| FANTASY
|
YOUNG ADULT
|
|
Debbie
Wiley
Book Reviews |
|
Illustration from
the title page of Robin Goodfellow: His Mad Pranks and Merry Jests
(1629)
|
|
The Quarrel
of Oberon and Titania (1846), by Sir Joseph Paton
|
|
BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
|
|
The Iron King
by Julie Kagawa
Meghan
Chase’s sixteenth birthday is both the beginning and the end….
Meghan is used to being practically invisible. Her step-father barely
notices her existence, focusing mainly on her half-brother, Ethan,
while the family’s poverty status keeps her out of all of the popular
circles. Unfortunately, Meghan now finds herself the center of
attention when she realizes the world she has grown up in is not her
own. Meghan is part faery and that world is now encroaching on the safe
life she has been leading. Will her journey into the Nevernever cause
her to lose everything she holds dear?
THE IRON KING is a beautifully drawn world in which the very landscape
comes alive. The world of Nevernever is magical and Julie Kagawa makes
readers believe in that magic. The allusions to William Shakespeare’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream are well done and add a sense of familiarity to
a world so very different from our own.
Julie Kagawa’s faeries are not lighthearted and playful. Instead, they
are darker, more the figures of nightmares than dreams in many cases.
Meghan’s care and concern for others is often a stumbling block,
forcing her to make difficult choices and put her own self at risk. It
is also what makes Meghan likable as character. Her dedication to
friends and family even in the face of adversity is admirable. Ash and
Puck make for great supporting characters, both carrying their own
responsibilities and sense of duty. However, Grimalkin steals the show
without a doubt. Julie Kagawa perfectly captures the essence of a cat
within this character and it’s impossible not to love him and want to
see more of him in future books!
THE IRON KING is a phenomenal fantasy adventure that should appeal to
both teenagers and adults. Julie Kagawa almost does too good of a job
in some cases as I found myself angered by some of the perhaps
insignificant losses incurred in Meghan’s quest. However, this is the
earmark of a great writer- one who can make the reader truly care what
happens about even the smallest of details. Bravo!
Courtesy of Amazon Vine
Publisher: Harlequin Teen (February 2010)
Other books in
series: THE IRON
DAUGHTER
Author
website
Reviewed
by Debbie, Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
|
|
|
