Iron King (Iron Fey, #1)

by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King introduces Meghan Chase, a brave and determined sixteen year old who is terrified of the things that go bump in the night - but unwilling to turn a blind eye when her brother, Ethan, is kidnapped.

I liked Meghan, she could be a bit dumb at times but generally had her head screwed on right. For the most part she was a likeable character with a good sense of humour and a decent amount of bravery. But I wasn't all that keen on Puck - he was a bit too boisterous and ridiculous for my liking. Grimalkin was hilarious. ("I'm a Cat.") I loved Ash - although I didn't love his backstory (show spoiler)[ with his one true love killed. I've never been a huge fan of second romances - I prefer one true loves in my romance. ] (hide spoiler) . He did frustrate me at times but overall I was intrigued and he was pretty thoughtful and kind at times. The romance between Meghan and Ash was completely instalove but it's so swoonworthy it's hard to remember why that's an issue unless you start dissecting. Plus they have the whole starcrossed lovers thing happening, which adds danger.

The novel was well paced and the storyline was well plotted. There's plenty of action and the paranormal elements work well together. There's nothing particularly new in this but it's well written and as such stands out as one of the better paranormal reads out there.

A strong paranormal romance. 4 stars.