So ok, first I'd like to point out that 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.

So, I confess that I actually liked this book very very much (love might be a too strong word, but I was close to love).
Puck is a decent protagonist and very interesting narrator. I have a soft spot for the obnoxious, super sassy characters that deep inside hide a heart of gold. Yeah. I said it.

The plot is also very decent, very fairytale-like - with a quest that has one billion detours.

My main problem was Nyx, who was maybe not boring but a little boring-ish. Her romance with Puck (that's not even a spoiler, it's obvious from like the second they meet) was lukewarm at best, but I'm hoping for it to get better in book two (which Im super excited for).
I'm not sure whether Nyx and Puck are a good match, but hey I'd love to be proved wrong.

The book itself is very readable - it took me like two days to finish it. The writing is compelling, even though I admit I'd like it to be more grown up.

A wonderfully nostalgic trip through NeverNever with all our old favourites in tow.

Told from the perspective of Robin Goodfellow, faery trickster and best friend to The Iron Queen. As he heads out on a new (though extremely dangerous) adventure,to save the Faery Lands once more. Robin explains his own story - of his rivalries and alliances both old and new. Iron Fey fans are in for a treat.

I was Personally excited about getting to hear Robin’s story,especially after so long and I loved every minute of it. It was intriguing to finally delve into Robin’s backstory and the history he and Ash share - which was never fully explained in the Iron Fey Series.

Loved getting to see many of the old fave characters, I mean who doesn’t just LOVE Grimalkin, and it was nice to catch up with them. I much preferred this book over the Ethan and Keirran centric ones which I personally just didn’t find as interesting.

As it’s Robin’s story, we experience the story from his POV and find out his opinions on many previous incidents and events from the other novels which I found enlightening.

However, I didn’t wholly enjoy the Robin’s character shift in here, even though it was necessary plot-wise. I also felt that the newly introduced character of Nyx felt shoehorned into the plot and was maybe a little rushed (even though I did like her). I hope that she’ll develop more in the next book, for which I cannot wait.

I would genuinely recommend to anyone who love fae based YA fantasy and the Iron Fey series. Trust me the nostalgia is worth it.

I’d really like to thank HQ and Net Galley for the e-ARC.

We find ourselves back in Puck's life where he again meets Kierran, The Forgotten King and there is trouble afoot. So of course Puck is right in the middle of all that! And that's where he also meets Nyx.

Firstly I'll just say that, as usual, I couldn't get enough info about Ash and obviously Ash himself!!!

'That’s what I’m here for, Keirran responded dryly. I snorted. Stop acting like your dad. One broody, sarcastic dark prince is enough.'

But it's really not, let's be honest!!!! I need all those dark, broody Prince's!!!!!!!

I liked this story, seeing their world again and also the characters but I really loved Nyx. There's something so fragile about her even though she was anything but!

'She was absolutely beautiful. And I didn’t deserve her. Not for a second.'

And if you want my opinion, he doesn't! I'm not sure if I am a Puck fan you see. I know he has stuff going on but he was super annoying in places but I did love him and Nyx together, she seems to bring the best out in him.

That ending! When's the next book?!

'The onset of evening. The coming of dusk. When everything falls to twilight.'

Full Disclosure. I didnt realise this was a spin off from the Iron fey series. But having read some of Kagawas other books i wasnt going to let the missing backstory stop me.

Pucks story was good - I enjoyed it, and I can admit that it makes me want to go back and start the Iron Fey series from the beginning as I suspect theres little pieces of informaiton that either meant nothing to me or I missed. I could also be completely wrong with that but either way i think I need to read the whole series to be sure.

As a character Puck is well written, funny and you want to be supportive but it did feel ike at times i was missing something.

This was by no means a bad book but compared to the other Kagawa books that I’ve read it just didn’t feel like it had the same heart to it. I can understand why some people will love it, especially with its ties to the previous series, but this one felt as though it was following a path with nowhere really to go, and where there was build up, it seemed to fizzle without reaching anything. Puck was fantastic though, but unfortunately not enough to make me love this book.

