Reading Rainbow: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

I have to apologize for being over a week late with this post. I had planned on telling you all to RUN out to get The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa on it's release date, but I got distracted with our spOOky books. But, it's not too late! If you've been around Whim Fic a while, you have heard us gush (and gush, and gush) about Julie's Iron Fey series.  And if you haven't read the series, YOU SIMPLY MUST!  Skip this post (there may be spoilers for those of you who haven't started the series) and RUN out to purchase all of the books in the Iron Fey line-up.  You will not be disappointed.

From Goodreads:
My name- my True Name- is Ashallyn'darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining song of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl...

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing gentler feelings the Winter Prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase- a half-human, half-fey slip of a girl- smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer faery can survive,

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through its end- a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way, Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

In the past, I have always been firmly #TeamPuck, but this book made me want to jump ship.  Okay, not really.  It made me want to join both teams.  #TeamAshuck?  No.  #TeamPash?  It's not working, is it?  Basically, I fell for Ash just as hard as I once fell for Puck.  We finally get to see a vulnerability in Ash that wasn't always there before.  There were hints, yes, but this is his true self, and it is.... *dreamy sigh*  So, yeah.  There's that.

But, in addition to Ash, Ash, Ash, there is an amazing story.  I'm a huge fan of the Spiritual Journey trope in literature, and Ash takes on a big one.  All for Meghan.  *dreamy sigh*  (I swear, I'll stop that.)  It's an adventurous story, and the imagery alone was worth it.  Julie is a master at creating worlds you want to step into, even if they are fraught with danger.

And finally, this book about did me in.  I know I said that after The Iron Queen, but this one was just so perfectly told, I could not help but cry throughout.  It's really well written and was a joy to read (even with the tears).  My tears have once again fed Julie's muse! 

So, NOW I can tell you to RUN out and get The Iron Knight!  You will thank me. 

Reading Rainbow: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

We took a little unexpected blog-vacay last week, but we are back and very excited because Julie Kagawa's The Iron Queen is being released TOMORROW!! I barely need to rec this book for you all, because you know how much we love the Iron Fey series around here, but I do need to tell you how much I loved this book.


From Goodreads:

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

There were two major things that made me love this book. The first is Meghan's character. I remember reading The Iron Daughter and being unsure about Meghan at first. But then she grew on me. I mentioned in my first rec of TIK that Meghan could almost fit into the Chicks Who Can Kick Our Asses category. Well, I think she can go ahead and take her spot. And not just because she learns to fight in this book, but because of her emotional strength. She is tested in huge ways, and comes out a completely different person because of it. I love the way Meghan's character changes and grows in this book.

And secondly, the ending. Oh. My. Ending. You know I will not say too much about this, but when I finished the last page, I wanted to call Julie at home and tell her how much I loved it. And then I remembered that I do not have Julie Kagawa's phone number. Luckily for her. She would have had to listen to me gush in between tears, and it would not have been pretty. That being said, I do know that some people did not like the ending. I think they are insane. Oh, I'm kidding! (No, I'm not.) No really, everyone has the right to their own opinion! (And my opinion is that they are crazy.)

Can I add a third reason? Um, ASH. I seriously thought about switching from Team Puck. Almost did. Might have. I guess I'll just have to wait for The Iron Knight to see if I have solidly switched teams. *does a little happy dance in anticipation of The Iron Knight*

I am totally not doing an I-Told-You-So dance over here about the Team Ash addition. NOT AT ALL. *whistles innocently*

I don't want to be redundant and copy everything that Stacie said (all of which I agree with), but I will add that I enjoyed the darkness in this book. I feel like the fae, and the version of them that Julie has given us, are a dark lot. The books have gotten progressively darker as Meghan has grown and realized what she's facing. I think knowing that helps her to find her resolve and become the Kick-Ass Heroine that we grew to love.

Also, in anticipation of the launch, there is a fun "Iron Court" blog tour going on now! Different blogs will be hosting "guests" and prizes, and some of them are really awesome! Check out Julie's blog to see where all the stops will be: http://juliekagawa.blogspot.com/2011/01/iron-queen-court-blog-tour-intro.html

I have not yet completely jumped the Team Puck ship! I'm kind of leaning over the edge towards Team Ash, that's all. So, save your I-Told-You-So dance, Leigh!

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to stop by after you've read The Iron Queen and let us know what you think!

Casting Call

Am I the only one who's noticed how many great writers are using Ben Barnes (or BinBons, as he's known) as their muse? He has already been 'cast' as a number of my favorite YA HBWS and book boyfriends. I have two thoughts on this:
1. Does BinBons KNOW that he is the ultimate inspiration for Hot Boys in YA lit?
2. Can we spend some time poring over BinBons pics in order to cast him in each of our favorite YA roles? Please?

