Hugh is back but this time not as Roland's right hand man. He has lost everything - his job, his wealth, his power, his immortality but more importantly the man he considered a father. He has nothing and no where to go. Along with his 300 elite soldiers - the Iron Dogs - Hugh is desperate to find a base and a purpose to keep on living. The White Lady, Elara Harper, has almost everything - a community devoted to her, a fortress and a lot of power. What she doesn't have is protection for her people. Elara is about to understand the saying 'better the devil you know' when she agrees to an alliance with the devil himself - Hugh d'Ambray. Their enemies won't know what hit them if they don't kill each other first.

When I first read that Ilona Andrews was writing a book about Hugh I thought that it was a joke. I couldn't believe that Andrews would spend time writing about the biggest baddie who murdered his way through at least three of the Kate Daniels books. I couldn't understand how the authors could make Hugh a credible hero after all of the things that he did to Kate and her friends. However, I dutifully read the sample chapters that Andrews put on their blog and when I saw that the eArc was available on NetGalley I dropped everything and rushed to download it.

I was a bit more than pleasantly surprised with Iron and Magic. Hugh is everything that I was expecting - arrogant, violent and driven. A brutal killer who seemed to have no moral compass. Through the story and his interactions with Elara we get to see a different side of Hugh and the man he wanted to be rather than the one he was. Hugh doesn't make excuses for his past behaviour which made him a more realistic, genuine character rather than turning into a 'baddie turned hero by the love of a good woman'. Had Hugh been written in any other way the story wouldn't have been as good, in my opinion.

Elara and her people are the newbies in this story that has so many characters from the Kate Daniels' series. She was referred to, not by name, in book 9 of the Kate Daniels series (Magic Binds) as the abomination and I wasn't certain how Andrews was going to weave the two stories together. This was done in a very clever way that both connects Elara to characters in Kate Daniels world but also serves to develop Hugh's character and backstory at the same time. I liked Elara. She was an interesting character that was as dominant as Hugh but in a much more subtle way. I am looking forward to seeing what direction Andrews' will take this character.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book which I think was partly down to the fact I didn't think I would. I like a good surprise and Iron and Magic gives you a few of those. Due to the nature of the main characters this book seemed a lot more violent than any of Andrews' other books. In retrospect, it probably isn't any more violent but just seems that way because Hugh is such a dark and broody character who has murdered his way through the last couple of books on Roland's behalf. It's not as sexy as I was expecting which I prefer. I never like when characters find the time to get all hot and sweaty in the middle of a big battle or in life or death situations. The steamy scenes in this story are fitting to both the characters and the plotline. I won't say that this is a prefect novel. I noticed a couple of lines borrowed from other books and other series written by Andrews which I am hoping will be sorted out before the book is published. This doesn't detract from the plotline but could have had the characters not been so strong. This is a great teaser to Magic Triumphs and I can hardly wait, even more now, for that instalment to come out. While Iron and Magic is billed as it's own series I don't think you will get that much from it if you haven't read at least the first 5 or 6 Kate Daniels' books. These are books you can read over and over so start from the beginning. For die hard fans get Iron and Magic on pre-order now!

What is my favorite trope? Enemies to lovers romance.

What could make that better? A marriage of convenience between said enemies with a slow burn romance between both characters.

This book has been on my radar for a while now and I was thrilled to get an arc for early review.

Hugh was always an interesting villain. He’s more of the dragon to Roland’s Big Bad villain, or Darth Vader to the Emperor. While Roland is playing the dad card with Kate, Hugh shows how ruthless Roland is simply by following orders. After Roland drops Hugh like it’s hot in the Kate Daniels series, Hugh finds himself nowhere. No where to go, nothing to do, no one to believe in. His soldiers he trained, the Iron Dogs, are being hunted and killed, and the few remaining are loyal to Hugh, not Roland.

Elara and her followers, the Departed, have been nomadic for a while but finally have a home, a castle in Kentucky. But while they are rich in resources, the Masters of the Dead are trying to force her and her people out of their home.

