The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1)

Show of hands. How many of you were worried about Kagawa returning to the Nevernever with a spin-off of an already successful series? *raises hand* I mean, let's think about this for a minute. The Iron Knight concluded and it seemed everything was "happy happy, joy joy," right? But then there were whisperings in the wind of a spin-off and I found myself saying, "What?! NOOO! NO, Julie! I forbid it! Ya hear?!" At the time the saying "Don't beat a dead horse" was running through my head and I was so nervous about this new endeavor. If I'm being honest here, spin-offs usually suck big time. But just like in the case of The Immortal Rules, Julie Kagawa has put me in my place saying, "I got this, YO." And boy, did she ever! The Lost Prince is everything I could want and more. With fresh new characters, cameo appearances and a new evil threatening the Nevernever, how could anyone resist?

Remember the little boy from The Iron King? Meghan's little brother? Did you ever wonder what happened to him and his family once Meghan had gone off for good with her Ice Prince to rule in the Nevernever as a Queen of Faery? That's just what The Lost Prince does. And let me tell you, Ethan Chase is not what I expected. The years of being tormented by the fey and losing his sister to their world has made him a very bitter and angry person. Honestly, I don't blame the guy. He has to constantly look over his shoulder, attempt to pretend They don't exist so as not to draw attention to himself, push people away so they don't catch the eyes of The Good Neighbors. It's a lot of responsibilities for anyone, let alone a teen boy (and yes, he actually sounds like a teen boy). But this is what he has had to endure all his life, hopping from school to school due to "bad behavior." Unfortunately for Ethan, the fey just can't seem to stay away from him and he ends up on a quest to save the Nevernever.

The plot was brilliantly done. The characters were brilliant. This book was *insert any positive adjective here* But what did I expect from one of my favorite authors? Exiled fey and half-breeds from the mortal world are disappearing thanks to a new breed of fey. Something even worse then the iron fey?! *gasp* I suspect I know exactly who the Forgotten are if I remember a certain scene from The Iron Knight correctly. But even as someone who has followed this series very closely, I have to admit, I have no idea what direction it could possibly go.

The one thing I was worried about most with this spin-off would be comparing the old characters to the new characters. I LOVED the trio in the original series. Meghan, Ash and Puck were the perfect blend of romantic tension, banter and comic relief. And they all do make cameo appearances (Did I mention how much I love Puck?), but this isn't their story. It's Ethan, Kenzie and Kierran's. I really think fans will really enjoy the new trio and it seems like Kagawa has us in for a world of hurt with them too. I mean, I bawled by eyes out so hard with The Iron Queen. Whenever I go back to read that last scene I fall to pieces. But it feels like that could come a lot sooner with The Call of the Forgotten. MY EMOTIONS! Kagawa, stop being so awesome all. the. time! Wait...

Final Verdict: Even if you haven't read The Iron Fey - which you'd better go do if you haven't - you could still follow along easily to this story. For those who have been waiting for a certain Cait Sith to guide you back through the Nevernever, this will merely feel like a continuation from the original series. And you noobs? There are a few rules you must familiarize yourself with: Never make a contract with Them. Show no fear when dealing with the Fair Folk. Don't draw attention to yourself. And as Grim would say, "Do try and keep up." Welcome to Faery.

What I Loved: Nobody does world building like Julie Kagawa. Seriously. The world in the Iron Fey series is vivid, intricate, and all-encompassing. I especially loved the descriptions of the Iron Fey kingdom. The rules to Kagawa's world aren't hard to learn, and she sticks to them, which I appreciate.

I also really loved the characters. Ethan, the narrator (and YAY for another boy-POV book!), tugged at my heart even while I sometimes wanted to shake him. He definitely grew as a character throughout the book, and I loved watching him step to the plate and become, not only the hero of his own story, but the hero OTHERS needed him to be as well. I was equally fascinated by Kenzie. She was NOT your typical damsel in distress. Or your typical badass fighter. She wasn't your typical anything, and that made for a fun, refreshing story. We get to see a few of our fave characters from the Iron Fey series (Grimalkin! Puck! Ash! Little bit of Meghan!) and meet new, fascinating characters as well.

