Sorry it literally took me forever to read this as I was dragging my feet with this book and found myself disappearing into other ones. Interesting idea, intriguing until it wasn't. I DNF it. Two stars simply because I like a diverse cast.

This was an exciting read! I definitely recommend it to folks who enjoy stories set in alternate history with magical or supernatural elements.

I wasn't able to download and read this book due to a bad flare up of lyme disease. I apologize to Netgalley and the publisher and author.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

This YA fantasy novel (which, honestly, I would have picked up just for the cover) is set in Jazz Age 1919 Boston, and tells the story of teenage best friends and nightclub performers, Ada and Corinne. They are hemopaths, meaning that they’re allergic to iron and have special powers: Ada can affect people’s emotions through her music, while Corinne can cast illusions by quoting poetry. Together they have to deal with anti-hemopath sentiment and escape the evil doctor who’s running hemopath experiments in the asylum just outside town.

Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3

I take forever to read my ARCs and I know it, but I’ve also accepted it. Iron Cast is such a fun, unique novel that I actually feel bad for taking so long to read it–and that’s really something given my shame about such things went out the window in early 2016.

The worldbuilding and setting are vivid and unique: an alternate just-barely-pre-Prohibition Boston where hemopaths perform magic via arts like painting and poetry, racism and anti-hemopath sentiment are rife, and anyone found out to be a hemopath gets carted off to inhumane asylums. Ada and Corinne also just used their hemopathic mediums of music and poetry to con the city out of $2,000 and some elephants, so they’re very much wanted women.

If you want a book that’s more focused on a friendship than a romance, Iron Cast is it. Ada and Corinne always have each other’s backs and their dynamic evolves seamlessly with their individual journeys as a biracial girl (Ada) and a rich white girl (Corinne) surrounded by people who aren’t quite the people the ladies thought they were. The middle of the book is a bit wandering and I would have liked to see more of the place Johnny Dervish had in their lives before he disappeared vs. just reading about how things were in the past, but that aforementioned worldbuilding/setting combination is strong enough to carry the motivated through.

I also wasn’t sure what to call the climax of the book? There are four different events I’d point to as climactic sequences. Things get really busy at the end, which is understandable considering how many different things are going on throughout and the need to get all of them wrapped up before this lovely little standalone ends.

I’d love to read more of Soria’s work and I absolutely will considering I also have an ARC of her second novel Beneath the Citadel to read. People are saying it has asexual representation and that’s so exciting!

This story takes place in an alternative history type society, right before the passage of Prohibition. Ava, the daughter of immigrants, and Corrine, an heiress, both have "afflicted" blood - they have a weakness to metals that contain iron and have the ability to create illusions with their voices. They have found sanctuary at the night club, Iron Cast that is run by gangster, Johnny Dervish. While Corinne has accepted the illegality of what they do, Ava struggles to accept what she does to stay safe and make money for her mother. Suddenly their world is turned upside down and they must investigate what happened and who is turning them in to the government. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction books with a hint of fantasy. The action in the book is gradual, but intense as the girls search for answers and hide from the government men keen on arresting them.The strongest aspect of the story is the relationship between Ava and Corinne - although they come from different backgrounds and have different personalities, they complement each other perfectly. There are enough twists and turns throughout the novel to keep the story moving.

Wonderful paranormal alt-history story of two women, sisters to each other, struggling to survive in a world that would have them dead for their abilities.

"It’s Boston, 1919, and the Cast Iron club is packed. On stage, hemopaths—whose “afflicted” blood gives them the ability to create illusions through art—Corinne and Ada have been best friends ever since infamous gangster Johnny Dervish recruited them into his circle. By night they perform for Johnny’s crowds, and by day they con Boston’s elite. When a job goes wrong and Ada is imprisoned, she realizes how precarious their position is. After she escapes, two of the Cast Iron’s hires are shot, and Johnny disappears. With the law closing in, Corinne and Ada are forced to hunt for answers, even as betrayal faces them at every turn. An ideal next read for fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners."

Yes yes yes!

Ugh sooooo gooooddd!!!! Great historical fantasy, awesome changes to some tired tropes that rejuvenated and refreshed them. Loved the writing and characters especially.

I liked the idea of this but struggled to follow the plot. I did enjoy it by the end and would recommend to people who liked The Bone Witch!

This was a well-written speculative historical fiction where magic is outlawed. The thing that stuck out to me was the strong female friendship aspect of this book. I want more of this world and more of these friendships.

I tried and tried to get into this book. I started and stopped reading several times thinking that maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to read this. Turns out, this book just wasn't for me. I gave the book two stars despite DNF-ing because it is really well written. It's intriguing, it's gritty, and mysterious, usually everything I love in a book but it wasn't working for me. If you like a sort of Gothic, magical mystery that kind of reads like historical fiction, yes, check this out.

An incredible historical twist with a diverse plot line and characters that had me begging for more!

Such a fun read! Diversity and magic- what more could a girl ask for?

Destiny Soria's debut novel portrays a beautiful female friendship troubled by the recent prohibition of magic, which they both share. Soria brings this alternate Boston to life, one like our own with one very striking difference - magic is real, though now outlawed, and its users subject to arrest or institutionalization. The characters are well-written and diverse, and bring their individual histories to bear on their response to prohibition. There is lots of action and unique acts of magic. Recommended.

IRON CAST by Destiny Soria is an engaging fantasy with elements of mystery and an emphasis on friendship.

This fast-paced alternative history weaves a diverse cast of fascinating characters into an absorbing story exploring the world of an underground club. The author tells the story of friendship in a world of hemopathy and paranormal activity.

Librarians will find teens attracted to the social issues addressed in this alternative universe. Fans of The Diviners by Libba Bray will be happy to find another paranormal elements set a similar historical setting.

Published by Amulet on October 11, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I found this book to be quite an entertaining, enjoyable read, even though I felt like I was missing a lot of background and there were times I forgot what the setting was supposed to be, due to too modern language being used at times.

I really liked seeing the friendship between Ada and Corinne. While the very first scene was a bit confusing at first, it quickly made sense and I liked seeing how resourceful the two girls were.

While I did think there was a bit too much in the way of information dumping, I did like learning about Ada’s and Corinne’s pasts and their relationships with their respective families. I also really liked seeing the different kinds of abilities the hemopaths had… and it was difficult to see them mistreated by society. I would, however, have liked to see more of the interactions between Corinne and her family… especially considering there were references made to tensions between her and her brother that weren’t actually shown.

I found Saint an interesting character, but I was disappointed not to see more conflicts generated by his relationship with James, considering the time period they were in. I did find both Madeleine and James to have more depth to them than it first appeared, though, and it was good to see that they really cared about each other, despite the fact their marriage was more one of convenience.

I did like both Charlie and Gabriel as characters, though I didn’t really like the romance between Charlie and Ada, as it wasn’t clear how things started between them or why they were attracted to each other. I felt Gabriel and Corinne were better written when it came to the romance, but even with them, I felt it took over the story quite a bit.

I would have liked to see more detail about the secondary characters, in particular Eva and her husband… and also the politics between the different clubs. This was an interesting world… but one which I felt needed more background shown. Even so, I would like to see more of the characters and world in the future.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author. I thought the characters were well developed and the story kept me engaged. There is plenty of danger and action with a magical feel to everything because of what the main characters, Ada and Corinne can do.

I loved the friendship that Ada and Corinne had. No matter what, they were there for each other and they truly made the story so good. I really liked the historical feel to this one and thought the cast of characters helped to move the story along.

I will definitely be looking for more from Destiny Soria in the future!