Q: What was the hardest
scene to write in The Iron Raven?
What was the easiest?
A: I can't say too much without giving away spoilers,
but the hardest scene in The Iron Raven was near the very end of the book when
they're fighting the final Big Bad, and Puck does a completely Puck-ish thing
to give them a fighting chance. It was random and irreverent and completely
ridiculous, so I had to get it just right to avoid making it cheesy. The
easiest scene was one where Puck and Ash were semi-seriously threatening each
other, because I know those two so well and it was all rather familiar.
Q: Did you hide any
secrets in your book? (names of friends, little jokes, references to things
only some people will get)?
A: Lol, well I'm going to reveal my absolute
geekiness and say that the name of the newest character, Nyx, is actually my
D&D character, a dragon-hating elven assassin. There were a few tweaks, of
course, but Nyx is...well, me in a D&D campaign. :P
Q: What do you hope people
remember about The Iron Raven?
A: I hope The Iron Raven brings back the feel of the
first Iron Fey novels, where everything was new and surreal and exciting. I
hope readers will experience the same wonder and belief in magic, friendship,
love and heroism that I tried to present in the first series.
Q: Did The Iron Raven have a certain soundtrack
you listened to while writing?
A: My music tastes are eclectic, but I do listen to a
lot of Two Steps From Hell while writing, because its mostly instrumental and
they have some epic soundtracks.
Q: What is your dream cast
for The Iron Raven?
A: I am so bad at this question I don't even think I
can answer it. Apologies, but I really am terrible at remembering actors and
actresses. This is a great question for fans, though. Who would your dream cast
be for an Iron Fey series?
THE IRON RAVEN
By Julie Kagawa
On Sale: February 9, 2021
INKYARD PRESS
Teen & Young Adult Contemporary
Fantasy; Folklore and Fairytale; Paranormal romance
978-1335091765; 1335091769
$19.99 USD
336 pages
About the Book
Wicked faeries and fantastic danger...
Welcome to book one of the new trilogy in New York Times bestselling author
Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey fantasy series, as infamous prankster Puck finally has
a chance to tell his story and stand with allies new and old to save Faery and
the world.
"YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF ME..."
Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster,
joker, raven, fool... King Oberon's right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night's
Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before,
as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat to the lands of Faery
and the human world unlike any before.
With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her
prince consort, Puck's longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side,
Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or
forgotten. Filled with myths and faery lore, romance and unfathomable dangers,
The Iron Raven is book one of a new epic fantasy trilogy set in the world of
The Iron Fey.
Buy Links:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Raven-Fey-Evenfall/dp/1335091769
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Google
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Excerpt:
Excerpted from THE
IRON RAVEN by Julie Kagawa. © 2021 by Julie Kagawa, used with permission by
Inkyard Press.
The
human world
A
long, long time ago
It was almost time
I peeked out of the bushes and grinned. The stage was nearly set. In the tiny, sun-dappled clearing beyond the
trees, the crystal-clear pool glimmered, attracting all manner of life to its
sparkling waters. A herd of spotted deer
bent graceful necks to the surface under the watchful eye of a great stag,
standing tall at the edge of the pond. A
few rabbits hopped through the bracken scattered through the clearing, and a
family of squirrels scolded each other in the branches of a large gnarled
oak. Birds sang, wildlife meandered, and
the wind gently rustled the leaves overhead.
It was a blissful, picturesque woodland scene, a perfectly peaceful day
in the human realm.
Boring, boring, boring.
I smiled, reached into my shirt, and pulled the pan flute
into the light. It was my own design;
I’d spent several days gathering hollow reeds, cutting them, binding them
together and making sure the tone was perfect.
Now, I was going to see what it could do.
Drawing glamour from the forest around me, I raised the
flute to my lips and blew out a single note.
The clear, high sound cut through the stillness of the
woods, arcing over the grove, and all the animals clustered around the pond
jerked up, eyes wide and nostrils flaring.
The rabbits sat up, ears twitching back and forth. The deer raised their heads, dark eyes huge
as they gazed around, ready to flee. The
squirrels’ tails flicked back and forth as they clung to the branches, their
chittering voices silenced.
In the sudden stillness, I took a deep breath, gathering
my magic, and began playing.
The melody rose into the air, cheerful and face
paced. It swirled around the pond, into
the ears of every living creature. For a
moment, none of them moved,
Then, one of the rabbits began tapping its foot. The others followed, thumping their hind legs
in tune to the rhythm, and the deer began tossing their heads to the
music. In the branches, the squirrels
bobbed, tails flicking back and forth, keeping time, and the birds added their
voices to the song. I bit down a smile
and played louder, faster, drawing in more glamour and releasing it into the
notes trilling through the forest.
