In This Iron Ground

Natural Magic #1

by Marina Vivancos

Damien is nine years old when his parents die. What should have been the worst moment of his life begins a journey shadowed by loneliness and pain. The night of a full moon, four years and seven foster homes later, Damien flees to the forest, desperate to escape everything.

Instead, he finds the Salgado pack, and the earth beneath his feet shifts. Damien has seen the Salgado children in his school: Koko, who is in his class, and Hakan, two years older and infinitely unreachable. Damien is suddenly introduced into a world that had only ever existed in his imagination, where there is magic in the forest and the moon. He meets creatures that look like monsters, but Damien knows that monsters have the same face as anybody else.

Over the years, Damien and Hakan grow closer. First, just as friends and foster brothers in the Salgado house, and then into something heated and breathless when Damien joins Hakan at college. Despite what he may yearn for in the darkest part of the night, Damien knows, deep down in that bruised and mealy part of his core, that he’s not good enough to be part of the Salgado family, their pack. He’s not worthy of calling Hakan his home.

Even though he knows in the end it’ll hurt him, he’ll hold onto this for as long as he can.


CONTENT WARNING: This book contains themes of emotional and (nonsexual) physical child abuse and the subsequent emotional, cognitive, and behavioural impacts.

This story contains sexually explicit scenes between consenting adults and is meant for an adult audience.

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Shapeshifters, Friends To Lovers, Werewolves

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2018

About the author

When Marina was a child she couldn’t sleep. Night after dissolving night she just couldn’t sleep. Nothing much worked – until she started making up stories in her head. Suddenly, the transition into unconsciousness was a smooth dive into calm waters.

Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.

You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.

Reviews

[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marina Vivancos definitely has a way with words. This was so beautifully written but a painful story to read.

We follow Damien on a brutal journey here. He’s quite young when this book starts off. His parents have passed away and he’s put into the foster care system where the carers he stays with do not treat him well at all.

”At night, he would imagine himself being sliced open from one point of his soul to the other and finding everything inside was mealy and bruised and ruined.”

Major trigger warnings for child abuse . You see the toll this takes on him as he grows up, how he is forced to quiet down his mind to get through certain things, how he internalises the abuse and the affect this has on his overall well-being.

He meets a werewolf pack one day, where for the first time in his life, he finds people he can actually be around and the story takes off from there.

It’s a paranormal, YA/coming-of-age, MM romance. The romance however doesn’t really start till past the 50% mark. We mainly follow Damien on his journey of healing from the trauma he’s endured and see how this affects him in his later years. But I adored the romance and wish we had more of it. It was so precious and so sweet.

“You’re the best person I know. My best friend, I just, just…I want you. I want to be your home.”

There’s a lot of talk on grief, loneliness, belonging, self-worth and value and never really in a way that feels like you’re reading a self-help book. More so you get to see the character arc for Damien and I love the element of therapy that was incorporated here. I believe the author has a background in therapy too, and it shows.

So, if you’re in the mood for pain and you want a story to make you cry? Well, this is it.

[Sheri]

Oh my shit...this book...this book was...an experience.
I'm not sure how to rate it?? Perhaps I won't?!?
At times, I struggled and nearly gave up.
Other times, I was so captivated I couldn't put it down. Which as it turned out, I didn't and devoured it within 24 hours.
In the end, I was exhausted and grateful that I pushed through.

First thing first....the child abuse.
*balls hands into fists*
I was SO upset. I hated those sorry excuses of humans. The abuse that Damien suffered was brutally painful to read. It wasn't something that happened in the past...or off page. It was there in the here and now and we experienced it with him.
The author did provide a content warning and I hesitated before I decided to read it. But if I would have known then what I know now? Well, I don't think I would have read it. Which makes me (mostly) grateful that I decided to forge ahead.

Another important factor is...this is NOT a romance.
Nope. It's a personal journey. Damien's journey was an uphill battle from the first page until the end. I ached for him. I cried for him. I yearned for...his shining moment. I was overcome with emotions as I read...causing physical reactions. It's not by any means an easy read.
We travel with Damien for many years of his young life. From when he was thirteen until he was nineteen. And although Hakan is clearly his mate in the end, the focus of this story isn't based on a romantic level.

The writing style was...unique. I was put off in the beginning but warmed up as it progressed. For example, the "This is a dream" and "This is a memory" sections felt very amateur and threw me out of the scene.
The psychological aspects were deep and at times overwhelming. I could have been laying on the couch a time or two. It was deep and intense but very well researched.
The paranormal aspects were unlike anything I've EVER read before. So intriguing.
I think coming of age is more appropriate than YA but it could certainly fall into the YA (with erotic scenes) too.

Overall this book had many layers.
I peeled them back with equal apprehension and vigor.

Bottom line?
I can't recommend this book in good conscience because it definitely has important trigger warnings that each individual should take into account before deciding to proceed.
But it's one hell of a story and if it tells you anything, I am (almost) positive I will continue on with the next book in the series.

