Review: The Iron Knight – Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Series:  The Iron Fey #4
Release Date:  October 25, 2011
Publisher:   Harlequin Teen
Page Count:  386
Source:  NetGalley

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn.I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.
My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

At the end of my review for the Iron Queen, I said I thought that was the best book in the series.  And while that book finished the story of the Iron Fey’s attempt to take over the Nevernever and Meghan Chase’s ascension to the Iron Queen, I’ll have to amend my statement on which is the best book in the series.  This book, is the best one.

Told from Ash’s perspective, we follow him on his journey to obtain the one thing that will allow him to keep his vow to Meghan, his soul.

To obtain that, Ash and Puck touch every corner of Nevernever to find the path that will lead them to the ends of the world.  Along the way, they run into some old foes as well as finding out that the one thing that tore Ash and Puck apart as best friends has actually been “alive” this entire time.

But to obtain the soul he so desperately needs, Ash must run the gauntlet to prove his worthiness and then pass a series of test to see if the humanity he seeks is actually what he wants.

If you weren’t Team Ash before, I think you will be after you read this one.  He is every bit the complex and emotional person I thought he could be if he let go of that icy wall around his heart.  In the end, he knew that despite having back what he thought was lost after seeing what he could have with Meghan it was worth the risk.

An excellent addition to a great series.  I’m sorry to see it end, but I’m hoping that maybe we can convince Julie Kagawa that Puck needs to have his own series.