Iron and Magic: Iron Covenant, Book 1

added after my first reread (december 2019)I originally read this book while I was inhaling the whole Kate Daniels series around the middle of this year… this is a sort of companion / spin-off series from it… and I read all of them so quickly that they all blurred together in my mind, so I was unable to form and write coherent reviews for each of them… and I knew that once I reread each book… and as you can see I already started doing it ;) I knew that I would want to write at least a bit more detailed reviews for all them :) and here we are ;) continue reading if you are up to speed with the 9th book in Kate Daniels series because this one takes place after the events in that one and I will be spoiling some stuff :)Ok, like I mentioned in my original review, which you can find below, as much as I absolutely adore Kate’s books, I think that the series all about Hugh and Elara will be even more loved by me :) and now that I reread this first part I am even more convinced about it :) you guys… I just loved it sooooo much :) it’s dark, brutal and sometimes gruesome… but it’s about two very powerful people… both of them are strong and smart enough to know that they need each other for various reasons and they have to make this little marriage of convenience to work… I cannot express to you how much I love to see them fighting and compromising ;) for the longest time we saw one side of Hugh… a horrible side because he did a lot of terrible things to Kate and people that are close to her… and then we get to his book… and we see how things looked from his perspective… and how broken he is right now, after Roland cast him aside… how he has this void inside himself that cannot be filled… and then he needs to gather himself up to take care of his Iron Dogs that are being slaughtered… and he finds them a home with Elara and her people… oh Elara… I have a giant woman crush on her :) she’s phenomenal… very powerful but a lot of her strengths and abilities are still quite mysterious… you have no idea how eagerly I am awaiting the sequel and getting some more answers ;) their interactions are explosive… like I mentioned before, both of them are powerful and smart… but also stubborn and used to getting their way :) their compromises are always painful for both sides ;) but I loved seeing them grew closer to one another… to see their people growing closer as well… and even though there are parts of this book that always make me tear up, I will keep rereading it again and again… to see the interactions within their community… but especially to see Hugh’s hidden side… it’s not obvious but you would be surprised how caring he can be and how much he longs for a place of his own and people who will care for him… *sighs dreamily* this is how you do a redemption arch ;) cannot wait to read the rest of the story :)original review (july 2019)*disclaimer :) before I get into my actual review of this story I need to explain some things :) I actually already finished the whole series and I may have binge read them, so all of the installments may or may not got blurred together in my mind… ;) but hey, I will do my best to separate them at least a little bit :) it happened, because I read this series during a two month long period of time when I struggled with a lot of changes in my personal and professional life, so I read a lot, cause I needed something to relax, but at the same time I was in no mood to write any reviews… so here we are today, when I am doing my best to catch up on those :)Before we get into my thoughts and feelings about this particular installment, here are a few things that are true about all of them and that you can read without any fear of spoilers :)#1 this series is absolutely phenomenal and you all need to read it if you haven’t yet :) I blew through all of the stories in it in record time, cause I was unable to put them down and read something else :)#2 the whole series follow Kate, the main character, and tells one big