I really liked being in Ash’s head for this book in the series, we’re normally in Puck’s and I wanted to get another POV so my wishes have come true. This is a really good YA book for anyone that just wants to read a fantasy adventure fun time instead of anything with violence, swearing or smut.

Wow! Things slowly start to pick up in this book, which is told from the POV of the King. He's not as charming as Puck, but we do see he's not immune to what's happening around him (unless he regularly has anger issues, lol!). More information about the mysterious creatures is slowly unearthed via a journey and then revealed by the end. I think there are some great elements (creatures, powers, events) but there's something about the writing "template" that makes it not as exciting as it could be (imo)

I had such a fantastic time reading these books! This world has been going on for so long, with other series being in between, and this series feels like a nice closing of a chapter, since all three characters from the beginning, Puck, Ash, and Meghan, narrate a book in this series, and I love that!

It was really interesting to be in Puck's head, to have a book focused on him. We really got to learn of his past, of why he is like he is. And I'm really glad that we got his story, the introduction to this threat, and a new character for him to find happiness with!

Evenfall is such an interesting threat, because throughout this series, we've explored a lot of the world. To have to re-examine the history, that there were things that they had no idea about, to have this whole hidden part? Yeah, that was a big shocker!

I just loved how things wrapped up! They definitely went through a lot through the course of this series, and Iron Vow really tied things up nicely, both for the series, and for the characters and the world, and I was really satisfied with the ending!

Loved reading these books, they were a perfect series closer to the world!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Prince Ash has stood by Queen Meghan, the Iron Queen, since he was banished from the Winter Court. Now, their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, has gone missing. There is an evil force approaching Nevernever that they will have to stop so that they can find Keirran and save their world.

I haven’t read the original Iron Fey series, but I really enjoyed the previous book in this spin off series. This book began with a great, quick recap of the last book, which was very helpful. I was situated right in the action immediately.

Since I haven’t read the original series, I wasn’t as invested in the characters as I could have been. In the last book, Puck was the narrator, and he was charming and funny. Ash was the narrator in this book, and he didn’t have the same entertaining narrative. Though I also didn’t have a connection to the characters in the first book, Puck kept me interested in the story. Unfortunately I couldn’t get as invested in this story.

The Iron Sword would be great for fans of The Iron Fey series.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book.

This second book in the Evenfall series continues a delightful and pressing story while being dragged down by the main character.

In a previous series, Prince Ash was banished from the Winter Court for falling in love with the half Human Queen of the Iron Fey. Ash journeyed to the End of the World and earned a soul so he could marry and stand beside Queen Meghan.

Now their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. This paired with new monsters haunting the Nevernever has Ash, Meghan, Puck, and their team on their toes. They know Evenfall approaches but they are unsure what it is and how to stop it.

This book picks up from The Iron Raven. I personally was not a fan of trading out Puck for Ash in this book. They are integral characters in the series, and the author easily shifts perspectives between books. The problem is that I really don't like Ash and his obsessive thoughts of anger and ice got old.

I felt lost often from not reading the original series while reading this book. That's on me and not on the author at this point. The first book did well getting me started in the world, and it's not their fault I didn't read more into the original saga.

Other than an unlikeable main character, the only true issue with the book is all the repetition. Julie Kagawa has a horrible habit of repeating the same words and phrases over and over. In The Iron Raven, the reparation got better as the book goes on. But in this installment, it gets worse as and worse. It even goes so far, as I understand it, to repeat the same kind of evens from previous works. This repetition also makes Ash so unlikeable; she never gives him more development just continues to write that he feels rage and ice over and over and over.

This second book in the series is not as good as the first. The story is still strong but the book is dragged down by the main character and mindless repetition.

Back when I first read and reviewed The Iron Raven, I remember wondering if I’ve grown out of this series and was purely reading the series because this gave younger me such joy. With The Iron Sword, I think it’s pretty confirmed that I’m on my way to growing out of the series, but I’ll still read them because I truly adore the world Julie Kagawa built in her debut series and the characters.

