What do you think?
Rate this book
The Iron Princess
A young woman rises from the streets to battle a sinister evil in this magical fantasy adventure by the bestselling author of the Darwath series.
Something is amiss with the world's magic. Spells don't work the way they used to--when they work at all. Only the powers of the Crystal Mages remain as they were, powers founded on the use of the mystical element adamis, the harvesting of which has enslaved the peoples of the Twilight Lands.
They need a hero.
At the same time, ravenous beasts have begun to appear, legendary creatures that seem to be proof against any magic. And Clea Stylachos, granddaughter of a great sage of the Twilight people, has reason to fear that the Crystal Mages, instead of seeking to defeat these insanely destructive monsters, are attempting to weaponize them in their quest for power.
Clea's only hope to save her people is a wizard who retains his power, one who will not betray her, either to the great merchant houses or to the all-entangling web of the Crystal Mages. But that wizard--Ithrazel the Cursed, destroyer of a city and magically imprisoned to suffer undying, unremitting torment--wants nothing to do with saving the world, helping a hero, or unraveling the terrible secret at the heart of the Crystal Mages' plans.
From the slums and tunnels of the slave-city of Morne, to the watery wilderness of the Twilight lands, to the halls of her father's palace and the spell-soaked mysteries of the Crystal Mages' House of Glass, Clea works to untwist the deadly riddles of magic and monsters--to free her mother's disenfranchised people from slavery under her father's conquering forces. To save her mageborn brother from the Crystal Mages' power; to control a sorcerer legendary for his deed of evil; to keep her own small band of friends one step ahead of her father's troops and the Crystal Order's spells.
She is the Iron Princess, and she knows she must prevail or die.
But at what cost to herself?
Something is amiss with the world's magic. Spells don't work the way they used to--when they work at all. Only the powers of the Crystal Mages remain as they were, powers founded on the use of the mystical element adamis, the harvesting of which has enslaved the peoples of the Twilight Lands.
They need a hero.
At the same time, ravenous beasts have begun to appear, legendary creatures that seem to be proof against any magic. And Clea Stylachos, granddaughter of a great sage of the Twilight people, has reason to fear that the Crystal Mages, instead of seeking to defeat these insanely destructive monsters, are attempting to weaponize them in their quest for power.
Clea's only hope to save her people is a wizard who retains his power, one who will not betray her, either to the great merchant houses or to the all-entangling web of the Crystal Mages. But that wizard--Ithrazel the Cursed, destroyer of a city and magically imprisoned to suffer undying, unremitting torment--wants nothing to do with saving the world, helping a hero, or unraveling the terrible secret at the heart of the Crystal Mages' plans.
From the slums and tunnels of the slave-city of Morne, to the watery wilderness of the Twilight lands, to the halls of her father's palace and the spell-soaked mysteries of the Crystal Mages' House of Glass, Clea works to untwist the deadly riddles of magic and monsters--to free her mother's disenfranchised people from slavery under her father's conquering forces. To save her mageborn brother from the Crystal Mages' power; to control a sorcerer legendary for his deed of evil; to keep her own small band of friends one step ahead of her father's troops and the Crystal Order's spells.
She is the Iron Princess, and she knows she must prevail or die.
But at what cost to herself?
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2023
141 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hambly
205 books1,603 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
July 22, 2023
3.5 stars
***100 Days of Summer Reading 2023***
Reading Prompt: Fantasy novel that involves a quest
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 3
The book begins with an homage to Prometheus, as Clea and her helpers rescue the wizard Ithrazel, who has been chained to a mountain in another dimension for 75 years, where huge eagles tear him to pieces every day, he heals overnight, rinse and repeat.
Once they have rescued their wizard, the party of four resembles a Dungeons and Dragons adventuring party. Graywillow, a Goddess worshipper with magical talents, is the cleric. Clea, our Iron Princess, is the fighter. I guess that leaves poor old Hamo, the shepherd, as their rogue. He seems more like a faithful dog than a rogue (at least until late in the book…).