story… so even though each installment revolves around a smaller event / issue, I highly encourage you to read them all in order, including the novellas and side books that happen along the way, because they all bring something extra to your overall experience :) the reading order of all those stories can be easily found on Goodreads if you look for the series Kate Daniels :) I read them all in that order, as it was recommended to me by my good friend who already finished it, and I am very happy I did that :) of course I can’t force you to listen to me, I’m no #BookPolice ;) it’s just a friendly suggestion ;)#3 a few more words about the series in general :) it’s a paranormal / urban fantasy story, set in an alternate version of our world… in it, there are magic waves that crash over the world, making basically all technology useless for some time… because it’s impossible to predict when exactly they will come and go, it alters the way people live… of course, with magic came all sort of gifts and talents… not to mention magical creatures :) we definitely have vampires and necromancers of some sort who control them, shapeshifters who can change into all sorts of animals, not to mention the fact that we get to see magical influences and practitioners from very different belief systems… it’s a lot to explain and we don’t have that much time to get into all the details right now :) just know it’s phenomenal :) each book is action packed, fast paced and full of surprising twists and turns… I can’t even begin to count the number of times when I gasped in shock because the plot went in a completely different way than I anticipated :) once you get to know this world and these characters, you will be completely hooked… and speaking of characters… ;)#4 diverse and interesting characters are one of the main reasons why I love this series so much :) not only the main one, Kate, goes through a pretty spectacular character development arch throughout the whole series, but along the way we keep meeting new ones… and before you know what happened, you have a whole bunch of people you love and with each book you are quietly chanting “don’t kill any of them, don’t kill any of them” as if that might change some outcomes :) obviously I won’t name anyone right here, because a lot of them might come as a surprise to you… what I will say is that it will be a pleasure to re-read those books again soon, knowing how certain characters end up… that’s all I’m gonna say ;)#5 DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS REVIEW if you are not caught up on the previous stories… I will be mentioning people and events from previous books next, because I cannot possibly write more about my feelings without them, and you will be spoiled about some major surprising turns… I won’t spoil anything when it comes to the book I am currently reviewing, but everything that happened before is fair game :) you’ve been warned ;)Looking at the cover I was sort of expecting this story to be all about Roman… and I would love it :) but I am not even a little bit disappointed that instead this one is all about Hugh… yep, as in the villain of the majority of the series so far… I was not expecting him to get a story of his own, but I have to say that this duo of authors did an amazing job with it… what a redemption arch is coming to life before our eyes in this one… :) I don’t really want to go into any more details about it, because I don’t want to spoil you guys all the awesomeness that awaits you in this story, but what I will say is that as much as I adore Kate’s series, this little spin-off / companion trilogy, because from what I know there are gonna be two more books in it, may surpass it… yes, I fell in love with it that much :) but come on, can you blame me? we have a villain with a great redemption arch, a strong, powerful and smart heroine and if that wasn’t enough, there’s a marriage of convenience happening, which is only like one of my favourite tropes ever :) definitely worth a read :)

