About Ashes Of A Black Frost
Bones jutted from the sand at angles—not odd angles, though, for that would suggest that there were ways bones could protrude that made sense—and the eyes of those still living stared and saw nothing.
Amidst a scene of carnage on a desert battlefield blanketed in metallic snow, Major Konowa Swift Dragon sees his future, and it is one drenched in shadow and blood. Never mind that he has won a grand victory for the Calahrian Empire. He came here in search of his lost regiment of elves, while the Imperial Prince came looking for the treasures of a mystical library, and both ventures have failed. But Konowa knows, as do the Iron Elves—both living and dead—that another, far more important battle now looms before them. The campaign in the desert was only the latest obstacle on the twisted, darkening path leading inexorably to the Hyntaland, and the final confrontation with the dreaded Shadow Monarch.
In this third novel of musket and magic in Chris Evans’s Iron Elves saga, Konowa’s ultimate journey is fraught with escalating danger. A vast, black forest finds a new source of dark power, spawning creatures even more monstrous than the blood trees from which they evolve. The maniacally unstable former emissary of the Shadow Monarch hungers for revenge, leading an army of ravenous beasts bent on utterly destroying the Iron Elves. A reluctant hero, Private Alwyn Renwar, struggles to maintain his connection to this world and that of the loyalty of the shades of the dead. And in a maze of underground tunnels, Visyna Tekoy, whom Konowa counts among those he has loved and lost, fights for her life against the very elves he so desperately wants to find. And so Konowa sets off from this Canyon of Bones, pursuing his freedom from a curse that has cast his life in darkness. For though his long, violent trek may indeed lead him to his destiny, he is ill prepared for the discovery he will make . . . with the fate of the Iron Elves, and the world, hinging on the courage of one wrathful elf.
Shadow Monarch — a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine….
Iron Elves Series Reviews
“A masterful debut — if J.R.R. Tolkien and Bernard Cornwell had a literary love child, this would be it.”
—Karen Traviss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Legacy of the Force-Revelation and City of Pearl
“Fascinating…combining the best touches of fantasy and military storytelling.”
—John Ringo, New York Times bestselling author of the Legacy of the Aldenata and The Council Wars series
“A thrilling epic from beginning to end, filled with wit, intrigue, and twists and turns reminiscent of Glen Cook’s The Black Company. A grand new entry in the field of fantasy masters!”
—Richard A. Knaak, New York Times bestselling author in the Dragonlance, The Dragonrealm, World of Warcraft, and Diablo series
“A fantasy in which the gritty realities of war and politics are as important as the magic — and all are handled very well.”
—David Drake, national bestselling author of the Lord of the Isles and Hammer’s Slammers series
“Imagine Napoleon’s armies invading Middle Earth, mixing gunpowder with magic, monsters, and heroes. The Iron Elves will march across the landscape of fantasy and claim new territory. Chris Evans gives us an entertaining debut, with the promise of more great adventures to come.”
—Charles Coleman Finlay, acclaimed author of The Prodigal Troll and Wild Things
“I’m always thrilled by seeing a new author press the boundaries of the conventions of fantasy. Chris Evans does just that — taking the broad sword and sorcery archetypes and placing them squarely in a new and exciting environment.”
—R. A. Salvatore
“An earthy, sardonic antihero, Konowa (Swift Dragon) stands uneasily at the crux of a complicated network of loyalties while flanked by a large, colorful cast…A truly worrying conclusion hooks readers for book two.”
—Booklist
“Evans’s first novel heralds the launch of an outstanding military fantasy series unlike any since Glen Cook’s beloved “Black Company” series… Strong storytelling, a compelling cast of heroes and villains, and a keen knowledge of military tactics of the Napoleonic era make this a priority purchase for most libraries and a splendid read for fans of both sf and fantasy military adventure. Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal
“A gutsy fantasy set in a world of imperial greed and magical plotting, with an eye for the ordinary soldier’s plight that would have done Kipling proud.”
—Karen Traviss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Legacy of the Force — Revelation and City of Pearl
“Evans evokes the era of Napoleon with muskets and slashing swords while neatly mixing in military fantasy, swords and sorcery, and a great deal of success; readers will no doubt end up desperate for the next volume.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Private Alwyn Renwar of the Iron Elves is having constant, debilitating nightmares of the evil Shadow Monarch-and it’s nearly killing him. The magical acorn which the Shadow Monarch planted in the chests of all the reformed Iron Elves during their last campaign carries dark magic, useful in combating the Monarch’s minions, but filled with evil and contrary to the nature of elves. In this quick but moving second volume of Evans’s Iron Elves series, Private Renwar, Major Konowa Swift Dragon, Sergeant Arkhorn, and the rest of the regiment discover that one of the dark acorn’s side effects is turning souls, after death, into ghosts. Private Renwar focuses all his efforts on finding a cure for this curse, while a more worldly battle transpires over a magical falling star, the Jewel of the Desert, which must be found before the Shadow Monarch claims its powers for “Her” own. Evans evokes the era of Napoleon with muskets and slashing swords while neatly mixing in military fantasy, swords and sorcery, and a great deal of success; readers will no doubt end up desperate for the next volume.
