Title: Winter’s Passage (Iron Fey #1.5)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult, Faeries, Fantasy
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Rating: 3 stars
Review copy downloaded for free from the Harlequin website.
Goodreads
Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl…until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck–Meghan’s best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon–who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.
Yet Meghan and Ash’s detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter–a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat….
An eBook exclusive story from Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series.
Read my review of The Iron King, the previous book in the series.
Winter’s Passage picks up exactly where The Iron King left off, with the handsome and darkly charming Prince Ash escorting the Half-Summer Princess Meghan Chase through the realm of the Nevernever and into the lair of Queen Mab, the Unseelie Court. However, before they begin their journey back to the freakingly cold winter-world, Meghan forces Prince Ash to do one last thing, namely pay a visit to her best friend, Puck (aka Robin Goodfellow) who got seriously injured during their previous fight with the Iron Fey. Although a detour wasn’t exactly what the chilly prince had planned, he does give his consent. That was before he knew the thing that was chasing them though, The Hunter, a century-old creature so powerful even Ash might be unable to defeat it. And amidst of all this running away from scary creatures, sword-wielding heroes and practically immortal foes, Meghan and Ash still have to admit they have feelings for each other.
I did enjoy reading Winter’s Passage, although I thought it was a bit short (probably got something to do with the fact it’s an ebook novella :P) and I probably finished reading it in fifteen or so minutes. It was fun to travel back to the briefly familiar territory covered in The Iron King, to catch up with Meghan and Ash, and to take another look on dear old Puck. The adventure with The Hunter chasing Ash and Meghan was entertaining as well, although I must admit I’ve grown a bit tired with the loop those two seem to be stuck in. Either it’s chasing something or someone – from a missing brother to a scepter to each other – or being chased by something rather dangerous. With The Iron Fey novels, I constantly have the feeling that I’m running along with the characters, and there’s never time to sit back and relax, or to talk about funny things like feelings, emotions and heartbreak. It’s a bit exhausting to read really.
I liked it that Winter’s Passage does stop on emotions for once, and gives us a greater insight in what the characters are thinking. Ash because an even more complex and multifaceted characters as he is faced with the conflicting desires of love and loyalty. We also see a greater glimpse of Meghan’s feelings, and learn that this might not simply be a teenage crush on a handsome faery prince. I’ve always liked the dynamics of Meghan/Ash (although I have to admit I’m not entirely opposed against Puck as well) and I’m glad the veil got lifted, albeit only a little bit, and I got a better understanding of both of these characters.
Don’t read Winter’s Passage unless you read The Iron King, or if you feel like taking a glimpse of Julie Kagawa’s writing style first before focusing on the trilogy itself. Personally, I don’t think it’s Julie’s best writing – she has a lot more skill producing a novel than a novella, in my opinion – but it’s a nice bridge between The Iron King and The Iron Daughter, it’s a very fast read, and you’ll see some more of the characters you’ve grown to love. Plus, you know, there’s Ash, and he’s always a bonus.
  
Gah! I’ve been meaning to read The Iron King for like…forever! This novella is only spurring me on to finally get it together and buy this book! I love the idea of a sort of “insiders” guide to the book.
It reminds me of the unpublished book by Meyer called Midnight Sun. She released the leaked version on her site, but it’s basically Edward’s thoughts from the first book. It’s not finished and might never be officially released, but it is REALLY good! 🙂
I generally think that novellas provide very little for a reader but proof that authors have a hard time letting go of their characters, but if you enjoyed it, I’ll be sure to give this a read after reading The Iron King. Great review! (+1)
I was surprised with this novella. I was worried it would have been just filler to milk the series a little more, but it actually had substance. I’m glad I read it.
Winter’s Passage was fun to read but I’d have been way happier with it if Ash wasn’t weird and brooding all the time. I was hoping to see a different Ash in this book after Iron King.
I haven’t read The Iron King yet so I have to do that and then to read the Winter’s Passage. But sounds very interesting.
thanks so much for mentioning Winter’s Passage, I would have missed it otherwise.
I love your review! I didn’t even heard about the Winter’s Passage before, I will definitely add it to my TBR, right after I read The Iron King 🙂
How did I miss this? I was with out internet for a month I missed a lot. I can’t wait to read this one!!!
Lane
moiraethefates(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Thanks for the review! Nice to know that I should read Iron King first.
Great review I want this in my nook