Clea is striving to do the best she can for the people of her world. Her father is the ruler of their area and he is committed to mining of adamis. This includes enslaving portions of his own population and aligning with the Crystal Mages, the only magic workers whose talents continue to work in a world flooded with adamine. Strange beasts are rising from the waters of the mines and the waterways to destroy the mining villages and Clea is desperate to protect her people. She is also terrified for her young half-brother, who is just coming into his magical powers—she is convinced that the Crystal Mages have secret plans for him.
The novel follows a typical fantasy plot line. Clea is a worthy ruler, disowned by dear old dad, but beloved by the downtrodden. Ithrazel is bitter and grumpy, but he recognizes her potential and returns to her side repeatedly. It was pretty obvious where everything was headed, but the journey was entertaining.
Barbara Hambly has written other novels that I have enjoyed, prompting me to request that our library order this newest offering. This one appears to be a stand alone, but I can see where there is potential to continue the tale. Perhaps if this book is successful there will be further adventures of Clea and her crew.
***100 Days of Summer Reading 2023***
Reading Prompt: Fantasy novel that involves a quest
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 3
The book begins with an homage to Prometheus, as Clea and her helpers rescue the wizard Ithrazel, who has been chained to a mountain in another dimension for 75 years, where huge eagles tear him to pieces every day, he heals overnight, rinse and repeat.
Once they have rescued their wizard, the party of four resembles a Dungeons and Dragons adventuring party. Graywillow, a Goddess worshipper with magical talents, is the cleric. Clea, our Iron Princess, is the fighter. I guess that leaves poor old Hamo, the shepherd, as their rogue. He seems more like a faithful dog than a rogue (at least until late in the book…).
Clea is striving to do the best she can for the people of her world. Her father is the ruler of their area and he is committed to mining of adamis. This includes enslaving portions of his own population and aligning with the Crystal Mages, the only magic workers whose talents continue to work in a world flooded with adamine. Strange beasts are rising from the waters of the mines and the waterways to destroy the mining villages and Clea is desperate to protect her people. She is also terrified for her young half-brother, who is just coming into his magical powers—she is convinced that the Crystal Mages have secret plans for him.
The novel follows a typical fantasy plot line. Clea is a worthy ruler, disowned by dear old dad, but beloved by the downtrodden. Ithrazel is bitter and grumpy, but he recognizes her potential and returns to her side repeatedly. It was pretty obvious where everything was headed, but the journey was entertaining.
Barbara Hambly has written other novels that I have enjoyed, prompting me to request that our library order this newest offering. This one appears to be a stand alone, but I can see where there is potential to continue the tale. Perhaps if this book is successful there will be further adventures of Clea and her crew.
April 10, 2023
Didn't love this as I expected to - I think in large part because I adore Hambly's power of description, and she didn't give herself many beautiful things to write about this time. Less jewels and gorgeous dragons and the wonder of spellcasting, and more monsters (in human and non-human form) instead. It also doesn't really work as a standalone - the ending actually lists all the things that still have to be dealt with! - so I'm unclear on whether Hambly intends this as the start of a series?
Was slow to get going, but once things got moving in the second half of the book I couldn't put it down.
What I REALLY hated was the completely unnecessary reveal that the two biggest (and male) villains are lovers. It was literally a single sentence, it was irrelevant to absolutely everything, but it was squeezed in just to make sure we knew that the only queer characters were the Very Bad Guys.
Which I don't get, because Hambly has had (minor) queer rep before and it's been perfectly fine or even lovely, so I don't know what the deal was here.
Was slow to get going, but once things got moving in the second half of the book I couldn't put it down.
What I REALLY hated was the completely unnecessary reveal that the two biggest (and male) villains are lovers. It was literally a single sentence, it was irrelevant to absolutely everything, but it was squeezed in just to make sure we knew that the only queer characters were the Very Bad Guys.
Which I don't get, because Hambly has had (minor) queer rep before and it's been perfectly fine or even lovely, so I don't know what the deal was here.
May 22, 2023
“Given that he murdered your mother, I can appreciate his concerns about your loyalty.”
Excellent medieval fantasy. Titular protagonist and perhaps-washed-up wizard alternate as point of view characters. Good character building; engaging transfers of focus; believable contrast between inner self and outer. Adverse first half story/data dump ratio.
‘Like a candle blown out, leaving only darkness behind. It takes so little.…’
Creative turns of the phrase. Suggests rather than tells. Respects readers’ intelligence. Innovative avoidance of profanity. A good read.
‘If you feel anything inside, your hands will shake. The strong don’t shake. The strong don’t cry.’
Excellent medieval fantasy. Titular protagonist and perhaps-washed-up wizard alternate as point of view characters. Good character building; engaging transfers of focus; believable contrast between inner self and outer. Adverse first half story/data dump ratio.
‘Like a candle blown out, leaving only darkness behind. It takes so little.…’
Creative turns of the phrase. Suggests rather than tells. Respects readers’ intelligence. Innovative avoidance of profanity. A good read.
‘If you feel anything inside, your hands will shake. The strong don’t shake. The strong don’t cry.’
March 4, 2023
Well, that took a couple of turns I wasn't expecting
I'm always interested in Barbara Hambly's work, and this book did not disappoint.
The setup and the problems in this world, and for the characters, were interesting and not quite the usual.. I also enjoyed how she brought the book to a satisfying close while still leaving some avenues for further exploration
I'm always interested in Barbara Hambly's work, and this book did not disappoint.
The setup and the problems in this world, and for the characters, were interesting and not quite the usual.. I also enjoyed how she brought the book to a satisfying close while still leaving some avenues for further exploration
January 3, 2024
[Probably 3.5 stars really]
[mild spoilers that you will probably figure out anyway]
After many years wandering in the (relatively more remunerative) wilderness of historical mystery (to be fair, I've recently started reading the mysteries and they're pretty good) Hambly has returned to fantasy. Or rather, since she's been writing Edwardian Era vampire mysteries, as well as novellas and stories set in the universes of her 80s and 90s fantasy series, she has returned to novel-length secondary-world fantasy. And it's pretty good, though I don't think that it matches her best work from when she was a fantasy writer only. Part of the problem may well be that "The Iron Princess" is a one-off, rather than the start of a series: it occasionally gives the impression of being overstuffed, as if Hambly was trying to get in everything since anything she left out likely wasn't going to get another chance at appearing in print. The other problem is that "The Iron Princess" is an allegory of colonialism and climate change, and it only really gets the first one of those right. The setting is quite good, although the setup, with the Twilight Lands ruled over by powerful conquerors who arrived from a lone island, seems clearly copied from the Second Age of Middle-Earth. Tolkien even wrote of the evil Black Numenoreans, who landed in Middle-Earth and set up kingdoms where they ruled cruelly over the locals: Hambly seems to have taken this idea and given it a modern touch by adding the presence of a natural resource for the invaders to exploit, the element adamis. Adamis is used by the Crystal Mages to work magic, but other mages, who aren't dependent on adamis, find that their spells are failing, and also Lovecraftian horrors are starting to appear out of nowhere and eat villages: the reader will not be surprised to learn that these things are connected. The analogy between fossil fuels and adamis, and climate change and terrible monsters, is clear, but it doesn't really work: the difficult in combating climate change lies precisely in the fact that it doesn't come to a climax, as we get here when the horrors start showing up everywhere and attacking everybody. If Hambly really wanted to make the analogy work, then only the Crystal Mages, with their adamis-enhanced magic, would be able to keep off the monsters, and they, and indeed many other people who saw adamis as their only hope of a good life, or any life at all, would be all in favor of continuing to extract it. But perhaps that would be too depressing for what is already a downer of a book: the model of colonialism here is the Belgian Congo, full-throated extractivism with almost no concern for the lives of those affected (though at least nobody is using ears as currency), so brutality and inhumanity permeates the setting. Our heroes are not exactly cheerful types, either. Ithrazel the Cursed, who destroyed a city and was subsequently given Prometheus's punishment, is one of the protagonists: he is rescued from eternally having his liver eaten by Clea, the titular princess, whose sobriquet reflects her grimness of outlook. Perhaps in the end that's my real complaint: in the old days, Hambly protagonists weren't always so serious, even if their situations were equally bad. (Maybe this is the influence of Benjamin January, who is a great protagonist but doesn't have much of a sense of humor.) At any rate, if you're new to Hambly I would probably recommend starting with "Dragonsbane" or "The Ladies of Mandrigyn" instead: Hambly fans will have already read this book, of course.
