The Iron Queen, Book 3, The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Pages:  368

 (Release Date:  January 25, 2011)

From the Cover:

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. 

Meghan Chase, daughter of Oberon, King of the Summer Court, has been exiled from the land of Faery, all because she fell in love.  With the Winter Prince.  Ash.  When Queen Mab, of the Winter Court, exiled Ash for allowing his feelings to rule his heart, he was banished from the Nevernever, and Meghan with her heart held in Ash's cool hands, followed him.

Now, though together, neither has a place to call home.

Meghan can never go "home" to her mortal family, she will forever and always be fey.  True, she's only a half-fey and one day her existence on in the mortal world will die, but also strange Iron Fey are hunting her, she can't bring that to her mortal family.

Ash, doesn't belong in the mortal world, he can't exist in the mortal realm, he is and always will be a full-blooded Winter Prince, even if his mother has denied him.  How can these two exist not in the mortal world and not in Faery?

The only answer is the InBetween where Leanansidhe, The Exiled Queen, reigns.  Grimalkin, cait sith, has come to collect them, Leanansidhe has questions to be answered.

Puck, Robin Goodfellow, the Prankster, has also been waiting for the lovers.  Unable to give up Meghan, even if she loves the Winter Prince more, he follows them into exile, Oberon banishing him as he promised he would for disobeying.  Together, Ash, Meghan, and Grimalkin find Puck and journey once more to the home of Leanansidhe.  But, more adventure is waiting for the exiles.  Within days of arriving at Leanansidhe's, both Winter and Summer Knights request an audience, and after a mere weeks of exile and peace, once again our trio plus the wily cait sith are up to their necks in trouble, trying to save the land of Faery from the poisonous menace of the Iron Fey.  War is brewing, and it could be the death of all Faery, oldbloods and Iron alike.

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa is another action packed emotion twister of a story.  It seems to have it all; mystery, intrigue, court politics, love, and the wonder of a story that leaves you hoping for more.  Once again, Meghan Chase finds herself as the only savior for the land of Faery, a place from which she and her true love have been banished.  But, that was before the false king of the Iron Fey made his march on the Nevernever.  Now, if there is to be any hope at all, Meghan Chase along with Ash and Puck have to find a way to kill the false king.  With war at the edge of the Nevernever, there's no time to waste, no plans to be made.  Meghan must learn to fight or die, and if she dies, all of Faery may go with her.  But, what she doesn't realize and can't yet understand, is that the magic of the Iron Fey has been left for her....she holds the power of Machina deep inside her.  The Summer glamour doesn't quite know what to make of the Iron glamour now residing within her body, but it will have a purpose, Meghan just has to figure out what it is.  When she's recalled to the land of Faery, along with Ash and Puck, Oberon and Mab have become allies against the false king as his forces encroach on and poison the land of the Nevernever.  With little time to spare, Meghan, Ash, and Puck along with Grimalkin begin their trek into the Iron Realm, to find and destroy the false king.

The Iron Queen is a must read.  In fact, the entire series is a must read for all fantasy lovers, all magic lovers.  This is a series that will take your imagination on the wild ride of it's life.  It's one of those magically stories that you get lost in, become part of, and before you know it, you're rooting for Meghan Chase to come out on top, you're hoping for the best, and cringing at the same time, because as much as you want the lovers to be together, Winter can't exist in Summer, Iron is poisonous to oldblood fey, mortals were never met to exist in Faery (they eventually go mad).  There's so many obstacles, and yet, here I am, pulling for, crying with, and dreading the outcome for Meghan and Ash.  Puck, sweet and irresistible, will always be Meghan's best and oldest friend, but he can never fill her heart like Ash.  But, as Meghan comes to realize, their love is ill fated, Ash cannot exist in the Iron Realm, and she being pulled into something she doesn't want, but can't avoid.  Can she release Ash, never to see him again?  Can she survive?  I highly recommend the entire Iron Fey series, and the Iron Queen, to all lovers of fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, YA lovers, this is a must try series, a must read and reread.  If you want a taste of the Nevernever, Prince Ash, Puck, and Meghan Chase, then hurry and download this free novella ( and it's only free until 1-31-11!!), Winter's Passage, it gives some of the back story and in between story of Ash and Meghan's adventures together.  I'll be impatiently waiting for the next in the series, Ash's story, The Iron Knight.  I can't imagine where this story is going to go next, but I do know I can't wait for find out!

I received this ebook for review from Net Galley and Harlequin.  All opinions expressed are my own.