The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey Book 2)

Loooooooooooved it more than words can possibly express. It's funny and heart wrenching and had me loath to put it down even for sleep and especially for work. Hands down this is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

All in all, this was a very entertaining and well-written read. Most of the characters, even the secondary ones, were really well fleshed out...and the twists and turns were pretty unique and kept this reader on her toes. But I felt it was weak in a few areas, specifically (SPOILERS!!!):

-- The relationship between Puck and the main character felt awkward and kind of forced. It's as if the angst issues with Ash weren't enough, so the author decided to throw in a second love interest. Or maybe ever since Twilight, teen authors feel obligated to introduce a rival character (a la Team Jacob)? In any case, Puck felt a bit wasted here, especially since Megan very clearly was going to choose Ash no matter what. It just wasn't convincing to me.
-- Some parts of the plot felt too contrived (Megan and the Winter Formal) and some of the characters felt too throw-away and were simply there to push things along (thinking of the satyr halfling).
-- If you are going to place part of your book in a real setting (like the Silicon Valley, specifically downtown San Jose) then please do your research and flesh it out a tad. I live in San Jose and can verify that the streets mentioned as being in San Jose in the book don't actually exist. Does this make me an anal retentive nerd for caring? Probably. But I think a book with such fantastic and elaborate world-building as this should have gotten the "real world" details right.
-- The ending felt very final even though I know this is a series. It was nice not to have a huge cliffhanger for once...however the loose ends that need to be tied up just don't feel all that compelling to me to warrant a third book. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled there will be a third book and will definitely read it. But I am not as pushed to run out and get it simply to answer a few nagging questions. The author could easily have stopped the series here had she chosen.

Absolutely fantastic! Not a sentence waisted! The storyline kept me on my toes all till the end. The characters are increadibly well developed, with hidden depths and a few surprises to their personalities. And to top it all, author's language is breathtakingly beautiful: the moody landscapes, trees, lakes, and rivers; everything is talking to a reader, giving you a hint of things to come or luring you into a false belief that you may have guessed what comes next in a story.

...I sometimes think that Meghan Chase is a little daft. With the way this ended i feel like she should be gobsmacked with the information laid before her! She is brave and a bit hot headed but she is kind and saves two worlds from total destruction. She wields a power no one understands and the guys love her. Puck + Meghan + Ash = Love triangle from hell. I can understand though because she is so young that she has conflicting feelings so it’s hard for her to untangle them but i pretty much felt bad for Puck the whole time.

Other than the sticky feelings this was a pretty bad ass story! I mean she makes new allies and learns and uncovers so much that its mind blowing. She is going to burst with all the new experiences. I hated the end outcome of this story but I understand that sometimes its not all about a perfectly wrapped up ending. The journey on this though was emotional and dirty. It was fraught with tension and arguments. Meghan is really becoming a strong willed, loyal and strong person. Her character is growing but still she maintains her humanity and is open to love. She is willing to take chances for the people around her and its nice.

She is responsible for a war but also for the ending of a war. She is responsible for deaths but she felt all the deaths she knew of deeply and it changed her. She is responsible for her parents being iced up but she came in the nick of time to rescue them. She is responsible for a whole new kingdom going on attack mode. She causes issues but she tries to fix them. I appreciate that in a character.

This was a super steady paced read. I just kept turning page after page after page and wasn’t able to get enough. I am very happy that I have the next book because i am EXCITED to get to the next installment.

If you like these books I recommend reading my review of book 1, for more references to similar books that might interest you.

I say this is book three because the author has half versions, or mini books to give you an update between books. It's kind of a cheap ploy to make more money, but they are all worth reading, plus if you get them during an audible discount period they will only cost you $2/each. Just buy them that way and get the books over $10 using your credits.

In this book Megan starts to come into her own and really starts to understand herself, her prince, and the other fey better just as everything begins to unravel around her. Her family plays a minimal role in this story, her lost memories come into play here too. This book ties in everything you needed to know from book one (so don't try to skip to this book), while bring up it's own new story, characters, and expanding on what you already love about the series.