An arrangement is made for the Iron Dogs and the Departed to align. In order to make this believable, the two leaders are going to be married. Elara needs soldiers, Hugh’s soldiers need food, and Hugh needs a shower, but more importantly he really wants a chance to piss off Landon Nez, Master of the Dead.

It goes about as well as one would expect.

General thoughts without context:
Hugh’s idea of a fun reception is hilarious and about what you would expect.
Bucky is precious and must be protected at all costs.
Elara and Hugh exchanging insults is life.
I’m watching you Vanessa.
Wth is with Elara’s power???? Damn...
Stoyan is awesome.


This book is firmly set in the Kate Daniels universe. It would be possible to read and enjoy this book without reading any of the previous books. There are mentions and references made to previous plot lines, but these are new characters, well except for Hugh and Roland. So if you’re overwhelmed by how many books are already out but are interested in giving this series a try, this might be the book for you. Or if you want an enemies to lovers romance and have never read Ilona Andrews, this is a great read.

But for fans of the Kate Daniels series, you won’t want to miss this one!

Five stars!

Iron and Magic (The Iron Covenant Book 1)

Hugh d’Ambray is a villain we all hate in Kate Daniels world (which I love). He is cruel, brutal and a monster who blindly follows the orders of his master with deadly consequences to others. Now we get to see a fully developed Hugh and come to understand why he became that person. While reading the Kate Daniels series my thoughts on his future centered on who would finally kill him (Curran or Kate) and would it be brutal enough for all the terrible things he had done. Iron and Magic shows a man who isn’t just a villain but a warrior who can be a protector, if he doesn’t betray them along the way.

We meet Elara Harper, The White Warlock, and protector of her people. She has great power, but who is she really and who are her people? Hugh and Elara have to work together to protect Hugh’s Iron Dogs and Elara’s people. I love the interactions between Elara and Hugh. Hostility at first, then it transforms.

Iron and Magic takes us to another place in Kate Daniels world with richly developed landscapes where you can see the magical forest and the difficulty of living within it. I love the way the authors describe not only what the area looks like but how it feels as you move through it. We meet new people who are described such that not only can you visualize their appearance, but also their personalities. We are treated to new magic users, monsters and more. Reading this book is like living in this land, watching these people get to know the others, seeing how they handle conflicts, battles and the impacts from this life. I can’t wait for the next book!!!!

Note, you don’t have to read the Kate Daniels series to enjoy this book.

Ilona Andrews - proving bad guys aren't always bad guys.
What a great read! I have read all the other books in this universe and Ilona Andrews has done it again. Hugh in this universe is considered a villain, and I wasn't sure how Andrews would turn things around for him. The authors have somehow made him redeemable, interesting and flawed without going back on their earlier portrayals. They have not erased his deeds, and actions, but provided perspective, motivation and colour. This is a hard thing to do, especially for an established character but they have certainly succeeded. In addition to this they have brought forward new and interesting characters and added to the lore and world building of the Kate Daniels universe. Overall a fantastic book to read. Can't wait for the next in the series. Highly recommended.

Iron and Magic was everything I thought it would be and more. Hugh is a bastard but damn is he brilliant. The verbal sparring between him and Elara was exceptional and you could really feel the tension between them. I'm eager to see where their stories goes and I love knowing that this series will tie back to the KD books. When Roland comes for Kate, I wonder how Hugh will respond. I wonder if by then he can be trusted. And I wonder if the void will stop gnawing at him.
I never thought I would think Hugh deserved his happily ever after but now I can't wait for it to come.
The story isn't as fast paced as a typical Andrews books but it had no problem holding my attention and taking me on a wild ride.
As always, The Andrews teams knocks their readers socks off.

I have been excited about this book since it was first announce over on Andrew’s blog. I mean, a book about Hugh? Who wouldn’t be excited. I was even more excited when I was riding on the bus to work last week and a blog post from them popped up saying that the book was available for request via Netgalley. So I went on over, logged in and low and behold, right above the book cover it said I had been invited to view this book. Cue freak out on bus.