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5* This book was an experience, and one I didn't particularly enjoy. The writing style was meant to evoke an atmospheric feeling, but it mostly left me having to re-read passages to understand exactly what the author was saying.

Despite my frustration, it really is a beautifully haunting tale of resilience, belonging, and love, filled with raw and magical elements. It captures the pain of loneliness and the desperate yearning to belong.

Sheri's review captures how I felt about this story.

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stared at my blank notes app for a hot minute just at a loss for words… This completely stunned me. I’ve been singing Marina’s praises for a long time on this site and this book reminds me why I’m so passionate about her work. Certainly a new all time favorite for me but articulating why? God. I don’t know if I can! I’ll do my best.

Darien (the main character) has had a very hard life. I cried many tears at his pain. I felt angry at those who hurt him. I wanted to go into the book and do something about it. But when he meets his forever family and eventual love interest, I felt at peace. The love and support emanated from the pages. Still devastated at what he went through but hopeful for him. He deserves so much goodness and to see him eventually get that made me sobbbbb.

Calvin had always gotten to him. Everything had always gotten to him, was getting to him, one thing after another, and another, and another, and he was suffocating. Nobody could see, was even bothering to look, and the divide between what he felt and what everyone saw was killing him.

Hakan (the love interest) and his family are wolf shifters and I really loved how Marina wrote this world. Her writing makes a fantasy book feel even more magical and dreamy. It’s a slow burn between Hakan and Damien as they become closer with each passing year, Damien getting more integrated into the Salgado pack with time even though he’s a human. They’re so sweet together. So much gentleness and understanding. When Hakan and his family do the full moon run and he gets all playful like a puppy with Damien🥹 Or for Christmas when they do their Yule run and Damien puts tinsel on a very unamused shifted Hakan and takes a picture, frames it and gives it to everyone on Christmas morning. I squealed! Too cute. Bucket loads of chemistry + excellent spice too!!🔥The jealousy in this made me feral likeeee when the connection is top tier it just makes the jealousy scenes even better, iykyk. Hakan accidentally turning into his wolf form because he was so stressed out about it I LOVEEEE THAT SHIT🤭

Hakan kissed him like he was enjoying a meal of prey. Slow, languid. Possessive. The want was the scent of blood in the air.

The romance in this was just really special. To be seen is to be loved, y’know!!! Because of Damien’s own (unresolved) trauma he’s under the misconception that he doesn’t deserve anything good. Hakan is something good he can’t have, that he doesn’t deserve. That he just can’t want. How painful that would be - destroying the best relationship in his life over something as trite as his own desire. To watch Damien break free of this - to watch him grow - yes I love my werewolves and witches but this was the true magic for me.

A shredded sob broke out of Damien. Everything was flayed open by Hakan’s presence. At its core, that was love. It was an automatic lowering of defenses, whether you wanted it or not.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book from this author and it took me a while to become used to their style of writing but, once I did, I found this book to be absolutely charming - even with the horrible way Damien was treated by his foster carers.

There is a trigger warning which needs heeding, there is awful behaviour towards a child expressed as a vitally important part of the narrative but it's not gratuitous and it's not sexual or overtly physical.

However, the rest of the book is a delight as Damien finds a world he never knew existed out in the woods which surround the town where he lives and, as he grows up, he realises that there might be another life for him too with the son of the family who gave him shelter.

It's a gorgeous narrative, evocative and imaginative and I really liked it.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Part One Was So Good*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

*BE AWARE, CAN CONTAIN SPOILERS* This is a beautiful, heartbreaking and painful story about finding yourself and a family you belong to. It's so well written that you can feel the pain of the character and I found myself wiping away tears more than once. The book starts when Damien Henson is 13 years old, 4 years since he lost his parents and 7 foster homes later. This is the start of a sad and strong journey where we follow him until he's 19. We get to see him heal, fall, break and get up again. It's a strong, powerful story that I highly recommend. Though I must point out that 1: it does not center around romance. It has barely any romance at all, if any. You get to see... hints of who might be a love interest, but other than that the book is completely focused on Damien's journey.

“Why would I be scared of you?” he asked. Mia looked at him for a moment.
“A lot of people would think werewolves are scary. That we’re monsters.”
“How does that even make sense? How are werewolves scarier than people?” Damien scoffed.
“Probably has something to do with the fangs and the claws and the glowing eyes, if I had to guess,” Mia said wryly.
“Yeah, but people have knives and guns. What can a werewolf really do that a person can’t? Like, in the really good comic books, evil and good are never separated by species or something, but by, like, motivation.”
Damien understood better than most that some people did bad things and some people did good things, and having claws and fangs wasn’t going to change that.
“It’s not about what people can do, but what they’re willing to do,” Damien said with surety. He looked at Mia cautiously. Her expression was open with astonishment before it melted into a soft smile.

