The Iron Daughter Paperback – July 20, 2010

The story developed really well and the characters all have their own personalities that make the book a good read. Lots of character development for the main and side characters. Would recommend for teens or young adult.

It’s happened too many times before that I’ve read the second book in a series and it simply didn’t live up to the awesomeness of its predecessor, so naturally, I expected it to be the same with The Iron Daughter. But as you can tell from my rating, I wasn’t disappointed at all. And what a relief that is, because I had high expectations for the second installment in the Iron Fey series. So let me jump right in and tell you why this book is going on my favorites shelf.One of the many reasons I absolutely loved this book is that there’s a lot more humor in it than there was in the first book of this unparalleled series. Puck and Grimalkin constantly had me in stitches with their witty charm and tongue-in-cheek humor.The humor, though, is only the tip of the iceberg. The dialogue between Meghan and Ash during their more intimate moments is easy and natural, and void of incessant confirmations of undying love; yet these are not omitted completely, but kept to a subtle minimum without losing the desired effect it is supposed to have on the reader. I adore how Kagawa get that some readers don’t need prolonged sweetly sticky declarations of love to understand how two characters feel about each other. I also find Meghan to be a really fantastic character. It took some time in the first book for me to get used to her, but in The Iron Daughter her character grows exponentially. She’s honest about her feelings and even though she pines away for Prince Ash, it never becomes an angst-fest of teen girl hormonal dramatics. Meghan truly is a well-balanced character who is strong when she needs to be, and a vulnerable girl with fears and doubts when the occasion calls for it.I absolutely love Puck! I didn’t care so much for him in the previous book, but in book two he comes in at the right time, the right place; and with the right attitude to suit his character perfectly. I can say this about most of the characters, though. Kagawa really knows and understands her creations, and she brings them to life without holding anything back. Again, like she did in The Iron King, the author puts Meghan, and this time also Ash, through the wringer. She relentlessly stacks the odds against them, and along with a fast-paced plot and loads of adventure, I was teetering on the edge of my seat by the time I turned the final page.The conflict between Ash and Puck continues, and in fact, escalates to new heights, adding to my enjoyment watching these two testosterone-driven fae trying to outdo each other for Meghan’s attention. To my delight and relief, Grimalkin hasn’t been forgotten and this adorable, yet deadly, cat once again entertained me with his antics. As much as I love cats, I doubt I’ll pick Grim up for a kitty cuddle. Which brings me to antagonists. There are quite a few of them this time around, and one of the “bad guys” from The Iron King returns as a less malevolent character for his role in The Iron Daughter. It occurred to me half way into the story why I love to hate the antagonists in this series. The author has the uncanny ability to create evil characters that aren’t caricatures of the villains we so often see on television and on the big screen. Take Leanansidhe, queen of the exiles, and Mab, queen of the Winter fae, for instance. We know they’re not the good guys and we’re not supposed to root for them, but at the same time you can’t help but sort of like them and hope they might change their ways and come to their senses, as the author gives them enough redeeming qualities to make the reader believe that these characters have the capacity for good. Of course the author does the same for the “good guys”, having them make dubious decisions for their own gain; decisions which aren’t always morally acceptable. I just love how all the characters – good and bad – challenge the reader to venture alongside them into the gray areas, and keep you speculating as to who can be trusted and who not. This is yet another testament to Kagawa’s ingenuity and how well she knows and understands her characters – all of them.Kagawa has inarguably created some of the most exceptional characters I’ve ever come across in the fantasy genre, but even this is overshadowed by her phenomenal world building skills. The only other author I know who manages to create such realistic and unforgettable characters and settings is George R.R. Martin with his A Song of Ice and Fire series. The world building for this book and its predecessor is so expertly and artistically done, if I didn’t know any better I would easily believe Kagawa is secretly half fae and grew up in the Nevernever. She has proven herself to be a masterful storyteller and I am utterly enchanted and blown away by her tales! As an added bonus a Survival Guide to the Nevernever is included to “give intrepid travellers into the realm of the fey a minimal chance at surviving the creatures and denizens that dwell within.”I recommend this series to fantasy lovers and anybody looking for an escape to another world that’s very far removed from our reality. It’s preferable that you read The Iron King first before reading this book; otherwise you’ll miss out on a lot that’s happened up to this point in the Iron Fey series.

