The Iron Covenant Book 1No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy… But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work. Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when … he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast.
Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she’s trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself – and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.
Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies?
As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.”
Hugh and Elara may do both.
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Didn’t know how much I would love Hugh.
Great book and very funny, you don’t see time pass away. Like the other books of this serie. Love it.
I absolutely love slow burn romances, especially ones that start with the head, and end with the heart being involved. ‘Iron and Magic’ by Ilona Andrews charts just such a romance between one battle hardened forsaken mage followed by his faithful soldiers, and a white witch protecting her people.
The book is a side branch to a series, but very much stands alone in its own right (I haven’t read any of the others yet).
If you like books where they realise they like each other on the third page, this is not for you. If you like books where the romance grows and grows and grows and resolves on the last page – then you will love ‘Iron and Magic’. I read it late into the night, and fell asleep very happy!
If you’re an Ilona Andrews fan, this is totally up your alley, if you’ve never heard of her before… This is fun, dystopian urban fantasy with an emphasis on the fantasy. Not a lot of romance (yay!) but the promise of more to come in later books (it’s a series), which is what I prefer.
Oh my gosh! I always knew this writing duo were amazing, so to actually make me fall in love with Hugh d’Ambray shouldn’t come as a surprise. I expected they could do it, and they did!
I think I loved this book more than any of the others. The fact that we have both Hugh and Elara’s points of view went a long way. I crave a story where I can get both, and this fed my greedy heart.
I have to admit, my heart hurt for Hugh as he’s being tormented by a void left from Roland’s purge. As the story progresses, we realize so many of Hugh’s actions were brought about by his relationship with Roland and his desperate need for acceptance. I think it’s safe to say there was a lot of brain-washing that went into that relationship. But I truly fell in love with him when he began to take a stand for what the man within him wanted, not the boy that had been raised by Roland’s hand.
”This new life, it was just his. Hugh didn’t owe it to anyone. He was building it himself, brick by brick, one shovel of cement at a time, the same way he had built that [dang] moat.”
Elara is quite a mystery. She’s so different from Kate, which I appreciated because we already have Kate, we don’t need another. And yet, she has a fear of something that resides within her and she battles against it. There are definitely secrets being withheld and when they finally are revealed I was absolutely glued to my Kindle.
This couple begin in a hate/hate relationship, but one that each of them needs. Hugh makes a real jerk hole decision that had me seething and lost him points in my estimation. I prefer my heroes, even anti-heroes, to uphold a certain criteria and he failed when he made that one decision. Elara seemed to overlook it and good for her but I was still a bit put out about it.
However, the issue is quickly dealt with and the story moves forward and soon all the hate turns into a banter of wits against each other. It felt very realistic, avoiding over the top reactions with no insta-anything to interfere. And soon the title of Harpy is almost an endearment.
The action within this story is just as intense as previous books, but it is so nicely leveled with the struggle of two groups of people coming together, learning how to co-exist. I enjoyed the build up to the conflicts and the resulting responses each character had within them.
Definitely a winning read in my opinion and I’m all team d’Ambray at this point. I haven’t read Magic Triumphs yet, but I kinda hope Hugh gets an invite to the final showdown.
Terrific follow-on to the Kate Daniels series
I loved this book and every book from Ilona Andrews, It weaves a spell to keep you in that world until the very last page
I would read it over and over and over again
Another great Ilona Andrews book. Andrews has accomplished something many authors are unable to do well, spin-offs. This is another excellent example of a great story from the Kate Daniels series.
I love the Kate Daniels series, which means I loath Hugh D’Ambray. He is the worst of the worst bad guys and he deserves all the terrible things that come to him. How the authors took the readers from that point, to feeling sympathy, to rooting for Hugh is a miracle.
Ilona Andrews found the perfect setup to create two believable characters with all their flaws, stuck together in a marriage by necessity, pretending they have an unbreakable loving relationship for the outside world while loathing each other and fighting over ever scrap of power and control. It’s entertaining and believable at the same time. And of course it gets steamy too! The authors deliver their usual mix of interesting mythical lore, excellent fighting, witty banter, and epic battles — all while making you root for the bad guys.
Hugh’s journey is intriguing. He starts out utterly broken from Roland’s banishment, then forces himself to live on and fight for his Iron Dogs, to realizing how brain washed he was under Roland, to choosing his own life… and dare we say… falling in love?
