Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: The Iron Covenant (Book 1)
Publication: NYLA (June 26, 2018)
Description: No day is ordinary in a world where Technology and Magic compete for supremacy…But no matter which force is winning, in the apocalypse, a sword will always work.
Hugh d’Ambray, Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, Warlord of the Builder of Towers, served only one man. Now his immortal, nearly omnipotent master has cast him aside. Hugh is a shadow of the warrior he was, but when he learns that the Iron Dogs, soldiers who would follow him anywhere, are being hunted down and murdered, he must make a choice: to fade away or to be the leader he was born to be. Hugh knows he must carve a new place for himself and his people, but they have no money, no shelter, and no food, and the necromancers are coming. Fast.
Elara Harper is a creature who should not exist. Her enemies call her Abomination; her people call her White Lady. Tasked with their protection, she's trapped between the magical heavyweights about to collide and plunge the state of Kentucky into a war that humans have no power to stop. Desperate to shield her people and their simple way of life, she would accept help from the devil himself—and Hugh d’Ambray might qualify.
Hugh needs a base, Elara needs soldiers. Both are infamous for betraying their allies, so how can they create a believable alliance to meet the challenge of their enemies?
As the prophet says: “It is better to marry than to burn.”
Hugh and Elara may do both.
My Thoughts: People who have read the Kate Daniels series will know Hugh d'Ambray but this book sees him much changed. Roland has cast him aside taking away all of his certainty about his actions and leaving him broke and broken. His first response is the try to commit suicide by alcohol. But when his men come to find him and tell him that his Black Dogs are being hunted down and killed, he has to pull himself together and save the people who gave him their loyalty.
Hugh gathers just over 300 of his troops but now needs to find a way to feed, clothe and house them. When he is approached to marry Elara Harper, he is skeptical. But Elara has a castle, people to protect, a bad reputation, and needs a strong man to provide that protection.
Neither one of them are happy to marry the other but it is the best option for each of them. Two strong people are naturally going to butt heads and one of the best parts of the story is the banter between the two of them as they try to do the best they can for the people under their care.
Both have secrets and both have enemies. Landon Nez, who is the current leader of Roland's Golden Legion of Vampires, is an enemy to both of them. He wants Elara's castle and he wants something from Hugh but it isn't clear to either of them what it is. The Golden Legion is formidable but they aren't Elara and Hugh's only enemy. They also have to deal with an invasion of vampire-like creatures and the soldiers who command them who are gating in when the magic is up. They are apparently under the control of one of the magical beings who can't survive on Earth when the technology is up.
The story is filled with battles large and small. Through it all Hugh finds a new purpose for his life and begins to tentatively trust Elara and her people even after he learns her secrets. I loved the relationship between Hugh and Elara. I loved seeing the world Ilona Andrews has created through the eyes of another character and in another location. I can't wait to read more in this new series.
Favorite Quote:
This new life, it was just his. Hugh didn't owe it to anyone. He was building it himself, brick by brick, one shovel of cement at a time, the same way he had built that damn moat. He was building his own castle, and for better or worse, the harpy wormed her way into his world and became its tower.I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
Just requested this one from the library. Looking forward to it.
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