There was a section of Gareth Hanrahan’s The Broken God, the third book in the The Black Iron Legacy series, that I didn’t want to end. The reader is led through a land ravaged by the Godswar, where anything is possible, and Hanrahan’s creativity and imagination shines the brightest. It reminded me Ed McDonald’s nightmare Misery environment mixed with Michael Fletcher’s insane, hypnotized mob cult from The Mirror’s Truth. The Godswar-set chapters was the first time in the story that truly pulled me in, but it took a long while to get there. I recall The Shadow Saint having a slow first half before rocketing toward an amazing finish, and this book started in the same fashion, but the excitement level never reached the same heights as the previous volume. There are a few reasons why.

Cari still has a lead role, and after two books of playing thief and guardian angel, she spends most of the book on a journey across the world to bring help back to Guerdon. I like this decision, as I felt that Cari needed a change of environment. Seeing her struggle outside her comfort zone - without the help of Spar - is one of the best parts of the book. It was more-or-less an origin story for Cari, and we finally get to see the larger world that has been often referenced, but rarely visited.

There are a couple of other returning POVs. While Eladora has very little page time, Artolo fills the role of the main antagonist, and goes through some exciting transformations. But we have two new main characters we spend most of the book with: Rasce, a young ‘prince of the dragon,’ a favored dragon rider who is placed in Guerdon for racketeering and political purposes. His actual-dragon family are prideful beasts who, to me, seem like they don’t give a Rat’s carcass what humans they favor – even their own so-called ‘blood’ family is entirely expendable as long as they gain power. However, Rasce rises above his station because he is able to form a bond with Spar, the living city – an ability that was previously only accessible to Cari. He uses his power and resources to take advantage of his connection to Spar, but he’s conflicted because he’s not sure what the right path is.

Every couple of chapters, Rasce seemed like a different person. Smug and annoying, then full of potential, then Machiavellian at the expenditure of innocent lives. It was a crapshoot at what kind of Rasce you were going to get, and his inconsistently prevented me from warming up to him. He is singular minded, has a lack of foresight, is wishy-washy, arrogant, and his time spent developing a connection to Spar felt like familiar territory.

Baston is the other main POV. He’s an ex-bodyguard for the Fever Knight, and while he has committed some horrible and murderous deeds, I get a sense that I’m being pushed to like him because of his fierce loyalty to his word, and his populist beliefs. I do like the fact that he is forced into decision-making that goes completely against what he desires, but since he cannot break his word, everyone must suffer due to his selfish refusal to help his former kin. I just wasn’t buying into it. Making a promise to your boss is enough to give up everything and everyone you believed in? Even when there were ripe opportunities to take back what you lost?

Character issues aside, there were some wonderfully written scenes of emotional dialogue, wide-eyed action, and surprising developments scattered throughout the story. Although this was my least favorite of the three, this series is still an easy recommendation. We’re at the midway point of the Black Iron Legacy, and each volume brings major character progressions for Cari, Spar, and especially Eladora. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out, because I haven’t the slightest clue as to where it can go from here.

6.5 / 10

I’ve very much been looking forward to the final (maybe?) installment in the Black Iron Legacy series, though finales are always somewhat bittersweet. This was not quite what I expected, but I can’t say that I had a particular expectation either. Ultimately I was left feeling a little underwhelmed despite my enjoyment of returning to some of the same characters.

This story sees Carillon Thay taking leave of Guerdon in an attempt to save Spar’s consciousness from dissipating. Cari returns to the haunts of her earlier years though the Godswar has ravaged the land and nothing is the same. The cities are a ruin, the gods - though some are dead - still wreak havoc and drown cities and poison those who stray too close to the remnants of their magic. Her goal is to get to the city of sorcerers with a magical text as her token to enter the magically walled city. Her journey isn’t straightforward at all and she is stymied at every turn.

Back in Guerdon we follow Rasce, Chosen of the Dragon and one of the favorites among the Ghierdana. He is tasked with ensuring the Ghierdana become the sole source of yliaster for the alchemists of Guerdon by any means necessary. He also somehow becomes Spar’s new saint in the process and makes liberal use of Spar’s ability to show him the happenings around the New City. 

There’s also the perspective of Baston, formerly of the Brotherhood and apprentice to the Fever Knight (the Brotherhood’s enforcer/torturer). Baston is working for Rasce because there’s simply no other route left to him. He’s also spying on him for Eladora Duttin, but he’s doing a piss poor job of it. 