The second book in The Iron Fey: Evenfall series brings us right back to the NeverNever, with a new threat on the horizon, and most importantly, the entire crew is back. Ash, Puck, Meghan – even Ethan and Kenzie make appearances. I was hoping we would have more of Puck’s POV (mostly because I enjoyed being in his head a lot) or even Nyx (because she’s such an interesting character – I’m absolutely curious), but we have Ash, which was both a pleasant surprise but absolute fun and joy to read again after The Iron Knight when Ash goes on his journey to earn his soul.

Now he’s finally achieved his goals to be at Meghan’s side in the Iron Realm, but he also got to start a family (which we kinda/sorta see in The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten), except that also comes with everything that comes with parenthood (if you count your kid being prophesized as the destroyer or champion of the faery world typical parental worries).

In The Iron Sword, Kierran’s gone missing along with a lot of the Forgotten, and like most parents, Ash is worried, even if Kierran can handle himself as the King of the Forgotten (I mean, he has the magic of all three courts in him after all). This book overall feels a lot like a gradual buildup to the finale in the next book, as Kagawa spends a lot of time with the crew trying to locate Kierran’s whereabouts and figuring out what new threat is heading for the NeverNever. It’s not a slow pace, but there also seems to be a lot of beating around the bush in getting answers and most things feel relatively surface level with not much depth outside of the continuation of the overall plot. There were quite a few times where I felt things were just being repetitive but in a different style.

While Ash has grown from his Winter Prince days, he also has that darkness within him that comes with being Unseelie that he seems to be tip-toeing the edge of the entire book. Long-time fans will know and see he’s developed from The Iron Knight now that it’s been years down the line, but newer readers who jump right into this series might feel a little differently. As much as I enjoyed getting into Ash’s head again, I think I was slightly disappointed because there are plenty of times where Kagawa dips into darker elements and just… doesn’t.

Perhaps this stems from after reading Shadow of the Fox, which I know full well Kagawa can and will go dark, but at the same time, I also wouldn’t recommend that one to the middle school me who adored The Iron Fey to the tee and was still a complete cinnamon roll. So really this goes back around to I think I’m growing out of this as an adult and no longer pre-teen/teen. It would also be completely unrealistic of me to expect this to be in a similar vein considering the overall style and tone of the series.

That being said, I still enjoyed myself. I love going back into the NeverNever and seeing the dynamics and relationships of my favorite characters as they go for a new adventure while facing down a new threat. There are a lot of humorous moments from the previous books and in Kagawa’s writing style that make their way into The Iron Sword and I love, but I do think that the series at this point is more feeding into the nostalgia of fans who have been around since the beginning of the series. I definitely won’t complain about it, though, because this was quick, light, and fun, and I would absolutely read the third book (or reread the previous books) for the pure joy this series brings.

Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book. The rating of this book is entirely of my own opinion. #NetGalley #TheIronSword

When I got a request for the blog tour of Julie Kagawa’s Iron Sword book, I couldn’t refuse.

Having read the Iron Fey series, I was very curious to read about Meghan and Ash’s son Kierran.

I hadn’t realized, however, that it was over seven years ago that I read this series. So, it took some time to catch up with all the characters again. (of course, who could forget Puck?!) After catching up again, I couldn’t help but feel a little like I was stuck in a re-run: mysterious things: Meghan and Ash go on a quest (of course with Pucks. They travel the different realms. Aaaand we stop at a cliffhanger…

So, would I recommend it? Well yes. But I would suggest to read the whole series, and not with a huge gap in between. And start on the next book as soon as you can, so you don’t keep bungling on the cliff­hanger. Three out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC of The Iron Sword in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist

Well, I think I need to admit to myself that I may have joined the Iron Fey and Evenfall series too late to fully appreciate it.

I feel too old and, perhaps, too impatient for this type of story. It is very YA and I have been spending a lot of time lately reading contemporary fiction and mysteries and thrillers, so doing the jump from murders and unhappy adults to faeries fighting monsters is a little extreme.

