The Iron Raven

December 1, 2020
A new monster invading the world of Faery unearths old hatred, betrayal, and heartache. In this new trilogy set in the world of The Iron Fey stories, Robin Goodfellow, aka Puck, self-proclaimed World's Greatest Prankster, is the protagonist. He is interrupted in his latest schemes by a chance encounter with Keirran, King of the Forgotten, who is attempting to contact his mother, the Iron Queen, about a disturbance in the Between. This sets off a quest that revisits beloved characters from previous books while introducing new ones. In the ensuing battles, Puck struggles with his cruel and savage past self and buried hurts. For the uninitiated, the steady stream of characters with complicated backstories and memories related to past books may at first appear daunting to digest. Kagawa, however, does an excellent job of pacing the introductions, connecting the relationship histories, and providing space for all these players to be fleshed out and interact with one another. While the sidhe are mostly described as being similar: "slender, beautiful, otherworldly, and pointy-eared," with variations in hair and eye color, the story does go into some innate prejudice and bias against beings in different realms. There is no shortage of humor and action, as is to be expected when following Puck's adventures. When the quips stop, readers know things are about to get serious. High adventure, rakish humor, and just enough of the feels to get readers' hearts racing. (Fantasy. 13-17)

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December 15, 2020
Grades 9-12 Robin Goodfellow, better known to Shakespeare fans as the mischief-making sprite Puck, gets to tell his own story in this series starter, a companion to Kagawa's Iron Fey books. Though he's always been a troublemaker, Puck is more of a benign prankster than a vicious fool. Now, though, he has to become a hero if he's to save Faery from the strange shadow creatures that have begun to appear in the Nevernever. These seemingly unbeatable creatures spread hatred, and Puck will have to join forces with the Forgotten Faery assassin Nyx to try to figure out where they've come from and how to get rid of them. Fans eager to see more of the familiar fey from the previous seven books will be pleased with this spin-off. Puck is good fun, and seeing him as a lead, written with great attention to detail, is a Faery dream come true. Make sure to have the whole set on hand.

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December 21, 2020
Told from the first-person perspective of Robin Goodfellow, also known as the fast-talking chaos causer Puck, this series starter set in the world of Kagawa’s Iron Fey saga follows Robin and Keirran, King of the Forgotten—exiled son of Iron Queen Meghan Chase, and sole wielder of “all three glamours, Summer, Winter, and Iron”—as they investigate a malevolent darkness in the Between. Aided by Keirran’s self-appointed personal guard, a primordial Forgotten sidhe assassin called Nyx, the two investigate the disappearance of an ancient town of Forgotten, only to encounter a malignant monster manifesting the darkness. Cursed into a previous, crueler form, Robin is disconcertingly pushed to face past wounds before the monster flees into the Nevernever, launching an action-packed, courts-traversing journey as the friends seek assistance from familiar faces and new allies. Kagawa succeeds in balancing Puck’s snappy, mischievous voice with Faery’s enthralling details. Though newcomers may find the established cast and worldbuilding briefly overwhelming, they’ll soon become immersed in this well-paced adventure, fulfilling for both Kagawa enthusiasts and fans of faerie tales. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary.

January 1, 2021

Gr 8 Up-Robin Goodfellow, or Puck, leads this new series set within the world established in the "Iron Fey" series. Puck is pulled into a new adventure when he; Keirran, King of the Forgotten and son of the Iron Queen and the Winter Prince; and Nyx, a deadly assassin, encounter a monster that unleashes negative feelings and anger to all fae who encounter it. Puck and Nyx must recruit Puck's best friends Meghan Chase, the Iron Queen, and Ash, Meghan's consort and a Winter Prince, to stop the monster before it corrupts the entire Nevernever. This new series does not require reading the previous Iron Fey books, but new fans may seek out the previous titles for more world-building and backstory. Fans will enjoy the continuation of Puck, Meghan, and Ash's story and find the new character Nyx an intriguing and delightful addition. While the plot is action-packed, pacing is affected by a clear indication that the book is the first in the series, so the ending is slightly anti-climactic and rushed. The epilogue provides an intriguing hook for readers to continue to the next installment. Characters are of various fey classifications with various skin tones (green, blue, copper). VERDICT A great spin-off series that should capture new readers and please established fans. Recommend to readers who enjoy Cassandra Clare or Holly Black.-Kaetlyn Phillips, Yorkton, Sask.

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