Product Description

Rejected by their own kind for bearing the mark of the Shadow Monarch, the Iron Elves chose instead to serve with the human armies of the Calahrian Empire, hoping through their dedication and discipline to wipe out the stain of their birth. Their reputation is legendary -- until their commander, Konowa Swiftdragon, takes it upon himself -- for the best of reasons -- to assassinate the Viceroy. Court-martialled and exiled to the forest he despises, his beloved regiment disgraced, dishonoured and disbanded, Konowa finds himself suddenly recalled and ordered to re-form the Iron Elves for one last reconnaissance mission. But the new Iron Elves are not at all the same as they were before, and the mission is a suicidal one, with more at stake than Konowa could possibly have imagined. For the Shadow Monarch and her allies have harnessed destructive forces with the power to tear worlds apart -- and those who bear her mark have a destiny greater than they know.So begins an heroic journey in the company of a motley band of misfits, rebels and outcasts, with a central character whose engaging, brilliantly realised blend of cynicism, dry humour, duty and anguish make him unlike any other in fantasy fiction.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #104229 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Customer Reviews

An interesting beginning
Chris Evans' debut "A Darkness Forged in Fire" is a rather interesting book. Unlike much of what is out there in the fantasy market nowadays, this book has some innovative ideas, decent, if not completely surprising, twists and a different atmosphere when compared to your average fantasy book. Though there is much room for improvement, the book still left me feeling as if I had liked it, though it is hard for me to pinpoint the exact cause of that. As far as characters go, with the exception of the dwarf Yimt they are all a little cliched. This does not stop the story from being enjoyable, but there is much that could have been done with them which is left unexplored. In the end it may come down to whether you appreciate or not the military atmosphere of the novel and the narrative style.
All around, the book is good, but not amazingly so, and the series has potential.
P.S. My final rating would actually be 3,5 stars, but Amazon does not allow it, and the book does most definitely not deserve 3 stars.

great start
After so many mundane portayels of elves finally one with a twist combining aspects of magic interlaced with more advanced weaponery than the known standards. This makes for an exiting plot in a well written, fast paced debut novel that leaves me waiting anxiously for more...

Great first book in the 'Iron Elves' series by Chris Evans
This is the first book in Chris Evans' 'Iron Elves' series.

A red star hurling across the sky has heralded the return of evil times for the Calarhian Empire. To counter this threat to her empire the queen, along with her incompetent son, Prince Tykkin, have deemed it necessary to re-establish the Iron Elves corp (the original group having been disbanded in disgrace some time ago). This 'new' Iron Elves regiment is a group of thrown together misfits, consisting of thieves, murderers and convicts, but is lead by the more than capable warrior elf, Major Konowa.

And for reasons that are a surprise to no one, it has been decided that the best place to fend off this new threat, would be at site far removed from the capital, that being at the remote fort of Luuguth Jor. However the 'journey' to Luuguth Jor leads to the gradual realization that there is more to this old fort than was initially apparent. The book describes the trial and tribulations of the Iron Elves as they proceed on this dangerous trek.

I really liked this story. It is not all non-stop action, as a lot of fantasy/adventure novel seem to be lately (although there were some intense and visceral hotspots). What I found just as entertaining as description of the battles, was the dialogue that occurred not only during skirmishes, but also during relative quiet times while traversing to their destination. Evans has developed an interesting group of characters for his story; characters that I found easy to like and identify with. Even the 'bad guys' were intriguing to follow along.

In addition there is a map. And although it covers the area involved, the writing on the map is small and bunched together, making it difficult to read.

Conclusion:
An enjoyable fantasy read; well written, making good use of interesting characters within an intriguing adventure. A book I looked forward finding time to come back to continue reading. Maybe a ½ star off for the map (if your going to the trouble to include one, make it readable). Otherwise, 5 Stars.

Ray Nicholson