I loved The Iron King so when I got my hands on the sequel I was so excited!! It is actually going to be a trilogy so this book is part two of Meghan's journey. It took me no time fall right back into the world of Meghan Chase. The only thing that took some remembering was how cruel fae can really be. If you have not read any stories about faeries lately, stop thinking Tinkerbell! Faeries are complex beings and not all of them have your best interest at heart, so beware. One of the unique aspects of this series are the characters that are already familiar to you as a reader before your even begin. Many of the fae are intertwined in multiple legends, such as Queen Mab, Oberon, Titania and Puck. I love how characters from other worlds have entered this one and you get to see their story expand.In this novel Meghan is once again thrown into a mission very quickly. This time she searching for The Scepter of the Seasons, which has been stolen by the Iron Fae. Just like the first book there are many action sequences and enough suspense to keep you reading, because you just have to find out what is going to happen. I know I did, because it only took me two days to finish the book. I would have been done faster, but that pesky job thing got in the ways of precious reading. Along with the action, the romantic tension between our three main characters has returned. In the first book we lost Puck for a while and Meghan and Ash became close through their journeys through the Iron Realm. In this book Ash and Meghan are separated and Puck gets a chance to spend some quality time with her, which he definitely takes advantage of. I personally love Ash, even though some of the things he says to Meghan sometimes make me wince. After reading this book though, I think I have a better understanding of why he is saying those things. You get some of the back story on him and it paints his life in a different light for me. He has such tough choices to make in his life and whatever he decides people will get hurt.I cannot talk about this book without putting in a quick word about Grimalkin, because that cat is awesome! Plus, I am nervous that he might secretly come and haunt me if I don't talk about him a little. He just cracks me up every time he shows up. He always knows what to say to piss someone off or just be really, really, cryptic! He pops up at the most random moments and although he would never admit it, I think he is trying to help Meghan out. I would love to spend a couple minutes in his brain just to see what he is thinking, which of course he would never allow.Without spoiling anything, let me just say when I got towards the end of the book there were a couple of things said and done that just made my mouth drop open in surprise. I am not going to say whether they were good or bad, but I know I did not see them coming. There is also someone in this story who used to be an enemy and becomes a surprising alley. I think the title of the book has some hidden meaning that is not fully explained in this book but it is hinting at something, I am just not 100% sure on what it is right now. So I will look forward to seeing that and other mysteries explored more in the final book.Overall, the book was great! I think Julie has done an awesome job of weaving a magical tale full of adventure and angst that will keep you on the edge of your seat and craving more . If you have not read The Iron King start there, then read Winters Passage, which is a short novella in between book one and two, then jump right into The Iron Daughter, you will be happy you did!

Iron Daughter is the second (full) book in the Iron Fey series. At the end of Iron King, Meghan keeps her promise to Prince Ash by going back with him to the Winter Court. There she is handed over to Queen Mab and kept as a guest/prisoner. While she’s being held the Sceptre is handed over by the Summer Court as a sign of the changing seasons. Meghan is let out of her room to enjoy the party that ensues and during the celebration of the start of winter the sceptre is stolen by Tertius, who is now working for the False King in the Iron Kingdom. During the theft Prince Sage is killed and before waiting for an explanation from Meghan, Queen Mab concludes that the Summer Court stole back the sceptre and readies her subjects for war against Summer.Believing that Megahn was somehow involved, Queen Mab freezes her leaving her alive yet unable to breath. She’s freed by Prince Ash and then the pair of them are caught by Prince Rowan. In order to protect Meghan, Ash wounds Rowan and believing he’s killed him they flee from the Winter court and try to escape into the Summer realm. Now on a mission to find the sceptre and steal it back from the Iron Fey and hand it back to Winter to prevent a war between them they run into Puck. Lastly they meet up with Grimalkin and Ironhorse who, has no loyalty to the new False Iron King and swears his allegiance to Meghan to help her find the sceptre.This was a great continuation of the Iron Fey story. In this book we get to see Meghan get some ideas of the kind of power that she possesses. She has power over Iron glamour which gives some indication as to where this story is heading in the next two books. She also realises the depth of her feelings for Ash – relationships between Winter and Summer are forbidden and anyone who does enter into something like this is exiled. We see Ash struggle with his feelings for Meghan too. They both admit that they love each other but can never be together. Ash’s struggle was well written and really tugged at the heartstrings – he fought against everything he knew and held dear but Meghan represented something that he never thought he would find again.The other character that I absolutely loved in this book was Ironhorse. He was loyal to a fault. Once the Iron King, Machina, was defeated he had no loyalty to the kingdom. He would only be loyal to the new Iron King – the identity of which is hinted at this book. Ironhorse was a great ally for Meghan and their friendship was really nice and I loved watching it develop during this story.I am really looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book following the events that happened at the end of this one.