Also forgot to mention this in my first review, but I enjoy this narrator. Khristine Hvam has a sweet voice and doesn't try to sound like a man but instead lets the story speak for itself in your mind. I love books with dual narrators that tell the story like a movie with the pictures only in your imagination, but also can equally get into books with a good narrator who just reads with inflection rather than pretending to be every character. That is Khristine Hvam, a good story teller without trying to take over the characters. The only down play I will say is that the producer should have edited out random parts where you hear her breathe in quick, sometimes she does things that pull you into the story but sometimes it's just her catching her breathe at the end of a long paragraph and it could be removed. Regardless great narration.

If you like book one, continue onward!

So after one hell of a cliffhanger ending in THE IRON KING , Were back where we left off , in a totally dismal place. Meghan is stuck in the winter palace. And Prince Ash well he's being a real dirt bag at the moment. ( I would say so much more but I am not one for dishing out spoilers , so...) Puck is still lost somewhere in the nevernever and poor Meghan is all alone without her sidekicks. What is she to do??

The Iron Daughter was a slightly addicting read. Have you ever read a book where you really liked the story but you just want to skim through all the pages because you really just want to find out what happens. Yeah, that's how I was with this book. Yes, I absolutely love Ash and Puck. Grimalkin and Ironhorse too. But talk about somewhat lacking . Meghan is back to her dismal self again. I had such high hopes for her. Then you get to the second half of this book....and as I said before I'm not one for spoilers but let's just say that something happens between Meghan and Ash , that changes the whole tune of the novel. So much so that I am dying to get my hands on THE IRON QUEEN. So let's just say that the first half of this book was a struggle to read but that the second half totally made up for it.  

I absolutely adore the characters in this series, especially Ironhorse; he’s funnier than Grimalkin. I have a theory why Meghan can use glamour and I think it’s because she destroyed / killed the last iron king so perhaps the power has transferred to her? Maybe that was why the goblins (or was it gremlins?) listened to her when she told them to scatter because they were creeping her out. It just makes sense…plus Ironhorse calls her queen at one point, which adds to this theory.

The ending was AMAZING! I don’t want to spoil it but I can’t wait to read book 3. Although Meghan and Ash both took an oath at the end, I doubt they’ll be able to abide by it. There’s no way…
Poor Puck, just when he’s about to get the girl it all goes haywire for him. I was surprised at the turn in his and Meghan’s relationship and kind of annoyed at her for leading him on. She can’t have both guys, make up your mind already! I noticed that although Ash is meant to be in amazing fighter, he seems to get more injured than everyone else put together! Yet, he still ends up being okay in the end (not that I’m complaining, of course).

Grim wasn’t as vocal in this book, but Ironhorse made up for it…I wonder who will provide entertainment in the next book….

Favourite Quotes:

"This isn't a game, Meghan. The s*** is about to hit the fan, and you're right in the middle of it without knowing enough to duck!"

"I couldn't do it alone. I should have listened to you back in Tir Na Nog."
"Yes, you should have," I whispered. "Remember that, so that next time you can just agree with whatever I say and we'll be fine."

I sat up and wiped my eyes, cursing the damned faeries and their eternal war. It seemed there was never enough time. Time to dance, or talk, or laugh, or even mourn the passing of a friend.

I absolutely adore the characters in this series, especially Ironhorse; he’s funnier than Grimalkin. I have a theory why Meghan can use glamour and I think it’s because she destroyed / killed the last iron king so perhaps the power has transferred to her? Maybe that was why the goblins (or was it gremlins?) listened to her when she told them to scatter because they were creeping her out. It just makes sense…plus Ironhorse calls her queen at one point, which adds to this theory.

