Chris Evans

Iron Elves — (2008-2011) Publisher: We do not fear the flame, though it burns us, We do not fear the fire, though it consumes us, And we do not fear its light, Though it reveals the darkness of our souls, For therein lies our power. — Blood Oath of the Iron Elves.  First in a stunning debut series, A Darkness Forged in Fire introduces an unforgiving world of musket and cannon... bow and arrow... magic, diplomacy, and oaths — each wielding terrible power in an Empire teetering on the brink of war. In this world, Konowa Swift Dragon, former commander of the Empire's elite Iron Elves, is looked upon as anything but ordinary. He's murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished in disgrace to the one place he despises the most — the forest. Now, all he wants is to be left alone with his misery... but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple. The mysterious and alluring Visyna Tekoy, the highborn daughter of an elfkynan governor, seeks him out in the dangerous wild with a royal decree that he resume his commission as an officer in Her Majesty's Imperial Army, effective immediately. For in the east, a falling Red Star heralds the return of a magic long vanished from the earth. Rebellion grows within the Empire as a frantic race to reach the Star unfolds. It is a chance for Konowa to redeem himself — even if the entire affair appears doomed to be a suicide mission... and that the soldiers recruited for the task are not at all what he expects. And worse, his key adversary in the perilous race for the Star is the dreaded Shadow Monarch — a legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine...

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A Darkness Forged in Fire

“Mountains shouldn’t scream, but this one did.” Those words start the first volume in The Iron Elves series by Chris Evans, a first time author. A Darkness Forged in Fire is one of the best new fantasies that I’ve read in a long time. Evans has a visceral writing style that makes the world come alive, interesting takes on standard fantasy races such as elves and dwarves, and one of the most terrifying landscapes I can remember.

A Darkness Forged in Fire tells the story of Konowa Swift Dragon and his quest to find redemption from being born marked by the Shadow Monarch, an evil elf-witch who is determined to take over the world with her forests of black trees and frozen ground. The Shadow Monarch is searching for the Eastern Star, a relic of unimaginable power, to aid her in her quest to subjugate the entire world to her whim. The empire also wants the Star for its own purposes, as do the elfkyna, the conquered native people who believe the Star will enable them to eject the empire from their lands and reclaim their freedom. Caught between all these competing agendas is Konowa, the commander of the Iron Elves, who killed the former Viceroy when he discovered that the Viceroy was a puppet of the Shadow Monarch, for which he was exiled and his unit shipped to a foreign country. Called back into service to lead the Prince’s quest for the Star, he must reform the Iron Elves from the dregs of the Empire’s army and lead them against the Shadow Monarch.

This plot could be described as what might happen if the British Empire decided to colonize Middle Earth. A mix of politics, military tactics, and fantasy, Evans balances all three types of storytelling to create a captivating story. He manages to create a whole cast of memorable, finely-drawn characters, and balances gripping action, terrifying encounters with evil, and moments of humor and beauty into a well-rounded story. A Darkness Forged in Fire is a tightly plotted novel full of twists, turns, betrayals, and other unexpected events. In particular, the ending was not what I was anticipating, but seems a perfect conclusion to the plot lines that led up to it.

The relationship between Konowa and Visyna, an elfkyna witch, is especially well done. Visyna regards Konowa as a tool of the Empire that is crushing her people and bringing evil to her land. She can sense the danger that Konowa represents, and that tempers their relationship. Though they are obviously attracted to each other, that doesn’t cause them to cast all their other responsibilities to the wind and fall head over heels in love with each other, but instead they have to fumble their way forward with competing and conflicting agendas. It is a much more realistic depiction of emerging love than is frequently found in fantasy novels.

I had just one quibble with the story, and that is the inclusion of the storyline detailing the activities of the current Viceroy. Though as well written as the rest of the story, it didn’t advance the main plot in any significant fashion. I’m assuming that this subplot was necessary for setting up the action for the next book in the series, but it slowed down the otherwise gripping pace of this volume.

