A Darkness Forged In Fire by Chris Evans

In A Darkness Forged In Fire, Chris Evans starts his Iron Elves series. The Iron Elves, a renowned battalion, has been disbanded when the leader kills the country's Viceroy. The assassin is banished to the forest, and the battalion is broken up and sent to various undesirable posts. As the story begins, the reader meets up with this assassin, Konowa, and learns that there was a reason for his actions. The Viceroy had stopped serving the rightful Queen and had become an agent of the Empire's enemy, The Shadow Monarch.

Now, an event foretold in ancient tales, is occurring. The Red Star, which heralds the return of ancient magic, has fallen. Various groups engage in battles and strategies to become the possessor of this heralded icon. There is the reunited Iron Elves battalion. The Queen's son, Prince Tykkin, has joined the battalion as it's titular commander, although he leaves the actual battle strategy to Konowa, who has been reinstated as the Iron Elves commander. There are the elfkynan, who see possession of the Red Star as the mechanism to throw off Empire rule. There is also the agents of The Shadow Monarch, who will stop at nothing to extend her rule. They bring back extinct beasts who were renowned for their evil, and have corrupted various Empire government agents as well.

The reader meets the main characters of the series. There are elves, dwarves, witches; all manner of magical folks. Each group is suspicious of the others, but learn to fight together for a common goal. Some of the main characters include Visyna who is a royal maiden but also a witch. Rallie is a journalist who seems to be unexpectedly involved in all action. There are gallent fighters such as the dwarf Yimt and the elf Alwyn. There are also elves of the forest such as Chayii Red Owl who come to help the Iron Elves.

Evans has created a magical land, populated with interesting characters and a plot that makes the reader determined to read more in the series. This book is recommended for fantasy lovers looking for a new series to transport them far away.