The Details

I also noticed a lot of repetition The Iron Sword right from the beginning, as in, the first 3% of the book. That’s not a good start.

Combine the glaring repetition with the many descriptions that told more than showed what was happening and I was beginning to lose interest quickly.

The decision to throw the reader right back into the “Between” to have another repeat plot that reminded me very much of the travelling troupe trope is questionable.

I saw other reviews that gushed over the fact that The Iron Sword is from Ash’s point of view, but for me it took a lot of the reading pleasure out of it.

Characters were kept at arm’s length. It just felt stiff and not very fun.

With Puck, the reader got at least some snarky, sarcastic comments that offset the heavily laden emotional revelations and descriptions. This time around, there was no foil. Nothing.

The writing is still good and very easy to follow. It’s clean and crisp, but can’t really make up for the shortcomings of the narrative.

The Verdict

This is a rather short review. I’m not sure what else I could elaborate on.

Overall, I think I have to make a few difficult decisions regarding my reading preferences, because they have changed over the last year.

I would suggest The Iron Sword to die hard fans of both series by Kagawa.

The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa was absolutely phenomenal. Kagawa still reigns supreme in the Fey world and I think this series and this world just continues to improve and get better, more fast paced, and truly mesmerizing. There is nothing I would change about this wondrous story of high fantasy and iconic characters.

"Forgotten. Evenfey. You are like me, the memories of yourself stripped away, sealed behind fear and hate of our kind. No matter. Soon, you will remember. The king awakens. Our king awakens. The rage of this world, the violence and anger and uncompromising chaos of it all, stirs him from his unnatural slumber. I built this site, this place of power, to speed the process. Humans helped me, oblivious to what they were creating. They are easy to manipulate, to prod in the right direction. A few whispers, a suggestion or two, and they created this --- this site that lives in the ether of their world, amplified by their hateful thoughts and accusations. InSite. Quite the clever play on words, is it not? The mortals think they are so insightful, that they must share their great wisdom and realizations with their poor, ignorant fellows, and yet, all they do is incite one another. And through it all, the beautiful, violent emotions continue to build. Rage, hatred, fear. they seep through the cracks of this world and into the dreams of the sleeping king. His dreams are terrible in their beauty."

The Iron Raven left readers where the MC, Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, happens upon Keirran aka the King of the Forgotten. Keirran asks Puck to deliver a message to his mom, Meghan, the Iron Queen, that a monster is coming.

Prior spoken from Puck's POV, now we are following Ash. I LOVE ASH! After traveling to the ends of the earth to become human and being banished from the Winter Court, Prince Ash received a soul in order to be with his love, Meghan (heart eyes emoji). He had some beef with Puck (fighting over the same girl), but that seems to be revolved.

Keirran has gone missing and an evil is spreading over the world. The only change Ash and the gang have to save the world is to convince all of the Courts to band together to defeat the evil and rescue Keirran.

"Even if the world stands against you, I will be at your side. No matter what it takes. No matter what I have to become."

The Iron Sword was a thrilling tale about the bonds of friendship, teamwork, and the power of love. Readers who enjoy enemies-to-friends, family loyalty, and a high-stakes risk will love this book.

I was completely and enthralled with Julie Kagawa's "The Iron Sword" from the moment I started reading it. It's everything I could ask of a fantasy adventure novel. Rich detail with a world that is still understandable. I hadn't even realized this was book two of a series. It's so well written that I was able to follow the entire storyline without difficulty. Now I can't say if it would've felt tiresome to a reader who already knew this text, but for me I didn't suffer from lack of reading book one. But rest assured I'm about to!

I appreciated the use of historically known fae, keeping these characters' personalities while making their adventures fresh and exciting.

The story is fast paced and engaging. I'm a huge fan!

Prince Ash journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and remain with Queen Meghan. However, their son King Keirran of the Forgotten is missing and an ancient evil is approaching as Evenfall arises. If Ash and his allies can't prevent it, the cracks in the world will shatter.

