Review of Ironbound: Book One
What It's About
Ironbound is a science-fiction book about a young man named Castor. In the world that Castor lives in, magic comes from a very unique source; artifacts known as Cor Hearts. Cor Hearts are orbs that rain from the sky every year, and when given to a person, grant them magical abilities. The Cor Hearts let the person bond to an element, whether it be fire, music, wheat, air, etc.. But only the best students at the academies scattered around the world can gain the Cor Hearts, with the queen's blessing.
These students compete in a brutal competition to see who gets the Cor Hearts, facing each other in battles of strength, intelligence, and knowledge of the magic. Castor and two of his friends, all students at a small academy, make a vow to help each other get the Hearts no matter what; but when they find out that there is a Cor Heart drought, and that the neighboring town's students will have to compete alongside them, they realize their chances are slimmer than ever before.
Castor, alongside a very unlikely ally, fight together for the Cor Hearts they deserve in the arena. But just as the Cor Hearts were being distributed, a mysterious entity comes and ruins it all. Castor is sent to the twelfth legion, a brutal army trained in the art of Iron, as a consequence for something he didn't do. Seperated from his friends and thought of as an inadequate, Castor fights for his life in the lowest ranks of the queens army.
What I Liked
This is legitamately my favorite book I have ever read. Ever. The magic sytem is so amazing; being able to bond to elements is cool, but abstract concepts too? Pure genius! The characters are so well developed, and the theme of the book is Roman- some terms are latin, and the technology and architecture is very Roman, which is fairly uncommon in the fantasy genre. It provided a unique narrative throughout the book.
Another very cool factor was the sudden transition about a quarter of the way through the book from one place to another. Givler wrote in a way that made the transition feel smooth, yet very quick at the same time. I think Andrew Givler is a very, very talented author, and appears to be clean (minus a few curse words). He has another series, which I intend to buy some time soon.
What I Disliked
I disliked two things in the entire book: first, that the second book doesn't come out for another few months. It's so good, I don't know if I can wait! And second, there is a character named Anas. And if you pronounce his name the way I think you do, then it's a very strange name to put in a book.
Conclusion
Ironbound is a very fast-paced fantasy and science fiction book following a talented young man named Castor. Castor is desperate for a chance to gain magical abilities, and so fights his absolute hardest in the arena deciding whether or not he will. Ironbound is one of the best books I have ever read; you absolutely need to try it!
Comments
Post a Comment