Let's start with the Urban Dictionary's definition of BinBons, shall we:

"Nickname for English actor Ben Barnes, best known for his work as Prince Caspian, and who may or may not have pupils. BinBons is over there seducing you with his black bedroom eyes."


First of all, Bwhahahahahaha! And secondly, this will help me so much with my reading of books with boys who have black eyes! I had a hard time picturing black eyes, but no more! I shall just think of this:

Nick

That could be Nick from Demon's Lexicon, no? I don't know that Sarah Rees Brennan has ever said that she was inspired by BinBons, but come on! That's my Nick. In fact, I may cut this out and paste it over the guy on The Demon's Lexicon cover. *grabs scissors*

What other characters do we have? I know Rachel Hawkins, Andrea Cremer, and Julie Kagawa are all inspired by BinBons, yes?

I'm pretty sure that Sophie, our resident BinBons "pic-spiration" dealer, can cast a few roles for us.





*digs into folders on hard drive* *not that there are ANY completely devoted to BinBons* *wistles innocently*

Umm, Ash, from The Iron Fae?

Ash

This one is very Archer-esque. I think he would fit in well at Hex Hall.

Archer

Yes! And how about this one for Ren from Nightshade (which I hope you are all reading for our LBC! #shamelessplug). Just knowing that Andrea Cremer said Ren is Ben Barnes makes me want to jump on the #TeamRen bus. There is a bus, right?

Ren

I know some people think BB would make a good Gale *cough*ME*cough* and I think this one fits:

Gale

See, I was NEVER Team Gale. But this picture could turn me.






Someone please, write the Dirty Biker BinBons...

Not-Yet-Written Hot Dude

.
*makes mental note to write a Dirty Biker BinBons* Can we turn it into a space bike? Maybe?





I'm having difficulty forming a coherent thought while Dirty Biker BinBons is beckoning me to ride him his bike.





*sighs dramatically* What IS it about this man that reduces us all to hormonal teenagers? (And then makes us want to write him as one??)


How about this picture? This is very much my vision of Nathaniel from Saundra Mitchell's The Vespertine (which will be out in March of 2011, at which point you can swoon with Stacie and I.)

Nathaniel

*stops staring and pulls self together* Okay, so what about you all? Does BinBons play any starring roles in the books you read? Is there another actor who keeps showing up? You know we want to hear about it! *returns to staring*

Waiting on Wednesday: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

This week Julie Kagawa announced some very exciting news on twitter! If you follow Julie, you know she's been working on a SUPERSEKRIT project and now we finally know what it is! Ash's story! I know that I'm #TEAMPUCK and all, but this news gave me happy, excited chills. I love the Iron Fey series and the prospect of reading Ash's story is thrilling.

Normally I'd post a picture of the cover of The Iron Knight here, but since this has just been announced, the cover hasn't been revealed yet. But, we're also pretty excited about the upcoming release of The Iron Queen (February, 2011), so let's look at that cover because it's so pretty.


I've just started reading The Iron Queen (thank you NetGalley!) and am already completely hooked. The first page made me all teary, and I fear that this book might make me change my #TeamPuck status to #TeamAsh! *gasp* But, as I was reading, I was thinking that I don't want this series to end. Thank you Julie for not making me have to face the end quite yet! I still have The Iron Knight to look forward to and I can't wait!

What about you all? Are you as excited as we are for another book in The Iron Fey series?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Reading Rain-bow: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

I think we've made it pretty clear that we are in love with the Iron Fae series by Julie Kagawa. Leigh and I both loved The Iron King, so we were more than happy to read advance copies of The Iron Daughter. (And when I say 'more than happy,' I mean 'we danced happy dances and squeed aloud.') We wanted to wait until the book was available to tell you all about it, so you wouldn't have to wait one minute to go order your copy.




Once again Julie Kagawa delivers an exciting, fun, and of course swoon-filled story with The Iron Daughter. I think the reason I'm so drawn to The Iron Fae series is the basic idea that the fae are conjured by our imagination. I know, that's an old tale, but the way Julie weaves it with the modern-day is just about perfect.

The fact that I'm so invested in this series is proof of Julie's talent, because (and don't hate me) I'm actually not a fan of most fairy stories. They're mean, selfish, and aloof. I usually end up just wanting to slap or squash them, depending on how large the author makes them. *grin*



Well I LOVE fairy stories, but I especially love these fairy stories. And I have really grown to love Meghan. In the first book, The Iron King, Meghan was discovering herself and growing as a character. In this book she is forced look outside of herself, and make some difficult decisions. Her relationship with both Ash and Puck are explored (#TeamPuck), and I found Meghan's inner turmoil to be spot on. Even I was a little confused (clearly since I am finding myself on the "wrong" team... maybe).


