The Iron Knight

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Harlequin Teen
ISBN13: 9780373210367

5/5 Stars!

Goodreads Synopsis:
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…

You want to know what The Iron Knight is like? It's like Kagawa ripped my heart out of my chest, put it on a platter and called it The Iron Knight.

 This is a captivating finale, and one that is sure to satisfy fans of The Iron Fey series.

 My favourite part about this was that it was told from Ash's point of view; which is rather frightening, to say the least. While reading The Iron Knight, you realize that his character has only been hinted at in the previous books and it isn't until now that we really begin to understand who Ash is and just how much he's changed. His deepest, darkest secrets are finally shared and explored with the discovery of just whispers of his past that you never really wanted to know.
 But it's addictive and beautiful, and entirely appropriate for this long-awaited ending.


 And I can't remember the last time I was so frustrated with a book. Can you remember the last time a book took you on such an emotional ride? The reader is spared no experience of Ash's turmoil as he ventures on the adventure of his (centuries long) lifetime.

 I honestly don't even know what I can say that will give this book the review it deserves. I can't explore it enough, I can't tell you how much I loved it enough.

Another thing I loved is how Kagawa showed that actions do have consequences. You can't run from your past no matter how hard you try; but it is up to you to make a choice regarding what you will do with that past and what you will do to impact your future. And it applies to her readers, just as much as it applies to the humans and faeries in her literary world.
I'm not even sure I should tell you what I hated most about this book, because it just doesn't seem fair. But I've never been a fan of Ariella, because I'm just not a fan of ghosts of the past haunting people and I have constantly wished throughout this series that she would just stop being brought up. And particularly in The Iron Knight, I really wanted to just shove her off the pedastal that Ash has placed her on. She doesn't get my vote of sympathy, but at the same time it is understandable in a book about Ash that this issue needed to be dealt with. And while I did not love how Kagawa dealt with this specific issue, I acknowledge that it had to be done.

 But really. The depth of Ash's character shines through and ultimately illuminates this book so well. There are so many twists and surprises within him, and each one is totally understandable.

And the best part is, I finished the book feeling completely satisfied. Nothing felt like it was left open, in my opinion, and as sad as it is that this is over, it was definitely worth the ride.

Special thanks to Harlequin Teen for providing me an advance copy of Iron Knight from Net Galley! No other compensation was received.

The link below is my affiliate link to take you to TBD page for $7.29 for a paperback copy - hardcover available as well, but this is the cheapest option :)