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A Darkness Forged In Fire by Chris Evans
Nov. 18th, 2008 02:45 pmThe Blurb On The Back:
First in a stunning debut series, A Darkness Forged in Fire introduces an unforgiving world of musket and canons ... bow and arrow ... magic, diplomacy, and oaths - each wielding terrible power in an Empire teetering on the brink of war.
In this world, Konowa Swift Dragon, former commander of the Empire's elite Iron elves, is looked upon as anything but ordinary. He's murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished in disgrace to the one place he despises the most - the forest.
Now, all he wants is to be left alone with his misery ... but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple. The mysterious and alluring Visna Tekoy, the highborn daughter of an elfkynan governor, seeks him out in the dangerous wild with a royal decree that he resume his commission as an officer in Her Majesty's Imperial Army, effective immediately.
For in the east, a falling Red Star heralds the return of a magic long vanished from the earth. Rebellion grows within the Empire as a frantic race to reach the Star unfolds. It is a chance for Konowa to redeem himself - even if the entire affair appears doomed to be a suicide mission ... and the soldiers recruited for the task are not at all what he expects. And worse, his key adversary in the perilous race for the Star is the dreaded Shadow Monarch - a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could every imagine ...
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
There’s too much set-up and not enough action in this book for it to be an interesting read in its own right and I would have liked to see more explanation of the significance of the key events. In addition, I don’t buy into the central romance and could do with that angle being removed altogether. However, the book ends with an interesting scenario that would make me want to read the next in the trilogy and I think it’s always interesting to see a fantasy writer taking the existing fantasy canon and try to twist something different into it.
We do not fear the flame, though it burns us,
We do not fear the fire, though it consumes us,
And we do not fear its light,
Though it reveals the darkness of our souls,
For therein lies our power.
Bload Oath of the Iron Elves
First in a stunning debut series, A Darkness Forged in Fire introduces an unforgiving world of musket and canons ... bow and arrow ... magic, diplomacy, and oaths - each wielding terrible power in an Empire teetering on the brink of war.
In this world, Konowa Swift Dragon, former commander of the Empire's elite Iron elves, is looked upon as anything but ordinary. He's murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished in disgrace to the one place he despises the most - the forest.
Now, all he wants is to be left alone with his misery ... but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple. The mysterious and alluring Visna Tekoy, the highborn daughter of an elfkynan governor, seeks him out in the dangerous wild with a royal decree that he resume his commission as an officer in Her Majesty's Imperial Army, effective immediately.
For in the east, a falling Red Star heralds the return of a magic long vanished from the earth. Rebellion grows within the Empire as a frantic race to reach the Star unfolds. It is a chance for Konowa to redeem himself - even if the entire affair appears doomed to be a suicide mission ... and the soldiers recruited for the task are not at all what he expects. And worse, his key adversary in the perilous race for the Star is the dreaded Shadow Monarch - a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could every imagine ...
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
There’s too much set-up and not enough action in this book for it to be an interesting read in its own right and I would have liked to see more explanation of the significance of the key events. In addition, I don’t buy into the central romance and could do with that angle being removed altogether. However, the book ends with an interesting scenario that would make me want to read the next in the trilogy and I think it’s always interesting to see a fantasy writer taking the existing fantasy canon and try to twist something different into it.
