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.

THANK YOU to Tor and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Book of Ile-Rien" by Martha Wells in exchange for an honest review.

Martha Well is truly a master at her craft. No matter which book of hers you start with, you are in for an adventure. "The Book of Ile-Rein" is an excellent place to begin.

"The Book of Ile-Rein" is a combination of two previously published novels, "The Element of Fire" and "Death of the Necromancer", both updated and revised.

"The Element of Fire" features Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queens Guards, and Kade Carrion, the bastard half-fae daughter of the now-deceased King Fulstan. The story opens with Thomas on a rescue mission, sent to retrieve the kidnapped sorcerer Dubell from the clutches of the EVIL sorcerer Grandier. The mission goes a little sideways but ends well enough. Meanwhile, Kade has joined a theater troupe to quietly infiltrate the palace to confront both her past and her half-brother, who now sits on the throne. That starts well enough, but goes pear-shaped when the performance is crashed by a golem intent on murdering her.

And then the Fae invade. The Unseelie Court, to be specific. These are not the lovely, dainty fairies from a "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (although Titania and Oberon DO rule the Seelie Court here). These are the nasty, vile, hateful fae, who have allied with Grandier.

What follows is an extraordinary adventure tale, led by a Thomas and Kade. The story is large in scope but never feels overwhelming. The characters, for the most part, feel real and appropriately flawed. Every detail is well-thought out, but never info-dumped so the pace remains steady. It's exciting, interesting, and emotional. Wells's ability to pull together a complex plot is incredible.

"Death of the Necromancer" is set in the same city, about 100 years after "Element of Fire." While the city is not London, it definitely has a Victorian era feel to it, not the least of which because the city now has gas-lighting and a deep interest in Spiritualism. The main character of this story is Nicholas Valiarde, master thief.

It begins when Nicholas and his associates undertake an intricately plotted heist of a wealthy but sketchy society matron. But while they are about their business, they discover someone else has broken into the manor at the same time, apparently with different aims. Nicholas tangles with a ghoul and they make off into the night with the Duchess's, now theirs, ill-gotten gains. They return to Nicholas's manor for the evening, only to be confronted by.... a golem.

Again, what follow is a fantastic story. Whereas the previous story was an adventure and a bit of a conspiracy, this one is a mystery too. Her writing is well-plotted, thoroughly detailed, and man, she really knows how to use the English language. Recommended for readers of High Fantasy.

As a dedicated Murderbot fan, it was a treat to delve into Martha Wells’s earlier fantasy work! This newly revised two-volume set collects her debut novel The Element of Fire, and the subsequent book The Death of the Necromancer, both set in the fantasy kingdom of Ile-Rien. I found both novels to be incredibly readable, and Wells always excels at writing exciting action scenes and loveable characters.

In The Element of Fire, we are introduced to a kingdom at war with the Unseelie Court of the Fay, with delicate power structures and simmering treason. The Captain of the Queen’s Guard must team up with the newly returned half-Fay princess to restore peace to the realm. I loved the complex dynamics between all of the characters, with royal intrigue and past trauma and otherworldly agendas all contributing to the already intense plot. Excellent dialogue, lots of twists and turns, and even a lovely blossoming romance amidst all of the battles.

The Death of the Necromancer takes place a century later, and while I missed the characters I had come to love in the first book, I quickly got wrapped up in the mysterious heist plot, as we follow a band of thieves desperate to avenge a framed execution, who get unexpectedly embroiled in a paranormal conspiracy. Once again there was incredible pacing, keeping me on my toes as the characters investigated sewers, made unlikely allies, and untangled a dangerous web of magic and murder.

I was struck by the decision to place these novels so far apart in time; the very real threat of the Fay in the first book became long-dead myths in the second, with all new enemies and different sensibilities. However, it all worked for me, and I found I slightly preferred The Death of the Necromancer (though I very much enjoyed both novels). Wells’s books never disappoint, and I’m excited to check out more of her earlier work!

Thanks to Tordotcom and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Like last year's City of Bones, The Book Of Ile-Rien finds Martha Wells revisiting and revising past works. Unlike that work of a dystopia grappling with its past, The Book of Ile-Rien contains two full length adventures set within the nation of Ile-Rien, on a world full of magic, fayre, political intrigue and combat that sometimes spills in to war.

"The Element of Fire" is the first of the two tales, and centers on Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard, and his efforts to keep the kingdom safe from threats. As we join the story, Boniface is raiding the house of a foreign wizard to rescue a kidnapped sorcerer. After this mission he learns that the king's bastard half sister, Kade, has been in contact after a long period of silence. Kade was born of an affair with a fairy queen, and her current desires are unknown and a possible threat to the kingdom. The scars of the cruel old king linger in his children, Kade who fled and his son, Roland who is at least the power by name. But he is surrounded by courtier's jockeying for their own power and favor and he is weak and easily swayed. The true power, Dowager, formerly Queen Ravenna, brilliant and ruthless, maintains the balance of power, but know she is getting older and needs to find a way to strengthen her son.

"The Death of the Necromancer" takes place centuries after "the Elements of Fire" but remains in Ile-Rien. Here we following Nicholas Valiarde and his team of oddballs as they are putting in place the final portion of a long gestating plan to ruin the noble who caused the death of his adoptive father. However on the night of the key heist, another party has already broken in to the wealthy home they've targeted but seemed concerned with treasures from the past. Not only do Nicholas and his team get pulled in to the mystery of this unknown thief, but have for years been playing cat and mouse with a Sherlockian detective named Sebastian Ronsarde.

Both tales are very well paced, starting with a bright bit of action before calming and revealing backgrounds and details of the main characters. Then events rise and resolve with a ratcheting of tensions leading to the critical denouement. While the events of the first book are important to the second, for the most part the influence is more subtle. "Fire" is more chaotic and combat filled, whereas "Death" plays out as more of a procedural mystery. The latter, "Fire" is heavily indebted to Sherlock Holmes as Valiarde is very much a descendant of Moriarty, but all the better for not being named as such and in a world where magic is possibly but difficult.

Martha Wells again shows her talents for building well realized worlds, full of complex systems and competing motivations. These two tales, revised and updated, should be a treat to any fan of fantastical magic worlds, political intrigue or those who like their whodunnit with lots of twists.

This is a collection of two books: The Element of Fire and Death of a Necromancer, which were originally released in 1993 and 1998. Martha Wells is an award-winning fantasy writer, who is republishing these revisions in one title.

The Book of Ile-Rien sets the stage for a later trilogy, which I’m still debating if they’ll make it to my TBR. The work is best described as historical fantasy, with subtle hints of romance. The first book (which I preferred), Element of Fire, has hints of a cozy mystery. Death of a Necromancer brings in elements of horror.

Both stories, loosely connected, have strong main characters with complex layers, plus a supporting cast you’re interested in knowing more about. The concepts of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts run consistent with the typical fantasy lore, though Wells investigates the more dark and chaotic side of the Fay.

The second book, Death of a Necromancer, is intense and intricate, particularly during the last third of the book. I’m glad I saw it through to the end, and I know I’ll ponder it for a little while, but it’s not often that I struggle to keep up with the story.

The Book of Ile-Rien is revised compilation of the first two novels in Ile-Rien: The Element of Fire and The Death of a Necromancer.

The Element of Fire follows Thomas Boniface, the captain of the Queens Guard. When the kingdom is threatened by a sorcerer, and the kings bastard daughter returns, it’s up to Thomas to find out the plot against the kingdom.

The Death of a Necromancer follows Nicholas Valiarde, once a nobleman who is now one of the greatest thiefs in the city as part of his act of revenge upon some of the other nobles. When one of his heists goes wrong, a dark necromantic magic is after him, he must put aside his plans for revenge to keep himself and his friends alive.

I’ve read almost all of Martha Wells recent books, so I was excited to try this revised versions of Ile-Rien because I haven’t read her earlier novels. I’ve been hit and miss with her fantasy, some of them I’ve loved, and some I’ve been so-so on, but I’ve always loved her Sci-Fi. I was hoping The Books of Ile-Rien would fall firmly into the love category.

What I didn’t realize with this being a compilation of two novels was that they wouldn’t be direct sequels. Both books are set in Ile-Rien, but that’s all they have in common, with The Element of Fire being set many years before The Death of a Necromancer. So instead, like most of my experience with Wells Fantasy, I had one book I loved, and the other I was only so-so about. And I’m an outlier in this, because most readers seem to prefer The Death of a Necromancer, but I loved The Element of Fire.

The Element of Fire had a more traditional fantasy feel to it. We have the captain of the guard, questionably capable kings, political intrigue and deception, bastard children who are half-fayre, and evil sorcerers. It kind of ticks all the boxes of what you’d want from a more typical fantasy book. I really liked Thomas, and Kade - the kings daughter - and the banter between the two was well done. The magical in this one was something I really enjoyed, a lot of it being fayre magic. There was also a couple of solid twists in here with the political intrigue that made it more entertaining, and less predictable. The ending felt a little bit abrupt, especially after realizing the second book wasn’t going to continue with Thomas, but all in all, The Element of Fire was a really fun book to read.

The Death of a Necromancer is a heist story, with some necromancy thrown in for some excitement. This is definitely a me problem for not enjoying it more. I used to love magical heist stories, but have read too many over the years, and I’ve become burnt out from them. Valiarde is your typical heist thief - a nobleman who is doing this to take down the other wealthy and get revenge for the wrong they’ve done. His group of companions are other good people, who only fell to a life of crime because of something that was done to them. When they discover some dark magic and necromancy, they can’t stand by idly so they starting trying to investigate who the Necromancer is to stop him in time, It was still a really fun story, and I never felt like I was bored, it just isn’t a subgenre that I love anymore, so I only felt so-so about it. For readers who love heist stories, they’re going to love this one.

I do understand why it was decided to do a compilation of the first two books of Ile-Rien, but personally that was my biggest issue with this. I would have preferred them to be published separately because the two books are so different from each other, it felt jarring to jump straight into an entirely different book. Maybe in the finished version, there is also more of a division between them, but in the e-ARC, there wasn’t even a dividing title page to realize you’ve switched books. I also feel like because they are basically stand-alone stories set in the same world, it would be nice to have them as separate books to give them a chance to stand on their own rather than have people review or compare them to each other.

But whatever my feelings about the publication are, this was still a fun read. For reader’s who love Martha Wells fantasy, they’re going to love being able to go back to her earlier novels with a revised edition. These are also a good spot to start with her fantasy if you’ve not read it before, and want to start with some more traditional fantasy. The banter in both books are really great too, so if you’re seeking out more Wells after Murderbot, this is the most similar in humour I’ve found in her fantasy (although not the same, and Murderbot readers should not expect the same from any of her fantasy books). Basically, most fantasy readers will find something they enjoy in The Book of Ile-Rien,.

Martha Wells is the master world builder. This book is a great example of her fantasy work. The characters are complex, the storytelling is top notch. And she makes you immediately seek out more of her work.

I had been meaning to read this author’s works for a while and I jumped at the chance to read these revised editions of these two books. I can only conclude that it definitely will not be my last by her.

This book includes the first two novels in the Ile-Rien series. The Element of Fire was originally published in 1993 with The Death of the Necromancer being published in 1998. Here they are collected in one book. The two stories are connected, but follow different characters and are quite different stories in their own right.

The Element of Fire – 3.75* (7.64)

The first book, Wells’ debut novel, is a full-on fantasy novel which centres around court intrigue and court politics. It also takes a foray into the land of the fae, but luckily it does not centre too heavily on those elements. They are there and the fae definitely have a role to play, but this is far more about the people that are connected to the human court. This one does lack a little bit of something and the writing feels quite basic, but the story was pretty good and I still really enjoyed it. I really liked both the main characters.

The Death of the Necromancer – 4* (8.14)

The second books is very much a mystery and kind of a heist story. The main characters get up to lots of shenanigans as they try and figure out who is performing necromancy in the city. It is well plotted and has a whole host of characters. I liked the understated relationship between Nicholas and Madeline in particular. The novel was a little longer than it truly needed to be, but overall I really enjoyed this and it kept me interested enough.

The two novels are connected by the fact that they take place in the same city but book two is set about 100 years after the first. I found the transition into the second book quite jarring as we follow completely different characters and I am not sure it quite works as one volume for that reason, but I have to admit I enjoyed both stories in their own right. There are some things that connected the first novel to the second, but I wish there was a bit more that connected them.

I am glad these were the first books I read by this author. Now I can happily dig deeper into her bibliography, because I know I will have a good time doing so.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

The Element of Fire: Rating: Enjoyed It, 3.5 stars

This is Martha Wells first novel, and I can see how much she has grown as a writer and a story teller. This book was fine, I enjoyed it, but it definitely doesn't compare to the Books of the Raksura, Murderbot, or Witch King.

In this we follow a couple different players in the kingdom of Ile-Rien where the king is weak and open to control from his nobles, and the dowager queen runs the kingdom behind the scenes: Thomas Boniface, the captain of the king's guard, and Kade, the illegitimate and half-fae daughter of the previous king. Ile-Rien is in peril from the weak rule, a ruthless neighboring kingdom, and an evil sorcerer who has returned after years away.

I would say that this is pretty standard sword and sorcery fantasy, and there's not anything that really makes it stand out for me, which is why I didn't rate it higher. I liked the characters well enough, it was fast paced and I wanted to know what would happen, but it ultimately wasn't as compelling as what I know Martha Wells is capable of with her later works. The characters were interesting but not as three dimensional as I would like and there was more telling over showing for a lot of this.

I also thought that there was a weird romance sub-plot between Kade and Thomas and they mention multiple times the large age gap between them and the fact that he was the same age as her father. So that was weird. I liked the introduction of the fae to the more traditional medieval setting, but I would have preferred more exploration of that.

So overall, it was fun enough, and I'm glad that I read it, but I definitely think Martha Wells has improved as a writer as she continued in her career.


The Death of the Necromancer: Enjoyed It, 3.5 Stars

I love Martha Wells, but I unfortunately have not loved her more classic, medieval fantasy. I enjoyed The Death of the Necromancer, but it doesn't have the same cozy feeling as some of her other works. I know this was one of her earlier works, and while it has the bones of the excellent relationship-building that I love her books for, it just didn't quite hit.

In this one, we follow Nicholas, a nobleman turned thief, who is seeking revenge for the unjust execution of his adopted father. He is in the midst of a revenge scheme when he and his crew stumble onto a much more dangerous plot involving necromancy.

We also have a Holmes-Watson duo that end up joining the crew, which was fun. I think that there were glimmers of Wells' trademark dry humor and some of the really solid interpersonal relationships, but her crafting of these things has definitely worked better for me in some of her later works (i.e. Raksura, Murderbot, Witch King) than in this one. I never fully connected to the characters, and the plot was interesting, but not enough to sustain my full interest throughout. There were times that I was invested in the plot, but that was also inconsistent.

Overall, I enjoyed this one well enough, but it isn't one that will necessarily stick with me.

