Amanda Shofner

Original review: http://onabookbender.com/2011/12/26/review-the-iron-knight-by-julie-kagawa/I almost gave up on this book. Those who have read the book before and know of my dislike of love triangles will understand why. There is an appearance of a certain character that throws the balance of this book off about a third of the way through and I wanted to give up in despair. I’m glad I did not. Though I struggled with certain elements of the book, the struggle is necessary, just as Ash’s journey to find his soul was necessary.I found Ash’s narration to be the perfect reflection of who he is and what he quest was on. Throughout the series, I liked Ash more than Meghan, and I enjoyed delving into Ash’s perspective. At times, however, especially toward the beginning of the book, I almost felt that Ash was too distant and aloof. But then, those feelings are needed to contrast with who Ash must become to possess a soul. We can literally track his change.The Iron Knight tore me up. I was not even sure how to rate this final installment, but no matter my problems with the book, the ending more than makes up for the frustration and pain. In fact, everything that Ash is dragged through is necessary, as though everything must happen for a reason. It does, but it does not necessarily make sense at the time. That is simply how life works.Seeing Ash and Puck together was fantastic. We got an inside look into their relationship, and it gave me an appreciation for their history and everything that they went through together. Puck was one of those secondary characters that tended to steal the show at time, not just in this book, but throughout the entire series. The Iron Fey series would not have been the same without Puck. And, of course, we can’t forget the special treat that is Grim, either. The Iron Knight was a necessary part of the Iron Fey journey; not only did it provide closure to Meghan and Ash’s relationship, it also gave us a chance to get inside the mind of Ash and really get to know him in a way that we had not had before.