About the Author.

JULIE KAGAWA is the New York Times, USA TODAY and internationally bestselling author of The Iron Fey, Blood of Eden, The Talon Saga and the Shadow of the Fox series. Born in Sacramento, she has been a bookseller and an animal trainer and enjoys reading, painting, playing in her garden and training in martial arts. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and a plethora of pets. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Social Links:

Author website: http://juliekagawa.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jkagawa

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliekagawaauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100045094913658

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52735443-the-iron-raven

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2995873.Julie_Kagawa

About the Book.

Wicked faeries and fantastic danger… Welcome to book one of the new trilogy in New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey fantasy series, as infamous prankster Puck finally has a chance to tell his story and stand with allies new and old to save Faery and the world.

“YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF ME…”

Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool… King Oberon’s right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat to the lands of Faery and the human world unlike any before.

With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Puck’s longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten. Filled with myths and faery lore, romance and unfathomable dangers, The Iron Raven is book one of a new epic fantasy trilogy set in the world of The Iron Fey.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Raven-Fey-Evenfall/dp/1335091769

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-iron-raven-julie-kagawa/1136599840?ean=9781335091765

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335091765?aff=novelknight

Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Iron-Raven/Julie-Kagawa/9781335091765

AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-iron-raven/id1501522621?id=1501522621&ign-mpt=uo%3D4    

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Julie_Kagawa_The_Iron_Raven?id=km3UDwAAQBAJ

My Review.

Big thank you to the publisher Inkyard press for providing me a free copy of the book for review. I can confirm that all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I LOVE JULIE KAGAWA! That’s it, that’s my review!

Only kidding, but I do in fact love her. If you’ve been following me for a while you will know that I adored her Shadow of the Fox series, so when I got the chance to read and review this for a blog tour I jumped at the chance. Although this isn’t as steeped in Mythology, and it a little more lighthearted than her other series I still fell in love with the story and characters.

Puck is the ultimate prankster, court Jester to King Oberon who rules the summer court. He spends his time in service to his King, that is when he’s not being banished for upsetting his Queen. He is witty, sarcastic and the epitome of a joker, but those who call him fool don’t know the shrewd and clever mind that lies underneath his light and sometimes annoying exterior. When he runs into the King of the Forgotten Puck gets dragged into a mystery and a battle he was unprepared for. The monster they attacked somehow reverted him to his Robin Goodfellow days, when the lighthearted Puck we know and love was a little more sinister. What’s worst is they don’t manage to kill the monster and it escapes into the Nevernever. Puck must journey across the Nevernever, relying on friends old and new if they are to defeat the monster. But the whole time Puck will have to fight against his former side, all the while not knowing that there is someone else pulling the strings, something stirring underground that could affect the Nevernever forever.

I’ve read the first book in the Iron Fey series, but never really continued with it (I’m not sure why,) so I was familiar with a lot of the characters mentioned in this book. That being said, you absolutely do not need to have read the previous series to get fully immersed in this one, Kagawa introduces us to each character at really natural moments, and gives you just enough information so you know who is who without any major info dumps. Puck is a great perspective to read this story from, especially with him half-reverting to his previous persona. It was really interesting getting the Puck readers of the old series will know and love, mixed in with Robin Goodfellow, someone who could threaten with just a smile. I’m sure the inclusion of Meghan the Queen of the Iron Fey, Ash (ice-boy) Meghan’s husband and Prince of the Winter Court and Grimalkin a snarky but knowledgeable cat will please fans of the previous series, but my favourite side character was Nyx a forgotten, a fairy whose name no one remembers, who travels with Puck to warn the Iron Fey about the new monster in faery. She brings out his softer side, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. Also she is absolutely kick ass, and I loved the scenes where Puck just stared in awe of her battle prowess.

Kagawa did a brilliant job of introducing new readers to her ‘fae’ world, whilst also not info dumping for them, or readers of her previous series. We get the usual land of Summer and Winter, but with the added Iron Fey. I did know a little about these from reading her previous series, but she gives you all the information you need to get to grips with the differences and the circumstances that caused the Iron Fey to exist. Her world building is brilliant, not only do we get to travel across multiple realms of the Nevernever with Puck and crew, but we also get introductions to the other courts through flashbacks.

With Puck almost reverting to his Robin Goodfellow persona we really get to delve into his relationships in this book, both new and old. When he gets attacked by the monster, it almost bleeds anger into him causing long forgotten resentments to rise to the forefront. His resentment of Ash, not just for past grievances but for the fact that Ash got Meghan. the girl that Puck loved. We see his inner battle, the moments when he realises that he forgave Ash years ago, but the resentment sticks fast and it’s not long before he is nearly lost. His relationship with Nyx was one of my favourites in the book, she is the one person who has no idea who he is, he has a clean slate with her, she know’s nothing of his past, the good and the bad. But she does warn him that if his Robin Goodfellow side wins out and he risks the lives of those around him she will kill him. I really enjoyed seeing Puck realising his feelings for her, even if everyone else see’s them before him.

The Iron Raven was an incredibly fun and fast paced story. One that I found myself easily getting lost in, and I wound up far too invested in the characters and outcome of the story. Though the plot of this book does get wrapped up by the end, there is another story weaving underneath that I’m assuming will be the main plot through the series. I’m definitely going to be picking up the rest of the Iron Fey series now so I can spend more time in this world whilst I wait for the sequel to arrive. An easy 4 stars and has renewed my love for Kagawa’s writing.