• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

  • Editing Services
  • Me & My Creative Life
    • My Books
      • Metaphysical Fiction
    • My Poetry
    • My Masks
    • My Hats
    • Permaculture, Forest & Garden
    • Performing Arts
  • Blog
  • Contact

Review – The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

September 1, 2011 by Tahlia Newland

Title: The Iron Knight
Author: Julie Kagawa
SubTitle: Book 4 in the Iron Fey Series
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Pub Date: 10/25/2011
Category: Young adult fantasy: Action & Adventure

Wow. This book is brilliant. If you know the series – and if you don’t, you should – you’ll know the dark, brooding, gorgeous Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Well, this is his story and it’s awesome. Here we get to know him in greater depth than ever before and it makes for a dark and gritty tale with all the simmering passion we’ve come to love from this character.

Above, I was going to say the ‘tortured soul of ‘Ash, but because he’s a fey, he doesn’t actually have a soul and that’s the big problem he has to overcome. As a winter fey, he cannot live in the Iron realm with his beloved Megan, and in order to fulfil his promise to return to her side, he has to gain a soul. This is a simple but powerful premise and not an easy goal to attain, but if we know anything about Ash – my heart pounds at the mere sound of his name – we know that he doesn’t give up easily.

First, he must find Grimalkin, the cat who can lead him to the Seer who can tell him how to gain a soul. The Seer tells him that he has to go to the end of the Nevernever , through the briars to the testing grounds where he must endure the gauntlet to get to the end of the world. There the guardian will set him a series of trials, the prize of his success is a soul. The risk is madness or death.

But Ash does not go alone. The enchanting Puck, his old friend and nemesis is at his side every step of the way, and through this tale we also discover a greater depth in him. The Big Bad Wolf also joins the team. He sees this as a great adventure and he wants to be in it, because every time the tale is told, he will become stronger and more enduring. Remember that when we forget the fey, they fade away. The wolf is another wonderful character, his strength and selflessness reminding me of Ironhorse in book two of this series. Puck’s attendance gives the story its all important lightness. Without him, Ash’s trials would be unrelentingly dark, and the ongoing banter between the two ‘frenemies’ is always a delightful part of the Iron Fey series. Here we see the reasons for Ashes oath to kill Puck and also a resolution to the ongoing problem of when this will happen.

Julie Kagawa has a wonderful imagination and the ability to write highly evocative prose that allows us to see her world in all its richness and glory, and to experience her character’s lives as if they were our own. This has always been a major drawcard for me in her books, but here she has even more to offer. The Iron Knight has real depth.

In order for Ash to claim his prize, he must know what it means to be human and what he is giving up. So we get to think about what it means to be human ie having a conscience, a human body with all its limitations, a human heart with its strength and frailty, and mortality. These are big themes and Julie deals with them brilliantly as Ash struggles to come to terms with what each of them means for him. How can he reconcile himself with the cruelty of some of his past actions, and how much is he willing to give up for the woman he loves?

The Iron Knight put Julie Kagawa firmly back on the top of my list of favourite authors. I totally forgive her for my disappointment in the ending of ‘The Iron Queen’, the third book in the Iron Fey series. The first book (The Iron King) seemed very young at first, but soon showed the imagination, passion and depth of characterisation that characterises this series. I loved the second book in the series but this, the fourth one, is even better.

I could rave for hours about all the wonderful scenes but it’s better you read it for yourself. You don’t have to have read the rest of the series to enjoy this book either. I give the Iron Knight 5 stars and a big hurrah. I’m considering it for an M-award too. It’s certainly one I’d like to read again.

Watch THE IRON KING book trailer
Missed the first 3 books in the series? Watch the book trailer to see what they were all about… :
The Iron Knight – behind the scenes cover shoot

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: 5 stars, Reviews, YA fantasy Tagged With: Book Review, Fantasy novels, The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

« Does that book have an unhealthy message?
Review – Wizard of Time by G.L. Breedon »

Comments

  1. yean says

    October 3, 2011 at 12:59 am

    COOL! but um the book hasn’t come out yet how did u get a hold of it???

    • Tahlia Newland says

      October 3, 2011 at 11:09 am

      I belong to something called Netgalley for ‘professional’ reviewers. You ask the publisher for books you’d like to review, they check your credentials – meaning number of blog hits, followers, how well written your reviews are and so on and either accept your request or refuse it. f they accept your request you get to read an ebook version of it before it is released.

Search

Recent Posts

  • Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin
  • Book Genres – What you Need to Know.
  • How to See Edits in Word Documents
  • Finding an Editor You Can Trust
  • Review of ‘The Guild Codex Spellbound Series’ by Annette Marie

View Posts by Category

Writing a novel? Feeling overwhelmed? Get new insight and inspiration with my FREE Novel Revision Checklist. 

DOWNLOAD  NOW

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Free Book Download  
Get Lethal Inheritance free when you sign up to my new release email list.  I won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at any time.

My Latest Books

  • Fallout: Recovering from Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism
  • The Elements of Active Prose: Writing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
  • The Locksmith's Secret
    Rated 5.00 out of 5

Alliance of Independent Authors

Alliance of Independent Authors

Click HERE to see all my books.

Books
Reviews, Writing, Cats & Contemplation
Editing

Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter and get my fantasy novel Lethal Inheritance FREE. 

How to Meditate – the crucial points

See more

Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

All my books are

Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

Click Here for More Articles in This Series

Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

More Posts from this Category

My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

More Posts from this Category

Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

I abide by the ethical author code

I'm an Ethical Author
Alliance of Independent Authors

Copyright

All material on this website is under copyright to Tahlia Newland and cannot be shared without written permission.

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • My Masks
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Amoré Theme by Oh, Hello Designs on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

FREE Novel Revision Checklist

Written a book? Need some help reviewing and revising it? Download my Novel Revision Checklist for step by step guidance.  

DOWNLOAD NOW

no thanks

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"120","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"7","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}

Please note: I am closed for holidays from Christmas day until Jan 30th 2023. Dismiss