Pages: 386
Goodreads Description:
Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.
Unless he can earn a soul.
To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.
Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.
To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.
And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.
I actually really really liked this book! At first I was rather apprehensive as I was expecting a very cheesy mushy kind of book, and I was apprehensive due to the fact that this is from Ash's POV, but it was
way better than what I had originally expected.
As usual, Grimalkin, the Cheshire cat of a Cat Sith, does not disappoint. He is yet again, a very integral part of the story.
We then see Puck and his ever delightful wit goading Ash.
I rather like the use of how Ash repeats his name several times in the beginning to ground himself when Puck is in his 'let's-irritate-ash!' mood.
Ash did not disappoint. Well, that's an understatement. He seems so... real to us. The lengths at which he goes to, what he sacrifices, though knowing of the consequences, continues to wow me so.
This book started off after Meghan Chase became the Iron Queen in
Iron Queen. Ash is searching for a way to reunite with Meghan. He is accompanied by Puck to look for Grimalkin to find a way so that he can be mortal, so as to withstand iron and be with Meghan.
I was especially shocked midway through the book, when a character I never really expected to do so, showed up. Come to think of it, I almost forgotten about that-certain-person-I-would-not-mention! (almost.) Julie Kagawa made the transitions between scenes smooth, and the pace was wonderful.
We constantly see the hardships that Ash and his company have to endure, in order to fulfil his quest for mortality.
The part that impressed me the most was when Ash was tested. It showed me how everything has its repercussions. Your past, what you choose to do now, what is to come. It's not just all I want to be human! and with the wave of my wand kind of thing. I enjoyed it when Ash learns what it is to be mortal. That part of the book was the most impressive, albeit a little short. The third one made me really emotional (I don't usually get emotional when reading), and my heart was breaking for Ash. The way it seemed so surreal, like as if on television, the way it made us feel not grounded, was that part that hit the jackpot. It is a feat for an author to utilise that kind of writing to their advantage, and making the story seem, in contrast, much more interesting and vibrant. But ultimately Ash does make his choice (of course not without a price to pay) and, again I say, it does not disappoint.
This is by far, the best book in the series.
Don't think of reading it. READ IT
