The saga of Iron Fey: Evenfall continues with The Iron Sword, picking up right after the dramatic events of The Iron Raven. Banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love, Prince Ash journeyed to the End of the World to stand beside Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey. But the next challenge is even more fearsome as their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing and the darkness of Evenfall approaches.
As Julie Kagawa expands her beloved series, the author answered our questions about how the world she created—and the dark, dangerous prince at its center—continues to entrance and inspire.
Many of your stories are set in the world of fae—what’s most compelling to you about that mythology, and do you have any favorite legends that inspire you? I love the idea that there is a world that runs alongside our own, that it and the creatures who live there are just invisible to normal eyes. I love the surreal danger that the fey represent; it’s a beautiful, almost dreamlike world, but say the wrong thing or take the wrong step and you’ll end up as a snack, or worse. The legend of the Changeling has always fascinated me: when the fey steal a normal child and replace it with a faery creature. Both children, fey and mortal, grow up unaware of their true heritage, which makes for some very intriguing stories.
I love the surreal danger that the fey represent; it’s a beautiful, almost dreamlike world, but say the wrong thing or take the wrong step, and you’ll end up as a snack or worse.
If you could be a member of one of the Faery Courts, which Court would you choose, and why? A few years ago, I would’ve said Winter, because I used to love cold weather. Now, however, my tolerance for frigid temperatures has waned a bit. I think I would best fit in the Iron Court, just because I can’t live without my technology. It would be very hard to play video games in Summer or Winter, lol.
When you wrote your first Iron Fey book more than a decade ago, did you anticipate how many stories you’d write in this world? Not a clue. When I began the Iron King over 10 years ago, I had no idea how much the world of the Iron Fey would expand and grow, and how many people would fall in love with the characters. Now, over 10 years and 10 books later, it’s amazing that people are still reading about Meghan, Ash, Puck, Grim, and everyone else. I’m extremely grateful for everyone who has supported the Iron Fey up to this point.
Do you have a favorite character in the Iron Fey series, and why? My favorite character has always been Ash. He started out as an angry, brooding, wounded dark prince who was extremely dangerous. He has changed through the series and has been through so much to get to where he is now: a loving, loyal, overly protective dark prince who is still extremely dangerous.
