The Iron Daughter

Julie Kagawa
This review may contain spoilers if you haven't read the first in the series, 'The Iron King', the review of which is here.

8 / 10

From the blurb: Half Summer faery princess, half human Meghan has never fitted 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 the prince who betrayed her, deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of her all-too-human heart.

Oh, Meghan! What's the matter with you?
I'd grown to rather like Meghan by the time the first book ended. But she really makes me dislike her for a good few chapters at the beginning of this one. Ash's motives are far from murky, but as he pushes her away (to save her life!) she can't seem to understand why. She cries for pages and pages and pages... and pages, because she thinks he genuinely hates her. And maybe he does, 'cause I sure do! And if that weren't enough, halfway through 'Iron Daughter' she's surprised to find herself in the middle of a love triangle that was established in 'Iron King'.

Other than that, though, this was a really enjoyable book. Mab's court is crueller and much more interesting than that of Oberon, and there's another phouka - yay! And we get to meet Ash's brothers, Rowan and Sage. They're both fantastic characters in very different ways. I'd have liked to see more of both of them, but it would have been pointlessly plot-slowing. Shame. There's also the reappearence of a few minor characters from 'The Iron King' which was fantastic. It was a surprise to see who was keeping secrets and who was really as simple as they said. Best of all, though, Puck's back! And not a moment too soon. Grim's in this one a lot, too, still as cryptic as ever. And Ethan features, a little briefly but he's just as adorable.

The biggest character development comes from Ironhorse, actually. He still terrifies me, but by the end of this book it's easier to see him as a person than a metal creation. He's astonishingly sweet and loyal. There's also a few new characters, most notably Leanansidhe who is deliciously amoral, and Charles. Charles is somewhat of a mystery to Meghan, who feels as though she's seen him before. Even once we think we know who he is, Meghan can't work it out (understandably) and it's horrifying to see them interact like strangers, waiting for the realisation to hit.

The storyline was maybe a little meandering, but eyes are always on the prize: the Scepter of Seasons, which has been stolen by the Iron fey, throwing the balance off. Meghan is still self-sacrificing and determined, going some way to make up for her lack of personal insight. There's a horrifying death towards the end of the book and an almost-cliffhanger. I can't wait to see where Kagawa takes the story next.

Teaser quote: 'Hey, Princess,' Puck called, brushing feathers from his clothes and gazing around at the carnage. 'Looks like I got here just in time.'

Try 'Switched' by Amanda Hocking or 'Forsaken' by Jana Oliver if you enjoyed this.

'The Iron Queen' was released in October 2011.