I was very interested and invested in this story from the start. Kagawa does an excellent job of making me care about both the mystery (A new kind of very dangerous fey? Sign me up!) and the inner emotional arcs of the characters. I read this in two days because I couldn't bear to wait any longer to find out how it ended.

What Left Me Wanting More:

Honestly, there isn't much I didn't love. My only wish would be to have a bit more action. This book is definitely a set up to a new series (And TRUST ME, Ethan is going to be a fabulous hero in this series. Can't wait.) and so Kagawa had a lot to accomplish in this book. I would've just loved a couple more high-tension fight scenes. Mostly because Ethan knows Kali. And can wield two swords at the same time like they're an extension of himself. You KNOW that's cool.

Final Verdict:

This is an engrossing story set in a vivid, dangerously beautiful world with a strong, tortured hero readers will want to cheer for. Fans of Kagawa, Melissa Marr, or Grimm's fairy tales will love this.

I'm a complete fan girl of the Iron Fey series (Hello Ash!), so when I heard there would be more coming out I was stoked! I'll be honest, I was a bit leery since The Lost Prince deals with Ethan, Meghan Chase's younger brother, as the main character. I was scared to not have the main characters be Meghan, Ash and Puck. However, I was worried for no reason and I'm so glad Julie Kagawa didn't let me down.

The young Ethan we knew in the first 3 books is grown up and now the main character! Like I said, I was a little leery, but my goodness, Ms. Kagawa has such an amazing way of writing that I hardly missed my beloved faerie *cough* Ash *cough* at all. I will say that Ash (and other beloved characters) may or may not make an appearance in this book. I wasn't quite sure where Ms. Kagawa would take the plot, but my goodness, it was so good! It all fit and didn't feel like a repeat of the first books, at all. There are some new fey in town stirring up some trouble and it's up to Ethan to figure out what's going on and try to put a stop to them. I love the direction this book went!

I'm so excited we get to see Ethan all grown up and read about his struggles and learn more about his character. What a fantastic book! I loved the new characters, as well as some characters I already knew. A must read for any Iron Fey series lover out there! I'm super excited for the next book!

WARNING: Due to the spoilery content, reading this review is not advised if you haven't read the entire Iron Fey series yet.

I was so excited to read this but a little nervous too. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy Ethan (and his voice) as much as I did the other characters from the previous Iron Fey Series *coughs* Cupcake Boy *coughs* but I did! Ethan Chase isn't the scared little boy we met when Big Sis Meghan began her journey through the Nevernever. Oh no, Ethan is all grown up now *gets distracted by cover*.... Wait, what was I saying? Oh right! Ethan. Yes, he's a teenager now and an angry one who likes to play with big sticks and sharp blades. Can you really blame him though? I mean, if I had to constantly look over my shoulder for creatures only found in fairy tales, I'd probably be a little defensive too.

Ethan is trying to make it through his first day at yet another new High School when he meets Todd and Kenzie. One thing leads to another and before he knows it, Ethan finds himself back in the one place he swore he'd never return to again. Not only that, he comes face to face with the sister he hasn't seen in years and the person all of his teen angst is directed at. There's little time dwell on family drama because half-breeds and Fey are disappearing like hotcakes and a new kind of Fey, a really creepy kind, is emerging.

They call themselves, The Forgotten, and if Ethan and his new friends don't figure out how to stop them, they too may be forgotten. Ethan has always had the "Sight" but his journey through Nevernever will open his eyes in ways he can't begin to imagine. In fact, this time around might change the way he "sees" his family, the entire world of Fey and even himself...he just has to survive first.

This was so much fun to read - it was like seeing old friends again! If you've read The Iron Knight, then you will have no problem recognizing a few things from Ash's glimpse of his future. *does happy dance* I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next installment!