(picture from google images)

okokokokokokokok. I know.

There is a LOT going on in these books, and i wouldnt necessarily call Meghan Chase the most exciting female MC I've ever read, but I LOVE this series. I just can't help it. These books are so fun to read and I just get so into it.

I love all the characters ( and there are lots). I love how there is constantly something going on. I love Ash. I love how even though there are mushy parts, they somehow fit this series and still make it fun. I love the balance between summer and winter. I love the cover.I love the glamour.

This book was so fun to read. I just really have an actual good time reading them. I agree they are not perfect, and so much is going on Kagawa could have easily slowed parts down, but she didn't, and I dig it.

4/5 and I can't WAIT to read book 3!

Goodreads Synopsis:
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart

So I just finished reading Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa. The 1.5th book in her series which is only available as and e-read.
I do NOT have an e-reader yet, and although I kinda want one ( because everyone else has one) I can't see myself spending money on one. See, I read in the bath, while I eat, at the beach etc, and those are all places very dangerous to the e-reader. I like to read library books where you can see where someone spilled their coffee, or stopped reading and turned down the corner. I like to briefly imagine what was going on/why someone else did those things, and I also just love knowing I'm reading something that some other pair of eyes have seen. Especially when it's a really good book.

That's my e-reader rant. I still do really want one.

So then Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey 1.5 was only available as a PDF from the library and I had to wait FOREVER to get it, but I got and read it all in one very quick sitting. I love this series so much. The characters are all interesting ( and there are a lot) and I'm in love with Ash also, so that helps along with the liking of the book.

This 59 page novella was great for someone like me who has to wait a while for the library to obtain me a copy of the book. I can't read straight through a series unless I buy it, and with all of the 'in between' books sometimes you just need a little 59 pager to get you back into the swing of things. It brings you back to book one, has a little mini adventure and leads into book two all in 59 pages. Brilliant!

I was contemplating skipping these ".5" e-reads but I definitely think ( as a fan of the series so far) it's worth it to read them. I tell you for sure after I read the official book 2!
4/5

Winter's Passage
ebook, 59 pages
Published June 1st 2010 by Harlequin(first published May 20th 2010)

Goodreads Synopsis:

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

I can not, CAN NOT get enough of books like The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. All of the characters were so interesting, and this book was just full of so much story potential. I'm glad there are 4 books (and two ebooks) because this one story just didn't cover enough ground for me.

I really felt that Kagawa put elements of everything fantastical into this one story. I almost wished she toned it down and developed it a bit more and this is what I am hoping for in the upcoming books ( don't spoil it for me I know most of you have read it!). It was like LOTR, some anime, HP, Chronicles of Narnia, and every other fantasy book/movie/tv show all in one. Not super original but exciting none-the-less.

I was left with so many questions at the end of this! What's the deal with Meghan's "dad" Paul?! I'm dying to know. The whole Oberon being her real father thing and then *SPOILER* the memory of her father disappearing just made no sense to me, and left so many questions. I'm confused about a lot of things but I think some of my questions will most likely be resolved in upcoming books.I felt a lot of the magical parts, like the park that was the sanctuary from Virus for example, and the various chases through the woods, were a little vague also, and I would have really liked more description. as I have mentioned, I am crossing my fingers for Kagawa to slow down and tell me a really awesome story within the next books.

What surprised me was how much I LOVE ASH! Usually I am making fun of the romances in YA, ( and pretty much every book) and rarely do I ever find myself falling in love with the character. I mean I like Jacob over Edward, but neither made my heart skip a beat like Ash does. I think I've found my man! Or... we'll see at least. Did you ever peg me for an Ash girl? I just really loved how Kagawa wrote their chemistry and it did it for me. Also, he's a prince :)

If Goodreads had half stars, this book is a 3.5 for me, but since it doesn't I'm giving it 4, for excitement and potential but just not quite enough. If the other books live up to my expectations and build on what I already know from The Iron King, this series has some 'seri-ous' (pun intended) 5 star quality.