In this second installement of the Iron Fey series, we return to the world of the NeverNever in order for Meghan to fulfill her contract. You may remember from the previous books (and the short novella inbetween the first and second books - Winter's Passage) that Meghan made a deal with the Unseelie, or winter, prince Ash that if he helped her to rescue her brother from the Iron King, Machina, she would go with him to the winter court without trouble.Well now Meghan has to keep that promise and she's not too happy about it. The Winter Court and ruler, Queen Mab, is just a little too frosty for her liking. But more than that Queen Mab is a cruel queen with every intention of making Meghan's stay as awful as possible; with the help of Ash's two brothers. As if that wasn't bad enough, now Prince Ash, the guy she thought loved her, wants nothing to do with her and makes no secret of it.The story really kicks off when the Iron Fey infiltrate the Winter Court leaving casualties behind and stealing the Sceptre of the Seasons (This Sceptre has infinite power to those who control it and is passed between the winter and summer courts at the passing of the seasons). The problem is, nobody believes her; the Iron Fey are not thought to exist by the Winter and Summer Courts. I don't want to give too much away but from this point we see Meghan set off on her most challenging adventure yet to reclaim the Sceptre and prove her honesty.So who will help her? Well along the way we revisit Grimalkin, the witty and slightly grumpy cat, who I was thrilled to read more about! Additionally, we of course learn about the fate of Robin "Puck" GoodFellow, who after the previous book was left injured and recovering. I really like the characters in this book. Puck never fails to make me laugh aloud, resulting in some very funny looks, as does Grim. But the love triangle between Ash, Meghan and Puck also keeps me hooked throughout; I'm finding it especially difficult to decide who I prefer of the two!But the best part of this novel, and of the series? It's got to be the new take on the world of the Fey. Humans for centuries believed in the stories of the Fey, keeping them alive in their belief, but with new generations comes new technology and so the Iron Fey are created. This is such a fantastic concept and at first I thought these books were named "Iron..." because of the well known idea that faeries are adverse to Iron but of course this is not the case. I really think Kagawa has come up with a truly brilliant idea by mixing traditional faerie legend as we mostly know it with evil and corrupt techno-faeries.So overall, I'm happy to say that this book doesn't suffer from what I like to call "middle-book-syndrome" and is by no means a filler leading onto the next book. Before stumbling across this series I hadn't really enjoyed the faerie world but Kagawa has completely changed my mind! New ideas, new characters and Meghan's developing powers kept me glued to this book from start to finish. I more than recommend this book and this series to young adults and adults alike. A must-read! Hope this helps.

Abandoned by the prince she thought loved her, Megan is slowly freezing in the Winter court. She stuck by her oath to Ash and agreed to go with him back to Tir Na Nog in payment for his help on the journey to find her brother.Megan is hated within the Winter Court. Accused of lying about the impending threat of the Iron fey and the daughter of Winter's enemy, she has every reason to fear the Unseelie fey.When the Sceptre of the Seasons is stolen from the Winter Court, Summer is quickly blamed, and war soon to follow. Only Megan knows the truth, that it was Iron behind the theft, with traitors inside the court aiding the Iron fey. Megan knows she must retrieve the Sceptre before both courts destroy each other when instead they should be allying.Iron Daughter didn't feel like a sequel. It stood just as strong as the first book in the series, and in a way, supports the first. We get more background development and character growth, making it even more easy to fall for Ash and Puck. Megan herself is a stronger character, though she herself would never admit it.We see plenty of action in Iron Daughter, impossible situations and deadly missions. Megan is more than adequately equipped with help on her travels, with unlikely protectors and feline guides cropping up.This is one of the best YA fantasy series out there. It is expertly written with extremely loveable characters and a storyline to keep you on the edge of your seat. And the kissing...oh, Lord, the kissing.,,

Finding out she was the half breed daughter of the King of the Summer Fey isn't something Meghan imagined being when she was a little girl nor did she imagine living in the Unseelie court under Queen Mab's gaze due to a contract but here she is.Her heart and body are suffering in this cold desolate land. She's only alive as she's under Mab's protection but that's only physical and everyone seem's to want a piece of her soul to try and crush her, includng Mab's own son.The threat of The Iron Fey still looms but with no evidence and Ash being uncooperative she's stuck waiting to see what happens.In this installment your introduced to life at the Unseelie Court in the Winter Realm and what an insight it is. You meet and bid farewell to some characters that i'd really like to see more of, not as main characters but they do fill the story well.Meghan, Ash and Puck really come out of themselves and work well as a trio. Obivously becoming a love triangle but it's interesting watching it unfold when you know about Ash and Puck's back story.Well written and the ending is wide open for more installments. Couldn't wait to read the next one

I loved the first book in the series (if you are a fan of YA fantasy, anything from Stephenie Meyer, Melissa Marr, Carrie Jones etc.this series is definitely worth a try) and really enjoyed the second one. The world is well realised, the magic well thought out, there is plenty of action and some great characters. For me, the slight flaw is that I just don't see why either Ash or Puck is that interested in Meghan. In books like Twilight you can understand why the characters think whoever they are in love with is wonderful. I don't think enough work was done to explain why these two centuries old faeries would think a 16-year-old girl was that interesting/wonderful - the sacrifices they both make for her are huge.That said, I did enjoy this a lot, and am hoping that the third book in the series will see things kick up a notch (at the moment things are slightly repetitive/predictable). Worth the money, in my opinion, and enjoyable read!