The Iron Raven, Julie Kagawa

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Teens & YA, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Oh how I wanted to like this story. I've not read any of Julie's work, but have recently read several excellent YA books.
Sadly this didn't work for me. Its very well written, and I can see that others love it, but I just couldn't connect with it. I put it aside a few times and came back to it as I thought maybe it was this strange time we're living in, that has affected my concentration and reading, but unfortunately it still wasn't a good fit for me. :-(
I stopped about a third of the way through, knowing it just wasn't going to suit me. I'm gutted, I was so looking forward to getting my teeth into a new trilogy, but that's the way it goes.
Not all stories appeal, however well written.


Stars: Two, a story others love but which didn't connect with me. NB: I only read to just past 30%.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

A fun book following the antics of Robin Goodfellow / Puck as he is called upon to fight the strange beasts of the Iron Kingdom joining forces with other members of the Fey including the intriguing Nyx of the Forgotten. Even if you haven't read any of Kagawa's previous books there is lots to still engage and compel your imagination. Clearly this is the start of a new series so at times the Iron Raven suffers from a little bit of 'filling' as new characters are introduced and plots left unresolved.Perfect for fans of lighter YA fantasy.with enough action and ominous dark magic to keep the reader wanting more.

Thank to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I have to say a couple of things about me: I haven't read any of the other books from the Iron Fey Universe, I have read the Shadow of Fox trilogy and loved it. With this in mind, here are my thoughts about this book.

The most important aspect for me was the world. I really love the idea of the Iron Realm, the Summer and Winter court sound very interesting. I really enjoyed all the interesting creatures that appear. I was surprised how many fantastical creatures appear in this story and how nicely they are blended together. It was so good.

Secondly, the book was very entertaining. Puck is funny, his interactions with other characters was nice. Also, being an easy adventure type book, it was relaxing and enjoyable. The fighting scenes were fast paced and I enjoyed the ingenuity of fighting skills combined with cool weapons and great magical skills.

Lastly, as my first book in the Iron Fey Universe, I did not feel disoriented. There was enough information for me to understand the importance of some of the characters, the complexity of the world and the stakes involved.

I really enjoyed it and would recommend this. I will be looking forward to the second volume.

I received an electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley. I will always provide an honest review, whether books are provided to me or purchased by me.

This year is all about comfort and kindness for me. It's snowed for most of January and February, cutting me off from my usual runs and walks, and I've taken every opportunity to curl up with my cats, Kindle and a cup of tea. I was also able to reconnect with an old friend in the form of Julie Kagawa's brand new book in her Iron Fey series, The Iron Raven.

I can't believe I started reading the Iron Fey series a decade ago. It seems like yesterday and the characters feel so alive to me. Part of the reason for that is because I began listening to the series again on audiobook last year, starting with The Iron King. I'm probably exactly the kind of fan Kagawa was aiming at when she revisited the the world of the Iron Fey - I don't think I've said 'yes' to a Netgalley invitation so quickly in my life!

So it's obvious that I'm a fan and yes, I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review, but can I give an objective review? I think I can.

The original Iron Fey trilogy focused on the rise of the Iron Queen, Meghan Chase, with a fourth book The Iron Knight focusing on Meghan's soulmate Winter Prince Ash embarking on a quest so that he could be with Meghan forevermore.

The second trilogy Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten moved the spotlight to Meghan's brother Ethan, whose kidnap into the NeverNever sparked events at the beginning of the series. Let's just agree that he is not enamoured with anything Faery and his trials lead him into confrontation with Meghan and Ash's son Keirran.

The Iron Raven is the first book in the third trilogy, Iron Fey: Evenfall. The events in The Iron Raven take place many years after the previous trilogy and this time the narrator is Puck, world famous Summer faery and star of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. He is also best friends to Meghan and Ash and once mortal enemy to Ash.

After a chance encounter with Keirran, his Forgotten Fey servant Nyx and the cait smith Grimalkin, Puck joins them on a journey to the Town that Isn't There, a lost place on the border of the NeverNever and the Between, where faeries go to die. Their mission is to discover why all the town's fey have disappeared but what they discover there is more horrifying than they could ever have imagined. And so begins another quest, one where Puck must travel to the Iron Realm and beyond to warn Queen Meghan of the threat and to ultimately confront the evil.

The only problem is that following events in the Town that Isn't There, Puck is at risk of succumbing to the darkness within himself.

