***** The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa was awesome.  Full of action,  twists and unexpected turns I couldn't put this down until I was at the end. 

Meghan Chase was an outcast.  Always being picked on at school,  no real friends accept her friend from childhood,  Robbie. 

Robbie was a bit strange though,  never allowing Meghan to come to his house always with an excuse.  In all the years they have been friends,  Meghan has never even met his parents.  When a popular jock sends a mass message to all the kids at school,  embarrassing Meghan to no end,  Robbie comes to the rescue.  As a girl is teasing Meghan while Robbie is leading her to the bus,  he mumbles something incoherent,  but the outcome doesn't go unnoticed by Meghan.

Vowing to never return to school,  Meghan faces bigger problems when she gets home.  She finds her mother unconscious,  her little brother isn't her little brother.  The time has come for Robbie to tell Meghan the truth.

With all the glamour removed,  Meghan learns that Fairies actually exist.  Now she must accept what she has learned and save her little brother Ethan. 

Entering Nevernever was not exactly what she expected.  Everyone hunts her,  the half-breed child of the Summer Court King.  Not knowing what her true existence means,  she fights her way through the Nevernever,  fighting creatures that only exist in our dreams. 

Meeting a few "friends" along the way,  Meghan constantly finds herself bargaining her life away in order to save her brother.  Robbie,  actually Robin Goodfellow,  leads her through getting them into trouble and eventually leaving her in the hands of his worst enemy,  Ash. 

Ash has orders from his Queen to return the child,  Meghan,  to her court,  but Ash never expected to fall in love.  Now they face the torturous demons in search of her brother,  Meghan only wanting to return him to their home.

The thing is,  technology is getting in the way.  Now the dreams of humans is for better,  stronger machines,  and the creation of the Iron King is born.

Meghan is faced with the ultimate decision of all,  and must choose wisely in order to survive.  Will she follow the correct path?  Will love conquer all in the end?

Kagawa did such a fantastic job with The Iron King.  I found myself swept away into a world magnificently created.  Rooting for Robin and for love,  I couldn't put this book down until I was finished.  I loved it and can't wait to read the next in the series.