Five stars for a book that can be read as a stand alone and that was written in such a clever and engaging way. Main character development was so well done. Loved the lore, Loved the battle scenes. Loved the atmosphere. I value that Net Galley accepted my request and also want to thank Black Library for being part of this initiative you all do great work.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The relationship of this stories relationship to the Warhammer series and 40k is obvious from the beginning. Problem here is that I am not a gamer. This story has the feel of a world of steampunk before there was steam. This genre just does nothing for me.

Iron Company is the second novel in the Empire Army series from Black Library (the world of Warhammer Fantasy). That being said, you can easily dive right in at this point and have no trouble following along – I did. And I have no regrets about that fact.

Magnus Ironblood has chosen isolation as his form of personal torture. Caught up in the grief and guilt of his past, he has sunken well into the pits of drunkenness and despair. It is hard to believe, underneath that guise, that he is a master engineer, one with a brilliant intellect and a keen eye for weapons.

Magnus may very well have faded into obscurity – if not for the events that are about to unfold. For he is about to get wrapped up in a conspiracy. One that Imperial forces intend to sort out.

“You’ve been badly advised. If you need a master engineer, look elsewhere. There are good reasons for my leaving the service.”

Iron Company was everything I had hoped it would be. It was full of action, redeeming plot arcs, and so much more. This is exactly the sort of reading fans (myself included) have come to expect from Black Library.

I mentioned above that I hadn’t actually read Reiksguard, the first novel in the Empire Army series. That was a mistake on my part (one that I will fix by going back and reading it). But I honestly had no trouble following along with Ironblood’s story. If anything, the intrigue was increased, as I worked to puzzle together the pieces of his past.

This is a novel told through multiple perspectives, but the main one is that of Magnus himself. I honestly enjoyed his side of the story the most (as intended, I’m sure). I also adored his plot arc – the whole intrigue and redemption side of things really spoke to me. It made for an interesting read, one where I couldn’t help but root for his success.

The variety of characters in this novel – all with their own complex backstories and personal goals – truly enhanced the reading experience. I personally really enjoyed the addition of the internal politics and all of the battles that it caused. It made everything feel more grounded – and was a strong reminder that not all danger can be clearly seen.

It felt like there was subplot upon subplot in this novel, adding layers of complexity to dig through. While this is undoubtedly a novel full of action, violence, and gore – it is also one full of intricate and careful writing.

I for one really enjoyed reading Iron Company, and will be looking forward to seeing more in this series (including Rieksgaurd, obviously).

loved it , well written and sits really well within the Warhammer world. not a hard or complicated read
however the story was gripping and engaging enough that i wanted to find out what was going to happen next.reminded me in many ways of the old school Forgotten Realms/Dragonlance books which in my opinion is no bad thing. i will definitely be getting the rest of the series.

I have become a real fan of this author and am listening as fast as I can to all his books, it made a nice change to read an early Warhammer book of his, gritty, grim, dark and deadly, Warhammer classic