The ending was AMAZING! I don’t want to spoil it but I can’t wait to read book 3. Although Meghan and Ash both took an oath at the end, I doubt they’ll be able to abide by it. There’s no way…
Poor Puck, just when he’s about to get the girl it all goes haywire for him. I was surprised at the turn in his and Meghan’s relationship and kind of annoyed at her for leading him on. She can’t have both guys, make up your mind already! I noticed that although Ash is meant to be in amazing fighter, he seems to get more injured than everyone else put together! Yet, he still ends up being okay in the end (not that I’m complaining, of course).

Grim wasn’t as vocal in this book, but Ironhorse made up for it…I wonder who will provide entertainment in the next book….

Favourite Quotes:

"This isn't a game, Meghan. The s*** is about to hit the fan, and you're right in the middle of it without knowing enough to duck!"

"I couldn't do it alone. I should have listened to you back in Tir Na Nog."
"Yes, you should have," I whispered. "Remember that, so that next time you can just agree with whatever I say and we'll be fine."

I sat up and wiped my eyes, cursing the damned faeries and their eternal war. It seemed there was never enough time. Time to dance, or talk, or laugh, or even mourn the passing of a friend.

The love triangle. Ash is constantly pushing Meghan away but the heart wants what it wants, that doesn't make loving him any easier. Puck has always been there for Meghan with a laugh and a hug to make her feel safe.
The creatures in the winter court are terrifying, wicked, and described beautifully to the minutest detail.

Despite the chaos and general sadness that comes from being in a horrible situation with little to no chance of making it out of there alive, the story is surprisingly uplifting and funny. The love and friendship between the characters is pleasant and flawless.

The dragon vs. unicorn scene, the whole battle montage between the Winter and Summer fey was brutal, violent, bloody, and exactly the sort of horrendous carnage I've come to expect from the fey. EPIC.

The characters, even some of the enemies are multilayered and sympathetic. This is especially true of Ironhorse. In the first book, Ironhorse is basically a mechanical piece of machinery with no emotion, here we see him as more than hunk of metal, he's a determined, devoted character who fights for what he believes in.

Once again Grim is the most unsuspecting, yet crazy awesome character. The following pic is generally how I imagine him. :)

CONS:
This has to be one of the most heartbreaking endings ever. The only comparison I can think of that is even close is when Peter Pan decided to grow up.

This novel was action packed and intensely exciting. I really love how inviting Kagawa’s writing is. Everything is larger than life, and the sense of inevitability is there throughout. The combination of science and fantasy is eerily brilliant. It is the culmination of what humanity can dream up. Kagawa definitely threw some plot twists as us that I couldn’t have imagined. She kept me on my toes throughout while developing an unforgettable tale. This is the type of story that all fae enthusiasts will love, regardless of their age.

I thoroughly enjoy how well developed the characters in this novel are. We get to know a great deal about who they truly are, what lies underneath the polished court exteriors. And this doesn’t end with the main characters in the novel. It extends throughout the supporting cast as well, allowing readers to connect with everyone who graces the pages of this novel. My heart breaks for the characters in this one. It’s very Romeo & Juliet, with a definite twist and without the horrid ending. The variety of creatures and species that we meet are simply magical. The way that she develops them is brilliant too, and never hampers your imagination.

Kagawa may just be one of my favourite YA authors. Once you open one of her books you’re transported into your most vivid fantasies. This novel is no exception.

So remember every nice thing I said about Meghan Chase when I reviewed The Iron King? Well, I take it back. Somehow that savvy girl with the potential to turn into someone brave and strong instead turned into a simpering, pining, annoyingly naive character I just couldn't bring myself to care about this time around. I really think this was a case of the straw that broke the camel's back. This was it; the book that made me realize that I really just cannot take one more of these YA romances. I can't do it! It's not just that it's a love triangle (but yeah, that's a big part of it), it's also that it's deep intense love with someone you barely know, have spent barely any time with, and yet are willing to give up everything for. For eternity. Yeah. That kind of love. I can't do it anymore.

