Emma Bannon, Sorceress Prime is not among the most popular
of her colleagues. She draws her power from the darkest of
the dark which can be a bit nervous-making, even for those
accustomed to the oddities attending the workings of magic.
She has pledged herself to the newly risen queen of the
Empire, Victrix who has thrust off the yoke of her
domineering mother to take the full cloak of power provided
by being the incarnation of the ever-living force of
Britannia.
Archibold Clare finds himself in the fascinating position
of
being the last unregistered mentath alive in England.
Solving mysteries and following every clue to its bitter
and
dangerous source is meat and drink to him. A mentath
afflicted with ennui is on a breakneck course to Bedlam.
The
problem presented by Queen Victrix in the person of her
most
trusted servant the Sorceress Prime Emma Bannon promises to
keep his brain safely between his ears for some time to
come.
As a reviewer it is my pleasure to read a goodly number of
excellent books. Often entertaining and highly readable, no
matter the genre, a well-told story always brings me a bit
of joy. It is a very special day when a book rises above
the
others bringing me page-by-page excitement and an
exhilarating ride that I swear had my breath coming short.
When the book is also straddling two (or maybe more) of my
favorite genres it is gilding on the cake, so to speak.
(They make edible gold, right?.)
I have been a fan of some of Saintcrow's other series, in
among my other favored Urban Fantasy writers, but in terms
of my particular interests, THE IRON WYRM AFFAIR blows the
competition out of the water. In this first of her new
Bannon and Clare series fantasy-soaked alternate history
snuggles comfortably into the Steam Punk genre. Viscerally
thrilling action is etched with the cold calculations of
Clare who is like Holmes on mental steroids. Fascinating
characters on every level people an enthralling world and
drives a story that forcibly carries readers along with the
chase. It felt as if mere moments passed from first page to
last, inciting a hunger for more in the series. Don't get
me
wrong, the resolution gave great satisfaction, it's just
that I missed being in Londinum. Lilith Saintcrow can't
possibly write the next quickly enough to sate that need.
Emma Bannon, forensic sorceress in the service of the
Empire, has a mission: to protect Archibald Clare, a failed,
unregistered mentath. His skills of deduction are legendary,
and her own sorcery is not inconsiderable. It doesn't help
much that they barely tolerate each other, or that Bannon's
Shield, Mikal, might just be a traitor himself. Or that the
conspiracy killing registered mentaths and sorcerers alike
will just as likely kill them as seduce them into treachery
toward their Queen.
In an alternate London where illogical magic has turned the
Industrial Revolution on its head, Bannon and Clare now face
hostility, treason, cannon fire, black sorcery, and the
problem of reliably finding hansom cabs.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy