Iron and Magic, filled with some of my favorite things. Snark, sparks, witty comebacks, testy relationships, challenging characters, magic, fantastic beasties and romance.  

Finally Hugh got his own book. Yes the dude who was treated so badly by his father figure and his semi sibling while being one super nasty dark dastardly villain. You know in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews ? Yes that Hugh. Hugh is so cold he's hot. Yup ladies he's one of those boys you hate to love and can't stop yourself from drooling too. Please if you haven't read the Daniels series do before you start this, you need to know this man before.

Hugh has been through so serious battles, hard core childhood, and lived a one dimensional focused unemotional life. War, war war, fight, fight ,fight, blood, blood, blood, it was his thing till he was booted out of the dread kids club. He took his most loyal warriors The black Dogs and they hit the road trying to.... well staying alive would be nice. You see more than one person wanted them dead or worse. On this path they stumble upon a castle filled with people who are in danger of __________ .  This castle has a harpy and she loathes this man. Let the fun begin !

Elara, the harpy. she is something. Snarktastic ! Her lines are some of the funniest I think I might have gotten the Guinness record for highlighting.  Strong, yes she is and she struggles not to to fall for the bad guy.  I loved her while she felt unwanted feelings she never wavered who she was to fit a mold.

Bucky, he won my heart more than any character. He's a stud, a big hot blooded stud with such and attitude ! When he pranced after a nasty bit I burst out laughing.

I'm not going to tell you anymore, no spoilers. This is going to be another fantastic series from these wonderfully creative authors.  Thank you NetGalley and NYLA Publishers for the chance to review it.

"<i>How is it that Raphael made more holes in you than swiss cheese, but your assholeness survived?</i>"
"<b>Raphael doesn't have a knife big enough to kill my assholeness.</b>"

I think my biggest takeaway from IRON AND MAGIC, beyond the fact that I am woefully unprepared for the end of the <i>Kate Daniels</i> series (in every way! holy crap I need a reread..), is that I want to be friends with this author duo. How are they so talented. So funny. So clever. So creative. It's rude.

"<i>You're building a money pit, except it's not a pit, it's a moat. Why not just line it with money and set that on fire when the vampires comes?</i>"
"<b>It wouldn't burn long enough.</b>"

So, yeah, I would not recommend reading the first in <i>The Iron Covenant</i> series without first having read <i>Kate Daniels</i>. I think that should go without saying but I'm saying it anyway. But as a follow up : if you didn't find yourself already liking Hugh from those glimpses we had previously seen of him, lemme give you a spoiler. You're gonna love him. For the rest of us who already had crushes on the (as I once called him in my review) villainous dick d'Ambray, well.. those crushes grow stronger, my friends. I already kinda loved him. And now I really do.

"<i>I had a crazy thought.</i>"
"<b>By all means, do share it.</b>"
"<i>What if I'm dead and this is purgatory, and you're my punishment?</i>"

Hugh's opponent, or rather reluctant yet self-sacrificing wife, is Elara. And who, or what, she is.. well that's kept close to the vest. I loved that Andrews gave us another strong, kick ass, lady to root for. She was the perfect matchup for Hugh's quippy banter and their shared darkness, their shared aloneness, was delicious. I was incredibly impatient while watching (and waiting) for these two to burst into flames but, as always, it was worth it.

"<i>You're overdong it with the PDAs.</i>"
"<b>We're newlyweds. If I threw you over my shoulder and dragged you into the woods, that would be overdoing it.</b>"
"<i>Try it. They won't even find your bones.</i>"
"<b>Oh, darling. I don't think you'll have any trouble finding my bone.</b>"

IRON AND MAGIC is full of awesome cameos, backstory, and new faces to this wild, wonderful, whacky, and wtf'd world. This installment is dark, real, fascinating, and I want more. Not to mention I'm so so trash for where a certain dynamic might go when we return to the main series. I have such hopes! Also, this has definitely lessened some of the sting that I know is to come with MAGIC TRIUMPHS. But as long as these authors keep writing, all will be well.

Shoutout to my buddies who humoured me as I trailed behind in our sorta-buddy read. Thanks for all the laughs and swoons, as always, KD crew!

4.5 "what do you want more than anything? tell me what it is, and I'll rip the world apart to bring it to you" stars

At first I read this only because it's set in the same world as the Kate Daniels' books. But it was Hugh, see, and I hate Hugh. Everyone hates Hugh. He deserves to be hated. (I still kind of hate him.) But I like Elara, the woman who is too powerful and too frightening to be tolerated by any other than the people she protects. Hugh and Elara make a deal to marry in order to combine resources to protect all of their people, his and hers. They don't like it, they don't like each other, but they'll do anything to keep the people who depend on them safe.

The marry your enemy for the greater good trope works for me, especially when it includes the sly pleasure of teasing the person you claim to dislike. Hugh changed in this book and it was believable, something I wasn't expecting.

This is a good addition to the world Kate inhabits. It broadened the world and made it fresh again.

"Of all the people out there, you shine the brightest. They are firebugs, but you are a star. You have a gift."

Iron and Magic is a phenomenal start to The Iron Covenant series, which is set in the Kate Daniels world/series. I had very high expectations for this book and was curious to see how the amazing writers would make me love and root for one of the previous main villains of the Kate Daniels series. In the prologue we get to see how Hugh ended up with Roland. This chapter really showed why Hugh was so loyal to him, it made me understand why he did the things he did. After being cast aside, he doesn't feel like he has a purpose and spends his days drunk. However, after he learns that his 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 and his Iron Dogs needs food and shelter to regroup and be able to fight back against his enemies. Elara, needs soldiers to protect her people. They both have what the other need, and come to a conclusion that the best action is to get married to make sure they will both keep their end of the bargain.

"She had to teach d'Ambray who she was. The White Warlock. Unclean. Cursed. An abomination."

I loved seeing Hugh and Elara meet for the first time, and the banter that was there from the start. Both are very strong leaders, and want what's best for their people. In the beginning they had some disagreements and bickering but further into the story they learned to trust each other to make the right decisions. This book had all the elements that I love in my Urban Fantasy books: action, light-hearted banter, romance, suspense, mystery and so much more. There were multiple bad guys in this book, and the action was great. It was a very engaging story, and I was hooked until the end. There was only one sex scene, however it happened at the perfect time and left me satisfied. The writing was amazing like always, I can always depend on Ilona Andrews to come up with great characters and original stories. I think every fan of the Kate Daniels series will love this book/spin-off.

"For a few seconds, while she'd been in the room screaming at him, he'd felt alive. He lost it again and he could already feel the void drawing closer, but he'd tasted freedom in those fleeting moments and he wanted more."

I have to admit that it were ages that I didn't have so much fun reading a book, ages! Even if I'm a long time reader of Ilona Andrews I was shocked by the amount of battles that this book packs, I was laughing and then I was worried and then I was laughing again. Best book of the last year at last regarding urban fantasy.

Devo ammettere che era una vita che non mi divertivo cosí tanto a leggere un libro! Anche se non ho mai smesso di leggere Ilona Andrews era tanto che uno dei suoi libri non conteneva cosí tante battaglie ed avventure. Passavo dalle risate all'ansia da un momento all'altro senza soluzione di continuità. Per quanto riguarda l'urban fantasy probabilmente il miglior libro dell'anno!

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

I tore through this and absolutely loved it. So fun to get Hugh’s story and a closer look at his relationships. I loved how things developed from the marriage alliance with Elara. I hope there will be more books with these characters!

I love Hugh D’Ambray!
Iron and Magic is a great read and introduction to the new series by Ilona Andrews, The Iron Covenant. The characters are wonderfully developed and believable. The plot is well written and takes you places you didn’t believe possible. This is not your ordinary SciFi / Romance; this was truly a wonderful ride everyone will enjoy (for adults only, by the way). Those of you familiar with the Kate Daniels universe will be shocked, surprised and pleased with this novel. Great job done by this writing duo!

Wow Hugh! Thoroughly enjoyed this story. We learn more about Hugh D'Ambrey and the Iron Dogs. A new character Elara Harper. Set in Kate Daniel's world the story continues with Hugh and Elara and their people. I can't wait to read more!!!

4.5 Hugh d'Ambray is a villain in the Kate Daniels books, so this was an interesting spin off, and I was surprised at how much I liked it (though of course it's Ilona and Gordon writing, so I should have known.) The hate-at-first sight works for his romance with our magical new heroine, Elara, the White Warlock, and sparks do FLY! Both are well matched in strength and power, though Elara is more of a mystery and we get to see more of what she is and what she can do as the story (& series) continues. The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was the first sex scene, which made me a bit uncomfortable due to the nature of their antagonistic relationship. I am definitely looking forward to more in this series!

Dear Ilona and Gordon, please never stop writing!

WARNING!

The following review is written by biased fangirl who is to this very moment, fangirling.

YASSS. Finally.

Iron and Magic. Wow. MORE! MORE! MORE! MOARRRRRRRRRRRR

It’s the most wonderful time of the year when IA releases a new book! Oh happy day!
All the excitement of this book certainly lives up to its hype!! I have yet to read a single disappointing sentence by the AuthorLords.

The premise for Iron and Magic is reminiscent of so many medieval romances I’ve read: Warlord marries Lady of a prospering castle and protects her from danger. But your typical medieval castle romance this ISNT.

How this book came to be:
If medieval romance had a child with post apocalyptic novel, and a fantasy novel had a child with a arcane magical creatures novel, and those two offspring had a child and that child got military training while being hugh high on the elixir of the gods, then this is what would be written.

What a beautifully violent adventure!
It was great to be back in the Kate Daniels world, with all of the same tech/magic issues, it felt like stepping back into Disneyland, but instead of fairytales there was apocalyptic battles to be won around every corner.

All of the magic, all of the strange new creatures, the suspense of the woods, inter-settlement politics, the endless fight scenes between the undead, mythical beings, wars, armies, magic bombs, druid rituals, lore, gods, and creatures unidentified.
Blood. Guts. Brains. Some more Blood. A sprinkling of arcane magic. Did I mention blood? There might be some.

Hugh d’Ambray

LA DI DA DI DAAAAAAAAAAAA
When I first heard of this book, I was inherently so angry towards Hugh from his Roland days. How could he just kill so many without a single remorse I said? He must be an evil bastard I said. He must be put to death I said!

BOY WAS I WRONG!

We understand so much about who he is and how he had become the Warlord for Roland for so many years. His character and his magic, his struggles with his new ‘exile’ from Roland’s powers. His descend into alcoholism at the beginning. As he slowly sheds his Warlord prison and becomes a living breathing man who is once again in control of himself and his own decisions. He was always the Preceptor of the Iron Dogs, and his soldier’s loyalty to him speaks a great volume to his character, as well as his actions and motivations as he grows and fully becomes who he was always meant to be.

Upon meeting him from Elara’s perspective, all I could think of was …

HOT DAMN!

That beautifully masculine face. Those broad shoulders. That sexy way he always rides his war stallion…...my my. * furiously fans self*

Did he still have a huge kill record? Yes.
Did he kill vampires under 5 seconds? Yes.
Did he still command an army? Yes.
But did any of that matter when I just wanted Elara and Hugh to have wild monkey sex all day? No.

Elara Harper

She is a whole new player, she come with a wonderfully provided castle which is a haven for magical creatures and her people. Baile caste thrives under her rule, and yet they are under threat. She is the Ice Queen (as Hugh often refers) and an absolute badass. She is loved by her people, respected and venerated. And hated and feared by those not a part of her settlement. Her powers are unlike anything that has yet to appear in the KD world. She is such a mystery, even after reading the book I have so many questions about her powers, her past. She is such a great heroine in her own right. I can’t wait to learn more about her in future books!

Side note: she would get along so very well with Kate!

DESPITE ALL OF THESE AMAZING THINGS, I haven’t even mentioned the BEST part, silly me.

The banter! The love/hate/animosity between Hugh and Elara!
The humor! The insults! Oh how I lived for those moments!
Such electricity! Enough to light up a small nation! Utterly riveting!

The only negative? It ended way too soon! I would gladly read another 100 800 pages of Hugh and Elara.

Honorable mentions:
Hugh’s boys: Lamar, Stoyan, Bale, Felix and even little Sam
Elara’s Crew: Savannah, Gugas, Joanna, RooK

Special cameos by:
(view spoiler)

I would highly recommend this action and magic packed introduction into the home of Hugh and Elara. It can be read as a standalone, but to truly enjoy it one ought to read the Kate Daniels books that precedes it.



This arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Update on feedback, my review as a reader not a librarian:
OMG ..... I don't know how I was so lucky to get an ARC of this!

It is everything I wanted it to be!!!! Yeeeessssssssss!!!

Okay, I like reviews that are spoiler heavy. I want to know what I'm getting into, and it doesn't ruin the book for me. Some people don't like spoilers, so I'm going to write a more traditional review but with spoilers buried throughout.

This can technically be read as a stand-alone. There isn't really much in-world jargon, and the salient points of world history are briefly but clearly explained. Three characters from the Kate Daniels series show up in this book, <spoiler>The Pack has a trade agreement with the settlement where the Iron Dogs have moved to, and when he comes to pick up the latest shipment, Ascanio is <i>very</i> surprised to see the castle's new inhabitants. If you've read the latest Magic Triumphs excerpt, you might remember Raphael telling Kate that Ascanio had "handled a Hugh thing out in Kentucky". Ascanio is very professional, but later Raphael and Andrea come to kick Hugh's ass for the death of Aunt B. It gets bloody, but in the end, the boudas and Hugh come to a grudging peace accord, with the Iron Dogs and The Departed promising to come to Atlanta's aid if Roland attacks again.</spoiler> but they are just part of one step of many in Hugh's character arc and the development of his and Elara's relationship. You do not <i>need</i> to have read the Kate Daniels series, especially as Hugh has a very different perspective and relationship to shared background characters, i.e., Roland and his evil empire, than Kate, but the KD series definitely fleshes out the world and the background. <spoiler>Hugh sees Roland as his emotional father but not his father by blood. Kate obviously has the exact opposite relationship. Hugh eventually realizes that Roland used the magical blood binding to not only keep him completely obedient but also unquestioningly ignorant. In the last chapter he actually says Roland "lobotomized" him. IMO, after Voron ran away with a shit ton of knowledge about Roland and his history, knowledge that Kate subsequently possesses, Roland deliberately kept Hugh's knowledge of him mostly limited to his contemporary empire, and even that wasn't comprehensive. He even kept Hugh ignorant of the fact that Hugh was magically compelled to obey him. He instead let Hugh think that the worst atrocities Hugh did, ones he actually questioned until Roland gave him a direct order, were Hugh's own voluntary choices.</spoiler> Hugh's previous interactions with Kate are brought up in the book, but he explains them to Elara, and therefor to the reader, and in doing so has a moment of personal enlightenment. <spoiler>Hugh realizes he wasn't actually attracted to Kate that, in fact, he didn't really care about her as a person at all, but Kate represented to him validation from his two father figures. If he could get Kate as his permanent partner, then he both had someone who truly shared his love and grief of Voron, and it might cement Roland's otherwise mercurial approval. A son-in-law is an unignorable type of son.</spoiler>

While the voice of the story feels very similar to the KD series, Kate and Curran are heroes who have abilities that could be monstrous. They rein themselves in and ultimately act for the greater good. In contrast, Elara and Hugh are unabashedly monsters who say "Fuck the greater good, I'm only here to protect my people."

That loyalty is their central drive, and it is actually what binds Hugh and Elara together, legally in marriage and personally in respect and understanding of the other's motivation. Elara even says “They are my people and I love them. They’ve proved their loyalty beyond anything I had a right to ask. There is no limit to how low I will sink to keep them safe.” Hugh is a killer. His entire personality is centered around his loyalty to the Iron Dogs and killing things. He sometimes does noble things if Elara bribes and blackmails him and/or they are strategically advantageous. <spoiler>He saves a village of religious extremists who had previously rejected the offer of help from Baile (the home of the Iron Dogs and The Departed, Elara's people), partially because the villlage semi-controls access to the local ley line and partially because Elara offers him teh sex. Stopping families from being slaughtered by monsters wasn't really a consideration for him. Elara cares about strangers being killed, but she would let them rot if it was the only way of keeping her people safe.</spoiler> Kate endangers everyone and upsets a plan to defeat a demonic army to save one child. In the big battle against monsters, Elara uses a child's unique magic to gain an advantage, even though the monsters might get to the child before she can. Even beyond her prioritizing her people above everything and anyone else, Elara is just as much, if not more, a monster as Hugh. <spoiler>If you've read the short story Retribution Clause, you know that a person can be sacrificed to a god with the purpose of being possessed by that being, but absolute possession is not always the end result for various reasons. When a group of druids was close to being wiped out by a coalition of competing magical groups, Elara voluntarily sacrificed herself to gain the power of an elder being (though how voluntary can the choice of a 10yo orphan be?) She ended up with IMMENSE power and an intact personality, but also with a yearning and need to eat souls and a voice in the back of her head urging her to do dark things. She can consume a being's magic and soul with just a touch, as long as it was or is human. This includes vampires. After she defeated the druids' enemies, some of the druids wanted to kill her because she was now an unnecessary abomination, some did not. The Remaining are the former druids, The Departed the latter. The Remaining keep trying to kill Elara and The Departed, even resorting to suicide bombing. Other groups persecuted the Departed because they became a cult surrounding Elara, who they call The White Lady, and who others call The White Warlock (you might remember that term from the epilogue of Magic Binds.) Elara is very careful to forbid and discourage outright worship, partially for the reasons laid out in the KD series on why becoming a god is bad, but mostly because worship strengthens the hold of the being inside her, making it difficult to control. double level spoiler inside a spoiler <spoiler>When Hugh gets captured by Roland she actually allows religious sacrifices to be made to her so she can manifest more strongly. She scares the shit out of Roland, who hands Hugh back without a word.</spoiler></spoiler>

