An epic historical fantasy is set in the Phoenician city of Tyre after the fall of Troy, where Barrar, a mercenary warrior-woman, and her two partners, Leucas and Kheperu, stand against an evil necromancer.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
An axe-wielding barbarian princess leads her mercenary trio through a rousing fantasy adventure in Iron Dawn. Barra Coll Eigg Rhum has a basalt axe and a blazing temper to match her fiery hair. At her side walk Leucas, an Athenian warrior of mighty proportions; Kheperu, an Egyptian ex-priest and sometime sorcerer; and her wolf, Graegduz, who isn't tame, just respectful. All they want is to earn a little silver. They start out by tackling a maddened bear in the marketplace of Tyre, but mysteries and dangers compound until they end up facing off against one of the Pharaoh's grandsons and his army of zombies. Matthew Woodring Stover has done a terrific job in his first novel. The characters are funny, likable, smart, and tough. The Bronze Age setting has a Middle Eastern flair; one can almost smell the "cinnamon and pepper in the cedar-laced pine smoke." The sorcerous overtones are seriously threatening, and true unto themselves, not the sort of flimsy magic in which anything can happen and nothing has to be paid for. This is also true of the excellent brawling that fills the book: people get wounded, feel pain, wear filthy bandages, are scarred. People die--although some come back to life in the worst possible way. Iron Dawn is thoroughly enjoyable from cover to cover, as is its sequel, Jericho Moon. --Blaise Selby
From Library Journal
After the heroic female Pict warrior Barra and her partners, the Egyptian Kheperu and the Athenian Leucas, lose all their mercenary profits to pirates, they return to her foster home in Tyre to seek work. There they find a budding war among the ruling houses instigated by an evil sorcerer who raises the dead to fight for him. Barra and her partners must defeat him to save the city. This first novel colorfully depicts Phoenicia during Egyptian rule, but some of the characters lack the complexity needed to make the reader care about their fate. Recommended for historical fantasy collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful, entertaining read,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Iron Dawn (Mass Market Paperback)
Though I love fantasy, I tend to avoid reading a lot of fantasy novels, as too many of them turn out to be one in a series of twelve, or doorstop epics with exhaustive appendices and interminable plotlines. That sort of thing is all well and good when one is in the mood for it, but sometimes you just want a light, rollicking adventure, and Iron Dawn delivers that in spades. Following the exploits of three mercenaries in the Phoenician city of Tyre, Iron Dawn moves along crisply with brisk battles, witty banter, a straightforward plot and a cast of likeable (and hateable) characters. It isn't particularly grand or epic, as fantasy novels go, but it tells a good story and tells it very well. I devoured this book in a few days and gave it a place of honor on my bookshelf. I've already ordered the sequel and am eagerly awaiting it. Amazon has shown this volume as being out of print, which is a real shame -- I urge you to pick it up used or find it if you can. It's a great read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
funny and realistic,
By Morgan Hardy (PA, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Iron Dawn (Paperback)
The best thing about this book is how it combines "dark and grim" stuff with funny stuff. Life in the Bronze Age was hard and brutal, and Stover portrays it as such. However, Stover peppers the book with genuinely humorous dialogue and characters, which keeps the tone from being too dark. Kheperu the unapologetic pervert was my particular favorite. Cynical, lewd, and cowardly, Kheperu spouts some of the books funniest lines, and somehow ends up doing the right thing. Barra is a strong, solid heroine, and should appeal both to fans of Xena and fans of The Mists of Avalon. The only bad thing about this book was when Barra suddenly developed the "sight", which seemed hokey. Overall, though, a highly entertaining read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Iron Dawn (Mass Market Paperback)
Fast-paced action and wit. Great characters. Can't wait for the sequel to come out
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