Cold Iron

Here’s my problem with epic fantasy: why should anyone learn a thousand names of places, peoples, languages, and various swords, tools, and cutlery, only to discover it was all just window dressing laid on top of the same worn-out narratives? Cold Iron by Miles Cameron’s answer is because sometimes all those things are so well thought-out, so elegantly formed, and so interconnected with the story itself, that they transcend narrative decoration and instead become a deep, convincing, and entirely immersive world.<br /><br />Of course, Cameron, in his various guises (he’s also a noted historical adventure author), is known for the integrity and authenticity he brings to his world-building, but that’s never been enough for me to stick through five hundred pages of fantasy. What sets Cold Iron apart for me is how intensely character-focused it is and how willing it is to keep following its lead rather than always move the camera towards whichever giant battle is taking place somewhere. Aranthur is likeable in a way that’s become a bit rare in these Grimdark days: he’s decent, dutiful, and his flaws are ones many of us can recognize in ourselves (as opposed to randomly going off an killing a thousand people or deciding to consecrate his soul to the local demon because he wasn’t loved enough as a child.)<br /><br />What I enjoyed most, though, was simply that from chapter to chapter I didn’t know what was coming next. Often Cameron brings Aranthur’s story back to his school or his work in a leather shop, his fencing salle or his home village. Each of these chapters is somehow compelling and rich with inner conflict as Aranthur struggles to understand not who or what he is, but who he wants to be. There aren’t many writers who can get me on board with that kind of storytelling, but with Cold Iron, it was as just as easy to get excited about these scenes as those filled with conspiracy, swordplay, and a brewing war.<br /><br />Speaking of war, this is one of the places where Cold Iron departs from old-school fantasy – not because the book eschews the old “good vs. evil” structure (in fact, Cameron quite readily allows Aranthur to embrace a clear sense of who’s side he – and we – should be on), but rather because the philosophical arguments over cultural purity, a return to a glorious past, and the rationale to despise and mistreat refugees will feel all too familiar to modern audiences. Rather than portray migrants as simple victims, Cameron brings them into the intensely diverse cast of characters who drive the story forward.<br /><br />There are aspects of Cold Iron that not all readers will enjoy. Aranthur is a young man just entering the world of romance and sexuality. As such he’s . . . distractable. At times he himself notes that he’s so enamoured of whichever woman he’s just gotten to know that he begins to distrust his own motives in pursuing them. To me it read as a realistic, if uncomfortable, reminder of what a lot of us are like in our early twenties. So you kind of have to let go of the notion that fantasy heroes are either instantly monogamous saints or utterly irreverent rogues because Aranthur is somewhere in between and even he’s not sure where he’s going to land as a person. Fortunately, the women he falls for are generally wiser in such matters than he is. It’s worth noting that while Aranthur is straight, there’s plenty of sexual diversity in the world of Cold Iron, and none of the characters seem too fussed about it.<br /><br />A second issue that might occasionally trip up some readers is simply the depth of the world and its languages. I felt as if what I really wanted was not a map but an atlas of the world. Also, a set of dictionaries. A phone book would’ve helped, too. I know loads of readers adore this kind of expansive world-building, but others find it more challenging to follow. Suffice it to say, the world of Cold Iron is as big and rich as that of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. But that’s where the similarity ends and where my favourite comparison for Cold Iron begins.<br /><br />For a long time as I read, I kept trying to figure out what book Cold Iron reminded me of. I was intensely enjoying Aranthur’s journeys and discoveries of himself and the world around him, daringly overcoming various challenges, sometimes succumbing to others. In some ways the book reminded me of some of the classic swashbuckling fiction of old: C.S. Forester’s Hornblower or Sabatini’s Scaramouche. But it wasn’t until I recalled a more recent novel, one I’d read some ten years ago now, that I found the real comparison: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Cold Iron brings back vividly that wonderful feeling of spending so much time in one character’s journey and seeing how they progress in an ever more dangerous and complex tale. It takes a master storyteller to make you enjoy spending so much time in one person’s shoes, but Cameron accomplishes it with flair and seeming ease.<br /><br />So that’s where I’ll end my review: if you’re dying of wait for the next instalment of Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles, do yourself a favour and pick up Cold Iron by Miles Cameron. Not only is it just as compelling and vibrant, but rumour has it he’s already written all three books in the series, so you won’t have to wait long for the next ones to come out!

