I also liked how disarming the Bone Collector’s character (another Evenfey) was. I like how Grimalkin and Gilleas (an Evenfey) kind of bonded over their shared annoyance of small talk and pointless conversations being a waste of time. One of my favorite parts was the description during one fight scene where Meghan defeats an opponent all in one smooth move that was just so cool and badass. It’s also a culmination of regrets for many of these characters – living with regret, regret for past choices, regret for what has been lost – and what they would do, will do, have done for love. Fey living like enemies, rigid, old ways of thinking, division, and ostracization. As a whole, The Iron Vow reflects much of the real world. Encompassing everything Meghan and her companions have gone through since The Iron King (2011), everything the good denizens of Evenfey have suffered for eons, and everything the Nightmare King (yes, even him you’ll see) had tried to do to save his people. The more mind-blowing revelations and connections made, the sadder the story became. There’s been little to no hope of escaping this living nightmare for eons. Evenfall, a once thriving place much like the Nevernever, has become ruined, grotesque, and nightmarish. Her descriptions of Evenfall were masterfully written and affecting. The author has an impressive imagination. Along the way, the characters meet various Evenfey who have been surviving by vanquishing the King’s offerings (Nightmares) to obtain glamour.

Told from Meghan’s pov, it’s a race against the clock to figure out how to stop the Nightmare King from waking and destroying everything. It all ends here…The journey through Evenfall was as horrid as it was fascinating and made The Iron Vow a remarkable finale.

The epilogue was absolutely geared to those who have read the entire series rather than just the trilogy. The pop-culture references were a bit overdone at times and Puck's catchphrase 'no touchie' to each baddie also got a little grating after a while. The book did have some repetitive elements, such as the pattern of going somewhere, battling something, and moving on to the next challenge. The emotional investment in the characters was not incredibly strong, but I did almost shed a tear once toward the end.

Meghan's perspective was a refreshing change to the last two books, and Puck continued to be more enjoyable as a supporting character. The new characters in the Nightmare Lands were a welcome addition to the trilogy.

The lack of magic for the characters was an interesting choice and made the story feel more grounded and interesting. The different nightmares that the characters faced were varied and were absolutely the best part. Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for this eARC so that I can leave an honest review.įirstly, the horror elements were unexpected and incredibly well-executed.

The iron fey book 3