The Iron King (Fairies)

Book Title: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Topic:  Fairies, Friendship, Love triangle

Thoughts: I thought this was interesting to have characters from Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream in it.  For my students who have read Romeo and Juliet, Queen Mab is even in here.  I like Kagawa's figurative language that helps give me a visual description of the fairyland scenery. 

The novel begins with Meghan remembering how her father disappeared when when she was six years old.

Meghan Chase's six-year old brother has been kidnapped and switched with a changeling, and she has to decide whether to go with her best friend Robbie (Puck) to Nevernever to bring him back.  Meghan travels through different kingdoms and is transported to different parts of the United States in her quest to find her brother. 

I kept thinking that the Iron King is her missing father, but that prediction did not come true.  Meghan's relationship with Ash reminds me of Marr's Wicked Lovely, with the summer and winter kings and queens having the love-hate relationship. 

We have another three-way love triangle.  I can tell that Puck loves Meghan, but she has no clue.  Hey, I have been in the same situation as a teenager, in which one of my male friends wanted to be more than a friend, but I loved someone else.  How do you let a guy down easy so that you can still be friends?  Neither Meghan nor I are very effective at it.

Like you, R.S., I am looking forward to reading the second novel.  Tell your mother to loosen the iron shackles and buy the second book so that you can finish the series!