Book Review: Ironbound (Book 1) by Andrew Givler



4/5 stars. I had heard a lot about this book before deciding to pick it up on Kindle and Audible. Almost everything I have seen has been very positive and I have to say this story has been very enjoyable and highly entertaining.

 

Andrew Givler is a talented writer with a wonderful imagination. I particularly have enjoyed the Romanesque setting and the military fantasy aspects of this cultivation/progression fantasy story. The magic system has been a unique one for me to think about, with the characters drawing their power from a variety of sources, but mostly iron, as they are soldiers. Some aspects of this system reminded me of the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior by Larry Correia, particularly the aspect of earning a Cor heart, taken from a meteorite(?), that allows the individuals to use their powers.

 

Our main characters come from a small town where they competed against each other for the honor of receiving their Cor hearts. We see them grow and learn to work together in spite of their differences and disagreements. The friendships progress as much as the powers that they earn from their training and battles.

 

Additionally, the audiobook was very well done, and I enjoyed the narration by Ralph Lister, who has a very comforting, relaxing voice, and does an excellent job with the various character voices.

 

Overall, this was an excellent story, and I look forward to continuing this series! Highly recommended.

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