Megan Chase is a normal sixteen year old girl. Well, almost normal. Her mother remarried, after her father mysteriously disappeared, when she was a small child and now she lives on a pig farm in a small town in Louisiana with her step father and brother Ethan.
Strange things begin happening to Megan's on her sixteenth birthday. She begins seeing things and comes home to find her mother unconscious on the floor and her brother acting strange. That's when she finds out the world isn't what she thought it was. Her best friend Robbie, who ends up being the infamous Robin Goodfellow, opens her eyes to the world of the Faeries.
Megan refuses Robin's offer to drink a wine that will hide the Faery from her eyes when she finds out that her brother Ethan has been kidnapped and taken into the Faery world. She sets out with Robin, also called Puck, to find her brother in the magical world of the Faery.
Once inside the Faery, Megan discovers a whole other world filled with the creatures of myths and nightmares. She is chased by everything from ogres to goblins to bogeys in her journey through the Faery. In an unfortunate turn of events, Megan is separated from Puck and has to depend on Grimalikin, a sith-cat, to take her to find her friend again.
Grimalikin takes her to the Summer King Oberon's court where Megan finds out that she is not who she thought she was. She is half faery, the daughter of the Summer King. Her father accepts her into his court but she is shunned for being a half breed by almost everyone else. Oberon's wife, Queen Titiana makes life especially hard for her and sentences her to work in the kitchen.
Battered and abused, Megan tries to hold onto hope of finding her brother though she doesn't know where to look. That is, until the Winter court comes to dine. The Winter Fey are the enemies of the Summer Fey and Megan is convinced that they have taken Ethan. She escapes the Summer court with the help of Grimlikan and heads out to find Ethan.
There is only one problem...Ash. Prince Ash of the Winter court has been order by his queen to capture Megan and bring her back and he is about to do just that when they are attacked by a strange breed of Fey that are made of iron. Their very essence is deadly to the Summer and Winter Fey, except for Megan because she is part human. It is during this attack that Megan discovers her brother is being held by the Iron King.
Puck, Ash, Grimlikan and Megan head to an oracle in New Orleans to find a way to defeat the Iron King so she can save her brother. Puck is injured after another run in with the Iron Fey and he and Grimlikan stay behind while her and Ash set out to find the Iron King.
After receiving a witch wood arrow, the only thing that can kill the Iron King, Megan and Ash head into the Iron Realm. Ash grows sicker and sicker as they travel deeper into the Iron Fey's territory and is too weak to escape when they are captured. Megan continues on alone in search for the Iron King.
She finally arrives at the Iron King's layer only to find Ethan and Ash in his possession. She is determined to defeat the Iron King and save her brother and the Winter Prince, whom she now loves. Using the witch wood arrow, she kills the Iron King and saves her brother and Ash. Relieved, she returns her brother home, anxious to be back to a normal life. There is only one problem....she knows too much now. Also, she must pay up on a debt she owes to the Winter Prince. In exchange for his help in the Iron Realm, she must now go willingly to the Winter court.
What will happen to her in the Winter Court, the court of her enemies? How can Ash and her be together when their love is forbidden? You'll have to read the next book to find out.
I have to say that my words don't even do this book justice. This is by far one of my most favorite series of all time. Julie Kagawa combines modern times with fantasy and old time chivalry (which I love). There is action and romance and crazy off the wall fantasy. The characters are well thought out and the plot is enticing. I could not put the book down and after the first one, I ran out and bought the two sequels right away.
This book will leave you pining for more and with the fourth and final book getting ready to release on October 25, 2011 now is the perfect time to immerse yourself in the series.
Parents, there is some language in this book and it is also full to the hilt with fantasy. Every kind of mythical creature you can imagine is in the book. In fact, I'm not sure how Julie Kagawa keeps it all straight. If you are against that sort of thing, this is definitely not a book for you. Otherwise, this book has kept me wanting more from day one.
The writer is brilliant, truly one of my favorites. I love her style and imagination. If I could give this book three thumbs up, I would!
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