With a bugle, the ancient stag reared up, tossing his
huge antlers, and gave a graceful bound to the center of the clearing. His sharp hooves pawed the grass, raking
gouges in the earth, as he began stepping and leaping with the music. As one, his herd joined him, bouncing and
cavorting to his side, and the rabbits began flinging themselves in wild arcs
around the stomping deer. My glee
soared; this was working better than I had hoped. It was all I could do to keep
playing and not let the song drop because of the enormous grin wanting to
stretch my face.
Rising from the bushes, I walked toward the grove, the
pan flute moving rapidly under my lips, the song rising and the magic soaring
in response. My feet itched, and I
started to move them, stepping and dancing to the center of the clearing. Filling my lungs, I played as loudly as I
could, my body moving almost on its own, leaping and twirling and spinning
through the air. And all around me, the
forest creatures danced as well, hooves and horns and furry bodies barely
missing me as they bounced and cavorted in a frantic circle, hurling themselves
around the grove with wild abandon. I lost myself in the music, in the
excitement and ecstasy, as I danced with the forest.
I didn’t know how long the melody went on; half the time
my eyes were closed and I was moving on pure instinct. But at last, as the song reached a crescendo,
I sensed it was time to bring it to a close.
With one final, soaring note, the melody died away, the wild emotions
faded, and the whirlwind of magic swirling through the grove fluttered out,
returning to the earth.
Panting, I lowered my arms. Around me, my fellow dancers also came to
shuddering stops, breathing hard. The
great stag stood a few feet away, antlered head bowed, legs and flanks
trembling. As I watched, he quivered and
collapsed, white foam bubbling from his mouth and nostrils as his head struck
the ground. One by one, the rest of the
herd crumpled as well, some gasping wide-eyed for breath, some lying motionless
in the dirt. Scattered around them,
furry lumps of rabbits lay in the churned mud.
I looked at the trees and saw the squirrels and birds lying at the bases
of the trunks, having fallen from their perches once the music ceased.
I blinked. Well,
that was unexpected. How long had I been
playing anyway? I looked at the sky
through the branches and saw clouds streaked with orange, the sun hovering low
on the horizon. I’d come to this grove
and played the very first note early this morning. It seemed our wild revel had lasted the
entire day.
Huh. I
scratched the back of my head. Well,
that’s disappointing. I guess I can’t push
these mortal beasts too aggressively, or they just collapse. Hmm.
Tapping the fingers of one hand against my arm, I gazed at the pan flute
in the other. I wonder if humans
would do any better?
“Boy.”
The deep, lyrical voice came from behind me, and a ripple
of magic shivered through the air. I felt a stab of annoyance that someone had
been watching my revel; that was why I’d chosen to do this in the human world,
after all—so I could worry less about curious eavesdroppers. I turned and saw a procession of horses at
the edge of the clearing, watching me from the trees. The mounts were fey creatures, lighter and
much more graceful than their mortal counterparts, their hooves barely touching
the ground. The riders atop them were
sidhe knights, clad in armor of leaves, vines and branches woven together. Part of the Summer Court, I realized. I’d seen them before, as well as the knights
of the Winter Court. I’d even played
with a few of them in the wyldwood, though they never realized the cause of all
their small, annoying mishaps was a forest boy too insignificant to notice.
But the rider at the front of the procession had
definitely noticed me, and he was impossible to miss, too. His mount was bright gold, brighter than any
mortal steed, but the noble atop it outshone even his mount. He was dressed in armor of green and gold,
with a cloak made of blooming vines that left flowers where he passed. Long silver hair flowed from under the huge
antlered crown that rested on his brow, and the piercing green eyes beneath it
were fixed solely on me.
Why was he here?
Had he heard my music and been drawn to the sound? That was unfortunate.
I tried to avoid catching the eye of the Summer Court, particularly this
faery. I hadn’t been doing anything
wrong; the fey cared little to what happened in the mortal world. The deaths of
a few forest creatures meant nothing to them. But attracting the attention of
one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever was a dangerous game.
Depending on his mood, he might demand that I “gift” him the thing I’d worked
so hard on, play the pipes for him and his knights by for as long as he was
amused, or entertain them all by becoming the next hunt. The fey lords were
notoriously unpredictable, and I treated them as I would a sleeping dragon: it
was okay to tiptoe around and steal their gold, as long as they didn’t see you.
But now, the dragon had spotted me.
The
sidhe gentry nudged his mount, and the horse stepped into the clearing,
striding across the grass until beast and rider loomed before me. I stood my ground and gazed up defiantly at
the noble, who was watching me with appraising eyes.
“So young,” he mused.
“And such an impressive use of glamour.
What is your name, boy?”
“Robin.”
“And where are your parents, Robin?”
