"Summer's Crossing" by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #3.5)

Title: Summer's Crossing
By: Julie Kagawa
Series: Iron Fey
Publication: June 1, 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Format: E-Book (Kindle)
Genre: YA Novella- Fantasy
Themes: Fae
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts. 

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist. 

My Thoughts: I don't know how Julie Kagawa does it, but she packs big punches in small novellas! Summer's Crossing is told from none other than Robin Goodfellow's POV, and it is told wonderfully! There is no dislodgement in this book from the character we have all come to know and love by the name of Puck. What I mean by that is, the narration stays true to Robbie, except we get to see more inside of his head than ever. It seems like it would be a risky move to alternate POV in a series where the only narrator we have had is Meghan, but Julie K. pulls it off, as so few authors can. 

I loved being able to see inside Puck's head and finding out what he really felt when it came to Ash and Meghan. Sure, he's a prankster, but even he can feel the bitter disappointment of unrequited love. This novella was so engaging as I read through its pages trying to discover if Puck would take the high road and help Ash, or if he would betray him, leaving Meghan for himself.

I highly suggest reading both novellas from this series in chronological order. And right now, Summer's Crossing is FREE on Amazon.com for Kindle users!

Teaser Pleaser:

- I blinked innocently. "Why are you looking at me, Lea?" I asked, batting my eyelashes. "Is this the face of such a dastardly villian?"

My Rating:

"The Iron Queen" by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #3)

Title: The Iron Queen
By: Julie Kagawa
Series: Iron Fey
Publication: January 25, 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Format/ Pages: Paperback/ 358
Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance
Themes: Fae
Cover Rating: 3/5

From Goodreads: My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

My Thoughts: Exiled from the Nevernever, Meghan thought she would finally be able to go home again, and with the Unseelie Prince of her dreams too. Unfortunately, things are never that simple for Meghan anymore. In Iron Queen, Meghan begins her third adventure, but this time everything is different- including Meghan.

I felt like this book covered so much, and took me on a brand new adventure. I was afraid I would get bored with this series (I mean, there's only so many times that a girl can go into the Nevernever to fight off some bad fairies), but I found out quickly that I had nothing to be worried about! Meghan transforms in this third installment into someone completely different than who we were introduced to in the first book- as well she should. The half-breed princess has been through hell, and she's got more to go through before it's over. There was just no way she could still be the backwoods, shy, farmer's daughter anymore. She had to get strong and fast. We finally see her pick up her role as a warrior and take some initiative into who she is on her way to becoming. And it's not only Meghan changing, but Ash and Puck as well. Ash took a huge leap when he admitted his love for Meghan in the last book, the wall he put up for the Unseelie Court starts to crumble quickly as he leans more and more on Meghan and their relationship. We get to see who he really is and how much he truly cares for the Summer King's daughter. And while legendary Puck is still the same in his jesting, we get to see a snarky side of him that we never had before. The character development is just really superb in this series! 

The plot was so well thought out- it was perfect by the end. Everything lead up to where the series had been going so far, as Julie K weaved each of the missing pieces together by the last epic scene (and it was epic!).  What I really love about this series though, is the realistic tone of it. Of course, fairies aren't real (or are they? haha), but the way Julie describes each piece of the Nevernever makes it feel like it could be. There's no silly fru-fru in here. It's all battles and adventures and everything you would want out of a non-Disney fairy tale. It's the real deal.

An excellent, engaging series! I can't wait to get my hands on the next novella and the last book! 

Teaser Pleaser:

"When I said I'd follow you to hell and back, I wasn't trying to be literal, princess."

My Rating:

"The Iron Daughter" by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #2)

Title: The Iron Daughter
By: Julie Kagawa
Series: Iron Fey
Publication: July 27, 2010 by Harlequin Teen
Format/ Pages: Paperback/ 359
Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

My Thoughts: W-O-W, just... WOW. This second novel in the Iron Fey series is everything I was promised it would be! It's action packed and filled with twists and turns that leave you turning the pages well past midnight. From the first page to the last, I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen to Meghan and her friends. 