2: part one was the best. It was incredibly written and it broke my heart. Part two was alright, but couldn't compete with part one. They were so far apart. I was actually highly disappointed in part two - probably because part one was so good. I could go without some of the thing in part two that just didn't work for me like Damien casually sleeping around. I get that he want to try out thing and not get hung up on Hakan; who he loves and believes doesn't love him back. Damien doesn't think he's good enough after all. I never felt like Damien was naive or something like that, or weak. He was just a boy who was dealt with a horrible hand and this is how he handled it. Overall, I definitely recommend this book, but yeah, keep in mind that there isn't any romance. But lots of family love. A family found.

Damien had tried to disrupt the balance of Ousía to get more than he deserved, and it had yanked him back to where he belonged.

Age timeline:
★ Part One ★
☆ 1% to 22%
Damien is 13 years old.
☆ 23% to 46%
Damien is 14 years old.
☆ 47% to 52%
Damien is 15 years old.
☆ 53% to 57% —> Hakan was off to Eketon University.
Damien is 16 years old.
☆ 58% to 62%
Damien is 17 years old.
☆ 63% to 57% —> Damien was off to Eketon University.
Damien is 18 years old.
★ Part Two ★ (64%)
☆ 93% to 100%
Damien is 19 years old.

It was hard to remain drawn into himself, however, in the face of Koko’s powerful personality. Koko’s version of friendly and welcoming was a lot more abrasive than the norm, but Damien could barely reconcile the Koko that chatted excitedly with him about her figurines to the one that seemed to resent every moment of Damien’s presence in her home a few hours ago. Damien suspected that it was a rare sight to witness an outsider in the Salgado household. He felt warm that he was allowed the privilege even though he hadn’t earned it—had won it on a wrong-time, wrong-place mistake. It was nice to pretend, however.
Damien wondered if he smelt like pack because he didn’t have one of his own.

Little Information:
A pack: they are tied to each other with a pack bond. The Salgado family, is their main pack, but they belong to the wider Salgado pack. They have a leader (they doesn't call her an alpha). Mia is the leader of the pack. The Kephalē.
Kephalē: It’s a word with an interesting history. It means ‘head’ in Greek, but has been translated in some texts as ‘leader’. Linguists dispute this, however, saying that it only means head, as in the head on your shoulders. Mia likes that better, somehow…sort of takes away from the oppressive thinking of hierarchy…

“So…what type of Ousía do I have?”
“Passive, I believe.”
“Oh,” Damien said, disappointed. For a moment he’d thought he was about to have a you’re-a-wizard-Harry moment. Still. “This is…the coolest thing that…wow. Wow.” His head was so full it could barely think. It had taken a leap to accept the existence of werewolves. But this…this sounded like magic.

Other Characters:
→ Hakan Salgado (two years older than Damien), he had his father’s broadness and nose, but his hair was straight, cow-licked on his head as if he didn’t brush it. He was much less expressive than the rest of his family, his face the still surface of a frozen river. Was neither popular nor a loser like Damien. (Damien's first impression/description.)
→ Koko Salgado, Damien's classmate. Her skin was lighter than her brother’s, matching her Native American mom, but her hair was a curly afro around her head. She had a strange, deer-like beauty to her, which was ironic given the circumstances. She had a bit of a reputation for being a hard-ass. (Damien's first impression/description.)
→ Nadie Salgado, the eldest sister. She was the only Salgado who could really be called popular. She was a cheerleader and top of her class. She was a year older than Hakan, and Damien barely ever saw her alone. (Damien's first impression/description.)
→ The twins; a boy and a girl, Lallo and Diana ‘Dee’ Salgado (4, when first introduced).
→ Miakoda ‘Mia’ Salgado, Koko's mother, werewolf and Native American.
→ Cameron Salgado, Koko’s dad. He was a large, African American man with eyes that were soft and expressive. He looked even bigger in person, more like a bear than a wolf.
→ Nova, the pack shaman; shamans are very rare. They are those who are both receptive and conductive and who have trained in both practices. Many shamans link themselves to a shifter pack because it offers them stability to be bonded in such a way. Packs are usually tied to the land, offering additional support and, in turn, power to the shaman. In return, the shaman will prioritize the protection and wellbeing of the pack
→ Nicola, Damien's social worker for two years (from when he was 11 to 18)
→ Oak House Foster Home (Damien moves in after 34% after being taken from the the McKenzies’, he stays there to 40% into the book) people: the foster kids; Ty (Damien's roommate), Elissa (12, when first introduced), and Frankie (13, when first introduced), and Jack (16, when first introduced), the oldest in the house.
→ Olivia ‘Olive’, a new student when Damien was 14. She was a year older than the rest of the class due to being held back the previous year. She was taller than most of the boys, with sharp, cold features and penetrating green eyes. Her hair was cut short and she looked like a creature of the darkest parts of the forest. Her parents are gone; she has now foster carers. She becomes Damien's friend. (Damien's first impression/description.)
→ Gonzalo, a boy Damien met at a party Olive tok him to; they become friends.
→ Nasir, a shifter Damien met at university.
→ Mandy Monroe,, Damien's therapist.
→ Camille Niles, the Kephalē of the Niles pack. Her adoptive human daughter Alice, who she wants to pass on the title of Kephalē. It’s unusual for a human to become the Kephalē, but it does happen. Alice’s Ousía actually has the potential to be shamanic, but Alice has no desire to train as a shaman. The pack already has one, from a long shamanic line, and her interests lie elsewhere anyway. The matter is complicated, because there is another member of the park whose Ousía could feasibly hold the Kephalē bond...

