The Iron Crown by L.L. MacRae

Book Title: The Iron Crown
Author: L. L. MacRae
Genre: Epic Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: ARC, but I also bought the ebook!

Goodreads, Amazon UK

Plot: 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.
A new high fantasy series bursts into life with the dragon spirits who reign supreme in the magic-drenched world of Tassar.
THE IRON CROWN is the first novel in this brand new trilogy and will be available in May 2021.

What did I think?

The Iron Crown is the first book in a new epic fantasy series where the world, Tassar, is inhabited by powerful Dragon spirits. Some are mischievous, some are more powerful than others, some are not what I would call pleasant, others are benevolent. They can both bless and curse the humans in their domains.

The ancient evil looming at the edges of the empire isn't quite as ancient as in other epic fantasy novels. The war with the Myr ended five years ago, and now they're once again on the rise.

MacRae's writing is fantastic. She has a strong and distinct voice and the ability to seamlessly weave her world-building into action in order to avoid info dumps. Her world is rich, filled with neat little details which show the author's vast imagination.

My favourite bits were Apollo (he's such a likeable character, I just want to keep him safe from all harm, my poor little ex-thief) and the relationship between Calidra and her partner, Jisyel.

As a lesbian who grew up in the early 90's, back when we seemingly didn't exist, at least not in popular entertainment, I never learned to seek out books with gay characters, but I love, love, love, whenever I find one by accident. While Calidra is seemingly the stronger one of the pair, Jisyel is there to support her whenever Calidra needs it the most (and vice versa). Supportive relationships always make my heart soar.

One of the prominent tropes in MacRae's books is the 'found family' one, which I adore. People who band together, help each other, trust each other and try their best is the kind of hopeful and positive content that I like to read.

I can't wait to dive deeper into this world and get to know these characters even better. If you're a fan of epic fantasy, and especially if you're a fan of dragons, give this one a go. I bet you won't be disappointed.