Puck was not always my favourite character in the Iron Fey series, in fact, it was quite easy to dislike him; his sense of entitlement towards Meghan was anything but endearing. Kagawa takes that to the next level in Iron Raven, examining Puck through the mirror of his faults and his deeper, darker side. I shouldn't have enjoyed it but somehow it worked, knowing that Puck is anything but perfect and that he has to tackle his weaknesses head on.

Puck isn't the only character on a journey of redemption in this book, and both Keirran and Nyx are on their own paths towards becoming whole again.

An enduring theme throughout the Iron Fey series to date was the threat of technology and the uneasy relationship between progress and the loss of traditional values. Something darker is at play in The Iron Raven; darkness, decay, destruction and the role of humans in destroying both the planet and the NeverNever. Evenfall is coming but Kagawa is just getting started and I can't wait for the rest of the series to see the true nature of the threat.

I give The Iron Raven an excellent four out of five stars. Quest and journey books are not my best but there was sufficient character development in The Iron Raven to keep me interested and ultimately leave me hungry for more. In fact, I'm definitely going to continue listening to the whole series on audiobook. Recommended if you like paranormal, YA fiction.

Absolutely fantastic. It was incredible to be back in the Iron Fey world and reunite with some of my favourite characters!!
This does feature spoilers for the Iron Fey series but it was still a wonderful experience - very thankful to have been accepted to review this book!
seeing through the eyes of Puck as well was an experience, I’ve always adored his character and Incouldn’t wait to find out more!

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Iron Raven’ by Julie Kagawa in exchange for an honest review. On publication I bought its ebook and unabridged audiobook editions.

This is the first in Kagawa’s new Evenfall trilogy set in the Iron Fey universe. In it Robin Goodfellow aka Puck: King Oberon’s jester made famous by A Midsummer Night’s Dream tells his own story including his part in dealing with a serious new threat to all of Faerie.

Puck is a bit like a faerie Deadpool (or vice versa given how long Puck has been around). He loves to quip and wisecrack, happily breaking the fourth wall to address his audience.

Years ago I did read a number of the Iron Fey books, so am fairly familiar with its characters and setting. Still, I appreciated that Kagawa included background that both refreshed my memory and filled in some gaps.

I had been very fond of Robin from his first appearance in ‘The Iron King’ and so this book was a must read for me. I was also very happy to see the return of the cat-sith, Grimalkin.

‘The Iron Raven’ was great fun while also exciting with plenty of action along the way. I am looking forward to Book 2 in the series next year.

3.5/5 Rounded up to 4

What a fun read! I wish I had been smart enough to read the Iron Fey series first, but here we are anyway. I did round up to 4 because it seemed unfair for me to rate a book lower when I haven't read the 'building blocks' to it beforehand.

This book certainly made me a Puck fan! I thought he was just brilliant and I enjoyed that this story was focused on him as I know the others aren't in the Iron Fey series. We got more Puck and we had the introduction of new fey such as Nyx who I thought was pretty awesome/kick-butt. The world is obviously impressive and expansive, vast in its creatures and size so I could appreciate that. Then again I do adore Kagawa's world-building in general (see me shrieking over Shadow of the Fox for more examples).

There was adventure, mischief, new fey, and a new threat to the Nevernever.

I will say this book felt more of like a gound works set-up to the other books and so it wouldn't hold up on its own as well if it were a standalone. The ending seems to set more of the tone of what's to come in the next books.

While I enjoyed it, it did feel like it didn't have as much thought put into it as say 'Shadow of the Fox' but I do think this is again because of it being more of a set-up for the events to come.

Thank you SO much to HQ and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait for the next book after the ending of this one!

Everyone loves Puck. A prankster, joker and emotional wreck, Puck has always killed me with his sarcasm and quick wit. So, imagine my excitement to see that he has his own book now! What a treat. The Iron Raven doesn't disappoint, delivering the equal parts ire and heart that we've come to expect from Kagawa's Iron Fey world, but especially from much beloved Robin Goodfellow.

I guess my only complaint is that, in a series as large as The Iron Fey became, there really is limited scope to surprise us. Okay, so the possibilities are truly endless in a world of Kagawa's own creation, and a magical fae-ridden world at that, but the reality is that there are only so many creepy creatures and fisty-cuff frolics that this same band of heroes can go on (whether they hate each other or not!) before it starts to feel a bit samey.