Maybe I've matured a lot in my views of relationships over the past few years. I've been living with the man I want to spend the rest of my life with now for over three years, and I've come to understand that love and relationships take work...and they have to be based on something more than some surface attraction and something in common. I'm not saying that the types of relationships I'm getting sick of in YA couldn't potentially end up as lasting, but honestly? Most of them aren't healthy, and it's gotten to where it annoys me beyond belief that we're supposed to swoon over this stuff and think `oh how sweet they'll be together forever' when they don't even really know (or care about) what that entails.

I just wanted to slap Meghan so many times in this book. At the beginning, Ash literally tells her that he's going to have to treat her a certain way in the Unseelie court. Then, when he proceeds to do exactly as he said he would, Meghan cries and moans about how he's betrayed her and lied to her and how could he be so cruel. She continually doubts his feelings for her, doubts her own feelings for him, and yet--it's true love people! Right. At the end of The Iron King I had also come to believe that Meghan had grown and matured as a person. That she was no longer worried about things like an embarrassing day in high school that had bothered her at the beginning of her journey. But then in The Iron Daughter she freaks out about just those types of things proving that she hasn't really grown at all.

Some other nitpicky things while I'm on a roll: for the love of all that is good stop talking about heartbeats. I swear, if I had a dollar for everytime Meghan hears/feels Ash's heartbeat, or Puck's heartbeat, or her own freakin' heartbeat, I could pay off a decent amount of my student loans. Also, I hate hate recapping. A little I get, it's fine, it's usually been a while between books, but excessive recapping is Kagawa's thing. I didn't enjoy Winter's Passage much because of it, and it had me wanting to put The Iron Daughter down after only 25 pages. And get this? She put a huge chuck of Winter's Passage into The Iron Daughter. Seriously?! I get that not everyone had access to the short story, but that's why you make it something you don't need to put in the books. Not something you just put in the book anyway.

If I had read The Iron Daughter two years ago when it came out, I most likely would have loved it. I wish I did read it then, because Julie Kagawa's built a really cool world creating an interplay between some classic mythology and her own creations that are unique and quite frankly pretty dang cool. I do think that aside from my inability to stomach the relationships, The Iron Daughter suffered a bit from second-book syndrome. It was an okay story, but really seemed a filler plot leading to where we all know the story is going. Nothing about it was surprising to me as it was in The Iron King, and in the end I was just incredibly disappointed with the whole read.

You know that series that doesn't impress you that much, but you keep reading for the sake of finishing the series and because you have to know what happens or if it gets better? Well, The Iron Fey is that series for me. If you've read my review of The Iron King, then you'd know that I wasn't all that impressed with The Iron Fey's first book. Surprisingly, I liked this one more, hence the extra half star/crown.

Just like last time, Meghan annoyed me. Someone needs to tell that girl that Ash is not the center of the universe. Primarily, this is the only part of this book series that really annoys me. Obsessing over Ash lost this book 1.5 stars/crowns. The first half was so irritating just because of Meghan's infatuation over Ash. In my opinion (Ash fans, please don't gouge my eyes out), Puck is a much better match for Meghan. They've known each other longer, and I think he compliments her well. He's always there for her when she needs him, despite the fact that she's all for Ash. The thing is that Puck knows patience. He even said himself that he was going to wait for Meghan. Oh, yeah, and there's the fact that he doesn't reject her every 50 pages.

Yes, there's still time for me to switch ships. I did it with the Shatter Me trilogy, and I can do it again.

Honestly, I wish I could look this aspect over since I'm so engrossed in the Nevernever, but I really can't. I absolutely hate clingy main characters. So much. Although, Kagawa creates such an intricate world, and I believe it. I believe that the fae could be running around the place, disguising themselves at humans. Kagawa's world is very addicting as is her writing. No matter how much I dislike Meghan and Ash, I can't stop reading the books. And this is literally what keeps me coming back for more.

I put the next two books on hold. As well as the novella book. As well as the first two books in the spin-off series. I'm so marathoning the books. As I said, they're so addicting.

