I wanted to love this so much but I just couldn’t get immersed in the world. It felt slow and confusing, like my mind was moving through molasses. The writing didn’t have the author’s usual flair for balancing plot and information but delivering it in an accessible format or tinging it with human and personality to land with the reader.

The Book of Ile-Rein is actually two books: The Element of Fire and The Death of the Necromancer. If you're a Martha Wells fan, this republishing is not something you'll want to skip. I promise.

I'll break down my review of both below; enjoy!

The Element of Fire

Ile-Rien is a proud kingdom full of magic, politics, and occasionally treachery. Okay, the last part isn't so ideal. Luckily, people like Thomas Boniface (the Captain of the Queen's Guard) stand between danger and the people.

A dark wizard is taking action again in the kingdom, but things are not as they seem. Somebody must be helping the wizard find a way inside. Worse, the fae have become more active in the area. This might be more than Thomas can handle on his own.

If you're looking for a book full of magic, politics, and intrigue, The Element of Fire is the book for you. In truth, there's so much going on in this book that it took me some time to truly appreciate it all.

The Element of Fire is split into multiple perspectives. The primary two are Thomas Boniface and Kade (half-fae daughter of the late king). Thomas' side provides politics, investigations, battles, and more. Meanwhile, Kade provides a different perspective on the same world. It's fascinating.

This world is a complex one. We have sorcerers, kingdoms, fae, and different noble families (which means loads of different goals and schemes). It took me a bit to get into the swing of things – probably at least three chapters before I was well and truly invested. But it's worth the time spent, I promise!

It's worth noting that The Element of Fire is Martha Wells' debut novel. So, obviously, we know that Wells has grown a lot as a writer since this book. However, I need to find out how much it's changed for this reprinted version. I thoroughly enjoyed The Element of Fire, regardless.

I would read another dozen books set in Ile-Rien, which is good because there are five in total, plus short stories. However, I'll have to decide if I want to wait for the rest (three and onward) to be republished or if I want to just dive right in.

The Death of the Necromancer

Nicholas Valliarde is a passionate and determined man. Some would say he is too determined, as he is thoroughly focused on his goal – revenge. The good news is that he has strong allies and good friends. Primary among them are Madeline and Reynard.

Unfortunately, this group is about to find themselves in the deep end. It all started in what should have been a final quest to gain revenge. But it quickly becomes a deadly game, as they find themselves between a necromancer and his quarry.

Wow! I dove into The Death of the Necromancer, expecting a sequel like the first, and boy, was I wrong. Where The Element of Fire is more of a political intrigue novel, The Death of the Necromancer leans heavily into the magical heist category.

Actually, let's take a step back. Calling it a magical heist doesn't fully describe The Death of the Necromancer. There is political and magical intrigue (I promise), but it's also more than that. It continues the first novel's world, but in ways I hadn't expected. Likewise, the magic in this novel felt dangerously full of potential.

I loved the characters in this book. Madeline is my favorite, but I also enjoyed Nicholas, Reynard, and Crack. Likewise, the plot twists were compelling. This novel is where Martha Wells got into the swing of things with her writing and this world. It shines so brightly. I want more. Thankfully, I have another three novels to read in this world. I'll have to savor them.

Highlights:
Two-for-One
High Fantasy
Complex World Building
Politics & Magic
Heist Vibes

I think that most of my enjoyment of this book, or books, really came from an appreciation of just how much Martha Wells’ writing improved.

The beginning of The Element of Fire pretty much marked how the rest of it was going to go – introducing a bunch of characters that may or may not be significant in the middle of action. It was hard to get into and pretty dry, run-of-the-mill fantasy, with the exception of Kade, who I enjoyed as a character. Having read Witch King, I couldn’t help but miss that rich, original, lush worldbuilding that Wells eventually developed, and I don’t know if I would’ve finished this one had I not been sure that better things were ahead.

And I was right, as right out the gate The Death of the Necromancer was so much better and the storytelling felt on another level for me. Some 100 years passed in Ile-Rien, along came some technological advances and the characters felt infinitely more fleshed out. (I haven’t read Sherlock Holmes nor The Count of Monte Cristo and judging from some other reviews, that helped.) The fantasy and the story had more meat, but again some of the side characters were just not well established and come to think of it I had the same problem with Witch King, except with fewer people. So I’m counting that as an improvement and also proof that Wells does write her books and really did upgrade insanely, and it’s not a demon she made a deal with after book one.

