What happened in The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa - Recaptains

The basics

Title: The Iron Daughter

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: The Iron Fey #2

- The Iron King (February 2010)
- The Iron Daughter (August 2010)
- The Iron Queen (January 2011)
- The Iron Knight (October 2011)

Add it: Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Read a full summary of The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa below. If you can’t remember what happened in The Iron Daughter and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place.

What happened in The Iron Daughter?

• Meghan is now in the Unseelie court, having been escorted there by Ash at the end of the first book. Ash has now left her there in order to make sure his realm is safe from the Iron Fey.
• Meghan is clearly distressed about having killed Machina, the new Iron King, as she’s having nightmares about it.
• Queen Mab summons Meghan. Ash, Sage, and Rowan all show up while they’re chatting. Meghan is unimpressed by Mab and finds her to be very detached and callous. Meghan goes off for a walk.
• Rowan follows Meghan, and he gives her an apple. It is some kind of truth apple, and Meghan tells Rowan what happened in the Iron Kingdom, and that she loves Ash. Meghan starts crying because Ash has been acting distant.
• The Summer court has to deliver the Scepter of the Seasons for the winter solstice. The Winter court holds a party. King Oberon wants to take his daughter back, but he learns that Meghan is in the Winter court due to a contract that she struck with Ash.
• The scepter is placed in a room, and is quickly stolen by Iron Knights. Sage tries to fight them off. One Knight disguises himself as Ash. The Knights make off with the scepter, and Mab blames Summer for starting a war.
• Meghan tries to explain to everyone what happened, but only Ash listens to her.
• Rowan confronts Meghan and Ash. He thinks Ash is betraying his family by trying to get Meghan somewhere safe. Ash ignores Rowan and takes Meghan away. Rowan’s guards stop them.
• The guards reveal that Rowan has been working for the Iron King, and that he sold out the Winter court. The guards have been wearing iron rings for some time to help them survive in the Iron realm.
• Ash and Meghan run off and try to find a lodge to stay at. Puck shows up and helps them fight off the Iron Fey.
• Ash asks Puck to take Meghan back to Arcadia.
• On the way, Meghan is summoned by Grim to meet Ironhorse. Ironhorse offers to help retrieve the Scepter, which has been hidden in Silicon Valley by the False King.
• They head out to a maze named the Briars, and end up in the Between, where the exiled Fae live.
• Meghan finds a man who is playing the piano and recognises him somehow.
• Meghan meets Queen Leanansidhe, who offers to help her find the scepter. Everyone is being so helpful all of a sudden…
• One of the exiled Fae, Warren, betrayed the Queen to the Iron Fey. Leanansidhe has him tortured, and he reveals that the Iron Fey are planning to invade.
• Meghan and Puck kiss because it’s all very intense right now.
• The group heads to SciCorp to get the scepter. They go to Floor 29.5 where it is being kept. They’re intercepted by the Iron Fey, and learn that Ash is being controlled by a metal bug. Ash fights them, but seems to be holding back a little, meaning he might have a little control left.
• The group escapes.
• Virus sends bug-controlled Ash after Meghan’s family, so Meghan rushes to protect them. Puck fights Ash off and stabs him. Meghan uses this moment of weakness to get the bug out of Ash, but she herself becomes sick.
• Meghan retrieves some items from her old room. She finds a photo of her human father, who she had forgotten due to giving up a memory in order to save Ethan.
• They take Ash to a healer. They leave him there while the rest of them head to a dance at Meghan’s high school, with the view to suck up some of the energy there.
• Meghan dances with her ex-crush.
• Grim turns up at the dance and tells them Ironhorse is watching a factory and they suspect the scepter is there. The group heads back to Silicon Valley for another attempt at getting the scepter.
• They break into the factory and Meghan finds she can command the gremlins to leave them alone. Ironhorse fights off the Iron Fey. Virus sends in a swarm, and Meghan is able to put up a barrier using her Iron glamour.
• Virus is super powerful though as she has the scepter, and she tries to deliver a killing blow on Meghan. Ironhorse defends Meghan and gets killed instead. Meghan fighs off the swarm and Ash is able to kill Virus.
• The group now has the scepter. They take it back to the Fey realm. Ash and Puck fight Rowan and the Thorn guards. Meghan rides a unicorn to get to Mab, but the unicorn dies.
• Meghan tries to explain what happened to Mab, but Mab doesn’t really care. King Oberon shows up and listens to his daughter. Ash defends Meghan to Mab, and admits that he loves her. Mab exiles her son. Meghan admits that she loves Ash, and then her father exiles her. Nice.
• The two meet back in the human realm and it’s super cute.

anything else

Changeling: A faery offspring that has been switched with a human child.
Kelpie: A horse-like monster that lives in underwater
Mistwine: A type of feary wine that when taken in large quantities can make you forget things.
Seelie Court: The Court of Oberon. Also known as the Summer Court
Trod: Portals that allow travel between realms.
Unseelie Court: The Court of Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness. Also known as the Winter Court.
Witchwood: A living wood containing the spirit of nature and the power of the natural earth. Found only in the hearts of the most ancient of trees.
Wyvern: A cousin to a dragon, but not as intelligent, it is a beast that is highly territorial.

This is a full plot summary of what happened in The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa. Check out our recap list for more recaps. If you can’t find what you need, you can request a recap from us!

Other recaps for this series:

• The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3)
• The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1)