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A review by renpuspita
Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
How to make a questionable villain/anti-hero redeemable? Easy.
#Make him falling to the rock bottom;
#Give him a conscience and epiphany after all the eeevuuulll & wrongdoings he did in the name of his Sharrum;
#And to add the cherry on top, throw him into a marriage of convenience with a woman that despise him from the start but didn't have much choice because they need each other because of circumstances.
Sick fuck, ehm sorry, Hugh D' Ambray was known by his villainy from Kate's book. I don't really hate him, I think he was interesting back then in Magic Rises. Magic Breaks make me view him with ewww because he torture & kill some of characters that very dear to Kate (view spoiler). Don't forget what he did to Kate in Mishmar and his unhealthy obsessions because he got a hard-on when fighting Kate. Eww, nope, lel. So when IA decide to give Hugh his own book despite the said book happen because of some April's Fool joke, color me surprise.
IA already lay the ground for Hugh's path to redemption. After his falling from grace and separation from Roland, Hugh is a former shadow of himself. He drunk himself to stupor just to numb the void that happen because Roland no longer want him to be a Warlord while the Iron Dogs got hunted. So when he finally decide to be sober and agree to a business marriage with Elara Harper, the White Warlock that rule Baile castle in Kentucky, I see a new light about Hugh. See, I know Hugh just from Kate's book and all of them told entirely from Kate's first PoV. I see Hugh from Kate's eyes, I judge him from Kate's insight about Hugh. Of course there will be bias. I like that IA write Iron and Magic from both Hugh and Elara's perspective and use 3rd voice. So I get to know them from outside views.
Hugh is a villain yes, but he's also not entirely at fault. The fault lay with Roland and his manipulative way to form Hugh from a gifted healer to a ruthless Warlord. Roland temper Hugh to obey all his demands with charisma, suggestion and also some of magic involved. See it unveiled make me realize that Roland is a kind of toxic parents but what make it chilling, Roland didn't see that what he did to both Hugh and Kate was wrong and said that it's parents duty to educate children to their own views. IA didn't glossed over all Hugh's faults and mistakes. Oh, Hugh is still hard, vicious but he also amend for his mistakes. All Hugh did to Kate in Magic Rises and Magic Breaks was because he take Roland's demand to bring Kate to Roland's palace with extreme precautions. I like that IA write about Hugh handleAunt B's death with Hugh let Raphael vents his anger and grief while bleeding each other to death. Hugh apologize but also reasoned while he's regret his Iron Dogs took Aunt B's life, he also count Aunt B as a dangerous key person in the Pack. His insight regarding Jim's retaliation in Magic Binds also very on point and I realize that Hugh is a better strategist. Maybe better than Curran when it comes to warfare and alike. He also come into epiphany regarding his actions toward Kate because he took a wrong approach and maybe the brotherly approach is much better in which Elara pointed that Kate will still reject Hugh, lel. My opinion regarding Hugh was change and I did realize while Hugh kinda redeemed for his wrong doing, he will still be Hugh with his ruthless charisma and cunning machination. He need all of that to reins the Iron Dogs but, the Iron Dogs themselves also love and respected their Preceptor.
I like Elara and sure she's different from Kate because Elara is a leader to her people. Her past and real magic still didn't get revealed and I have a guts maybe its will be unfold in the next Iron Covenant book. I like the secondary characters from Iron Dogs and also Elara's people. There's a hint of romance between Stoyan, Hugh's second in command, with Johanna, one of Elara's people that have a unique power of her own. Another Iron Dogs, Lamar and Bale provide comic relief while Lamar also act as voice of reason to Hugh. Elara and Hugh hated each other with snipping, snapping and mocking each other. Sometimes its hilarious to read. There's a romance of course, but still in the early phase even though Hugh and Elara is married and don't forget that they have history in betraying their allies. They begin to see each other in new light and also care in their twisted way. The consummation scene, well, kinky, just like Hugh. I have "whaaa" moment when read it because the steamy levels is off the chart and I have a guts because Iron and Magic was self-published, IA didn't hold at all when writing sex scene, lel.
The battle scenes is very well written and we got not only one but two battle scenes that show that Hugh indeed, is a Warlord. His hostility with the Legatus of Golden Legion, Landon Nez get expanded. There's a new enemy that target Elara's castle and the surrounding villages and their real identity also reason behind attack still shrouded in mystery. Even the reason why Elara and her people, The Departed, got chased by another witch covens is still not clear. Stoyan and Lamar tell Hugh that Elara's people feels like cult and maybe they are really a cult, lel. We don't get explanation why Elara called The White Warlock. There's so much things still unclear and maybe will resolved in the next books.
