Review | Clash of Iron (Iron Age #2) by Angus Watson *7/10 Stars*
12:30 AM
Clash of Iron
(Iron Age #2)
by Angus Watson
Page Count: 560
Published: April 14th, 2015Publisher: Orbit
Source: I received a paperback from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks!)
My Rating: 7/10 Stars
Summary
The second book in Angus Watson's epic Iron Age fantasy trilogy.
LEADERS ARE FORGED IN THE FIRES OF WAR
Iron Age warriors Dug and Lowa captured Maidun castle and freed its slaves. But now they must defend it.
A Roman invasion is coming from Gaul, but rather than uniting to defend their home, the British tribes go to battle with each other -- and see Maidun as an easy target.
Meanwhile, Lowa's spies infiltrate Gaul, discovering the Romans have recruited British druids. And Maidunite Ragnall finds his loyalties torn when he meets Rome's charismatic general, Julius Caesar.
War is coming. Who will pay its price?
The verdict
Clash of Iron, the much awaited sequel to The Age of Iron by Angus Watson is finally here! I'm holding the thick paperback edition in my hand as I type this review one handed and I can't wait to tell everyone how much I'm into this series. I want Reign of Iron now. September's too far away!
See my review of The Age of Iron here.
Okay, so back to the current book.
As much as I liked the fast and smooth pacing of The Age of Iron, I can't say the same about Clash of Iron. It just struggles to keep up with that, yet this didn't annoy me as much as I anticipated after a couple of chapters into the book. About the first 180 pages or so feels a little sloppy, with not much in terms of conflict or purpose. And what with all those flashes into the lives of the main characters and the huge time jumps, it seems a bit too fragmented. But the pace and the story picks up after that and that's when you know you can't put it down anymore.
I really enjoyed the wry humor and the darkness of this book, as I did when I read the prequel about an year ago. Although the high doses of gruesome violence might not be everyone's cup of tea (think along the lines of The Game of Thrones), I loved it.
Despite the flaws, I found the story highly exciting. The ending is very strong and powerful and now I can't wait for the third and final book in the Iron Age trilogy. I have a hunch, Reign of Iron is going to be explosive (not literally).
Happy reading!
See my review of The Age of Iron here.
Okay, so back to the current book.
As much as I liked the fast and smooth pacing of The Age of Iron, I can't say the same about Clash of Iron. It just struggles to keep up with that, yet this didn't annoy me as much as I anticipated after a couple of chapters into the book. About the first 180 pages or so feels a little sloppy, with not much in terms of conflict or purpose. And what with all those flashes into the lives of the main characters and the huge time jumps, it seems a bit too fragmented. But the pace and the story picks up after that and that's when you know you can't put it down anymore.
I really enjoyed the wry humor and the darkness of this book, as I did when I read the prequel about an year ago. Although the high doses of gruesome violence might not be everyone's cup of tea (think along the lines of The Game of Thrones), I loved it.
Despite the flaws, I found the story highly exciting. The ending is very strong and powerful and now I can't wait for the third and final book in the Iron Age trilogy. I have a hunch, Reign of Iron is going to be explosive (not literally).
Happy reading!
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