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Blood and Iron (Promethean Age #1)

by Elizabeth Bear (Goodreads Author)

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46 · rating details · 756 ratings · 123 reviews

She is known as Seeker. Spellbound by the Faerie Queen, she has abducted human children for her mistress’s pleasure for what seems like an eternity, unable to free herself from servitude and reclaim her own humanity.

Seeker’s latest prey is a Merlin. Named after the legendary wizard of Camelot, Merlins are not simply those who wield magic––they are magic. Now, with the Prom...more

Paperback, 448 pages

Published June 27th 2006 by Roc Trade

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Community Reviews

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Oct 06, 2008 Res rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sff

The one where Seeker is a half-fae compelled by some sort of blackmail to serve the Queen of Faerie, who takes her off the task of kidnapping mortals and sends her to bind this generation's Merlin.

I did not like this book.

The author has packed into it every bit of British Isles mythology she can think of plus some she just made up. (Werewolves who change whenever they like, except at the new moon?) Two hundred and fifty pages in, she was still introducing new rules, so that I was forever having...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Julie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-urban, fantasy-sf, read-in-2008, read-since-august-2006

I couldn't get involved. Too much backstory. Too many competing mythologies. Fae, werewolves, Arthurian legend, talking trees, oblique references to events and people I couldn't keep straight.

The problem might be in me.

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Oct 29, 2008 Sbuchler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, read-in-2008

Genre: fantasy, possibly epic fantasy and arguably urban fantasy, but mostly it's fantisy with fairies.

Half-way though the novel I was still unsure what the book is gonna do plot-wise... however, the characters and their evolving interactions are fascinating. It was described to me as "magic and fairie in modern New York" but it's rather more like Fairie with a dash of modern for relief. It really catches the feel of a court of immortals - the interpersonal histories go back a long, long time an...more

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Feb 12, 2010 Chris rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy, arthur-king-of-the-britions, modern-fairy-tales, dnf, fantasy-legends-and-sagas

I might go back to this book; I don't know. I reached page 196 and realized I didn't care about any of the characters. I wasn't even curious about them. Bear's idea is good, but it seems, as several other reviews have pointed out, that she is throwing every single myth or legend motif into the mix, and it doesn't quite work. In some ways, it feels like she is going down a list. Okay, I mentioned a kelpie, now I need to mention Arthur, and so on. Her twist on Merlin was cool, but even that charac...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, faerie

A frustrating book which could've been better than it was, I think.

The overall story is the type of thing I enjoy - magic vs. science, ancient vs. modern, with a sort of complex morality where both sides are right, and both sides are wrong, and you sort of like them and hate them equally. Well, not quite equally as, despite everything, I did side with Faerie because, as the Merlin said, a greenhouse is not a garden, and a garden is not a jungle, and I like a bit of wildness, me.

But the character...more A frustrating book which could've been better than it was, I think.

The overall story is the type of thing I enjoy - magic vs. science, ancient vs. modern, with a sort of complex morality where both sides are right, and both sides are wrong, and you sort of like them and hate them equally. Well, not quite equally as, despite everything, I did side with Faerie because, as the Merlin said, a greenhouse is not a garden, and a garden is not a jungle, and I like a bit of wildness, me.

But the characters were distant and hard to follow. Their motivations were oftentimes confusing and I couldn't quite figure out why they were doing what they were doing. Of course, sometimes, I don't think they did, either. There are some books which fail to get you to relate to the character because there is too little information given on how the person is feeling, and what they are thinking. There are other books which seem to give you too much. This is one of the latter. It got quite repetitive and tedious, actually.

But, really, the main problem is that Bear seemed to try to cram in every version of Celtic and British mythology that ever existed, starting with the Tuatha de Danaan (an Irish notion), including the Seelie and Unseelie courts (Scottish), growing straight through Arthurian legend, co-mingling Shakespeare (both British), and then modernizing everything into this huge hodge podge of every damn thing under the sun, throwing in some 'werewolves', a bit of the old battle between Heaven and Hell (related to faerie through the seven-year tithe to Hell, though that was changed a lot since I always read that the tithe was a blood tithe and that, usually, they sent a mortal to fulfill it, not one of their own - but a necessary change for plot reasons), and then throwing in different magical systems to keep track of on top of it. (Maybe I'm just biased because I'm not a fan of the Arthurian stuff, or the teind tho I did like how Morgan was depicted, even if I was annoyed at the conflation with Morgan le Fay and the Morrighan. I had to keep telling myself this was a fictional story and not a treatise on the myths.) And, like someone else said, why should Celtic mythology rule the whole world? Except there were also Russian faeries in Faerie, but how come no, say, First Nation spirits, since the modern part of the story is in New York?)