This world is NOT our world but I love it!Saved from the horror and squalor of life as a street rat when he was a vulnerable child with an incredible healing gift, Hugh D’Ambray is cunningly shaped into a brutal warlord by an ancient, highly manipulative being of power known in current day as Roland. Hugh has always believed Roland his savior; a God and father figure whom he served willingly, without question, for decades.Showered with Roland’s “gifts”, including a longer lifespan and regenerative healing along the way, Hugh eventually dons the mantle of Roland’s premier Warlord, responsible for commanding an elite, yet seemingly amoral army of fellow warriors, the Iron Dogs. During this phase of his life he is shaped and guided by a semi-conscious mental, emotional and moral magic link to Roland. This link is central to understanding his early “moral compass”, the later depths of despair in banishment and gradual awakening to the man he may become.After an exquisite prologue we rejoin Hugh wallowing in his excommunication from Roland’s inner circle. At first, the “void” of separation, isolation and despair are so great he makes a good run at drinking himself to death. The closest brothers in arms from his Iron Dogs tenaciously track him down and refuse to let him follow that path to its end, calling on him instead to rally his troops. The entire corps are being purged by death squads comprised of undead vampires piloted by a separate faction also serving Roland, highly skilled necromancers known as The People. Despite Hugh’s belief that his life has no value without Roland, his men convince him their loyalty as Iron Dogs was actually given to him as their leader and brother in arms and not to Roland.Enter the other character central to the trilogy, Elara Harper. Her magic is revealed in luscious tantalizing glimpses throughout the story, yet never fully given form. Each deeper glimpse is only more intriguing but it’s clear from the outset that she is more than Hugh’s match in stubborn backbone and willingness to sacrifice her own power to save her people. While never fully explained, her magic is so ancient and powerful it is a separate entity in this story arc and I can hardly wait for the further reveals to come. It’s clearly tied to the concept of a White Lady, but among the many hints it’s the one that describes many eyes, mouths and teeth that I feel is the root of this power that is both ancient and ageless. It may closely align to the “pale rider” in that she has awesome killing power of her own.Elara has everything material Hugh lacks to save the Iron Dogs; food, shelter and resources to prevent their annihilation. Elara is as desperate to save her own people from destruction as High and the two must ally themselves as a cohesive team if either they or their people are to survive.Being an entrenched fan of the authors, I’ve known Hugh a long time and for as long have been eager to know his backstory and see some of the many gaps in his character developed. In the Kate Daniels series he’s an amoral fiend of a man who served admirably as a deeply loathed enemy. However, I also felt that I needed to understand why he became the man he was and for some reason I always had a tiny hope that he could be something a more. This series brings that hope to life and I am thrilled with the results in this first book.Elara is more mysterious in that we know from the outset that she has some vast well of power that her own people revere in her whereas almost every other population fears or reviles her. We get hints and revelations on the depth and scope of her power and magic as the story progresses. Her back is against a wall as the story starts, because she’s found a great fortress for her people but they’ve been fighting a losing battle to retain it because someone wants the land the castle or both and will do anything to get it. Anything includes mercilessly hounding her people out of it and might not fall short of simply slaughtering them.Hugh and his remaining 300+ Dogs are starving and have no base of operations from which to fight for survival. Elara and her people have food and the shelter of the magnificent, somewhat mysterious castle but since it seems to be a pivotal piece of land that someone wants to drive them from, and they have no fighting force to defend it, they are also desperate.Additionally, both have baggage from having bailed on prior allies while also being terrifying to many due to their magic and might, and thus no one is willing to help them now.So, the stage is set for two mistrustful people with bad reputations, heaps of baggage and deep scars to somehow find common ground as allies and the vehicle for their alliance is served up in a marriage of convenience. It’s a magnificent ride, as incomparable as the Friesians Hugh mourns early in the story as now beyond his financial reach. (I know how THAT goes as I’ve owned one.) But his replacement for them, Bucky, is also worthy of delight though we are given only hints – some rather transparent – of his real nature.Old Kate Daniels series characters are served up in this new feast for the mind, heart and senses with sprinkles of hilarity, irony and heartache. The IA team are so adept at weaving the lives of their people into a fabulous, intricate tapestry.The writing team of Gordon and Ilona Andrews create such a realistic version of their fantastic worlds that it’s EASY to forget our perceptions are still skewed by the comparatively normal choices and values we can apply to our lives. This is not the case in in any of the worlds they have created in this or other series penned by the team. My recommendation is that you suspend applying final judgement on any character, accordingly. You may be surprised.

