Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

Winter's Passage (The Iron Fey #1.5)by Julie KagawaRelease: June 2010Pages: 59 (ebook)Publisher: Harlequin TeenSource: NetgalleySummary: 

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.
Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

Mini-Thoughts: Fast and exciting, Winter's Passage fills in the blanks between books 1 and 2 as Ash and Meghan make their way from her home to the chilling Winter Court. A very quick, exciting, and action-packed novella that any fan of the Iron Fey series will enjoy. I chose to read this after reading book 2¹, and while it was not necessary to read Winter's Passage, I found it to be worthwhile. 
Highlights: Ash became a more sympathetic character to me (but I'm still firmly Team Puck). His motivations and internal conflicts seem to really show more readily than they normally do, and it helped me enjoy his character more. And of course, Grimalkin was a definite highlight². 
Lowlights: The conflict was almost too easily fixed. The villain could have easily been more terrifying/intimidating...and no Puck! :(
Rating: 4 out of 5
Reviews of other books in this series:The Iron KingThe Iron Daughter (coming soon)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Footnotes1 I wanted to see if it was even necessary to read the novella, or if I could understand what happened from the second book alone. The Iron Daughter does a good job of quickly summarizing what happened in Winter's Passage, but there's still a bit more that would be worth reading. 2 Isn't he always a highlight? Grimalkin is awesome ;)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Release: February 1st, 2010

Pages: 368

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Source: Bought

Summary:

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.

Review: Easily one of the best fantasy novels I've read in months, The Iron King gained me as a fan from the first chapter. Hook, line and sinker - I didn't stand a chance of setting this novel aside.

Meghan Chase is a bit of a computer techie who tends to blend into the scenery - so much so, even her own family tends to forget about her. Despite her "invisibleness," Meghan is a standout character from the beginning. She's funny, she's caring, and yes, she's definitely a teenage girl who's bound to make mistakes (and boy, does she make a few).  Ethan was a sweetie of a little bro, her mother and stepfather were slightly forgettable and annoying, but it's dear old Puck who stands out the most. Fresh and fun, I could have read about Puck for days.

The romance leans more heavily to a certain prince who just might want to kill her (hey, nothing says romance like a near death experience...Oh, wait. That only works when they aren't the one who's trying to kill you. Oops). All joking aside, he's an intriguing character that I sympathized with at times, which is surprising since I usually hate characters like him. These three characters (Puck, Ash, Meghan) manage to get themselves in and out of scrapes easily (or not so easily), but it's the surprising ending that will get reader's hooked on this series.

Perfect for fantasy and fey fans, The Iron King surprises, entertains, and is definitely a must-read story.

Highlights: I didn't think this novel would be my cup of tea, so to speak, but I was dead wrong. Kagawa has such addictive writing and really gave her protagonist Meghan a wonderful voice. She describes the Fae universe perfectly - from the Summer Court to the Winter Court (and another court that proves intriguing when it comes to faeries), and I love how the characters from A Midsummer Night's Dream are present. And Grimalkin - best character ever. This book just has it all: fight scenes, a bit of romance, friendship, stolen little brothers, and more! Don't miss out! 

Lowlights: I thought Ash was a bit cliché (brooding, handsome boy that has to kill/kidnap you, et cetera) when it comes to the bad guys, and there were quite a few moments that seemed to be repeated throughout the story.

Rating:  

And oh yeah...Team Puck!