Now, I have to be honest here, I was all sorts of irritated with Meghan in the beginning of this book. I wanted to shake her because of her insecurities, but then she goes through a very obvious transformation of spirit and I loved it. It was gratifying to watch her mature. So, if you're not quite sure about her in the beginning, just trust me on this and keep reading. (I'm looking at you, Picksee77.)


I think my favorite part of this book is when Meghan is forced to confront her past. I won't give anything away, but Meghan has to return to her school (back in the human realm) and has the chance to show off a bit to her peers who think of her only as the Swamp Girl. I'm a big fan of the whole "I'll show them," thing happening in books, and although Meghan wasn't exactly thinking that way, it was quite a moment for her.

And one last thing - the characters get even better in The Iron Daughter. You learn more about the Winter Fae and Ash's family, which was fun because his mother is a perfect Ice Queen. And, my new favorite fae character, Iron Horse was fabulous. I think he stole the show, personally.

Oh, Iron Horse, how I love his character. And Julie Kagawa was nice enough during a recent chat to give us the PERFECT voice to imagine while reading his part: Michael Clarke Duncan. Can you see it??




He is Iron Horse to me now! He really is perfect!

So, if you haven't rushed out to get your copy of The Iron Daughter - GO! And if you haven't read the series, get to reading! We have it on good authority that even more amazing things are in the works for Meghan, Ash, and Puck, so you don't want to miss out!

PS - Don't forget you can get a free download of Winter's Passage - the short novella that takes place in between The Iron King and The Iron Daughter - at Julie's website!

AND, since Stacie had to throw in a #TeamPuck, I feel the need to shout out #TeamAsh. If you've read, who are you rooting for?

Lazy Book Club Discussion: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

*waving* Hi everyone! I hope you’re ready for a spirited discussion this week regarding our new favorite Faery Story, The Iron King.

If you have not read this book, DO NOT CLICK THE LINK BELOW. There are giant spoilery spoilers of spoilerdom ahead! I'm talking to YOU! DON'T DO IT!

Read more »

Lazy Book Club for June: The Iron King

Hello everyone! We had a really great time with our first Lazy Book Club and are excited to announce that June's LBC pick is: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa!

We both absolutely fell in love with this book, and are in the midst of reading the free ebook titled Winter's Passage that bridges the gap between The Iron King and the sequel. The Iron Daughter, which will be released on August 1st, is on our To Be Reviewed list.

For links and other neat info, visit Julie Kagawa's website here.

Also, to celebrate our excitement, we're having a giveaway at the end of the month! Comment on the LBC comment form (the handy little box on the sidebar) and you'll be entered to win a mug of your choice from the Whimsical Fic-ery Zazzle store. (US and Canadian residents only. Sorry, we are losers in the shipping department. Don't think it means we don't love our international readers.)

So, what are you waiting for? Pick up a copy of The Iron King, run over to Harlequin Teen to download Winter's Passage, and join the discussion!

Reading Rain-bow: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

So you all know I love fairie stories, yes? So, of course I knew I was going to like The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, but it was even better than that - I loved it! And, I've broken down my reasons for loving into four categories. (I'm feeling over-ambitious in the organizing department lately. Blame the fact that I'm packing and nesting.)

1. Our Heroine: Meghan Chase
2. Hot Boy with Sword: Ash
3. One of my favorite literary characters EVER: Puck
4. A very innovative story - not the same old fairie tale

We'll start with Meghan. When I first started this book, I wasn't sure about her. We weren't really 'clicking' if you know what I mean. But then she started to come into her own, her self. And that was very fun to read. And I started to love her. Suddenly, she was smart and extremely courageous and could almost fit into the Chicks Who Can Kick Our Asses category. (I have a feeling she will fit into this category by the end of the next book.) One of the things I liked best about Meghan is that it didn't take her forever to figure things out. As I would come to a realization as a reader, so would Meghan as the main character. I'm a big fan of writers who allow characters to realize things quickly, instead of dragging it out forever while it's quite obvious to readers.

Next, Ash and Puck. While Puck probably doesn't fit into the Hot Boys with Sword file folder, I do adore him in this book. But, Ash? Ash is definitely a HBWS. I don't even want to say too much about him. You have to read to find out. And I have it on good authority (@katarinasmama) that Ash only gets better in The Iron Daughter, which comes out August 1, 2010.

And the story itself. This isn't a pretty fairie tale. Nope. It's real (as real as a fairie story can be) and gritty. I usually like things all pretty with a bow on top, but in this book, I really loved the way nothing came easy for Meghan. And, I was impressed with the way the story came together. It wasn't a new concept (you'll see), but the way it was written was definitely new. It made perfect sense, even in Nevernever.

If you've read The Iron King, are you Team Puck or Team Ash? If not, do you plan on reading it? We are considering it for our Lazy Book Club for June - what do you think?

The Iron King reviewed at Mundie Moms