Customer Reviews

A Darkness Forged in Fire: Book One of the Iron Elves (The Iron Elves)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been a little bored with recent fantasy lately, so I was really excited to pick up a copy of A DARKNESS FORGED IN FIRE and see that it wasn't more of the same old same old. I bought it and read it right away--and I wasn't disappointed. I love how the characters come alive so colorfully--and the way the down-to-earth action of the individuals is set against the backdrop of a larger, magical, yet still-believable world. I liked that it uses different tropes than the ordinary epic fantasy--more Napoleonic in feel than medieval, the iron elves are an entirely different kind of elf from the Legolas variety, etc. But I also liked that the story and world had sufficient familiarity to make me feel immediately at home, while still being refreshingly different. Three cheers for this new author, and I can't wait to read the next book in the Iron Elves series!

I received an advance reader's copy of this title, and if you enjoy fantasy and you enjoy military history, this is probably the book for you. Like many of the other reviewers here have pointed out, "A Darkness Forged in Fire" steps nicely around some of the typical fantasy cliches-- there's an elf protagonist who hates forests (he's more of a Henry V or Fortinbras of Norway type), a rather crude dwarf who likely wouldn't know what to do with the secret wisdom of his dwarven forefathers if it hit him over the head, and the technology includes muskets. The writing is fairly strong for a first-effort fantasy and Evans introduces an entire stable of supporting characters with distinct personalities, including a minor comic plotline (again: see Henry V), this involving the aforementioned dwarf.

Evans' worldbuilding has a lot of potential, but unfortunately, this book falls down on the plot. After a series of increasingly confusing viewpoint chapters (a squirrel who isn't, an Viceroy who is official...maybe, a zombie who really wants to bum a smoke), the story settles down and introduces us to the protagonist Konowa, who has been summoned from the woods he hates to rebuild the regiment he abandoned to kill the Viceroy...the old one, whom he already killed. But he needs his unit now because evil trees and a witch are involved.

And then...the book spends the rest of its time detailing Konowa's efforts to build up his old gang of Iron Elves. There's a battle, but it's really more of a distraction than an ending. Please notice how the very title here says: BOOK ONE. Evans means it; you're not going to get any sort of satisfying conclusion in this book, this is more the equivalent of an individual TV episode rather than a fully formed story. Even if you think this might be your pot of tea, I would recommend waiting until the next one or more in the series comes along before buying.

The Calahrian Empire's Iron Elves Commander Konowa Swift Dragon felt he deserved a hero's welcome, but instead received exile as politics has its privilege. Acrimonious, angry, and cynical he wanders in self pity feeling he got the shaft. The military brass broke up his unit sending them from rebellious Hyntaland to the south and sent Konowa off by himself with no rank. His crime was killing the vicious bloody viceroy of Elfkyna, a political appointee who secretly served the evil witch the Shadow Monarch.

With a new even nastier viceroy in place having locals killed on a whim, the Shadow Monarch grows stronger threatening the empire. Desperate for sound military leadership, Konowa is asked to return to duty to lead the fabled Iron Elves. However, he finds his unit is not the same as these are simple men not elven warriors and their commander is an idiot who is heir to the empire. His mission is to retrieve the Red Star that has allegedly fallen somewhere to the east and heralds a special magic that has returned. His allies are elfkynan witch Visyna Tekoy who like her brethren hate elves and empires, and the most untrustworthy profession of them all a reporter Rallie Synjyn. Revolt is in the air fostered by the Shadow Monarch who also goes after the Red Star.

Though somewhat by the writer's 101 standardized book for high fantasy quest, Chris Evans uses contradictory traits to make his key cast members seem fresh and different; for instance the disgraced Konowa wanders forests, but unlike the stereotypical elven he loathes woodlands, etc. The story line is fun to follow even when the hero grumbles every step of the way. With the premise that my enemy's enemies are my allies but still my enemies, A DARKNESS FORGED IN FIRE is an engaging saga.

Harriet Klausner

I do like good old fantasy, rich worlds with complex histories, that is what world building is about. This was good fantasy.

The book begins and we learn that the former Governoner of Elfkyna was murdered, but a decorated officer named Konowa. But the governor was working for the dreaded Shadow Monarch, still there was a price to be paid. The Iron Elves were sent away and he was sent to the forest. He is not a normal elf, he was born with the dark mark and he does not care for trees. That is what the Iron Elves are, outcasts.

But something is happening and the Iron Elves stand again and he is called out from the forest. He is to lead them and find the red star, perhaps with that they can gain some power to fight the wicked witch of the North.

Konowa, well he angry, bit of a bastard sometimes, hates those trees and not a nice guy really. You would think, he would do anything for his Iron elves and he hates the Shadow Monarch and what she has done to him. You grow to like him, and bit by bit there are other sides of him. He is more than he seem to be. This is also shown when he meets Visyna. A tiny bit of romance that is not shown but that I want.