Following The Iron Raven, The Iron Sword is the second book of the Evenfall series. In the first, the characters all discovered that the end of the Nevernever is coming, and did their best traveling through different realms despite the inherent danger in doing so. This novel picks up right after the last one ends. They're all exhausted and beaten up after fighting the Monster, but they still have more to do. Kierran is still missing, and the Nevernever is at risk. There are oddities in the Between and in the mortal realm, monsters that feed on and enhance hate, fury, misery, and rage. Ash is our POV character here, and seeing everyone in their nightmare scenarios was heartbreaking.

The progression throughout the novel was one journey after another; finding Kierran isn't enough, because the Forgotten King and his people are still displaced and in need of a home. The rage-inducing piskies are on both sides of the Veil, doing damage; InSite is, of course, a danger to everyone, and I had a good laugh over the social media site stoking the Flames of people's misery in the novel, considering that social media certainly does it in real life. Faerie is the mirror of our reality, born of dreams and imagination. Here, we discover what Evenfall is and why it's so potentially dangerous.

This is clearly the middle book of a trilogy. The end resolves the question of what the Monster is, why it was in the Nevernever, and what the piskies were. However, the answer is bigger than anyone thought, and we're clearly set up to jump right into the next book with the ending. Literally. This book is a wild ride of emotion and action, and a fun look into the machinations of Faerie.

"The Between can bring your darkest fears and emotions to life." - Ash
"Evenfall. It is familiar, though I cannot seem to remember why." - Oberon

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and Julie Kagawa for the opportunity to not only read The Iron Sword in exchange for an honest review, but to be a part of the blog tour as well.

The Iron Sword is the second installment in the Iron Fey: Evenfall series, an after-series to the original Iron Fey novels. You do not need to read the original series to enjoy Evenfall, but it is highly recommended, as many of the characters make appearances and some snippets reference the first series. It makes for a more enriching experience having read the original series first. If you are interested, the original series runs with the following books in this order:

The Iron Fey:   
The Iron King                                   The Iron Prince
The Iron Daughter                           The Iron Traitor
The Iron Queen                                The Iron Warrior
The Iron Knight

While the first book, The Iron Raven, is told from Puck's first person perspective, this novel shifts to Ash's first person perspective, which I didn't really like as much. Puck and his quirky wit is still present in the novel, but reading Ash's perspective was just not as entertaining and I would forget at times who was telling the story because his thoughts don't really stand out much.

Ash and his wife, Meghan, seek their son Keirran, who has vanished. He couldn't possibly be among the fae courts, as he has been exiled, which leaves one place for his parents to search: the mortal realm. Seeking a human relative, they find at least a hint of where to go. It's one place to the next to the next, following informants and seeking information. A lot of what is written gets very repetitive, like the characters repeat the same thing they just said multiple times, which makes for a not-so-intellectual read.

And of course, there's they key that separates this series from the previous: Evenfall. What is that? And what are these "nightmare piskies" that seem to be following Keirran? These Evenfey, as they are soon labeled, feed off of negative emotions. Through a web company called InSite, it seems that something sinister is going on within an anchor, an area that sits partly in the human realm and partly in the Between, and many humans seems to be unknowingly involved, their emotions fed upon by the Evenfey.

I think one of my qualms with this book is that, while I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, this novel felt not as well written as Kagawa's other works, and fairy/fae stories get to be rather repetitive, even to the point I will generally bypass a book the moment I see it is fae centered. I figured I would give this one a chance, since I enjoyed the first one, but I am certainly on the fence about finishing this series. Despite not being a huge fan of this particular novel, I am still looking forward to anything else Kagawa might have in the future, as she does have quite a few excellent series under her, including the Talon series and the Shadow of the Fox series, both excellent!

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

Things get complicated in "The Iron Sword." How do you combat the very manifestation of anger, hate, and fear that has been brewing for countless centuries?

Ash is the narrator of this sequel to The Iron Fey: Evenfall series. He’s not happy, super stressed, and fears for the safety of his family and friends (rightfully so). You can tell early on that he is heading towards a breaking point with his Unseelie side.

Parts one and two were slower paced with not much seriously happening. Ash, Meghan, Puck, Nyx, and Grimalkin search for Kierran who has disappeared along with an entire city. Along the way, the group meets with characters I’m assuming are from previous books/series to find answers and Keirran. More questions than answers are raised about the new threat emerging.

Part three was my favorite because things really picked up, tensions rose to new heights, and lots of action happened. I love the backstory we get about Faery’s past and what the new threat is and where it came from. It was a really great twist to the story and posed questions for what all of these revelations could mean for the future of Faery and the main characters.

This may have been Ash’s story - always nice when other characters get a chance to shine - but Grimalkin was my favorite character. The cait sith’s indifferent nature, directness, and sass was enjoyable. I also liked the Wolf because I am always partial to characters that are wolves. Grimalkin and the Wolf bring much needed perspective on things.

The climax of the story was unputdownable! Just when you think things are about to go one way - WHAM! - something else happens. Those were very entertaining scenes.

Book 3 cannot get here fast enough! The story is heading into a whole new territory that could make or break things. I have no idea how the main characters will accomplish their goal after learning what they have, but I admire their determination and strength to save the world. I think book 3 will be told in Meghan’s pov, but given how book 2 ended I’m kind of leaning more towards it being Nyx’s pov.

"The Iron Sword" was a good sequel!

I was so excited to jump back into the world of the Iron Fey. I loved book one and 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 picks up right where we last left our band of heroes.

Ash, the Winter Prince, along with his wife Meghan, the Queen of the Iron Fey, have discovered that their son Keirran, the King of the Forgotten, has disappeared.

Something or someone dark and ancient made Keirran flee and it’s threatening all of the kingdoms. Once again Puck, Nyx the fey assassin, and Grim the disappearing cat join forces with Ash and Queen Meghan to search for Keirran and hopefully stop this sinister force that hopes to divide and conquer the world as they know it.

I love these characters and the worlds they traverse - from the Iron Realm, the shadowy Between, and even the mortal world. I will be honest that I did miss Puck’s sassy narration, as Ash is our guide in this book. But we do hear more of a father’s heart through his voice.
I recommend reading book one first, although there are recaps along the way that will fill in some blanks. This is a fantastic young adult fantasy series you don’t want to miss.

Thank you to @harpercollins and @inkyardpress for a spot on tour and a gifted ebook.

The Iron Sword by Julie Kawaga is the 2nd book in her The Iron Fey: Evenfall series. I loved the first book in this series, and equally loved The Iron Sword; I had noted previously I would have to go back and read some of the earlier books of The Iron Fey; I have read a few, and will continue to go back when time allows. Julie Kawaga has done a fantastic job in creating this fantastic series (including Evenfall), and I have added her to my list of authors I must read.

In The Iron Sword, the story is in Ash’s POV. Ash and Meghan (The Iron Queen) discover that their son, Keirran (The Forgotten King) is now missing, along with many of the Forgotten, as their land, Touchstone was attacked and disappeared. Seems the people of the land has become affected by anger, hate, and a Nightmare monster determined to destroy NeverNever.

Ash and Meghan, along with Puck, Grim & Nyx, travel to the Exile Queen for help where to look for Keirran, which sends them to the mortal world, asking for help from her brother, Ethan and his wife. They do manage to find Keirran and many of his Forgotten, who were lucky to escape. But the monster, with dangerous nightmare piskies are also taking over the mortal realm. Ash and Meghan make a deal with the Wolf to protect Keirran in the Deep Wylde, while both of them, with Puck, Nyx and Grim go to the Summer and Winter courts to warn them of the impending danger, as The Nightmare King is coming to destroy everything.

