was clear throughout the series and added to his confusion about how to act at each important junction of the story.

Unfortunately this book has my least favourite trope in it... Insta Love. I felt that the romance in the book was not developed, rather it was a case of "this is how it is, you better just accept it and like it". I think if there was more time to develop the relationship throughout the book, it would have worked so well. Instead, I did not really care about how the relationship ended up by the end of the book, which was disappointing.

If you are a fan of wicked faeries and an epic journey to save the world, you will enjoy this book. If you love to see a prankster who provides comedic relief throughout the book also battle his inner, angry demon and how this causes so much internal conflict, you will enjoy this book. If you are a fan of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I loved returning to the world of the iron fey. Puck was always a character i adored and this book did not disapoint.

A thrilling addition to the Iron Fey series and a long awaited telling of Robin Goodfellows story. When I read the iron fey series early this year I had hoped to see more of Robin and when I heard he was getting his own book I was simply ecstatic! I'd recommend this to all lovers of the original series as this tops them all. Kagawa's writing and storytelling has evolved since the previous books and this was truly a delight to read!

It’s only right that I begin by screaming “childhood nostalgia!!” and expressing my excitement at Julie Kagawa’s return to this world (when you’re ready, Julie, I’m still awaiting a Blood of Eden spinoff). Granted, it’s the universe she’s spent the most time in, but with each spinoff we get to explore a new dimension of the brilliant folklore fantasy world.

The Iron Raven is, first and foremost, Puck’s story. Through several well-timed flashbacks, we see what it was like for him before he met Ash or Meghan, and how he’s evolved since becoming Robin Goodfellow. I came in with few ideas about what to expect, and clearly it paid off becuase Julie Kagawa explored Puck in ways that were unimaginable and deeply intriguing to me. At the forefront was his struggle with himself; ‘dark Puck’ was present for a lot of this novel, and I especially liked the complexity of his interactions with Nyx given that she knew nothing of his reputation in the Fey world. I have to say I felt that the resolution of Puck’s struggle was a little disappointing, and I’m hoping more complications will arise in book two instead of the quick fix proving to be permanent.

Ash was one of my first fictional crushes and he’s back! I loved his part in this book, from the verbal (and occasionally physical) spars with Puck to all the heartwarming moments with Meghan. My ice prince has come so far and he deserves happiness forever. Another familiar face is Grimalkin, everyone’s favourite haughty cat that toes the line between helpful guide and irritable smartass expertly. It was a real treat to see this gang reunion, and I thought Julie Kagawa did an amazing job of blending together old and new.

Being a spinoff, I would recommend that you read the other books first to really fall in love with the world and its stars as well as helping you understand all the nods to events in previous books; it’s certainly not a spoiler-free zone, thought I think you could comfortably read the series as a standalone if you so desired. I am looking forward to book two (though I will admit terror is another emotion I feel towards the sequel); that ending left very much left us stuck in the middle of the Wyldwood!

I had not read any of the previous books in this series, and jumped headfirst into The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa. However, the backstory and world was relatively well explained and I didn’t have much trouble adjusting to this spinoff with all the new-to-me characters and setting.

We are first introduced to Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow) whom I expected to love based on A Midsummer Night's Dream. However, I didn’t enjoy his character and found a few of his traits annoying, particularly his selfishness. Whilst there are glimpses of a softer personality that showed care for others, he wasn't a particularly likeable character for me. I like anti-heroes but Puck just didn’t do the job for me!

The main storyline revolves around Puck and his friends trying to save the Fae Kingdoms from the danger of an unknown beast. There were many action scenes, but they were not well linked and did not help the story progression. I found the story dragged on and Puck's monologue felt repetitive.

Perhaps if I had started off with the Iron Fey series first, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more as I would have already fallen in love with the characters.

All in all, an interesting concept, and readers who loved the original series will enjoy the combination of fantasy, action and a touch of romance.

I went into this with no knowledge of any of the Iron Fey series apart from the fact it's written by Kagawa.

Even with no background knowledge this book blew me away and provided enough context in a natural way that left me eager to keep reading and enamoured with the characters.

The world building and pacing in this book is next level. Different realms are unique and magical. From whimsical forests to steampunk cities this book captures it in stunning clarity and whisks you away.

Characters are witty and believable and fun. It is full of humor and heart and honestly there really isn't anything bad I can think of about this book.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

“To the fans of Puck who wanted him to tell his own story.”

The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa is the first book in new series The Iron Fey: Evenfall. This is a SPIN-OFF from the original Iron Fey series, so I recommend you read that first.

Puck and Grimm were always my favourites characters from The Iron Fey series, so when I learned there were more stories coming from Puck’s perspective I was beyond excited.