Chris Evans’ world lives and breathes, making it difficult to put down the book. I stayed up late and got up early to find time to read it — something I haven't done in quite a while. A Darkness Forged in Fire is a great book, and a particularly impressive feat for a debut novel. I highly recommend A Darkness Forged in Fire to any reader, and am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series. —Ruth Arnell 

A Darkness Forged in Fire

A Darkness Forged in Fire has an interesting mix of traditional fantasy elements: tree-connected elves, gruff dwarves, a shadowy villain arisen from the past, a quest combined with an Imperial Army with musket brigades, an “Iron” elf who isn’t quite so into nature, even a drunk pelican. Unfortunately, the mix of elements was the most original aspect of the novel, with its other basic elements such as plot and character too pedestrian to be all that compelling.

The Iron Elves were a regiment of a group of elves “touched by” the Shadow Monarch elf-witch (as marked by being born with black-tipped ears) and thus mistrusted. By forming their own regiment in the Imperial Army, they tried to show they were deserving of trust. But a few years back their leader, Konawa, discovered that the elvish imperial Vice-Roy was a minion of the Shadow Monarch and killed him. The Iron Regiment was disbanded and sent to a far-flung hole of the empire while Konawa was court-martialed and exiled. As is often the case with dark lords, though, the Shadow Monarch once more threatens and so Konawa is called back and the Iron Elves regiment reformed, though this time with humans (and one dwarf).

The strengths of A Darkness Forged in Fire are its humor, which is often quite, quite funny; its fast pace (though it slows in places), and one or two strongly constructed characters (particularly the dwarf Yimt and his friend Alwyn).

Unfortunately, I found its weaknesses to outweigh its strengths. The worldbuilding is relatively thin, with some potential richness (especially in the political nature of the setting — an empire, an oppressed land of elfkynan (cousins to true elves), true elves, a rebellion, etc) but it’s never really fleshed out. The characters are also thin save for the exceptions I mentioned. The book drops down in intensity anytime we leave the grunts of the regiment for the other characters, including the main character Konawa (who just isn’t all that compelling), his romantic interest Alwyn (and the romance is too predictable and perfunctory), the meant-to-be-scary new Viceroy, and the feckless prince.

And the plot is pretty simplistic and straightforward, as is the book’s movement through the plot — the army marches, fights some skirmishes against odd creatures, marches some more, fights some more odd creatures. That’s an oversimplification, but not by much. The plot lines that do interrupt the straightforward movement — mostly dealing with the new viceroy, feel mostly unnecessary.

In the end, while I really enjoyed the moments when Yimt was on-stage, those moments didn’t happen enough to carry the book. A Darkness Forged in Fire isn’t all that bad; it’s just sort of there, which isn’t enough to carry me into book two. —Bill Capossere 

The Light of Burning Shadows

In this second installment in The Iron Elves series, Konowa Swift Dragon has convinced Prince Tykkin that he needs to reclaim the original Iron Elves who were dispatched across the ocean and stationed at the backside of beyond when Konowa was originally dismissed after murdering the first Viceroy. The prince agrees, but mostly because he’s heard rumors of another Star reading to appear in the Hasshugeb Expanse where the Iron Elves are stationed — which just happens to be the rumored location of the fabled Lost Library of Kaman Rhal. So, the Iron Elves set off on another adventure to find the new star and keep it from the Shadow Monarch, but in the desert they encounter another ancient force which is bent on finding the new Star and bending it to a different, darker purpose.

All the seeds planted in A Darkness Forged in Fire have definitely grown into fruition here. The action in The Light of Burning Shadows picks up shortly after the end of the first volume and the reader is quickly swept away into the story once again. Evans sets a swift pace, and this book centers more on the characters, with slightly less military action than the first volume. The characters are where Chris Evans really shines, especially with the attention paid to the ordinary soldiers in the regiment — not just the commanders. The relationship between dwarf Sgt. Yimt Arkhorn and Private Alwyn Renwar (who lost his leg at the battle in Luuguth Jor and has a new one fashioned for him from living wood by elven magic) is particularly well written. Alwyn is a main character in this installment, as he struggles to deal with the effects of the curse and his ability to see the Darkly Departed — the shades of fallen Iron Elves who still protect their regiment.