Some called this military fantasy, and that fits. The author know about military history and he uses that knowledge. He knows what he is writing about, and makes it enjoyable.

There is a great deal of fighting, and talking. A strange book that I well was rather neutral about at first. Then suddenly I was at page 150 and I could not stop reading. It had grabbed me and I had not known when and where. I wanted more so I finished it quickly without too many breaks in between. Good fantasy can do that.

This is a book that I would recommend to fantasy fans, for others, well I fear the military aspects could be a bit dry. I enjoyed it but perhaps this sort of fantasy is not for everyone.

But he has created a great world where the Human empire has spread out by the means of imperial forces and they have conquered the elves, orcs, the elfkynan and the dwarves. The world is ruled by men, and they see the rest of the races as a bit lesser. There are rebellions of course, and the elves, they only cares for their trees. I am happy that I have the next book so that i can see what will happen, The Shadow Monarch is out to rule the world, and the rest of the world really need to put their differences aside to win this fight.

One of the many reviews described this as "if J.R.R. Tolkien and Bernard Cornwell had a literary love child, this would be it and sadly this is far from the truth.
Anyway, disgraced Elf is brought back to command his old regiment when (as usual for these types of books!) an old and evil menace returns.

So the majority of this story is the reforming of the regiment, with the assorted characters and then the journey towards the big event that will bring it all together.
This felt very familiar and I struggled for a while to understand why, then I realised that this is a real blend of many other authors and styles. Take James Barclay, David Eddings etc and this is very much the style this book has, the characters have a certain wit and there is a fair amount of banter and inter-play. The action stuff is well done although some of the Iron Elf back-story and the concept of the source of the bad guys was a little confusing at times.
So, although this is very readable, it is neither new nor fresh enough to raise itself above the other books in this space. Recent books from Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch showed there are new styles and authors in the fantasy arena, but sadly this does not stand out.

Ordered this almost totally on the cover art work- it had good reviews also so why not?
Found it a good read. It's hard to come up with a new take on fantasy and this is a fine effort.
Only complaint would be I like a bit more romance in my books ;o)
Buy it if you like Elizabeth Moon or Mercedes Lackey its more in that style. Going to order number two, hoping it's as good.

Another lesson in not believing blurbs. This is a military fantasy set in a world peopled with the usual sorts of elves, dwarfs, and men, plus some other creatures of the author's own creation. A one-time commander, banished because he assassinated a political leader, is called back into action when things begin to turn strange. Of course, his goal is to set everything right again, and to restore his world to its natural order.

The plot moves along at a good pace, and the writing is better than adequate. The whole set-up makes one think of India during the British colonial period, with the difficult relations between the British and the various and sundry tribes of Indians. The Iron Elves regiment even wears clothing that is essentially a kilt.

Not too bad, but I'll probably not read the next volume. It is books such as this one that explain the vast numbers of volumes two and three of fantasy series in the remaindered piles at bookstores.

"Mountains shouldn't scream, but this one did." Those words start the first volume in The Iron Elves series by Chris Evans, a first time author. A Darkness Forged in Fire is one of the best new fantasies that I've read in a long time. Evans has a visceral writing style that makes the world come alive, interesting takes on standard fantasy races such as elves and dwarves, and one of the most terrifying landscapes I can remember.

A Darkness Forged in Fire tells the story of Konowa Swift Dragon and his quest to find redemption from being born marked by the Shadow Monarch, an evil elf-witch who is determined to take over the world with her forests of black trees and frozen ground. The Shadow Monarch is searching for the Eastern Star, a relic of unimaginable power, to aid her in her quest to subjugate the entire world to her whim. The empire also wants the Star for its own purposes, as do the elfkyna, the conquered native people who believe the Star will enable them to eject the empire from their lands and reclaim their freedom. Caught between all these competing agendas is Konowa, the commander of the Iron Elves, who killed the former Viceroy when he discovered that the Viceroy was a puppet of the Shadow Monarch, for which he was exiled and his unit shipped to a foreign country. Called back into service to lead the Prince's quest for the Star, he must reform the Iron Elves from the dregs of the Empire's army and lead them against the Shadow Monarch.

This plot could be described as what might happen if the British Empire decided to colonize Middle Earth. A mix of politics, military tactics, and fantasy, Evans balances all three types of storytelling to create a captivating story. He manages to create a whole cast of memorable, finely-drawn characters, and balances gripping action, terrifying encounters with evil, and moments of humor and beauty into a well-rounded story. A Darkness Forged in Fire is a tightly plotted novel full of twists, turns, betrayals, and other unexpected events. In particular, the ending was not what I was anticipating, but seems a perfect conclusion to the plot lines that led up to it.

The relationship between Konowa and Visyna, an elfkyna witch, is especially well done. Visyna regards Konowa as a tool of the Empire that is crushing her people and bringing evil to her land. She can sense the danger that Konowa represents, and that tempers their relationship. Though they are obviously attracted to each other, that doesn't cause them to cast all their other responsibilities to the wind and fall head over heels in love with each other, but instead they have to fumble their way forward with competing and conflicting agendas. It is a much more realistic depiction of emerging love than is frequently found in fantasy novels.