What follows is a fantastic, exciting, wild, action-packed dangerous adventure that brings everyone (including the courts) together to fight the evil entity that threatens the end of the world, Evenfall. Even with the ultra-powerful group, Meghan, Ash, Puck, Nyx, Keirran, Wolf, etc, the battles are brutal, horrific and dynamic. I do not want to give spoilers, so you need to read this book to find out what happens. Keep in mind, there is a third book still to come to end the trilogy.

The Iron Sword was a fascinating read, and I loved all of the wonderful characters Kagawa created, such as Meghan, Puck, Ash, Grimalkin, and so many others. I did like when Oberon and Mab knew they needed to work together to defeat the enemy. The Iron Sword was so well written by Julie Kagawa, with wonderful characters, fun humor, and a wild exciting, tense, action filled story. There is a cliff-hanger with things left open for our favorites to find a way to stop the Nightmare King from rising. If you are a fan of The Iron Fey series, you need to read this new arc. If you have not read this series, it does read very well as a standalone.

Evenfall is becoming one of my favorite fantasy series as the mix of dark fantasy, paranormal romance, horror is working well and the story are both riveting and gripping.
I had a lot of fun in reading The Iron Sword, I read it in one setting and found Ash, the main POV, a fascinating character.
The plot is fast paces and there's a lot of twists and actions. The monsters are becoming more horrifying and I appreciated how the author was able to deal with the online hatred and incorporate it into the plot.
Julie Kagawa is an excellent storyteller and develops a fascinating world building and great characters.
I can't wait to read the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Happy Monday y’all! Man, I cannot believe that January is going by as quickly as it is! It’s already the end of the month and it feels like the year just began. On one hand, it’s a good thing, since there are so many great books coming out in 2022, but on the other hand, 2023, which used to feel like just a dream is 1/12 of the way closer now. But in terms of books, one of the great books coming out tomorrow, February 1st, is The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa. This is book 2 in the Iron Fey: Evenfall series and I read book 1 last year and it was super fun. It’s a spinoff of the original Iron Fey series and the Iron Fey spinoff, and the first series of Iron Fey books I’ve read. As always, thank you so much to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of The Iron Sword!

The Iron Sword 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

As Evenfall nears, the stakes grow ever higher for those in Faery…

Banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love, Prince Ash achieved the impossible and journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and keep his vow to always stand beside Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey.

Now he faces even more incomprehensible odds. Their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. Something more ancient than the courts of Faery and more evil than anything Ash has faced in a millennium is rising as Evenfall approaches. And if Ash and his allies cannot stop it, the chaos that has begun to divide the world will shatter it for eternity.

So going into this book, I hadn’t read the summary, so I expected it to be like book one and be from Puck’s point of view. It wasn’t- it was from Ash’s point of view. Ash is so much angrier all the time and I missed Puck so much. People who had read the other Iron Fey books and were actually tied to Ash might like his point of view more than I did though. It grew on me as I read, but it took a while for me to actually be ok with him being my narrator (like more than half the book)- but that’s just a personal preference thing. It doesn’t impact any of the other things about the book, like the world building, the plot, and the major things that happened. I really like this world. I think Julie Kagawa did a really great job with the Nevernever, and it makes sense because of how many people really love these books. What I like most about them is that you can read this spinoff on its own without having read any of the other Iron Fey books- there’s enough context there. I’m not sure how people who have read all of the books feel (are things repetitive at all?) but I thought it was well done. In terms of the actual plot and everything that happens in this book- there was a lot going on. So much happened, but it all happened at a good pace. I never felt overwhelmed or bored, which was great. And by the end, I was itching for the next book, because man y’all, some things are going to be going down in that next book. Also, I love this cover! It’s so pretty- I think cover artists are so great at their jobs, and you know what, looking at it now, I have no idea why I didn’t automatically know that this was going to be Ash’s book. I mean it’s covered in ice. Overall, I think y’all should pick up The Iron Sword if you read The Iron Raven, because they’re both super fun, great books and definitely worth the read. Make sure you go out and grab The Iron Sword tomorrow when it comes out!