The Iron Raven is the first in the Iron Fey: Evenfall series. This series is set in a larger world created by Julie Kagawa. Marketing assured me that I didn't have to read the original books to enjoy this one so I delved into the world of Puck.

Robin Goodfellow aka Puck is none as many things: prankster, joker, raven, fool, and King Oberon's right-hand jester. But he is so much more than that. He will prove it too as helps the
Iron Queen and her prince consort, figure out a new monster that they have never seen and leaves everything it touches angry and violent. Other allies join them as their enemies are many as they search out this monster and try to ensure peace in their world.

I enjoyed the voice given to Puck and his chance to tell his own story. The author created a beautiful and dark world that I enjoyed visiting with these characters. I love the variety of creatures included and that I was snot whitewashed as beautiful thing white people. The variety of places was great too. The characters weren't just trudging through the same areas and challenges the whole book.

There were some things I didn't like. Kagwa loves to repeat herself. Instead of efficient usage of words, characters tell the reader something and then a few pages later straight up say the same thing. This gets better as the novel goes along and I was happy to see that. The other issue isn't truly the author's fault. I felt like I was missing a lot by not reading the book. She tried to give summaries of past events but I had so many questions that to answer them would have dragged the book down more.

The Iron Raven is book one of a new epic fantasy trilogy set in the world of The Iron Fey. Fans will love it but newbies will feel somewhat lost without reading the other works. This is a decent fantasy story with some writing issues.

“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Wait, hold up. Wrong story.”

From my understanding, this is a continuation off of Kagawa’s The Iron Fey series, but this time from Robin “Puck” Goodfellow’s viewpoint. Having not read the previous series, readers will not be misplaced. The story starts sometime later with a new problem, just with recurring characters.

Here is a little background that I gathered: Puck is an arrogant bastard (haha) who lost his love to a Winter fey and has been sulking ever since. Meghan Chase aka The Iron Queen is the amour to both Puck and Ash. Always looking for an opportunity to kill each other, they somehow always end up on the same side.

The crew of estranged lover, worst enemy, lost love, and lost memory bond together in order to stop a mysterious darkness that is creeping over the land.

Kagawa always does a great job of incorporating the land into her stories. We meet different cultures, see vast geography, and come across the paranormal. Her characters are based off her culture or some very familiar races living jointly in the world…but with a twist.

Things I Liked

World-building
Character Vulnerability
The magic system – while not well-explained in this novel, I’m sure there is more explanation in The Iron Fey series
Ash – I have a feeling I will really like him when I read The Iron Fey series

Things I Didn’t Like

The “MC” – he was just too cocky for me – I felt like I was potentially missing out on the truth of some parts of the story since he exaggerates a lot
Meghan – I never like those hoes who lead two guys on – look at the lasting damage she did!
The ending – this felt like it could’ve been a standalone and ended just with the destruction of the darkness. It felt a little like grasping for more.
Knowing me, you’d know that I could care less about character development and care more about the action, but Puck ended up not being as douchey as I originally thought, so I appreciated that.

Having read The Shadow of the Fox, I felt more detached from these stories than those. I enjoyed this novel, but it may have been better designed as a novella. Again, it could’ve been because I haven’t read The Iron Fey, but the culture was harder to read because we weren’t staying as long in one portion of the land.

The Iron Raven is a tale of coming together despite difference in order to preserve good. Readers who like a story where the good guys win and the bad get what they deserve will love this novel.

I loved Julie Kagawa’s The Shadow of the Fox series, so I jumped on the chance to read another of her books. THE IRON RAVEN was my introduction to the Iron Fey world, and even though it is apparently installment #8 in the series, it’s a solid entry point for new readers. Kagawa is careful to give enough backstory that a new reader can understand the basics of the world and the relationships without being lost, and the few flashbacks we did get were helpful in building the contrast between the past Puck and the current Puck.

A lot of your enjoyment of the book is going to hinge on whether or not you like Puck as a narrator. Personally, I was fond of Puck’s brand of snark, so his sarcastic humor and occasional foray into viciousness only added to my enjoyment rather than detracted from it. I liked his sharp banter and the dark moments where he revealed just how cruel he used to be—and still could be.

One of my favorite parts of any fantasy series is watching an author have fun with the world they’ve created, and the different realms that Puck and his companions passed through were all memorable and, like the many creatures and people inhabiting the Nevernever, often dangerous. As for danger, it can be difficult to write tricksters in battle, but Kagawa did a great job of showcasing Puck’s creativity and power whenever an action scene came up. I’d love to see some of these fights animated, honestly.

As a new reader to the series, I found the characterization outside of Puck a little on the shallow side; I’m certain long-time readers of the series gleaned a lot more depth in the character interactions than I did. We got a few references to more emotional moments regarding Puck and Ash’s rivalry or the past love triangle between them and Megan, which was helpful and gave context to some of Puck’s behavior and thoughts in the second half of the book. As it was, the characters were serviceable, and I had enough information to figure out what I needed to.

I do wish we had more time devoted to Nyx—I rather liked what we got of her and craved more. Her burgeoning romance with Puck had an interesting foundation, but it was difficult to get to know her at times. Then again, a big part of her character is the loss of her memories as a Forgotten and her tenuous connection to existence. I do hope that she will get more screen time (and more time with just Puck) in the rest of the series now that we have a lot of the getting-readers-back-up-to-speed out of the way.

Recommendation: Get it soon if you are a fan of the series or are looking for a faery adventure story. Puck is an entertaining, snarky narrator, and his adventure through the faery realm is filled with memorable locations and exciting fights. THE IRON RAVEN is a pretty good starting point for new readers, and I’m curious enough about where the plot is headed that I’ll keep my eye out for the next book.

Ever have one of those authors who’s written word just calls to you? Julie Kagawa is one of mine. Her books delve into the fae world and are written so poetically that I can’t help but be mesmerized by the story.
This book follows Robin Goodfellow, aka Puck, as he and Nyx try to get a message to the queen and rid the NeverNever of a never seen before monster. Along the way, Puck starts to have feelings for his companion and can only hope she reciprocated.
Opinion
Though this is the first book of the series, this is not the first book in this world. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing old friends again as we explored Puck’s story. The world Ms. Kagawa has created is absolutely fascinating and I look forward to reading more.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Being such a big fan of The Iron Fey books, this was a very nostalgic read for me. It was wonderful to be back in this world with loveable characters. I have not read any of the Call of the Forgotten books but that was not a problem at all as this book does a good job of filling in the blanks and encouraging curiosity to go back and read about Keirran. Seeing Meghan and Ash again and back in action brought a lot of memories to the forefront and it was nice to catch up with them and the Iron Kingdom. The Iron Kingdom is so cool and I hope to see more of it.

* Possible Spoilers below*
There is a new entity that radiates loathing and it’s making The Forgotten act strangely and the Between. It affects them emotionally and leaves corruption behind. This book is about Puck, Nyx, Meghan, Ash, Grimalkin, and Coaleater and their quest to find out what this entity is and to stop it from infecting everyone.

I loved Puck and his struggle to maintain the version of himself that he wanted. He just comes across as a candid and earnest jester and I love that about him. The new character Nyx is a moon Fae and I loved learning more about her and seeing her in action. I think she is a great character and opposite of Puck.

This was a pretty fast paced book and if you loved The Iron Fey books you will love this too. This can be read as a standalone as well.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

What a wonderful welcome back into the world of the Iron Fey! Old favorites and new faces unite in a captivating story of friendship, love, and adventure.

While it took a few chapters to remind myself how the last few books went, it was such a joy to be back in the faerie world. Puck is still up to his mischief, but really grew and changed over the course of the story. He went from prankster to real mature and developed, with a little joking on the side. Ash and Meghan are back too, still great and still in love. The fantastic cast of characters from the original series grew by many, most notably Nyx, the Forgotten warrior. She is everything I hoped for in a character: funny, dramatic, snarky, just amazing. I love her and can’t wait to see where her story goes.