Carillon remains my favorite character by far, so my enthusiasm was somewhat dampened when I had to plod through the two other’s POV chapters. Rasce was fairly unlikable though his connection to Spar was interesting. At times it almost seemed like he could be a decent person… but then it would sort of fall through. Baston was necessary, but a little boring. I love Cari, but even her chapters seemed to plod along at times with slow plot advancement and while all the new locales were interesting they didn’t amount to much at all. Cari was basically on a pointless side quest to keep her out of the way.

Overall I thought this was a decent read, but it’s by far my least favorite of the three books. It wasn’t bad by any means but it was slow and ultimately I thought the ending was kind of a let down. There will certainly be more books set in this world, per one of the author’s comments on Goodreads. I’ll definitely check out any future books set in this world because there’s so many really cool things/locations/etc. that were mentioned that were largely unexplored. This world is pretty much a treasure trove of potential stories and I can’t wait to check out any more that may come out!

DNF. The second book in this series did an amazing job expanding the scope and cast of the story and breathing a fresh lift into the world. This was good because the chars from the first book were definitely starting to feel stale and underwhelming. So when book three goes back to those stale characters and doesn't feel like its adding anything, while also having a meandering nebulous plot, its not great.

This is the continuing story of the city of Guerdon, among other things, and some of its various residents. In this volume, tensions in Guerdon are high, because the city is split between several factions. In this case, the New City is currently occupied by the Ghierdana, a group of dragon-worshiping pirates who are hell bent on shifting the trade of a special alchemical ingredient through them and them alone. And in their efforts, there are many shenanigans.

I enjoy New Weird, as a genre, and this series definitely qualifies in my opinion. It reads somewhat like Miéville’s Bas-Lag series. It has some fantastic vocabulary, to start, but that’s not why Guerdon reminds me of New Crobuzon. It takes place in a city that is dark, grim, rather corrupt, and full of monsters, gods, and miracles. A plague that turns men to stone, candle-men made out of the corpses of thieves that patrol the city for other thieves, and underground ghouls who eat the dead are just some of the daily sights in this city.

The characters have come a long way in the last few books. My favorite character is still Rat, who has become rather important as a ghoul since the first book. I still love reading about Spar and Cari, and this book definitely left me with feelings about the two of them. It also introduced a new character, Rasce, who is the Chosen of the Dragon. Basically, he is the guy that the head of the dragons in the area has chosen to lead their people. Rasce develops a lot over the course of this book, and I went through an entire gamut of emotions about him from start to finish.

It was well written, paced very well, and full of all kinds of creepy adventures. This, like Bas-Lag, are the sort of creepy, gritty, and very unique stories that I can’t stop reading even when they get a bit gross. Hanrahan has made these characters that I can’t stop cheering for even though I know that they are mostly quite morally grey. I just want more and more and more.

I definitely can’t wait to see what is next in this series, because this one left me with questions.

The third book in the Black Iron Gods series, this is more satisfying sword-and-sorcery fantasy, filled with alchemical horrors, terrifying mad gods, ghouls, dragons, saints, heists, intrigue, and - most importantly - genuine, heartfelt friendships that drive each of the characters. They love one another, respect and understand one another, and support one another in ways that really, truly matter. It's what gives this series depth and keeps me coming back for more.

Summary: Trying to keep Spar-the-City from disappearing, Cari has taken Doctor Ramegos' notes and headed for the far-off city of Kebesh, to trade the book for secrets to save her friend. But she runs afoul of the Ghierdana - pirates in service of dragon mob bosses, and soon is on the run, just trying to stay alive.

Back in Guerdon, her cousin has made a deal with the Ghierdana - bringing the dragons to roost in an attempt to maintain the fragile Armistice that keeps Guerdon from becoming another casualty of the Godswar. But good intentions don't always have good outcomes.

Woah!! Another great book in another great series! I sure am lucky enough to get so much of them recently. I do seem to always say the same thing about them though. Well, this one as great character for sure, great magic, awesome universe. I did really enjoy the way Gareth Hanrahan tell the story, can't really pinpoint what was it, but it did have a little something "un petit je-ne-sais-quoi" that really bring it to the next level. I highly recommend it to you fantasy readers out there!