A Promise of Iron (Echoes of Illyria 1) by Brandon McCoy-Review & Guest Post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 21, 2021

A Promise of Iron, book one in the Echoes of Illyria saga, tells the story of a young man born from hatred, eager to prove himself in a world tilted against him. In this world where iron is more precious than gold, three friends battle the evils of empire while unraveling the secrets of a forgotten past and a hidden foe.

The epic fantasy series features strong, complex characters with familiar motivations of greed, lust, and revenge, all delivered in a freshly crafted fantasy world. Themes of imperialism, racism, and sexism form the backdrop for a story as much about mystery and intrigue as it is of sword and sorcery. This blend of epic and dark fantasy should delight readers of multiple genres. If you liked The Name of the Wind and The Black Company, this one is for you.

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REVIEW:This is something completely different to what I usually read. It starts with a woman in the future who has a journal of a life in the past…..

The year is 1272. The story focuses on a young man Faerin, his life is hard, he wants to become something better. But in a world that wants payment for everything, how will he ever rise to be something more?

Elizabeth makes an appearance several times in the book to remind us that we are being told a story.I like the fact you can have memories removed and stored (a little like Johnny Mneumonic) but there is something in the future that will have you wondering if it has some significance in the past!!

That was a really well thought out book, Elizabeth in the future, trying to read the journal that holds the story of Faerin and his past. Fight scenes? Yes there is, and they are pretty good. Romance? A little, but it’s not really that important here.

And in the future, Elizabeth is having her own issues. The book holds great interest to those who have been waiting to get their hands on it. So she has to discover the secrets before her biggest rival gets here. Because when he does she may lose the book!!

And when Faerin comes into a possession of an sword, he will do anything and everything in his power to retain and look after the sword. He has a couple of friends who he likes as brothers, but I wasn’t sure! If people will sell their souls for iron, then can he trust his friends? Iron we take it is a valuable commodity, people will kill to have it, in fact it’s more coveted than gold!! Why? There seems to be a story behind the reasons why iron is so wanted…..

Magic and mystery come together in a really great read. There is also a lot of going’s on in the background, there is double dealings, backstabbing and money that exchanges hands for information. Some parts get a little bogged down with too much detail, but there isn’t too much thank goodness. Politics and social views are a big thing as well.

The equality and sexism didn’t really worry me as such, if you put yourself in the time period, then women were a lower class, as were the common man. But I do love the class divides, it’s clear there is a hierarchy, it’s clear there are people who make money of the backs of the unfortunate, and they don’t hide that fact.

OH!!! It ends on a cliffhanger….. Do I want to know what happens next? I certainly do.
Pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed by Julie ?

Copy supplied for review

The first words of “A Promise of Iron” are not the words that made it to print. This journey began a long time ago. It was 2006, and for the sake of this story, one can assume I had just finished an all-weekend marathon of the Lord of the Rings. I may have even been playing World of Warcraft, Elderscrolls, or dabbling in any of a half a dozen D&D iterations of the time. When I look back, I can’t honestly remember the spark, that moment of inspiration that told me to open a word document and begin writing.

“A darkness looms,” it said, that first pass at that first paper. There was prophecy in those words. As it turned out that darkness was not some unseen enemy, no grand villain bent on the destruction of the world… it was the story… and it was utter crap.

Before I continue, I think you need to understand something about me first. I am not an author. Not classically trained at any rate. At best, I am a sci-fi & fantasy enthusiast with the temerity to offer something of my own to stoke the fire. I don’t really belong here, not amongst you who are well educated and well informed. Yet I feel as if I do, partly from the welcome and reception received by my betters and partly from the slowly increasing confidence in my own abilities.

I wrote a book that does not suck. No one is more surprised than me. If you were to ask my lovely wife, she would fawn and extol my impressive list of virtues while rolling her eyes in a casual attempt to check my ever-growing ego. In truth, I’m here because of her.

Back to the story…

By the time I cobbled together a few hundred pages of that dreadful first pass, I had come to a simple conclusion— what I had just wasn’t any good. Family and friends may have told me otherwise, but I saw the truth within their ingratiating eyes. So I quit. I stopped writing. I stopped writing for years. I stopped writing, and no one stopped me from stopping. There were casual mentions, reminders that there was a task unfinished, but no spark, no divine influence urging me to continue.

Years passed and I grew up. I had setbacks and new beginnings. I also met my wife. We fell in love, got married, and had a baby. I had known hard work before, but having a newborn was a new kind of work. Working for those you love carries differently. You can push harder, run faster and lift longer than you would when working only for yourself.

But I am rambling…

The spark was there now, fanned to flame by the hands of those who knew me for the true worth of my salt. “Write,” they said, “finish what you started.”

So I did…

I wish I could say the writing road ahead was shorter than the one behind, but when you have to double back because you forgot your map, it’s easier to just pick a new path.

So I threw it all out. I changed the tone, the perspective, the themes. I wrote that new first draft in a fraction of the time it took to torture through the last one. When I was finished, I presented it to her. I was eager for feedback, praise, or a sobering dose of reality. When she told me how she loved it— I saw no lie within her eyes.

Thanks for reading.

Salt & ruin,

-Brandon