So I have been slowly reading this book since Friday, pacing myself and trying not to binge read. It was hard. Really hard. Basically this is everything you would expect from Andrews. Witty, funny, full of history, action, suspense, romance and all that rich urban fantasy goodness.

I doubt that it comes as much of a surprise – to those of you who have read Andrews before – that the plot for this story is fantastic. I wondered in the beginning how she could take Hugh and his Iron Dogs and give them a story worth reading given the fact that Hugh has been essentially a major villain in the Kate Daniels world for some time. But things have definitely changed for Hugh since Roland abandoned him and cast him out and Iron and Magic brings to light some things that will definitely have you reevaluating your thoughts on Hugh.

Hugh has fallen from grace in a sense. His whole life was built up around following Roland, serving Roland and now he has nothing and he has hit rock bottom. But underneath all the guilt and hatred there is a man in there who still cares about what happens to the men and women who follow him. And even though he has all but given up, he will be damned if he gives up on them. I like that Hugh’s main drive in this book wasn’t to find a way back to Roland or find a way to get revenge – it was doing anything he had to do to give the Iron Dogs a home.
Andrews isn’t trying to find redemption for Hugh – there is no absolution for some of the things that he has done – but he is far from the person he was when he did all of those horrible things – but now that the blood bond to Roland is broken, the real Hugh is shining through. Hugh’s sole focus now is taking care of those who have always followed and stood by him and protecting his new found family and home at all costs.
Obviously Roland was mentioned quite a bit in this story given the major roll that he had to play in Hugh’s life. I really liked getting a glimpse of Hugh’s life before Roland and it was interesting to see that there was more to Roland and Hugh’s relationship than Lord and obedient servant. I cannot elaborate more on that because that would be a spoiler.

Elara is much like Hugh in some ways. Yes, she is kind and selfless and good (things that many would say Hugh is most definitely not) but there is also a darkness in her much like Hugh. And she will also do all she has to do to protect those who follow her and in turn, her followers are devoted to her entirely.
Both Elara and Hugh are as cantankerous and stubborn as each other and watching the two of them bicker at each other even though there was some very obvious chemistry between them (that they were both determined to ignore) was hilarious.

“And just to be crystal clear,” Elara said. “This marriage is in name only.”
“Sweetheart, you couldn’t pay me enough.”
Pink touched her tan cheeks. “If you betray us, I’ll make you suffer.”
“We haven’t even married yet, and I’m suffering already.”
“We have that in common,” she snapped.
They both leaned back at the same time. He was marrying an ice harpy. Fantastic. Just fantastic.

Besides the obvious Elara and Hugh storyline there is much more at work in the debut for this spin-off series. Hugh is still being hunted by the Golden Legion, a new and mysterious force is slaughtering the people in the towns in the area surrounding their new home, Elara is trying to keep her people safe from Roland’s men who have been relentlessly pursuing her to sell them her land, and Hugh is still trying to figure out what the hell his new wife really is because no one will tell him.

If there is one thing that Andrews does well it is action scenes and this book is no exception. The action scenes are as intricate and well thought out as the Kate Daniels series and the rich history and folklore behind the creatures is equally so.
If you have read Andrews before you know that they are Masters at World Building. Even though this story is based in the Kate Daniels world, it had more of a medieval feel to it than any other book in this universe so far. Which might have had something to do with the castle and the swords and the fact that even though this is a post-apocalyptic fantasy type story, it was set in a rural area far from the city that were used to seeing in the Kate Daniels world. This definitely gave it an interesting new vibe and really set the tone for this book.
Mysterious and slightly creepy, this book definitely kept me guessing and had me hooked to the page.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to review. This in no way affects my thoughts or opinions on this book.

To think that this book started as an April Fools’ joke three years ago. To think that some people still insist on calling it The Hugh Book. There is much much much much MUCH more to this book than what once was an April Fools’ joke. And than Hugh.

