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booksblabbering 's review for:

Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan
3.25

This took a while to get into, but I eventually found my footing. 

What stood out to me was the lack of Ryan’s usual beautiful prose. This had moments, but most of the book felt like getting from point A to B. The characters didn’t develop and the plot was bloated with repetitive battles. 
This is definitely signs of a middle book - filler syndrome. 

There are four main characters and it can take a while to settle into their POVs following their individual ambitions as they all felt similar. 

I usually wax on about Ryan’s incredible political intrigue and character work, however this felt rudimentary.

<b>”History, you see, is a weapon. But one that must be used with expert care if it is to be effective.
</b>
I did enjoy the first few battle scenes - brilliant and vicious and immersive enough you can hear the flashing of shields. But then it happens again and again…. 
As you can tell, I am not an action-focused reader.

I enjoy the Easter Eggs nods to his previous series (which I do recommend reading first), but I wish he leaned further into now that it seems apparent this plays a larger role. 

I am hoping the finale will bring everything together as there were some parts I really enjoyed and felt gripped by. 
I can’t wait for the siblings to meet. 

This reminded me of The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne. 

Physical arc gifted by Orbit.