THE IRON TRAITOR by Julie Kagawa

Rating: B-
Release Date: 10/29/13
Synopsis:
In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice. 

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again. 

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

My thoughts on the book:
The Iron Traitor is a much better book than The Lost Prince, in my opinion. The characters are less annoying, the book is more tightly plotted, and Kagawa's writing is top notch. I actually enjoyed this book and learning about the characters. Also, the continued world-building of this series is impressive. Iron Fey fans will not be disappointed with this installment. 

Ethan really annoyed me in the last novel, so I was pleasantly surprised with how his character had grown. He is much more grown up this time around, and he is more open-minded and has a better understanding of things. Kenzie also doesn't annoy me as much, which is a good thing. Furthermore, I really loved getting to know more about Keirran. His situation with Annwyl is intriguing and their relationship is strong. With all of that being said, these characters still can't hold a flame to Meghan and Ash. Yes, the old characters make cameos, but it just isn't the same. I wish I didn't compare the series and the spin-off, but I do. 

The plot is captivating and had me hooked. The pacing is much better than in the first novel, and I didn't get bored once. Even though I don't like these characters quite as much as the originals, I still cared about their fate this time. The ending irritated me because it's a cliffhanger, and it's one HUGE cliffhanger. You guys know how I feel about that. I can't wait for the next installment, but at the same time, I am really aggravated that this book ended the way it did. The life of a reader is hard, sometimes, haha. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book to fans of the Iron Fey series. Also, this spin-off can be read as a standalone series, so fans of faeries in general would be advised to check this out. 

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