Now onto the plot. The plot felt familiar in a very good way. Like the other Iron Fey books, the misfit group of faeries has to save the Nevernever from disaster. This time, the end of the world I s actually coming and Puck will be the one to save the day. With plenty of Ash and Meghan along the way, it was such a fun ride.

I do feel like this story was lacking a bit of the magic and uniqueness of the original series, but it was definitely full of nostalgia from my middle school days. While I definitely enjoyed catching up with all of the old gang, I just wish this book was a little bit more Puck. It is his story after all.

It’s been so long since I immersed myself into the world of the Iron Fey series. I used to read the books all of the time and when I heard there was a new book I was excited to read it! This story follows Robin Goodfellow (Puck), who is a jester for the Summer King. He joins Keirran, the king of The Forgotten, on a quest to find out why things have suddenly vanished in the Between. What monster lurks in the dark mist?

Reading this book felt a bit nostalgic and exciting. I’ve always been a fan of fey stories in the fantasy genre and I like it takes inspiration from folklore of fairies, goblins, and mythical creatures. Being that this world is separate from ours its highly immersive and interesting. It’s a fun reading experience for the reader. I appreciate that it welcomes new readers to the series and putting in some Easter eggs for the original fans. There’s something for everyone and so much to explore with all of the different courts and realms.

I love candid nature of Puck and how it offsets Nyx’s stern nature. They tend to butt heads due to their opposition but make a good team working together. Plus Nyx is an excellent fighter. The book was action-packed and full of suspense, which kept me hooked into the story. However, it felt like something was missing at times. I still enjoyed the novel and the cliffhanger at the end of story made me want to continue with this series.

Kagawa finally graced us with Puck's own book where he tells his story, and I loved every minute of it. The introduction of Nyx was a fantastic addition and she swiftly became my new favorite character and I cannot wait for the next book! That cliffhanger? That hurt, Julie. Thank you for providing me and arc and for having me on the blog tour.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Kagawa, and Inkyard Press for the opportunity to not only read The Iron Raven in exchange for an honest review, but to be a part of the Blog Tour as well.

This series is a new trilogy that comes after Kagawa's original Iron Fey series. You do not need to read that series to read this book. I have not read it, but I would really like to, as many of the characters make appearances in this book.

The Iron Raven follows the first-person perspective of Puck, a mischievous fey that loves playing tricks and just having an all-around good time. When a strange shadow-creature makes its presence known in the Nevernever, Puck gets caught right in the middle, and the creature does something to pull the meaner parts out of Puck, including some horns and hooves...

Puck meets Nyx, a type of fey that has not been seen before. She once served the Lady, an enemy to many other fey. Keirran, the banished son of the Iron Queen and also the King of the Between, cannot go to his mother for aid regarding the strange shadow creature. It is up to Puck and Nyx to get the help they need, hunt down the creature, and save the entire Nevernever from the dreaded Evenfall, the end of days...

I greatly enjoy Julie Kagawa's books. She has a fun writing craft and presents her worlds with interesting conflicts and characters. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt reading from Puck's point of view, thinking mostly of the Shakespearean version. He was a fun and witty character to view the story through. I enjoyed the small sections of romance that occurred. With the way the book presented itself, it felt almost surprising. As with many Kagawa novels, there were quite a number of battle/fight scenes that took an exorbitant amount of pages. This drew me out a little bit at times, but the quest continues and the plot was a fun doomsday drive.

If you are a fan of the original Iron Fey series, I am betting you will absolutely adore these further adventures of Puck and Meghan. I certainly wouldn't mind continuing this series, and now I am rather intrigued to check out the original Iron Fey series to see what all I missed. A great young adult novel and start to a new series, The Iron Raven is sure to delight its readers.

I read the original Iron Fey series back when I was younger and it first came out. I was so excited to return to the world, and it was as good as I'd hoped. There were a few references I didn't remember or understand, since I only read up to the original books before Ash and Meghan had a kid (!) but it wasn't too distracting. I was honestly just happy to get a story like this with Puck. I loved him from book one and I loved him again in his book--even when he was being a total ass. I think this is a book everyone who read the original series will absolutely love, and will bring new readers in too.