Oh, and I know you can't blame Bear for the names, but when using names in Gaelic which are unpronounceable to English-speakers who don't know the rules of Gaelic, it might help to have some sort of table or something.

Not that that's entirely relevant, but, anyway...

As for characters, Whiskey was, by far, the best character and I truly felt for him. I sort of liked reading about Keith and the pack, though I grew tired of his constant vascillation. I liked the Merlin, too, though she was so important in the first third of the book, and then sort of just got shunted to the sidelines one she chose her side.

But I think the biggest thing that kept me distanced from the book was just the writing. At times it was hard to follow and jumpy. Something would happen sort of out of the blue, and I would flip back to see if I skipped a page or skimmed a paragraph by mistake. This seemed to happen a lot where I would sort of just start the skim. I didn't mean to - I'm not really a skimming type of reader. But the language was just laid on so thick in places. I mean, some of the metaphors were so overwrought. To paraphrase one example (since I don't have my book in front of me): 'His voice was like velvet brushing up her arm, but also cut like a razors edge of cold rain.' Or some such nonsense. At the start of the book I found the metaphors truly distracting. They did become less so as I progressed, but I don't know if that's because there were less of them, they got better, or just because I didn't pay as close attention.

**ETA - another thing that was a bit odd - we mostly follow three perspectives - Seeker/Elaine's, Keith's and Matthew's, and these are told in third person. That's fine. But then, at one point, Elaine's perspective switches from third person to first person for no real reason whatsoever. I mean, even in third person, we're told her inner thoughts and workings, so it's not like we get a more personal perspective by switching to first. It just sort of happens and for a second I was like "wait, was her part always in first person? *flip back* No, no it wasn't... it just changed. Ok - why? Wtf?"

Anyway...

Back to the jumpiness - at first I assumed this was a plot device. The characters didn't really know what was going on, so I figured it was a way to draw out the suspence. But then things started coming together, and people would be sitting around talking, sort of being expositiony, and they would have an eureka moment, and I would be left sitting there go "what the hell just happened?" I mean, I know that Faerie is all about riddles and puzzles and things, but this book seemed far too ponderous and hard to follow at times, for what amounted to, really, much ado about not that much because, at the end of the day, it wasn't really all that difficult. Sort of like she wrote it in a way to be befuddling because she knew that it was really rather straight-forward, but she wanted it to seem more layered than it was.

Then again, I suppose that, too, is very fey - all smoke and mirrors, tricks and illusions...

I haven't decided if I'll continue with the series. I am curious as to what happens. Does Keith return? Does Whiskey get released? I wasn't really satisfied with how this book ended, and I would like a more complete and, dare I say, happy-ish resolution, but being that none of these things are guaranteed, I'm not sure I want to get through the overly dense writing without knowing if the pay-out will be worth it. Decisions, decisions... *le sigh*(less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Werewolves. Fae. Magic. A rich, detailed world with marvelous, multilayered characters.

And the Kelpie? OMG, the Kelpie.

SECOND READING:
The Kelpie is twice a scary, thrice as hot, and ten times as heartbreaking the second time around. And rereading this after having read the other 3 books, I can see where Bear was already laying the foundations for the other stories, weaving in references to characters we don't meet until later.

This book is probably my fourth-favorite book ever. Ri...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in, 2008, urban, fantasy

The last two books have been absolute stinkers, so I desperately needed something to break that pattern. I've been wanting to read some of Elizabeth Bear's novels for a few months now because I enjoy her LJ.[return][return]My first impression of the book: Wow. Bear's voice and weaving descriptions bring the story to life. I felt dropped into a world like my own, but different, and it mesmerized me. Her style of writing adds suspense because she doesn't state everything outright - characters abru...more

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Mar 06, 2009 Catherine rated it 1 of 5 stars

I found this to be a remarkably frustrating read. The first third or so is a terrific fantasy novel dealing with the Fae and a post-Arthurian mythos that I found fascinating. The rest of the book seemed as if it was written by a different author. The protagonist, a woman warrior caught up in Fae politics and developing into the next defacto ruler, suddenly becomes wildly unsympathetic. She enslaves one of the Unseelie Fae, breaks him and engages in what can only be viewed as nonconsensual sex (i...more

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Jan 25, 2009 CD rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy fans

