As I've said many times before, Julie Kagawa is one of my all time favorite authors. I will gladly read anything she decides to write, and I'm really excited for the new series she has coming out soon. In the meantime, reading the Call of the Forgotten series so far has been completely enthralling. Admittedly, I was slightly less enthused about The Lost Prince as I was with all her other books, but that was mostly because I was getting used to the new characters and didn't really like Ethan much. I found him too broody and just an iffy protagonist. 
 Thankfully I didn't run into those problems too much throughout The Iron Traitor. Obviously I still miss the old stars of the Iron Fey books - Meghan, Ash and Puck - but I can't complain too much because all three do make appearances here and there and getting to see them again is like getting an unexpected treat every time. I enjoyed Ethan's point of view a lot more this time around. I'm not really sure why, he didn't seem to change that much, but I guess I mostly just liked his determination to help his friends and family. I felt sorry for him because I know how much he's just like to be normal and have nothing to do with anything Faery related. He was also kind of funny at times (though of course Puck will always be the king of humor in this world). 
 There were times when I appreciated the relationship Ethan and Kenzie had, but for some reason I just don't feel as strongly about her as a person as I'd like to. Hopefully that changes in the third installment. Although Ethan is narrating, the story largely focuses on Kierran and his insane quest to keep his Summer fey girlfriend, Anwyl, from Fading away. I have very mixed feelings about him at the moment. I wasn't surprised at first that he was going to such drastic measures to keep his love safe and alive (since, you know, Ash went on a pretty difficult quest as well, for Meghan). But time after time, things went wrong for him and only went downhill each time they tried something. By the end of the book, I couldn't believe how much trouble he had caused. From hurting himself physically to possibly starting a war, Kierran did it all. 
 Also, it was pretty obvious from the title and cover that he was going to end up doing something horrible at some point. Even though I was expecting it, it still came as a slap in the face. This particular things happens at the very end, making a giant mega cliffhanger that left me enraged and a little confused. Somehow I will manage to wait a year for the next book, but I have no idea how. As far as pacing goes, I don't have any complaints. A lot was happening all the time, and of course the writing was lovely. The main thing I loved about this book was how much emotion I felt while reading it - it caused me to yell at the characters, get insanely nervous and very, very happy. A lot of it is tied to my love of the previous series, but The Call of the Forgotten can definitely hold its own. The Lost Prince felt more like a set up to what was really going to unfold, and this one was the sucker punch to the gut. 
 Spoilers begin here 
 The reason I was confused about the end is I'm not positive if Ethan is really dead. I mean, having a sword run you completely through the stomach pretty much says to me that he is, but . . . I have a hard time believing it. Maybe he'll be saved somehow? Honestly, I think Ethan should have been more wary of the prophecy once he discovered what it was. Sure, Kierran was his friend and his nephew, but if I looked into the future and saw someone standing over my dead body with blood all over them, I'd at least wonder if they would betray me at some point. Still, it was extremely abrupt. It was like they were getting along fine for most of the book and then two pages before the end, Kierran just stabs him because of some prophecy the Forgotten Lady told him to save himself and Anwyl. What the heck?! I have a feeling all hell is going to break loose later on. 
 5 stars