The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa ~ a Review

by MK French

Prince Ash journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and remain with Queen Meghan. However, their son King Keirran of the Forgotten is missing and an ancient evil is approaching as Evenfall arises. If Ash and his allies can't prevent it, the cracks in the world will shatter.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

February 2022; Inkyard Press; 978-1335418647
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); YA fantasy

Following The Iron Raven (read my review), The Iron Sword is the second book of the Evenfall series. In the first, the characters all discovered that the end of the Nevernever is coming, and did their best traveling through different realms despite the inherent danger in doing so. This novel picks up right after the last one ends. They're all exhausted and beaten up after fighting the Monster, but they still have more to do.  Kierran is still missing, and the Nevernever is at risk. There are oddities in the Between and in the mortal realm, monsters that feed on and enhance hate, fury, misery, and rage. Ash is our POV character here, and seeing everyone in their nightmare scenarios was heartbreaking. 

The progression throughout the novel was one journey after another; finding Kierran isn't enough, because the Forgotten King and his people are still displaced and in need of a home. The rage-inducing piskies are on both sides of the Veil, doing damage; InSite is, of course, a danger to everyone, and I had a good laugh over the social media site stoking the Flames of people's misery in the novel, considering that social media certainly does it in real life. Faerie is the mirror of our reality, born of dreams and imagination. Here, we discover what Evenfall is and why it's so potentially dangerous.

This is clearly the middle book of a trilogy. The end resolves the question of what the Monster is, why it was in the Nevernever, and what the piskies were. However, the answer is bigger than anyone thought, and we're clearly set up to jump right into the next book with the ending. Literally. This book is a wild ride of emotion and action, and a fun look into the machinations of Faerie. 

Buy The Iron Sword at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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