I started The Iron Fey series back in the early 2010s when The Iron Fey was first coming out. I have loved this series for over a decade and I still cannot get enough of these amazing characters. After devouring The Iron Raven, I was so excited to dive into the second Evenfall book… but I have to admit when I first started this I was a little bit disappointed.

The Iron Raven saw us in Puck’s head, and I assumed that the whole trilogy would be Puck and Nyx’s story. I was so excited to see my fave finally get his own series and love story. So you can imagine my utter disappointment to find that book 2 in the Evenfall trilogy was not Puck’s POV but Ash’s. Honestly I was so disappointed I put the book down for a good week before continuing to read it. We had an Ash book back in the original series, and honestly I didn’t really feel like I wanted more of his POV. While I did grow to enjoy this book, I am still super mad that Puck is once again being pushed to the back burner in what we all thought was going to be his series.

The storyline of this book was fantastic. It was filled with mystery and intrigue as to what was gong on with these dark creatures, and where have these mysterious new fey beings that are invading the human realm come from. I find with long series, sometimes you find that the storyline becomes really drawn out, but with this series, I don’t find that the case at all. It’s still just as exciting and interesting as the first book.

I really enjoyed every moment of The Iron Sword. I was surprised by some of the twists towards the end, and it has just made me super excited to dive into the final book of The Iron Fey. I will be diving straight into The Iron Vow and I cannot wait. If you’re looking for a long and wonderful Fae series to dive into, make sure you don’t miss out on this one. It’s truly fantastic

I actually struggled a lot to get into this book, after trying several times and giving up, which is mostly the reasoning for my rating of the book. I think this is predominantly due to a disparity between author/reader writing enjoyment and isn’t necessarily a reflection of the authors ability to tell a story. I didn’t manage to finish this book.

“But, this entire mess came of you and the former Winter prince breaking the laws, so I suppose it is to be expected. Now you see why there are rules and Faery law. You’ll just have to live with the consequences.”

My thanks to HQ Young Adult for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Iron Sword’ by Julie Kagawa. It was published in February 2022 and I subsequently bought its ebook and unabridged audiobook editions. My apologies for the late feedback.

This is the second in Kagawa’s new Evenfall trilogy set in the Iron Fey universe. For it the narrative voice switches from Robin Goodfellow to Prince Ash. While I didn’t mind Robin’s snarky perspective, I welcomed the shift to the more serious-minded Ash.

Years before Ash had been banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love with Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey. Now their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. Ash, Meghan, and their allies are determined to find him as well as to stop the phenomenon known as Evenfall.

Chaos is growing as something more ancient than the courts of Faery and more evil than anything that Ash has faced in a millennium is rising. As Evenfall nears, the stakes grow ever higher for those in Faery…

I have read enough of the Iron Fey books to be familiar with its characters and world. However, I appreciated that Julie Kagawa had Ash provide a bit of a summary of what had gone before in the opening chapter.

Again, ‘The Iron Sword’ proved a fun fantasy adventure that also had some incursions into the modern world. Of course, Robin Goodfellow and the Cheshire Cat-like, Grimalkin (aka Furball), bring their own brand of humour. There are also a number of fairy tale characters including a version of Baba Yaga with her chicken-legged cottage and the Big Bad Wolf. There are also darker elements to the story as the threat of Evenfall and the Nightmare King becomes closer.

The final book in the Evenfall Trilogy, ‘The Iron Vow’ will be published in May 2023.

I didn’t realise when I first got this book that it was part way through a series. Nevertheless i powered on. Unfortunately it was a dnf. The pace was too slow for me. I can see some people loving this book, it just wasn’t for me I’m sorry!

"The Iron Sword" by Julie Kagawa is a fantastic read that captivates its audience with its fast-paced plot and richly developed characters. The author's writing style is immersive and transports the reader into a world of magic, action, and adventure. The world-building is well thought out and the twists and turns of the story kept me on the edge of my seat. The character development is superb, and I found myself becoming attached to the characters and their struggles. This is a must-read for fans of the fantasy genre and I highly recommend it with a full five-star rating.

Julie Kagawa does it again! Another great book about my favourite characters. It is from Ash's point of view, which I prefer to Puck's if I am honest. I assume there will be another book - it would be great to have it in Meghan's point of view to round things off nicely. I look forward to read it when it comes out

I’ve been reading this (extended) series since I was a teenager so getting to finish out the year with another adventure with Meghan, Ash, Puck and Grim was a treat.

I really love how Julie Kagawa continues to expand the mythology and history of the world with each instalment. I especially loved the way that the current situation in our world with the rise of the right and the vitriol, fear and hatred that comes from that is reflected in the mortal world of The Iron Fey and the consequences of that in Faery too. Really clever.

The Iron Vow is going to be a heck of a finale and I’m really looking forward to it.

A fairly decent read, I would’ve liked more in the way of world and character development however what was written was good. The story at times lacked depth which I found a little boring but in parts was quite an intriguing read

This was book 2 in the fae wars series. I really enjoyed the iron sword it brought you on an epic adventure with an alliance of unlikely realms and creatures all looking for the king of the forgotten. What they face is something they least expect. Ash faces his inner demons to protect the ones he loves before be loses himself forever.

I didn't realise when I requested this that it was the second in a trilogy, so I DNF-d it when I realised that I wouldn't be able to catch up. But it's an interesting and lyrically written book with deep lore, and I will definitely come back to it once I've caught up on the iron fey!

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

This was book was really great!! I enjoyed it a lot, loved the characters and the world building. The cover is also so lovely. I love Julie Kagawa's writing so much, and I adore the worlds she creates with every new series.

Amazing a great addition to the Iron Fey books.

This story explores the between and the effects a new threat has on the mortal world and the never never alike. I have loved Ash and Meaghan since book one and always routed for them, The Evenfall series explores a new threat and looks at how their Son will react to as the King of the Never Never,

Absolutely Enthralling!

These books are always amazing and I never tire of them!

I was a massive fan of the first book in this trilogy, 'The Iron Raven' and was ecstatic to get my hands on 'The Iron Sword' to read. I was amazed to see this book was written in a different POV. The adventure and comedy was absolutely perfect I would love to go in depth into the plot but I don't want to spoil even the smallest detail! All I can say is that you NEED to read this book and get involved in the Kagawa's Iron Fey series!

So far I'm enjoying this new series in the Iron Fey world!

I will admit, this book was a little slow going. There was a fair bit of repetition as Meghan, Puck and Chase search for Kierran. I didn't properly engage with the story until over halfway through, but once it got going I was hooked and couldn't finish the book fast enough. I'm looking forward to the next book!

Grim honestly makes these books for me. His commentary is perfect and he is easily my favourite.

So this is the sequel to The Iron Raven which I recently wrote a review of. These books are part of Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but in their own trilogy: Evenfall. This is good for me as I didn't read any of the Iron Fey novels before The Iron Raven, and luckily you don't need to. However, as I mentioned in my review of the first Evenfall book, there were probably a lot of elements and details I missed because I'd skipped the other books.
Unlike the previous book, this is told from Ash's POV, not Puck's/Robin Goodfellow's. Ash is the husband of Meghan, father of Kierran, and son of the Winter Queen. I've gathered through these two books that Ash featured rather heavily in the previous novels, having fought hard to gain a soul in order to be with the woman he loves. We're given enough details on this history to follow along with the story even without reading all the other books beforehand, which is great. (I think it would be beneficial to read the others, though, and I hope to do so!)
From the previous book, I found Keirran and Nyx to be great characters - and was really pleased by how much we see of them in this book. Meghan and Ash are devoted parents, which is lovely to see, yet they also care a great deal for their kingdom. Puck is mischievous and outwardly brusque, but we definitely see some of his emotion coming through at times. And Nyx... It's so exciting to learn more about her, about her complicated, twisted history! I really liked that aspect of this story.
Naturally, this involves a huge amount of magic and glamour and mystery and adventure - everything you could want from a fantasy novel, right? It's also modern, with elements of our mortal world, technology and all, being key to the plot. The characters are pitted against their worst fears and nightmares (possibly a little cliche, but oh well) and face unbeatable odds in order to save the entire Never Never - and the mortal realm, too.
I think I liked this one a bit more than The Iron Raven. It was exciting, adventurous, clever, and funny at times. I love the characters, even if Ash's Unseely side is a bit of a jerk. 4.5 stars!

I didn't realise that there was a book before this one and so some things were slightly confusing, however, I did enjoy reading it. I thought the writing was good, it had an engaging storyline and well developed characters. I just wish I had read the previous book before, I will be looking for more from this author.

Julie Kagawa books remind me of my childhood, and this book doesn't disapoint. Each book starts a new chapter for Megan and Ash. I love that this book is from Ash's point of view, and wanted him to go that little bit dark. I now need the next installment, I need to know what happens in Evenfall!

Unfortunately I did not like it as much as I liked The Iron Raven.
Probably because Ash is not even as half amusing narrator as Puck is. As I said in my review of the previous book I haven't read The Iron Fey series, i didn't even realise that The Iron Fey series was a thing. I read this book with zero expectations, zero nostalgia, zero love to the characters.
Idk if Ash was a compelling character in that series, but getting into this universe with a fresh look, I have to say that I doubt it. He's a bore and he doesn't deserve to be a narrator.

This whole book is pretty decent, there's quest again, some new characters (new to me), some new drama, some stupid ideas of self-sacrifice etc etc.

Again, it's a decent book ruined by Ice Boy Ash.

I really liked being in Ash’s head for this book in the series, we’re normally in Puck’s and I wanted to get another POV so my wishes have come true. This is a really good YA book for anyone that just wants to read a fantasy adventure fun time instead of anything with violence, swearing or smut. I feel like if you’re not really a reader of YA anymore then you might not enjoy this one as much compared to your usual reads, but I found it to be a great read between other books. There was a fair bit of repetition in it, but then that can be the curse of YA/MG books where they have to fill the void of violence and smut with SOMETHING, and there’s only so much you can throw in a storyline without making it irrelevant.

Definitely one I would recommend reading to readers of all ages! Thanks HQ for sending me an e-arc in exchange for my review.