I loved it. What else can I say. Aside from the blood & gore, it was psychologically interesting. The research it takes to come up with the names of the gods & monsters is definitely worth it. I couldn't put it down. The ending was abrupt but it worked. Will there be a second book? I love your work. They are entertaining.

Omg Ilona Andrews know how to write a story that you lose yourself in until the very end. It had fight scenes that had you on the edge of your seat. There was magic galore and even a little romance. You should read the Kate Daniels series so you will recognize the characters in this book. This is my 3rd time reading this book. Hoping there is another book this couple.

Good plot, nice character development. I cared about the main characters. Fits into the Kate Daniels world but would be a good stand alone read too.

I've read this one more than once. Some of the main couple's fighting and sniping at each other makes me laugh out loud. I'm just hoping and wishing hard for another issue in this lineup.

Another amazing book from the authors. This new series shows more of the post shift world and makes justice to Hugh's story. I never thought I would love a new character as much as I did Elara and the Departed.A solid adventure and good read :)

Simply unputdownable for me, a great spin-off from the Kate Daniels series, looking forward to the next installments

Iron and magic is a spin off from the main kate Daniels series if you haven’t been reading the main I don’t think I would recommend starting here there are two many call backs and cameos, it is strong enough to stand on its own it’s just you will get far more out of it if you know the backstory.Set in a future America/ world where over development of technology has led to the Shift - where magic is coming back in episodes called waves which has led to the death of the old/present day world and the rise of a new world order based on magic, with this it also means that old powers are rising Gods and legends once more walk the world one of them is Roland, father of undeath ( vampire’s basically ), though Roland is only briefly in the story it’s his actions that drive the plot and set the stage for iron and magic.Once the favored right hand of Roland, raised to be the head of the iron dogs, his actions in the Kate Daniels series have led him to be exiled, hunted by his old colleagues and witness to the extermination of the iron dogs, Hugh must forge new alliances while figuring out have much of his old actions where his own and how much was Roland’s will. The key to survival lies in marriage to someone as desperate as him Elara Harper powerful and distrusted , a lady of mystery trying to keep her people alive.I don’t want to ruin any plot or story points so I’ll leave that for the discussion of the book.If your a fan of Ilona Andrews then you already know the author and chances are you have already bought the book if your not and are a fan of urban fantasy but haven’t tried them for whatever reason here is a couple of points.I read lots of urban fantasy in lots of different shape and forms my absolute favorite authors currentlyJim butcher - Dresden files - classic of the genre starts of as noir but develops past that.Patricia Briggs - alpha and omega series - mercy- strong female protagonist strong development avoids the whole over powered trope by concentrating on the power of bonds of family, and pack and friendship over the usual constant urban fantasy manga like power up.Harry Connolly- twenty palaces, dark urban fantasy with a lovecraftian bent.Mishell baker- Arcadia basically faeries in Hollywood a examination of both the creative process and mental illnessMax Gladstone the craft series ( bit hard to catorgise but since he is a phoenomal writer will recommend anyway)Alexis hall - the Kate Kane series humorous lgbt characters for fans of terry prattchett style humor.Craig Schaefer- a profilc writer he actually three series on the go but since I am recommending best of class not just good then I recommend the wisdoms grave series a lgbt couple and a intelligent examination of stories and tropes disguised in a well written dark fantasy story.Ml Brennan - generation v - imagine your socially conscious millinal now imagine they are a scion of a sociopathic vampire family who nevertheless loves him.Charles Stross the laundry files - a riveting mix of James Bond , lovecraft and the office shouldn’t work but somehow it does.As you can see I love different things across the boards in urban fantasy and I can honestly say that Ilona andres stands as well as any of the above writers better then some and among the very few I will pre order. Often lumped in as pnr paranormal romance where character and plot usually takes a back seat to bodice ripping, and it must be said a lot of their books suffer from covers that would look like too much on a mills and boon cover.So if your a urban fantasy fan but have held off trying them and you like any of the above authors but haven’t tried Ilona Andrews for whatever reason couple of points for why you should read.1. Imaginative - there ideas on vampirism are unique in genre2. On insta love/ lust , yes there is a strong element of romance in the series they write however there’s no falling into bed straight away or soul mate stuff which is refreshing.3. Cast of characters they write three dimensional and well rounding supporting characters that are the highlight of the novels.4. Interesting use of the mythology ( remember the issues I said with the covers another is for the Kate Daniels series she is portrayed as a generic stock white character on them despite being a person of color in the books with lot of the side characters also being from different ethnic backgrounds and that is reflected in the authors use of mythology which takes as much if not more from eastern and middle eastern stories and myths as it does European.So with all that in mind from one lover of urban fantasy to another please try. Won’t regret.