Thank you to tordotcom and NetGalley for this advance copy.

The Book of Ile-Rien by Martha Wells contains books one & two of Ile-Rien series, The Element of Fire & The Death of the Necromancer. These are a revised version and brilliantly told from troubles within the castle court to an embittered nobleman out for revenge. I completely lost myself in this world and stories.

I enjoy Martha Wells Murderbot series and the City of Bones, so I was delighted to dive into The Book of Ile-Rien. Both stories, The Element of Fire & the Death of the Necromancer, are brilliant but different as well. Both contain magic, suspense, well-drawn characters and take place in the same world.

Elements of Fire – This takes place in a time with castles, kings, royal family and court politics. There is magic, fae, gods, sorcerers and plenty of treacherous characters within the court. We follow the bastard daughter of the king and the Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen’s Guard, as they fight to save the kingdom. I found the plot an intriguing one, and the characters pulled me in. This was Wells debut novel and while perhaps polished in this newest edition, it was apparent she’s a masterful storyteller. 4.5 cups of coffee.

The Death of the Necromancer – This was perhaps my favorite, as I was now familiar with the world but also because I picked up on the tie-ins to book one. This read to me like a historical fantasy- mystery as we follow Nicholas Valiarde, a nobleman, thief, and sleuth. He has a reputation of being one of the greatest thieves in the kingdom, and I found him to be clever. He and his crew are on a heist when they stumble upon a dark magic, one that seems to thwart their efforts. All of this leads him to a powerful necromancer who must be stopped and not just for the sake of his activities. 5 cups of coffee.

Whether you are a fan or new to Martha Wells, I highly recommend losing yourself within these stories and world.

DNF @ 24%

probably going to revisit in a few months, but at current the style of writing just isn't catching me. I've heard so many good things about Martha Wells, but I don't think I'm in the mindset for deep, lore rich stories.

I've read Martha Well's Murderbot series which I think is well done. There is no doubt that she writes well and is exceptional at world-building. However, I felt this book was a slow start and didn't pack quite the same punch for me.

I loved that this book was written in two stories. Even though they were pretty disconnected in my opinion, I actually loved it. I really like "independent" stories that are all set in the same universe, so it doesn't bother me as much as it does for most readers!
I thought the characters ampere really well developed and were interesting to read about. Both books kept my interest and I just overall enjoyed reading it.
I would def recommend to fans of Martha wells (obviously!), and to fellow sci fi lovers.

DNF at 134 pages/17%. I think this is a DNF-for-now, not a DNF forever. I would like to come back to this book someday, as Kade seems to be an interesting character, and I'm not wholly uninterested in the story. The problem is that there are about 28 characters with names and titles that are *just* similar enough that I have lost track of who is who in the story. On top of that, the plot is so vague that even though I think I see the underlying dilemma, it is missing in any scene not directly dealing with it.

I think Wells shines in sci-fi and shorter books, and I love Murderbot. Even if/when I do give this one another go, I don't think I will enjoy it quite the same as that, which is a bummer. I hate to give up part-way through a book I was stoked for, but here we are.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the e-ARC!

I love Martha Wells' work and these revised works are interesting to read because you get a glimpse into the young Martha Wells. My reading history was almost exclusively with her more recent works like the Murderbot series, but this book was fantastic! It has wonderful world-building, strong characters, and a compelling mystery story.

The Book of Ile-Rien collects the two full-length novels The Element of Fire and The Death of the Necromancer in one large edition. I will be looking for the second part of the Ile-Rien story with the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy. I loved the Ile-Rien world and want to spend some more time here.

I can't wait to read more of her fantasy!

The Book of Ile-Rien is a bind-up of the two Ile-Rien books that Martha Wells released in the early nineties. I've read some various things of Wells by now and some I love or like, others I don't. The Book of Ile-Rien is a combination of that.

The first book, The Elements of Fire, was messy for me. At the start I felt like I was missing something. As if I was expected to know this whole world already. This did get a little better along the way. But overal it felt a little flat.

Thomas, one of our mc, was seen as a big player. A female favorite, and an enemy to high placed males. He doesn't really seem to want to be there. He never really stepped away from that. He didn't become a real character to me. There is also the thing that there was constantly alluded to him being the dowager queens lover but I saw so very little of that on the page. The very few times they were on the page together, it was other people's reactions to them filling things in and not anything the characters were doing or even feeling towards one another.

Our other mc, Kade, was a bit more interesting. She gave some funny moments and lines. But it never moved away from that. She had potential but she never really stepped up into a full character. She was also meant to be the thing that tied us into the Fae realm. It could have explained the role of the fae in this world more. It didn't do that.

The role of the Fae in this book was odd. They were helping out the bad guy in this. I'm still not a 100% sure why. I saw no real good reason. Nothing that the Fae would truly gain from this.

In contrast, The Death of the Necromancer, was a lot better. It is set about 100 years after the first book. The world seems to have been modernized somewhat with the coaches and the theatre.

All the characters, from our mc to our side characters, felt much more alive and well rounded. There was a more interesting dynamic between the characters. Nicholas was an interesting character. Fueled by his need for revenge, he has been weaving an elaborate plot to catch the one who got his mentor killed. He has a connection with those around him. He calls this inspector his enemy but from the start it is clear that it is more of a being frightened of being found out. It was amusing to see when they finally did get to interact with one another.

The only downside that I found to this story is that the tie in to the first book was Nicholas his family relationship. He is a descendant from someone from book 1 (and boy was that milked when it was revelead, gosh). But other than that I'm not sure I recognized a lot from book 1. It could have been two completely seperate worlds. Even the Fae were barely mentioned in this book.

All in all it was an interesting read. I do not rec Elements of Fire but would rec The Death of the Necromancer. I don't think you need to read book 1 to be able to understand book 2.

The Element of Fire - 4.25 stars
The Death of the Necromancer - 4.5 stars

The Book of Ile-Rien is a new edition for two previously published books by Martha Wells. I didn't get to read them before and I'm glad to have had the chance to do so now.

Although both stories were set in the fantasy kingdom of Ile-Rien, the books follow two separate sets of characters and were set years and years apart.

Martha Wells writing didn't disappoint and I loved the intrigue, the world-building, character interactions and relationships. The pacing in here was just right and the action pieces were fun to read. I prefer the second book a tad bit more than the first one.

If you're into historical fantasy, I recommend giving this book a try.

4.25 stars out of 5 stars.

You can say that I am a bit unexposed to the literary world of fantasy and it's all sub divisions. Additionally, I'm not the type of reader who reads the most popular books or follows the most popular authors. If you asked me who Martha Wells is, well I couldn't tell you. It wasn't until Netgalley allowed me to read this revised collection of two books that I was finally exposed to Martha Wells' writing.

First off, Martha Wells writes really well. Reading The Book of Ilre-Rien is a great example of great writing, especially in a world that has become "fast literature" (take it from a reader of well known and publicized dragon fantasy series that still has three more books to be published). Secondly, though these two books have been combined, they are very different from one another. They could in fact be stand alones. Part 1 - The Element of Fire is medieval, kings and queens, knights and sword fighting, with a world of magical fae that are entwined for political power. Part 2 - The Death of the Necromancer is 100 years after part 1, with a modern feel, and tale of solving a murder. Both have a small romance subplot, and doesn't really detract from the main story line. It reminded me faintly of Priory of the Orange Tree meets Shades of Magic, minus the dragons. and add fae.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the ability to read these books. I will have to finish the series (just 3 more books) after reading this copy! Thank you Netgalley and Tor Books for allowing me to read this for a review. Definitely recommend this book/series!

I am not exactly a full on historical fantasy type of person, but these were so incredible! I had a great time with this. I thought the world was interesting and the characters were compelling.

After progressing from the fun and unique sci-fi series the Murderbot Diaries to the adventure fantasy of The Witch King and City of Bones, I was primed for Tor’s reissue of two older Martha Wells’ stories revised and set in the same Ile-Rien world: The Element of Fire and The Death of the Necromancer, titled The Book of Ile-Rien.



