The Iron Legends - Julie Kagawa

And the final book in the Iron Fey series (at least until Lost Prince comes out for the new series). This book contains the three novellas; Winter's Passage, Summer's Crossing and Iron's Prophecy, as well as an extended guide to the Nevernever. I hadn't a chance to read the e-novella versions of the first two and the third was new, so I was naturally very excited.

The first novella had a tantalising description - a near-death experience for Ash and plenty of danger. However, the actually story, while there was an element of being hunted and a rather brutal fight, it never quite got to the stakes expected. Not bad but not as much drama as I'd hoped.
The second novella, however, lived up to its promise of humour (being narrated by Puck) and managed to add in a slightly darker element of betrayal too. You can sense more of the layers there are to Puck and how he hides or represses his feelings sometimes. A very amusing and interesting read and I'm hoping Julie Kagawa will conjour us up another story from the famous trickster.
The final novella was the one I was most looking forward to: a hint of what might come in the next series, plus the final say on Meghan and Ash's story. Thankfully, I enjoyed as much as I'd hoped. You get to see Meghan and Ash's relationship now that they know it's forever, Meghan's newfound power and confidence (take that Mab!) and you get the old team of Meghan, Ash, Puck and Grim back together - albeit briefly. It was pretty obvious that this novella did a bit of setting up for the new series, and therefore left lots of unanswered questions that I'm already desperate for the answers to, but it still made a good little story all by itself. A good end for the lovebirds and the Old Team.
I haven't really had the chance to peruse the final section - a guide to the Nevernever - properly, only really skimming so far. But I can say that there is a lot more detail than the guide included in previous Iron Fey novels and I'll be sure to read and absorb its advice at a later date.
For the book as a whole, I'd say it's a must-buy for fans of the series. A way to close off the first series and make way for the new one. (Plus another pretty addition the the bookshelf)

The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa



Another Julie Kagawa novel, this time from her much-loved Iron Fey series. I've spent the last eighteen months finding and reading the other three books in the series, and waited with bated breath for the end of the story.

I'd read a mixture of reviews during the wait for this: some loved it, others hated Ash's voice and some thought it was very predictable. I'd agree with the first and last of those opinions. No, it wasn't exactly an unexpected story, but it a way you didn't want it to be. You always know that Meghan and Ash are going to end up together somehow, this book is just the explanation of how.

As always, Julie Kagawa is a gripping storyteller who paints very vivid pictures of the world that she has created. This time around we get to see some new places in the Nevernever that are even more weird and wonderful than the ones you've aready grown to know.

As for Ash, while he isn't exactly the most animated of narrators, it was good to get inside his head as he was always acts so calm and collected - it's good to know he has doubts and worries of his own. Plus it turns out he finds some things funnier than he shows. I also liked getting a bit more information about his past, the good and the bad, and how his vows and contracts actually affect him and his actions.

Puck and Grim were exactly the characters I already knew from the first three books, from Puck's habit of pushing buttons to Grim's instinct for danger. It was nice to have these familiar aspects while having to adjust to someone else's point of view. The new characters that we met didn't add enough interest as they should have done, though. One you thought was going to be vicious and a tricky ally for Ash to have but he ended up almost being another Grimalkin, just with more of a noble streak and not inclined to run away from danger. The other, while and unexpected and interesting addition, was very predictable, once you got used to the idea of them being there: you knew the entire time what was going to happen at the end.

Overall, a fitting end to the Meghan/Ash love story, just with a few niggles and not very much mystery to it. I liked it but other certainly wouldn't.