Today we review the second book in The Iron Fey series (you can see our review of the first book here)..

The Iron Daughter – Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan s own fey powers have been cut off. She s stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can t help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

The Iron Daughter starts off right where The Iron King leaves us, with Meghan captive in the Winter Court. Thought she and Ash met and fought the Iron fey, there are many in the Winter court who don’t believe that they exist. When Meghan witnesses a murder and theft within the palace walls that sparks a war between Summer and Winter, she suspects the Iron fey are back and sets off to retrieve the item and stop the war before the opposing parties wipe each other out completely.

Unlike, The Iron King, the book moves a little slowly initially, settling us back into the scene and characters and focusing on Meghan and Ash’s relationship. Meghan’s attitude to Ash’s treatment of her takes up much of the first section of the book, and I struggled to empathize wither her immaturity. However, a few chapters further, the action begins, taking us on a journey into the Nevernever, with my favourite characters from the first book returning, Grimalkin and Puck. From this point on, the plot picks up pace and you wonder throughout who will survive, how it’s going to be ending and whether it can possibly be a happy one. You’ll have to read it yourself to find the answer to those questions, though, and you won’t be disappointed. Though I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book, it did leave me wanting to read the next one.

Thanks to Mira Ink for sending us a copy – you can buy it here now..

Today we hear from The Iron King author, Julie Kagawa….

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved fantasy.  Long before Harry Potter and Twilight, I was a fan of Lord of the Rings and
The Dragonriders of Pern and The Sword of Shannara.  In school, I read nothing but fantasy, and searched for books that had either a
dragon, a knight, or some strange mythological creature on the cover.  Dragons were my first love, though over the years I’ve collected
several other favourites, which I will share with you, now.

Kitsune: In Japanese, kitsune means fox.  But the kitsune of legend are much more then simple foxes.  They are shapeshifters, able to
take on human form, usually that of a beautiful female, to lure men astray.  They can also craft complex illusions, able to turn an empty
hut into a sparkling palace, complete with servants and family.  Several stories paint them as are malicious and evil, but in others, they
are benevolent and kind.  In some tales, a kitsune will even fall in love with a human and marry him, bearing his children and living in his
house.  Until, of course, her true nature is discovered, and the kitsune will flee, leaving her former husband and children behind.

Phouka/Pooka: I admit, I have a thing for tricksters.  Phouka are fey that will sometimes take the shape of a small black horse and wait
for people to climb onto their backs, before taking them for the ride of their life.  Usually it ends with the unfortunate passenger being
dumped into a body of water, but some malicious phouka have been known to toss their riders over the side of a cliff.  The greatest
prankster in the world, Robin Goodfellow, is sometimes rumoured to be a phouka, though no one is certain what Puck really is.

Talking wolves/cats/horses: Though they’re not a certain type of mythological creature, talking animals always make a book more
lively, whether they’re a guardian, a familiar, or just a travel companion.  Of course, beware of getting too attached to the cute, furry
sidekick, because they always seem to get killed saving their master.

Redcaps: For sheer brutality and nastiness, you can’t beat a redcap.  They’re the perfect villains and thugs, with their constant hunger
and morbid habit of dipping their hats in the blood of their victims.  They might not be pretty, but they’re certainly efficient.

Gryphons: I don’t know why I love gryphons. I just do.

Unicorns: Laugh if you want, I think unicorns are very underestimated.  Let’s ignore the whole purity and virgin thing for a moment and
look at the creature itself.  Unicorns are old, just as old as dragons.  They have suffered the same plight as fairies, being de-sanitized
and turned into children’s stories.  In some legends, unicorns were vicious, man-eating monsters.  In another old story, the unicorn was
hunted down and put up a savage fight before it was killed.  At the very least, they are a symbol of wildness, something that cannot be
tamed or understood, but deserving of respect.

I could go on, but these are a very few of my favourite fantasy creatures.  I tried to incorporate many legends and myths into the world of
The Iron King, so be on the lookout for them.

Thanks, Julie! There is an eBook giveaway of The Iron King here, and you can also buy it in our shop now. For more information on
The Iron King and to find out about forthcoming releases from Mira Ink visit www.miraink.co.uk.

Today we have another offering from the new MIRA Ink…

The Iron King – Julie Kagawa

My name is Meghan Chase. In less than twenty-four hours I’ll be sixteen. Countless stories, songs and poems have been written about this wonderful age, when a girl finds true love and the stars shine for her and the handsome prince carries her off into the sunset. I don’t think it will be that way for me. Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth – that she is the daughter of a mythical fairy king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

This is the first book in the Iron Fey series, and it gets off to a great start. As I was reading, I was thinking it was part Shakespeare (Oberon, Titania and Puck all appear), part Alice in Wonderland and part Labyrinth – that old 80′s David Bowie movie – a reference for older readers! I enjoyed being transported into the fantastical world of the faery, and Kagawa’s idea that our belief in them is what keeps them alive is a great premise. As is the rise of the new fey, that we’re making stronger with our ‘worship’ and belief in gadgets and technology.

The books opens with the normal-ish life of a high school girl, before something strange begins to unfold with her little brother. Within a couple of chapters you’ll be hooked, as the storytelling moves quickly, and before I knew it, I’d finished the book in one sitting. You do care what happens to Meghan and the journey she goes on, though it’s difficult to believe that a teenager could take on so many revelations and face all of the battles that she does so well, though I guess the idea is that you do what you have to do when you need to. She meets some brilliant characters, with Grim the cat being a favourite of mine.

As the adventure closes, Meghan barely has time to take a breath before the books ends with her about to embark on another, and so we can now eagerly await the second book in the trilogy, The Iron Daughter, out in April.