Iron Cast

I have to say, I fell for the cover back in 2016... and also the description. But as it was very expensive to get the ebook or a physical copy in my country, I waited. I waited for a looooong time until last week when there finally was a price drop! And The anticipation was worth it. This book falls in the category historical fantasy, which happens to be my absolute favorite genre, as it combines my two favorite genres and makes it even more epic.

We’re in Boston, 1919, before the prohibition, but with a ban on hemopathy. Hemopathy is something you’re born with, and it means you can evoke emotions, change your body, or spin illusions with art. Ada is amazing in evoking emotions with her violin, though she wishes she was better in conveying hope or happiness, but she’s more inclined to nostalgia and sorrow, while Corinne spins illusions with her flawless poetry. As hemopathy is outlawed, practicing it can get you into a horrid asylum (very creepy), and is especially dangerous if you use it to play cons to get money to keep the secret hemopathy club running for your boss, which is exactly what’s happening. The stakes are extreme, and throughout the book you feel the looming dread come closer and closer.

What I loved most is the relationship between Ada and Corinne. They’re truly friends, despite being very different (Ada is a kind, gentle black girl from poverty while Corinne is a white socialite who is very loud and rash). They care about each other fiercely and always have each others back, while not being afraid to call each other out. This friendship seriously is life goals.

I normally do not like cons and gangsters etc. but here I loved it! Maybe because Ada and Corinne are already epic together, but it also made the 1920s feel very real. The rivalry between other clubs, all trying to survive, and the betrayals and plot twist were phenomenal. Also the general feel truly was very 1920s (ok 1919), this era was well researched and many of that days problems and societal structures were adressed, like racism, violence against Black people, social structures, the white privilege of Corinne was addressed, and the position of immigrants. There was a lot of diversity, too. The plot was fast paced but it very much relied on the characters and character growth, which is my favorite kind. I did think there were a few pacing problems at the end, and one part of the end struck me as a bit odd, but all in all I really loved it and I’m waiting for Beneath the Citadel to lower in price so I can read more of this author!