I shrugged. “I
live by myself. In the wyldwood.” I couldn’t remember my parents, if I’d even
had them. My earliest memory was the
tangle of the wyldwood, foraging for food and shelter, learning the skills I
needed to survive. But, even though I
was alone, I’d never felt like I didn’t belong.
The forest, the wyldwood, was my home.
That was how it always had been.
“Hm.” The tall
noble didn’t press the question. He
observed me in silence for another moment, his face giving nothing away. “Do you know who I am, boy?” he asked
instead.
This time, I nodded.
“You’re King Oberon.” It was obvious; everyone knew who the Summer King
was, though I’d never seen him in person.
It didn’t matter. I had never
seen Queen Mab, ruler of the Winter Court, either, but I was certain I would
know her if I did.
“Yes,” the Seelie King agreed. “I am indeed.
And I could use someone of your talents in Seelie territory.” He raised
a hand, indicating me with long, elegant fingers. “You have power; raw, unfettered Summer magic
rivaling some of my strongest allies in the court. Such a gift should not go to
waste in the wyldwood. You should not be
living in the forest like a beast, singing to birds and squirrels. You should be part of the greatest court in
the Nevernever. What say you, Robin?”
The king regarded me with eyes like pale green frost. “Would you like to become part of the Seelie
Court?”
Part of the Seelie Court?
Curiosity battled defiance. I was intrigued, of course. Living by myself in the wyldwood meant I
could come and go as I pleased, but it was getting a bit lonely. I wanted to talk to people, others of my
kind, not just forest creatures and the occasional scatterbrained piskie. And of the two courts, Summer territory
sounded much more pleasant than the frozen, hostile land of Winter.
Still,
it was never a good idea to take the first offer. Even I, with my limited knowledge of bargains
and deals, knew that much.
“I like it in the forest.” I crossed my arms and smiled at the
king. “Why should I go live at the
Summer Court?”
The Seelie King smiled, as if he’d expected that
answer. “Because, Robin, I am
king.” He spoke the phrase like it was
the most important fact in the world.
“And as king of the Seelie, I can give you whatever your heart desires.
I can grant you power, wealth, the love of as many hearts as you wish.” He
paused, as I wrinkled my nose. “But I can see you are not interested in these
things. Perhaps, then, this would be of note.
I have many enemies, Robin. Both
within the court and without. From time to time, these enemies need to realize
that they cannot underestimate the sovereignty of Summer. If you join me…well, let us say you will have
plenty of opportunities to practice your magic on things other than common
forest beasts.”
Now that sounded interesting. I glanced back at
the pond, at the motionless bodies surrounding it. Poor dumb animals. I hadn’t meant to harm
them, but it seemed normal creatures were very fragile. I would love to try some of my ideas on
sturdier creatures, maybe even a few fey, and Oberon was dangling that big,
bright carrot in front of me. He seemed
to know exactly what I wanted. The only
question was, did I care?
“So, Robin of the Wyldwood,” King Oberon went on, peering
down at me from his horse. “What is your
decision? Will you join my court? I will name you court jester, and you can
play your tricks and practice your magic without boundaries. All I ask is that you do me a small service
from time to time. Do we have a deal?”
Something nagged at me, a feeling that this agreement wasn’t
quite what I thought it was. I’d made deals before, but they were with piskies
and sprites and a couple local dryads. Never with someone as important as the
ruler of the Seelie Court. Was I missing something? This did seem a little too
good to be true.
I hesitated a moment more, then
shrugged. Then again, why not join the
Summer Court? What was the worst that
could happen? I was aching for something new, and if I was under the protection
of King Oberon himself, think of all the pranks and tricks I could play without
fear of retribution.
This
was going to be fun.
“All right,” I agreed, grinning up at Oberon, who raised
a thin silver brow in return. “You have
a deal, king. I’ll join the Summer
Court, as long as I get to practice my magic and play as many tricks as I
want.”
“Excellent.”
Oberon nodded and raised both hands.
“Then I name you Robin Goodfellow, jester of the Summer Court,” he
announced in sudden, booming tones, and the branches of the trees shook, as if
acknowledging his declaration. Lowering
his arms, the Summer lord gazed down at me with a sudden, almost proud
smile. “Welcome to the Seelie Court,
Robin Goodfellow. Wear your name
proudly. Perhaps someday the world will
come to know it, as well.”
About the Authors
JULIE
KAGAWA is the New York Times, USA TODAY and
internationally bestselling author of The Iron Fey, Blood of Eden, The Talon
Saga and the Shadow of the Fox series. Born in Sacramento, she has been a
bookseller and an animal trainer and enjoys reading, painting, playing in her
garden and training in martial arts. She lives in North Carolina with her
husband and a plethora of pets. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Social Links:
Author website: http://juliekagawa.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jkagawa
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/juliekagawaauthor/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100045094913658
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52735443-the-iron-raven
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2995873.Julie_Kagawa
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