There are two complete novels in this omnibus new release. According to the publishers note:"Both novels included in this volume have been revised and updated. These are the author’s preferred texts." The two stories are speculative fiction set in an alternate Europe and are related, the second being about two hundred years after the first one. The ELEMENT OF FIRE was Ms. Wells first published novel.

THE ELEMENT OF FIRE
The Kingdom of Ile-Rien, ruled by the weak and ineffectual King Roland is being targeted by the sorcerer Urban Grandier who seeks revenge caring little for collateral damage and destruction. Roland’s mother, Dowager Queen Ravenna, is the true ruler of the roost who along with her Captain of the Queen’s Guard, Thomas Boniface, must uncover who are their foes and friends. Roland’s half-sister, Kade, who is part Fae and now the Queen of Air and Darkness, shows up during the assaults on the kingdom. The question is whether Kade has returned, after essentially being exiled as a youth, to help or hinder those trying to save the realm.

There are as many enemies inside the court as out of it. Thomas and Kade join forces to root out the evil while battling not only an enemy force, but also part of the Unseelie Wild Hunt whom the sorcerer Grandier has engaged to unleash more mayhem on the main city. Kade has some magic of her own while Thomas has years of experience helping Ravenna to protect their lands often subverting Roland’s lack of leadership and discernment concerning his “friends” who are not necessarily the best of influencers at court.

While not the focus of the story and despite their age difference, Thomas and Kade develop a relationship beyond being battle compatriots so there is a bit of a romantic element. This dark fantasy has Well’s snarky humor, epic battles, political intrigue, and magic abounding as well as strong men and women doing their best to save Ile-Rien from a complete takeover by their enemies. It is a bit slow-going in the beginning working out the setting and world building but ends up being a very good read.

THE DEATH OF THE NECROMANCER
Nicholas Valiarde has many personas he uses as a master criminal in Ile-Rien; he has been working in the Ile-Rien not only to add to his wealth, but take revenge on the wealthy noble who falsely accused his mentor and foster father, sending the man to his death. Nicholas has several accomplices including his lover Madeliene who has some magical talent of her own, his criminal element henchman, and a drug addled magician to name a few. Nicholas’s main goal is temporally subverted when several people turn up dead, hideously tortured by a necromancer he crossed path with while at the home of his nemesis, Count Montesq.

Nicholas understands the danger to his city of Vienne using all his criminal and intellectual skills to find the culprit. The dark magic being wielded in the city threatens more than Nicholas’s own plans taking him and his motley crew into the underbelly of this and other cities in Ile-Rien,

This story has a Sherlock Holmes Victorian feel with Nicholas being more akin to a Moriarty type although he is not a sociopath caring nothing for his fellow human beings. There is a wily inspector with a Dr. Watson type assistant on the case as well. Nicholas sets about apprehending the dangerous necromancer while evading some the law enforcement and those who would work against him. The seemingly ancient evil they are fighting stands to threaten all of Ile-Rien if not stopped. Nicholas has a lot of personal issues to deal with as well stemming from his need for revenge and the direction his life had taken.

This second story is very lengthy, detailed oriented, filled with intrigue, violence, and very dark magic. Of the two stories, I preferred the first one for the themes and pacing. Fans of Ms. Wells currently very popular Murderbot series will find this dark fantasy well written, but a very different kind of read.

Using a fantasy setting in late 19th century Paris Martha weaves two tales of wizards, Faes and murder. Her detailed description of that period brings the stories to life immersing you fully into the characters. I look forward to reading more of her works.

First City of Bones and now The Book Of Ile-Rien, Martha Wells really has me hooked on her fantasy novels! They're just SO GOOD!!

This is the updated edition of 2 standalone stories set in Martha Wells' Ile-Rien fantasy universe. Thanks to @Netgalley for the review copy, this is the second Martha Wells fantasy book that I've read and I have to say, she is just an absolute master of world-building. Both of the stories included in this book are completely different from one-another but they complement each other perfectly.


The Element Of Fire is a traditional fantasy novel; the realm is under siege by the magical forces of fey and at risk from the political machinations of those near to the throne. Full of sorcery, faerie, knights and gunpowder, it's a real page-turner that completely sucked me in and left me wanting the story to continue. Think Game Of Thrones with sorcery and faeries set in 17th Century France.


Death Of The Necromancer on the other hand is set a few hundred years later. Sorcerors still ward the cities against danger but the fey threats of the past are long gone. This time we follow Nicholas Valiarde, a master thief with a special skill at breaking and entering who finds himself competing against powerful forces he cannot comprehend.


More closely resembling a Victorian steampunkesque England than the castles and knights setting of TEOF, I really found DOTN to be gripping in a whole new way. Nicholas and his band of rogues have their own motivations and very deep and developed histories. Again this was so fast-paced that I flew through it and was left wanting more.


