ARC Review: Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews
No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work.
Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast.
Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she's trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.
Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies?
As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.”
Hugh and Elara may do both.
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**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
"Of all the people out there, you shine the brightest. They are firebugs, but you are a star. You have a gift."
Iron and Magic is a phenomenal start to The Iron Covenant series, which is set in the Kate Daniels world/series. I had very high expectations for this book and was curious to see how the amazing writers would make me love and root for one of the previous main villains of the Kate Daniels series. In the prologue we get to see how Hugh ended up with Roland. This chapter really showed why Hugh was so loyal to him, it made me understand why he did the things he did. After being cast aside, he doesn't feel like he has a purpose and spends his days drunk. However, after he learns that his Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh and his Iron Dogs needs food and shelter to regroup and be able to fight back against his enemies. Elara, needs soldiers to protect her people. They both have what the other need, and come to a conclusion that the best action is to get married to make sure they will both keep their end of the bargain.
"She had to teach d'Ambray who she was. The White Warlock. Unclean. Cursed. An abomination."
I loved seeing Hugh and Elara meet for the first time, and the banter that was there from the start. Both are very strong leaders, and want what's best for their people. In the beginning they had some disagreements and bickering but further into the story they learned to trust each other to make the right decisions. This book had all the elements that I love in my Urban Fantasy books: action, light-hearted banter, romance, suspense, mystery and so much more. There were multiple bad guys in this book, and the action was great. It was a very engaging story, and I was hooked until the end. There was only one sex scene, however it happened at the perfect time and left me satisfied. The writing was amazing like always, I can always depend on Ilona Andrews to come up with great characters and original stories. I think every fan of the Kate Daniels series will love this book/spin-off.
"For a few seconds, while she'd been in the room screaming at him, he'd felt alive. He lost it again and he could already feel the void drawing closer, but he'd tasted freedom in those fleeting moments and he wanted more."
Iron and Magic is a phenomenal start to The Iron Covenant series, which is set in the Kate Daniels world/series. I had very high expectations for this book and was curious to see how the amazing writers would make me love and root for one of the previous main villains of the Kate Daniels series. In the prologue we get to see how Hugh ended up with Roland. This chapter really showed why Hugh was so loyal to him, it made me understand why he did the things he did. After being cast aside, he doesn't feel like he has a purpose and spends his days drunk. However, after he learns that his Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh and his Iron Dogs needs food and shelter to regroup and be able to fight back against his enemies. Elara, needs soldiers to protect her people. They both have what the other need, and come to a conclusion that the best action is to get married to make sure they will both keep their end of the bargain.
"She had to teach d'Ambray who she was. The White Warlock. Unclean. Cursed. An abomination."
I loved seeing Hugh and Elara meet for the first time, and the banter that was there from the start. Both are very strong leaders, and want what's best for their people. In the beginning they had some disagreements and bickering but further into the story they learned to trust each other to make the right decisions. This book had all the elements that I love in my Urban Fantasy books: action, light-hearted banter, romance, suspense, mystery and so much more. There were multiple bad guys in this book, and the action was great. It was a very engaging story, and I was hooked until the end. There was only one sex scene, however it happened at the perfect time and left me satisfied. The writing was amazing like always, I can always depend on Ilona Andrews to come up with great characters and original stories. I think every fan of the Kate Daniels series will love this book/spin-off.
"For a few seconds, while she'd been in the room screaming at him, he'd felt alive. He lost it again and he could already feel the void drawing closer, but he'd tasted freedom in those fleeting moments and he wanted more."
“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)
Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats.
They have co-authored four NYT and USAT bestselling series, the urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, rustic fantasy of the Edge, paranormal romance of Hidden Legacy, and Innkeeper Chronicles, which they post as a free weekly serial. For complete list of their books, fun extras, and Innkeeper installments, please visit their website at Ilona-andrews.com.
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