The Iron Raven is another trilogy is the Iron Fey series. I read the Iron Fey series when it first came out ten or so years ago and enjoyed it but didn't love it. That's how I felt about this. The characters are always getting into one mess or another but it felt repetitive and monotonous. If you enjoy the Iron Fey series you will definitely like this book as well. If you haven't read the Iron Fey series, the author does a good job of filling in any gaps you may have missed from not reading the first or second trilogy.

It has been many years sense I read Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey books and my memory does tend to blur with other titles similar to that series. The Iron Raven had me back into her world but this time the main focus being on Puck our beloved trickster. Regrettably, I was not engrossed in this book as I remembered my younger self was with her past series. Although the title did not speak to me I believe that it still holds together very well. The characters (old and new), the world, the writing style, and the overall plot of this book was beautiful. Recommend to those that are both new to the series or fans of Kagawa’s works.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and Ms. Kagawa for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I will admit, I requested this ARC solely due to the nostalgic feelings that came flooding back when I read the words "Iron Fey." I too was eager to reconnect with Meghan and Ash, and sure, Puck also, why not. Except that here, Puck is the main character, expected to carry the book: he is supposed to be the main dish, not the vegetables on the side nor the spice on the meat lending it flavor. And I am afraid that Puck was not cutting it for me as the sole entree. The book dragged until Meghan and Ash jumped onto the page, which is a bad sign in a book where their appearance (I assume) is meant to be secondary to Puck's lead role. The use of first person voice doesn't help; Puck is already so immature and inconsistent that first person voice makes him even more tedious. He's clearly meant to have a very sympathetic "poor me" backstory going on but I just felt impatient with it. Nyx, the Forgotten moon fae, is pretty cool, but her main contribution to the story ended up being listening to Puck/Robin make stupid jokes unnecessary noise, and killing things once in a while. IDK. It's possible that I've outgrown this series to such a point that I have trouble appreciating it now. (If I never read or hear the phrase "ice boy" again it will be too soon.)

My favorite character was Coaleater, the Iron horse faery, and the Iron kingdom itself. I do still enjoy Ms. Kagawa's seemingly boundless imagination for new marvels in the world of faery, like the volt hinds. And I loved seeing Meghan again for a minute. But I think I'm going to let her memory remain unblemished unless I hear that the second book lets Puck "grow up" a little bit. I'm clearly no longer the target audience.

I've never read the original Iron Fey series Julie Kagawa is famed for, and as far as I can tell given my tastes, that's actually for the best. The original books are a YA fantasy romance revolving around Meghan Chase, a human teenager who discovers that she's the daughter of the Summer King of the Faery. Given that those novels were written a little over a decade ago, it should come as no surprise that there's an obligatory love triangle between Meghan, her best friend Puck and the son of the Winter Queen. She picks Ash, becomes the Iron Queen etc. etc. There are admittedly a lot of cool narrative twists but most of the critical reviews of the series complain about Meghan and her relationship with Ash. I get the feeling that if I'd read those books, I would never have bothered to pick up The Iron Raven, which would have been a huge disservice to myself as this novel is pretty darn awesome.

It likely helps that Meghan and Ash are supporting characters here and that the focus is on Puck, the fairy formerly known as Robin Goodfellow, as he faces a new threat to the Faery Realm. He's pretty much just minding his own business attending the Goblin Market when he runs into Kierran -- Meghan and Ash's son -- who is now King of the Forgotten. The alluring moon elf Nyx, who turns out to be Kierran's loyal bodyguard and assassin, accosts them with tidings of strange goings on in the Between realm populated by the Forgotten. Intrigued, Puck accompanies Kierran and Nyx to the forgotten town of Phaed, where an encounter with a fearful monster reawakens malevolent parts of Puck's personality that he thought he'd long grown away from. Even worse, the monster gets away, slipping from the Between to the Nevernever of the faeries themselves, setting Puck and Nyx on a quest to warn Meghan and find help in destroying the monster for good.