I have to say that, yes, the first half of the book is Meghan obsessing over Ash, but after page 60 or so, things got a lot better (for me, anyway), because Puck showed up! I was missing Puck since he got injured in the previous book, but now he's back, and I'm loving him. Meghan's love *cough* for Ash remained while he was gone, and when Ash came back (because Ash always comes back, right?) all of Meghan's progress toward obsessing over Ash less vanished. Back to square one.

In the end, this is a good series. I'm pretty much the only person that's majorly ticked off by Meghan and Ash it seems, and I feel like I'm reading a completely different book than everyone else who's in love with Meghan and Ash. Oh, well. I heard the next book, The Iron Queen is a lot better, and I can't wait to continue on with the series to see what happens with Meghan (and Ash)!

(I just need to clarify that I am not an Ash hater. I like him; I do. I just don't like how clingy Meghan becomes when she's around him.)

'The Iron Daughter' was a great read. I really wanted to give 'The Iron Daughter' (The Iron Fey - Book #2) by Julie Kagawa a 5 star rating, but I just couldn't get past what I saw as a flaw in the book. Which was how Ash treated Meghan at the winter court and how Meghan always got on my nerves because of the whole Ash/Puck triangle. Another thing, that rub me up the wrong way, was how author Julie Kagawa still made Meghan pine for Ash. Even after he treated her like s*** more than once. Really if a guy treated me like that, I wouldn't be no where as kind, let alone still think he loves me. I know I shouldn't read to much into books but come on, what are young women, going to take from that. "Oh he was only a down right prick to me, but I know he still loves me'. Oh come on ... it pissed me off so much that the book almost had a up close and personal meeting with my wall (can you tell that I get really into my books ... lol). Meghan really did annoy me in this book with the whole Ash situation. When I really think about it, Meghan hardly even knows Ash, yet she rather Ash over her best friend Puck. I know Puck is wild most of the time, but I would rather trust Puck, then a good looking stranger named Ash.

Other things I just adored in this book was Ironhorse. What's not to like? A big metal horse, that has a voice that just booms off the pages and into my head every time he speaks. I also really liked how we got to see a lot more of his personality this time round. I even cried which I don't normally do for many book characters. So next to the wonderful and fabulous Grim (a talking cat, that loves'The Iron Daughter' to just disappear when a tough situation becomes tougher ). I loved Grim in the first book 'The Iron King'. Book 2 'The Iron Daughter' has only made my fondness for Grim grow even more.

So I am giving The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey - Book #2) by Julie Kagawa a 4 star rating and I recommend this book, for reader's who have already read and enjoyed the first book 'The Iron King' or is looking for a new series to start, that is action packed, with some romance thrown in and some very good characters that will keep you reading until the very end.

[...]

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.

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for previous volumes in the series.

After rescuing her little brother and destroying the Iron King Machina, Meghan has been bound by oath to join the Winter fairies at the Unseelie Court. She's miserable: she's always freezing, the Unseelie largely ignore or taunt her, and the love of her life, Prince Ash, avoids her. When he cruelly denies any feelings for her at all, Meghan is shattered. Before she can stew too long in self-loathing, the crown prince Sage is murdered and the Scepter of the Seasons is stolen by the Iron Fey. The Unseelie accuse Oberon and his Summer Court of the crime, and prepare to go to war. Meghan is the only one who knows the truth; she must somehow get away from the Unseelie Court, find and retrieve the scepter, and stop the fairies from destroying each other.

Or, y'know, she could just freak out about her feelings for 300 pages.
I mean, good GRIEF. How long has she known Ash? A few days? Weeks, tops? I know she's still a teenager but her all-encompassing desire for him is just embarrassing. He warns her before they arrive at the Unseelie Court that he will hide his feelings once they arrive, yet the dumb girl still goes running into his arms the first moment she sees him and then is *shocked* when he coldly informs her that he doesn't love her. Meggie, you have two choices at this point:
1. Remember what Ash told you before and stop acting like a googoo-eyed idiot.
2. Get over the jerk who won't stand up for your relationship and be a strong, independent woman.