So, I love this series, its characters and the incredible world and, perhaps most of all, I just really appreciate Kagawa's creation here. But I think I will park my love for it at the end of this book, because I think it has reached its natural end, and I'm happy with that.

ARC provided from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This month the ninth book in ‘The Iron Fey’ series, and the beginning of the new trilogy within the world, hit shelves. ‘The Iron Raven’ brings back Meaghan, Ash, Grimalkin and Puck going on adventures in the Wyldwood, but with Puck leading the show this time.

While the original series ended in 2012, the spin-off starring Kierran, the son of Meaghan and Ash, ran until 2015. And now it’s back.

It’s not the first popular, nostalgic YA series to be resurrected in the last few years and I have some thoughts about this new phenomenon.

Suzanne Collins brought back ‘The Hunger Games’ with ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, Stephenie Meyer brought back Edward and Bella with ‘Midnight Sun’, and Tahereh Mafi went back to the world of ‘Shatter Me’ after four years.

The thing about returning to a series, world and characters that was left behind a long time ago is that it all relies on nostalgia. That is the foundation for these new stories, along with the reliance on old memories, old loves and tropes of literature that are sometimes a decade old. In order to bring something new to this established world, the author needs to rework it to their modern audience and to those original readers who have grown and changed since they first fell in love with these novels.

With ‘Midnight Sun’, I went in knowing exactly what to expect and I loved the experience. With the others I expected something new and fresh, yet still familiar, to be blown away by and fall in love again and I keep being disappointed.

Julie Kagawa’s return to the Nevernever wasn’t a disappointment at all. While the Nevernever and the Wyldwood were settings we’d explored in previous books, Puck’s perspective is darker than Meaghan’s and a different darkness to Ash and Kierran. I loved the reflections on his history with Ash, with Meaghan and moments from his life as Robin Goodfellow. It all added up to a more rounded picture of Puck and why he struggled so much with Ash and Meaghan’s relationship which was really interesting. I also really enjoyed the introduction of Nyx, a Forgotten faery older even that the Courts, and she was a really strong contrast with Meaghan and Puck. She’s kickass and it was great watching her take Puck down a peg or two.

Though it also wasn’t necessary? It didn’t add anything to the original story, just extended it. It was the gang going on an adventure through the Nevernever, coming across dangerous obstacles and new challenges being through in the way at every end point. And I have a serious issue with a book published in 2021 using the word ‘spastic’ and I’m hoping that doesn’t make it to the finished copy as I did read an e-proof.


Written by Sophie

A e-proof of ‘The Iron Raven’ by Julie Kagawa was provided by NetGalley and HQ.

The UK e-book was released on 9 February and the UK paperwork will be released on 1 April by HQ.

✨The Iron Raven✨

Thank you to netgalley, HQ and Julie Kagawa for the review copy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well, wasn’t this just a blast from my Iron Fey loving past! The Iron Fey was my first real introduction to Fae books so naturally, I jumped at the chance to read my beloved Puck’s story!

This story sees us reunite with some old favourite faces and some new additions as we journey to save the Nevernever once again.

Puck as a main character is fun, cheeky and intriguing and returning to the Nevernever is like a warm hug. While the romance in this one wasn’t my favourite, I found it to be lacking something but look forward to seeing if it progresses in the next instalment presuming Puck is our MC, the adventure, the world building and well, the general nostalgia of it all was incredible.

Can be read as a standalone but will definitely spoil the original series and well, the original series is incredible so I highly recommend reading it.

A captivating tale of how old wounds run deep, love, heartbreak and overcoming your inner demons. I highly recommend to lovers of all things fae.

Having never read any of the previous Iron Contingent,this was a really enjoyable fantasy frolic. The world building has obviously been incredibly well thought through.The mixture of familiar Shakespearean trickster in a larger more immersive magical world with hints of modernity in dress and speech - a smidgen of cyberpunk and an array of wonderful creatures, I cannot help thinking this would make a brilliant series for the Henson stable to get their hands on.

The characters were fun and some interesting backstory and subplots will obviously shape the coming books ... animosity and strained loyalties abound... looking forward to the next.