My actual rating of this book is 3.75 stars, which I rounded up to 4. This book was definitely the hardest for me to review of the Martha Wells books that I've read so far. It took me the longest to get into, but the payoff was still there. This book (or these two books) has many more common elements to its plot and characters, but these tropes are quite well. This book reads as a nice high fantasy, even if somewhat different than what I've come to expect from Martha's books. and of course, I have to say it: I'm sorry Thomas Boniface, but I'm in love with you just like all the rest.
I think that a lot of readers who have enjoyed Six of Crows will probably enjoy the second half of the book more than the first, but I did struggle a little bit with the change in time and characters. It may have been partially due to the format of the eARC, which jumped quite suddenly in from one part to the next without pause. If I was reading my own copy, I would've paused to take a longer break between the two halves to get my mind straight. I'm interested to see how this is formatted in the final copy of the book and if it makes the flow of the reading any better or worse.

This was the best 750 page book that I’ve read.

The Book of Ile-Rien is actually an omnibus of two books, the Element of Fire and Death of the Necromancer, that have been updated and revised as an author’s preferred edition. The Element of Fire is more of a political fantasy with intrigue and drama a la Game of Thrones, whereas Death of the Necromancer is more of a crime heist conspiracy sort of tale.

I liked The Element of Fire for its political intrigue and worldbuilding but LOVED the Death of the Necromancer. The characters are absolutely fantastic, the romantic subplot is cute (but definitely very subtle), and the conspiracy had me on the edge of my seat. It was definitely my favorite of the two and I think of it as an elevated version of Six of Crows: there were a lot of similarities and I couldn’t help but think of Kaz Brekker when I read about Nicholas Valiente.

Martha Wells delivers a wonderfully detailed world in the Kingdom of Ile-Rien, with a combination of magic and royal bureaucracy taking center stage. The two books, set 200 years apart, show the variety of stories Wells has in her repertoire and reflects her supremacy in the fantasy genre. I loved this book, but I have to admit that it felt slow to get through because of its severe length. Other than that, its a perfect fantasy read.

A must for fans of high fantasies like LOTR and GOT and definitely recommend for fans of Six of Crows who are looking for something more adult 🙌🏼

I’ve come to the conclusion I really don’t gel with Martha Wells’ fantasy as much as her sci-fi (Murderbot) books. I’m glad she’s getting a lot of love, given she has been in the industry so long, but her style here doesn’t really do anything for me.

The Book of Ile-Rien collects the first two books in Martha Wells’ Ile-Rien universe, which takes place in a fantasy world with a steampunk flavor. Though I have the much-lauded Murderbot series on my TBR, I have never read any of Wells’ work before. The Element of Fire is her debut, and when this book crossed my dashboard I thought it’d be a decent place to start.

The Element of Fire – 3.5 stars

The return of the king’s bastard sister to the court of Ile-Rien ought to be Queen’s Guard commander Thomas’s biggest concern, but when the city comes under siege by a mysterious sorcerer, Kade might end up his best ally instead.

Though a semi-generic fantasy setting and convoluted world-building made it somewhat hard to get into the story, the characters completely won me over. Kade is an excellent heroine, combining in herself both whimsy and darkness, and I enjoyed her budding relationship with the swashbuckling Thomas. There’s plenty of action and political intrigue, and the complex secondary characters kept things tense.

I did wish the end was not so abrupt though – maybe we’ll see more of Kade and Thomas later in the series?

~

The Death of the Necromancer – 4.5 stars

Gentleman thief Nicholas’s focus is on bringing down the man who betrayed his foster father, but his mission is disrupted when traces of forbidden necromantic magic appear to be dogging him.

Set a century after the previous book, we are introduced to a brand new cast of characters and an adventurous whirlwind of a story. The magic and the world felt more unique and fleshed out compared to the first book, and the homages that Wells paid to Sherlock Holmes and The Count of Monte Cristo were very fun. I also enjoyed the camaraderie and banter between Nicholas’s crew, as well as his relationship with the artful Madeline.

However, I did think the action sequences had a tendency to drag on a little – I wish they’d been tightened up more.