Review The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Title: De IJzerkoning

Original title: The Iron King

Author: Julie Kagawa

Published: June 12th, 2012 (Harlequin Young Adult)

Pages: 384

Source: for review
Series: The Iron Fey #1

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads: 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. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

I had seen this book a couple of times on different websites, but I wasn't persuaded enough by the synopsis, so I never bought and read it. I had really no idea how much I would like this book. The book gets published this week in Dutch and I got a review copy for the reading panel of a Dutch YA website (young-adults.nl). So finally I have read it. 

This book has many good things. The story is great. Stories about fae can feel a bit uneasy, since they're so into treachery and stuff. It's the same in this book, but it didn't feel that way. There are fae who are willing to help, although most of them want something in return. There was a more positive vibe around it. 

I really liked the connection to A Midsummer Night's Dream, especially Puck. He's so funny! I laughed out loud sometimes. I loved the idea about the fae world existing because of the imagination of humans and if they remember stories and characters, they keep living. The world setting was really good. 

I liked the balance between the main characters. Meghan Chase, the 'normal' girl who gets more and more special as the story continues. The cat Grimalkin had many sides, sometimes he could be funny, but he could also be annoying and even a bit scary. Ash is mysterious and most of the time my feelings were mixed about him. 

I'm really enthusiastic about this first book, and I'm curious how the rest of the series will be.