The Iron Crown by L.L. MacRae on May 28th 2021
Pages: 568
Goodreads
Fenn’s first and only memory is finding himself in the middle of a forest, face to face with a dragon spirit mocking him, all knowledge gone apart from his own name.
Lost and confused, his only hope for answers is Calidra—a woman living on the edge of the world with her partner. Forced to return home when her father dies, Calidra has put off facing her estranged mother for seven years, and she begrudgingly helps Fenn, forging papers for him so he can avoid the Queen’s Inquisitors.
But her mother is the least of her worries when they discover an ancient enemy is rising again. It should be impossible with the Iron Crown in power—and Fenn is terrified he might unwittingly be playing a part in the war’s resurgence.
Surrounded by vengeful spirits and powerful magic, Fenn’s desperate attempt to find his way home might well alter the fate of Tassar, and every power in it.
A new high fantasy series bursts into life with the DRAGON SPIRITS who reign supreme in the magic-drenched world of Tassar.
Finalist in SPFBO7
I listened to the audiobook narrated by RJ Bayley through Scribd.
The Iron Crown has been on my TBR for a long time but since it’s in Kindle Unlimited I’m not able to buy it for my Kobo. Luckily, the author announced she’d do an audiobook, which would be wide! I immediately started listening as soon as it was available.
We follow Finn, Calidra, and Jisyel as they travel. They meet new allies and lose some, but their original goals eventually lead them to a different quest. As I write this, it feels like a typical epic fantasy, and that’s because it is. It’s just been a long time since I read one. Or enjoyed as much as I did with this one.
I really like the characters and the dynamics between them. While some a pretty predictable in their behaviour but that’s okay. Not everything has be different or original. What the author did do differently from most epic fantasies, is to make dragons part of the religion and the magic. I really love how the queen works together with a powerful dragon to rule the kingdom.
I have noticed that it’s harder for me to form a good opinion of a 17-hour audiobook, mostly because of how my brain works. I remember things more clearly when I read them, but I really enjoyed this book, and RJ Bayley’s narration is excellent. He created some amazing voices for the characters and I never got bored while listening. So I recommend the book, but also the audiobook.
I give The Iron Crown four stars. It’s a highly enjoyable epic fantasy with dragons, an interesting magic system, and great cast of characters. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
