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Chris Evans Books In Order

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Publication Order of Iron Elves Books

A Darkness Forged in Fire (2008)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Light of Burning Shadows (2009)Description / Buy at Amazon
Ashes of a Black Frost (2011)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Of Bone and Thunder (2014)Description / Buy at Amazon

Chris Evans is a Canadian fantasy author best known for his Iron Elves book series. As a military historian, he has undertaken battle tours across Europe and served as a historical consultant for a TV documentary based on the first world war. Evans holds degrees in political science, English and a master’s in history. He also works as an editor of current affairs, history, and conflicts books, including the bestselling Stackpole Military History Series.

A Darkness Forged in Fire, the first book of the Iron Elves Trilogy, illustrates his fascination with the history of military and fantasy. He mixes the two in a realistic, creative combination of military life and Napoleonic-era strategies with fantasy mainstays. The trilogy proceeds with The Light of Burning Shadows and concludes with Ashes of a Black Frost.

A Darkness Forged in Fire opens with Konowa Swift Dragon leading his regiment into exile after killing a Viceroy, leaving the Iron Elves’ dignity stained with the same blood as his own hands. The once-praised elves are now a disgraced unit, deprived of almost everything, even their captain, and a disgrace on the colors of the Calahrian Empire. Court-martialed and exiled, Konowa has had ample time to contemplate his situation as he travels the dark woodlands; he abhors so vehemently with only Jir, his devoted bengar to keep him mentally stable.
Then Konowa is yanked from his agony and thrown back into the battle as darkness approaches- a darkness much darker than his despair. With a new draft of warriors to fill his treasured Iron Elves, none of whom are elves, Konowa must fight not only the ascendant elf-witch, as she vies for dominance, but also himself. Deep within the jungle, Konowa is tasked with locating the original Iron Elves under the vigilant supervision of an unskilled, adventure-seeking prince. Konowa will soon understand that his black ear-tip—the witch’s marking on her favored soldiers—can never be forgotten, and his fate cannot be evaded, as he is tasked with not just combating the growing evil with whom his destiny is intertwined but also maintaining order across the Empire.

This storyline portrays what could transpire if the British Empire attempted to conquer Middle-earth. Evans balances politics, military strategy, and fantasy to construct a compelling novel. He constructs an entire cast of unique, well-drawn characters and blends thrilling action, terrible brushes with evil, and humorous and beautiful moments into a well-rounded narrative. The storyline of A Darkness Carved in Fire is full of surprising twists and turns, deceits, and other tragedies.

The depiction of the interaction between Konowa with Visyna is particularly vivid. Visyna views Konowa as an Empire instrument that oppresses her citizens while introducing evil to her country. She perceives the threat that Konowa poses, which indirectly affects their relationship. Even though they are drawn to one another, it does not prompt them to abandon all their other obligations and fall head over head in love. Instead, they must stumble their way through competing and conflicting objectives. It is a far more realistic representation of budding romance than is typical in fantasy tales.

The second book in the series continues the story of the Iron Elves and takes place several months after the Battle of Luuguth Jor in the previous novel. The Elves are known for being fearsome warriors loyal to the Calharian Empire. But what’s their reward for their reputation and overcoming the suicidal battle? Well, they get slapped with more impossible missions.

The Red Star will remain with the Elfkynan people, yet other stars will inevitably fall. Now that Konowa and his Iron Elves understand the seriousness of the curse that binds them, they are afraid of their immortality of service. Konowa and his soldiers want to reverse the curse but do not know how. He dispatches the Iron Elves towards the south in search of the group’s past elf members to bolster and solidify their numbers. It is revealed that the Shadow Monarch is not yet dead and Viceroy of Elfkyna under her spell. His men angry that he let them keep the star instead of using it to liberate them from the curse, Konowa is more committed than ever to making use of the energy in the acorn bestowed upon him to defeat the evil forces and liberate his men. He does not know how.

Still enduring the prince’s desire to gain knowledge from the stars while extending the tyrannical Calahran Empire, Konowa is at breaking point. Moreover, Private Renwar is confronting his personal ghosts. During the previous major conflict, he lost a limb and came close to death. His proximity to the other dimension has placed him in a condition of limbo. In addition to the perpetual torment of his wooden limb being rejected by the power of the frost fire curse, he is also linked to the ghosts of the deceased Iron Elves. As Her Emissary, the Viceroy of Elfkyna, who is now an evil servant of the Shadow Monarch, is sent on a mission to expand her black forest. The Iron Elves can eradicate the dark forests due to the frost-fire curse, yet the more they utilize their powers, the further they sink under the curse.
Can the Iron Elves utilize this power to break the curse? Will they locate the old Iron Elves and destroy the Shadow Monarch to prevent darkness from gaining control of the stars? The prose is well crafted, and the story pacing is more electrifying than most books in the same genre. Evans has superior control of the storytelling, such as handling the novel’s many plotlines and the execution of solid narrative twists.

The second novel in the Iron Elves series is packed with action, intrigue, and the ideal amount of romance. Chris Evans does a remarkable job of building a universe where fantasy and modern elements combine, resulting in a far and near setting. Evans’ writing style and ability to generate reality in his novels establish a setting in which the characters spring, or rather fight, off the page.

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