Thursday 14 March 2013

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

Titel: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: The Iron Fey #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 363
Publication Date: February 1, 2010

Source: Bought






Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
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 faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war.


***


I haven't read a lot of books about faeries so my expectations for The Iron King where non-existent. And yet, the book was in no way how I hoped it to be.

Meghan is the most annoying protagonist. She is pathetic, whiny and incapable of doing anything by herself. It gets better throughout the book, but she still needs to be put in extreme situations before taking any responsibility and initiative. I really don't like her! Puck is my favorite character - well, most of the time, anyway. He gets kind of annoying, because he tries to be funny, but most of the time, he really is funny. Ash is a mystery to me - I think he's supposed to be cold on the outside and deep and sensitive on the outside. I just don't buy it. He's boring, plain and simple.

And Grimalkin - the talking cat. Seriously, this book! A girl wanders in to another world, gets advice from a cat, travels through a strange and magical world and in the end, faces evil - ring any bells? This is Alice in Wonderland mixes with A Midsummer Night's Dream. But Meghan lacks Alice's desire for adventure and her courage. What could have been so awesome was almost ruined by the protagonist.

The love story doesn't do anything for me either. No depth and no real explanation as to why Meghan falls for this guy, she just does. And he's such an ass toward her, but still she wants him. Makes no sense to me! A love triangle is hinted but I don't see how that will work - Meghan shows no interest in Puck as anything but a dear friend and a love triangle isn't created unless the protagonist doesn't know who to pick. (Or maybe I missed something? Enlighten me, please).

Obviously the book has some positive sides as well. I have been rather harsh so far. I liked the writing. Julie Kagawa is an excellent writer and she makes me want to walk beside Meghan on her journey to enjoy the wonderland she created. The creatures, the surroundings and the adventures are amazing. I especially loved the iron part of the book and must admit it was the settings that made me keep reading. I will be reading the second book of the series and, fingers crossed; maybe Meghan will grow on me.

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