I loved loved LOVED this book!!! The Iron Raven is a beautifully crafted story of love, friendship, broken heart, vengeful jester and faery world threating to crumble. The scenery is so imaginatively described you can almost see yourself there. The faery world illustrated here is gorgeous but scary and wild, and it still made me want to go there.

I'm not sure if this book is part of a series, but I haven't read anything by Julie Kagawa in past and I had no trouble jumping into the story straight away. Of course, there was a lot of characters that seemed to have past with Puck, but in the grander scheme of the plot, Julie made it feel like it didn't matter to the current time line.

I absolutely loved the duality of Puck and Robin, two parts of the same person, yet both had good and bad qualities in them. But being the jokester that he is, I instantly fell in love with him. We all carry a baggage with us, Puck is just not afraid to show his off. It probably didn't hurt that he was handsome, even off the pages.

My second favourite character is Nyx. I have a weakness for anything Moon related, so to have a character named after a goddess of night, that draws power from the Moon and has Moon like eyes is always a winner to me. And of course she is so deliciously unaware of the current world, that is making most of her interactions super precious.

I have been very picky with my fantasy books so far, but Julie's writing is so amazing that I really want to read everything this lady ever wrote and I absolutely recommend this book to everyone who loves a good fantasy!

Thank you very kindly to HQ Young Adult and NetGalley for letting me read a copy.

This is the Puck book I wanted 5 years ago. While you don't need to have read The Iron Fey series this will spoil it if you haven't so if you don't mind then go ahead. While I was 100% here for nostalgia and cameos from IF characters, the chemistry between Puck and Nyx just landed flat for me. I volunteered to read and review an early copy of this. All opinions are my own.

2.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2021/02/09/the-iron-raven-the-iron-fey-evenfall-1-by-julie-kagawa/
I recently read and loved the Shadow of the Fox series by Julie Kagawa so when I saw her latest book I couldn’t help requesting it. I love reading books about the fey and even though I’ve not read the previous Iron Fey books this is a new start with a central character that I simply couldn’t resist – Puck, or Robin Goodfellow as he is sometimes known.

The long and the short of it is that this one didn’t work out quite as well for me as I’d hoped, but, in fairness I think its maybe an ‘it’s me not you’ thing. I imagine that readers familiar with this world will enjoy the return to much loved characters but as they were all new to me I didn’t have that attachment to carry me along.

I must say I got off to a really good start. I was enjoying reading about Puck and especially the Goblin Market where he met an old acquaintance and a female assassin who definitely piqued his interest. At this point we become aware of something dark attacking the fae of the Between and so the story takes us in the direction of a place where forgotten fae live in search of a monster that seeps evil.

Now, the thing is with this review I’m trying to avoid mention of so many things so as not to spoil the story for readers who are already familiar with this world and it’s characters. Instead I’m going to give more a few pros and cons.

Well, as I mentioned above I love that this is a story that focuses on Puck. The backstory about how he came to the Summer Court to serve under Oberon and Titania was really good. I also liked the character Nyx, a rather deadly and stunning assassin. She is fascinating and I would definitely like to know more about her.

I really liked that we travelled about and saw quite a few places and I loved the way the story uses fairytale scenarios and other little quotes that felt like shout outs.

The writing is good and the pace quick, in fact I pretty much flew through this until I reached maybe the last third.

In terms of criticisms. Well, I mentioned that I really liked that the story centres around Puck. However, given the direction that things take I wouldn’t say that he comes across in the best light. I realise of course that it’s linked to the overall storyline but it just left me feeling a little disappointed. Also, although I really liked Nyx I really didn’t feel any chemistry between her and Puck and so that element to the story fell flat for me. There was also a slight element of repetitiveness towards the end, which is where everything slowed down for me, not to mention a cliffhanger conclusion.

Overall, this one didn’t work out for me which is a shame. In fairness this is aimed at a much younger audience and I feel like readers who are already familiar with this world might enjoy this return to beloved characters more than I was able.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Well why wouldn't you make Robin Goodfellow the hero or should that be anti hero ? I loved that Puck led the story here and if you have read the previous Fae stories by this author than you too will be desperate for his point of view. He has loved, lost and grown as a person. Robin is still the ultimate trickster and knows how to be wily. Yet a dark, menacing presence can change everything but the most mercurial character in literature is definitely a force to be reckoned with !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair