A Crown of Iron & Silver by Hailey Turner
Series (name + # in series): Soulbound III
Publisher:
Self-Published
Release Date (Print & Ebook): September 10, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): 107,043
Subgenre:
LGBTQ Urban Fantasy
Warnings:
None
Book synopsis:
Never promise a life
that isn’t yours to give.
New York City is decked out for the holidays, and Special
Agent Patrick Collins is looking forward to a reunion with his old team when he
gets assigned a new case. A human child is missing, and the changeling left in
her place causes a prominent witch family to demand justice from the fae.
Meanwhile, continued harassment from the New York City god
pack forces Jonothon de Vere to formally establish his own with Patrick. Doing
so will mean a civil war within the werecreature community—a war they risk losing
from the start without alliances. Making bargains with the fae is never wise,
but Patrick and Jono have nothing to lose when a fae lord comes asking for
their help.
The Summer Lady has been kidnapped from the Seelie Court,
and if they can find her, Patrick and Jono will cement an alliance with the
fae. But the clues to her disappearance are found in Tír na nÓg, and the
Otherworld has never been kind to mortals.
Venturing past the veil, Patrick and Jono risk losing
territory, time, and their very lives while searching for answers. Because the
Queen of Air and Darkness knows they are coming—and the ruler of the Unseelie
Court has an offer for them they can’t possibly refuse.
A Crown of Iron & Silver is a 107k word m/m urban fantasy
with a gay romantic subplot and a HFN ending. It is a direct sequel to All Souls Near & Nigh. Reading the
prior books in the series would be helpful in enjoying this one.
Review
SPOILER ALERT: A Crown
of Iron & Silver is the third novel in Hailey Turner’s Soulbound series and therefore this
review will build on the last two books so please proceed knowing that I will
discuss important plot material from the first installments in the series. Now
that’s out of the way I can tell you that I felt this story started off a bit
differently than the others, in my opinion. Previously I felt there was at
least some build up to imminent physical danger for either Patrick or Jono—a
few chapters to establish just who or what was stalking the guys this time.
However, in this one Patrick is beset by some rather disgusting and dangerous
creatures almost immediately. Before we can barely wrap our head around the
case that’s been given to Patrick something is trying to take him out. I know
by this time we should be used to him skirting the edge of disaster and death
but I have to tell you this novel “felt” different to me—in a very good way.
When Patrick is sent to discover if a fae child has actually
been substituted for a wealthy couple’s real child he never suspects that trying
to discover why the fae have planted the changeling will lead to betrayal from
someone very close to him, nearly being trapped and imprisoned in the Unseelie (think
bad elves) court forever and once again coming up against his father’s evil
cohorts. He will be visited by some old friends and together they will travel
beyond the veil to discover who has stolen a powerful artifact and end up in a
rescue mission that nearly costs them their lives. When I say there is non-stop
action from beginning to end please know I mean it and while it is glorious to
read it also nearly worried me to death. Patrick and crew will also meet some new
but ancient gods—this time of Welsh heritage and they are nastier than the
Greeks.
Once again Jono will have his fair share of drama with his
inner god, Fenrir, who finally breaks free in order to help save Patrick and
Wade. If that’s not enough the trouble that has been brewing from the Manhattan
god pack will come to a head and Jono will find himself with some pretty
serious decisions to make that could prompt a turf war. Along the way in this
story, something will shift in Jono and Patricks’ relationship that will have
lasting repercussions and honestly my heart was in my throat when that all came
down.
Wade will also change and mature—a tiny bit—and eat—heaps
and heaps of food. He is, after all, a growing fledgling fire dragon. Once
again he will provide some of the funniest moments in this book and I must
again applaud Hailey Turner for giving Wade the most genuine voice a sullen
teen has ever had in a fantasy novel. Seriously she either has or knows a
teenage boy upon which she has based Wade. (Just
an aside: if you don’t remember Wade make sure you reread book two where he
first appears. I love Wade. I have two words for you: Wade and Christmas. I
will say no more but oh my golly that scene is just brilliant.)
What more can I say other than this series just keeps
getting better and better. A Crown of
Iron & Silver is rich in unusual characters, features a slow burning
love story that inches along but keeps the reader so invested and manages to offer
up one amazing setting after another as new worlds are revealed in each
installment. Hailey Turner is a brilliant author and the Soulbound series is phenomenal.
Exclusive
Excerpt for Diverse Reader
Jono set his mug on the
nightstand, then knelt in front of Patrick. He unlaced Patrick’s boots and
pulled them off, along with his damp socks, setting both aside. He stayed where
he was, warm hands stroking Patrick’s thighs while he listened in on the
conversation.
“—open up diplomatic
channels with the fae. I don’t know how receptive the fae ambassadors in DC
will be after that press conference,” Patrick said.
“We’ll get the State
Department brought on board. You and I both know the family is asking for a
miracle though,” Henry said on the other side of the line.
Jono hadn’t ever met the
SAIC for the New York City field office, but Patrick seemed to work well under
him. It was nothing like the tense relationship Patrick had with SOA Director
Setsuna Abuku, the woman who’d become his guardian at a young age. Theirs was a
fraught relationship Patrick rarely talked about.
“I know. I’ve got my
interview notes, and I’ll wait to hear from the State Department’s representative.
I have some contacts I can reach out to here in the city.”
“I have a feeling this
case is going to be front and center in the news for a while. If there’s any
chance we can get ahead of the story, we need to take it.”
“I’ll let our PR people
handle that problem. Just keep me away from the cameras.”
“That’s getting harder to
do these days.”
Patrick made a face,
settling his hand over Jono’s and giving it a tired squeeze. “Yeah.”
“Keep me updated,
Collins.”
“Yes, sir.”
Patrick ended the call
and dropped his mobile on the bed. He flopped backward with a heavy sigh and
closed his eyes. “Wake me up for lunch.”
Jono snorted as he stood
and started to divest Patrick of his weapons and clothes. “Get under the
covers.”
“This is why you’re my
favorite,” Patrick mumbled a few minutes later once he’d been stripped to his
underwear and was buried beneath their blankets.
“I won’t tell Wade.” Jono
leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “Sleep, love.”
Patrick was dead to the
world before Jono even left the bedroom.
About Hailey Turner:
Hailey
Turner is big city girl who spoils her cats rotten and has a demanding day job
that she loves, but not as much as she loves writing. She’s been writing since
she was a young child and enjoys reading almost as much as creating a new
story. Hailey loves stories with lots of action, gritty relationships, and an
eventual HEA that satisfies the heart.
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