Instead, Meghan goes for the third option:
3. Run to your childhood friend and make out with him after he reveals he's been love with you FOREVER, which has been pretty darn obvious since the beginning of the series. Afterwards, go running back to the winter prince, but have the decency to feel bad about screwing with the feelings of your best friend.

Meghan certainly isn't the most inspiring or interesting heroine in young adult fiction, but at the end of the last book I did admire her a bit because she had shown such dedication to her little brother. That goodwill was virtually gone by the end of this novel. The love triangle just felt so forced and unnecessary. There's no real chemistry between Meghan and Ash, and the constant attempts by the plot to place them in romantic situations were awful. At one point, Ash is badly injured, and the only thing that can heal him is "lots of human emotional energy". Hey, guess what? Meghan's Winter Formal dance is conveniently a few hours away! She and Ash can go to the dance and their problems will be solved!!

WHAT. BOOK, I ASK YOU, WHAT. THE. HECK?

I really should have put the book down right then and there, but I couldn't, because I love the parts of the story that don't involve romance. The fairy courts are beautiful and terrible; the contrast between them fascinating. I'm so so SO intrigued by the Iron Court and what it represents for the "old blood" fairies. Plus, many of the secondary characters are so much fun. Grimalkin is a grumpy sourpuss who always seems one step ahead of the others; I bet that he could easily fix everything with a few choice words, but he finds trouble far more entertaining. A new fairy is introduced in this book, Leanansidhe - a beautiful muse who was cast out of the Summer Court by jealous Titania and now lives between the fairyland and the human world. She's a bit unstable, but I love the strange little court she keeps of half-breeds, half-crazed artists and outcasts. Like Grimalkin, one can never be sure if she means Meghan good or ill.

But the one character I really enjoyed in this book was Ironhorse. At first, he seems a bit obnoxious - he's an iron (horse) fairy that talks in ALL CAPS and seems incapable of thinking things through. But his loyalty to Meghan and desire to prevent war won me over, and soon even his ALL CAPS made me smile.

But Meghan, what's wrong with you? Why aren't you more interested in exploring/exploiting your "iron glamor" power - especially since it seems to be unique to you? When Ironhorse calls you "my queen" why aren't you questioning that? STOP MOONING OVER ASH AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE HEAVY-HANDED CLUES BEING DROPPED IN YOUR STORY!!!

Man, I hope she improves in The Iron Queen.

Boy oh boy...where do I start?

Does every paranormal series follow the same basic patterns? No one answer that, I already know. The answer is no, not EVERY paranormal series follows the same patterns. However, MOST, or at the very least SEVERAL do. And that is...um...annoying. That being said, if I had read The Iron Daughter this time last year perhaps I would not have been so sick of this pattern and I would be frustrated with a completely different book. *Sigh* But that's not the case. So here goes.

I'm sick of situations where the leading boy has to act like he doesn't like the girl in order to protect her. And because leading girl is so daft and insecure she doesn't realize what's going on and believes that leading boy no longer cares about her which leads to a bunch of whining and moaning. And eventually because it appears that no leading girl must really be in love, she always seeks revenge. Hurt boy because boy hurt me.

I completely understand the instinct to make someone who has hurt you hurt in the same way they hurt you. Because I believe this is actually a self-preservation technique. One that says "if you could possibly understand how I feel and how much this hurts then there's no way you could ever hurt me this way again." But we will and we do. And retaliation is not true love.

I was frustrated with Meghan and Ash to the point of being done with them. I totally understood what Team Jacob fans felt in this moment. And I rooted for the underdog (who as I predicted in my review of book 1, The Iron King...whoops no spoilers).

Then about 65% through I came to another stumbling block. We realize something awful has happened to Ash. OH NO! He's not himself any more. He's under some kind of possession/mind control thing. And it's up to the only person who cares enough about him to risk it all to save him. Um...yeah...shoot me now!

