Customer Reviews

Iron Dawn

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

Fast-paced action and wit. Great characters. Can't wait for the sequel to come out

Fast-paced, with hard action and a feel of reality to it, Iron Dawn drew my attention on the first page and held it in a steel grip for the rest of the book. I couldn't put it down! The descriptions are vivid, and set the imagination on fire. Barra, Leucas, and Kheperu are all very real people, with pasts and personalities as subtle and potent as they come. Great book if you like playing action sequences in your mind, and don't mind your books tinged with bone and blood. This is a must read!

Set in a timeframe where no writer has gone before, Iron Dawn brings new characters and elements who are both refreshing and compelling. A must!

Iron Dawn is an exquisite blend of high and dark fantasy, filled with strong, meaningful characters who take on a life of their own and won't get out of your mind after you're through reading the book. This one is NOT to be missed!

What can I say? I did not get very far with this one, the characters seemed like cardboard (the author says they were based on RPG characters). The action justs happens, you feel you need to be in the RPG campaign to get all the character info. I stopped reading it, but may continue sometime in the future. I am starting to believe that in the Science fiction and Fantasy genres only the woman authors are creating characters with any depth. If you are a fan of action, and want to read an RPG-type narrative then this may just be what you are looking for.