In a lot of ways, this book reminded me of a particularly well-written Changeling roleplaying adventure, with lots of humorous banter, mystic powers and swashbuckling action. Puck is a terrific main character and narrator, with a ridiculously louche yet disarmingly self-aware attitude, who has to confront his own demons in order to win the day. I loved the many references to other established fairy tales (tho I did think it a little weird that the faeries of this realm seemed so ignorant of references to what was clearly a neighboring mythology,) and especially appreciated how Ms Kagawa built her narrative so that I was easily caught up to speed with the who and where of what was going on from past to present. I was also deeply appreciative of how the book wraps up its A-plot before going into the cliffhanger: TIR feels satisfyingly complete on its own, but I still really want to read what happens next.

The only thing I didn't really care for was Nyx's bizarre flirtation via knifepoint. I've read that that's a criticism leveled at previous books, where Meghan falls in love with Ash despite him constantly trying to kill her, so I guess if that's your thing then yay, here's more! I wasn't hugely enamored of Meghan and Ash in this book either -- they do still read like your typical YA pairing, tho at least they've grown up some now -- so won't be looking up the previous novels despite my enjoyment of Ms Kagawa's writing otherwise. I do really want to see what Puck does next tho, and am eager to read the rest of this particular series. Philosophically speaking, I'm not 100% sure I buy into the way Puck defeated the monster at the end, but this also wasn't the kind of book I felt a need to put a lot of deep thought into. It's a pleasantly escapist romp, with a fun, flawed main character who's finally getting his well-deserved time in the spotlight.

The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa will be published tomorrow February 9th 2021 by Inkyard Press and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781335091765">Bookshop!</a>. Want it now? For the Kindle version, <a href="https://amzn.to/3oOrsAk">click here</a>.

Fans of Julie Kagawa's The Iron Fey rejoice! As she's about to throw us back into that world, with the start of a new series: The Iron Raven is the first of The Iron Fey: Evenfall. Better yet? It seems to be focused on the one and only, Puck!

Robin Goodfellow, aka Puck, is pretty good at creating a good time for himself. Yet he's also never been one to turn down an adventure, no matter how dangerous it may appear to be. So is it really any surprise that he's about to get wrapped up in a whole new series of events? Nope.

Puck is about to find old enemies and allies, while making new ones, and it all starts when some fey go missing. Isn't that always the way of things?

“A long time ago,” I began in a grand voice, “in a galaxy far, far away...Wait, hold up. Wrong story. Lemme try that again.”

I have to admit, it's been pretty fascinating seeing so many authors return to worlds and series that the fans have thought were long complete. Not that I'm complaining! Some of my favorites are being revived, so it's actually quite delightful.

I do love that Julie Kagawa is making her return in a new series, even if it is set in the same world. It's going to be approachable for both fans new and old – though obviously the longer running fans are going to get a lot more appreciation, not to mention nostalgia vibes.

Additionally, Puck taking the leading role is pretty amazing. He's a character that certainly deserves it, as he is shockingly complex while still being an overall high spirited (albeit chaotic) character.

“I lost myself in the music, in the excitement and ecstasy, as I danced with the forest.”

The Iron Raven was a quick and fun read, one that features familiar fey as well as new fey, both in name and type. That alone was enough to make it a fascinating read for me. There were some really interesting elements mixed up within all of that as well, many of which forced further character development.

Long story short: The Iron Raven is a great read, it hasn't aged up all that much from the original series, and that's not a bad thing. It's fun and sweet at times, while still having that bit of sharper edge that fans have come to know and expect. I think that her fans are going to really enjoy this latest installment!

This story follows Robin Goodfellow (or Puck, as he is better known by this name). He is the same jester/prankster from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare. With is dry sense of humor, you will either love or hate him, but he will grow on you...

This book can be read as a standalone or form a part of The Iron Fey series.

Now, we learn quite a lot about Robin's life story, giving insight into his truth. To make things even more interesting, he will also be facing a threat to the Fae lands and human world. And new fae-types are being introduced into this world Julie created as well.

The world itself, every new area we learn of, are sculpted into existence with enough information to give your imagination some free rein to be creative in filling in the spaces. This is the kind of world you can easily fall in love with and get used to.

