Book Review: ‘The Iron Vow’ by Julie Kagawa’ (a faery-tale ending)
I’ve read the final book in this series and said goodbye to these characters and this world three times now, but ‘The Iron Vow’ really did feel like a big, final, ending ending.
I fell into Meghan’s world back in 2010 and the whole gang - Meghan, Ash, Puck, Grim, Ethan, and then Kierran and Nyx too - have been with me for 13 years and across 10 novels. It’s a very bittersweet feeling to end a series after so long, especially when I did even expect to get this extra trilogy in this world.
‘The Iron Vow’s is the 10th book in the ‘The Iron Fey’ series and the third book in ‘The Iron Fey: Evenfall’ trilogy so there will be spoilers for the series as a whole in the synopsis of the book below, and possibly in my review, too.
The extraordinary finale to Julie Kagawa's New York Times and internationally bestselling Iron Fey series is here … and the fate of the Nevernever and all the world hangs in the balance. Join Meghan, Ash, Puck, Grimalkin, and the entire Iron Fey cast for this final epic journey into worlds where imagination knows no boundaries…
After leaping through the portal to Evenfall, Meghan and her companions find themselves in a terrifying new world where Nightmares roam and glamour is nearly nonexistent. As their magic wanes and the creatures of Evenfall rise against them, the race to find the Nightmare King grows ever more desperate. But what they discover will shake everything they thought they knew to the core.
The Nightmare King stirs. A world hangs in the balance. And as twilight descends upon all the realms of Faery, Meghan and her allies must make one more impossible choice.
I think it might be a me thing, but as much as I love these characters and this world, I’ve struggled to connect with this series in the way that I used too. The buzz, the connection, the special-ness of this series just wasn’t there for me this time, and that really showed itself when I was reading ‘The Iron Vow’.
Maybe I wasn’t as invested in the story once the relationships are fixed and reliable, maybe I missed the Nevernever, or maybe it’s just that I’m a lot older than I was when I met Meghan, Ash and Puck, but it felt a little hollow in parts. There was so much focus on wrapping everything up (I know that’s what finale’s do, but still) and setting the characters up for a new chapter off page, but it wasn’t until the end (and a few flashback interludes), when I will admit that I got teary, that I fully felt like I was back in a series that I loved so much.
I think it was a me problem, though.
All of the characters remained true to themselves, the world of the Nevernever and beyond is so rich and deep - I would still love to visit, even though I’d never make it out alive! Julie Kagawa has created characters that not only kept me reading for 13 years and 10 books, but ones that will stay with me for years to come, even if this finale didn’t do everything that I was hoping for.
Fans of Holly Black and Melissa Marr will eat this series up, cheering on Meghan and falling in love with Ash…or Puck.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the review copy.
Written by Sophie