Throughout The Iron Raven we come to learn more about Puck and how he came to meet our previous main characters. And of course those characters are also part of this story (yay!) While following along to battle the new big bad we bounce back to when Puck first joined the Summer Court. When he first learned about Meghan Chase. When he first met Ash aka Ice Boy.

This story is also the battle of Puck’s personal demons. His Puckness and his evil Robin Goodfellow side. Which will triumph? Can he stay true to himself and his friends?

I loved re-entering this world, which I originally found in 2016. This story wrapped nicely for this part of the adventure, while leaving a path open for the next book. I can’t wait! A solid 4 star read. The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa is available now

Julie Kagawa is one terrific writer and this book does not disappoint. Finally we get to read Pucks story. At its heart we have a story with adventure and quests, all narrated by the wonderful Puck. You can expect Puck to live up to his reputation in all aspects.
The novel is fast paced and I have to say a page turner. If you have not read a novel by Kagawa this is a great place to start.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was really anticipating The Iron Raven as Puck and Grim are my two favourite characters in The Iron Fey series. Second chapter in, I discovered a slight problem. Whilst I had read all 5 of the book in The Iron Fey (including the short stories), I had never read Ethan and Keirren’s story in Call of the Forgotten. I knew Keirren was Meghan and Ash’s son but knew nothing about the forgotten. So I went back and read the three books about the Forgotten and just finished The Iron Raven a day before publication day.

My recommendation is before you read this book at the very least read The Iron Fey and I think you will appreciate this book more if you read Call of the Forgotten. I did not know where in the timeline of events Puck’s story would be and it is after all of these books.

Now to the review. It was great to have Puck’s storyline expanded. We have had snippets of it in the other books but never from his POV. Keirren is the King of the Forgotten and there is a new “big bad”, Keirren enlists the help of Puck and Grim and new character Nyx to work out the problem and eliminate the threat, which is poisoning Faery with negative emotions. I’m fact, Puck reverts back to his much more sadistic self from days of old, the original Robin Goodfellow and old feelings surface giving us greater insight to the back story of Puck.

I really enjoyed this book. It was not so much about the Forgotten and more about the original trio of Meghan, Ash and Puck from the original books. The dynamic that worked in those books was still there and I feel like I had a greater understanding of Puck’s character. Of course, there is a much bigger threat on the horizon as this is the first in a new series, but I look forward to continuing the adventure with Puck.

If you enjoyed The Iron Fey, you will enjoy this.

This was my first Julie Kagawa book (though I do own a few, I just haven't gotten to read them yet) and I really enjoyed it. I didn't feel lost at all, the story just made me want to go back and read the others I have!

In this book, Puck, along with some old allies (and some new ones) tries to find and defeat a monster who is affecting the behaviour of creatures in their world, negatively. It's not a force they have seen before, and definitely not easy to conquer.

I loved Puck's sense of humour, his sarcasm in the face of danger. It lightened up this more serious story.

I can't wait to read more of this author's work.

Kagawa’s Faery series continues from the 2010s with Puck taking the reins as a new Monster stirs trouble in the realms. I really enjoyed Kagawa’s work in my early teens and thought this would be a welcome nostalgic addition to my shelf. However, while the characters were familiar, i found the writing too juvenile and cheesy for my taste. Younger me would’ve loved this 10 years ago but unfortunately this was a bit of a slog for current me to get through. The story is still decent and fun but would recommend for younger audiences who have read the iron fae series.

‘You are Robin Goodfellow,” the Tinkerer said. “The Puck. The infamous trickster, and one of the most well-known faeries in existence.’

The Iron Raven is book #1 of the Iron Fey: Evenfall series by Julie Kagawa. This book is a spin-off of the Iron Fey series and is told from Puck’s point of view. Julie does provide some recaps and flashbacks, therefore if you have not read the previous series you won’t be so lost. However, that being said, the reading experience is always much richer if you have previous encounters with particular characters.

This is a fun YA book to read! It has all the right ingredients: action-packed fight scenes with fantastical beasts; a love story that adds rather than distracts from that action; and, loads of humorous moments with witty dialogue that one would expect from Court Jester, Puck. Julie’s writing builds not only on relationship and conflict between characters, but presents great world building - love the steampunk of the Iron Realm.

‘I’ve always known who I am, princeling. I’m the guy no one takes seriously. The guy everyone laughs at, who has a joke for everything, because the world is screwed up and the only way to deal with it is to look it in the eyes and smile. I smile, because it’s either that or get vindictive. And no one likes me when I’m vindictive.’

This is Puck's story and he is such a lively and entertaining character. The plot is fun as they band together to fend off doomsday and whilst there is an ending of sorts, it is clearly part of a series with future battles ahead. Julie does like her battles, a few drawn out ones, so make sure fight scenes are your thing. A little slow at times, however, by the end it was fast paced and it was here that Julie’s writing really won me over. This is a book about personal struggles and often, fighting the demon within. I appreciated the message (no spoilers) that I hope YA will read and respond to on how to overcome ‘evil’.