Julie seems to have a talent for weaving past and present into a story you can follow. Even with the large cast of characters, each one is distinct and unique, their pasts interlocking to form a brilliant narrative. There is even some influence of Grimm fairytales, or maybe that is just my imagination.

If you wish to know Robin Goodfellow's story, know what makes him who he is, this is a must-read. Even the cliffhanger ending is worth knowing his story...

I always enjoyed A Midsummer Night's Dream, so reading a story all about Puck/from his point of view was definitely something that I was interested in from the get go. I really liked him as a character and seeing him revert from a trickster with somewhat of a conscience to being a malicious trickster was definitely interesting- you normally see a character change from bad to good, so seeing the reverse, even though it was happening because of an evil thing was a fun change. It was also nice to see him open up to Nyx. Speaking of Nyx, I loved her too! Such a cool character- a moon elf! I've never heard of those before so that was super fun and her powers were super impressive as was her dedication to keep her liege (aka Kierran) alive as his number one protector/assassin. I also really liked getting to know Meghan and Ash, though Julie Kagawa's fans from her other books will already know them. I liked the writing style and characters so much that I really am planning on taking the plunge and sometime this year when my reading load is a little lower than it is right now, and reading the seven other books set in this world/with these characters so I'm prepped for the next book in this series when it comes out! If you have or haven't read any of Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey books, The Iron Raven was a really fun book and a great beginning to a fun new spinoff series!

Facts: The Iron Raven is book #1 of the Iron Fey: Evenfall series by Julie Kagawa. This book is a spin-off of the Iron Fey series. It is told from Puck’s point of view and ends with a resolved ending an intro to the next book. Genres: Fantasy Young Adult | Folklore adaptation

Julie Kagawa launches her new Fantasy YA series, Iron Fey: Evenfall with this tale of famous trickster and the beautiful fey assassin who has captured his attention.

The Nevernever is once again under threat. A powerful creature who is seemingly invincible is saturating the faeries with negative emotions and turning them in the mean versions of themselves. It is up to Puck and his new acquaintance Nyx, to warn the rulers of the Iron Realm and find a way to defeat this monster.

But even before their journey begins, the initial confrontation with the creature has changed Puck. Slowly, character traits from the cruel and vengeful persona he thought long dead begin to surface along with horns and hooves, and soon the fear inspiring Robin Goodfellow is breaking through. Can they defeat this creature before it affects the rest of Nevernever is a similar way? And will killing it bring the happy jokester back?

The Iron Fey series, was one of those series I fell head over heels in love with when it first came out. I couldn’t get enough of it. I devoured every bit of it, and I couldn’t get enough of Ash and Megan like in “An Iron Fey Valentine,” and Puck was never far behind. I always wanted him to get his HEA. I appreciate this spin-off which is his long overdue story.

The Iron Raven pulses with action and brilliant world building that leaps off the pages. I could picture magnificent Lord of the Rings like scenes with the deftly written descriptions of creatures and landscapes. But mostly, I reveled in getting to know Puck from his point of view. Fans of the Iron Fey had known the happy go lucky jester, but not all of his past nor the deep down emotional wounds he’s suffered. I loved how well Miss Kagawa developed his character and can’t wait to get to read more.

Of course, there are several other important characters like Nyx, a Forgotten moon elf and skilled assassin, bodyguard of Keirran, son of Ash and Megan, rulers of the Iron Realm. She’s smart, funny with her own sad backstory and perfect for Puck. And of course an Iron Fey story couldn’t be without the Iron Queen, Ice-boy and the infamous Grimalkin.

Most readers are familiar with Robin Goodfellow. He is also known as Puck and is best known for his role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Puck is also a friend of the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Ash. There is a new threat to the lands of Faery and Puck finds himself on a new adventure. Will Puck return to his darker side, Robin Goodfellow? Can his friends still trust he will choose good over evil?

The Iron Raven is the first book in The Iron Fey: Evenfall series. Characters from the original series will be found in this book, but readers do not need to have read that series to enjoy this one. There are many tales about Robin Goodfellow (A.K.A. Puck), yet readers will learn new insights into the character we love to hate. Overall I enjoyed the story, but readers need to know that it is meant to be more about what turned Robin Goodfellow into Puck than the adventure. We will need to wait for the next book to know if that will be the trend for the series.

