Name: The Book of Ile-Rien
Rating: 4.50 (1 reviews)

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Book of Ile-Rien includes the first two books of Ile-Rien by Martha Wells. Originally published in 1993 & 1998, this reformatted and revised edition from Macmillan on their Tor imprint is 752 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

The author is gifted and prolific. This double book reformat of two early novels is a nice entry point for folks building a classic SF home library as well as old and new fans. A lot of readers are familiar with Wells from Murderbot of course, but she's been consistently -good- over her entire distinguished career.

This is a vaguely medieval high fantasy French flavored Europe, populated by fey, half-fey, humans, magic users, and a boatload of political intrigue. Good stuff.

Four and a half stars. These are classic, solid, timeless books. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home library building, gifting, and would also make a great book club choice; meaty -and- entertaining.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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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The Book of Ile-Rien: The Element of Fire & The Death of the Necromancer (Ile-Rien, Books 1-2)

by Martha Wells

The Book of Ile-Rien: The Element of Fire & The Death of the Necromancer (Ile-Rien, Books 1-2)

by Martha Wells

Reviews

annieb123

Quirky Cat