It's very entertaining to read Iron and Magic. I very much looking forward to Hugh's path of redemption and to see how he become his own person, free from Roland's influence. Also, I don't know why both Kate and Hugh have a steed that love prancing. Kate with her mammoth donkey, Cuddles and now Hugh with his white stallion that shining like a unicorn every damn time with name as majestic as Buchepalus but called Bucky. IA seems to have things for unique horses and donkey alike. Also the dog, the real dog not the Iron ones, Cedric is adorable!
#Make him falling to the rock bottom;
#Give him a conscience and epiphany after all the eeevuuulll & wrongdoings he did in the name of his Sharrum;
#And to add the cherry on top, throw him into a marriage of convenience with a woman that despise him from the start but didn't have much choice because they need each other because of circumstances.
Sick fuck, ehm sorry, Hugh D' Ambray was known by his villainy from Kate's book. I don't really hate him, I think he was interesting back then in Magic Rises. Magic Breaks make me view him with ewww because he torture & kill some of characters that very dear to Kate (view spoiler). Don't forget what he did to Kate in Mishmar and his unhealthy obsessions because he got a hard-on when fighting Kate. Eww, nope, lel. So when IA decide to give Hugh his own book despite the said book happen because of some April's Fool joke, color me surprise.
IA already lay the ground for Hugh's path to redemption. After his falling from grace and separation from Roland, Hugh is a former shadow of himself. He drunk himself to stupor just to numb the void that happen because Roland no longer want him to be a Warlord while the Iron Dogs got hunted. So when he finally decide to be sober and agree to a business marriage with Elara Harper, the White Warlock that rule Baile castle in Kentucky, I see a new light about Hugh. See, I know Hugh just from Kate's book and all of them told entirely from Kate's first PoV. I see Hugh from Kate's eyes, I judge him from Kate's insight about Hugh. Of course there will be bias. I like that IA write Iron and Magic from both Hugh and Elara's perspective and use 3rd voice. So I get to know them from outside views.
Hugh is a villain yes, but he's also not entirely at fault. The fault lay with Roland and his manipulative way to form Hugh from a gifted healer to a ruthless Warlord. Roland temper Hugh to obey all his demands with charisma, suggestion and also some of magic involved. See it unveiled make me realize that Roland is a kind of toxic parents but what make it chilling, Roland didn't see that what he did to both Hugh and Kate was wrong and said that it's parents duty to educate children to their own views. IA didn't glossed over all Hugh's faults and mistakes. Oh, Hugh is still hard, vicious but he also amend for his mistakes. All Hugh did to Kate in Magic Rises and Magic Breaks was because he take Roland's demand to bring Kate to Roland's palace with extreme precautions. I like that IA write about Hugh handle
I like Elara and sure she's different from Kate because Elara is a leader to her people. Her past and real magic still didn't get revealed and I have a guts maybe its will be unfold in the next Iron Covenant book. I like the secondary characters from Iron Dogs and also Elara's people. There's a hint of romance between Stoyan, Hugh's second in command, with Johanna, one of Elara's people that have a unique power of her own. Another Iron Dogs, Lamar and Bale provide comic relief while Lamar also act as voice of reason to Hugh. Elara and Hugh hated each other with snipping, snapping and mocking each other. Sometimes its hilarious to read. There's a romance of course, but still in the early phase even though Hugh and Elara is married and don't forget that they have history in betraying their allies. They begin to see each other in new light and also care in their twisted way. The consummation scene, well, kinky, just like Hugh. I have "whaaa" moment when read it because the steamy levels is off the chart and I have a guts because Iron and Magic was self-published, IA didn't hold at all when writing sex scene, lel.
The battle scenes is very well written and we got not only one but two battle scenes that show that Hugh indeed, is a Warlord. His hostility with the Legatus of Golden Legion, Landon Nez get expanded. There's a new enemy that target Elara's castle and the surrounding villages and their real identity also reason behind attack still shrouded in mystery. Even the reason why Elara and her people, The Departed, got chased by another witch covens is still not clear. Stoyan and Lamar tell Hugh that Elara's people feels like cult and maybe they are really a cult, lel. We don't get explanation why Elara called The White Warlock. There's so much things still unclear and maybe will resolved in the next books.
It's very entertaining to read Iron and Magic. I very much looking forward to Hugh's path of redemption and to see how he become his own person, free from Roland's influence. Also, I don't know why both Kate and Hugh have a steed that love prancing. Kate with her mammoth donkey, Cuddles and now Hugh with his white stallion that shining like a unicorn every damn time with name as majestic as Buchepalus but called Bucky. IA seems to have things for unique horses and donkey alike. Also the dog, the real dog not the Iron ones, Cedric is adorable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity