The Iron Crown by L.L.Macrae

The Iron Crown by L. L. Macrae

The Dragons Spirits - Book 1

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book prior to its release for an honest and independent review.

My review will take the form of C.A.W.P.I.L.E.

Characters

Atmosphere

Writing

Plot

Intrigue

Logic

Enjoyment

(Originally created by YouTube content creator G on her channel Book Roast)

Characters - my favourite character in this story, so far has got to be Fenn. The journey he embarks on from the very first page of the book immediately demands your attention, as the story progresses and develops his arc of discovery encourages you as the reader to accept and accompany him through his own endeavours. You are very cleverly pulled into the action and immediately form a bond and emotional connection to him, because you the reader and he the character are straight away almost side by side in that as he discovers the goings on around him in his world so does the reader. It is a wonderfully clever tool to use straight off the bat.

Atmosphere - following on from what I said about the character of Fenn and how reader and character are discovering the world together, makes for intensely fascinating world building. Beautiful descriptions of the sights and sounds made it feel very immersive. At every intended moment the reader is taken on the journey and feels what I believe to be exactly what is expected. When the stakes are high and the tension increases, the atmosphere reflects as much. Similarly when there are moments of calm you feel that too.

Writing - I found it to be incredibly subtle. I felt I was learning about the world and how it all works without being ‘dumped on’ too quickly and without being bombarded with too much information in one go. There was enough simplicity in the language for the fantastical story to be accessible, without it in any way being patronising to the reader. The technicalities of the writing style presented enough maturity for it to feel age appropriate, yet I can still see this story being read to readers of all ages. Which in itself shows an intellectual understanding of the tools at the author’s disposal and also a very clear and well outlined and planned story.

Plot - wanting to keep this review spoiler free I cannot discuss particular parts and happenings of the story by needless to say, for the first book in this new series there is enough goings on within these pages to keep you turning them from beginning to end and cover to cover.

Intrigue - This is certainly not lacking in the pages of this book! The atmosphere that was created, the immersive experience of reading made it impossible to put down! I certainly found that I read this book a great deal quicker than I was expecting to, especially considering it is an epic fantasy and the beginning of a new series.

Logic - Although there are so many elements of the fantastical in this book, I at no point felt as if any of it were too much to accept, too far fetched to be believed. Imagination is a magical thing within itself and this book has been written in such a way that gives you the reader the freedom to immerse yourself within your own imaginative interpretations of the story with a gentle push towards the authorial vision too. Together you are able to create something special that is truly magical.

Enjoyment - I enjoyed this book immensely and am very excited to continue with this new series. I have found a connection to this world and these characters that I am keen to explore further as this story grows.

Magic, Dragons, Epic Fantasy and wonderfully rounded characters. What more can you ask for?

Thank you again for approaching me to review your book in advance of its release and I can’t wait to see what happens next!