The Element of Fire was both the start of the series and has the happy circumstance of being a debut book. Since I have read the latest of the author’s releases, it was apparent this was a first book. However, the author’s talent in creating a full-fledged world, a stimulating, intriguing plot, and bold characters drew me in from the start. This is true of The Death of the Necromancer too. Element of Fire takes place years before the other and Death of the Necromancer shows it’s chronologically more recent by feeling less like medieval fantasy and more like Gaslamp fantasy or steampunk even. I enjoyed the characters and overall plot, particularly since both are steeped in my favorite fantasy trope -- political intrigue. I was more drawn to the first book for the way the characters interacted with each other, particularly the complex and enigmatic Queen Ravenna, fiery and energetic half-human half-fae, Kade, and the swashbuckling charmer, Boniface. The second book’s twisting, exciting plot being its largest draw.



Now, I’m not going to lie, they both took their time getting going, which will seem weird since both dove headfirst into action with their opening scenes. My problem was that I was left racing far behind, trying to catch up on what was going on. Of course, this was likely intentional. Yet, it took me nearly half the first book to figure out what anything had to do with anything. And it took me half of the second book to connect the tie-ins to book one. So, reader be warned, patience is required.



In summary, I enjoyed my latest adventures from the pen of a now favorite author. I definitely plan to reach for more from her backlist. Those who enjoy light romance, heavy political intrigue, and fight action but don’t mind a slow build in their fantasies should give this series a try.

The Book of Ile-Rien is a new edition of two of Martha Wells's previously-published books: The Element of Fire and The Death of the Necromancer, both originally published in the 1990s. I am so happy that new editions are out, because these books? These books were SO GOOD. They are right up my alley: historical high fantasy, but not set in a nebulous medieval-esque Europe. They are set in Ile-Rien, a country that seems inspired by France. They were both so much fun to read! If you come to Wells via Murderbot (as I did), you'll notice a few similarities: her books are action-forward, with plenty of fights, weapons, wall climbing, and more. Her main characters are also cynical and sometimes sarcastic. Their bons mots are both fun and funny. Unlike Murderbot, both of these books include light elements of romance. This is not romantasy by any definition, but if you like romantic relationships as a part of your plot, this will satisfy you.

The Element of Fire: set in a renaissance-inspired time period, this is a political thriller. Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard, is navigating a court full of political intrigue. Oh, and magic, too. When the late king's illegitimate daughter Kade (who is half fay) returns to court, Thomas isn't sure why she's there. Turns out Kade has no ulterior motives, but she and Thomas are caught up in a plot to overthrow the throne.

The Death of the Necromancer: this is set several centuries after The Element of Fire, in a 19th-Century inspired time period. It opens with a heist, as master criminal Nicholas/Donatien is just about to pull off his decade-long revenge on the man who framed his foster father. The heist is interrupted by magical hijinks that lead Nicholas and his core group of allies into a dangerous investigation of necromantic crimes.

If historical fantasy is your jam, you should 100% pick these up! I am so glad I did.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

So I had no idea prior, but The Book of Ile-Rein" is actually a combination of two revised and updated novels, "The Element of Fire" and "Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells"

In "The Element of Fire," Martha Wells expertly crafts a detailed, fast-paced story with compelling characters and a rich, immersive world. Thomas and Kade find themselves facing off against powerful sorcerers while navigating the ghosts of their own pasts. In this world, no alliances are permanent as the duo does their best to save the world from the clutches of evil.

"Death of the Necromancer," is one of my fav tropes: a murder mystery! Master thief Nicholas becomes entangled in a web of mystery and conspiracy, as a seemingly simple heist turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with supernatural forces. Wells' impeccable plotting and atmospheric storytelling make this novel a captivating read for fans of High Fantasy and mystery alike.

In "The Book of Ile-Rein," Wells seamlessly weaves together the worlds of these two novels, creating a enthralling narrative that showcases her mastery of storytelling. Her Murderbot books are among my absolute favorites, and this was also delightful.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

This is a combined edition of the first two books in Ile-Rien series, The Element of Fire and The Death of the Necromancer. Both were originally published in the 90s, and were received well. They’ve been revised here and are the author’s preferred edition.

First book is set in a renaissance or baroque type of royal court of Ile-Rien where tensions are high between the dowager queen, her rather useless son the king, the current queen, and the king’s favourite courtier. That alone would’ve made an interesting story of palace intrigue, but added to it are a conspiracy by a sorcerer, attack by the unseelie court of fayres, and the illegitimate daughter of the previous king by the fayre queen of Air and Darkness who returns after several years of exile. And at the centre of everything is the captain of the Queen’s Guard, Thomas Boniface, whose job it is to maintain order and keep both queens safe.

Kade’s return pushes several conflicts and conspiracies to light, and before anyone realises, there’s a battle for life and death going on. The enemy is rather vague and changes constantly, as the conspirators betray each other for their own gain, keeping the reader guessing as much as Boniface. When the dust settles, things have changed for everyone, and not always for the better.

This was a good and compact stand-alone story with high stakes, interesting characters and a bit of romance which I didn’t entirely feel. It’s a May-December one between Kade and Boniface that felt slightly icky even though she’s 24, mostly because Kade behaved like a capricious child. Luckily it was left to the end of the book, so I could let it go.

The second book takes place a century later in the same city. The world has advanced in leaps, and this one is a Gaslamp novel with gothic vibes and aesthetics, complete with séances and rambling manors. It doesn’t really build on the first book, even the magic has changed, and the focus is on the world of demimonde as much as the aristocracy.

Nicholas Valiarde is a successful thief and man of mystery posing as an art dealer. He’s lost his foster father to a conspiracy, and has spent the years since planning a revenge against the man he thinks is responsible for it. With his team, he’s worked hard and everything is ready for the final act in his revenge. And then things start to go wrong.

A man arrives who claims to know who Nicholas is. Even worse, he has items Nicholas’s father has invented that should’ve been destroyed. Nicholas has no choice but to go after the man. What should’ve been a quick kill turns into a full-blown investigation into necromancy and other forbidden arts that is as ghoulish as it’s difficult to solve. And to make matters worse, Nicholas himself is being hunted by an investigator.

This too was a compact, standalone story with great characters and an intriguing story. Interestingly enough, I’d tried to read The Death of the Necromancer years ago and hadn’t managed more than three chapters before giving up. Mostly, if I recall, because I couldn’t get into the world at all. Reading the books back-to-back, it was easier to understand the second book too, even though the worlds are completely different, and I rushed through it.

I would give the first book four stars (it was a tad confusing with too large a cast) and the latter five stars. As a whole, they get five stars for being well-written, imaginative and able to tell their stories in a concise manner that didn’t leave anything out and didn’t have anything unnecessary either. The characters were great and the world was interesting. There are other Ile-Rien books too, and I’ll have to give them a try after this.

I had trouble sticking with this book, and I'm not really sure why.

I enjoyed the world, the magic, the characters, the stories.

The magic and creatures were awesome, the mix of science and magic was interesting and different.

The characters were excellent, understandable, relatable, deplorable, endearing, and repulsive. Amazing.

There are complex political, religious and educational structures.

Though I did find some descriptive passages overly heavy, I couldn't help but skim read past some of it.

I did prefer The Element of Fire out of the two.

Once I started reading this I remembered I’d read The Element of Fire ages ago. Fun read. I’m putting the audio book on hold to share with my spouse who likes Murderbot and enjoys audiobooks while walking. I’ve liked all of Wells older books and this one, especially Elements of Fire is one of my favorites. If you just want a fantasy escape it’s worth your while. Both stand alone well.

I am such a fan of Martha Wells' writing, and she delivers yet again with this book compilation.

As a fan of the Murderbot series, I found the books charming, and both exemplify her mastery of the fantasy genre. Despite the numerous plot threads in both books, which at times slowed down the pacing of the narrative, affecting its flow, Martha Wells' imagination and writing compelled me to continue and finish reading her work.

Book 1: The Element of Fire | 3.5/5 stars

The first book introduces us to a world filled with magical creatures and human sorcery. The story combines courtly drama with magic in a seamless way. The writing style is straightforward, which makes the story easy to follow.

I think what makes this unique is the exploration of how human and magical powers interact, giving us insight into the mystical forces. The magical creatures add an enchanting aspect to the story, making it even more engaging.

Book 2: The Death of the Necromancer | 4/5 stars

I really enjoyed book 2! It takes a different approach—mystery mixed with a heist. The story revolves around a city full of necromantic secrets, where the characters become entangled in a web of lies and betrayals. I think it is worth mentioning that the connection between Nicholas and Madeline is subtle, yet it added richness to the story which makes the characters much more relatable.