I LOVE JULIE KAGAWA! That's it, that's my review!

Only kidding, but I do in fact love her. If you've been following me for a while you will know that I adored her Shadow of the Fox series, so when I got the chance to read and review this for a blog tour I jumped at the chance. Although this isn't as steeped in Mythology, and it a little more lighthearted than her other series I still fell in love with the story and characters.

Puck is the ultimate prankster, court Jester to King Oberon who rules the summer court. He spends his time in service to his King, that is when he's not being banished for upsetting his Queen. He is witty, sarcastic and the epitome of a joker, but those who call him fool don't know the shrewd and clever mind that lies underneath his light and sometimes annoying exterior. When he runs into the King of the Forgotten Puck gets dragged into a mystery and a battle he was unprepared for. The monster they attacked somehow reverted him to his Robin Goodfellow days, when the lighthearted Puck we know and love was a little more sinister. What's worst is they don't manage to kill the monster and it escapes into the Nevernever. Puck must journey across the Nevernever, relying on friends old and new if they are to defeat the monster. But the whole time Puck will have to fight against his farmer side, all the while not knowing that there is someone else pulling the strings, something stirring underground that could affect the Nevernever forever.

I've read the first book in the Iron Fey series, but never really continued with it (I'm not sure why,) so I was familiar with a lot of the characters mentioned in this book. That being said, you absolutely do not need to have read the previous series to get fully immersed in this one, Kagawa introduces us to each characters at really natural moments, and gives you just enough information so you know who is who without any major info dumps. Puck is a great perspective to read this story from, especially with him half-reverting to his previous persona. It was really interesting getting the Puck readers of the old series will know and love, mixed in with Robin Goodfellow, someone who could threaten with just a smile. I'm sure the inclusion of Meghan the Queen of the Iron Fey, Ash (ice-boy) Meghan's husband and Prince of the Winter Court and Grimalkin a snarky but knowledgeable cat will please fans of the previous series, but my favourite side character was Nyx a forgotten, a fairy whose name no one remembers, who travels with Puck to warn the Iron Fey about the new monster in faery. She brings out his softer side, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. Also she is absolutely kick ass, and I loved the scenes where Puck just stared in awe of her battle prowess.

Kagawa did a brilliant job of introducing new readers to her 'fae' world, whilst also not info dumping for them, or readers of her previous series. We get the usual land of Summer and Winter, but with the added Iron Fey. I did know a little about these from reading her previous series, but she gives you all the information you need to get to grips with the differences and the circumstances that caused the Iron Fey to exist. Her world building is brilliant, not only do we get to travel across multiple realms of the Nevernever with Puck and crew, but we also get introductions to the other courts through flashbacks.

With Puck almost reverting to his Robin Goodfellow persona we really get to delve into his relationships in this book, both new and old. When he gets attacked by the monster, it almost bleeds anger into him causing long forgotten resentments to rise to the forefront. His resentment of Ash, not just for past grievances but for the fact that Ash got Meghan. the girl that Puck loved. We see his inner battle, the moments when he realises that he forgave Ash years ago, but the resentment sticks fast and it's not long before he is nearly lost. His relationship with Nyx was one of my favourites in the book, she is the one person who has no idea who he is, he has a clean slate with her, she know's nothing of his past, the good and the bad. But she does warn him that if his Robin Goodfellow side wins out and he risks the lives of those around him she will kill him. I really enjoyed seeing Puck realising his feelings for her, even if everyone else see's them before him.

The Iron Raven was an incredibly fun and fast paced story. One that I found myself easily getting lost in, and I wound up far too invested in the characters and outcome of the story. Though the plot of this book does get wrapped up by the end, there is another story weaving underneath that I'm assuming will be the main plot through the series. I'm definitely going to be picking up the rest of the Iron Fey series now so I can spend more time in this world whilst I wait for the sequel to arrive. An easy 4 stars and has renewed my love for Kagawa's writing.