Elara is another strong female character in the Ilona Andrews world that doesn’t devolve into tropes. She holds her own, has her own desires and motivations, and loves getting a rise out of Hugh (pun intended). I can’t wait to find out more about the Departed and their magical lore and backstory. I love that this will now be a three-book series. Highly recommend.
I’m a huge fan of Ilona Andrews stories. Just finished reading my all-time favorite, the Kate Daniels series, in which Hugh d’Ambray is a villain. Imagine my surprise when he turns up as a hero in the new Iron and Magic series. I was soooo certain this could never work —- and I was soooo wrong!
I LOVED IT! I was cheering by the end of this and I can’t wait to read the next installment.
I have loved everything I’ve read from Ilona Andrews. I really wanted to continue to hate Hugh for all that he has done in the past, but I couldn’t. This is the ultimate redemption story. Everyone has things they’d like to move on from in their past, so relating to Hugh becomes easier from that point. I couldn’t think of anyone better than Elara for him, either. There was such interesting characters introduced, and I fell in love with them all. I can’t wait for book 2!
The Ilona Andrews writing team is one of my top favorites, and this book starts a new series set in the Kate Daniels world.
I loved this book. I’ve always liked Hugh’s character even though he’s a villian, and it was fun to get a glimpse of his backstory. Elara was a fascinating character as well, even though we don’t really learn what kind of “evil creature” she is, just that’s she’s ancient and brutal. They’re both equally matched and their verbal sparring was so much fun to read. Another great read by Ilona Andrews
I still can’t believe what a wonderful jobs they did turning Hugh into – not a hero, but a complex character – an excellent protagonist. A great story. I am dying to know what Elara Harper is.
Only Ilona Andrews could make me fall in love with a villian I thoroughly despised. If you love Kate Daniels, you have to read this.
This was really good
Iron and Magic is the first in a new series set in the same world as their Kate Daniels series. Hugh D’Ambray has been thrown aside by Roland and is floating adrift in an alcoholic stupor when his Iron Dogs, men on his warrior crew, sober him up by saying Roland is killing them all one by one. They need Hugh to stand with them and be their leader. Hugh may not be a very nice guy, (in fact we have seen him torture and kill some of our favorite characters!) but he is very loyal to this group of men and would do most anything to help them survive. Including marry. Elara Harper is the leader of her own crew, The Departed. She is known as the White Lady and in some eyes she is an abomination. That is all we know about her when Hugh arrives at her castle. His men need a place to defend and food to eat, and her castle needs defending. Not really a match made in heaven but they do both get something out of it. Elara’s people are fiercely loyal to her and as the story unravels we see why. She is strong, loyal, and will sacrifice her own needs for the survival of her people. Hmm, sounds a little similar to someone else we know, right?
Hugh has always been a rough bastard, and he does not change in this novel. He’s still a bad ass. However, Ilona Andrews has made him human and that humanity gives him a new emotion, regret. Once you start to regret things your heart and mind are open to other new emotions. Now, don’t get me wrong, Hugh is still one bad hombre, but he’s now a bad hombre with a conscience. A conscience that makes him hesitate slightly before he makes the decision to maim or kill. He and Elara do not get along, but their bickering provides humor and also adds to Hugh’s humanity. He has always had wit, but has never had a female sparring partner who would see the charm beneath the one liners. Elara is fierce, and like Kate that is very attractive to Hugh. He doesn’t want to like her but can’t seem to help himself. Their relationship is as fascinating to watch unfold as is the story of their fight against a common enemy which is an amazing read. This novel was everything I never knew I wanted and I can’t wait to read it again. If you have not read the Kate Daniels series, I think this would stand well on its own. BUY IT!
There’s so much interesting, different, wild, and wonderful magic in this book—plus some amazing tension between the hero and heroine. If you hesitated to purchase this book because it wasn’t about Kate Daniels, go grab it now.
This is book one of a Kate Daniels Universe trilogy. Read just before final Kate book Magic Triumphs for best clarity. I was entranced by the book. They took a super bad guy and wove a tale of redemption and love, family and loyalty. Plus romance!
listened to the audiobook..what a great audiobook reader! Steve West is as fine a talent as Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who reads the Ben Aaronovitch Rivers Of London series.