I must admit I didn’t quite know what to expect from this story. Mainly because I always thought Hugh’s character was a bit one-dimensional in the main series: he’s Roland’s ruthless, vicious, self-satisfied asshole of a warlord. And that’s it. Roland barks “GO SKEWER THINGS, WARLORD MINE!” and off on a rampaging field trip Hugh goes. Which he, to his credit, does with much gusto and delight. Still, his smug bastard persona never did much for me. Until this book, that is. In a little over 300 pages, the Andrews managed to turn Hugh into one of the most interesting characters they ever created, and took him straight from one-dimensional territory to deeply complex, multi-layered personality heaven.

What makes Iron and Magic more than just “The Hugh Book” is Elara. Yet another fantastic, strong, complex female character courtesy of the Andrews. She is fiercely intelligent. She is tough. And she is a magic powerhouse. Most importantly, she gives Hugh hell. She is exactly what he needed, the perfect cure for his innate cockiness. Their interactions were priceless, and Elara’s retorts had me gleefully cheering along. Her character is still a bit of a mystery at the end of the book, and I just cannot wait to find out more about her!

What truly gives this story another dimension is that here, this world, that fans of Kate Daniels know so well, are seen through the eyes of characters who do do NOT belong to the Pack. And it makes for an eye-opening read. It feels like discovering a brand new world, with new players, new circumstances and a different power balance. The insight Iron and Magic gives on the main series and its major characters is amazing.

Add to that a fantastic cast of secondary characters, kickass fights and battles, awesome cameo appearances by key players in the Kate Daniels series, non-stop action, lots of blood, gore and violence, and you get one of hell of a first Iron Covenant instalment. I just cannot wait to read the next one.

This book is an amazing start to a new series about respect, redemption, love and loss. This book hits all the best points of fantasy and romance-strong characters, lots of magic, ancient creatures, and action that keeps the pages turning long after bedtime. Hugh d'Ambray has hit rock bottom after his split with Roland. Elara Harper is the mysterious and revered leader of a settlement nestled in a magical forest in Kentucky. Elara needs an army and Hugh needs a home. Their arranged marriage is supposed to unite the two groups, not turn into a real relationship. When an enemy from Hugh's past threatens the entire settlement, he and Elara must put aside their differences, and share a few secrets to save everyone.

<blockquote>Hugh d'Ambray is the villian everyone loves to hate but he has met his equal in Elara Harper.  Watching these two fight each other for dominance is almost as exciting at the supernatural attacks where they need to join forces  to protect their people.</blockquote>
Hugh d'Ambray is the villian everyone loves to hate. I loved Hugh as Kate's nemesis in <a href="http://ebookobsessed.com/2016/09/audiobook-review-magic-breaks-by-ilona-andrews/">Magic Breaks</a>. I appreciated Hugh as the antagonist because he was more evenly matched with Kate as a magic user and as a swordsman. He is just a lot more vicious. <em>A lot more</em>.  For the first time in the series, I felt a moment of real anxiety when Hugh had Kate helpless.   Roland loomed in the background, always a threat but since he was all-powerful and god-like there couldn't be any real clash between Kate and Roland which would allow Kate a fair chance, at least not at the beginning of the series.  Hugh gave us our first flesh and blood villian to fight.

We cheered when Kate manipulated Roland by telling him of Hugh's attack on her knowing Roland would tossed aside Hugh as his warlord. <em>You know you did!</em>  Now, we see the sad effect this had on Hugh after centuries by Roland's side. Hugh is a broken man at the start of Iron and Magic. He has spent the last few months drunk.  He realizes for the first time in centuries what it means to have nothing.  No money, no power, no entitlement.   Hugh has become used to being offered whatever he wants, the best of the best, and not worrying about such petty things as cost.  He now is left almost begging for aid.

Roland has given his Master of the Dead, Landon Nez, the green light to pick off Hugh's Iron Dogs.  Hugh needs money, supplies and a safe place for his men who have stayed loyal to <em>him</em>, not Roland.  He send scouts to find the Dogs someplace that would need their services, no matter the cost.    What they find is a castle in Berry Hill, Kentucky.  Roland wants their land and has sent Landon Nez to force them out.  They could use the Iron Dogs protection and Hugh's experience.  But after years of doing Roland's bidding, even abandoning allies as Roland demands, the only way they will agree to an alliance with Hugh d'Ambray and his Iron Dogs is he agrees to a marriage of convenience.

Elara Harper isn't any more interested in marrying Hugh as he is her, but they both need to protect their people.  She isn't going to allow a manipulative asshole like Hugh d'Ambray to take over either.  Everything between Hugh and Elara becomes a battle of wits and wills to stay one step ahead of the other, and everything is negotiable.  Especially once they both begin to realize just how much they like the  challenge of trying to outmaneuver the other.  Elara and Hugh might not be ready for wedded bliss, but they will stand together when death comes knocking on their castle door.

I enjoyed watching Hugh and Elara snipe at each other even as their respect for each other grows.  Once they realize they are both working toward the same goals, there is still fun in taking potshots at each other.   There is no doubt that Hugh and Elara enjoy their continued friction almost to the point of being an aphrodisiac.

What I love most about Iron and Magic is that the authors, in making Hugh the hero of the story, didn't try to make Hugh into a wonderful, kind soul and misunderstood man. He's a controlling, manipulative asshat from beginning to the end, but as long as he is not attacking our Kate or any of her allies, we can appreciate this controlling, manipulative asshat since he and his Iron Dogs are now focusing on protecting everyone in the castle that we come to care about.

Now, I am not saying the I <em>like</em> Hugh d'Ambray (<em>although by the end I did</em>) but we do come to see why he has the loyalty of the Iron Dogs.   Never forget he is the cold-blooded killer that Roland and Voron raised and in the end he does what is best for Hugh and for his Iron Dogs but he also comes to see the village and its people as his as well and risks his life to protect them.

There is still so much to learn about Elara and her people.  Goodreads notes that this book is The Iron Covenant #1.  I haven't read anything confirming this, but I do hope to see more stories of Hugh and Elara, even after the anticipated end of the Kate Daniels' series with <em>Magic Triumphs,</em> so that I can continue to <del>hate</del>  <del>dislike</del>...okay, cheer for Hugh d'Ambray.

Although the concept for this book was originally an April Fool's teaser, the reader response to this idea was immense. After several years of anticipation, readers are eager to dive into Iron and Magic - the story of Hugh d'Ambray, For those familiar with the Kate Daniels series, Hugh is a villain. He has killed several people who are important to her; he leads the army of Kate's rival and in the midst of his bad deeds, he's also trying to woo Kate away from her fiance. Ilona Andrews has carefully crafted a novel that both brings to light Hugh's motivations through the original series and makes him a much more sympathetic character.

Hugh's at the end of his rope. He's been cast aside by Roland and spends his time chasing oblivion. When the remaining Iron Dogs drag him into the light, he is forced to make some hard decisions if he wants his men to survive. Enter Elara Harper, powerful witch with a castle and no way to defend it. A marriage of convenience will protect both their people, if only they could stand each other.

I really enjoyed this book. Both characters are sacrificing themselves for the people who depend on them. Both have secrets they don't want to share. Even with the amusing bickering, they are very well matched. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Another great book from this writing duo. I loved it and am looking forward to reading more about Hugh and Elara.

I have loved every book that Ilona Andrews has written. This one is no different. I hope that this book is the beginning of a new series.
Anyone who read the Kate Daniels series knows that Hugh D'Ambry is a killer controlled by Roland. In this book we find Hugh exiled and drowning his sorrows with alcohol until his Iron Dogs come calling for their leader to lead them again. The Iron Dogs have no money or base. The solution: Marriage.

Elara is a witch with a secret that is trying to protect her people. They have a castle and money. They need soldiers. Her solution: Marriage.

They both are stubborn and agree to marriage to protect their people. They do not trust each other because of past betrayals. This leads to some interesting interactions. The characters are well thought out. The world building is what I expect from Ilona Andrews. I was entertained through the whole book. The biggest accomplishment for this author is the ability to take a character that I disliked and redeems him in my eyes.
This was no easy task but I felt sympathy, frustration, a bit of understanding, and forgiveness for Hugh.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes urban fantasy and romance.

