[Review] Ironside (Modern Faerie Tales #3) by Holly Black

Ironside by Holly Black

Series: Modern Faerie Tales #3

Rating: 5 stars

Published: April 24th 2007

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the realm of Faerie, the time has come for Roiben's coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing -- her love for Roiben. But when Kaye, drunk on faerie wine, declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest. Now Kaye can't see or speak to Roiben unless she can find the one thing she knows doesn't exist: a faerie who can tell a lie.

Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth -- that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother's shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But once back in the faerie courts, Kaye finds herself a pawn in the games of Silarial, queen of the Seelie Court. Silarial wants Roiben's throne, and she will use Kaye, and any means necessary, to get it. In this game of wits and weapons, can a pixie outplay a queen?

Holly Black spins a seductive tale at once achingly real and chillingly enchanted, set in a dangerous world where pleasure mingles with pain and nothing is exactly as it appears.

A culmination of our Modern Faerie Tale. It was some ride.

I can say the same things I've said before - love the romance, the prose, the way Holly Black makes these books addictive, but I'll say a couple of other things too.

Kaye Fierch drunkenly declares her love for Roiben, the new king of the Night Court, and he sets her up on this seemingly impossible task for her to become his consort - find a faerie that can tell a lie. In the midst of this, the war with Silarial and the Bright Court is growing in tension and animosity, and Roiben must find a way to appease his sister Ethine and quell the fighting.


Again, as much as I love well-written romance, well-written relationships in general (family, friends), makes me happy. Roiben and Ethine are complicated and ring to a lot of sibling relationships. I loved the hostage situation with Ethine - having her blend in with society in the diner, too!

Also Corny has had such shocking character development because he isn't a soft innocent nerdy teenager; he's ready to fight and I just felt so bad for him at times.

I never really talked about the violence / action scenes in the series but I will say it is top notch and not excessive; every scene is detailed and eloquently written.

ALSO Kaye's relationship with her mom and her revealing that she's actually a pixie; that had to be my favorite scene because there's so much love there between the two of them. Love that there's a Kate and a Kaye now; wonder if Kate will show up in The Cruel Prince series.

Gonna end this with a favorite quote from Roiben.

"The more powerful you become, the more others will find ways to master you. They'll do it through those you love and through those you hate; they will find the bit and the bridle that fits your mouth and make you yield."