Winter’s Passage by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: May 20, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 59
Received: Free download
Rating: n/a
Goodreads Page
Release Date: May 20, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 59
Received: Free download
Rating: n/a
Goodreads Page
There are NO spoilers in this review!
Feel free to read this review even if you have not already read The Iron King.
Summary
From Goodreads (Highlight to read. DO NOT READ if you haven't read The Iron King:
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....
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....
Review
Picking up where The Iron King left off, “Winter’s Passage” perfectly bridges the gap between The Iron King and The Iron Daughter. Fortunately, I only got into the series after this little novella had been released, so I read it in chronological order. I highly recommend this order for readers who have not yet read The Iron Daughter.
Given that this is a novella, I was a little worried about a few things:
- Would this just be unnecessary filler?
- Would it be of a lower quality compared to the published books?
- Would it feel tacked on?
I’m happy to say none of my worries were realized. The novella fits in naturally with the series, feeling neither tacked on nor unnecessary. The writing is of the same caliber as the rest of the books.
This section enhances the series, providing a little more depth and information about the relationship between Ash and Meghan and explains events that are later referenced in The Iron Daughter. I really feel like it should be considered part of the mandatory reading order. You wouldn’t read The Iron King, skip over The Iron Daughter, and then read The Iron Queen, and you likewise shouldn’t skip this novella or read it out of order (if possible).
It really feels like a section of the book that should have been there all along and never should have been cut. It doesn’t really hold up as a full story on its own, especially if readers have not already read The Iron King. That said, I’m not really sure where I’d put it. The Iron King ends where I think it should, but The Iron Daughter has a good starting point as well. A novella seems like the best solution, though I hope this doesn’t lead to it being overlooked.
Bottom line: If you’re into the series, then you’ll enjoy this novella and should definitely try to read it before The Iron Daughter.
This novella is available for FREE download until April from Julie's Iron Fey site.
Want to read my reviews of the other books in this series? You might like:
The Iron King review comparison
I'm not familiar with this book, I've not read the series yet. However, just stopped by to say, the cover is beautiful.
ReplyDeletePreviously I would have said that you're not missing much, but now that I've read the third book I'm a HUGE fan. The cover here is very pretty. The cool colors go really well with the wintry story.
ReplyDeleteI had those exact same concerns, so I'm really happy to know this is a valid part of the series. Also good to know that you are liking the series. I've been wondering if I would actually like this one or not.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a valid part. And free! I was all over the map with this series loving it, hating it, switching teams. I cannot wait for the fourth book now!
ReplyDeleteI, too, got into the series after this was released and just stumbled across this looking through the Nook shop. I thought it was a really good addition to the story and for someone like me who is waiting to buy the books until it's payday again, it was a nice little "taste" to keep me going.
ReplyDeleteI downloaded this a while ago when I bought the books but wasn't sure at what point I was meant to read it. Soo, it goes after the first book and before the second then? This whole series sounds fab and I'm dying to read it.
ReplyDeleteJessiM, You're right. It's a perfect "taste" to hold you over between books.
ReplyDeleteThe Slowest Bookworm, Yup, read it right after The Iron King and right before The Iron Daughter.
I'm in the middle of this right now and I love how it seams right into the story. I assume it's not essential to the second book but it's nice to know what's happening once the events of book one play out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know this is free again. I've been meaning to pick it up.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting on my copy of the Iron King to come from the library. I swear that ever since your review it's been impossible to get your hands on a copy. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat Review :) This sounds really interesting and the series is now on my to-read list. I'm also a new follower and thanks for visiting my blog :)
ReplyDeleteOk... I just finished The Iron King and was really not a fan. However, I know tons of people just LOVE this series, so I don't want to give up on it. I just downloaded Winter's Passage and I'm about to go read it. Thanks so much for the heads up about the free download!
ReplyDeleteI still haven't read any of this series yet, but I've heard such great things about it. I've downloaded this book now that it's free, now I just have to buy the others. Great review.
ReplyDeleteLaura, Yes, it does flow seamlessly between the two. I was afraid it would feel awkward, but it didn't at all. I don't think anything is really missed in The Iron Daughter if you didn't read it, but it's nice to have read the novella anyway.
ReplyDeleteAlison, You're welcome!
Rubita, Haha I'm sure the release of The Iron Queen is the more likely cause, but it's nice to pretend my review was the inspiration for the rush on your library's copies :P
Vy, Thank you, and thank you for following! I hope you enjoy it here :)
Katie, You're welcome! I liked the first book ok, didn't like the second book that much, but absolutely adored the third book. For me, it was worth reading the first two just to be able to read the third.
Kayla, Thanks! I hope you enjoy the series. :)
I already had this one downloaded so that I could read it when I was done reading The Iron King. I'm glad the quality is the same as the books and that it wasn't just an unnecessary addition to the story.
ReplyDeleteI'm always worried about the same things when it comes to novellas. The cynical part of me just thinks they (author/publisher) just wants to squeeze out more money out of what success they already have. Glad to know you thought otherwise with this one!
ReplyDeleteA Canadian Girl, I was glad too. It reads like it was always there and just belongs there.
ReplyDeleteAylee, Yup, that’s exactly what I always think when I see things like this. Some last ditch effort to wring out a little more money. I don’t feel like that is the case here.