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Unwilling Souls #3
Unleashing Iron
Ses Lucani has one keep humankind's murderous gods imprisoned. She's about to fail. The gods have achieved the unthinkable. Inhabiting human avatars from within their prison's walls, they now gather followers and work to break it open from the outside. One of those avatars is Ses's own father.Just as all seems lost, Ses learns of a recently unearthed artifact so powerful that it can repair the prison and save her father from the possession that is killing him. But in the wrong hands, the artifact could demolish the prison instead of repairing it. And it's already been stolen... In a desperate race to control the object that will save or end the world, Ses faces a devastating choice as she realizes that no one is immune to the artifact's ancient promise of forgotten power. Not her family. Not her friends. Not even herself...
- GenresFantasy
530 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2020
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Gregory D. Little
17 books16 followersGregory D. Little is the author of the Unwilling Souls, Mutagen Deception, and the forthcoming Bell Begrudgingly Solves It series. As a writer, you would think he could find a better way to sugarcoat the following statement, but you'd be wrong. So, just to say it straight, he really enjoys tricking people. As such, one of his greatest joys in life is laughing maniacally whenever he senses a reader has reached That Part in one of his books. Fantasy, sci-fi, horror, it doesn't matter. They all have That Part. You'll know it when you get to it, promise. Or will you? He lives in Virginia with his wife, and he is uncommonly fond of spiders.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 26, 2020
If you enjoy books with propulsive plots, highly-original fantasy ideas, compelling character-drama and clear, intelligent prose, then I am confident that you will enjoy Unleashing Iron by Gregory D. Little, a novel that exemplifies each of these elements. It is the best novel in the Unwilling Souls series so far, and probably the best fantasy novel I’ve read since Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora, the first book in his famous fantasy series. For maximum comprehension of every aspect of Unleashing Iron, it probably does help if you’ve read the first two novels, Unwilling Souls and Ungrateful God – but I do think that this book, to a greater extent than most other mid-series novels, can be read as a stand-alone work, appreciated primarily for its engaging storytelling and great fantasy ideas even if some of the intra-series connections get missed (the author includes a synopsis of the first two volumes at the beginning of this one, granting the reader in his author’s note the option of reviewing this background information or skipping it; I and my short attention span decided to skip it, but I imagine that reading it would probably catch a new reader up on all of the really important stuff).
In terms of plot, the first third of the novel is an engagingly-written windup, a steady build that Little punctuates with a few key combustive scenes. After that the story takes off, and it’s action-oriented, razor-sharp storytelling right through to the ending, which he completely nails. Little has a sort of sixth-sense for story shape and pace, and this plus the remarkable energy-density of his prose means that he’s able to keep things moving without sacrificing depth and meaning, a huge advantage for a fantasy novel set in a highly original world that the author must work to bring to life. Aside from the remarkable facility of his storytelling, it is the uniqueness of Little’s fantasy world that I most admire, with its cities grown in the titan-corpses of god-spawned beasts, its infrastructure of magic artifacts forged from nife iron and animated by captured souls, its teleporting, reality-tunneling hellships shifting through the adjacencies of reality, out even to hell itself; and, of course, the prison of the gods, cracked and suspended in the hollow, gravityless center of the planet, surrounded by smiths and forges, temples and transports and all the strange forms of commerce that drift through this vast inner environment. Yet the characters are vivid as well, and at times their dramas are truly wrenching, as young Ses – our gifted protagonist – confronts her withering, god-possessed father or faces world-determining decisions that would tempt even the most noble of heroes. It is a great story, one that should be tried by any reader who appreciates this brand of original, plot driven, intelligently-written fantasy fiction.
In terms of plot, the first third of the novel is an engagingly-written windup, a steady build that Little punctuates with a few key combustive scenes. After that the story takes off, and it’s action-oriented, razor-sharp storytelling right through to the ending, which he completely nails. Little has a sort of sixth-sense for story shape and pace, and this plus the remarkable energy-density of his prose means that he’s able to keep things moving without sacrificing depth and meaning, a huge advantage for a fantasy novel set in a highly original world that the author must work to bring to life. Aside from the remarkable facility of his storytelling, it is the uniqueness of Little’s fantasy world that I most admire, with its cities grown in the titan-corpses of god-spawned beasts, its infrastructure of magic artifacts forged from nife iron and animated by captured souls, its teleporting, reality-tunneling hellships shifting through the adjacencies of reality, out even to hell itself; and, of course, the prison of the gods, cracked and suspended in the hollow, gravityless center of the planet, surrounded by smiths and forges, temples and transports and all the strange forms of commerce that drift through this vast inner environment. Yet the characters are vivid as well, and at times their dramas are truly wrenching, as young Ses – our gifted protagonist – confronts her withering, god-possessed father or faces world-determining decisions that would tempt even the most noble of heroes. It is a great story, one that should be tried by any reader who appreciates this brand of original, plot driven, intelligently-written fantasy fiction.