Julie Kagawa really stepped up her game in this novel compared to the first book in the series. Meghan becomes more real as a character, and we finally get to see her grow and take herself more seriously. She's done taking crap from everyone around her. Maybe that's because the danger she faces is even more real than ever. Abandoned by Prince Ash in the Unseelie Court, Meghan is left to defend herself against all the Unseelie fae, including Ash's mother, Queen Mab, and his brother, Rowan. Worse, Ash's behavior is cold and cruel, making Meghan believe that every thing they went through in the Iron Realm was just so he could get her back to his own court.  And that's only the beginning. Summer and Winter are on the brink of war and only Meghan knows the truth: King Machina might be dead, but the Iron Fey must certainly are still alive and behind every sword the other courts slash at each other.

What I really loved about this book, besides Meghan becoming a bad-ass, is that we don't know what team Ash is rooting for. He's not the good guy by far, as we all know from the first book, but does that mean he's the bad guy? These characters are complex, making them real and the plot thick with adventure. This series is definitely worth reading and I can't wait for the next one to arrive in my mail box!

Teaser Pleasers:

-"If this faery bitch wanted a fight, bring it on. I'd do my fair share of clawing too."

-"For a brief moment, I admired his stubborn tenacity, but it wouldn't save him in the end."

-"Oh, look who's talking. If you're not an expert at screwing people over, I'll eat my head."

My Rating:

"Winter's Passage" by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #1.5)

Title: Winter's Passage
By: Julie Kagawa
Series: Iron Fey
Publication: May 20, 2010 by Harlequin Teen
Format: E-Book
Genre: YA Novella- Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

My Thoughts: This was a fantastic, short addition to the Iron Fey series. It picks up right where The Iron King (See my review here) left off, and sheds light on the short journey Meghan and Prince Ash traveled on to the Tir Na Nog. For such a short story, it packs in a pretty good bit of action and sets up the plot for The Iron Daughter extremely well. I feel like Julie Kagawa finally found her niche in writing by this time and the style has just been amped up to greatness.

What I really loved about this novella is the fact that we finally get a good view into Ash & Meghan's relationship and their chemistry together (which is scorching!) We also get to see a glimmer of Meghan trying to work out her feelings for Puck, which I also really loved because it shows she doesn't just blow him off now that he's stuck in a tree healing. 

Meghan also seems to grow as a character in these short pages as well, which really surprised me. We get to see the beginning of the strong kick-ass character she's on her way to becoming. 

All in all, I would recommend reading this before starting book 2 simply because it's a pleasure. Is it necessary? Not really, but like I said, it does set up the next book and gives you more background on what's happened in between.


Teaser Pleaser:
-"His breath hitched, and he regarded me hungrily. 'You're playing with fire, you know that?'"

My Rating:

"The Iron King" by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey #1)

Title: The Iron King
By: Julie Kagawa
Series: Iron Fey #1
Publication: February 1, 2010 by Harlequin Teen
Pages: 363
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance

From Goodreads: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined. 


Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. 

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. 

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart


My Thoughts: It was simply wonderful! The fairy lore was amazingly done and the world building was incredible. I absorbed every word off the page and with each new detail the Nevernever sprung up around me with its lush gardens and mythological creatures. It was fantasy at its best.

The character development was a little slow at first for me, especially concerning Meghan. I just couldn't get a feel for her in the very beginning, and was unsure if I was going to like her as a heroine. But a few pages in that quickly changed. I love the friendship she has with Robbie, and I love his jester personality.

I also really enjoyed the fact that this was a fantasy novel, not a Paranormal Romance. Although, there is romance, it is something that I think will be developed slowly over time, and not that instant love we see in so many YA novels these days.

I think this is going to be a really fantastic series, and I've done bought all of them (including the novellas) except for the last one (broke college student and all). I would definitely recommend this series!

My Rating: