From Booklist

Konowa Swiftdragon, once commander of the Calahrian Empire’s renowned Iron Elves, is now a disgraced ex-soldier. Though elvish, Konowa is more comfortable with metal and fire than with nature and, like all the Iron Elves, was marked at birth for an ill-omened destiny by the malevolent Shadow Monarch. When a prophetic Red Star falls, awakening lost magic, Konowa is recalled to find it with a new regiment of Iron Elves—except this bunch is the dregs of the military and not even elves. Their journey is plagued by monsters and an unforeseen rebellion, but the worst is to come. The Shadow Monarch’s play for the Star is a ruse masking another intent that Konowa doesn’t see until too late. An earthy, sardonic antihero, Konowa stands uneasily at the crux of a complicated network of loyalties while flanked by a large, colorful cast. Though knotty political machinations confuse the beginning, they eventually add richness to Evans’ militaristic fantasy world, in which magic users mix with musket-wielding soldiers. A truly worrying conclusion hooks readers for book two. --Krista Hutley

Review

"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