[mild spoilers that you will probably figure out anyway]
After many years wandering in the (relatively more remunerative) wilderness of historical mystery (to be fair, I've recently started reading the mysteries and they're pretty good) Hambly has returned to fantasy. Or rather, since she's been writing Edwardian Era vampire mysteries, as well as novellas and stories set in the universes of her 80s and 90s fantasy series, she has returned to novel-length secondary-world fantasy. And it's pretty good, though I don't think that it matches her best work from when she was a fantasy writer only. Part of the problem may well be that "The Iron Princess" is a one-off, rather than the start of a series: it occasionally gives the impression of being overstuffed, as if Hambly was trying to get in everything since anything she left out likely wasn't going to get another chance at appearing in print. The other problem is that "The Iron Princess" is an allegory of colonialism and climate change, and it only really gets the first one of those right. The setting is quite good, although the setup, with the Twilight Lands ruled over by powerful conquerors who arrived from a lone island, seems clearly copied from the Second Age of Middle-Earth. Tolkien even wrote of the evil Black Numenoreans, who landed in Middle-Earth and set up kingdoms where they ruled cruelly over the locals: Hambly seems to have taken this idea and given it a modern touch by adding the presence of a natural resource for the invaders to exploit, the element adamis. Adamis is used by the Crystal Mages to work magic, but other mages, who aren't dependent on adamis, find that their spells are failing, and also Lovecraftian horrors are starting to appear out of nowhere and eat villages: the reader will not be surprised to learn that these things are connected. The analogy between fossil fuels and adamis, and climate change and terrible monsters, is clear, but it doesn't really work: the difficult in combating climate change lies precisely in the fact that it doesn't come to a climax, as we get here when the horrors start showing up everywhere and attacking everybody. If Hambly really wanted to make the analogy work, then only the Crystal Mages, with their adamis-enhanced magic, would be able to keep off the monsters, and they, and indeed many other people who saw adamis as their only hope of a good life, or any life at all, would be all in favor of continuing to extract it. But perhaps that would be too depressing for what is already a downer of a book: the model of colonialism here is the Belgian Congo, full-throated extractivism with almost no concern for the lives of those affected (though at least nobody is using ears as currency), so brutality and inhumanity permeates the setting. Our heroes are not exactly cheerful types, either. Ithrazel the Cursed, who destroyed a city and was subsequently given Prometheus's punishment, is one of the protagonists: he is rescued from eternally having his liver eaten by Clea, the titular princess, whose sobriquet reflects her grimness of outlook. Perhaps in the end that's my real complaint: in the old days, Hambly protagonists weren't always so serious, even if their situations were equally bad. (Maybe this is the influence of Benjamin January, who is a great protagonist but doesn't have much of a sense of humor.) At any rate, if you're new to Hambly I would probably recommend starting with "Dragonsbane" or "The Ladies of Mandrigyn" instead: Hambly fans will have already read this book, of course.
April 29, 2024
lots of action and adventure
Not my favorite BH, but enjoyable, none the less. A trifle convoluted and confusing - a good editorial review might have helped clear up some of the confusion made by sudden changes in point of view, and in the (sadly) ever present editorial errors wrought by depending on an AI to catch improper grammatical usages (he instead of she) that a thinking person would recognize instantly.
Not my favorite BH, but enjoyable, none the less. A trifle convoluted and confusing - a good editorial review might have helped clear up some of the confusion made by sudden changes in point of view, and in the (sadly) ever present editorial errors wrought by depending on an AI to catch improper grammatical usages (he instead of she) that a thinking person would recognize instantly.
May 9, 2023
I want to enjoy Hambly's writing. I really, really do. This is the third book of hers that I've read (second that I've finished), and despite the fact that I love the genres of science fiction and fantasy, I find that I struggle to enjoy her work. An article I read on her style described it as "abstract and elliptic," and I would agree. She tends to feel like she's rambling, and so my mind wanders.
I honestly love the plot of The Iron Princess. Mystery. Political Intrigue. A love story in the midst of chaos. Enemies to friends. But did I find the book compelling? No. I had to will myself to pay attention and finish it, re-reading pages that'd I'd realized I'd completely zoned out on.
Here's an example from the first chapter: "They said in the villages that what the travelers heard, thin and distant from the high bare crags of the Desolate Mountains at certain times of the day, were the screams of a god." It's like... she's dragging out the point. It's got to be the way my brain works or a personal preference. So, take my review with a grain of salt.
I honestly love the plot of The Iron Princess. Mystery. Political Intrigue. A love story in the midst of chaos. Enemies to friends. But did I find the book compelling? No. I had to will myself to pay attention and finish it, re-reading pages that'd I'd realized I'd completely zoned out on.
Here's an example from the first chapter: "They said in the villages that what the travelers heard, thin and distant from the high bare crags of the Desolate Mountains at certain times of the day, were the screams of a god." It's like... she's dragging out the point. It's got to be the way my brain works or a personal preference. So, take my review with a grain of salt.
December 27, 2025
I think the problem is me.
It took me a long time to finish this book, because I was doing some mental heavy lifting at the time, and when I got to the book, right before going to sleep, I just couldn't synch with it.
The names of the places sounded too "Young-Adult Fantasy" for me, so after seeing the map I was braced for some young-adulty soap-opera, but instead the book opens with a rehash of the story of Prometeus (the Greek titan, not the movie), and describes the gore and the torment...
It felt too light at times, but the atmosphere and the descriptions were really bleak, sometimes brutal (one example from chapter eight: Maybe the latin word makes this less shocking?); at other times, it felt reiterative, too reiterative.
Then there's the narration: it's a third person view centered on Clea, the main character, unless there's a need, related to the storyline, to follow the "supporting actor"; but in the first two or three chapters, the POV jumps from one to the other without warning, until I didn't know who was talking (again, probably I was too tired to understand anything by that time). About 4/5 of the book are centered on Clea, and the rest follows mainly the "supporting actor"; but I'm mostly sure there are a couple of times it follows someone else (the cute puppy in tow, I think). To me these changes were jarring and confusing.
And then, there's Clea, her horrible brutal past, her bleak somewhat "better" present, and the fact that neither add up to the way she behaves and thinks. She's too "wholesome" for someone with the life she's had, so to me, she's unbelievable.
And then comes the "romance" part of the story. This was the kind that I like in my dark fantasy books: non existent. But I suppose the editors told Mrs. Hambly that it was needed to make the story more salable, or something like that. So, it appears and resolves in the last chapters of the book. And the object of affection is not the type of character that Mrs. Hambly regularly uses in her "loving couples" ().
I have the feeling that someone said to Mrs. Hambly that teenage main characters were needed to sale stories nowadays, and that she wasn't thrilled with the idea. To my knowledge, all her books have mature, adult main characters, capable and resilient. And this doesn't translate well to the kind of story this was suppose to be,meaning, a young-adulty one.
Anyway, I liked the ending (with some reserves); it was more in the style of Mrs. Hambly, but it was a bumpy ride. Then again, maybe I was much less tired when I got there.
It took me a long time to finish this book, because I was doing some mental heavy lifting at the time, and when I got to the book, right before going to sleep, I just couldn't synch with it.
The names of the places sounded too "Young-Adult Fantasy" for me, so after seeing the map I was braced for some young-adulty soap-opera, but instead the book opens with a rehash of the story of Prometeus (the Greek titan, not the movie), and describes the gore and the torment...
It felt too light at times, but the atmosphere and the descriptions were really bleak, sometimes brutal (one example from chapter eight: Maybe the latin word makes this less shocking?); at other times, it felt reiterative, too reiterative.
Then there's the narration: it's a third person view centered on Clea, the main character, unless there's a need, related to the storyline, to follow the "supporting actor"; but in the first two or three chapters, the POV jumps from one to the other without warning, until I didn't know who was talking (again, probably I was too tired to understand anything by that time). About 4/5 of the book are centered on Clea, and the rest follows mainly the "supporting actor"; but I'm mostly sure there are a couple of times it follows someone else (the cute puppy in tow, I think). To me these changes were jarring and confusing.
And then, there's Clea, her horrible brutal past, her bleak somewhat "better" present, and the fact that neither add up to the way she behaves and thinks. She's too "wholesome" for someone with the life she's had, so to me, she's unbelievable.
And then comes the "romance" part of the story. This was the kind that I like in my dark fantasy books: non existent. But I suppose the editors told Mrs. Hambly that it was needed to make the story more salable, or something like that. So, it appears and resolves in the last chapters of the book. And the object of affection is not the type of character that Mrs. Hambly regularly uses in her "loving couples" ().
I have the feeling that someone said to Mrs. Hambly that teenage main characters were needed to sale stories nowadays, and that she wasn't thrilled with the idea. To my knowledge, all her books have mature, adult main characters, capable and resilient. And this doesn't translate well to the kind of story this was suppose to be,meaning, a young-adulty one.
Anyway, I liked the ending (with some reserves); it was more in the style of Mrs. Hambly, but it was a bumpy ride. Then again, maybe I was much less tired when I got there.
July 12, 2023
Clea’s world is changing. The magic is changing, spells go wrong for all the world’s mages except those of the Crystal Mages whose magic depends on adamine. Worse, mysterious beasts have risen and are destroying towns. She needs a mage whose magic is untainted by the problems of her world so she travels to an alternate world to retrieve a wizard who has been imprisoned there for 75 years. Ithrazel the Cursed . Aided by a local shepherd, Hamo, she manages to free Ithrazel and they return to their own world, Hamo following them uninvited. While Ithrazel wants nothing to do with saving the world Clea is forming an alliance of workers, thieves and others to overcome both the monsters and those, like her father, whose power and wealth is based on adamine and the slavery used to mine it.
This is a rich world with interesting characters. Clea is both a princess as well a thief, assasin and accomplished swordswoman due to her father declaring her illegitimate at age 8 and sending her to prison. Ithrazel deals with the guilt of his past actions that saw him sent to that alternate would and Hamo is in love with Clea, enough to leave his world behind to follow her but is it really love or the result of a love spell cast on to him to ensure he would help Clea free Ithrazel. We have magic, and reluctant heroes, political intrigue, and a plot that keeps the reader eagerly turning the page to see what happens next. While the story has a satisfying ending I would be interested in what comes next for all these characters. Recommended.
This is a rich world with interesting characters. Clea is both a princess as well a thief, assasin and accomplished swordswoman due to her father declaring her illegitimate at age 8 and sending her to prison. Ithrazel deals with the guilt of his past actions that saw him sent to that alternate would and Hamo is in love with Clea, enough to leave his world behind to follow her but is it really love or the result of a love spell cast on to him to ensure he would help Clea free Ithrazel. We have magic, and reluctant heroes, political intrigue, and a plot that keeps the reader eagerly turning the page to see what happens next. While the story has a satisfying ending I would be interested in what comes next for all these characters. Recommended.
July 10, 2023
This turned out to be a good book but it did take me some time to get into it. Clea is the second daughter of a merchant prince and her life has been very up and down. She was dearly loved by her father until the age of 5 when her father got rid of her mother (by having her killed for enchanting him) and she was imprisoned. Her life has been one of being acknowledged by her father and also thrown on the streets and learning many skills from a master criminal. Altho she has no magical skills she does come from a magical family and she is recognized as someone who can lead people.
As her world becomes increasingly polluted and the ordinary people enslaved and made to dig for a substance that increases the magic of the highest mages, Clea seeks out help. The help involves rescuing a mage that has been imprisoned for 75 years in hopes that he can help her. The world building is what makes the story a little intricate to get into but once the pieces start falling into place, it’s hard to put the book down.
As her world becomes increasingly polluted and the ordinary people enslaved and made to dig for a substance that increases the magic of the highest mages, Clea seeks out help. The help involves rescuing a mage that has been imprisoned for 75 years in hopes that he can help her. The world building is what makes the story a little intricate to get into but once the pieces start falling into place, it’s hard to put the book down.
October 5, 2023
I have loved all of Barbara Hambly's books, and this one (a standalone book) is no exception. The author is excellent at world-building and has a deft approach to explaining the rules under which the world operates without actually explaining them. (This is an underrated skill when writing fantasy.) The adventure/world-building/conflict in this book tends to overshadow the romance aspect, but that is characteristic of all of her books. The book delves into realistic societal and systemic conflicts while integrating magic and fantasy elements. The characters, especially the main character, are well developed.
I am a devoted fan of the author and am always eager to read her books. This book is no exception, and I highly recommend it.
I am a devoted fan of the author and am always eager to read her books. This book is no exception, and I highly recommend it.
November 15, 2024
Disappointing work by a very good writer
I was introduced to Hambly's writing with Dragonsbane and its remarkable sequels, some of the finest high fantasy I've read in the years since '66, when I was given Tolkien's trilogy. I've read three of Hambly's series now, however, and the repetitive themes and relationship barriers are beginning to wear thin for me. At her best, her novels are uncommonly character-driven; in Iron Princess, I have the feeling of an apparently character-driven plot that absolutely requires these characters to be as they are drawn - an odd artistic Ouroboros that doesn't really work for me.
I was introduced to Hambly's writing with Dragonsbane and its remarkable sequels, some of the finest high fantasy I've read in the years since '66, when I was given Tolkien's trilogy. I've read three of Hambly's series now, however, and the repetitive themes and relationship barriers are beginning to wear thin for me. At her best, her novels are uncommonly character-driven; in Iron Princess, I have the feeling of an apparently character-driven plot that absolutely requires these characters to be as they are drawn - an odd artistic Ouroboros that doesn't really work for me.
August 1, 2023
No one is more disappointed than I am that I couldn't rate this book higher.
I am a big fan of Barbara Hambly from back to the 80's. I love her attention to detail, vivid settings, historical accuracy and realistic, complicated characters.
This one just didn't grab me. It felt like I was reading along the surface of something instead of sinking into it. There was a lot of info-dumping about the setting(s) and politics but the characters themselves weren't that fascinating. I didn't care why the rescue happened or about the person who was doing the rescuing or her motivation.
I am a big fan of Barbara Hambly from back to the 80's. I love her attention to detail, vivid settings, historical accuracy and realistic, complicated characters.
This one just didn't grab me. It felt like I was reading along the surface of something instead of sinking into it. There was a lot of info-dumping about the setting(s) and politics but the characters themselves weren't that fascinating. I didn't care why the rescue happened or about the person who was doing the rescuing or her motivation.
April 8, 2024
A well told fantasy story that was not was I was expecting. It started off with Prometheus myth retelling with a dark origin, and ventured into a fantasy world where magic is changing. And dangerous. Hambly didn't fall into her prior pattern of aging wizard/young female companion. I particularly enjoyed the lead character, who is a modern fantasy hero, who does the right thing. It's nice to see the ecology of magic being a significant consideration, and I'll leave it there to avoid certain spoilers.
March 16, 2023
Wonderful book
I've yet to read a book by Barbara Namely that I didn't love, and The Iron Princess is no exception. Full of excitement, intrigue, and well-defined characters, I was glued to the book until the end. As the very human heroes battled against creatures of horror as well as the evil of men, I was pulled into the story as if I were a part of it. The ending was very satisfying, but left room for speculation about the future.
I've yet to read a book by Barbara Namely that I didn't love, and The Iron Princess is no exception. Full of excitement, intrigue, and well-defined characters, I was glued to the book until the end. As the very human heroes battled against creatures of horror as well as the evil of men, I was pulled into the story as if I were a part of it. The ending was very satisfying, but left room for speculation about the future.
April 3, 2023
This book took me longer than I expected it to because of work I’d have to say it was all right it’s not the best fantasy book I’ve read but it’s far from the worst if you’re reading who’s in the epic long for saga fantasies this might not be your book but if you’re looking to get into fantasy or looking for a quick read this would actually work pretty well I thought everything was just OK but not really my cup of tea.
May 6, 2023
To be honest, I got bored. Many novels follow this formula.... strong female lead, magic gone awry, bad things and people coming at them, must fight to overcome... there was nothing wrong with this book, I just have read many similar things. Eventually I just jumped to the last couple of chapters, and I didn't feel like I missed a thing.
May 27, 2023
This was alright but did not hook me the way most of Hambly’s stories do. It has a lot in common with Time of the Dark in feel and tone. I’m not sure why it didn’t hook me as well as usual.
Well written, strong environmental analogy, interesting setting and premise. Very ‘classic Hambly’ themes. Just, somehow for me ‘meh’…
Well written, strong environmental analogy, interesting setting and premise. Very ‘classic Hambly’ themes. Just, somehow for me ‘meh’…
July 18, 2023
This is a really enjoyable read - an inventive world suffering from its own consequences, several interrelated mysteries, romance (although it's not the focus of the book, as is normal for Hambly), and descriptive, well-written prose. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because there just isn't a ton of character growth; most of them stay pretty static over the course of the book.
July 29, 2023
The Iron Princess
Humbly is once again masterful in weaving a complicated story and making you care about the characters. This may not be her best work but it is very good and you do care what happens. You do have to stay with the story to keep everyone straight but it is worth hang g in there.
Humbly is once again masterful in weaving a complicated story and making you care about the characters. This may not be her best work but it is very good and you do care what happens. You do have to stay with the story to keep everyone straight but it is worth hang g in there.
November 8, 2023
high fantasy
This has all the elements,ents I normally like. Strong female lead. Interesting crew. Some grey moral choices. Normally I really enjoy complex world building. This took it to new level with information dumps and factions and history. I really didn’t enjoy it. But if you really the first few chapters and love the style you’ll rate this a five.
This has all the elements,ents I normally like. Strong female lead. Interesting crew. Some grey moral choices. Normally I really enjoy complex world building. This took it to new level with information dumps and factions and history. I really didn’t enjoy it. But if you really the first few chapters and love the style you’ll rate this a five.
March 6, 2023
Amazing
This is such a wonderfully crafted intricate story. Like her older works, this is one where you are transported into a world We're 1st impressions are not with they seem. A thoroughly enjoyable story. Now I want more.
This is such a wonderfully crafted intricate story. Like her older works, this is one where you are transported into a world We're 1st impressions are not with they seem. A thoroughly enjoyable story. Now I want more.
March 6, 2023
great new novel from Hambly
I love this author’s world-building, and the way she fleshes out her characters. I’ve read everything she’s ever written, and I hope this book spawns a sequel; I’d love to read more in this world.
I love this author’s world-building, and the way she fleshes out her characters. I’ve read everything she’s ever written, and I hope this book spawns a sequel; I’d love to read more in this world.
June 10, 2023
Barbara Hambly at her best, a wonderful new world
Strong characters and a great plot. Places I hope to visit again, the smell and feel of them described as though she’s been there. Hoping for a sequel.
Strong characters and a great plot. Places I hope to visit again, the smell and feel of them described as though she’s been there. Hoping for a sequel.
July 5, 2023
good but not great
Hamby has a likable and driven heroine, in an interesting world. However, this book isn’t her best. It is a fairly straightforward hero’s journey, with some well drawn companion characters.
Hamby has a likable and driven heroine, in an interesting world. However, this book isn’t her best. It is a fairly straightforward hero’s journey, with some well drawn companion characters.
August 29, 2023
A moving tale of good, evil, magik and dark heroes. Characters are developed well, so that you hope in their power to overcome.
As a person with a vivid imagination, I did not need all the description that the author provided
And yet, this was a story I did not want to end:)
As a person with a vivid imagination, I did not need all the description that the author provided
And yet, this was a story I did not want to end:)
July 18, 2025
Another good read from Hambly. I particularly enjoyed the the way she goes beyond sterotypes: instead of the good wise wizard, Ithrazel is an angry, crotchety fellow who doesn't want any part of the plan; Clea is not your typical hero and struggles with trust. Fresh approach is always welcome.
April 30, 2023
interesting plot line of what may be a series...
June 11, 2023
Sometimes fantasy books get too wrapped up in descriptiveness and lore and it just takes away from the overall story, this is an example
June 24, 2023
A slow start because I got too much information too early in the story. It got better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews