Fantasy Book Critic: The Iron Crown by L.L. McRae (reviewed by Matthew Higgins)

OFFICIAL AUTHOR INFO: My name is Lauren, and I'm a fantasy author of character-driven stories and epic adventure. My books usually contain dragons, bucket-loads of magic, and are typically fun and hopeful.

I live in a tiny village in the English countryside, have a degree in Psychology, and was a professional copywriter before going full-time as an author—swapping corporate copy for magic and dragons!

OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Tassar is a world of spirits — both life and death.
What happens when that balance tips, when vengeful spirits are on the rise, and people are caught in the middle?

Fenn’s first and only memory is finding himself in the middle of a forest, face to face with a dragon spirit mocking him, all knowledge gone apart from his own name.

Lost and confused, his only hope for answers is Calidra—a woman living on the edge of the world with her partner. Forced to return home when her father dies, Calidra has put off facing her estranged mother for seven years, and she begrudgingly helps Fenn, forging papers for him so he can avoid the Queen’s Inquisitors.

But her mother is the least of her worries when they discover an ancient enemy is rising again. It should be impossible with the Iron Crown in power—and Fenn is terrified he might unwittingly be playing a part in the war’s resurgence.

Surrounded by vengeful spirits and powerful magic, Fenn’s desperate attempt to find his way home might well alter the fate of Tassar, and every power in it.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Iron Crown is a book infused with the joy of reading and an adventurous heart. With some of the most inventive worldbuilding I have had the pleasure of being immersed in, Lauren writes a fantastical quest fantasy for the ages. Whilst the second half and the antagonists didn’t quite impact in the way I’d hoped, it didn’t stop this book being a rocket ride of fantasy goodness.

Grab your pen and paper ladies, gentlemen and all non-binary folk, because you are really going to want to get L.L. Mcrae’s name to the top of Mt. TBR! This book was an absolute delight in all the best ways, reminding me in equal measure of the expansive and creative world of One Piece, the whimsical adventures of The Hobbit, and the youthful innocence of Assassin’s Apprentice, before the second half treads a darker path.

We start this adventure in classic Dungeons and Dragons-esque fashion, our main character Fenn waking up in a mysterious forest with no memories except for his name, and a dragon spirit questioning his presence. Off the bat, we can identify with Fenn because we know absolutely nothing about the world, and one of my favourite aspects of the book was seeing the scope of the world expand as Fenn learns more and seeks further. Now you might be wondering exactly what a dragon spirit is? Well, dear readers this is one of the most magical aspects of this book which ranges from the dragons all the way through to Griffins ( yes I know!! I was very excited too! Who doesn’t like Griffins after all?!!!)

To speak more of the spirits, they are found in the world of Tassar, and each spirit has their own domain to control. The most unique aspect of this is that they form within different environments such as forests or mountains. They can shift and change the environment however they like, and so there is a certain playfulness as well as a darkness to be found there. Do NOT anger a dragon spirit because they can either bless, or curse anyone within their domain!

Now the dragon Fenn encounters is a pretty tricksy spirit, so let’s just say he isn’t exactly at ease until he is found by our other two main protagonists of Calidra and Jiseyl. Jiseyl has a quirky nervous energy and a wide-eyed sense of innocence swiftly becoming one of my favourite characters of the book. Calidra on the other hand is very closed off, and extremely wary of this mysterious young man who has just turned up on their idyllic island and disturbed their tranquil peace.

A tranquil island indeed, for I could’ve stayed there the entire book and been very happy, such is the beauty L.L. McRae has crafted within. In just a few pages I felt completely at home, mostly due to the hospitality their guardian Melandre offers to Fenn, and it is not often I read a book to immerse me so swiftly.

Alas it is not to last, for there is something darker emerging on the horizons. Fenn and the others are situated on the isle of Salt, but the wider world of Tassar lies on the horizon. Peace has reigned for five years since the defeat of a deadly enemy known only as the Myr, however all of a sudden amnesiacs like Fenn have begun to show up all around Tassar, and rumblings emerge of a growing Myrish threat, one thought long defeated.

Thus, our characters set off on a seafaring adventure, and this is where the One-Piece connections felt most alike. A group of (mostly) strangers setting off on a grand adventure into the unknown, where the world slowly grows larger with each new adventure. I was completely in love at this stage! The worldbuilding (which at times felt equally classic high fantasy and Polynesian inspired) felt very natural, often flowing intuitively through conversation, and the central mystery centred around identity was compelling and emotionally driven.

In fact, I’d go so far as to claim identity as the major theme within the book, and one that is really well covered. Evidently we have Fenn who quite literally has no idea who he is and has to wrestle with that whilst Calidra suspects him of great mischief. Calidra herself has to contend with her own battles surrounding her blood family, and realising that family isn’t just who you are related to, but the people you belong with. These are just a couple examples of the identity struggles which all our major characters face, and within a YA leaning novel, I felt it was covered in a very mature and thorough manner.

Not only did we cover themes of identity, but woven throughout the world was such diversity, from the creatures all the way through to our characters. Each corner of the world felt like it had its own uniqueness, often coming from the different dragon spirits that control each domain. It was also a joy to see positive LGBTQ+ rep in the form of Jiseyl and Calidra’s relationship. I honestly feel incredibly naïve looking back and only realising midway through the book, however I like to think that’s a testament to how natural and normalised it is. Like an odd couple they’re often at bickering odds, but their true love and affection for one another shines through.

Along the way we also pick up the characters of Varlow, our typical grizzled warrior character, and Selyss a priestess who may be able to assist Fenn in escaping his predicament. These two characters I did feel were underdeveloped, perhaps by the nature of being introduced later in the book, but considering the ways in which the central three protagonists were brought to life, I was expecting more. Varlow has a very mysterious nature, and initially it does play well, however the payoff in the end did feel rather cliched and disappointed me the most out of all the characters. Selyss it’s hard to place a finger on her character, and seems to be more there for the plot so far, although I hope this changes in the sequel.

One final character who is mostly separate from our fabulous crew is Apollo. Apollo has all the trappings of a great character, an Indiana jones esque adventurer in retirement after supposedly saving Tassar. He runs a tavern along with his wife and is a really amiable guy! His story is most connected to the overarching narrative of the Myrish threat and under normal circumstances he would’ve likely been my favourite rogue-ish character. However, his plotline is introduced very late in the game, and it felt like one required a reading of the ‘Citrine Key’ novella (which recounts Apollo’s tale prior to this book) to get the most out of his character arc. Again, it was such a shame as I really loved the concept and the way McRae writes him, it was just unfortunate I was left feeling like I was playing catch up. So, my one advice would absolutely be to read the Citrine Key first so you can truly get the fullness out of Apollo!

So far I have mostly focused on the exquisite first half of the book which had me entranced, each new section of world bringing a new wonder and excitement to the journey. It is incredibly well paced, and I loved the fact that we discovered along with Fenn, which really made things run smoothly and not feel like the worldbuilding was shoehorned in. It is in the second half of the book, where the Myrish threat comes into focus and things turn a little darker that the book took a minor downturn for me.

Let me start by stating I did really enjoy the little snippets we got about the Myr in the first half. They felt threatening, there was a heavy sense of foreboding on the horizon, and I was really anticipating what was to come. However, when they started to emerge more into the story, becoming less of a threat spoken of and more of a reality, it was frankly underwhelming. They had been built up to be so horrifying and terrifying, and there was a real sense of fear because it wasn’t entirely clear what the Myr were. However, it did feel a rather rushed climax that took the air out of a lot of what came before. This is not to say it ruined the book, or I don’t think it’s worthy of reading time, it absolutely is! It is just unfortunate that for me there was a gap between what the Myr was setup to be, and what we actually encountered.

In terms of secondary antagonists, we had the character of Torsten, an inquisitor on the heels of Fenn as well as Apollo, believing the amnesiacs to be a threat to the nation and Apollo to be a cheat who deceived the Iron queen. Whilst Torsten is a fairly typical antagonist, there is depth explored there that allows him to exist in his own shades of grey, and I would like to see this explored further in the sequel.

Overall, this book is a testament to McRae’s stunning worldbuilding prowess, of which many other reviewers have remarked upon. It provides a fabulous sense of adventure and wonder, each new corner of the land a true delight. With powerful and emotional themes of identity driving the heart of this book it certainly can pack its punch at times. Whilst the second half didn’t ultimately live up to the exquisitely paced first half, it leaves events on a suitably climactic finish, and with the reports of an even more impressive sequel L.L. McRae has firmly landed upon my Mt. TBR.