Release Date: October 26, 2011
Published By: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 394
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 4 out of 5

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…”To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase-a half human, half fey slip of a girl-smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end-a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review: I was a tad bit worried about this when I was about 50 pages in just because it was slow to kick off where the rest of the Iron Fey books just jumped straight into it. So I got through it (I struggled a little), but I must say, once I got over the first 100 pages, boy did this book kick some ass!

In this book we see Ash going on a personal journey to try and become a human so that he is able to go back to Meghan (who is now ruling the Iron Realm) without affected by iron. With him on his adventure is Puck, Grimalkin, the Big Bad Wolf and someone you never saw coming and who could change everything.

True to the other Iron Fey books this had so much action in it, however most of the action in this book stemmed from a series of challenges set out for Ash in order for him to earn a soul. These challenges, each more difficult than the next almost cost him his life, not to mention of the lives around him each time. This was real edge-of-your-seat style reading, and some of Julie Kagawa’s finest I feel.

There was some confusion points in the end for me, where I wasn’t sure what was real and what was a vision of the future. However, in hindsight I understand why certain parts of the book were written the way they were and I can look back and say that overall it worked to the benefit of the story.

Absolutely love the bromance between Ash and Puck. The banter between the two of them is classic, and I loved seeing them go from enemies to sorting their differences out, and then to friends.. although both of them are too proud and stubborn to embrace the other wholeheartedly. Their friendship is really endearing and it’s one of the best I’ve read.

A really great finish to the Iron Fey series, I’m glad Julie Kagawa changed her mind from the Iron Fey being a trilogy and giving us this book to add some closure! I highly recommend this series if you’ve not read it!

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