I was looking for a book to take me away from it all while my favorite authors (Saintcrow, Aguirre, Bishop, Harrison, Briggs, etc.) are between books. Blood and Iron filled the bill. There was more of an emphasis on the plot machinations of fae and magi, with a Duke of Hell thrown in. In fact, it is a bit hard to keep all the players together without a list of characters and their relationship with each other. I kept wondering if this was the first in a series, because there seemed to be info th...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, urban-fantasy, fantasy, derivative-fiction, lgbt

The powers of faerie are fighting a losing war with the iron powers of humans. This generation’s Merlin has been found, and both the faerie Seeker and mage Matthew of the human Prometheus Club must try to win her loyalty for their side. But this time it’s more than just the Merlin – a dragon prince is coming, a man in the mold of Arthur and Vlad Dracula, who will pay the mother dragon in blood as he is destined to do.

This is a really excellent book. It divides its time between the eerie realms o...more The powers of faerie are fighting a losing war with the iron powers of humans. This generation’s Merlin has been found, and both the faerie Seeker and mage Matthew of the human Prometheus Club must try to win her loyalty for their side. But this time it’s more than just the Merlin – a dragon prince is coming, a man in the mold of Arthur and Vlad Dracula, who will pay the mother dragon in blood as he is destined to do.

This is a really excellent book. It divides its time between the eerie realms of faerie and the sometimes eerier glitter of New York, and manages to underpin them both with the same old old stories. The writing is a pleasure in and of itself – poised and precise, but also rich and simultaneously quirky.

“We’re fucked,” Seeker confirmed. “Welcome to fairy tales. Have a nice day. Canapé?”

And it is soothing to this chafed and tired reader to see the variously queer and colored characters going about their business (though really, it all seems much smaller when you’re dealing with different species, which I suppose is part of the point). And it’s all wrapped around a core of those same old stories, so that Arthur and Morgan and many of the rest are both legends and breathing people, and so that the misty present is layered cross-wise over the bloody past. Because all the really good stories are just retelling themselves off the old pattern, you know, and the really interesting thing is to see how this particular set of poor bastards protagonists rework it in their own image.

I have complaints (I wouldn’t be me, otherwise) and they’re of the particularly plaintive sort when you really like the book and wish it hadn’t made you flinch and twitch here and there. Firstly, some of the layering was irritatingly obscure, and I say that as someone who is very comfortable and conversant in the relevant myths. The . . . top story, I suppose you could call it, does operate well on its own, but I was distracted and frustrated by chasing down allusions sometimes. The book could have been way more accessible without sacrificing an iota of grace or atmosphere.

Second, though I enjoyed the writing, it slipped occasionally into painful self-consciousness. See the line quoted above in context, actually. Not frequently, and not agonizingly, but it sort of shouts at you from prose otherwise so smooth and effortless.

And lastly, this idea of faerie as the reality arising from stories constantly retold could have been far more developed, for my sensibilities. I kept looking for it in the major seams of the story, and then catching a glimpse of it as a bit of edge trimming. There were other themes that I appreciated, but this one kept tugging at me and telling me that it was important, and then not being important.

Perhaps in another book. Which apparently there will be. The prospect delights me, I’m happy to say.

Complex, thoughtful, well-peopled, strange. Oh, and happily recommended.(less)

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Jan 26, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Elizabeth Bear has some of the loveliest, and densest, writing in fantasy today. There is not one wasted word, which has both its good and bad points. I love the subtlety of her characters, with their shifting alliances and long-held secrets. And the amount of plot she manages to cram into one book is somewhat dazzling. But I think in some ways, that density makes for some difficulties.

There are clearly meant to be no fully good or evil characters here, and that includes the Morningstar himself....more Elizabeth Bear has some of the loveliest, and densest, writing in fantasy today. There is not one wasted word, which has both its good and bad points. I love the subtlety of her characters, with their shifting alliances and long-held secrets. And the amount of plot she manages to cram into one book is somewhat dazzling. But I think in some ways, that density makes for some difficulties.

There are clearly meant to be no fully good or evil characters here, and that includes the Morningstar himself. Her protagonists are complex and make some appalling choices in trying to avoid even worse ones. They all have good reasons for doing what they do, as well. But she does not have quite the time to develop them all as well as one might like. I felt like the Promethean mages had a far better case than they were allowed to show, and we never fully understood what the ramifications would be if they win. But Matthew is shortchanged in favor of Seeker, and Jane never really gets to explain herself properly. It doesn't help that Bear's clearly more interested in Seeker's plot, which gets a lot more time and detail. There are more books, so perhaps this is eventually rectified. Also, Arthur is criminally underused--I never really saw why it was necessary to have him as a character at all. Morgan works, but Arthur doesn't, really.

