The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
ISBN: 9780373210084
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Summary:
"Meghan Chase has a secret destiny - One she never could 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."
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First Lines:
"Ten years ago, on my sixth birthday, my father disappeared. No, he didn't leave. Leaving would imply suitcases and empty drawers, and late birthday cards with ten-dollar bills stuffed inside."
Page 9
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Review:

It seems like I've ready a lot of faery stories lately - and I still have a few in my TBR stack. Perhaps that is why it took me a little time to get into this book. The whole faery thing is a really fun and interesting topic - and, as you see from this book, can take on a whole mariad of different faces.

I do admit that the story took me a little while to get into. It felt a little like a lot of other faery stories - but that's mostly because some of the vocab is recycled in every story - Seelie, Unseelie, fey, etc. It took me a minute to get my mind into this new world. But once the story was set - meaning what the adventures were going to entail - I really got a lot more involved in the story.

The whole concept of an iron king of iron fey is just really cool. I mean, that's taking the whole thing and turning it on its head. I appreciated that jump and definitely look forward to how the story is going to play out. Of course this is more than just one book - so I'm already hoping for the next book to come out sooner rather than later.

The characters were very well written, but were often changing. No one was exactly who you originally thought they were. Well, except for a few. But otherwise the characters keep you on your toes. You never know when one might change on you and make their roll a lot more embedded in the story. But that was one of the cool things about this book - it absolutely keeps you on your toes.

Now that the story is set, I really look forward to the second book. I'll be recommending this book to readers who love Holly Black's fey stories or even some fantasy-adventure lovers. There's lots going on and it's pretty constantly filled with battles, chases, and interpersonal drama. But that's just what makes the book so much fun!

Check out Julie Kagawa's website! She's also a 2010 debut author, so this one is going on my list!
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