The Iron King

January 11, 2010
In this first book in the Iron Fey series, Meghan Chase is turning 16, and odd things are happening. Her four-year-old half-brother, Ethan, is clingier than usual, and a tutoring session with the school hunk goes horribly wrong. But her best friend, Robbie, is always there for her, even when Meghan comes home to find her mother unconscious and her brother snarling like an animal. Robbie knows what’s happened: Ethan has been taken by the fey, a changeling left in his place, and the only way Ethan can be brought back is if Meghan embraces the truth—that the fey are real and that she is half-fey herself. She agrees, but her agreement is nearly the most active part she plays in her own adventure. After that, Meghan generally gets help from a series of male characters and is towed along by their decisions and actions. It’s an odd, throwback faerie tale, and while first-time author Kagawa is a talented writer and her descriptions are lush, Meghan’s ongoing passivity disappoints, though she has the potential to develop more fully in later books. Ages 13–18.

April 1, 2010
Gr 8 Up-On her 16th birthday, Meghan Chase's four-year-old half brother is exchanged for a changeling and she discovers that her best friend, Robbie, is actually Robin Greenfellow, aka Puck, from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". He is her guardian and will lead her into the faery world to rescue her brother. Once there, Meghan learns that she is a princess, daughter of Oberon, king of the Seelie Court. With a mortal mother and a faery king for a father, she is very powerful, and Oberon and Queen Mab, queen of the Unseelie Court, are both fighting to keep her. With help from Puck and a talking cat, Meghan sneaks into the Unseelie Court to rescue Ethan, only to discover that he is held captive by more powerful forces that could destroy the entire fey world. Meghan is a likable heroine and her quest is fraught with danger and adventure. The action never stops, and Meghan's romance with Ash, the handsome prince of the Unseelie Court, provides some romance that is sure to continue in the sequel. Faery books are in high demand now, and this is one of the better ones. Expect it to be popular with teens who liked Melissa Marr's "Wicked Lovely" (HarperTeen, 2007)."Ginny Collier, Dekalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA"

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