I adore the Iron Fey so much. I loved it way back in like high school or middle school. It’s been so long I don’t even remember which. LOL.

The main narrator being Ash, something we last saw a while ago, was super nostalgic. He was his cranky, Meghan-loving self. But with an extra dose of angst. Except it’s not teenage angst anymore. It’s parent/adult angst. And honestly, it seems like that’s worse.

It was an absolute joy to see the old gang reunited for another quest, I absolutely loved it. There wasn’t much character development because, right now, the gang is just trying to survive. But ya know… there are obstacles!

The Iron Sword was an awesome second book that made me just go back over and re-read all the Iron Fey series all over again. And I think I will. This new villian directly calls forth some problems that the world is facing today and it’s just so perfectly addressed. I don’t know. I love it.

I have loved this world since the start and this new spin off is so epic! It just gets even better in this story with Ash. I followed along and just fell so hard for this series all over again. Its epic and beautiful and dangerous and I just couldn't put it down.

Title: The Iron Sword
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA, fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5

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.

I really love anything the author writes in this world, and this was no exception. I enjoyed the continuing story of Ash and Meghan, although I did enjoy Puck’s POV very much in the last book. Lots of action, intriguing magic, and hints of romance made this a perfect mix that I practically devoured. Highly recommend!

Julie Kagawa is a bestselling author. The Iron Sword is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 2/1.)

What’s it about (in a nutshell):
The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa is the second book in The Iron Fey: Evenfall series and is an action-packed, thrilling quest to find King Keirran and to stop the fae of Evenfall from destroying the world.


What I Enjoyed:
I appreciated that The Iron Sword answers many of the questions in the first book, The Iron Raven, without it being the end of the series. Readers don’t have to wait until the end to understand what’s going on, and I enjoyed the story even more because of it. This is not a book that can be read as a stand-alone, though it does an excellent job of recapping what happened in the first book. I appreciated the reminder of that first book.

I loved how action-packed this story is. There are barely any lulls as Queen Meghan and Prince Ash of the Iron Fey face peril after peril when trying to find their son, King Keirran. This caused the pages to flip faster and faster, making this installment a quick read. I could have easily read this book in an afternoon. It was that fast-paced.

I also enjoyed the world-building, which easily transports you to the land of the fae with its many intricacies. This is the most detailed and complex fae world I have ever read about. I love how the Kings and Queens of the fae preside over different natural areas: the summer court, the winter court, and the iron court. There is also an in-between land where Forgotten Fae dwells and King Keirran reigns. King Oberon and Queen Tatiana are rulers of the summer court, and I love their inclusion as it provides a touchstone to characters I’m already aware of from lore.

Characters:
The characters are incredibly well-developed, making this as much of a character-driven story as it is a plot-driven one. Many can be found in Kagawa’s original Iron Fey series. However, the reader is still provided with plenty of backstories to fully understand each of them.

Queen Meghan is the daughter of King Oberon and a mortal. In the original series, she discovered her heritage, became the Queen of the Iron Fey, and married Prince Ash of the winter court. A lot of Prince Ash’s backstory and what he did because of his love for Meghan is explained in this story. I enjoyed learning all that he went through to be Meghan’s husband.

Puck is my favorite character, as his personality jumps off the page. He is witty and incorrigible and so fun to read about.

What I Wish:
I wish that Puck remained the narrator throughout the series. He narrated the first book, but Prince Ash told the story in the second book. I enjoyed Puck’s lively voice more than I did Prince Ash’s more stoic voice.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for an action-packed fantasy story, and the world of the fae intrigues you, you won’t want to miss the newest series by Julie Kagawa.

I loved every moment of this book! I event read it in one sitting. Kagawa has created such an intricate world and cast of characters but never fears to go further. This is an outstanding addition to the series.

What an exciting addition to this series!

While I’m happy we get Ash’s POV this time around, I do miss being in Puck’s head. He’s always so fun. And I was hoping for more romance, if I’m being honest. But alas…

While trying to find Kirian the gang discovers that faery isn’t what they thought it was. The past found a way of sneaking up and changing everything they ever knew. Definitely didn’t see that coming. But I’m hoping for good things in the next one.

If you’re looking for an adventurous YA series, then this is right up your alley. And when I say YA I mean Y-A. There’s no sexy times or uncomfortable violence to worry about. But I love these characters, so I can deal. 🤪

Although I haven’t read Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, I fell hard for this spinoff. Reading the original books isn’t required – the author sprinkles backstory throughout that makes it easy for readers to connect the dots.

The first book in this series, The Iron Raven, was told from Puck’s POV, and I was a little disappointed the author didn’t stick with that snarky prankster this time around. In this sequel, the reader spends time in Ash’s head. It’s a frightening place to be at times, but I was glad to get to know him better. He’s fiercely protective of his family and friends and will do anything to stop the evil threatening them and their world. Including unleashing his dark unseelie side he’s kept contained for so long. If he thought the journey to the End of the World to earn his soul was difficult, what he faces now makes that experience pale in comparison.

This author is brilliant at world-building. The foes/monsters Ash and company face are wildly creative and dangerous, and I have to wonder if they came from her own nightmares. Battle scenes are skillfully written, easy to picture, and highly perilous – I felt these characters could meet their death at any time. They walk a tightwire throughout most of the story.

I was happy more of Nyx’s backstory was revealed and enjoyed seeing her relationship with Puck develop. I have a feeling she’ll play a pivotal role moving forward. With a big showdown looming in the next book, I’ll be excited to see how this series ends.

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

Julie Kagawa never disappoints me with her creativeness in her world of the Fey. We have the main courts that most you know Winter and Summer, and then the introduction of the Iron Fey and The forgotten add even more to the fun. The King of the Forgotten Ash and Meagen's son has gone missing, and something large and scary, a new foe called The Nightmare King, is on the rise. We get some back story on a side character Nyx; we learn about the Never Never before it became the place we know and love. Ash is the main POV for the book, so we get to see his inner struggle with his icy self since he gained a soul to be with his love. There is a lot to unpack and love in this second book, and with the ending, more world exploring to what I sure will be a very dark and forbidding realm.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This review is a part of the promotional blog tour for The Iron Sword’s release.
The Iron Sword follows Ash’s point of view. I was mistaken in my assumption (which I mentioned in my review of the first book) that this spin off series was all going to be from Puck’s perspective. I’m not going to lie, I was a little bummed when I realized that this book wasn’t from Puck’s perspective, but I absolutely see and appreciate what Kagawa seems to be going for here with each book being from a different characters point of view. It makes me very curious as to who we will be experiencing the third book through.
I think the plot of the story was compelling and engaging. We’re solving the mystery of “where did Kierran disappear to?” But that mystery brings up quite a few other questions and all of these things roll together into the plot of this book. I think it was engaging enough to keep my interest. But also, I had enough questions answered along the way that I never felt frustrated that getting the answers was taking too long. I do have to say, holy cliffhanger (also, like, literally, hahah.)
Overall, I thought this was a quick read and I really enjoyed being back with a cast of characters that I know and love. But, like I said in my review for the first book, I would have liked some new characters to follow and root for in this world. It felt like I was plopped right back into the original series aside from the fact that Ash emphasized that Kierran was his son, and brought up all the things they’d been through and struggled with in the previous books as reminders that this series now spans many, many years. We did get to see some other familiar faces (like Ethan and Kenzie) which was an absolute joy. I will forever love this world. So I cannot wait to see how this trilogy will end.

EXCERPT: "As a whole, The Iron Sword is charged with exciting fantasy elements, as is custom of Kagawa’s vivid writing."

Full review published online at Asia Pacific Arts Magazine.

‘The Iron Sword’ by Julie Kagawa was told from Ash’s POV, and I could not have loved it more. I loved Ash and Meghan from the first books so it was really awesome to have a book from his POV; it was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. The action scenes were badass, the monsters creepy af, and I just really enjoyed this book so much overall. I do wish there had been just a tiny more mention of Puck and Nyx, but that’s more a personal preference thing, I think. I love all of these characters so much. While it helped to have some familiarity with the books that came out before this, you don’t necessarily need to have read them to be able to follow this, which I think is pretty great. All in all, if you’re a long-time fan of the ‘Iron Fey’ series, or if this is your first intro to the world, I highly recommend both ‘The Iron Sword’ and its predecessor ‘The Iron Raven.’ Kagawa’s ‘Evenfall’ series is off to a great start, and I’m excited for more in the series to come!

I really loved this series and author and when I heard about this book I was so excited to try it! The book fits great within this world and series and I was not disappointed. I highly recommend this series and book.

Ash has earned a soul and can be with the love of his life, Queen Meghan. He knew his life would not be full of comfort, but he didn’t expect to face an even harder challenge. Their son, who is also the king of the Forgotten, is missing and they have learned that Evenfall approaches. Will the different Fey be able to put aside their differences to stop Evenfall? Will Ash lose his soul, his love, or possibly everything?

The Iron Sword is the second book in the spinoff Iron Fey series, Evenfall, and is the twelfth book if all the series are put together. I will start by saying don’t jump into this series without having read the primary works. This story pulls from many of the previous novels and the challenges between characters won’t be as easily understood without them. This continuation of the Iron Fey saga will have all readers excited to learn more about these characters and I have been left wanting the next installment to be written and released.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

“A world where we are enemies is not one I’d want to exist in.”

I was surprised when I first learned that this is going to be from Ash’s POV. I really thought the Evenfall books would be from Puck’s. But it doesn’t really matter because you will never hear me complain. My beloved Prince Ash, how I’ve missed you.

I don’t know how much I can say about this book without spoiling anything. But Julie Kagawa has proven once again how brilliant she is. The Iron Sword surprised me in all the best possible ways. There was non-stop action from page one and a whole lot of revelations. I had an amazing time, which wasn’t at all surprising.

I absolutely LOVE being back in this world and being together again with these characters I have loved dearly for years now- Ash, Meghan, Puck and Grim- with the addition of Nyx, of course. But there was a moment near the end where I felt so sad that their much-deserved HEAs have been interrupted once more. I just love them so much. They deserve all the happiness and time away from all the evils of the Nevernever. I feel so strongly for these characters; I will go to war for all of them. And did I mention I love them?!

The Iron Sword didn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger. But damn if I’m not itching to read the next book asap. (I wonder whose POV we’ll get next? I’m thinking maybe Meghan or Nyx?)

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.