Author: Julie Kagawa
Date of Publication: October 29, 2013
Formats Available: Paperback, E-book
Buy This Book: Amazon
Synopsis: In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.
After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.
But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.
My Review:
I'm going to start right off by saying The Iron Traitor is, hands down, Julie Kagawa's best novel yet. Kagawa really hit her stride this time around with the perfect blend of action, romance, and adventure, as well as the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers. With all the characters we've come to know and love and astounding mythical creatures The Iron Traitor was nearly impossible to put down!
One of the things I love most about Julia Kagawa's writing is the amount of detail she puts into it. From the vivid descriptions of the Nevernever and the creations of ferocious beasts to the whole new breeds of fey, I feel like I'm sucked into the Nevernever right along with Ethan, Kenzie, and Keirran. The best part of it all is seeing glimpses of Ash and Meghan, I felt really connected to them after reading about them in the first four novels of the series and seeing little bits of them here and there never fails to excite me. Ethan views both Ash and Meghan differently than they're presented in the part of the series, angry at the loss of his sister Ethan blames Ash and the fey for taking his sister away from him and leaving him alone with The Sight. It's interesting to see Meghan and Ash from a more negative light after having read about them in the first branch of the series where they're presented much more positively.
I adore having Ethan as a narrator. I feel like the YA genre doesn't have nearly enough novels from a male perspective and I really enjoyed seeing the Nevernever from a new set of eyes. Ethan is cynical and distrusting of the fey, however he's extremely devoted to protecting his family and friends. The romance between him and Kenzie is subtle but sweet, with just enough to keep me "aww-ing" but not so much that it overwhelms the story. The main focus of the plot is more on the action than the romance but Kagawa is a master at putting in little moments here and there that remind me why I love them as a couple as much as I do. Not only were the newer characters in the series fantastic but I loved the inclusion of older characters. Puck and Grimalkin both made an appearance (and I'm not going to lie, I think a squealed in a excitement a little bit when Grim showed up) even though they both played relatively minor roles it was still nice to read about them again... especially Grim.
Then there's Keirran... on one hand I love him and on the other I just have a feeling that he's bad news. I can never tell whose side he's on and I think that's half the reason I like him so much. I never know what Keirran is going to do next and just what is going through his mind. His dedication to Annwyl is adorable but at the same time he makes terrible decisions based on his love for her. After the cliffhanger ending I have no idea whats in store for Keirran next but I'm so eager to see what happens next! It's a mystery how I'm going to possibly make it to the next novel!
I wholeheartedly recommend The Iron Traitor, as one of Julie Kagawas best novels there is no doubt in my mind recommending this branch of the series. Fans of the original Iron Fey series will not be disappointed, and new readers looking for a fantastic series about the fey will no doubt be racing back to the first four books after reading this one!
5/5
*I received a copy of this novel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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