It's 2/2 for Wells' fantasy so far and I'm so excited to see what else she has out there.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this collection featuring the first two fantasy works by one of best speculative fiction writers working.

Every great hero has an origin story. The moments that make the hero rise to face their fears, to vanquish their foes, and create bestselling books and series. Wait I meant great writers have origin stories. My bad. Though the origin does follow the same sort of arc. Both Hero and Writer want to make the world better, one by crushing evil, the other creating art (but not averse to crushing evil too). Their foes are many, evil creatures from the depths of hell or Internet Trolls, both are interchangeable, though hell creatures can be redeemed. And finally laying siege to dark towers or top ten charts and Bestseller lists. Everyone has a first book, and Martha Wells, author of the phenomenal Murderbot series is no exception. The Book of Ile-Rien is a collection of the author's first and second books, The Element of Fire & The Death of the Necromancer, updated and revised by Martha Wells.

The Element of Fire is the first in a five book series about the Ile-Rien, a kingdom full of magic, wonder, danger and firearms. We met the hero Thomas Bonifaire, Captain of the Queen's Guard as he is sneaking into what should be a deserted building but is actually the lair of rogue wizard with a captive. The operation is kept secret so as not to scare the populous, and to hide a truth that is becoming quite clear. King Roland is not being served well by his companions, is a weak king, and is leading the Kingdom to ruin. Only the efforts of the Dowager Queen Rovenna, are keeping the kingdom safe, with Thomas her right-hand man, and once far more. New arrivals make things more difficult, as deciding who is friend, foe, or indifferent is getting difficult. The Death of the Necromancer is set well after the first book, and is the second book published by Wells This time a young nobleman with a secret life is the hero, Nicholas Valiarde, a man with a posh look, but the heart of a thief. And a thirst for retribution. His godfather had been accused of dark arts, the art of necromancy, and for this trumped up crime, was executed. Valiarde robs the rich at nigh to fund his efforts to get back at those how killed his godfather, but is beginning to come across strange things in his nightly excursions. Things that seem very reminiscent of what his godfather was killed for, and the signs are clear that an ancient evil is gathering strength.

One has their entire life to write their first work, two years max to do their second. That's as true today as it was back when Wells first started publishing. One can see much in the first book The Element of Fire. The action, the use of technology, the way Wells tells the story and the humor. The story is a little too long, but it is still good. You can see the lean writing style that Wells uses for the Murderbot series, and the difference it makes. The second book Death of the Necromancer is a little smoother, a little shorter and with a strong story, and idea. Again one can see the education of the writer here, again technology, smoother fight scenes, smoother inner thoughts. And humor, finding its place even more. The plotting is good, both hold up well, and never lag, though the first one is a tad long.

Very good tales, and both stand-up by themselves. Recommended for fans who can't get enough and might have missed these, and for people who want to see what Wells is like, and enjoy fantasy more. A nice trip into the mind of a writer finding out how to hone their gift.

I finished Martha Wells’ The Book of Ile-Rien last night and it was fantastic!

This was actually two books, both updated by the author, and packaged together for the first time. This will release 2/27/24.

I loved it! It was fantasy (so fay and magic elements were present) but the world building was easier for me than usual, as most unfamiliar words I looked up actually were items from 17th and 18th century earth.

It was cool and engrossing and the story was fun and engaging. Fantasy lovers will dig this book for sure, and folks who like historical fiction may take to it, as well. 🥰📚

Rounded up from 3.5 stars

OK, I love the Murderbot Diaries series from Martha Wells, so I’m reading a lot of her older stuff. I’m clearly not alone since this book (two books, really) is being re-released, no doubt to take advantage of her new fans.

That said, so far I prefer her science fiction to her fantasy. The two Ile-Rien stories show flashes of the humor and brilliance I like from Wells, but they are also a little too long and a little too unfocused. Both of them ended fabulously, but it was a long road to get there. I am undecided whether I will read the books that follow in this world, but I am glad I read The Book of Ile-Rien.

(I admit, I didn’t realize this was two entirely separate stories; I assumed it was more like the Murderbot series, where one book flows into the next. I was surprised when the first story came to what felt like an abrupt end when I thought I was only half done. This would have been more obvious if I’d held the print book instead of an advance reader copy.)

I think I would like this book more if I read it a second time, which I may, at some point.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The captivating storyline and well-developed characters made it a delightful read. Highly recommended!

Another worl of art, I must say. After my accidental discovery of The Witch King and got introduced to Martha Wells, the experience of reading a book after book of hers is just magical. This is none too different

I've been wanting to read Martha Wells for a while now, specially because of her science fiction novellas. I had no idea about the existence of this fantasy series, and finding it here in Netgalley made my day.

Thanks to Tor Publishing Group for the e-arc of this book!

Since I had no idea about the details of this series, I didn't kow that this book contained two novels from the series. This was the first element that fascinated at the beginning of my reading experience: I'm getting 2 books in one!

I felt in love in Wells' narration and the way she transported me to the different scenes of the novels. I felt I could travel through Ile-Rien and have a first-hand experience while reading this book. The characters are a strong element for this story. They are all well writtent and structured, making them believable for the reader.

I also enjoyed how Martha Wells managed to include different themes and topics through the novels, a few examples are the conflict between good and evil, the identity, battle for power, and revenge. This was well structured and helped me to give a strong rating to the book.

I think the Book of Ile-Rien is a thrilling and thought-provoking couple of novels that will appeal to fans of fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a dark and suspenseful tale.

This is a collection of two books: The Element of Fire & The Death of the Necromancer. The world is the same, but the plots are disconnected to each other.

THE ELEMENT OF FIRE:
A good flintlock fantasy. The vibes of this one reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean; just a little bit of magic, for atmosphere, but more swashbuckling than sorcery. Or, at least that's what it feels like for the strong parts of this tale.
There's never enough at stake for it to become great. Everything -- but particularly the romance, felt unsupported, like there wasn't enough scenes to keep the vision upright.
It was entertaining and overall unobjectionable. Just never rose above that.

DEATH OF THE NECROMANCER:
Of the two, I much preferred Death of the Necromancer. The story follows a group of thieves with interesting motives, and how they get tangled in a plot with zombies. It's a fun and clever book, playing with tropes of detectives and criminals. The world also feels better thought out in this novel than the other.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tordotcom for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

THE ELEMENT OF FIRE:
Perhaps the most delightful part of reading this, Martha Wells' first novel, was catching glimpses of what Wells' writing looks like now. It's fun to see how things begin, you know? But anyway, that's not the only delightful part of this novel. I quite enjoyed both main characters (and their great names), Thomas Boniface and Kade Carrion. The world building was detailed but not overwhelming, sprinkled in as needed rather than collected in long paragraphs. It was quite fun to dive into a new fantasy world and trust Wells to take me for a fun ride.

THE DEATH OF THE NECROMANCER
Well, I was a little sad not to spend more time with the main characters from ELEMENT OF FIRE, I fell for the charming found family vibes of THE DEATH OF THE NECROMANCER right away. And even better, it's a little crime family!! If you love a heist and a revenge tale with a side of (admittedly pretty gross) evil magic, look no further. This was, in my opinion, quite engaging and easy to read. There wasn't an MC I didn't like, and now I need to find Wells' Ile-Rien short stories!

I really enjoyed this title. It is the second work from Martha Wells that I read, and I will always be intrigued on how she manages to write such interesting and deep stories, while not losing you along the way.

The story structure itself requires some focus at first, as it is quite complex, but once you are in it, it get easier. I really loved the characters, even thought I struggled to get attached to some of them because of their development and the way they were described.

I think this book has a lot of qualities that qualify it as a very good fantasy title. If you are in the mood for this genre for this fall, you should definitely check it out!

Great syfi read for fans of red rising series. Great series and loved the writing style. The cover is amazing art. Great concept

As a huge of Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries, I was excited to give this a read. I will admit that the first 20% was a challenge as characters are thrown at you like you're in a tennis match with an aggressive ball launcher set to maximum speed. The characters are introduced, dropped into the story, and expected to fold into the narrative without any real context which makes the first part feel like you're learning a history lesson about a world that doesn't exist. Once you push past that, however, things pick up dramatically and the narrative picks up some much needed speed. It really gets good when Martha Wells's trademarked snarky outcast character arrives on the scene and we get to see her play with the irreverent voice that she does better than anyone writing today. We even get to know some lovely, compassionate leaders who make smart and difficult choices. Another character type she excels at.

The omnibus edition includes two novels and the second is by far the stronger of the two. It involves a time jump and a new cast but they aren't tossed at you willy-nilly like in the first book and since the world is already a little lived in, it doesn't take so long to find a comfortable fit.

All-in-all I would say it is not as strong as her Murderbot series, but it is her first set of novels and if they lack the same polish then its understandable. She still captures the rebelliously irreverent spirit of the chronically othered like no one else can and if you're willing to push through a little bit of a slog, then the pay off is worth the effort.

