Friday 28 October 2011

FANTASY REVIEW: Iron Elves 3: Ashes of a Black Frost - Chris Evans

Release Date: 13/10/11

SYNOPSIS:

The Calahrian Empire is collapsing. All across the realm native populations are rising up to throw off the shackles of colonial rule. Two key factors drive this -- the return of the Stars of Power and Knowledge and the spread of the Shadow Monarch's forest. The result is that the Calahrian Imperial Army is stretched thin trying to maintain order at the critical moment when it is needed to fend off the advances of the elf-witch. For the Iron Elves regiment, their loyalty is tested to the breaking point. The Prince is devastated by the destruction of the Lost Library and the realization that the Empire he is to inherit is crumbling. Major Konowa Swift Dragon is determined to lead the living survivors of the regiment while Private Alwyn Renwar -- an emissary with his own agenda -- commands the dead. Together, their only hope is to break the oath that binds them, but doing so means making the perilous journey to the Shadow Monarch's mountain in a final confrontation that may be the ultimate trap. There is only one way to find out...


REVIEW:

OK, I’m going to be honest here, this is a book I resisted reading for a little while. Firstly because I didn’t think much to the first one but whilst the second book did pick up, I still wasn’t overly enamoured with series after I’d been enjoying the Elven exploits by James Barclay in his new Elves series.

Sadly for me the third book really didn’t do anything, it felt more like a filler with no real destination and whilst it was the culmination of the whole series it was a damp squib rather than the huge explosion that should have occurred almost as if the author lost where they were going and was just trying to put anything together to fulfil the contract. Add to this a rather poor taste is humour, a sad lack of pace and when added to disappointing characters made this a book that I really wish I hadn’t bothered with.

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