The Iron King By Julie Kagawa

[Pinkie Pappalardo]

Bornin Sacramento, CA, Julie Kagawa moved to Hawaii at the age of nine. There she learned many things; how to bodyboard, that teachers scream when you put centipedes in their desks, and that writing stories in math class is a great way to kill time. Her teachers were glad to see her graduate. Julie now lives is Louisville, KY with her husband and furkids. She is the international and NYT bestselling author of The Iron Fey series. Visit her at juliekagawa.com.

Jade Farrow will die tomorrow. Her fate was decided years ago, when her useless father made a deal with the greedy fae king to save his own life. Now, she is being sent to marry one of the five ruthless fae princes. The only problem is that she is not the first human to marry a fae prince. And like every human wife before her, Jade is going to be killed before she can find a way out.

Fae games will change you . . . but their love will ruin you. At least, that's what my mother told me. My mother had three rules: 1. Never make a bargain with a fairy. 2. Never enter the Waywoods on a hunting day. 3. Never give the High Fae princes a reason to notice you. But even when I followed all the rules, the royal fae still took my family from me. So in one night I broke all three rules, and brought the kingdom to their knees.

Sagara Sousuke isn't your typical high school student. He reads military enthusiast magazines; he responds to questions with "affirmative;" he brings grenades to school in his bag. Though everyone at school takes him for a hopeless military geek, Chidori Kaname thinks there might be something more to him. When their plane is hijacked in the middle of a field trip, Kaname's instincts will prove correct: Sousuke is an elite, mech-piloting mercenary... and he's here to protect her!

Owned by a ruthless Assassin Lord, Scarlett Monrhoe and her two sisters have been trained since they were children to torture and take life. They are the most feared trio on the continent, but they are also wild and unpredictable. A tragic night has Scarlett finding herself locked away in a noble's household, trapped and forgotten, until she's ready to fall into line.

Gifted thief Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Now she thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City's most notorious crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman secures her services at swordpoint, Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom. Her quest is straightforward: Steal a stone from Islor's sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death.

Nineteen years ago, I was plucked from the heart of a bloody massacre that spared nobody else. Small. Fragile. An enigma. Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I've drawn around the castle grounds.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge. Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains.

One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish - and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos. Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

All my life I knew I'd come of age during the Hundred Year Reaping. According to the ridiculous treaty, two human girls are sent to the faelands as brides for the fearsome fae king and his devilish younger brother. Not me. I was supposed to be safe. Two girls were chosen from my village already. But when they are executed for offending the king, my sister and I are sent in their place.

Thelma Foy, a jeweler with the Second Sight in iron-bedecked 1890s New Orleans, wasn't expecting to be caught in a faery conflict. Tam can see through the glamours faeries wear to hide themselves from mortals, but if her secret were revealed, the fey would steal her eyes, her life, or her freedom. So, Tam doesn't respond when they trail thorn-crusted fingertips through her hair at the French Market or when the Dark King sings along with her in the bayou. But when the Dark King, Irial, rescues her, Tam must confront everything she thought she knew about faeries, men, and love.

If Teryn can help Cora save a few magical creatures, he can gain her trust, hand her over to her king, and collect the bounty. But Cora has plans of her own, and none of them include being betrayed by her handsome new traveling companion. The closer Cora and Teryn get to their desires, the harder their tasks become. And it isn't just their budding attraction that's the problem. A secret war is coming, one stemming from ancient feuds and forgotten fae magic. They must work together to stop it, or else both their kingdoms will crumble to ash.

In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural - dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls. When Ana's father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father's murderer on her own.

The Iron King presents readers with the good and bad sides of scientific and technological innovation: The world of the Nevernever is slowly being eaten away by technology, pollution and global warming, a fact author Kagawa weaves subtly into the narrative. Technology brings human progress but also imprisons people; it's causing the fairy folk of A Midsummer Night's Dream (which some readers may be inspired to check out) to be forgotten and lost. The Iron King also shows the environmental issues caused by the Industrial Revolution.

Strong messages about the importance of friendship, trusting others and believing in yourself, helping your family and taking care of your relatives, being a good Samaritan and taking the high road, putting yourself before others, and standing up for yourself. Also, recognizing that you always have a choice, and trying to make the right ones.

The Iron King has some villainous characters, but many others are positive and good-hearted. Meghan Chase is smart, quick-thinking, and loyal to a fault. At school she's bullied by her classmates, but has her friend, Robbie, to rely on. She loves her younger brother, Ethan, and will do anything to get him back. She's brave and doesn't back down from a challenge. Even when her feelings get hurt, l she keeps her head on her shoulders and doesn't let fear or sadness overtake her. Robbie's a prankster, but he loves her and wants to protect her. Fearless, brave, and sexy Prince Ash of the Unseelie Court also takes care of Meghan.

The Iron Fey includes hand-to-hand combat, sword fighting, and monsters who kill other monsters and mythical creatures with weapons, with their fists and feet, or by devouring them. There's lots of bloodshed.

Parents need to know that The Iron King, first book in the highly acclaimed New York Times best-selling Iron Fey series, has likable, heroic characters, and dastardly villains. Teen Meghan Chase goes in search of her younger brother, who's been spirited away to the fairytale world of A Midsummer's Night Dream. The story includes hand-to-hand combat, sword fighting, monsters, bullying, and cruelty to people, animals, and magical creatures. Some crude language, including "f--k," "s--t" and variants, "damn" and variants, "crap," "bastard," and other name calling.

In THE IRON KING, first in a seven-book series that also spawned spin-off tales, the fey kidnap Meghan Chase's younger brother, Ethan. Meghan, who's always felt out of place in the human world, takes the plunge into the Nevernever to rescue her brother. There she meets friends and enemies, including a dangerous, sexy prince. Once she realizes why Ethan's been abducted and what it has to do with her, Meghan's life turns upside down, and she has more choices to make.

Magical and heartfelt, The Iron King is a thrilling tale told in gorgeous language. Once Meghan steps into the world of the Nevernever, readers won't want to leave. Fans of Harry Potter and other exciting fantasy stories will thoroughly enjoy this book, in which characters are well developed, with their own unique personalties. Meghan's a terrific protagonist readers will root for till the cliffhanging end. They'll also enjoy Puck's humor and tricks, Prince Ash's grace and romantic charm, and Meghan's dealings with fantastic adversaries.

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