I read this some time ago, and shared what I thought of it on Facebook and Twitter, but somehow I neglected to put my thoughts on Cold Iron down here. This is what I said:<br /><br />Oh. My. Word. <br />Utterly, utterly brilliant. A masterclass in how to write modern fantasy - world building, characters, plot and pacing, all perfectly blended. <br />You might be getting the impression I enjoyed this book. For me this hit all the right spots. A gripping tale set within a fantastical but semi-historical world, characters that feel real, that ache and hurt and love and lie. The attention to detail is staggering, but never too-much. <br />Miles Cameron is at the top of his game. To say I loved it is an understatement, and I am struggling with the fact I have to wait for book 2. Highly recommended.<br /><br />Update: I've finished Book 2, Dark Forge, and it is equally brilliant. I'll be posting my thoughts on it soon.

<i> <b>I now have a YouTube channel that I run with my brother, called 'The Brothers Gwynne'. Check it out - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2psnHIUhLZB0ax7ITEdc3A/videos" rel="nofollow noopener">The Brothers Gwynne</a></b> </i><br /><br />Shockingly, Cold Iron is the first book I have read by Miles Cameron. I listened to this on Audible, and both the narration and story were very enjoyable.<br /><br />A particular element of the story that was brilliant was the description of the action sequences. The author’s own re-ennactment experience obviously played a part in making these parts so incredibly authentic. But in the manner that is immersive, yet fluid, and relays the panic and adrenaline of the moments when one’s life is at risk.<br /><br /><b>“Boasting is a way of saying you are weak"</b><br /><br />Cold Iron is inspired by an Eastern setting, set within a bustling city with a mixture of cultures as a result of a renowned university. Our central figure, Aranthur, is a student at this academic centre, adapting to urban life though he grew up on a farm and certainly not in a setting driven by scholarship. Yet alongside his academic passions, he is caught up in intrigue and military matters, with his intelligence and curiosity often placing him in places of danger.<br /><br />Cold Iron could easily have become too fast paced, too busy and too confusing. Yet Miles Cameron moulded the plot and progression of the story in such a manner that it was interesting, with a mixture of fast pace and moments of pause which form a well-crafted arc.<br /><br /><b>“He could take some extra fencing lessons. He was in love with his sword, purchased in a used clothing market on a whim. With his rent money, because he was a fool.”</b><br /><br />A strength of Cold Iron is placed within the side characters. Whilst we solely follow the perspective of out central protagonist, Aranthur, Cameron nicely develops a wide and varied side cast that incorporates characters of mixed backgrounds and interests. This was relatable to the world of Stephen King that I have read, in creating that atmosphere of town life that brings the setting to life.<br /><br />Overall, I Cold Iron was a fresh and enjoyable read. I thought it was a beautifully crafted piece with elegant prose, intriguing plot and good characters.<br /><br /><b>4/5 STARS</b>

<b>“It is important to know that you can kill, evenly, ruthlessly, without pause to wrestle your conscience, because the world is full of people who will kill you if you prevaricate.”</b><br /><br />This is the second fantasy book I have read by Miles Cameron. Coming straight from the Red Knight really highlighted the themes that are evident within these contrasting books. Where The Red Knight was a book of grim mercenary western-knights and gritty epic battles against fantastical creatures, Cold Iron is a book of Eastern life within a city, of academia and subtle details of living, racism and refugees struggle. I loved it.<br /><br />Cold Iron is told from the POV of Aranthur Timos, a student at a city academy. He was born on a farm his father owned out of the city but like many young people in the country, was drawn to the life within a great city. Arranthur is a relatively normal young man, who proceeds to encounter rather un-normal events and be at the centre of them. He develops throughout the story, questions himself, learns, makes friends, makes enemies and grows within himself. His arc was written fantastically and I found myself really liking Aranthur, feeling his frustrations and joys. Aranthur learns throughout Cold Iron sword-craft, leather-work, magik and the ways of socialisation with peers, masters and royalty. I adored all of the subtle details of the world, which completely added to the wonderful world building.<br /><br /><b>“Boasting is a way of saying you are weak”</b><br /><br />Through his adventures in and out of the city, Aranthur meets and befriends many characters, some more memorable than others. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Dhalia, a female interest of Aranthur’s who always keeps him on his toes. One thing I really enjoyed within part 1 of Masters &amp; Mages was the wide range of female characters and their roles within it. After recently completing my dissertation, which concentrated on gender roles and representation within literature, it was fascinating to see how Miles Cameron wrote his female characters. There were those that adhered to tropes of love interests, but they all made their mark on the story and moved away from these classic portrayals. There were also female characters who were witty and sharp, in the duelling ring as well as out of it. Females in positions of power and those that are peers too Aranthur. The wide range of characters Aranthur meets enhanced the enjoyment, and their various portrayals gave the story life.<br /><br />The plot was very fresh. There was political intrigue and plots and twists in levels of the story from all characters. Aranthur seemed to float from one event to another, always caught up in trouble, all whilst working and learning. There is action, duels, sword-skills, magic use and horse-riding. There is also opera, markets, transcribing ancient texts and farm work. I loved the mix up and the contrast of city life and country life. Aranthur’s city lifestyle and involvement in certain events turning him gradually into a well-known man with high-placed friends and a role to play in the intrigue of the county was fleshed out and built steadily to a crescendo. <br /><br /><b>“Whats a daesia?”<br />“A man who lives to… I don’t know. For pleasure. To lie with others. And gamble, and fight, and raise hell. A person who goes to plays and jeers at the playwright. Goes to temple and mocks the priest’s hypocrisy. Goes to the brothel to find love. Fights duels. Writes poetry.” He laughed. “Bad poetry.”<br />“Sounds wonderful. Where do I sign up?”</b><br /><br /><b>5/5 - Certainly spy-novel-esque, Cold Iron had superb world-building, fun characters and action alongside intrigue. Throughly recommended for any readers of fantasy and anything else really, you won’t regret it.</b>

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/01/13/book-review-cold-iron-by-miles-cameron/">https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/01/13/...</a><br /><br />I’ve always felt like I missed out on something big when it comes to Miles Cameron, not having read his Traitor Son Cycle. And while that series is still on the to-read list, when I found out about Cold Iron, the first book his new series called Master and Mages, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to finally experience this author’s work for myself and see what the fuss is all about.<br /><br />As such, I had no idea what to expect when I started this book. I was a little surprised to find strong throwback vibes to the classic fantasy stories in which the humble farmboy leaves the sheltered confines of his remote village to go to school and explore the world, only to stumble upon a greater destiny than he ever imagined for himself. At least, this was the novel’s early direction. Readers follow Aranthur, a young mage from the rural outskirts who has been living in the big city to study the magical arts at the prestigious academy. We first meet him on the road as he travels home to spend the holidays with his family, but then our protagonist gets himself mixed up in a violent conflict at a local inn, which ends up with him killing someone in self-defense.<br /><br />This watershed moment leads Aranthur down a new path to a world full of unexpected and exciting opportunities—the chance to master his skills with the blade and to rub elbows with the city’s most elite. But as the political landscape becomes ever more unstable, Aranthur begins to question his role in all of it, wondering why this life of blood, death, and cold iron is the one fate has chosen for him, and thinking maybe there is still a way to change and protect the people he cares about.<br /><br />As I said, Cold Iron contains strong allusions to classic and popular fantasy tropes, a no doubt intentional decision by the author, who has made some clear attempts to revitalize how we view the genre. Remarkably, there is a decent amount of freshness in a novel like this, even with all the well-worn ideas, in part because Cameron never takes them to the point where they feel superficial or misused. He also includes themes that contemporary readers can relate to, while being careful not to cross the line into overtly discussing current issues.<br /><br />Aranthur was also a likeable guy. Like most coming-of-age tales about idealistic and easily impassioned young men, his story was full of surprises. In many ways, his character calls to mind Kvothe from Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, another novel that has often been described as rooted in the classical fantasy tradition but with updated twists for a modern readership. Both protagonists start from humble beginnings to wind up the central figure in a conflict much bigger than they are, in a position to affect great change with their decisions. Both spend a good chunk of time in a university setting, learning new things and making new friends. Both seem to constantly moan about being broke. Bottom line, there are enough parallels between the two that make me think if you enjoyed one, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy the other.<br /><br />On the flip side, these kinds of stories also tend to have slow buildups and Cold Iron is no exception, especially since it contains so much complex political intrigue. I won’t deny there were parts that had me wishing I could skim, even knowing full well that the narrative is setting up the world and slowly introducing all the key players. As a result, there is a lot of initial wandering and the accompanying stop-and-go pacing. There were several scenes which made me and stop and ask myself, what’s the point? And yet, while not every moment is filled with riveting action or excitement, every new experience Aranthur has, every new encounter with a character or every new relationship he cultivates is another step towards revealing Cameron’s grand plot.<br /><br />To put it simply, Cold Iron is a good start. The biggest challenge in writing the first book of an epic fantasy series is always the balancing act between the elements of world-building and the overall plot. You want to give enough attention to the former because it is the basis upon which your entire series will be built, but at the same time you don’t want to smother the latter because the main character and his story still needs to be compelling enough to hold the reader’s interest. On the whole, I believe Miles Cameron accomplished this goal. The pacing is shaky in places, it’s true—but I also think he’s also established a solid foundation for the next novel, which should flow more smoothly as a result. But perhaps the biggest proof of this opening novel’s success lies in the fact I’m intrigued by Aranthur and I feel invested in the outcome of his story. Needless to say, I’ll be continuing with the sequel.

<b>3.5 stars </b><br /><br />Aranthur is just another student on the way home for the holidays, but the inn in which he chooses to break the journey turns out to be the very wrong place, and it’s certainly the very wrong time. The bloody episode that follows has ramifications which spread vine like through the narrative, including significant changes for all those who happened to be there. For Aranthur, it sets the path of his life thereafter, throwing him into the heart of political intrigue of the highest sort.<br /><br />The story is a meandering one. Safe to say if you’re looking for non-stop action, this is not for you. In fact, this is another book that reminded me very much of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/186074.The_Name_of_the_Wind__The_Kingkiller_Chronicle___1_" title="The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) by Patrick Rothfuss" rel="noopener">The Name of the Wind</a> because it charts the tale of a nobody from nowhere who ends up at the very centre of things, while still having to pay his rent. Aranthur is clearly a <i>ta’veren</i>, but he’s also a minor player in much greater conflicts. He may be the focus of the story and the voice through which the reader sees the events of the book, but it’s made clear that the other characters are deeply involved in the great game- high politics is being played by all, and played to win. It makes you feel for him because he is very much at the mercy of what’s happening around him and while that gives him a pretty passive role in his own life, he works hard within the framework he’s given to do the right thing. In any case, like Kvothe, Aranthur is engaging enough that you don’t mind spending the time with him regardless of whether it’s really moving the plot forwards. And while it might be slow and character focused, when the action hits, it’s brutal and inventive. Shadow monsters come out of nowhere and rip you to bloody shreds. I mean, that’s what might happen. At some point.<br /><br />The language well reflects the character’s awkwardness, especially in the beginning when he is unsure of himself and his new, more responsible role in society: <i>‘Join you and do what? With my minimal sword skills and my nonexistent talent for Safiri and power, join you and we’ll save the world?’</i> Without doubt, this is a coming of age story, a journey in which the reader learns alongside Aranthur, and the development of knowledge is a significant motif in the book. It seems like it’s important to Miles Cameron too since his created world is deeply influenced by our own, peppered with vocabulary from history and classical/world languages: syr for sir and agora (marketplace) to name just two. The scope of the word borrowing extends far outside the timescale in which the book is set, something that feels like the later Middle Ages to Early Modern period. The transition between swords and guns allows for some thrilling fight scenes, never losing that classic swords and sorcery feeling. The magic system itself has a similar set up to The Wheel of Time, with a split between female and male power, here called <i>saar</i> and <i>sihr</i> respectively- the male being the darker as in WoT. The potential of power is hinted at but used sparingly- as with so much in this book, learning is necessary for greater workings. On the other hand, the everyday, smaller, more egalitarian uses of power by normal people is cleverly used as the motivation for the grand struggle: who should get to use it? For some, the Pure, the answer is only the best people. And guess what, that ain’t me and you. It’s an effective way to talk about class struggle and discrimination, especially since, in this world, magic is needed for some basic tasks, ones that keep people alive. <br /><br />The feeds into another challenging topic the book deals with: racism. Some reviewers have suggested this book might be racist, for example citing ‘mongels’ as an unacceptable term to use in modern writing. No judgement from me on that (because it doesn’t sound good at all), but I think this is a book in which people come to realise, or not, their prejudices, rather than starting out maturely developed. My reading of it was that racism was something the book particularly tries to address, especially through responses to refugees from the wars in the east who continue to arrive in the city and the countryside as things worsen in their former homes. In both environments, refugees are identified as a problem, dealt with in a range of ways. The language used to describe differences between foreigners and local populations come from the mouths of the characters rather than the author and reflect the insidious and ever present nature of racism, the seemingly inescapable need for people to identify and highlight human variation in order to position themselves above others. The supposed clash of cultures is repeatedly utilised as an excuse for a refusal to understand or accept different ways of living, enabling the author to show the sheer irrationality of racial prejudice. It reveals the way ideas about people are created and used to promote specific agendas, whilst the destructive power of such concepts become ever more clearly written in pain and death. It’s a pointed commentary on the effects of war and persecution, one which has special validity for our own society.<br /><br />Unfortunately, once it hits the high point at the end of Book 1, at about 80%, there’s a bit of a slow down with some serious time given to overexplanation. There’s still a lot going on but I just couldn’t get back that same feeling from the first book. As much as I enjoyed some aspects of the novel, especially the underlying depth and social commentary, there’s not quite enough there to have me rush back.

I really loved this. Cameron writes a lot of historical fiction, and it shows. His world feels so incredibly real, which makes the fantasy elements seem more wondrous than books where such things are commonplace. Aranthur's story--which includes both a student's poverty and an academic's slow but inevitable progress--is extremely compelling. I'm looking very forward to seeing how high he climbs--and how often he stumbles along the way!

Cold Iron is the first book in the new “Masters and Mages” series from Miles Cameron, author of the Traitor Son Cycle.<br /><br />Coming into this book, I was mostly familiar with Cameron through reputation only. I’d heard that the Traitor Son Cycle was a great fantasy series, but I’d never experienced his books for myself. You guys know how those TBRs can be.<br /><br />But after reading Cold Iron, I wish I’d made time to read some of Miles Cameron’s books much earlier.<br /><br />Cold Iron is a bit of a throwback to classical farmboy fantasy. Our main character is Aranthur, who leaves his simple, rural life behind to study languages, philosophy, and even a little magik at the academy in his local city. We first meet Aranthur as he prepares to travel home to spend a holiday with his family. On the way, he stumbles into some trouble which introduces him to a circle of people whom he was previously unfamiliar with.<br /><br />What’s interesting about this book is that it feels like a classical fantasy story, but with modern tastes and sensibilities in mind. It’s aware of the criticisms that were (and still are) thrown at the farmboy books of yesteryear, and takes steps to address them. Even just considering the way in which Aranthur gets tied up in the plot of this novel: he isn’t a chosen one, and he’s not even the smartest or most talented in his academy. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time.<br /><br />Aranthur is a likeable and relatable character, but not without his flaws. His relatability is a little reminiscent of Kvothe from Pat Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles—in that amongst all the epic and fantastical happenings (and coping with antagonistic and casual racism), Aranthur still has to work a part-time job in order pay rent. Between coursework, work-work, and the trials and tribulations of being a fantasy protagonist… Aranthur just doesn’t have much time to think about anyone but himself. By necessity (or so he thinks), he’s more than a little selfish.<br /><br />Plot-wise, Aranthur gets dragged into a world which he knows very little about. He meets people from every echelon of society—from drug-addicts to nobility to emperors—and forms unique and engaging relationships. Unfortunately for him, he also becomes involved in the politics that some of these relationships bring with them. He is made aware of a mysterious and powerful “Master” who is said to be at the head of a political conspiracy that threatens war and magical terrorism.<br /><br />The world of Cold Iron struck me as late-medieval, early-renaissance. Guns are starting to appear, but the main weapons used in combat are still swords, spears, crossbows, and the like. Aranthur is learning to use the sword, and so there is a good number of action-heavy swordfights and duels for those who like that kind of thing.<br /><br />Something which really stuck out about Cold Iron was the variety of roles which women played. It is a very common and very valid criticism of older farmboy fantasy novels that women characters are often relegated to love interests, courtesans, or the local innkeeper’s wife. Actually, there are characters who fit those descriptions in this book, but the point is that they aren’t confined to them. Women can just as easily be badass swordswomen, super-powerful mages, or intelligent generals and academics.<br /><br />As a whole, Cold Iron is a very enjoyable book which manages to feel both familiar and fresh. I was intrigued by the world and the characters, and I’m invested in the plot to the extent that I’ll be picking up the sequel as soon as I can get my grubby paws on it.<br /><br />If you like books with rich worlds, engaging action scenes, and relatable but flawed protagonists, I’d suggest that you pick this one up.

Cold Iron is set in a faux Byzantine ((City, naming, people, old aristocratic families jockeying for power) milieu with magic that has been "freed" by "hero" Tirases a millennium ago to be used by almost anyone in small but essential ways (heating water and houses, controlling fertility etc) which led to a better life for many; there are a lot of familiar elements (the magic academy, the farmer student of middling talent to start with etc combined with a lot of the historical fiction touches from the author's medieval series like Chivalry and Tom Swan- medieval inn life, manuscripts, horses, clothing and weapon details of the age which is a sort of 1400's with dragons and magic as firearms are slowly appearing but swords and crossbows are still the main weapons). <br /><br />However a "curtain of war" is coming towards the City from the east - rumors are of conspiracies of the rich and powerful - and especially of a clique of a powerful "Master" and his "Disciples" who want to "conquer the world" in order to restrict the use of magic to themselves while claiming that its continual use by everyone is slowly but surely depleting it from the universe and our hero Aranthur of Arnaut background (and who has many similarities with William Gold the hero of the Chivalry series, though here the story is in third person) gets somehow to be at the center of events (the Arnauts are former mercenaries of the Empire now mostly settled as farmers in the mountainous hinterland and still looked upon as uncouth and violent barbarians by the "Byzas" aristocracy of the city, while in return the Arnaut farmers have their own mythology of past greatness and of being empire saviours and have only contempt and disgust for the "degenerate life" of the City or for the many foreigner refugees from the wars in the East (which slowly becomes another problem for Aranthur as he is caught more and more between his deepening involvement in City and Byzas aristocracy affairs and what he starts perceiving as the boorishness of his former neighbors and childhood friends).<br /><br /> And there is a friendly sentient dragon too, a gift/envoy from the Empire of Zhou in the far east to the City and the Emperor (though he is a figurehead to a large extent with the academy and the aristocratic families being the real powers), whose species is now rare (and on the blacklist of the Master as the dragons can "eat magic")<br /><br />There is a lot of action and some of the storylines are at least partially solved, while the ending is at a good tbc point.<br /><br />Very compelling, set in a very rich world with many cultures and a well-realized civilization, with great characters (Aranthur but many others too one will encounter through the story) and highly recommended with volume 2 set for 2019 on my read on release list

Review from TenaciousReader: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2018/10/22/review-cold-iron-by-miles-cameron/">http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2018/1...</a><br /><br /><br />So, I want to lead with that I really enjoyed Cameron’s The Red Knight, However, while there were parts of it that I loved, there were also areas where it seemed to lag and there were so many characters that even for an epic fantasy, it felt hard to keep up with all of them at times. So even though I wound up loving the story over all, the pacing issues in Red Knight caused the sequels to fall down my priority enough that I never managed to make the time to read them. Cold Iron is a completely different read from The Red Knight. It had absolutely none of those pacing issues I experienced in Red Knight and is a simpler story structure since there is just a single POV, which always helps quite a bit. I by no means mean that this is a simple story. Just that with a smaller cast and with the single perspective, there are not breaks in the flow as you switch from one character’s story line to another’s. It was straight and to the point, we met and learned about our protagonist, Aranthur, and experienced his journey through the book.<br /><br />This is a classic and fun coming of age story where the farm boy ventures off to school to study magic, and for extra fun, also learns the sword. Aranthur is very much a “Mary Sue” character, he excels at just about everything he tries, but you know what? I don’t really care, because its fun to read about a farm boy that goes to school as an outsider, a racial minority as well as lower class than his peers, but manages to find his place and succeed. He’s not infallible and has much to learn on the social side of things, especially when it comes to women, but he tries to learn from his mistakes. I think the area I enjoyed the least with this book were all things that revolved around his relationships with women, or how they were presented. Getting just his perspective can sort of slant the presentation a bit, and made me question at times the reliability of the narrator. I actually think this can make things more interesting. Getting just one perspective always enables a bit more mystery with everyone else.<br /><br />The story beyond just Aranthur is also quite good. While in the city, we learn about different factions and groups that are at odds with one another. On top of House affiliations, there are also something like secret (or not so secret) societies that each have their own political or religious agenda. It creates an atmosphere that is headed towards open House wars. Everyone seems to have a hidden agenda and by the end of the first book, I’m not sure who I can trust from the City. Top this off with larger threats from neighboring lands as well as a bit of a coup, things stay interesting and the pieces keep moving.<br /><br />And really, another really positive I can say for this book is that I couldn’t put it down. Considering I’ve had quite the reading slump lately, I loved that this book hit all the right buttons for me. It had so many of the traits that I love in my fantasy books, and I can’t wait to read the next one.