The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adventure, Romance
Publication Date: October 29th 2013
POV: Male - First-person, Past tense
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as normal as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for; his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, normal simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

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This book thoroughly exceeded my expectations. I loved The Lost Prince, but I think it was still missing something that the original four Iron Fey books had. I didn't even give Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden books 5-stars. I enjoy them but they don't even come close to how much I love The Iron Fey. But The Iron Traitor has everything that I ever loved about The Iron Fey.

The sense of adventure and of being on a mission was very strong in this book. Every step they took had a purpose. The story didn't wander around at all. Even if Ethan didn't always agree with their mission's purpose, and even if they failed in the end, it still took them somewhere important.

I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters better in this book, even Ethan. He was the MC so we got to know him pretty well in book 1, but I am more impressed with him now; with how loyal he is to Keirran despite everything (I don't know about after the ending, but we'll see), with how he treats Kenzie. The amount of romance was increased quite a bit from book 1. Ethan may be an asshole to most people, but he is really a wonderful person inside who will always be there for you. Kenzie is pretty badass, and yeah, she reminds me of Meghan. Annwyl is a sweetheart and I can't blame Keirran for falling in love with her. I hope to see more of her in the future. 

Then there is Keirran. *sigh* Keirran, Keirran. What can I say about you? Keirran is just what you would imagine the son of Meghan and Ash to be like. He is polite, kind, loyal, brave, fierce, unstoppable, loves passionately, and he is totally hot. Whatever is happening to him, I can't hold it against him. I feel so sorry for him, and afraid for him. I don't know what is happening to him, but it can't be the amulet that is stealing his soul, since he was acting strangely since book 1 when he did not save Ethan from the Forgotten. Although, perhaps the amulet is making it worse. It could have something to do with his parentage. The curse of crossbreeding Fae. It reminds me of Perry's family's curse in Under the Never Sky. I love Keirran and Ethan both for different reasons, and I can't really say which I prefer, but I really hope everything turns out ok for both of them in the end.

I love the fact that Ethan has developed his own group of friends and companions with their own strengths and resources, and he doesn't have to rely on his sister. But I also love the fact that Meghan and her friends are still around and willing to help if they are needed. Meghan wasn't in it too much, but I loved seeing Ash, especially in his role as a father. When he told Keirran that he understood how he felt, how he needed to do anything to save Annwyl, I nearly cried. Grimalkin was...well, Grimalkin. But Puck was in this the most out of the old characters and he was great. I couldn't help but smile the whole time he was around. And he risked his neck for Meghan's brother and son on more than one occasion. I can't help but wonder if he still loves her, or if he is just doing it for a friend. 

"I never make things worse," Puck replied. "I make things more interesting.”

The result of all of this is an incredible addition to The Iron Fey saga that did not disappoint me in the slightest and I cannot wait for book 3. I dont know if it will be the last in the series, but if it is, well, my heart is racing just at the anticipation of all that is going to happen in the book. I'm sure it will blow my mind!

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey #4)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adventure, Romance 
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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My name - my True Name - is Ashallayn’ darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase - a half human, half fey slip of a girl - smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end - a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

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The adventure and humour in this are as great as ever, with so many favourite characters back, and some new ones. But I think this suffered a bit for not having Meghan. She was in only two scenes, both of which were great of course, but it wasnt the same without her. More importantly, Ash wasnt the same without her. I really missed the super sweet things he always said to her that made my heart race. My heart did no racing while reading this one. There was no space for romance with a missing Meghan. The ending was perfect though, so that's what really matters. Pretty much everything I would have wanted in an ending is what we got, minus Ash's ambiguous condition.

This is still my favourite series ever, but this would probably be my least favourite of the four. But I hope to reread them soon since I dont remember The Iron King as well as the others. I wasnt really disappointed though since the book is totally awesome. I just put more emphasis on romance than most people.

And I really didnt enjoy the tests, especially chapter 19 and 20. I knew they werent real but they were still so sad and I dont know why Julie felt like she had to put us through that. She could have made it much more brief and much more like a test. I am very glad that is not how things turned out, but it still left a little bit of doubt in me that I dont want to have.

I was surprised to read in the interview included at the end of the book, that Julie Kagawa prefers tragic endings, but her publisher insisted that Ash and Meghan be together in the end. OMG thank goodness! If not for her publisher I may have died! But now I am a little worried about Julie's two other series. I hope her publisher is super stubborn.

“I have come from the End of the World. From the River of Dreams, through the gauntlet and the Briar and the Deep Wyld, in order to stand before you today. I have but one request—to take my place at your side. To resume my duty as your knight, and to protect you and your kingdom for as long as I draw breath.”