This is a brief but spoiler-free review as I hate to spoil this wonderful read for anyone. I am an avid fan of The Kate Daniels series and Iron and Magic is a spin-off of one of the characters in the series. I cannot express enough how amazing this book is. The ability of marrying history and present day events; just like the combo of tech and magic makes the stories so relatable. I seriously did not think I would like the lead male character but somehow, by the end of the book, I wanted to read more of him. I sure hope this is not the end of his story.

This book started out as a April fools day joke from the blog but then with enough begging and wishing we got the gift of a full book.  I love all of Ilona Andrews books but wasn't sure how they were going to turn such a bad guy into a hero because really over many books in the Kate Daniels series we learned to hate him but they did it. Hugh hasn't all of a sudden become a white knight hero more of the damaged and trying to do better one.  I really enjoyed this couple, they have many mysteries about themselves but you don't feel like you are left hanging at the end of the book since the story had an ending but we are definitely left wanting to read the next one.

I can see this series becoming the heir of the Kate Daniels series set in the same world with some links to Atlanta so we could have favorite characters drop in from time to time.

eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review follows:

So, I raced through this book and have to say that I didn't really think it could be done. Could you turn an antagonist with a real streak of cruelty into a protagonist and a credible love interest? The answer in Iron and Magic is yes, yes, you can. As long as you give him something and someone to protect.

Mild spoilers follow:

In the Kate Daniels series, Hugh has been a "Big Bad" of sorts. Not the ultimate, "Big Bad-that distinction belongs to Roland-but a credible and intelligent opponent to Kate and her friends and allies. He's done some dreadful things to characters readers had come to care about and he seemed to do it without any sense of remorse or regret.

And in this book, we see where that has left him. We get into his head and discover what Roland meant and still means to him, we see what he really thinks about Kate and the Pack, and what it will take for him to live his life independent of Roland's magic. And he makes a choice. Well, more than one but there's one big one that made me catch my breath.

On top of Hugh's journey, there's also my favorite trope in fiction. All together now---the marriage of convenience! Elara has no interest in marrying Hugh, Hugh has no interest in marrying her but they must.

Oh no, whatever will they do?

Turns out, they will do quite a lot. Separately and together. They are both powerful and scary individuals and how they find common ground is one of the best parts of this book and I refuse to spoil it except to say that this is not a Beauty and the Beast story. They don't suddenly become less dread in the old sense of the word. But they are transformed.

This is a book with darker themes than Ilona Andrews' fans might be used to, but it suited these characters and situations perfectly. Oh, and the sex is pretty damn hot.

5 stars, 10 stars - who cares?

So, in case you've been living in an alternate universe, this is a spin off from the awesome Kate Daniels series.

Hugh D'Ambray, the creator and leader of the Iron Dogs, was the right hand man of Roland, an omnipotent magician, thousands of years old, able to wield magic like no other. He made a mistake, after hundreds of years of loyal service and he was dismissed, exiled, banished. Drowning himself in a bottle Hugh is brought back to reality by his former centurion commanders who inform him that one of the Golden Legion, Landon Nez, is systematically killing all of the Iron Dogs. Despite his profound depression at being cut off from his pseudo father figure, Hugh still has enough loyalty to his men to try to save them, but without money or land ...

Hugh's second in command identifies a group of witches, occupying a castle, who are in desperate need of soldiers to protect them from a concerted effort (by Landon Nez) to buy their land. An unholy alliance is brokered between the witches and the soldiers, but because both sides have a reputation for reneging on agreements, the agreement is sealed in the most old-fashioned of ways - a marriage.

I have to admit, I always had a soft spot for Hugh, even after all the terrible things he did, so I was over the moon to see he had his own series. And what a start this is. A Taming of the Shrew kind of political marriage. Strange creatures, dogs, a horse who thinks he is a unicorn, vampires, more than one god, sarcasm, pain and gore. It's awesome.