The main fight in this book isn’t between the Iron Elves and the Shadow Monarch, but against this new power coming from the desert. This creates a fresh take on what is essentially the same quest as in the last book: capture the Star, break the curse. The new villain brings political machinations to the forefront, which allows many of the characters to grow and develop. Evans writes with a brilliant evocative pose that captures the pride of this cursed regiment:

They might be doomed, damned, and buggered for all eternity, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t sparkle like a diamond in the sun and grin like a skull in the moonlight on their way to oblivion.

There were many moments in The Light of Burning Shadows that had me laughing and there were a few shocking twists — one in particular made me go back and read it again just to verify that I had actually read it correctly. Add in fast-paced action, intriguing characters, tight plotting, the addition of a map and a glossary, and you've got a book that's nearly pitch perfect in every way.

I can’t remember the last time I slammed a book shut in frustration at the end — because I was going to have to wait a year for the next installment. I don’t want to wait to find out what happens next for the cursed Iron Elves, bound by an oath to a dark magic that ties them even after this life. Mr. Evans, please please, please write quickly! —Ruth Arnell 

The Light of Burning Shadows

PLOT SUMMARY: As the human-dominated Calahrian Empire struggles to maintain its hold on power in the face of armed rebellion from within, the Iron Elves' perilous quest to defeat the power-hungry elf witch, the Shadow Monarch, takes on greater urgency. The Iron Elves, shunned by their own people for bearing the mark of the Shadow Monarch, and desperately wanting to forever erase this shame, became legendary for their prowess on the battlefield as the Calahrian Imperial Army's elite shock troops. But when their commanding officer, Konowa Swift Dragon, murdered the Viceroy of Elfkyna, he was exiled, and these brave elves were banished to a remote desert outpost, doomed and leaderless, their honor in tatters.

Recalled to duty to reform his regiment from the dregs of the Imperial Army, Konowa thwarted the plans of the Shadow Monarch at the Battle of Luuguth Jor — ensuring that the fabled Red Star, a source of great natural energy, did not fall into Her hands. Now Konowa must cross storm-tossed seas to seek out the lost elves and the prophesied return of another Star somewhere in a desert wasteland roiling with mysterious power, infernos of swirling magic, and legends brought back to life in new and terrible ways. And the fate of every living creature will come to depend on a small band of ragged and desperate soldiers, whose very loyalty to the Empire they have sworn to serve is no longer certain...

FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 384 pages divided over thirty-two chapters. Also includes a map, a glossary, and an issue of the Imperial Weekly Herald that recaps events from the first book. Narration is in the third-person alternating mainly between Konowa Swift Dragon and Alwyn Renwar, as well as a few minor viewpoints including Visyna Tekoy. The Light of Burning Shadows is the second volume in The Iron Elves series after A Darkness Forged In Fire, which I would recommend reading first. The Light of Burning Shadows ends on a cliffhanger.

July 28, 2009 marks the US Hardcover publication of The Light of Burning Shadows via Pocket Books The UK edition was released August, 6 2009 via Simon & Schuster. Jacket art and design by Alan Dingman.

ROBERT’S ANALYSIS: The Light of Burning Shadows suffers from many of the same problems as its predecessor including thin characterization, shallow world building, and a straightforward plot that is basically a rehash of the first book — several different factions converging on a fallen star, this time the Jewel of the Desert. Yet for all of its shortcomings, I really enjoyed reading The Light of Burning Shadows and felt that it was a much stronger effort than A Darkness Forged in Fire.

For one, the writing is sharper with cleaner prose and pacing that is even more electric than the first book. Evans also exhibits better command of the story, including the management of the novel’s different subplots and the execution of some solid narrative twists. Even better, The Light of Burning Shadows is not plagued with unnecessary/ineffectual subplots like its predecessor, and instead focuses on what really matters such as Konowa finding the original Iron Elves, the Jewel of the Desert, the Blood Oath, and the surfacing of a dark power in Kaman Rhal that rivals the Shadow Monarch. Plus, the ending is superb and offers a ton of exciting and interesting avenues to explore in the next volume. On the other hand, the plot is still pretty simple, a lot of questions remain unanswered — Who or what is Rallie Synjyn? — and some of the novel’s climatic moments are easy to predict.

Character-wise, the cast and their relationship to one another remain underdeveloped, but Chirs Evans does possess the ability to give his characters their own unique voice and personality as evidenced by the dwarf Yimt Arkhorn who is by far my favorite character in the series. This time around though, I was really surprised by Alwyn Renwar — one of my least favorite characters from A Darkness Forged in Fire — who undergoes some major changes and really emerges as the main protagonist in the book, even overshadowing Konowa Swift Dragon. Prince Tykkin also surprised me some and I loved the banter between Yimt and his squadron — Alwyn, Hrem, Scolly, Teeter, Inkermon, Zwitty — as well as whenever the three women in Konowa’s life (mother Chayi Red Owl, love interest Visyna Tekoy, and scribe Rallie) got together.

Surprisingly, the military aspects — one of the strengths, and a personal favorite of mine, in the first book — is noticeably lacking in The Light of Burning Shadows compared to A Darkness Forged in Fire. Evans still explores certain facets like the bond formed between soldiers and whatnot, but for the most part the military angle is overshadowed by all of the magic — frost fire, sarka har, the stars, drakarri, Kaman Rhal, the Blood Oath, etc. — found in the book. Fortunately, the magic is creative and really exciting, so this wasn’t an issue for me.

Humor is still retained in the new book, but I didn’t find it as funny as A Darkness Forged in Fire. The flora/fauna is also not as imaginative while the animal characters take a backseat, apart from Jir and the squirrel which is really Konowa’s father.

In addition to all of the novel’s improvements, I would say the real key to enjoying The Light of Burning Shadows — and its predecessor — is understanding what kind of fantasy the book is. In other words, Chris Evans is not another Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, or Steven Erikson so don’t expect doorstopper volumes full of in-depth world building, complex plotting, or deep characterization. Instead, the author writes more lighter-fared, family-friendly fantasy full of nonstop action and adventure that should appeal to fans of Terry Brooks, Jennifer Roberson, and R.A. Salvatore. I also think fans of James Clemens and Alan Campbell could enjoy the series even though the books are not as dark.

In the end, the second book of the Iron Elves continues to suffer from many of the same problems as A Darkness Forged in Fire, but with improved writing, better execution, an action-packed story, characters that have evolved, and a thrilling finish that will leave readers wanting more, The Light of Burning Shadows is a marked improvement over the debut, and a highly entertaining fantasy that should continue making a name for Chris Evans. —Robert Thompson 

Ashes of a Black Frost

PLOT SUMMARY: Amidst a scene of carnage on a desert battlefield blanketed in metallic snow, Major Konowa Swift Dragon sees his future, and it is one drenched in shadow and blood. Never mind that he has won a grand victory for the Calahrian Empire. He came here in search of his lost regiment of elves, while the Imperial Prince came looking for the treasures of a mystical library, and both ventures have failed. But Konowa knows, as do the Iron Elves — both living and dead — that another, far more important battle now looms before them. The campaign in the desert was only the latest obstacle on the twisted, darkening path leading inexorably to the Hyntaland, and the final confrontation with the dreaded Shadow Monarch.

In this third novel of musket and magic in Chris Evans' Iron Elves saga, Konowa's ultimate journey is fraught with escalating danger. A vast, black forest finds a new source of dark power, spawning creatures even more monstrous than the blood trees from which they evolve. The maniacally unstable former emissary of the Shadow Monarch hungers for revenge, leading an army of ravenous beasts bent on utterly destroying the Iron Elves. A reluctant hero, Private Alwyn Renwar, struggles to maintain his connection to this world and that of the loyalty of the shades of the dead. And in a maze of underground tunnels, Visyna Tekoy, whom Konowa counts among those he has loved and lost, fights for her life against the very elves he so desperately wants to find.

And so Konowa sets off from this Canyon of Bones, pursuing his freedom from a curse that has cast his life in darkness. For though his long, violent trek may indeed lead him to his destiny, he is ill prepared for the discovery he will make... with the fate of the Iron Elves, and the world, hinging on the courage of one wrathful elf...

CLASSIFICATION: The Iron Elves trilogy is a cross between military fantasy and PG-13 sword & sorcery fantasy. Think Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore and Jennifer Roberson combined with a smattering of Glen Cook’s Black Company novels and Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series.

FORMAT/INFO: Ashes of a Black Frost is 448 pages long divided over 39 chapters. Also includes a map, a glossary, and a letter from Major Konowa Swift Dragon. Narration is in the third-person, mostly via Konowa Swift Dragon, but there are several minor viewpoints including Visyna Tekoy, Private Alwyn Renwar, Viceroy Faltinald Gwyn, etc. Ashes of a Black Frost is the third and final volume in the Iron Elves trilogy after A Darkness Forged In Fire and The Light of Burning Shadows. It is recommended that readers finish A Darkness Forged In Fire and The Light of Burning Shadows before attempting Ashes of a Black Frost.

October 18, 2011 marks the North American Hardcover publication of Ashes of a Black Frost via Gallery Books. The UK edition will be released on October 13, 2011 via Simon & Schuster UK.

ANALYSIS: Chris Evans’ The Light of Burning Shadows was a marked improvement over the author’s debut novel, A Darkness Forged In Fire, highlighted by an exciting finish to the book. Because of the cliffhanger ending and the improvement shown over the first novel, I had very high expectations for Ashes of a Black Frost, the third and final volume in the Iron Elves trilogy. Unfortunately, those expectations were shot to pieces.

Ashes of a Black Frost opens with the Iron Elves dealing with the victorious, yet tragic aftermath of their battle in the Hasshugeb Expanse, and Major Konowa Swift Dragon coming to a decision to confront the Shadow Monarch once and for all. From here, the Iron Elves face evolved sarka har, rakkes, and numerous other dangers on the beginning of their journey to the Shadow Monarch’s mountain in the Hyntaland, which starts the novel off on the right track. Unfortunately, Ashes of a Black Frost soon becomes sidetracked by unnecessary humor/silliness (HMT The Flying Elf for example), romance and various subplots — Private Bawton Feylan, Viceroy Alstonfar, the Queen’s heir, et cetera — that fail to add anything of value to the book.

To make matters worse, Chris Evans spends far too much time dealing with events in the Hasshugeb Expanse — around 350 pages, to be more precise. That leaves less than a hundred pages to cover the rest of the Iron Elves’ journey to the Hyntaland and Major Konowa Swift Dragon’s final confrontation with the Shadow Monarch. Which leads directly to the novel’s biggest issue: a lack of payoff. As the third and final volume in the Iron Elves trilogy, Ashes of a Black Frost wraps up most of the series’ most important storylines — the Shadow Monarch, the Blood Oath, the Darkly Departed, Konowa’s relationship with Visyna Tekoy, Alwyn Renwar’s transformation, the revenge of Faltinald Gwyn and Corporal Critton, and so on — but does so in a manner that is largely unsatisfying. Not only that, but the book never resolves the mystery of Rallie Synjyn or settles matters between Konowa and the original Iron Elves.

Writing-wise, Ashes of a Black Frost is a mixed performance. On the one hand, Chris Evans continues to impress me with the military aspects of his series and a creative imagination accompanied by skillful prose. On the other hand, weak characterization, shallow world-building and straightforward plotting are once again problems. In this case, I was particularly troubled by the author’s ineffective attempts at romance and humor, and the decision to mainly narrate Ashes of a Black Frost from the POVs of Konowa and Visyna, which made Alwyn, Prince Tykkin and the rest of the novel’s supporting characters virtually useless.

At the end of the day though, the unfulfilling payoff remains the novel’s most glaring problem. Simply put, I wanted to be rewarded for all of the time and effort I had invested in the Iron Elves trilogy, but instead, Ashes of a Black Frost was a disappointing conclusion. Still, The Light of Burning Shadows is ample proof that Chris Evans can write highly entertaining epic fantasy. So for now, I remain interested in the author’s future efforts, but he has to do a better job... —Robert Thompson