I've complained about this in Bear's writing before, but she's very elliptical. In many ways, it works--knowledge sneaks up on you, and she uses it to breath-taking effect. (When I realized who Ian was, for example, I had an emotional jolt like a physical shock.) But too often, I feel as though she has communicated something of grave importance to me, and I've not quite gotten it. I think I understand how most of the puzzle pieces go together at this point, but I'm still not sure I understand quite all the ramifications despite the fact she seems certain she has told me. It's a little frustrating. It makes reading very rewarding when I get it, but too often confusing.

I'm not sure if the ending is meant to be a cliff-hanger or not. But as I said, there are more books to pick up these threads, so I'm willing to find out. The sadness, the beauty, and the complexity of the world she has laid out here has more more than willing to continue trying.(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is first in the Promethean Age series. It is a story about the Prometheans - a group of mortal mages - and the fairies. These two forces are at an uneasy peace but that's about to change. The catalyst is the knowledge that a new Merlin is in the world. Merlins only appear every generation or two and they are special - they do not use magic they control it. That power makes them a valuable ally so as you can guess, both sides decide to woo the Merlin.

The story winds through a complex plot t...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Kerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10, 2006, fantasy

Wow. I loved this book.

Bear has created a complicated and compelling world and tale in Blood and Iron. It builds on many well-known tales, particularly using Tam Lin, the Celtic faeries and the Arthurian legends, but with her own, personal and I think brilliant spin.

The writing is beautiful; evocative, complex, metaphorical and lyrical. She paints pictures with words that touch the emotions and drag the reader in.

There are layers upon layers here and I'm sure I didn't get all of them on this fir...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Jane Mitchell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Excellent ideas, but problematic execution.

Bear clearly had a wonderful idea for a plot and a world to put it in, and the skeletons of some interesting characters to act out the story. In theory, I really enjoyed the book.

That being said, the execution of the book left a lot to be desired. Probably my biggest complaint was in the pacing: it was all over the place, with characters being built up for importance, then fading into the background; relationships that were formed but never went anywher...more

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Jan 11, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

If you are expecting a simple urban fantasy story with mages and faeries, then you are in for quite a shock here. Blood an Iron is a novel to be read slowly, to be savored, and to be reread. As such, I have to admit that I didn't understand some of the references. The characters speak in riddles and do not spell everything out for you. It is as if we are looking through a window into their lives, not as if they were telling us a story. All of the characters understand the mythology and what is g...more If you are expecting a simple urban fantasy story with mages and faeries, then you are in for quite a shock here. Blood an Iron is a novel to be read slowly, to be savored, and to be reread. As such, I have to admit that I didn't understand some of the references. The characters speak in riddles and do not spell everything out for you. It is as if we are looking through a window into their lives, not as if they were telling us a story. All of the characters understand the mythology and what is going on, so it makes perfect sense that they wouldn't be explaining it to each other. Not understanding what a character mentions is a little frustrating, but it just spurred me on. I felt compelled to continue in case some little detail is hinted at or is explained in more depth later. Nothing is ever clearly spelled out for you though, you have to think, make inferences, and pay attention. In addition to the complexity of the plot, there are the characters. The characters here are multidimensional, and stronger than anyone should ever have to be. Their tale is touching and heartfelt, and you will experience the ups and the downs with them. Blood and Iron also has the unique distinction of presenting the story from both sides, the fae and the mages. The faeries kidnap children from their beds, leaving dead replicas in place of real children. They ensnare humans and turn them into a mere shell of what they used to be. A cult of humans, the Prometheus Club, aims to rescue the kidnapped children and the kill fae as punishment. One would think that the reader would be siding with the humans against the fae, but the compelling story of the fae mixed with the vengeful nature of the human mages makes it a tough decision. In fact, my least favorite parts of the novel were spent with the mage Matthew. His story was boring and paled in comparison with the complex story of the fae. We do get to understand his motivation though, and he certainly is more direct and clear than the fae, but the author leaves it up to you to decide who to cheer for. I really feel that Blood and Iron is a masterfully crafted novel that is much more complex than any urban fantasy I have ever read. I really felt like I was there with the characters, and I can't wait to read the next installment. (less)

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Dec 03, 2009 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arthuriana, fantasy-and-science-fiction, new-york, mythology-and-fairy-tales, secret-history, authors-ab

