“Be careful, boy. In some tales, the hero gets eaten by the monster after all.”
The Iron Knight written by Julie Kagawa is book four in “The Iron Fey” series.
Published in 2010, “The Iron Fey” is my first throwback series for November’s theme “Blast from the Past”. This series MUST be read in order. This review will have SPOILERS for book one, two, and three. I recommend reading my review of The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, and The Iron Queen first.
Note: This series is aimed towards younger YA readers. I will be reviewing it from a 12-16-year-old perspective.
Story in a Sentence: To serve the Iron Queen Meghan as the Knight he swore to be he must discover how to survive in the Iron realm, but the cost is nearly impossible and one he doesn’t know he can pay.
In the fourth and final book, it is told from Ash’s point of view. I think this was a brilliant move by Kagawa. While I did enjoy the first three books narrated by Meghan, I don’t know if I could have stood it. I feel that her personal story ended with The Iron Queen and is not something that should be continued. Ash’s POV was a great way to breathe back life into the series. You get to see the Nevernever through a whole different perspective. I loved every second of it. It added another layer of complexity to his character. This book confirmed my opinion that he is one of the best young adult heroes in YA.
The plot was fantastic and I was never bored. I loved the idea that Ash had to gain a soul to be with Meghan again. It seemed like a sweet and clever way to bring this series full circle. This particular book was an emotional rollercoaster ride for me. It was as if Kagawa wrote this book to make anyone Team Ash cry. There were so many twists and turns. While the author does talk about Ash’s past love and Meghan quite a bit, the focus is really on his character growth and accepting who he is. All of the scenes involving little Ash made me tear up. Puck is very present throughout the book and is not there solely for comedic relief. While I have never been a giant fan of Puck, I did enjoy him. I saw a different side of him and he is much more complex than I originally thought. This probably has to do with him not being around Meghan, but credit where credit is due. Grimalkin was amazing as always, despite the fact that he shows up at the most convenient times.
Overall this was a fantastic ending to a great series. Kagawa tied it up in a perfect way that made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I was completely content. I would have preferred less Ariella though because it was obvious he was going to end up Meghan. It was never in question so it definitely got on my nerves a little bit. With the incredible plot, a complex main character that pulled the heartstrings, and a masterfully written finale, I am giving this a deserved 5 star rating. I am happy to see that Kagawa improved with every book of the series and ended up creating amazing characters. Fantastic ending.
P.S. If you enjoy reading fantasy books from a human and then a mythical species point of views, I highly recommend Radiance. It is for an adult/new adult audience, but it is one of my favorite books ever.
To purchase The Iron King, click here.
To purchase The Iron Daughter, click here.
To purchase The Iron Queen, click here.
To purchase The Iron Knight, click here.
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