I had just one quibble with the story, and that is the inclusion of the storyline detailing the activities of the current Viceroy. Though as well written as the rest of the story, it didn't advance the main plot in any significant fashion. I'm assuming that this subplot was necessary for setting up the action for the next book in the series, but it slowed down the otherwise gripping pace of this volume.

Chris Evans' world lives and breathes, making it difficult to put down the book. I stayed up late and got up early to find time to read it -- something I haven't done in quite a while. A Darkness Forged in Fire is a great book, and a particularly impressive feat for a debut novel. I highly recommend A Darkness Forged in Fire to any reader, and am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series.

For the elves, the highest calling is to become a soldier in the Long Watch. Those warrior-elves serve as eternal guards against the Witch-Elf whose twisted forest digs deep into the earth providing her with horrible power--and who seeks to extend her reach through the entire world. Not all elves are welcome, however--especially those with a touch of darkness. For them, there is no Long Watch. For them, becoming an Iron Elf, working for the Empire, is the best they can hope for. Now, though, the Iron Elves have been disbanded--because their colonel, Konowa, murdered the Empire's viceroy. That the viceroy was a traitor working for the Witch-Elf is not really an issue.

With magic stirring and rebellion causing danger to the Empire, Konowa is called up once again, demoted to major, and made second in command of a newly constituted Iron Elf legion--a legion in which he happens to be the only elf. Nominally commanded by the crown prince of the Empire, the new Iron Elves are the rejects of the rest of the Empire's armies. Yet only they can stand in the way of rebellion--and what it means to the Witch-Elf's plans.

Author Chris Evans creates an intriguing world where battling against evil doesn't necessarily mean fighting on the same side. The tree-based magic system is consistent with the Tolkien tradition of elves, while providing a richness of its own. The Long Watch definitely brings George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice to mind--while having its own magic as well.

I was impressed by Evans' first novel--DARKNESS combines political intrigue, military tactics, magic, various races and histories, and a complex world of politics and conquest into a fascinating whole. I would have liked to see more of a goal from Konowa, the scenes from Alwyn's point of view don't add as much to the story as I would have liked, and I felt that the whole issue of Kritton didn't really come together (setup for a next volume or a new author not sewing up loose ends). Still, for all its minor flaws, DARKNESS is an intriguing and high-potential start for a new author.

A Darkness Forged in Fire is an above average fantasy debut by Chris Evans, a writer with a lively style. The novel is about Konowa, an outcast elf who must command green soldiers against an evil elf witch and her minions. Konowa is a complex, conflicted character who is torn between serving the empire, his soldiers, and his race. The novel shines when Konowa leads his regiment into battle. These graphic action scenes bring to mind Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series. I am also intrigued by the setting's racial and class politics and wish that Evans had focused more on them.

In this world, humans coexist with other races uneasily. Humans are the predominant race and seek to civilize the wilds populated by elves and elfkynan. The elves oppose this imperialism as it endangers the natural order. Many fantasies include tree-hugging elves, but I think that this book describes them and their stance better than others. Evans avoids generalizations. For example, not every elf is a nature lover, and the way one elf reveres nature may be different than another elf. He also hints at class differences: Visyna, an elfkynan aristocrat, looks down at the elfkynan fisher folk even though they respect nature as much as (or even more so) than she does. He also touches on religion, exemplified by the character of Inkermon, a religious fanatic. These nuances enrich the novel and make Konowa an interesting character, since he prefers steel and gunpowder over trees and magic.

Ultimately, I cannot praise A Darkness Forged in Fire too highly because I think Evans makes a glaring mistake: The novel's background is more provocative than the storyline. At the start, Konowa is exiled in the forest after being court-martialed as a traitor for murdering his superior. Am I the only reader who thinks that this past plot is more interesting than the current plot? In my opinion, Evans should have started the novel in the beginning, with Konowa's decision to join the Iron Elves. I want to know what happened in detail to make him turn his back on the elves. I want to know when and why he chose to kill the Viceroy. Furthermore, I want to know how and why the Viceroy betrayed the empire. To me, this is a more engaging storyline.

The novel contains two other missteps. First, I think that the villains are underutilized. The Shadow Witch seems to have a fascinating history and possibly justification for her actions, but Evans only suggests it. In addition, the Viceroy's subplot is too simple; I think that Evans should have explored his character arc more fully. Also, the Viceroy and the Prince are too one-dimensional as opponents. Evans should have fleshed them out more. Second, Evans glosses over the regiment's growth from a gang of misfits to a corps of soldiers. The Iron Elves become dependable too quickly. I think that Konowa should have had to address more conflict within the ranks. If they are the worst of the worst in the military, where are the deserters, rapists, and cowards?

I recommend A Darkness Forged in Fire with the reservation that it could have been better.