Two antagonists exist in Iron and Magic- Landon Nez, Legatus of Roland's necromancers, and a mysterious group of possibly celtic warriors and their monster/pets/cannon fodder that keep popping out of dimensional portals and slaughtering villages. Prior to the start of the book, the former has been hunting down and killing the Iron Dogs, Hugh's troops. Nez has also been harassing Elara's people, trying to get them to vacate their castle for unknown reasons, and everyone knows it's only a matter of time before that conflict turns violent. The celtic army pops out of nowhere, literally and figuratively, and becomes a threat that cannot be ignored. The Iron Dogs need food, shelter, etc. Elara's druids need an army to protect them. Elara and Hugh make a deal, get married, and shack up together for mutual benefit. <spoiler>While they pretend it's a marriage of love to the outside world, in truth it's mercenary and they hate each other. By the end of the book they haven't fallen in love, this is Urban Fantasy not Romance, but they become a truly united pair who respect each other and want to boink each other's brains out.</spoiler> Regarding the Celts <spoiler>they are defeated by the joined forces of Baile, but it is very clear that Baile has won the battle, not the war. There are also pretty obvious clues that the Celts are the mysterious group from Chapter 2 of the Magic Triumphs excerpt that slaughtered and boiled the villagers. Both groups pop out of dimensional portals. Both groups kill the entire population of isolated towns and make off with bodies for mysterious purposes. In I&M the guard dogs of Baile go nuts around the Celts and mindlessly attack them. In Magic Triumphs the mysterious invaders make sure to kill the village's dogs first and from a great distance before proceeding with the slaughter. In Hugh's professional opinion, the Celts won't return to Baile's territory after getting their asses kicked, but instead will just go somewhere else and repeat their actions.</spoiler> Regarding Nez <spoiler>Hugh and Elara eliminate a large chunk of Roland's army and free a very powerful god that Roland had enslaved and tortured a la Saeman and the glowing sabertooth tiger, a god that Roland used as a key part of his armed forces. They also kill the woman who controls all the other such beings for Roland, a huge loss. Hugh knows that Roland doesn't really have any combat experience as a leader, he relies on warlords and Erra, who are all dead or have left him. Roland is strictly following plans Hugh wrote for him previously, ones with outdated information. When the plans don't work, the only thing Roland has left is shock and awe, which didn't work in Magic Binds. Roland didn't go that route because of sheer hubris, as was assumed by the coalition of Atlanta, but because he had no other option available to him. Atlanta doesn't know any of this. By the end of the book Hugh realizes that, ironically, he <i>is</i> a child of Roland (not genetically). He inexplicably maintains the powers that came with the blood bond, and while he doesn't know all of Roland's history and magical shenanigans, he knows everything else. In other words, everything Kate doesn't know about Roland, Hugh does, and vice versa. As they always historically have, all of Roland's children have rebelled against their father, and where in the past each child acted alone, between Kate (with Erra's advice) and Hugh, they might actually be able to defeat him. Especially with the help of the just-barely-not-divine Curran and Elara.</spoiler>

If you like warriors who kick ass and take names, if you like stories that don't just involve a lone hero on a quest, but instead a community united, if you like knowing that the good guys will win but having no idea how- then read this book. Fair warning, the conflict in this book is resolved, there is no cliff hanger, but there are A LOT of things still needing to be explored in future books, something that's always true of Ilona Andrews. ;-)


Original librarian feedback- let me just say- I have never been so happy as to get an Ilona Andrews ARC. *sniff* It's just is so awesome.

Side note- while the library I help run is LGBT themed, we do spend 7.5% of our book budget on "het" stuff. Ilona Andrews doesn't always make the grade, even though they are my personal favorite authors. It has to be decided if the book will be a) very popular and b) supportive of a significant section of our community.

While my favorite series is Kate Daniels, Hidden Legacy has been the shoo-in for the collection. It has a family that is both atypical (absentee mom and rando dads for the cousins, deceased father, family leadership by a non-parental figure and not because the (grand)parents are deadbeats) and typical in that it is a biologically related, close, happy family. The series shows families, i.e., Houses, that are incredibly dysfunctional because they value labels and expected life plans over love. Many of our readers have to face that at home. It also stars a heroine who manages to successfully navigate a potentially hostile culture without losing her values and what matters most to her (family). It can be difficult to find a balance in OK between how you have to behave to be successful in a very heteronormative and oft conservative culture and being comfortable and unapologetic about your sexual orientation. I didn't expect it, but the series got a lot of positive feedback from our readers.

I know this book is set in KD's world, but the Authorlords have stated it has a different feel. Not all of our purchases are kittens and rainbows. Some people find darker books soothing when they are upset, and some people want to be cheered up by happy fluff. I'm interested in seeing the plot of this book and whether it can be a good fit for our library and mission!

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about a book about Hugh, but since it is by Ilona Andrews, I had to give it a try. I am incredibly glad that I did. I'm actually rooting for Hugh now. How did that happen?? If you love the Kate Daniels series, you have to read this. If you haven't read the series (and you really should because it's fantastic), you can still read this without being totally lost. I will be anxiously awaiting the next in this new series.

Fascinating cover but anything written by this author is what hooks me.

Thanks to the Publisher for a ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

Hugh d'Ambray has been cast aside by Roland and he finally get's his own book...Yay! He has a pitiful and empty void now inside him where Roland once inhabited and the pain has him crippled. While he abandons everything for the bottom of a bottle his Iron Dogs have been paying the price with their lives. Nez, another strong arm of Roland's has been killing off the Iron Dogs slowly saving Hugh for last. His last chance to fight off starvation and a place for his men comes in the form of a woman. Elara Harper invites Hugh into her castle because they fight a common enemy. In exchange for protection she offers him a marriage of convenience since neither side is good at keeping promises.
This is an amazing read and I love this duo team. Hugh made some huge changes in this book and he gives an almost human side. Elara proves to be exactly what he needs, and the book is not only engaging but fun. I'd suggest this book to anyone a fan of Currans/Kate Daniels series and you get a look of Curran from Hugh's prospective. Amazing book! Five stars of entertainment!

Love, love, love the new view of Hugh...and his woman is as fierce as Kate! Hugh has been "removed" from Roland's service and struggles, until he has a reason to move forward with his life. As with Kate's story and books, there is constant action and adventure, with a little, albeit odd, romance thrown in. Hugh is definitely not Kate, but the combination of he and Elara is nothing short of magical. If you are a Kate fan, you HAVE to read Hugh's books!!! Suffice it to say, there are connections...and I am hoping for more in Hugh's next book:-)

What is my favorite trope? Enemies to lovers romance.

What could make that better? A marriage of convenience between said enemies with a slow burn romance between both characters.

This book has been on my radar for a while now and I was thrilled to get an arc for early review.

Hugh was always an interesting villain. He’s more of the dragon to Roland’s Big Bad villain, or Darth Vader to the Emperor. While Roland is playing the dad card with Kate, Hugh shows how ruthless Roland is simply by following orders. After Roland drops Hugh like it’s hot in the Kate Daniels series, Hugh finds himself nowhere. No where to go, nothing to do, no one to believe in. His soldiers he trained, the Iron Dogs, are being hunted and killed, and the few remaining are loyal to Hugh, not Roland.

Elara and her followers, the Departed, have been nomadic for a while but finally have a home, a castle in Kentucky. But while they are rich in resources, the Masters of the Dead are trying to force her and her people out of their home.

An arrangement is made for the Iron Dogs and the Departed to align. In order to make this believable, the two leaders are going to be married. Elara needs soldiers, Hugh’s soldiers need food, and Hugh needs a shower, but more importantly he really wants a chance to piss off Landon Nez, Master of the Dead.

It goes about as well as one would expect.

General thoughts without context:
Hugh’s idea of a fun reception is hilarious and about what you would expect.
Bucky is precious and must be protected at all costs.
Elara and Hugh exchanging insults is life.
I’m watching you Vanessa.
Wth is with Elara’s power???? Damn...
Stoyan is awesome.


This book is firmly set in the Kate Daniels universe. It would be possible to read and enjoy this book without reading any of the previous books. There are mentions and references made to previous plot lines, but these are new characters, well except for Hugh and Roland. So if you’re overwhelmed by how many books are already out but are interested in giving this series a try, this might be the book for you. Or if you want an enemies to lovers romance and have never read Ilona Andrews, this is a great read.

But for fans of the Kate Daniels series, you won’t want to miss this one!

Five stars!

Iron and Magic was everything I thought it would be and more. Hugh is a bastard but damn is he brilliant. The verbal sparring between him and Elara was exceptional and you could really feel the tension between them. I'm eager to see where their stories goes and I love knowing that this series will tie back to the KD books. When Roland comes for Kate, I wonder how Hugh will respond. I wonder if by then he can be trusted. And I wonder if the void will stop gnawing at him.
I never thought I would think Hugh deserved his happily ever after but now I can't wait for it to come.
The story isn't as fast paced as a typical Andrews books but it had no problem holding my attention and taking me on a wild ride.
As always, The Andrews teams knocks their readers socks off.

To think that this book started as an April Fools’ joke three years ago. To think that some people still insist on calling it The Hugh Book. There is much much much much MUCH more to this book than what once was an April Fools’ joke. And than Hugh.

I must admit I didn’t quite know what to expect from this story. Mainly because I always thought Hugh’s character was a bit one-dimensional in the main series: he’s Roland’s ruthless, vicious, self-satisfied asshole of a warlord. And that’s it. Roland barks “GO SKEWER THINGS, WARLORD MINE!” and off on a rampaging field trip Hugh goes. Which he, to his credit, does with much gusto and delight. Still, his smug bastard persona never did much for me. Until this book, that is. In a little over 300 pages, the Andrews managed to turn Hugh into one of the most interesting characters they ever created, and took him straight from one-dimensional territory to deeply complex, multi-layered personality heaven.

What makes Iron and Magic more than just “The Hugh Book” is Elara. Yet another fantastic, strong, complex female character courtesy of the Andrews. She is fiercely intelligent. She is tough. And she is a magic powerhouse. Most importantly, she gives Hugh hell. She is exactly what he needed, the perfect cure for his innate cockiness. Their interactions were priceless, and Elara’s retorts had me gleefully cheering along. Her character is still a bit of a mystery at the end of the book, and I just cannot wait to find out more about her!

What truly gives this story another dimension is that here, this world, that fans of Kate Daniels know so well, are seen through the eyes of characters who do do NOT belong to the Pack. And it makes for an eye-opening read. It feels like discovering a brand new world, with new players, new circumstances and a different power balance. The insight Iron and Magic gives on the main series and its major characters is amazing.

Add to that a fantastic cast of secondary characters, kickass fights and battles, awesome cameo appearances by key players in the Kate Daniels series, non-stop action, lots of blood, gore and violence, and you get one of hell of a first Iron Covenant instalment. I just cannot wait to read the next one.

This book is an amazing start to a new series about respect, redemption, love and loss. This book hits all the best points of fantasy and romance-strong characters, lots of magic, ancient creatures, and action that keeps the pages turning long after bedtime. Hugh d'Ambray has hit rock bottom after his split with Roland. Elara Harper is the mysterious and revered leader of a settlement nestled in a magical forest in Kentucky. Elara needs an army and Hugh needs a home. Their arranged marriage is supposed to unite the two groups, not turn into a real relationship. When an enemy from Hugh's past threatens the entire settlement, he and Elara must put aside their differences, and share a few secrets to save everyone.

<blockquote>Hugh d'Ambray is the villian everyone loves to hate but he has met his equal in Elara Harper.  Watching these two fight each other for dominance is almost as exciting at the supernatural attacks where they need to join forces  to protect their people.</blockquote>
Hugh d'Ambray is the villian everyone loves to hate. I loved Hugh as Kate's nemesis in <a href="http://ebookobsessed.com/2016/09/audiobook-review-magic-breaks-by-ilona-andrews/">Magic Breaks</a>. I appreciated Hugh as the antagonist because he was more evenly matched with Kate as a magic user and as a swordsman. He is just a lot more vicious. <em>A lot more</em>.  For the first time in the series, I felt a moment of real anxiety when Hugh had Kate helpless.   Roland loomed in the background, always a threat but since he was all-powerful and god-like there couldn't be any real clash between Kate and Roland which would allow Kate a fair chance, at least not at the beginning of the series.  Hugh gave us our first flesh and blood villian to fight.

We cheered when Kate manipulated Roland by telling him of Hugh's attack on her knowing Roland would tossed aside Hugh as his warlord. <em>You know you did!</em>  Now, we see the sad effect this had on Hugh after centuries by Roland's side. Hugh is a broken man at the start of Iron and Magic. He has spent the last few months drunk.  He realizes for the first time in centuries what it means to have nothing.  No money, no power, no entitlement.   Hugh has become used to being offered whatever he wants, the best of the best, and not worrying about such petty things as cost.  He now is left almost begging for aid.

Roland has given his Master of the Dead, Landon Nez, the green light to pick off Hugh's Iron Dogs.  Hugh needs money, supplies and a safe place for his men who have stayed loyal to <em>him</em>, not Roland.  He send scouts to find the Dogs someplace that would need their services, no matter the cost.    What they find is a castle in Berry Hill, Kentucky.  Roland wants their land and has sent Landon Nez to force them out.  They could use the Iron Dogs protection and Hugh's experience.  But after years of doing Roland's bidding, even abandoning allies as Roland demands, the only way they will agree to an alliance with Hugh d'Ambray and his Iron Dogs is he agrees to a marriage of convenience.

Elara Harper isn't any more interested in marrying Hugh as he is her, but they both need to protect their people.  She isn't going to allow a manipulative asshole like Hugh d'Ambray to take over either.  Everything between Hugh and Elara becomes a battle of wits and wills to stay one step ahead of the other, and everything is negotiable.  Especially once they both begin to realize just how much they like the  challenge of trying to outmaneuver the other.  Elara and Hugh might not be ready for wedded bliss, but they will stand together when death comes knocking on their castle door.

I enjoyed watching Hugh and Elara snipe at each other even as their respect for each other grows.  Once they realize they are both working toward the same goals, there is still fun in taking potshots at each other.   There is no doubt that Hugh and Elara enjoy their continued friction almost to the point of being an aphrodisiac.

What I love most about Iron and Magic is that the authors, in making Hugh the hero of the story, didn't try to make Hugh into a wonderful, kind soul and misunderstood man. He's a controlling, manipulative asshat from beginning to the end, but as long as he is not attacking our Kate or any of her allies, we can appreciate this controlling, manipulative asshat since he and his Iron Dogs are now focusing on protecting everyone in the castle that we come to care about.

Now, I am not saying the I <em>like</em> Hugh d'Ambray (<em>although by the end I did</em>) but we do come to see why he has the loyalty of the Iron Dogs.   Never forget he is the cold-blooded killer that Roland and Voron raised and in the end he does what is best for Hugh and for his Iron Dogs but he also comes to see the village and its people as his as well and risks his life to protect them.

There is still so much to learn about Elara and her people.  Goodreads notes that this book is The Iron Covenant #1.  I haven't read anything confirming this, but I do hope to see more stories of Hugh and Elara, even after the anticipated end of the Kate Daniels' series with <em>Magic Triumphs,</em> so that I can continue to <del>hate</del>  <del>dislike</del>...okay, cheer for Hugh d'Ambray.

Although the concept for this book was originally an April Fool's teaser, the reader response to this idea was immense. After several years of anticipation, readers are eager to dive into Iron and Magic - the story of Hugh d'Ambray, For those familiar with the Kate Daniels series, Hugh is a villain. He has killed several people who are important to her; he leads the army of Kate's rival and in the midst of his bad deeds, he's also trying to woo Kate away from her fiance. Ilona Andrews has carefully crafted a novel that both brings to light Hugh's motivations through the original series and makes him a much more sympathetic character.

Hugh's at the end of his rope. He's been cast aside by Roland and spends his time chasing oblivion. When the remaining Iron Dogs drag him into the light, he is forced to make some hard decisions if he wants his men to survive. Enter Elara Harper, powerful witch with a castle and no way to defend it. A marriage of convenience will protect both their people, if only they could stand each other.

I really enjoyed this book. Both characters are sacrificing themselves for the people who depend on them. Both have secrets they don't want to share. Even with the amusing bickering, they are very well matched. I look forward to the next book in the series.