Book Review: The Iron Traitor

The Iron Traitor
(The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2)
By:  Julie Kagawa
Published By:  Harlequin Teen
Publication Date:  October 22, 2013
Page Count:  352 pages
Buy it at:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound
Source: ARC Kindly Provided by the Author/Publisher as well as Netgalley
Audience:  Young Adult Fantasy


My Review for The Lost Prince can be found here.


I never thought I'd ever…EVER… want to throw a Julie Kagawa book against the wall...The Eternity Cure came so close...but this…THIS…nearly left my fingers.  Not because I hated it but because I loved the story SO much and yet, in the last two pages of the book, Julie proceeded to tear my heart out and eat it for dinner.  Yes…the dreaded cliffhanger that Julie dreamed up in this one was a doozie.

So…the question that many Iron Fey fans must be asking themselves now…shouldn’t I just wait to read this when the last installment comes out so I don’t have to endure the agony of waiting a year to find out what happens next?  I would answer that question with a resounding and emphatic NO!!!

Why, you say?   Well, for one, you would be missing out on Julie’s awesome story-telling for another year.  And the journey to the end of this installment is full of everything we all love in Julie’s story-telling…action, adventure, romance and wonderful characters.  It is totally worth enduring the cliffie!  I swear!

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Julie Kagawa and her stories.  In my mind, they’re faery-tales for ‘big kids’.  And in The Iron Traitor, Julie continues to write pure epicness.  Along with the worlds and adventures we get to experience through her highly imaginative writing, her characters are the driving force for me…characters who must go through SO much STUFF, and through these experiences, they grow in the most beautiful and realistic way in a non-realistic, full-on fantasy story.  Maybe they don’t always grow in the direction you want them to – initially anyway – but they grow, which is one of Julie’s greatest trademarks.

I think you’ll agree that Julie wrote fantastic character arcs for Meghan and Ash in the previous series, and the characters in The Call of the Forgotten are no different.  If you recall in the The Lost Prince, Ethan had not a chip on his shoulder, but a HUGE boulder.  So angry with the fey for ripping apart his family, he perhaps drew some misconstrued conclusions over the years.  As truths came to pass in this installment, and his feelings for Kenzie deepened, we saw Ethan soften just a bit while still staying true to his core.   And I have to say that I LOVED seeing this side of Meghan’s ‘baby’ brother.   We got glimpses of what Ethan might have been like had he not had the fey so intricately woven into his life.  Who knew he had a sense of humour and can be incredibly sweet and sexy rather than always brooding and angry?

Of course, Kenzie had a huge role to play in that.  She provided another perspective in which to view the fey…and life.  She continued to be a breath of fresh air, and the voice of reason in this story.  I adored her character…her stubbornness (or some would say persistence) despite her fragile physical nature.  Her devotion to Ethan and who she considers her friends earns her huge favourite character marks in my books!  It’s no wonder Ethan’s feelings for her are getting exponentially stronger.

We also got to know a bit more about Annwyl.  Definitely one of the kinder fey-folk we’ve come to know in Julie’s books…she reminded me of another sidhe who, a long time ago and before Meghan, caught the eye of a certain icy prince; strong in mind and determination but gentle in heart and personality.

So…perhaps was there a little bit of history repeating itself or the past influencing present events?  YES to both!  Lots of ties to the previous stories and their connections were stronger than ever before.  I somehow knew in the back of my mind that certain things that happened in Meghan & Ash’s story might influence the present…and how!   Were there consequences…you bet!

Not everyone is going to like Keirran in this installment…he perhaps came across as a bit reckless – that was no secret as you recall from the previous book – but I would argue that he was more desperate than anything else.  He so desperately wanted to do the right thing and save those he loved from harm…but in his quest…things didn’t always turn out the way he had planned.

Keirran, to me, is a good mixture of Meghan and Ash with a bit of Puck’s mischievousness thrown in for good measure.

