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The Book of Ile-Rein: The Element of Fire & The Death of the Necromancer
Author: Martha Wells
Publisher: Tor.com
Released: February 27, 2024
Received: Own
Find it on Goodreads | More Fantasy

The Book of Ile-Rein is actually two books: The Element of Fire and The Death of the Necromancer. If you’re a Martha Wells fan, this republishing is not something you’ll want to skip. I promise.

I’ll break down my review of both below; enjoy!

The Element of Fire

Ile-Rien is a proud kingdom full of magic, politics, and occasionally treachery. Okay, the last part isn’t so ideal. Luckily, people like Thomas Boniface (the Captain of the Queen’s Guard) stand between danger and the people.

A dark wizard is taking action again in the kingdom, but things are not as they seem. Somebody must be helping the wizard find a way inside. Worse, the fae have become more active in the area. This might be more than Thomas can handle on his own.

If you’re looking for a book full of magic, politics, and intrigue, The Element of Fire is the book for you. In truth, there’s so much going on in this book that it took me some time to truly appreciate it all.

The Element of Fire is split into multiple perspectives. The primary two are Thomas Boniface and Kade (half-fae daughter of the late king). Thomas’ side provides politics, investigations, battles, and more. Meanwhile, Kade provides a different perspective on the same world. It’s fascinating.

This world is a complex one. We have sorcerers, kingdoms, fae, and different noble families (which means loads of different goals and schemes). It took me a bit to get into the swing of things – probably at least three chapters before I was well and truly invested. But it’s worth the time spent, I promise!

It’s worth noting that The Element of Fire is Martha Wells’ debut novel. So, obviously, we know that Wells has grown a lot as a writer since this book. However, I need to find out how much it’s changed for this reprinted version. I thoroughly enjoyed The Element of Fire, regardless.

I would read another dozen books set in Ile-Rien, which is good because there are five in total, plus short stories. However, I’ll have to decide if I want to wait for the rest (three and onward) to be republished or if I want to just dive right in.

The Death of the Necromancer

Nicholas Valliarde is a passionate and determined man. Some would say he is too determined, as he is thoroughly focused on his goal – revenge. The good news is that he has strong allies and good friends. Primary among them are Madeline and Reynard.

Unfortunately, this group is about to find themselves in the deep end. It all started in what should have been a final quest to gain revenge. But it quickly becomes a deadly game, as they find themselves between a necromancer and his quarry.

Wow! I dove into The Death of the Necromancer, expecting a sequel like the first, and boy, was I wrong. Where The Element of Fire is more of a political intrigue novel, The Death of the Necromancer leans heavily into the magical heist category.

Actually, let’s take a step back. Calling it a magical heist doesn’t fully describe The Death of the Necromancer. There is political and magical intrigue (I promise), but it’s also more than that. It continues the first novel’s world, but in ways I hadn’t expected. Likewise, the magic in this novel felt dangerously full of potential.

I loved the characters in this book. Madeline is my favorite, but I also enjoyed Nicholas, Reynard, and Crack. Likewise, the plot twists were compelling. This novel is where Martha Wells got into the swing of things with her writing and this world. It shines so brightly. I want more. Thankfully, I have another three novels to read in this world. I’ll have to savor them.

Highlights:

• Two-for-One
• High Fantasy
• Complex World Building
• Politics & Magic
• Heist Vibes

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