Elaine Andraste, now known simply as Seeker, is a servant of the Medb, Queen of the Daoine Sidhe; stolen by the Fae in childhood, she has spent her life bound to the Faerie Realm, stealing other human children for the queen. Matthew is a mage, of the mysterious Promethean Club, a group of human magic users in league against Faerie. When the Medb requires Seeker to trap the Merlin, the newest incarnation of the powerful wizard who could save Faerie or doom it, Seeker comes into conflict with Matt...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. While I liked this book generally, I found it frustrating as I got deeper into it. I took it home based on the description on the back cover. The description isn't wrong, but partway through the book, that storyline is subsumed in a different, bigger storyline. I'd been enjoying that original plot, though, and I didn't make the transition well.

Additionally, I found it hard to connect with many of the characters. Bear does a fine job of conveying the Fae's otherworldliness and dispassion, but tho...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Patrick Hurley rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found this book... frustrating. I think Elizabeth Bear is a fine writer, and I absolutely love her short fiction, but her novel didn't work for me. It had a lot of great ideas--a fascinating combination of myths with urban fantasy. In fact, the problem was that there were FAR too many of these ideas, so much so that it felt cramped and bloated. In one novel you have a band of wizards, warring Shakespearean and Celtic fairy courts, something like a dozen fairy queens, werewolves tribes, dukes o...more

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Nov 18, 2011 M.E. Traylor rated it 3 of 5 stars

A pretty compelling traditional fae universe, up until it becomes clear that the resolution is going to become a convoluted overkill of masturbatory tragedy. I did appreciate the element of the characters taking personal responsibility for all the tragedy (sorely lacking in fiction whenever fate is invoked). A lot of the main characters feel more like manikins than people, with a few exceptions like Seeker, Whiskey, and the Mebd. Keith's defining characteristics seem to be that he loves Elaine a...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Gloria rated it 2 of 5 stars

Let's give it 2 and 1/2 stars. There are some things I really liked about this book (i.e., the Kelpie, Morgana, the dragon's motivations, how the modern world was destroying the Fae world, that the fairy world is not pretty happy fairies) but I found myself not really caring about the main character, the Seeker/Elaine, which obviously is a problem. I would have wanted to spend some more time with some of the other characters (like the Merlin, Matthew and Arthur) - I think I would have liked them...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Shara (Calico Reaction) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Of all the Elizabeth Bear books I wanted to read, this was not one of them, because faeries, as a rule, don't interest me much in the fantasy genre. But a good friend of mine dared me to do it, and I did. The book is complex, an urban fantasy that mixes Fae, werewolves, Arthurian Legend, a dragon, emissaries from Hell, literary references, and a whole bunch of other stuff. For the most part, I enjoyed it, though I felt my rather sad lack of knowledge of the Fae and its history kept me from enjoy...more

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Jun 23, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I haven't been able to chose a favourite book since I was about seven, but this, HANDS DOWN, is my favourite. The writing is breathtakingly beautiful. The characters are alien and sometimes (literally) soulless but still sympathetic and tragic. The plot is so complicated and layered that a quarter of my way into the first reading I decided that I was going to have to re-read it. Elizabeth Bear rips into the traditional literary ideas regarding faeries, Faerieland, and magic and rends it limb fro...more

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Mar 21, 2010 Lynn Abbey rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: experienced readers of urban fantasy

Recommended to Lynn by: lynn@lynnabbey.com

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, dark-fantasy

This book/series should be right down my alley: contemporary urban fantasy (in the NYC sub-genre of urban fantasy, and I'm a sucker for any story that includes Central Park), literate style, and a complex plot -- yet Blood and Iron never really took off for me.

In some measure, its very realism worked against it. Most people don't think about themselves when they're busy doing things, as Bear's characters usually are, so the description/analysis of character A often pops up in character B's viewp...more

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May 09, 2010 Rob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: random-comments-review

...Apart from the interesting use of Celtic mythology, Blood and Iron is stylistically very well done. The concept of a war between the Fae and the mages certainly has potential beyond this first book. The plot however didn't really appeal to me. If you like Bear's writing and the subject she takes on here, this book will most likely be one of your favourites. I am not entirely convinced yet but I certainly liked it well enough to try the second Promethean novel Whiskey and Water.

Full Random Com ...more

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Jun 21, 2008 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of dark fairy tales

4 1/2 stars

Full review:
http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2008/...