Con questo libro inizia la trilogia che Ilona e Gordon dedicano al "cattivo" della serie di Kate Daniels.Direi quindi che per immergersi consapevolmente in questa lettura è meglio se si sono letti i libri della signorina Daniels le cui avventure, dal terzo libro in avanti, sono spesso causate dalle macchinazioni di Hugh.Ciò detto, devo ringraziare gli Andrews perché sono riusciti a far incapricciare i lettori di quell'odioso ribaldo di Hugh D'Ambray che, da autentico e crudele servitore di Roland è stato un vero antagonista di Kate.Se non che, lungo il cammino, l'ossessione di D'Ambray per Kate lo ha portato a fare un passo falso di troppo e di conseguenza Roland ha tagliato il collegamento magico con lui, privandolo dell'immortalità, della forza sovrumana e, cosa ancora più importante, di una figura che Hugh amava come un padre, come un dio e di cui non aveva mai messo in discussione gli ordini.L'inizio di questo romanzo vede uno Hugh derelitto, alle prese con un vuoto interiore che lo sta divorando, mentre sistematicamente si ubriaca per non avvertire il dolore sordo dell'escissione dal suo mentore. In questo raschiamento del barile si intromettono i suoi fidati Iron Dogs, l'elite dei soldati di Roland ai suoi ordini, che oramai allo sbando dopo l'allontanamento di Hugh, vengono sistematicamente decimati del rivale di sempre di Hugh, il Legato Landon Nez.E' questo il punto in cui inizia la risalita del personaggio: infatti i legami di onore, lealtà e fratellanza che per secoli avevano unito gli Iron Dogs al loro comandante, sono ora le stampelle che riavvicinano Hugh alla sua anima, al nocciolo più profondo del suo spirito dove sono custoditi i principi cardine in cui ognuno si riconosce.Il resto della storia di questo primo volume vede il nostro antieroe sottoscrivere un patto con una comunità di gente strana (i Departed) di cui, per motivi politici, sposa la leader, Elara Harper, una donna misteriosa, dotata di grande magia e di cui i libri seguente approfondiranno le origini e gli obiettivi.Ovviamente i due finiscono per innamorarsi ma in questo stadio siamo appena agli inizi e quindi si assiste più ai continui battibecchi fra i due che a qualcosa di più significativo.I Departed cercano protezione e gli Iron Dogs cercano una casa e uno scopo: questo è l'inizio di una collaborazione scricchiolante in cui ogni squadra dà del suo meglio per la difesa del castello e nello stesso tempo tiene accuratamente nascosti alcuni importanti segreti. Qui a mio parere sta la parte più esasperante della storia e mi sono trovata anch'io d'accordo con Hugh, scocciato per aver scoperto, ancora una volta all'ultimo momento, alcuni elementi significativi per la predisposizione di una strategia di battaglia.Le scene d'azione sono sontuose e la descrizione di diversi elementi magici sono molto interessanti.Inoltre il rapporto con Elara consente a Hugh di specchiarsi con limpidezza negli errori del passato (notate che sto parlando degli errori di strategia e di giudizio che lo hanno allontanato da Roland, non della scia lunghissima di cadaveri di cui è costellata la sua vita - Hugh è un uomo che ha fatto guerra per secoli e per lui la morte è un mestiere) ed è interessante rivedere attraverso gli occhi di Hugh alcune scene dei libri di Kate Daniels in cui egli riconosce il suo fallimento.Per i fans degli Andrews questa trilogia spin-off è un traguardo lungamente atteso. Non posso dire che questo volume sia al top come altri libri di questi scrittori, ma ci si avvicina, eccome se ci si avvicina......

*No spoilers*Although a spin-off from the Kate Daniels series, the authors have indicated that “Iron and Magic” (the first of a promised trilogy) can be read as a standalone book - the world-building is so strong, that I can quite see this, although why wouldn’t you want to read the Kate Daniels series? These books are brilliant.“Iron and Magic” is another excellent book from the authors, with Hugh - a vanquished bad guy from the Kate Daniels series - essentially, getting the beginnings of a (tough) redemption story. No punches are pulled in the deftly-plotted book: Hugh is a suicidal alcoholic mess at the beginning and he has done very, very bad things in the past on behalf of other people...one person in particular. In this book he begins to see the cost of that. Reading parts of his backstory contextualises, but not excuses, his past actions. A powerful new female character, Elara, is introduced...and sparks definitely fly. Hints about Elara’s background and nature are provided, but plenty is left to be discovered in future books. There is a lot of violence in this book, but to me it is essentially a book about loyalty, and, the loyalties of both Elara and Hugh are centre-stage.The tone of “Iron and Magic” is darker than the Kate Daniels series, which fits both the damaged nature of Hugh and Elara, and, the scenario they find themselves in. As always, there are great supporting characters. There is also less of the authors’ characteristic humour, although they continue to excel with their sharp dialogue. To be honest, when this book was originally announced I really struggled to see how a book (and, now, a planned trilogy) focusing on Hugh could work.... I should have had greater faith: it is a brilliant and engaging book on its own merits, but also promises great things for the planned two future books in this series.A fun note....The authors have a wonderful blog under their (joint) writing name - Ilona Andrews - with a faithful (if somewhat avid) following (and, yes, I would could myself amongst them). What became “Iron and Magic” was originally an April Fool’s joke on the blog: the authors released a mock-up of a Hugh book cover with tongue-in-cheek comments and in-jokes....it did not quite have the effect they planned! The response was, essentially, “A Hugh book? Great idea! When is it out?” Even when it was gently explained that it really was a joke, the pleading continued.... It was not that they were pressured by fans into doing this book (they are very firm on that they write what they want), but I think that they were intrigued by the challenge of redeeming Hugh. Well...as far as I am concerned (there is no pat redemption in this book, but it is in progress), they succeeded in spades!