Book Review: The Iron Wolves by Andy Remic

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Date of Publication: December 31, 2013

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars – “Full of unlimited energy and madness, this book is perfect for readers looking for a stronger, headier kick to their epic fantasy; fans of bloody battles and gritty anti-heroes are in for a real treat”

I have not had the pleasure of reading Andy Remic’s Clockwork Vampire Chronicles yet, but hearing about how those books have earned the author the nickname “Tarantino of epic fantasy” has gotten me mighty curious. Being compared to the great QT is high praise indeed! How then could I possibly say no to The Iron Wolves?

This book has it all: bloody fight scenes and explosive battles, psychopathic villains and twisted, gritty anti-heroes. Oh, and mud-orcs. Mustn’t forget the mud-orcs. Needless to say, I am happy to report that Andy Remic’s title is well-deserved; we’re talking no-holds-barred dark fantasy, of the faint-of-heart-need-not-apply variety. We’re talking graphic violence, explicit sex scenes, and a truly astounding number of decapitations within these blood-soaked pages.

If this sounds like your kind of novel, then you’re in for a real treat. Andy Remic has taken the classic “gather your party and go forth on a quest of epic proportions” objective, and so generously wrapped it all up for us in a nice grim package. To stop an invading army of horrors, the great general Dalgoram sets out across the land to reunite his band of veteran warriors for one last stand. Having been estranged for years, the members of the Iron Wolves have all either fallen on hard times or have turned to lives of deviance and corruption. But together again, they find they can transform their shared curse into something so much more.

By the way, my description of “twisted, gritty anti-heroes” was in no way an exaggeration. With perhaps the exception of the old man Dalgoran, I was hard pressed to name a single admirable soul in this group of vile, despicable Iron Wolves. But that’s what I signed up for so I can’t complain too much, especially since Remic delivers exactly what was promised. The only downside I could see to this is finding enough to set some of these characters apart, which gets a little difficult when almost all of them are defined by broken pasts, foul mouths and violent tendencies.

Also as I’ve noted before, at times a novel’s “epicness” can be something of a double-edged sword, as it can do a number on pacing. This story stumbles a bit due to the sheer size of the cast and their multiple points of view, especially when a couple more Iron Wolves are still being added to the mix at about two-thirds of the way through the book. As maniacal as they are, I wish we’d gotten a chance to know Zastarte and Trista a bit better, though I think this will mean a much smoother ride for the next installment now that the scene has been set and all the introductions have been made.

Speaking of which, I’m excited about book two, and if you’d seen that ending, you would be too. I have to say I felt the final showdown scene was over way too quickly, though this probably had less to do with the pacing and more to do with how much I enjoyed the climax and conclusion. Andy Remic is in his element when it comes to writing big battles and fight scenes, and he graces this book with a lot of them. It would be easy but disingenuous to brush them all off as an excuse to provide gratuitous violence, because I actually found many of the scenes of war and fighting to flow and fit exceedingly well within the context of the story.

After all, this is The Iron Wolves, folks. A great choice for readers looking for a stronger, headier kick to their heroic fantasy, just remember to steel yourselves for the unlimited energy and madness this book will unleash upon your lives!