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| By Julie Kagawa herself |
If I haven't made it as ridiculously obvious as I thought, I'll say this: I'm a HUGE fan of the Iron Fey series. Like an ecstatic fan meeting her favorite celebrity crossed with a girl with butterflies as her crush walks passed is a good representation of how I'm feeling on this fine day.
I have the first two books in the series on my bookshelf, and am dying to have the third. I'm also super unhappy about having to wait for the Iron Knight since it's releasing in 2012, I believe. It's Ash's story for crying out loud, shouldn't I be upset?!
Anyway, I don't want to stomp on the Queen is Here Parade, so I'm going to get on to the fun stuff...
For those of you who haven't read the series (you need to find a way to do so, and I'll lend you a hand with that later) I have some helpful stuff for you to look at:
You can read my reviews of The Iron King {here} and The Iron Daughter {here} which (obviously) got five smiley ratings.
And/or you can also read the summaries for both:
Iron King: "Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…Warning: The following summary isn't very spoiler-free.
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."
Iron Daughter: "Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help.Now, if you're NOT interested yet, you can go on to read my review of the Iron Queen below and maybe just maybe you'll change your mind.
Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart."
BUT, if you ARE interested (or you're a fan of the Iron Fey series like me) I've got some exciting news that you may not be aware of:
There's an Iron Queen blog tour going on!
First thing's first, here are the stops:
Giveaway: Ipod Nano filled with songs from the Summer Court's playlist
2) January 25, 2011: *pause* Julie Kagawa celebrates Iron Queen release {here}!
3) January 26, 2011: Gail @ A Ticket to Anywhere
Giveaway: A Julie Kagawa original drawing (I WOULD KILL FOR ONE!)
4) January 28, 2011: MundieMoms
Giveaway: Surprise prize pack
5) January 31, 2011: Kristi @ The Story Siren
Giveaway: Ipod Nano filled with songs from the Winter Court's playlist
6) February 2, 2011: Galleysmith
Giveaway: ANOTHER Julie Kagawa original drawing
7) February 4, 2011: Nicole @ Word for Teens
Giveaway: Surprise prize pack
8) February 7, 2011: Bookalicio.us
Giveaway: Ipod Nano filled with songs from the Iron Court's playlist
9) February 9, 2011: The Bookish Type
Giveaway: A one-of-a-kind drawing by the author
10) February 11, 2011 (FINAL STOP): Erica @ The Book Cellar
Giveaway: A special surprise from an icy guest (*cries from joy* Can't wait!)
You can see the entire blog post {here} where Meghan and Grimalkin (*squeals*) have done an introductory post for the blog tour. Check it out!
For die-hard fans like me, guess what? I'm going to share mini teasers for the next five days starting tomorrow coming directly from the pages of the Iron Queen themselves. Nothing long, I'm afraid. But still I thought I'd get you either a) really pumped to get your hands on a copy or b) have you hate me for teasing since you don't have a copy yet and haven't read it. Plus, I figured readers/bloggers unaware of this series can get just as excited or get intrigued enough to want to buy a copy!
Onto the extra, extra fun part!
From Julie Kagawa:
1) Q.If you could wish for three things for yourself what would they be? And why those particular three things?
A. 1. I wish I could be a Kung Fu/Kali master. (Working on it, but it'll take years and years, I'm afraid, lol.)
2. I wish I could travel the world. Maybe someday.
3. I wish I had a soda. Oh, look, I do! Now maybe the other wishes will be granted as well. ^__^
2) Q. What is your biggest wish for the Iron Queen, or the Iron Fey series in general?
A. My biggest wish is for Iron Queen to be loved by everyone who reads it. (Okay, a movie and bestseller-dom would be awesome too, but let's not go crazy here.)
To Julie: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer a couple of questions for me! I love your Iron Fey series and will support it even after it finishes. Again, happy book day and congrats on your success!
Reeevieww time!
Author: Julie Kagawa (Blog)
Release Date: 1/25/11 (Paperback)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult (14+)
Pages: 384
Interest: Favorite paranormal series as of '10!
Source: NetGalley & Harlequin Teen (Thank you!)
Go Buy It: Amazon★Barnes&Noble
Overall Feelings: Beautiful and phenomenal! Best in the series thus far!Synopsis- "My name is Meghan Chase.Quick Thinking: This phenomenal, epic third installment in the Iron Fey series ropes in fans old and new, captivating its readers with a massive, catastrophic war with the Summer and Winter courts fighting side by side against a malevolent foe: the false, new Iron King and his army; a hilarious array of characters which readers have grown to adore over the course of this book series; clever and witty dialogue; and a flourishing true love that fights to hold true and stay strong. Ride off into the Nevernever with Grimalkin the cait sith acting as your guide as you follow this latest addition of Meghan's monumental journey, reading as she makes another valiant attempt to save a mystical other world she's now finds herself apart of.
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."
Suggestion: If you like being transported into another world (particularly a faery inhabited one), laughing your butt off, and falling head over heels along with the heroine, as well as a captivating plot/story that never ceases to get better as you read on, pick up the Iron Queen. Actually, scratch that, make that you MUST snatch a copies of the entire series. Do yourself the favor.
My Thoughts In-Depth: *Warning: May not be spoiler-free.* on it, everything you adore about it? That's how I'm feeling right now, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway...
This novel has the perfect blend of an engrossing plot and exciting, entertaining characters that The Reader does not want to stop reading about! Julie Kagawa didn't have to end The Iron Daughter with a cliffhanger for me to be immersed in anticipation and nerves, to delight in this next part of the story. I was instantly hooked as I rode with Meghan and Ash back to Meghan's home in Louisiana to visit her human family, and was already enraptured by the time a swarm of nasty iron fey attempted to seize her. I knew, knew that this latest installment was going to be mind-boggling...
