Release Day Review: Iron and Magic (The Iron Covenant #1) by Ilona Andrews

About the Book

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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My Thoughts

As with all of Ilona Andrews books, Iron and Magic was compelling and almost impossible to put down. I was completely pulled into this story and didn't want to be interrupted for anything. It's one of those books that even when I wasn't reading, it lingered in my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about it and what might happen next. It's extremely action-packed. There were many times when I felt like I couldn't catch my breath, the action was so intense and unrelenting.

I'm not gonna lie, this was a dark and violent book. Disturbing and gruesome things happened that made me a bit squeamish. But there was also a lot of humor that seemed to come along at just the right time when things started getting a little too dark. And there were many times that I found myself laughing out loud. There was a good balance.

A lot of bad could be said about Hugh, but one thing you can't fault him on is his loyalty. I had mixed feelings about him at the beginning, but by the end I found that I really liked him. He's well matched with Elara. She's fierce, protective, and full of sass. Their chemistry was off the charts and their banter was so much fun.

I think it'd be best to have at least some knowledge of the Kate Daniels series before diving into this one. I've read quite a few of the those books, but am sadly a little behind. I didn't find myself lost at all though while reading Iron and Magic. It just made me all that more eager to read the ones I haven't gotten to yet, to find out all the details of how things got to this point.

Iron and Magic is a must read for any fan of the Kate Daniels series. I'm anxious to find out what happens next!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

NOTE: This book contains graphic violence, strong language, and steamy scenes.

Four Stars