Winter's Passage (Iron Fey, #1.5)

by Julie Kagawa

[Angie]

Picking up immediately after the ending of The Iron King, Winter's Passage follows Meghan and Ash as he escorts her back to his queen in the Winter Court. Neither of them want to make the trip, but Meghan made a deal with a fey and there's no going back. Ash also can't disobey his queen, so he must bring Meghan to her despite his feelings for her. I still don't buy into this romance yet, but then again there's only one quick kiss in Winter's Passage.

Oddly, Winter's Passage reads more like the opening chapters of a sequel rather than like an independent short story. I really appreciated the reminders of the events of the first book, since it's been almost a year since I've read it. However, readers who pick this up immediately following The Iron King may find it repetitive and boring. The ending makes it feel like it could have been tacked onto the end of the first book, though. Essentially, Winter's Passage feels more like a deleted scene rather than a bridge between the two books.

Aside from the recap, there's nothing interesting about this story. Yes, Meghan and Ash are being hunted, but obviously they survive. There's no sense of danger about any of it. And there's nothing new presented to expand the world, which is a shame. I would only recommend this story to anyone who needs a bit of a refresher before continuing on to The Iron Daughter.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.