Review: Iron Night by M.L. Brennan

January 9, 2014 5 stars, Book Review 13 ★★★★★

Review: Iron Night by M.L. BrennanIron Night by M.L. Brennan
Series: Generation V #2
Published by Roc on 1/7/2014
Genres: Adult SFF, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 305
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
My Reviews in this series: Generation V, Tainted Blood

*This book was provided by the Publisher for review. No compensation was provided and all opinions are strictly my own.

Underemployed by day. Undead by night.

Underachieving film theory graduate and vampire Fortitude Scott may be waiting tables at a snooty restaurant run by a tyrannical chef who hates him, but the other parts of his life finally seem to be stabilizing. He's learning how to rule the Scott family territory, hanging out more with his shapeshifting friend Suzume Hollis, and has actually found a decent roommate for once.

Until he finds his roommate’s dead body.

The Scott family cover-up machine swings into gear, but Fort is the only person trying to figure out who (or what) actually killed his friend. His hunt for a murderer leads to a creature that scares even his sociopathic family, and puts them all in deadly peril.

Keeping secrets, killing monsters, and still having to make it to work on time? Sometimes being a vampire really sucks.
five-stars

As a unique new voice in urban fantasy, M.L. Brennan impressed me in 2013 with Generation V and her revitalization of the much used vampire trope. Bringing us as readers a still familiar yet very distinct vampire lore, she created in Fortitude Scott, a character worthy of sympathy that many of us could also empathize with. Admittedly, I found myself still thinning about him and Suzume even months after reading it, so much so that fondness for the characters grew add the months past in anticipation of the second novel.

So I was not surprised that I was blown away with how much I loved Iron Night. Again we meet different fantasy species that any fantasy reader has seen before, but they have been reimagined in ways that made then feel fresh and new. I particularly loved her treatment of the elves and half breeds. Fort is learning a lot about the family business the post few months and this also makes for the perfect opportunity to introduce new species into the series without it being overwhelming. The method by which it was done was perfect.

I loved that we got to see Fort and Suzume team up again where Fort wasn’t as big of a weakling. He still has a long way to go to being a real vampire but he isn’t the pushover getting mugged by teenagers that he once was either. Though he is still quite as clueless as ever, men right, when aren’t they?

There are quite the handful of elements taking place in Iron Night that I wasn’t bytes for a second. Indeed, I could have been happily strung along with a whole lot more and been ecstatic. I felt like every scene flowed quickly and seamlessly into the next with no stutters of boredom or desire from me to skin over anything. M.L. Brennan has an amazing sense of humor that I have immediately connected with that it shines through the entire book without taking anything away from the gravity of those sometimes oh so serious moments.

Vampires, trolls, elves, witches, foxes and ghouls. Just put down whatever other urban fantasy you were about to read and pick up Generation V and Iron Night instead. You can thank me later.

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Iron Night (Generation V #2)

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Tabitha (Pabkins)

When I'm in the zone I can flip book pages faster than the eye can see - screaming "More Input!" I'm a book, yarn, & art supply hoarding goblin who loves to draw, make toys and craft all sorts of creepy cute things. My current habit is to listen to audio books while I'm arting it up!
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13 Responses to “Review: Iron Night by M.L. Brennan”

    • pabkins

      You are telling Harry Dresden to watch out?? Haha! Harry was never a doormat – and he just keeps getting stronger and stronger. It makes me wonder just how we are going to see Fort change over the course of this series. I can’t wait to for more. *wrings the hands*
      pabkins recently posted…Review: Iron Night by M.L. BrennanMy Profile

    • Tabitha the Pabkins

      Me too! I absolutely love him. His personality is great and the secondary characters are just as awesome. I can’t wait to get to know his new room mate more haha.