May 7, 2020
Ses is back on her mission to keep the gods imprisoned, but the gods have learned a new trick: they can now inhabit humans from their prisons. Their latest human to inhabit? Ses’ own father. Ses has learned of an artifact that may be able to save her father and keep the gods in their prisons, but it could do the opposite if the wrong person were to have it and it’s already been stolen. Ses now faces a choice that could prove devastating. What will she choose? Will she be able to save her father and humankind from these murderous gods?
Y’all! Y’all!!! I’ve been waiting for this book since I finished reading Ungrateful God in 2017, and it’s finally here!! It was worth the long wait and definitely worth coming off of hiatus to tell you about! The world building and character development just keeps getting better in this series. This world is so imaginative and beautiful. The writing is absolutely immersive. I was so drawn into this book that I lost track of time. I believe that this is the best book of this series, so far. I was excited to find out that there is going to be one more book in this series, and I cannot wait to see how this series is going to wrap up! If you haven’t read this series, and you are a fantasy fan, definitely give this a look!
*cross posted from my blog www.thenovelgirlreads.com
Y’all! Y’all!!! I’ve been waiting for this book since I finished reading Ungrateful God in 2017, and it’s finally here!! It was worth the long wait and definitely worth coming off of hiatus to tell you about! The world building and character development just keeps getting better in this series. This world is so imaginative and beautiful. The writing is absolutely immersive. I was so drawn into this book that I lost track of time. I believe that this is the best book of this series, so far. I was excited to find out that there is going to be one more book in this series, and I cannot wait to see how this series is going to wrap up! If you haven’t read this series, and you are a fantasy fan, definitely give this a look!
*cross posted from my blog www.thenovelgirlreads.com
June 5, 2020
Unleashing Iron is the third book in Gregory Little’s Unwilling Souls series. It follows Selestia and a small group of tired frightened people as they desperately try to keep the gods from breaking free of their prison. This misfit band struggles to trust each other through previous betrayals. To further complicate the situation, Veilenya, one of the gods, teams up with them using a person named Brea as an avatar. Brea willinging hosts Veilenya, but like any relationship they have conflicts which make it all the more interesting when sharing one body.
Selestia is a powerful person with magic of her own. Throughout the story she learns more about how to use it. Besides trying to save humanity from the gods, she is on a personal journey. Her personal journey often entangles with her missions leaving her to make hard choices.
The magic system and the world Little created is fascinating. Infusing iron with souls to create useful objects isn’t something I’ve come across before. The hellships are an interesting form of transportation. I was confused by the passage of time. I didn’t have a good understanding of how much time passed throughout the novel. Overall I enjoyed this book. It is fast paced and engaging, with a unique magic system. If you enjoy reading fantasy, give it a try.
Selestia is a powerful person with magic of her own. Throughout the story she learns more about how to use it. Besides trying to save humanity from the gods, she is on a personal journey. Her personal journey often entangles with her missions leaving her to make hard choices.
The magic system and the world Little created is fascinating. Infusing iron with souls to create useful objects isn’t something I’ve come across before. The hellships are an interesting form of transportation. I was confused by the passage of time. I didn’t have a good understanding of how much time passed throughout the novel. Overall I enjoyed this book. It is fast paced and engaging, with a unique magic system. If you enjoy reading fantasy, give it a try.
October 11, 2020
If "Unwilling Souls" was a road-trip chase thriller, and "Ungrateful God" was a single-location mystery, then "Unleashing Iron" is a globe-hopping race against time. Selestia, Murien, Veilenya, Brea, Lach, and everyone's favorite spider, Springer, all have too much to do and too little time to do it in. The prison that holds the Gods is failing. Godly "Avatars" are causing trouble everywhere. Ses is injured. Her father is dying. An artifact of immense power must be retrieved. And no one can be trusted.
As always, the unusual mega-fauna-based locations in the Unwilling Souls series are a treat, and author Greg Little gives us multiple new ones, including a giant wasp half buried in the ground, and a wolf where time doesn't pass. Character development is solid as well, particularly for Ses and Brea (Lach continues to be a bit underdeveloped, unfortunately). There's very little downtime, and in fact the book is so briskly paced that it can be a little difficult to keep track of when, where, and why everyone is at any given time, but just go with the flow and you'll be fine.
The grand finale both answers (or at least hints at answers) and raises many questions, and leaves you on the hook for the final volume. Read and enjoy!
As always, the unusual mega-fauna-based locations in the Unwilling Souls series are a treat, and author Greg Little gives us multiple new ones, including a giant wasp half buried in the ground, and a wolf where time doesn't pass. Character development is solid as well, particularly for Ses and Brea (Lach continues to be a bit underdeveloped, unfortunately). There's very little downtime, and in fact the book is so briskly paced that it can be a little difficult to keep track of when, where, and why everyone is at any given time, but just go with the flow and you'll be fine.
The grand finale both answers (or at least hints at answers) and raises many questions, and leaves you on the hook for the final volume. Read and enjoy!
March 8, 2021
*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Oh my, where do I even begin...This series is one that just keeps getting better with each installment. Unleashing Iron follows Selestia "Ses" Lucani in the aftermath of the events in Ungrateful God. Accompanied by a motley assortment of variously motivated individuals, Ses must do whatever she can to keep the Gods from wreaking havoc amongst the humans in a world that is already full of division and tension.
One of my favorite aspects of this series so far has been Little's world building and this book only continues with that. Unleashing Iron introduces us to even more of Little's incredible world that is simultaneously simple and complex in nature. Every scene is easy to picture in ones' mind while also stretching the limits of the imagination into new territory. Alongside the world building, Little's pacing and character development are superb and make this entire series an enjoyable and breathtaking journey.
I cannot sing the praises of this series highly enough and I encourage everyone to grab a copy and immerse yourself in the fantastical tale that Little is spinning.
Oh my, where do I even begin...This series is one that just keeps getting better with each installment. Unleashing Iron follows Selestia "Ses" Lucani in the aftermath of the events in Ungrateful God. Accompanied by a motley assortment of variously motivated individuals, Ses must do whatever she can to keep the Gods from wreaking havoc amongst the humans in a world that is already full of division and tension.
One of my favorite aspects of this series so far has been Little's world building and this book only continues with that. Unleashing Iron introduces us to even more of Little's incredible world that is simultaneously simple and complex in nature. Every scene is easy to picture in ones' mind while also stretching the limits of the imagination into new territory. Alongside the world building, Little's pacing and character development are superb and make this entire series an enjoyable and breathtaking journey.
I cannot sing the praises of this series highly enough and I encourage everyone to grab a copy and immerse yourself in the fantastical tale that Little is spinning.
June 30, 2020
It took so long to read a 5 star book this year, in the end I’m not surprised this third installment in the Unwilling Souls series firmly took it.
The endings of this series are on par with Sanderson's. Ses and the world building continue to be amazing, though Ses did frustrate me a little I’m convinced she’s broken at this point. I think I enjoyed Ungrateful God a rad more, but I believe the final installment in Little’s explosive series will win me over and make this series one of the greatest in my mind.
The endings of this series are on par with Sanderson's. Ses and the world building continue to be amazing, though Ses did frustrate me a little I’m convinced she’s broken at this point. I think I enjoyed Ungrateful God a rad more, but I believe the final installment in Little’s explosive series will win me over and make this series one of the greatest in my mind.
February 18, 2024
The third installment in the Unwilling Souls universe knocks it out of the park, literally. This continuation of the series is phenomenal. Ses and her company are all put to the limits in this book, and every page is a thrill you can't put down. Greg has an amazing talent of pulling you into his books, and this one is doubt the most intense one yet. Full of thrills, heart-wenching moments, and edge-of-your-seat turns, this series keeps you on your toes and rooting for Ses, such a lovable character. Greg has done it yet again. A very, very talented author that writes the most amazing stories.
March 12, 2021
I need the fourth book now. So much happened in this book. Lots of ups and downs and revelations. The world building is impressive and the trials thrown at the main players are complicated. I adore a book without a clear right or wrong making it aa true challenge for the characters to choose their path. This book is like that. I can't wait for the fourth and final book in the series to see what they ultimately decide.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews