The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Target Audience: Young Adults/Adults
Genre: Faerie/Paranormal Romance

It took me longer than i would have liked to read this because of everyday things like work, eating, sleeping :-) But i loved it so much, in a way even more than the first in the series. If i was to sum this up in five words they would be: Riveting, Romantic, Unputdownable, terrifying and beautiful.

The Iron Daughter picks up a little while after the events of the Iron King. Ash has taken Meghan to the Winter Court and left her at the mercy of his mother; Queen Mab. Meghan also finds that her powers are cut off and that she can't use her glamour from the summer fey side of her heritage and to make things worse Puck has still not returned from being healed.

There were so many twists, turns, revelations and surprises that i found myself shocked on several occsasions throughout reading this. But having said that, the events that did occur weren't stupidly pulled out of the blue. The hints were there, but cleverly disguised on several occasions i had one of those 'of course, how thick am i?' moments. Some of the events in the previous book such as Meghan having her memories taken come back to haunt in this novel (although i don't want to say how because i don't want to spoil it) and we also end up with a so called bad guy turning friend as well, and i totally loved that by the end.

With regards to the characters, i have to say, my favourite was Puck. He played a much bigger role in this installment and i found it fascinating how much his relationship with Meghan developed. He truly is the perfect best friend and i would personally love to have him in my life. I'm also a big fan of 'puck brand' humour, the guy is hilarious and he is responsible for most of the laughs that occur throughout the novel.
Meghan also develops a lot in this as she tries to make her way without Ash's help, she grows a lot stronger and independent, while still keeping her healthy emotional side. Her powers also develop oddly as we see some rather weird and wonderful things occur around her, and i found some of it to be a strange turn of events, and i can't wait to see where it will lead.

Ash also changes a lot and we get to see a much softer side to him in this book and also the abosolute depth of his feelings for Meghan, as he makes sacrifices i simply could not imagine.

As well as the old faces, there also some new, including Leanansidhe (i think i spelt that right!). She is awesome! Imagine your stereotypical gay stylist but in female form and you have her. And its so funny, i just never imagined any fae being like that until she came into the picture. She is truly a brilliant and inventive character!

Now for my view on the romance aspect, and what a romance it is. A bit more complex than in the last book as Meghan gets torn between Ash who claims it can't be and Puck who worships the ground she walks on. I won't tell you what the outcome was because i don't want to spoil it. But it did make me go awwwwww and nearly sob my heart out at the end, it was truly a beautiful conclusion to the novel, although it does end on a cliffhanger with several things left unresolved, things that i really badly want answered so i can't wait for The Iron Queen!

Honestly, if you loved The Iron King, then this is a must read. Romance, danger, magical creatures and a twist on a popular genre, make this one of the champions of the Faerie Genre. Love it!