“You always talk about guys that way. I honestly think you talked about Tom Hardy for a straight hour the other day.”
“Um, because he’s—”
“Please not again,” Koko moaned.
“Whatever.” Damien looked at Gonzalo and Olive.
“Yep. We knew too,” Olive said.
“And I’m bi, dude,” Gonzalo said.
“And I love vagina,” Koko said.
Damien looked at her. “Yeah, I knew that.”
“Yeah, I know. I just like saying it once a day.”
Damien laughed. They all looked at Olive. She held up her hands.
“I only get wet for our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” she said, pressing her palms together. Gonzalo covered his face with his hands as Koko and Damien laughed.

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (New Adult) Paranormal Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series (Standalone?), Book One.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - Yes.
Favorite character? - Damien Henson.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probablyyy...
Rating - 3.5 (though part one is for sure a solid 4, if not a 4.5) stars.

[Fabi NEEDS Email Notifications · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the most emotional story I've read in a very long time. If you're looking for a shifter story, don't bother with this one. It's the emotional story of a little boy who lost it all. A little boy who fell victim to our less than perfect foster care system before finding his forever home. It was a long, painful journey to that hard won HEA.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. When I picked this up I was thought I was getting myself into a little werewolfy drama romance, like I knew it was meant to be emotional, but I 1000% did not anticipate the amount of childhood trauma this book dumped in my lap. Honestly for a werewolf book, the werewolves were kind of beside the point, and for a romance book the romance was also kind of beside the point. I think really this book is more looking at trauma and the recovery of trauma, leaning heavily on the hurt part of hurt/comfort.

I’m a little bit split on my thoughts on this one. Honestly it kind of falls into the category of books I think of as ‘McDonalds for dinner”, like it’s got very little nutritional value but it’s delicious as a treat. I enjoyed it and read it compulsively but I think something about it just didn’t vibe quite right for me which might just come down to it not being the vibe I was expecting. I’m very much in the minority with this feeling though and a lot of people really love this one.

There was a few passages where the book leaned heavily into the telling rather than the showing which I didn’t love. I think that there are more effective ways to explore the magic and werewolf lore of this world than a 5 page long convenient monologue detailing the specifics with the family Shaman. Also some of the dialogue in the scenes with Damien’s therapist also felt kind of awkward and clunky, I just kept thinking “this therapist can yap”.

I really enjoyed Damien finding his little group of friends in Part 1 and the healing those friendships provided him. I’m kind of a bit sad that they dropped off so much in Part 2 honestly. It just felt like we forgot about them and I think they were important to Damien’s character.

Once we move into part 2 when they’re in college, a not insignificant portion of the time spent on Damien and Hakans relationship is through the lens of an undefined friends with benefits arrangement. I didn’t mind that as such, and their chemistry was sweet and hot. But I would have liked more time invested into the ending and the resolution of the storylines. Also there was a lot of the possessive scenting stuff which I think you have to be a glutton for if you like werewolf romances so that was delightful.

As with a lot of these coming of age stories when they’re paced over several years there are also a number of sexual relationships with other people for both Damien and Hakan (mostly they were at least off page).

It sounds like there are a few extra scenes with the authors newsletter that probably go towards filling the unresolved element that I was feeling at the end here and it’s a shame they aren’t included in the main book. There was definitely a lot to enjoy here (if you like pressing on emotional bruises) but I’m kind of left in the aftermath of it feeling not quite emotionally fulfilled. I think I needed a bit more balance in the comfort part of the hurt/comfort





Tw for self harm, suicide attempts, boat loads of mental health and foster system trauma

[Elena]

DNF at 35%

Textbook case of “it’s me, not the book”.

Even after reading the blurb and content warning, I wasn’t ready for this book. I expected things to get a little heavy, but I hadn’t planned for so much focus on the psychological aspects and so little on the paranormal side.
Even considering the chance that that’s going to change in the remaining 65%, I’ve lost any interest in going forward with this story, what I’ve read so far already stretched my tolerance to the limit.
I’ve always said I don’t like reading about children in general, but guess what? I discovered that I absolutely loathe reading about abuse on children (surprising, I know). I’ve rarely wanted a fictional character to suffer like I wanted the McKenzies to pay for the physical and emotional abuse they put Damien through in the first third of this story.