Words fail me, it's poignant, it's sexy (phew Hugh), it's violent, there's magic and modern technology, this is everything that we love in the Kate Daniels world. I was on the edge of my seat and 300+ pages went by in the blink of an eye. And if you follow my reviews you know I rarely gush and probably 60-75% of my reviews hit the middle of the road three stars.

All I can say is, if you loved the Kate Daniels series then you will love this too.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I liked Hugh in the Kate Daniels series, I always felt bad for both of them. They both have this 'father' that puts them against each other and they don't even know it. When Hugh failed to secure the victory over Rolands daughter Kate that he demanded he is no longer the golden boy and is sinking into oblivion as he is left bereft without the perceived love of Roland that he basked in.
When Hugh marries Elara Harper to help him keep his Iron-dogs alive and she needed someone to defend her village. When they meet there is a small amount if chemistry but these two can't afford to show weaknesses to each other and they really do not like one another. They want to be equals. But in time the fondness that they have for one another starts to seep into their interactions.

I'll admit, I was nervous to read this. I've read and adored all the Kate Daniels books, and Hugh is a big villain in them, so I wasn't sure I could get behind him as a character. I also had high expectations from a favorite author, and I knew I would be really let down if the book sucked. But Ilona Andrews whipped out their magic again! I couldn't put this book down until it was done, and then of course I wished it were twice as long so it wasn't over yet. :)

I found Hugh and Elara engaging and relatable, and I liked that their characters weren't as helpful and straitlaced as Kate and Curran. It makes sense; these aren't really rule followers. I thought their frequent bickering and antagonistic relationship would be annoying, but they stayed on the right side of angst and teasing. I happen to talk trash with my husband a lot, so it was fun to see another couple doing the same.

The side characters were great to meet as well, and I'm looking forward to their characters being fleshed out in future novels!

No spoilers, but at the end when Hugh makes a stand I was fan-girl cheering!

One other note - I really have to commend the authors for the way they structure their books. I've read a lot of trash where authors put out a book that doesn't provide resolution at the end as a hook to get you to buy the next installment. Ilona Andrews doesn't do this. Each novel has a central plot arc/crisis that is introduced in the beginning and resolved by the end of the book, while there are overarching plot threads that extend into future books to provide unity and to build a larger issue that can't be resolved in a single book. I just find this so satisfying!

ow excited was I to see this book pop-up on Twitter as available for ARC reading? It's no secret that I love Ilona Andrews, especially the Kate Daniels universe so to see a book set in the same world was like candy, give it to me now!!

Iron and Magic focuses on Hugh D'Ambray, part of the big bad against Kate and Curran in that series. But there's something about Hugh in all his assholery that is appealing to readers, me included. Be warned, do not read this book until you have made it through all the books with Kate and Curran first (not including the one that is yet to come out). Otherwise there are spoilers for events in those books that you probably don't want to know second-hand.

Anyway, this book was action packed from word one. One of the things I love most about this writing duo is that they write strong women. And Hugh needs a woman who can hold their own if he's going to be in a relationship. These two have chemistry and even when they are trading barbs, you can see that when they finally give in, it's going to be epic. And it was. I might have needed a fan after that one.

The world building continues to be stellar and I cannot wait to find out more about Elara and her crew as this story continues. I immediately wanted more when the book ended but I know I will have to wait a long long time for that. It's okay, it's worth it.

Lots of action, lots of banter, loads of slow burn/explosive relationships. All in all, 4 out of 5 stars for this one, my friends. It's a must read, especially if you love this universe.

I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Bless you, whoever granted me this opportunity because this book was so freaking phenomenal, that there are no words. In my bleak reading slump Iron and magic was a shining light, a reflector of perfection. Okay, so I knew that I’m going to enjoy the story, because, hello it was written by Ilona Andrews, and it’s about Hugh (whom I really liked despite his original disposition regarding his devotion toward Roland) but it still surprised me in a good way. This is just a masterpiece and you need to read it like as soon as it comes out.

