The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey #6)

Faeries, betrayal, and romance
May 4, 2015
3 min read

Ethan Chase never wanted to get pulled back into the world of the fey and return to the Nevernever. He never expected to be drawn into the chaos that has ensued since the Forgotten, a terrible new type of faery, began draining the glamour from others so they could live. Now Ethan is faced with a new concern. His nephew, Kierran, is treading a thin line. Annwyl, the girl he loved, is Fading, and she will soon be unable to remember her past, becoming weak and powerless. Kierran will do anything to keep her safe, but how far is too far? As he scores the human and faery world for a cure, he often digs into dark means of supporting Annwyl through dark magic.

Kierran. My god, it's awful. He's desperate to save Annwyl and determined to do whatever it takes. Kierran's very passionate about the things he believes in, mainly doing anything for love, and he's very selfless. He'll put Annwyl before him without a second thought. I can respect him for that. What bothers me is how far he's going for her. How far is too far? Kierran always talks as if he puts Annwyl first and the courts second. He looks at the short-term consequences of his actions, but he doesn't see the big picture. He and Annwyl can't be together. The price he would have to pay to keep her safe isn't worth it. I mean, it would start a war, for goodness sake!

Kierran isn't his father. His reasoning is something along the lines of, well, my parents broke the rules, and look at them now. I should be able to do the same. Kierran isn't Ash. That was a special case. It was frighting to watch Kierran be so reckless, and there were so many times I wanted to scream at him. I was so glad when Ethan finally punched the twerp's face the way I'd dreamed about! While watching Kierran crash and burn did wonders for feels, I got a bad taste in my mouth. It's wasn't unpleasant, really, but I was mentally screaming at the kid the entire book.

Taking a closer look at Annwyl, she's much more reasonable. She understands that he and Kierran can't be together, and she would much rather he just let her go. She's usually very reserved and quiet, but when she has to, she can become the commanding force that leaves little doubt that she was Queen Titainia's handmaiden. If only she could be so firm with Kierran.

One of the most relatable characters in the book is Kenzie, I think. I'm not sure that a bunch of the people who would be reading this book could really connect with Kierran and Annwyl. Kenzie develops in The Iron Traitor. She resents her rich father for pushing her aside and not listening until now, when he suddenly decides to watch her. Kenzie is understandable angry with him and doesn't think he should get to be a dad now if he wasn't before. She also loathes how so many people look at her like she's aready dead just because she's so sick. In the end, she's also a very sad character. I mean, unless she gets some magic help, it's only a matter of time before she's gone.

I... wow. Just... wow. Like all Julie Kagawa books, The Iron Traitor boasted a perfect blend of action and fighting with a dose of humor, mainly Puck's, and some steamy romance! Just like in The Lost Prince, There are appearances from the characters of the first four books, mainly Puck and Ash. I don't know what it is, but seeing returning friends just gives me a little thrill. The books flew by, and I just inhaled it! The ending was a shock and left me numb and a little stunned. It was totally unexpected and set the stage for the next book in the series, which I can imagine will be very dark but nevertheless a worthy addition to the series. 4/5 stars!