[Em’sBookNook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a little bit to get into and I think it’s a very different story to how the blurb portrays is but also it’s soooo much better than what I was expecting.

I wouldn’t say romance is even a primary part of this story. So much of it was about healing and found family and my little heart couldn’t take it. At 28% I SOBBED for about half an hour. And it takes a lot for a book to stir any real emotions in me.

I got frustrated at times at Mia and Hakan for not just spelling things out and I can’t quite begin to explain how much I need a big fat epilogue or an extra novella about them for after the end because I needed more. I would sell my soul for it quite honestly.

Beautiful book 😭😭😭

[Sandy Kay]

From reviews--abused MC sleeps with non-MCs on page during the course of the book. It's part of his healing, before the MCs get together, but, he's already pining for the other MC, so for me it would feel like cheating. Sounds like it's quite IYF too. Nope, not for me.

Love many of the author’s other books though, so if on-page OM action doesn’t bother you, consider it. Sounds like a moving read.

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

That was an emotional journey. Left me feeling very similar to Rat Park. It was cathartic. There were tears.

I don't usually like the hurt/comfort trope, but this was special.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in complete awe of this book. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was just so much better than anything I could’ve imagined. At one point I was full on ugly crying and I still just wanted to keep reading and see where the story was going. The writing was superb, emotional and powerful; beautiful without being purple for the sake of it. The characters were so well done that I swear I felt what each one was feeling (hence the outpouring of tears). I just cannot recommend this book enough.

[⊹ ⁺ ₊ ✧ she's book obsessed ✧ ₊ ⁺ ⊹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⊹ ⁺ ₊ ✧ In This Iron Ground ┊ 4 stars ✧ ₊ ⁺ ⊹

☆₊⋆ → thoughts┊Okay this was really cute, I was in the mood for some hurt/comfort and this was perfect for that.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄☆⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

౨ৎ happy reading ౨ৎ

[X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decided to go for an early Vivancos. This was great - the very emotional, slice-of-life style she’s excellent at. Wolfsong by TJ Klune, but fewer downsides.

[Moraa (vacation hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In This Iron Ground is a STUNNING piece of literature. Some reviewers confessed to crying while reading it and I immediately thought “ain’t no way that’s going to be” but there I was, tearing up at the 30% mark😭

MV hasn’t disappointed me more than once (I’m looking at you I’ve Been Careless with a Delicate Thing) and every time I pick up her books I know I’m in for a treat.

Majority of the first half focuses on Damien’s experiences in the foster care system which are horribly abusive (we don’t have this where I’m from so there’s not much else I can say). However, things look up when he’s taken in by the Salgados but by then the damage is already done and he’s deeply traumatised.

The found family theme was by far this book’s greatest strength, second only to the werewolf lore which I found intriguing. The Salgados are patient with Damien but don’t treat him like glass and there’s a good amount of ribbing to be had amongst the numerous siblings.

Although we get little nuggets, Damien’s relationship with Hakan doesn’t begin to develop until that fateful day before Hakan leaves for college (no spoilers but IYKYK). It takes some time to develop but it’s done so beautifully I couldn’t find it in me to be impatient. (This isn’t dual POV btw, so we’re only ever in Damien’s head from start to finish).

For those interested in spice, that doesn’t happen between Hakan and Damien until the 70% mark (no matter what the Kindle blurb will have you believe) and they both spend that time with other partners (fade-to-black though). The sex scenes were incredibly well written and hot in a very unassuming way, if that makes sense. There’s no world in which I wouldn’t rate the spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5.

Expect
- Pining
- Scenting
- Marking
- Found family and pack dynamics
- Mentions of past, non-sexual child abuse

[JenMcJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book. It's true that it seemed to have a storyteller narrative but I found it engaging. The critical reviews that mention how much this doesn't sound like the voice of a 13 y/0 boy aren't off the mark but I liked this reading experience. The storyteller is very good. This was descriptive prose that reminded me of Roan Parish and the scope of the plot reminded me of Wolfsong by TJ Klune but without the supernatural evil trying to take over the world. There are a few writing quirks (A memory) that take a little adjusting but again, I found this to be part of the reading experience and appreciated the form this book took.

I was engrossed. I read every word. I didn't skim paragraphs or pages - this is rare. It was, if not a fresh look at shifters, a unique take on their society. I liked all of the characters and felt that the 6 year scope gave me an opportunity to know them. It's not without some niggling plot issues (like Damien going to school to be an art therapy psychologist and yet never considering therapy for himself and being resistant to the idea at first, and the therapy sessions, while interesting were a little dry and teachy) but even those didn't bring this down a smidge.

