Review: The Iron Crown by L.L. MacRae

Blurb:

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.

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Review:

If I woke up in the middle of the woods to a dragon spirit laughing in my face, I’d probably be pretty confused too. Might be just enough to convince me to swear off those test tube shots they hand out at nightclubs.

Fantasy characters might not have that luxury, but at least it makes from some damn good storytelling. With The Iron Crown, L.L. MacRae has created a fascinating world, combining rich and deep characters with a unique application of dragons, all against the backdrop of an ancient evil returning to the world. It’s classic fantasy with a modern twist, and it’s already got me eager to jump into the next book.

Fenn is a young boy who wakes up in a forest to a dragon spirit mocking him, remembering only his name and nothing else—why and how he is there in the first place is lost to him—and is discovered by a woman named Calidra and her partner Jisyel. Calidra has been estranged from her nouveau riche mother for seven years, and it is only in learning of the passing of her father that she must return home. With Jisyel and Fenn in tow, Calidra believes reuniting with her mother will be a journey unto itself…until an ancient enemy long believed to be defeated begins once more to surface. And though he has no way of knowing for certain, Fenn may just play a part in the resurgence of a war that should no longer be possible.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of The Iron Crown is the nature of the world itself. The land of Tassar is populated with the spirits of dragons, who act as guardians and pillars of the world’s various regions. These spirits range from the deified to the reviled, the noble to the duplicitous. It calls to mind a personification of nature and the reverence thereof, where all living things of the natural world have a spirit of their own, almost Shintoist in a way, except here, these spirits are also dragons. It’s a simple concept and twist but it’s executed impeccably.

But a unique and well-developed world can only be carried so far on its own, and it’s all the more fortunate that MacRae has crafted a well-developed cast to carry it even further. Fenn and Calidra are the main stars of the show here, and their arcs are handled quite well. While the amnesiac trope is well-worn at this point and often difficult to feel fresh, Fenn’s arc is spun in a way that fits in the context of the world and still manages to feel distinct. The reader learns very early on that Fenn is far from the only one who has experienced this sudden and mysterious amnesia, and his story is both a quest to regain who he is, while also avoiding the Inquisition who is mercilessly hunting down those who have been stricken with the same affliction. Many of The Iron Crown’s heaviest twists and turns revolve around Fenn, and his were the chapters I most looked forward to.

For her part, Calidra also has a strong arc, but in a much more down-to-earth way than Fenn’s. Much of her arc has to do with family—the mother from whom she’s estranged, and others who she believes she has lost. Calidra is a very flawed character—impulsive and defiant, wanting more than the restrictive world that has arisen from her mother’s rise in status—but these flaws are presented in a way that makes you sympathize with her. While the story’s biggest twists come from Fenn’s arc, the biggest emotional responses come from Calidra’s.

The other two primary POVs—the Inquisitor Torsten and the thief Apollo—did not land quite as well for me, however. With Apollo, I realized that I probably should have read the prequel novella—The Citrine Key—beforehand, as he didn’t feel quite as fleshed out as Calidra and Fenn, but my view may change after reading it. Torsten, however, lacked some of the dimension as the other POVs, but his presence still managed to be felt throughout the novel regardless.

Beyond that, my only gripe has to do with the pacing. It’s slow and deliberate, which works well for a novel of this size and depth, but it did mean the early stages of the book—primarily in leading up to Calidra’s reunion with her mother—tended to drag on a bit (or, ahem, dragon a bit). There are also a few minor instances of characters who have been separated to create some tension in the plot are conveniently brought back together for some plot resolution. Those moments are few and far between, but they do still warrant mention.

Regardless of some minor issues, though, I would highly recommend giving The Iron Crown a go. MacRae has created a deep and captivating world with this entry, and I’m eager to ride alongside these dragon spirits once more.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go see if there are any dragon spirits lurking in my office so I can get out of work early.