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
In a fantastic alternate Europe, Thomas, favorite and once lover of the Dowager Queen, is on an errand to recover a kidnapped sorceror - a mission he's unlikely to survive, and that may be the point for the King and his sycophants.
Review
I can never remember whether I first encountered Wells through The Element of Fire or City of Bones. After just re-reading both, though, I tend to think it was City of Bones. That is an excellent book and would certainly have sent me looking for more. This is a good book, well written, but not really my kind of thing – it’s very courtly and political, though with enough engaging characters to keep things moving along nicely – after a pretty slow start. I’m not sure I’d have pursued more Wells books after reading just this.
As noted, the book starts slowly – very slowly. We’re thrown into actions scenes with our protagonist, but have neither the context to understand the world nor the background to find the protagonist appealing. I found the first couple of chapters dry and dense, to the extent that I shifted to a John DeChancie comedy for a while just to regain some momentum. After that stumble, the book does pick up considerably, though it sticks to a sort of romantic court politics that I just don’t find very interesting. This especially because the key romance is of an older man with a young woman – literally his former lover’s stepdaughter; I found it a bit on the icky side. The book not only is based in an alternate Europe (not my kind of thing either) but deals with a version of Faerie, complete with Seelie and Unseelie Courts (again, not my thing). I give credit to Wells for making this trifecta of ‘not my things’ pretty palatable and decently fast-moving.
I read this in the new, revised (likely only lightly, based on the re-released City of Bones) omnibus edition with its sequel, Death of the Necromancer, but I’d guess not too much has changed. At least, nothing particular stood out. If you like these kinds of topics, this book is well done. If you just like Martha Wells, this book is also well done, and you may enjoy it. I did eventually grow into the series enough that I picked up most of the several sequels.
Summary
Nicholas Valiarde, disregarded noble and part-time thief, is on a mission of revenge. For years, he has planned to lay low the man who falsely implicated his mentor in necromantic crime. But now a plague of ghouls is getting in his way.
Review
This second installment of Ile-Rien is a much more cohesive, polished affair than the first. It’s set in the same world, a hundred years later, and has a few references to its predecessor. But there are also so many references to other past exploits of its protagonists, that you’d be forgiven for thinking it a sequel to another (nonexistent) book entirely. (And the later sequels are another story as well.)
Happily, there’s far less of Faerie and courts in this book. Instead, it’s a magic-infused period mystery/heist story that works much better than the first book did. I’ve given each book the same rating, but they lean toward different ends of the range. This book is much more assured and enjoyable; I looked forward to picking it up. The wrapup is on the easy side and doesn’t stand up to the quality of the rest of book, but you can look past it to enjoy the whole.
This again is the omnibus Book of Ile-Rien version. I didn’t compare it to the prior e or print versions I have, but also didn’t note any substantive changes. Looking this series up in ISFDB reminded me that an Ile-Rien story is also in the anthology Elemental I also have, so I’ll be looking that up as well, though the anthology didn’t stand out in my mind, so I won’t be rereading the whole thing.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Thank you Netgalley and TOR for this advanced copy.

The Book of Ile-Rien was a compilation of many stories which I loved and enjoyed so much. I am so glad that TOR decided to publish Martha Wells' classic works. It feel like finding a hidden gem to her new reader.

Superb piece of fantasy!! Great world and unforgettable characters. A must read for the fantasy readers outhere!

Books 1 & 2 of the Ile-Rien series have been reunited here and rewritten by the author for the reedition, they have been provided to me via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I discovered Martha Wells through her Murderbot series, which has catapulted into one of my favourite go-to series, so when I saw the opportunity to discover her other writings, I just couldn't hesitate.

The element of fire was her first novel, and even if sometimes it's a bit long, with lots of fights, I devoured it. Even if it was her debut, Martha Wells has the knack for telling stories and creating engaging characters - Kade in particular, I adored her. This author's inventivity was already present and believe me, I'll never look at the words "living room" the same way again ! Otherwise, it's a rather classical fantasy novel with a Middle-Age feeling, but well written and it kept me on my toes.

The death of the necromancer takes place more than a century after The element of fire and is linked to it with a twist that I didn't see coming. It has a more steampunk vibe to it and, again, I'll never look at an oak tree the same way again ! The team of main characters was a delight to read about, the story kept me on the edge of my chair to the very end.

To sum this review up : good plot, action, magic, humour, good writing, once you get into the books, you *have* to finish them.

"The look she gave him was dark, almost tormented. "I should let the dead past lay buried. It's a mistake to trouble still waters, but..."
"That's from the second act of Arantha,", he snapped, "and if you're going to behave in this nonsensical way and expect me not to notice, you could at least do me the courtesy of not employing the dialogue from your favorite play."

"His pistol was empty and useless... and made of steel, which was iron, as far as sorcery was concerned. except if he tried to throw the pistol at the thing, it would do nothing but further enrage it. When it eats us, perhaps it will accidentally swallow it and that will cause some discomfort... Now there's a thought."

"Occasionally, I forget that you're not as debauched as you'd like everyone to believe", Nicholas murmured. Reynard pretended to seem disturbed. "Keep it to yourself, would you ?"

I love that Martha Wells has been able to revise her texts and republish. She’s a great writer who brings amazing life and authenticity to her characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.