What brings this down is the ending. After investing hours into Damien's story and connection with the Salgado pack, the ending was simply frustrating. It's not a cliffhanger but it almost feels like one because of all the story left to tell that we miss out on. The book title with a series qualifier seems to imply this is the first book, however, without any info about the next book and who it might be about or if it's an extension of this book, I feel like I was ripped away from this family and the rest of story prematurely.

Despite the somewhat unfulfilling ending, read this one. Really.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is why I so enjoy reading challenges. Because every now and then you have to pick a book off a list called "Best M/M Romance Cover Ever" or whatever, and you just kinda grab one at random. Most of the time the results are kind of meh but sometimes you run across an absolute gem. Like this one!

This book is definitely more about Damien than it is about Damien&Hakan. It's approximately 75% growth and change and coming of age, and approximately 25% romance. There's no quick-fix, and it's great to see therapy shown in such a positive way. It's a beautiful journey, told with beautiful language.

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked the idea of a "slice of life" werewolf story as opposed to werewolves being the centre of some sort of apocalypse or evil villain battle, but at the same time the werewolf aspect seemed superfluous; you could take out the fact that they're werewolves and the story would be almost exactly the same.

the writing was beautiful, as is usual for vivancos, but that couldn't quite save the fact that this was boring as hell. i like character-driven books, but this... was all character and no plot.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was touching and sweet and a little bit heartbreaking! i can definitely understand the wolfsong by tj klune vibes that everyone was telling me about, and i really adored these characters. glad i read this one!

[Kazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read Marina Vivancos before but this book's blurb sounded like something I'd enjoy - psychological and paranormal. Two things that tick big boxes for me. I also happen to like lyrical writing, a touch of quirky, a dab of magic realism in the narrative - plenty of ticks. I'm not so fond of coming of age books and younger MCs. This book covers six years from when Damien Henson is thirteen until he is nineteen - not always my kind of reading but I was prepared to see how it would pan out. Did I mention that blurb? As it turns out, it panned out really well.

I thought this was such a good book. Different. Well written. The character obsessive in me was appeased and fully engaged right from the beginning. There is a need to find out what's going to happen and to hang on every word written. It's oddly and incredibly magnetic.

The werewolves in this book are not the genre norm. There is no alpha. No omega. No mpreg. The leader of family and pack is the Kephalē, in this instance a Native American mother, Miakoda Salgado. They live their lives guided by Ousía - think Gaia - a spiritual connection and belief in the land and its inhabitants. The environment. There is not an overwhelming amount involved in the world-building but it's good and promises more. Characters are well developed and the psychology of Damien is a focal point, as are friendships, family, pack, and the connection between Hakan and Damien.

Just a note for readers who need monogamy and quick declarations of love - this isn't that book. Don't go in thinking standard MM romance because a) it isn't and b) there are other people involved. It is not a monogamous relationship but it fits their ages and stages, the psychology, and the story being told.

I'll finish by saying that I'm counting down until the next book in this series. In This Iron Ground is rather gorgeous.

There are a lot of status updates attached to this review that may help you get a feel for the writing.
There are some tough moments and some beautiful ones.

If you want to know a bit more about my feelings and the story, longish review at -

[Papie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much pain. So much love. So many tears. So many feelings. A magical world. Damien and Hakan. Home. Family. Pack.

I want you. I want to be your home. Do you understand what I’m saying? I want to be your pack, and your mate, I want to…I want you to never for a single fucking moment ever feel alone again. Ever.

A thousand stars.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This was so good! 🫶🏼
✅ Werewolves
✅ Found Family
✅ Sloooow burn
✅ Childhood trauma and healing

The writing also really clicked in my brain, I devoured this story. I definitely need to check out some of this authors other works!

[Ky · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

"In this Iron Ground" was a big surprise for me. I've already read two other books by this author and I can't say that I loved them. She has a unique writing style, but that wasn't the problem for me, I actually got used to it and liked it quite a bit. My issue with those other books was the storyline that was flat and a lot of the time seemed like it was going nowhere.

This book though! I absolutely loved this book! I can see how Marina Vivancos has grown as a writer, how much more structure her story had this time, how important her characters were, how they developed within the story as time passed. When I picked up the book I was somewhat apprehensive and didn't know what to expect. Her writing style had captured my interest, but there was something missing from her previous works. This time however I realised that her voice had changed and what didn't click for me before was right there this time. I realised with great delight that I had just found a new author to anticipate their next book.

This is a supernatural book set in a world with shifters and some other magical creatures that focuses on wolves. Damien is just a human but he has had a very rough life since he lost his parents. He's been through many foster homes, has lost faith in himself and thinks he's worthless of good things happening to him. Then, he meets the Salgado family and his whole life takes a turn for the best.

There are still hard times ahead of him and the psychological damage done to him while he was with his last foster carers before the Salgados took him in is still torturing him but he is decidedly in a much better place. He forms strong bonds with this new family and even makes some lifelong friends at school. He starts to relax and being himself. And then he falls in love.

