The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey)
Author: Julie Kagawa
ISBN: 9780373210138
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Page #: 359
Source: From my public library

Summary:
"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."
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First Lines:

"The Iron King stood before me, magnificent in his beauty, silver hair whipping about like an unruly waterfall. His long black coat billowed behind him, accenting the pale, angular face and translucent skin, the blue-green veins glowing beneath the surface."
Page 9
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Review:

If you haven't read the first book, my review of that one is here. Looking back on that review, I realized how "meh" I sounded about the book. I don't know if this second one was just better or I was more into the story, but this review is going to be a bit more complimentary of the author! :)

This book pulled me in hard during the first few chapters and didn't let me go - even after I finished reading it. It didn't take long to get back into the story line. I'm not sure whether that's because the characters and storyline from the first book stuck with me or she just does a seamless job of connecting the two together.

The story is very similar to the first in that our main character Meghan has a huge quest she sets out on and you see every step of the way and the people she meets along the way. Many of the same characters make an appearance in this book, but are treated differently for their own reasons. That gave the story a little different feel than the first one.

Romance is a huge factor in this book. The first book was really more fantasy and adventure, but this one really sits in the paranormal romance genre. That's not a bad thing in the least, I'm just not sure that I was expecting it. One thing seemed to happen once Meghan was focused on her feelings... she turned into a bit of a wuss. I spent a few chapters wishing she would break out of the dreary and just fight! Though, i have to say that the fights/battles are epic in this one.

I still love the whole concept of the iron courts existence and how it's moving in to take over the other courts. It's a cool idea and it works really well with how things could be. I was also very shocked at the ending - like the last few chapters, really. I'm not going to give anything away, but it was just much more than I was expecting.

Take a look at Julie Kagawa's website and keep up with her on her blog. The next book, The Iron Queen, is coming out next February (2011)... and I'm very excited. I'll absolutely be picking it up. I honestly think Kagawa is an author to watch. This first series is fantastic, so I can only imagine what she comes up with next!
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Other Blog Reviews:

All Things Urban Fantasy
Pure Imagination
Karin's Book Nook
Katie's Book Blog
Stiletto Storytime
The Sweet Bookshelf
Reading Teen
There are tons more reviews out there. Please take a look at all of them! It'll give you a good idea of how this story runs :).