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Mar 28, 2011 Rattyfleef rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favourites

Dense, tightly-plotted dual-world fantasy. Half in New York, half in Faerie, and everyone has thorns, teeth, or both. Kit Marlowe and Will Shakespeare are principle players, as is my favourite-ever version of Morgan LaFey. I loved Matthew so much I was nauseous when he was in danger of being killed. The book was a splendid escape at a time I really needed one and it was a big chunk of the genesis between my 'patience' and 'fortitude' tattoos.

It's not a fluffy book--you've got to wrestle with it...more

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Apr 14, 2010 Lera rated it 2 of 5 stars

Started off thinking this was not bad, but I don't think I'll bother with another. The premise is that Faerie is not doing terribly well in a long-running battle with some human mages, whose position is enhanced by the general human tendency to spread iron around all over the place. The appearance of a new Merlin, whose favour the two sides (and multiple elements within Faerie) struggle for, brings things to a head. There are also some werewolves and Arthurian characters knocking about the place...more

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May 29, 2009 Ceridwyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: overtly_mature_fantasy

I'm not sure who it was who said that the ideas happen in sci-fi and the good writing happens in fantasy... but I kept thinking about that while reading these. Bear is a sci-fi writer writing fantasy and it's fascinating.

The myth and plot are dense and convoluted in a really very pretty way, plus yay for rampant bisexuality. But I think I wanted to like this and understand more of what was going on than I did, which may just be me not being all that clever, however, when somebody works this muc...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Bettielee rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the second Elizabeth Bear book I've read. I've decided that she is difficult, complicated, and keeps an awful lot back from the reader - there are whole conversations where the reader does not know what the fark is going on, however, I think the woman is a genius. This book, in particular, is almost like the type of book I would have ordered from an author. Fae, Horses as characters, unicorns, Arthurian legend, the land of Faerie, and its inhabitants are difficult and dangerous, and not...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Dawn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, fiction-fantasy

Elizabeth Bear is one of those names I've been seeing on the shelf in the bookstore forever and never managing to pick up. Always there's something else to tempt me away from taking on a "new" established author to follow. Usually a new title by someone I'm already following. My husband, however, has a few of The Promethean Age novels and has been recommending them to me, so when I wanted a taste of new fantasy, I just went to his shelf.

In Blood and Iron Elizabeth Bear throws you into the deep e...more Elizabeth Bear is one of those names I've been seeing on the shelf in the bookstore forever and never managing to pick up. Always there's something else to tempt me away from taking on a "new" established author to follow. Usually a new title by someone I'm already following. My husband, however, has a few of The Promethean Age novels and has been recommending them to me, so when I wanted a taste of new fantasy, I just went to his shelf.

In Blood and Iron Elizabeth Bear throws you into the deep end of the pool and expects you to swim. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Elements of both really, which ironically enough mirrors the themes of the novel, duality, conflict and balance.

The writing is dense, and well crafted, but there is much confusion in the continually switching between the three POV characters, all in the first person. Perhaps part of the problem lies in the fact that for the ebook edition I have, I was forced to convert formats to one my reader prefers. Occasionally that causes formatting problems that can cause confusion when things like decorative dividers are lost. You have to work at this one, and you have to be willing to leave control of the story in the hands of the storyteller, and let her keep you in the dark a while.

Another factor is actually the meat of the story... Ms Bear takes up the threads of a number of myth and legend cycles of the British Isles and weaves them into a neat whole. Folklore purists will twitch, and folk unfamiliar with the conventions of the Gaelic languages will flinch, but mostly it works. Perhaps this work is best appreciated by those with at least a passing familiarity of the legends of the Good Neighbours as opposed to those who think the Fae folk are cute little pixies with teardrop shaped wings and pastel tutus.

The plot includes a number of mechanics I havent seen in use before for the war between man and fae, and that always pleases me to no end, having read as much fantasy as I have. Generally authors lose points with me for dragging out the Arthurian legends, but it's well handled here as a subplot.

It's a strong novel, if confusing here and there. If you have the time to spend for slow, careful reading, and enjoy more adult, Celtic based depictions of the Fae it's not a bad choice at all. (less)

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About Elizabeth Bear

Elizabeth Bear was born on the same day as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, but in a different year. This, coupled with a childhood tendency to read the dictionary for fun, led her inevitably to penury, intransigence, the mispronunciation of common English words, and the writing of speculative fiction.

She lives in Massachusetts with a Giant Ridiculous Dog. Her partner, acclaimed fantasy author Scott Lynch...more

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Blood and Iron (Promethean Age #1)

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