Of course, things do get worse from there. What's the only thing worse than an Ash who's not himself? An Ash going after Meghan's family--the only thing people do the stupidest things EVER over. Family. Loved ones. And it's doubly bad if it's a loved one going after family. Can you guys understand why I'm frustrated here?

But we're not done. Once Ash is broken out of his mind control/possession state, he's all "I can't believe I did that. I can never be forgiven. I'm a horrible, evil faery even though I was possessed and had no control over my actions." BLAH BLAH BLAH!

Surprisingly, I still feel like I can give The Iron Daughter 3 stars. I know from the sound of this review, I hated it. But I didn't. And like I said before, had I read The Iron Daughter before tons of other books that followed this pattern I wouldn't be ranting about any of these things. And because The Iron Daughter was published before a good portion of the books I've read recently, I'll give The Iron Daughter the benefit of the doubt. Not that Julie Kagawa invented these patterns and everyone else followed her example. But still. Something has to be said for timing.

The ending frustrated me too if only slightly. Faced with an ultimatum, Ash and Meghan both make a decision that involves finality with their relationship with either each other or the faery world of Nevernever. But considering there are still more books to come in the series that I haven't read, what do you want to bet that ultimatum is broken? (That is, if I were a betting woman.)

I did enjoy the cast of characters again. Puck of course was a favorite of mine. Grim was sneaky and awesome because I can't completely figure him out. And then we had a surprise character join the group that I very much enjoyed.

Again, I'm giving The Iron Daughter 3 Stars. Have you read The Iron Daughter? What did you think? Let me know!

Meghan just discovered she is different and that she comes from Faeries. Desperate to save her brother from the Iron Fey Meghan made a deal with Ash the Winter prince. Holding up her end of the bargain Meghan is now at the hands of the Winter Fey and its ice cold queen. As Meghan is held prisoner in the Winter realm the unthinkable happens and war is now upon the Fey world. Determined to prevent a war Meghan must put her trust in those that once deemed her harm in order to return that which was stolen. A mission that could not only bring her death but the destruction of the entire faery realm.

Again Julie Kagawa did an excellent job of creating the wonderful world of Fey. A world that I would love to visit a world so vivid with color and imagination it is as if it were a living thing. Adding to the world incredible creatures and characters that make the world even more alluring and sometimes lethal.

Whereas the first book mostly focused on Meghan, Puck, Ash and Grimalkin, this introduces us to even more of Julie Kagawa's fabulous creations. In this book we are treated to the minds of the Winter princes as they taunt and tease Meghan, get to dive further into the mind of an Iron Fey, meet fabulous new characters (whom I can't mention here because that would ruin it) along with getting to know my favorite characters Meghan, Ash and Puck better.

Okay Ash and Puck are my favorite. I have to admit that Meghan kind of ticks me off. She is the typical whiny girl who is too quick to jump to conclusions and doesn't really listen to anyone but herself. There were so many times that I wanted to smack her in this book. And it was all because she didn't listen to what she was told (I'm sure you will feel the same way after you read it). Ash, well he is Ash, the dark prince of Winter who is fierce, dangerous, loyal and incredibly sweet has quickly swept me off my feet and literally blew me away with what he did at the end of this book. (I mean really I think I squealed!)

And Puck, what isn't there to love about Puck. He provides the much needed comedy in this book, but don't underestimate him. Oh, no! Puck is a fierce warrior who definitely knows his way around a battle. He just does it with style! Most of my favorite scenes involve Puck and I found myself torn as I read this book (again can't share as it would spoil things, so you will have to read it). My heart wanting one thing and my head wanting another. Although I am sure that was Julie Kagawa's intention.

This story picked up right where The Iron King left off so it made it easy to get right back in the story. Every part of the story was carefully crafted and had a purpose whether for this book or for a future story down the line. You could read the intention behind the words. And I will say that I did have two of my suspicions confirmed in this book, now to read the next one and see if some of my others are right!

The Iron Daughter is definitely a story that will quench the thirst of your imagination, leave your heart torn and of course leave you wondering what could possibly be next!