Fans of Julie Kagawa are in for a treat. A return to the Iron Fey world with an epic journey on the horizon as friendships and loyalties are tested under the shadow of jealousy and revenge. Can old hurts and inner demons be overcome? A captivating tale for YA readers into a magical fae world.

"If he happened to disappear, then those responsible would know the same pain I was feeling. Why should they get their happily-ever-after? When would it be my turn to come out on top?"





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

So I never read the original Iron Fey series but now I know I have been missing out! This was so much fun to read. I was admittedly a little confused in the beginning but one the story got going I devoured it. Getting my hands on the Iron Fey series so I can dive deeper into this world.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for this ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

3.5 stars for the nostalgia

Reading this was a throwback to my first encounter with Kagawa. It's odd, I have a love and not so much love with Kagawa books, sometimes they're just right, and other times, I wish it were more. For example, I ended up enjoying her Blood of Eden books more than I enjoyed the first two books of the Iron Fey series (but oddly, I loved the Iron King and the Iron Knight way more). I read all three books of the Shadow of the Fox but stopped reading the Talon books at Book 2, with all good intentions to finish the series eventually. I must say though, I really did enjoy the Shadow of the Fox books more. Nonetheless, the Iron Raven is a nice return to the series (I'll admit, I haven't yet gotten rough to reading the sequel series to the original Fae books, but now I think I should) and it helps that it's focussing on Puck.

The Iron Raven is Puck's story--and in many ways, it's also Robin Goodfellow's story too, even though they are one and the same, the Iron Raven shows us the depth of the difference. In the Iron Raven, in order to get Puck's story, Kagawa tells us we must know the difference between the Puck now and the one of the past.

I can't say how much I was looking forward to it. When I say my rating is due to nostalgia, I mean it was wonderful to be back in the world, to see my favourite characters and couples. Grimalkin is as enigmatic as ever. Ash and Meghan are adorable together. Even Keirann is interesting, though I have yet to read his books.

However, not everything is rainbows and sunshine, as the plot eventually reveals (or perhaps it is). There's a new mystery afoot that's threatening the fae, and it's Puck's turn to find out what it is.

Now, firstly, this is a book for nostalgia (I know, I keep saying it). It's fun and actiony and mysterious as well. It's a generally good introduction overall to this series, and yes, I do want to read the next one.

<spoiler>However, secondly, and these are the minor cons I'll dish but they should not, of course be a reason to not read it. I'm not one hundred percent sold on the romance yet! Though the love interest is interesting and mysterious and makes me think she should have been the lead of the series rathe than Puck (not that he isn't interesting). The plot while straightforward kind of skews a little to the side, that makes one think, hang on, didn't they already get to that part? Nonetheless, it's predictable and easy enough to gloss over, that still, it's a fun adventure. Puck himself, while interesting, has a slight shift in characterisation--for good reason--but it also makes aspects of his narrative a little tiresome in the sense that it makes him feel repetitive and begrudging. In saying that, it IS part of the plot, and without it, the plot wouldn't be well the plot.</spoiler>

Overall, with that ending--that seriously does tear me up more than it should since I partly saw it coming and partly because we don't get to see the full trauma that it would cause to certain characters--I am looking forward to the next book.

The Iron Raven
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: ⭐️ / 5
Reviewed: Maya

[Trigger Warning: I did not read enough to have a complete list and found none online, so please look through different reviews]

- PLEASE BE AWARE THAT I DID NOT FINISH THIS BOOK -
When I saw this on Netgalley, I was so excited because it was advertised as a new series and it was by an author that bookstagram raves about constantly. After my approval for the book, I searched it up online and was confused to see it was part of a series within a series (kind of). I haven’t read the Iron Fey series, so going into this book did make me skeptical that it wouldn’t make sense to me … and I was right: the world and characters was already created, which meant that I had to try to imagine the whole book in a short period of time with little to no descriptions. The pacing of the story also felt a bit off (again, it could be because I didn’t read the Iron Fey series) so I didn’t have the drive to read this book. But the main reason I didn’t finish this book was Puck. I strongly disliked his character and his first person perspective was annoying me further. The pacing of the story also felt a bit off (again, it could be because I didn’t read the Iron Fey series) so I didn’t have the drive to read this book. I think that lovers of the Iron Fey series will be delighted to read this book - I will definitely try to read the series and return back to this book to see if my opinion changes and am able to thoroughly enjoy this book!

Huge thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin Australia and of course Julie Kagawa for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is set for the 24th of February, 2021.