Full transparency: I’m the Director of Publicity for Aethon Books. However, this review is 100% honest, unbiased, and based solely on my reading experience.
TL;DR Review: Addictive, fast-paced, and beautifully dark. A progression fantasy I’m still thinking about weeks after reading!
Synopsis:
Arcane Ascension meets The Blade Itself in the epic fantasy adventure IRONBOUND, where the will to survive – and the urge for revenge – cuts cold and deep.
In the Iron Empire only the strongest are given the chance to Ascend.
Castor has wanted to fuse with a Cor Heart since he was a boy. Made from an otherworldly metal, it will give him the ability to manipulate an element. Now that the trial has finally arrived, it is his chance to prove his worth.
Once he has won the Empress’ blessing, he can attune to a Symbol and begin a life of adventure.
But during the trial, his dreams are interrupted by a vicious attack. His home is left in ruins and his family in peril, all while Castor and his friends are carried away to be conscripted into the Legions.
Bound to a Symbol he never wanted, Castor must survive the Iron City, the enemies in the frozen North, and hidden traitors inside the Rusting Empire before he can get revenge on the ones who took everything from him.
This is the first step of the rise of the Ironbound.
Full Review:
I went into this book with no idea of what to expect, and ended up becoming thoroughly addicted.
Ironbound is progression fantasy at its most potent: a compelling character, a magic system that is easy to grasp but offers immense possibility for complexity, a zippy plot, and just enough gritty darkness to keep me hooked.
The story follows Castor, a young patrician who is attending his city’s academy to learn the ways of Cor, the magical hearts that grant the chosen magical abilities. He is far from the best student, but he’s clever, insightful, and works harder than anyone else—the perfect candidate for being chosen, if luck falls on his side.
The first ¼ or so was exactly the sort of story I expected from a progression fantasy. From magical academy lessons to inter-classmate squabbling, a tight-knit group of friends determined to succeed at any cost to a labyrinth test to determine who will be awarded hearts. But once the testing is over, things take an utterly unexpected turn and go SO MUCH DARKER than I could have anticipated. Which I absolutely loved.
From magical academy to military slave, Castor finds himself marching in the dregs of the Legion, condemned to fight until he dies as arrow fodder. But in true Kaladin fashion, he makes the best of a bad situation and leads his squad of soldiers to one victory after another. Slowly, he claws his way up the ranks of his company to become the foremost of his fellow soldiers.
I won’t spoil things for you by telling you where it goes, but suffice it to say, BRACE YOURSELF. The story continually shocked me with how much it was willing to fuck with Castor and his fellow soldiers. Anytime it could go darker, it did, and in ways I never saw coming.
The world is very evocative of Spartacus, Gladiator, and The Will of the Many. A very Roman-esque society where the powerful oppress those below them, and everything is political manipulation and double-dealings. But there are those Legionnaires who truly make us feel like we belong, like we’re in a proper brotherhood, and that it is worth fighting for those at our side. This military flavor is everything I loved about the Bridgeburners and the Bloodsworn, and it made this story so much more addictive for its presence.
I’m not big on magic systems, but the magic in Ironbound was particularly fascinating. Each character can attune to one thing: Fire, Ice, Wind, Iron, Wheat, and the list goes on. But many of these things have “congruencies”, or similarities that allow them to be connected and utilized in clever ways. Effectively, it sets up a magic system built to be broken and twisted—which we see Castor and others do to marvelous result over the course of the story. The potential for complexity is evident from the beginning, and it creates a lot of speculation as to where the magical powers could go not only in this book, but in future books, too.
At the end of the day, Ironbound is just a really well-conceived, well-crafted, clever story that goes hard with the character growth, the progression pacing, and the dark, gritty twists. It’s the best progression fantasy book I’ve read this year, and one I place solidly on par with my other favorites: Cradle, Iron Prince, and Bastion.
If you’re a progression fantasy fan, or just want to give progression fantasy a try, I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
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