It was wonderful to see Damien change so much in the approximately five and a half years that the story follows his life. From the quiet and insecure kid that sometimes couldn't stop talking to the grown man confident enough to explore his sexuality and secure enough to freely enjoy his life, Damien was an amazing and interesting character with a lot of depth.

The book was brutal at times, honest and harsh, dealing with trauma and PTSD. It was emotional while showing us how Damien felt, what he thought about himself and his self-worth. It was sweet and hopeful, qualities that the Salgados brought into the mix with their love and care. And finally, it was beautiful in letting us see the relationship that Damien had with Hakan not only as lovers when they were both at college but also as friends while they were younger. Their connection and everything they went through together. How strong their bond was and how important they where to each other.

I was a bit disappointed that there isn't a second part to Damien and Hakan's story, but I'm still happy with the way we left them and my decision to read their book. I highly recommend their story!




This review has been cross-posted on The Novel Approach Reviews.

*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. *

[yaishin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like the two parts were two different books. Like part one was childhood and part two was adulthood. And both had different life-changing things in them. But, I loved the first part way more than the second. And I was ready to put the book on my top-five but changed my mind after the second part.

[Mug · Rating 4 out of 5]

edit 3/2/24:
um hello wtf i did not know there were TWO bonus scenes for this!? they’re free after signing up for marina’s newsletter.

Extra Scene #1- The Following Summer:
damn, i wish i’d have know about this bonus story back when i first read in this iron ground bc my battered heart really needing the soothing😭 i swear i haven’t stopped thinking about in this iron ground once since all those months ago, and it still makes me cry like it truly demolished me, i couldn’t read ANYTHING even remotely sad or angsty for like two weeks😭😖 (thank you to my bro and the beast emotional support books🫶) i love marina but DAMN the hurt/comfort was HURTINGGGGG🤕🤕 it still distresses me to this day, but this lil extra was everything i needed back then, plus it’s from hakan’s pov!!

~“I’m yours.”
Damien sobered up, cupping Hakan’s face as Hakan unclenched his jaw. “You’re mine.”
“You’re going to keep me,” Hakan growled, voice distorted with the shift.
“Yeah,” Damien whispered.
“And I’m gonna keep you. I’m gonna take such good care of you. I can’t stop you from feeling sad or angry or grief or… but not lonely. Not ever again.”~

brb crying😭😭😭😭 MY BABIES😩

i’ll update again once i’ve read the second bonus scene where they’re HUSBANDS!!

original 7/11/23:
i friggin cried like a damn baby in the first chapter and never stopped…. like damn my poor fucking babyyyyy damien😖😖 and i mean i SOBBED like ugly crying like wtf i was totally not prepared for this, my heart is fucking shredded….like this genuinely destroyed me and i’m speechless bc i saw werewolves and jumped right in and did not read the TWs😭😭😭 NOBODY MAKE MY MISTAKES PLS!! like i thought i was reading a werewolf romance with some sadness on the side aka GOOF CITY, but the sadness was the main event😭😭😭 like this is a coming of age story heavily centered around themes of child abuse and suicide, not a silly werewolf romance!!! needless to say this hurt BAD and i was not at all ready which definitely made it 10x worse, i’m sure……the writing is so detailed and expressive like bitch i was HURTING!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cried for the entire first like 4 or 5 chapters….a BROKEN MESS, i tell u!!! and i was waiting for a payoff with the romance, but it was lackluster fr for all the pain i went thru…..the scales were LOPSIDED!!!!

also personal preference but too many OM scenes like i get it but also get it tf out of my face i’m sick!!!!!! i really can’t handle the mmcs being with anyone else but each other😵‍💫 but i COULD have handled that if hakan and damien were better developed…..we spend 50% of the story without them even feeling a shred of anything other than friendship (i mean they are kids but u know like hurry up) and then we have to watch damien mess around with multiple others on page before we FINALLY get to hakan in the last third(?) of the book (or at least it was very late to me) and they don’t even serve ???????????????!!!!!!!! okay maybe a partial slay but come on, hurt/comfort??? the comfort did not come anywhere close to the SEVERE PAIN…….idk it’s probs my fault for having such skewed expectations, so grain of salt, but the romance aspect really could’ve been so much MORE and i’m greedy, so i’m disappointed with what i got……i should’ve been compelled into a coma and yet not once did i feel the need to pass out (pass out from pain on the other hand…🤧)…….except i was very close with hakan’s confession “i’ve been in love with you for so long.…it’s not something i feel anymore, it’s something i am.” like big swoon🥺

anyway, it was very realistic and heavy and i’m unwell as fuck!!!!! i’m very proud of damien tho, he came a very long way and therapy really helped him and i loved seeing his journey and i love that it’s still messy and everything isn’t magically fixed and he still struggles and it’s just REAL…..putting the romance aside and just focusing on damien, there is something so fucking SPECIAL about this book. his pain and devastation and complete and total suffering and his brainwashed mindset is written so so so well…….if you can read this and not weep, i’ll give u a million dollars bc seriously my face is puffy and swollen and i can’t breathe thru my nose……good god…..and the found family was amazing too, love them. so basically ehh on the romance, but like a hundred gold stars for the rest, i’m still in recovery😓

[Aimora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about this book when I started it, other than that I've enjoyed other books by the author. In This Iron Ground ended up being beautiful and sometimes poetic, as well as devastatingly sad.

In the start of the book, Damian is living with an abusive foster family after his parents are killed. As the story progresses from Damian age 12 to Damian age 19, we see the way Damian feels so completely unworthy of anything good or positive in his life. His inner thoughts made me tear up or outright cry several times. I wanted any of the characters to he able to read his thoughts and tell him he was wrong, give him a hug. Good thing this is fiction and so beautifully written. Loved it.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.25 stars

This book was a lot of things. Some of it worked for me and some not as much, but at the end, I was left with an overall disjointed feeling. The book starts when Damien is nine and his parents have died. He is harshly put into the foster care system and none of his caregivers have any interest in truly helping him and the psychological abuse starts. When he is brought to the McKenzie’s home, the physical abuse starts as well as they think the best way to control Damien is to tie him to the chair or the bed. The abuse is not gone into in great detail, but it’s enough to set the tone for what it does to Damien’s mind and opinion of himself.

When Damien learns that the Salgados are shifters, he takes it in stride and feels special that he has learned of this magical world. Mostly though, I felt far removed from this book. At times, there was a poetic narrative woven into the story, but I felt that the book couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. There were passages that read as folklore as Damien learns the history of the Salgado pack, but it was rambly, dry, and textbook like and could have used an edit to keep it either on track or more intriguing. Damien is also the narrator and sometimes the feel was that the scenes were directly his experiences. However, a good portion of the narrative was above his age and it came across as being written without regard to the age or experience of the actual character. Other times, it read like someone else was talking about Damien and the pack, while still other times it read as if Damien was recounting part of his life. Also, there was no indication where this book took place. The Salgados are said to be Native American and there is one reference to one small happening taking place, ”A few states over.” Yet, the dialect and choice and spelling of words was not at all American and I would have liked to have been able to place where this story was set.

Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.

[Hayley ☾ (TheVillainousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 S T A R S

Okay. Hm. I don't know how to rate this. 3 stars feels like too low, and yet 4 feels too high.

I really enjoyed this. I loved watching Damien's journey from adolescents to adulthood, and In This Iron Ground was as much a romance as it was a coming-of-age story. Damien was so lovable and endearing, it broke my heart reading the things he went through, and I think the author did a great job tackling such delicate situations, thoughts, and feelings. The sad, dark, and torturous moments were perfectly balanced with moments of bright and vibrant joy. There was a certain chaos to Damien's time in the Salgado house, as well as when he was with his friends, which was so much fun. I loved reading about them running wild and all the antics they got up to.

And then there was Hakan, sweet, quite, lovely Hakan. Hakan really stole the spotlight for me. He was such a strong, quiet, and comforting source and I adore characters like that.

Damien and Hakan's romance was sooo sweet, and I loved seeing it evolve throughout the years. I was truly smitten with them. That being said, I wish I had gotten to see more time of them as adults, actually in relationship, and I think that's why this wasn't four stars with for me. The amount of time spent in adulthood, the exploration of their love, and the development of them as a couple wasn't enough.


Overall, I think this should have been longer, or the focus shifted a little. Less time focused on Damien as a child, better explanation / exploration of the world so it didn't feel so info-dumpy, and more time spent on Damien and Hakan's relationship in adulthood. The prose and writing style were quite wistful and melancholy, which I adore, and there were some truly beautiful insight and lines in In This Iron Ground. I very much enjoyed In This Iron Ground and my time spent with Damien and Hakan, I wish I had more.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 2.5 stars?

After two books, I can say I just don't click with this author's writing style. I enjoyed the characters and I was invested in Damien's story, but the prose really doesn't work for me (there were also quite a few spelling and word usage errors - not the UK usage but just proofreading errors).

Damien's coming of age story, dealing with his abuse, finding his place in a family, all worked well and was emotional. The shifter aspect was a disappointment. There were times I forgot there were shifters involved. The story would have been the same if all that was removed and that was unfortunate especially after all the information we were given about them. Nothing really came from the Salgados being shifters that wouldn't have worked with them just being a loving, caring family.

The focus is on Damien's growth, with the romance with Hakan almost secondary and that worked for me.

This is the second book I've read by this author and the second one that was uneven for me and I have to put it down to the writing style. Seeing the next book is a different couple I don't think I'll be coming back to it.