Not everything was as it seemed as some answers (not all) were finally revealed pertaining to why Meghan and Ash decided to keep Ethan and Keirran apart.  We always suspected it had something to do with the Oracle’s prophecy foretold in the earlier Iron Fey books.  But more puzzle pieces were turned upright in this installment, revealing some of the mysteries, but not all.

Iron Fey fans will also be happy to know that Meghan, Ash, Puck and Grim all continue to participate in this story.  And I’m still swooning over Ash – especially in his role as a father.

And so…as I closed the book – and nearly flung it against the wall – I was left with my head spinning – trying to process what just happened and try to extrapolate what might come to pass from that mother of all cliffhangers.  I’ve got my theories…most of which, I’m hoping for.

But I repeat…DO NOT wait to read this for fear of that nasty cliffie.  You will be missing out on some awesome story-telling…and you just have to have faith that Julie will make it all turn out right in the end.  Or at least, we can hope her editors, once again, are working to convince her of that much.

I’d like to thank Julie Kagawa, Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Iron Traitor before its release!  You can bet I’ll be rereading this one throughout the year!


Synopsis from Goodreads:

IN THE REAL WORLD, WHEN YOU VANISH INTO THIN AIR FOR A WEEK, PEOPLE TEND TO NOTICE.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.


Comments

  1. OOOOOMG! I am not totally stoped for this one!! I finally got approval of it this weekend. I'm planning on having it read next week. But I am already anxious with terror over this cliffhanger you mention! I am sure I'll be there with you in wanting to throw my book against the wall...but sadly, I'll be reading it on my kindle and there's no way I can throw that against the wall!!

    Great review!! Totally excited for this one, although since I read the last one as an ARC and got this one rather late as an ARC, I am hoping my memory comes back to me because I am a total loss as to what happened last time!

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    1. OH YAY!!!!! I'm SO glad you got approved!! And yeah...no throwing ereading devices against the wall...they don't survive as well as an actual book might! :P

      If you don't remember too much of what happened in The Lost Prince, I'd recommend rereading the last couple of chapters. A lot will come back to you. Although I tried that...and ended up rereading the entire book! lol!

      Have fun and enjoy Jessica! Thanks for your comments!!

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  2. Oh my gosh you review has gotten me SO EXCITED! Especially that bit where Meghan and Ash's actions in the past have influenced the present... AND even the cliffhanger! I received a review copy from netgalley, but I think I'm going to wait for a finished copy just so I can throw it against the wall when I'm done! ;)

    Great review, Michelle! :)

    Lyra @ Defiantly Deviant

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    1. Lol...Lyra - that might be the safest thing...that will spare your ereader /tablet!! Let us know what you think after you've read it!

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  3. I agree that Keirran is a mix of Meagan, Ash, and Puck. Great review! Check mine out at http://myviewpointonbooks.blogspot.com/2013/09/iron-traitor-arc-book-review-giveaway.html :)

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    1. Thanks Dabin! You wrote a great review too! :) Thanks for stopping by our nest!

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  4. He is an awesome character, such a great guy and it's so amazing to see him all grown up and in the same world:)

    Lovely review:)

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    1. Thank you Christina! I think that is one of Julie's trademarks...is her rich characters! LOVED Ethan in this one especially!

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  5. I've heard so much about this series and book. I planned on reading the whole series when the next book comes out because I hate waiting. But I think I'll just go ahead and start anyway, too hard to resist.

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    1. If you loved The Iron Fey...you will love this extension of the series! Definitely don't wait! Even with the cliffhanger!

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  6. I love The Iron Fey series. I haven't started this one yet, but this will definitely be a priority right after I finish off my exams. I can't wait for this one. You can never be disappointed with a Julie Kagawa book.

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  7. ARGH!! I'm only at Iron Knight at the moment then The Lost Prince on it's tail so seeing this review is torture. I NEED this book too! And yeah great. Another Julie Kagawa epic cliffhanger. I wonder how many of those we can take in a year. I hope the next one comes out soon. Thanks for another great review!

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