** spoiler alert ** 
 Meghan Chase is now the Iron Queen, and former prince Ash can't even come near his ladylove. 
 But he's determined to change that, and Julie Kagawa's fourth full-length fantasy quickly turns into a quest across the lands of Faerie. "The Iron Knight" rounds out the series nicely, but it throws some unexpected kinks and romantic obstacles before Ash comes anywhere near his goal 
 Unable to enter the Iron Fey's realm, Ash is searching for a way to become human, so he can join Meghan there -- especially since some ex-Thornguards are trying to kill her. The journey to find a seer who can help him takes Ash and Puck into a dark, haunted wood that holds painful memories for both of them -- as well as someone they both knew and loved. 
 So the three of them (plus Grimalkin and Wolf), set out to grant Ash's wish, grappling with a river of dreams, the Forgotten, hobyahs and an inner darkness that threatens to consume Ash. And when they reach the End Of The World, Ash will face challenges that no other faerie has overcome -- his terrible past and his terrifying future. 
 Julie Kagawa apparently intended to end her series with the bittersweet ending of "The Iron Queen," but her editor convinced her to write a story about Ash somehow finding a way to Meghan. And it's a good thing she did, because "The Iron Knight" is a truly wrenching, haunting experience for "ice boy." 
 This is also a very unusual fantasy story, in that it has no villain and not much external conflict. It's a personal quest, with Ash traveling the increasingly painful, sometimes horrifying path to gaining a soul. His struggles with his fears, his past cruelty and the weakness and death of mortals grow more powerful as the book drifts towards its conclusion. 
 So obviously Kagawa spends a lot of time putting Ash through the proverbial wringer. She also further fleshes out his relationship with his friend/enemy Puck, even as Ash is forced to deal with his old hatreds and loves. We also see more of what happened between Ash, Puck and Ariella, even as Kagawa deftly wraps up the lingering threads of that story. 
 And Kagawa's writing is very strong here, filling the faerie riverside with creepy beauty ("Skeletal trees loomed out of the water, their expanding web of roots looking like pale snakes in the murk") and weaving in some funny moments from Puck ("Hey, it was going to name one of its grandfish after me"). 
 And yes, the ending is quite satisfying -- Kagawa tidily wraps up pretty much every plot thread, and gives us a finale that (thankfully) is not nearly as bleak or tragic as Ash's visions. 
 "The Iron Knight" is a more personal story than the previous three "Iron" books, but it's still very dramatic, touching and quite romantic.