However, before I go into it deeper some disclaimers. First of all, this is a spinoff series to the Kate Daniels series so if you didn’t read at least a couple book from that you probably going to be lost. While the plot is not so strongly connected to the series the world building and the characters are.
Secondly, if you aren’t up to date with the series then this book and my maybe even my review can be spoilery. I’m going to try to avoid any kind of spoilers in my review but those of you who are unfamiliar with most of Kate story I can’t guarantee anything. Also I’m going to try and not compare the book to the Kate ones but it’s going to be hard.

Back to the review. I’m not going to write a litany about the writing because everybody knows well by now how spectacular the writing duo at what they do. They are one of my favorites and they never disappointed me before.
A for the world building, the story takes place in the same world as the Kate Daniels series so that’s why there are not much detail about the basics of it, because you already should know it. That said there are still some introduction just not enough to navigate the world without some existing knowledge. But while the story takes place in the same world, still there are completely different feel to it. Finally we get out from Atlanta and get to see parts of the rest of the country. It was a nice little touch. While in Atlanta, there is a bustling city with a slightly industrial feel to it, in this book we are in the middle of the wilderness, in a castle and due to this everything has a more medieval feel to it. I loved this twist, and not just the small details we get but the different angle, view of the world as well.

The plot was so exciting, fast paced and dynamic, there was not one boring moment in it. There is everything a book like this need. The storyline is so neatly built up, full of possibilities but in the end still wrapped up tightly. Alas the book doesn’t end with a cliffhanger but it also has a lot of open directions where a possible next book can go on.
Most importantly, while the book has some connections to the original series the storyline itself is not necessary a companion to it. You can read it as a completely separate book as well. What I want to say is that Hugh story doesn’t revolve around the whole Roland debacle.
The books starts out with a wedding, looks like the author duo has a taste for weddings, I mean in Kate 9th book, this then the upcoming Hidden legacy novella. Yes, it’s a theme, let’s throw a party!!
I loved the whole storyline, from the first page to the last but my favorite parts were the epic and spectacular battle scenes. They were precise and calculated so nothing like in Kate Daniels series but I enjoyed them more for it. They were just so great, I pictured them in my head in full color and…..and……and…..yeah, they were just that good.

The story is narrated in dual POVs. One for Hugh and one for the new character Elara. I was happy that we saw the progression of things from both sides because this story needed it.
As I mentioned earlier, I really liked Hugh in the original series as well, but in this book his character is elevated unto a new level. He is strong, a great fighter and an even better leader with a flare to the dramatics and a cheeky self when it comes to his private life. He is not afraid to make the hard calls and he is brutally calculating but after Roland banished him he lost his direction. In this book, on the surface he is all that everybody thinks who he is but under it all he is like an addict who is trying to quit. His devotion to Roland is/was his addiction but without it he starts to realize how much his leader deprived him emotion and free will wise. It was a phenomenal journey to follow, his rediscovery.
Then there is Elara, who is a similarly great leader but a kinder, softer one. She is some kind of magically enchanted being but her full story stays behind a smoke screen so far. She is also strong but lonely. She is the light to Hugh dark, so in that regards they are a perfect couple.
The two of them has amazing chemistry and the sparks fly between them with each encounter but both of them see this alliance as more of a silent warfare. Every time they start to get closer to each other they get calculating and look for things they possible can use against each other. At the core they were the same and this caused some pretty serious friction between them but in the end when in need they worked phenomenally together.

Other than Hugh and Elara there were an abundance of new and interesting characters in the story. I especially loved Hugh centurions and the brotherhood, camaraderie and loyalty between them. That said there are a couple of interesting possibilities among Elara’s people a well.
Also there are a couple of characters from the original series making an appearance as well, which is the main connection between the two series. I’m not going to go into detail in this one because of spoilers, only going to say that I love Ascanio, more and more with each of his appearance.

All in all I loved, adored and everything in between, this book. It’ just perfect. It has a loose connection to the Kate Daniels series but the storyline is completely individual and it’s own. It also made me want to re-read the complete Kate Daniels series and just in time for the final book.