Review: The Iron Vow by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Vow {The Iron Fey: Evenfall #3}

Published: 3rd May 2023, HQ YA

Status: Read May 2023 courtesy Harlequin Australia

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My Thoughts:

I first read The Iron King in 2010 and I think it was one of the very first books I received from Harlequin Australia for review. While it’s not strictly necessary to be familiar with the Iron Fey series which includes the four books of The Iron Fey (The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight) and The Iron Fey: Call of Forgotten trilogy (The Lost Prince, The Iron Traitor and The Iron Warrior), plus various novellas, you should have read the first two books of the Evenfall spin-off trilogy, The Iron Raven and the The Iron Sword, to enjoy The Iron Vow, which also serves as a finale for the for the whole of the Iron Fey series. I’ve read each instalment as it has been released, but if you haven’t, or you have forgotten what has transpired, given the books have been published over a 13 year period, Julie Kagawa helpfully provides a brief recap of the entire Iron Fey series in the first few pages of The Iron Vow.

“Let me tell you a story.
The story of a girl who went into the land of faeries, met a prince, and fell in love.”

As I had surmised given the previous books in the Evenfall trilogy, Meghan is the narrator for The Iron Vow, and the contrast between the teenager who first stumbled into the NeverNever and the Iron Queen of today is satisfying.

The Iron Vow begins where The Iron Sword left off, with our band of heroes, who attempted to stop the vengeful Nightmare King from breaking through from Evenfall, realising they had no choice but to enter his terrifying realm to ensure the immortal King never wakes up. So now Meghan, accompanied by her husband Ash, son Kierran, Puck, Nyx and Grimalkin, are in a deadly world with no natural glamour (hence no ready access to magic) on a dangerous mission to save not only all of Faerie, but also the Human world.

I don’t want to give too much away but the story progresses as you would expect, with the group battling their way through a hostile land populated by monstrous nightmares, offering plenty of fast paced action. They unearth secrets, find unlikely allies, and are forced to confront their own nightmares to reach their goal. To prevail demands a grand sacrifice, and unprecedented cooperation. It’s as tense, exciting, emotional, and entertaining as you would want from this series finale.

The characters remain true to who they have become over the series. Meghan is noble, Ash is protective, Kierran yearns for redemption, Puck cracks jokes, Nyx is deadly, and Grimalkin always disappears at the first sign of trouble. I’m a little sorry to say goodbye to them after all this time, though the epilogue provides some comfort.

I’ve very much enjoyed The Iron Fey series, and I’m sure it will continue to capture the imagination of readers of young adult fantasy.

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