Cold Iron

The first and foremost factor that makes an audiobook good in my opinion is if I can’t stop listening. I always have my headphones on me, and at any given opportunity where I can run at about 75% concentration or less, I’m listening to a book. But, if a book comes along and bites into my free time, if I’m lay in bed with my headphones in when I’m supposed to be going to sleep, then I know it is a good book. Cold Iron was one of those books.

The story follows Aranthur, a scholar in training, in his first year of studies at a renaissance-esque university in a world where magic is fairly common, and the world within which Aranthur exists is one of the best laid out universes I’ve come across in a while. Miles Cameron has taken the core concepts of how magic would have influenced the development of various societies, created a landscape upon which those societies exist, and then let them develop organically into the world we are presented with. It’s logical, draws enough parallels with our own history to give it a believable backbone, but is individual enough that it feels entirely original. So before I get to gusting about the magnificent characters and wonderful pacing, I need to clarify that I believe this is a perfect example of world building, giving everything else such a strong foundation that you are fully drawn into the story without second guessing why things are as they are.

Now, for the characters. Aranthur is beautifully written. He’s smart without being too clever, brave without being annoyingly heroic, and above all, he is relatable. You can see why he makes every decision he does, and when he does something truly clever, you’re surprised enough to get my ever-present satisfaction-meter turned up to 11. Aranthur develops a group of friends through the book who are likewise sculpted in wonderful realism. The good guys aren’t perfect, and many of the ‘bad guys’ are arse-holes more because of how they do things rather than what they are actually doing. Aranthur’s cadre of friends don’t fall into the standard tick-box of questing associates, yet they each fill a role all their own and, more importantly, you genuinely believe the friendships that form between them are real. You grow to love these characters, which makes the occasions when they are in peril all the more tense.

Now for the story. In short, it’s great. Clever most of the time, thought-provoking often, and filled with enough action that the pacing never slows. If Aranthur isn’t busy putting in some practical use to all his sword training, he’s probably balls deep in some plot or scheme that he’s stumbled into in one way or another. I have said before how it can be somewhat annoying for one character to constantly find themselves at the heart of one situation after the other with no logical reason for why it is always them, but for Aranthur, everything does happen for a reason, not just because it makes for good story telling. At no point are you left thinking, ‘oh, now why has that happened’, or ‘why is he doing that when it would make far more sense for someone else to do it?’. It all works beautifully.  And as for the combat… Well, I have to say, I haven’t found a book that does sword-play so well in a long time. It isn’t some swashbuckling adventure with half-hour duels. The combat is often brief, always bloody, and entirely believable, and that again adds the perfect pinch of realism that often leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat. This book is just written well. If I had to use one word, it would be ‘classy’. I enjoyed every moment of it and had the sequel downloaded and ready to go the moment Cold Iron finished.

As for narration, it was very well done. The range of voices and accents Mark Meadows can summon forth is amazing, and you would think there was a whole cast performing if you didn’t know better. They aren’t over the top, just the voices of regular people from such a wide range of backgrounds that I’m still amazed every time I think that all those voices came from one man. 

Personal rating: 4.5 stars

Professional rating: 4.5 stars

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Buy 'The Sage's Lot (Blood and Balance, Book 1)' here!