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burningupasun's review against another edition
4.0
I am so torn on how to review this. On the one hand I did feel as if the book dragged a bit, especially at the beginning. I found myself frustrated by how the book seemed to spend so much time explaining the background of the world and the character's abilities and yet at the same time managed to leave so much unexplained. I still don't really understand hemopath's and what they are and how that all works.
On the other hand I absolutely loved the relationship between the too main characters. Everything about Ava and Corrine's friendship was delightful and powerful and wonderful. (And okay, maybe I would have loved it even more if they'd been in a relationship with each other, but simply getting to see such a deeply intense friendship was wonderful.) Also, I found myself more and more riveted once I got deeper into the book. At the halfway point things really start to speed up and intensify and improve.
Basically I think this book takes a little time to warm up to, but it's worth it. And minus some of the frustration I felt in the very beginning, it is a very delightful book. A great combo of historical fiction + supernatural/paranormal/fantasy/etc, with a strong dose of female friendship than I loved.
On the other hand I absolutely loved the relationship between the too main characters. Everything about Ava and Corrine's friendship was delightful and powerful and wonderful. (And okay, maybe I would have loved it even more if they'd been in a relationship with each other, but simply getting to see such a deeply intense friendship was wonderful.) Also, I found myself more and more riveted once I got deeper into the book. At the halfway point things really start to speed up and intensify and improve.
Basically I think this book takes a little time to warm up to, but it's worth it. And minus some of the frustration I felt in the very beginning, it is a very delightful book. A great combo of historical fiction + supernatural/paranormal/fantasy/etc, with a strong dose of female friendship than I loved.
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley
It’s 1919, and the Cast Iron nightclub in Boston is haven for Ada Navarra and Corinne Wells – two hemopaths. They are considered outlaws, their blood is “afflicted” which allows them to create illusions through their words and music. They make a living at the club putting on shows at night for the rich – a line of work that is illegal and looked down upon. By day they are con artists for Johnny Dervish, the owner of the club and a gangster. Prohibition is just around the corner and the Cast Iron club is on the brink of going under. Ava and Corinne pull a risky job that goes wrong and Ada is imprisoned things start to spiral out of control even more after Johnny Dervish is killed and the club is no longer a safe haven.
Iron Cast is an original and captivating historical read with a brilliantly written world and atmosphere. Iron Cast actually featured one of the best openings that I have read in a very long time. It was slow paced – in the same way The Diviners by Libba Bray is, but it never lost my attention. The setting and atmosphere was very 1920s jazz era which I loved and for anyone else who loves that atmosphere should definitely not miss this one.
I think the characters were fun and interesting BUT I think they could have been fleshed out more. While the friendship was supposedly the centre of this book, I sometimes felt like it was pushed to the side for the sake of both romance and the plot of the story (although saying that – there was a fantastic scene near the end that was really great and really showed their love and devotion but also showed Corinne’s privileged background coming in to play very strongly). I would have liked to have seen more of Ada and Corinne’s past and how two girls so different became such close friends. But the book was very female centric and empowered so that is always a plus. I did love both Ada and Corinne – both witty and fun so that is also another positive. I think the romance was nice but unnecessary, so I felt a bit meh about it.
The world of hemopaths was done exceptionally well and I thought it was interesting and original. Definitely a must read for fans of diverse historical paranormal novels. The plot itself took some predictable turns at some points, but overall Iron Cast was an interesting, magical, and atmospheric read, so I do highly recommend it.
It’s 1919, and the Cast Iron nightclub in Boston is haven for Ada Navarra and Corinne Wells – two hemopaths. They are considered outlaws, their blood is “afflicted” which allows them to create illusions through their words and music. They make a living at the club putting on shows at night for the rich – a line of work that is illegal and looked down upon. By day they are con artists for Johnny Dervish, the owner of the club and a gangster. Prohibition is just around the corner and the Cast Iron club is on the brink of going under. Ava and Corinne pull a risky job that goes wrong and Ada is imprisoned things start to spiral out of control even more after Johnny Dervish is killed and the club is no longer a safe haven.
Iron Cast is an original and captivating historical read with a brilliantly written world and atmosphere. Iron Cast actually featured one of the best openings that I have read in a very long time. It was slow paced – in the same way The Diviners by Libba Bray is, but it never lost my attention. The setting and atmosphere was very 1920s jazz era which I loved and for anyone else who loves that atmosphere should definitely not miss this one.
I think the characters were fun and interesting BUT I think they could have been fleshed out more. While the friendship was supposedly the centre of this book, I sometimes felt like it was pushed to the side for the sake of both romance and the plot of the story (although saying that – there was a fantastic scene near the end that was really great and really showed their love and devotion but also showed Corinne’s privileged background coming in to play very strongly). I would have liked to have seen more of Ada and Corinne’s past and how two girls so different became such close friends. But the book was very female centric and empowered so that is always a plus. I did love both Ada and Corinne – both witty and fun so that is also another positive. I think the romance was nice but unnecessary, so I felt a bit meh about it.
The world of hemopaths was done exceptionally well and I thought it was interesting and original. Definitely a must read for fans of diverse historical paranormal novels. The plot itself took some predictable turns at some points, but overall Iron Cast was an interesting, magical, and atmospheric read, so I do highly recommend it.
bridget_books's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
An intriguing world and a solid cast of characters. I think I read this at the wrong time for it to connect with me though
celiapowell's review against another edition
3.0
Set in early 20th century Boston, where hemopaths are able to create illusions and manipulate people's feelings. Their abilities are outlawed, and our two teenage protagonists work putting on shows at a nightclub. It's that sort of vibe - seedy nightclubs, police raids, creepy asylums, human experiments, betrayal, etc. It was a fun, original story, but I won't be looking for any sequels (I presume there'll be sequels).
starlitpage's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Racism, Vomit, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Self harm and Suicide
emleemay's review against another edition
2.0
This book just did not hold my attention. I liked the idea, but the plot was so uninteresting and the two MCs had the exact same (and dull) personality.
Things I Liked
* Diversity
* Low on romance
* Addresses racism
* Black cover model (and the cover in general is quite appealing)
That's kind of it, though. I think even some more romance would have been welcome here to give the dragging pace and boring story some life.
[b:Iron Cast|28818313|Iron Cast|Destiny Soria|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456595105s/28818313.jpg|48183733] starts slow, plodding along as a lot of time is taken to explain and demonstrate the concept of hemopathy. It's basically a way of conjuring illusions through various forms of art and making people believe what you want them to believe; and it's also illegal in this world. Corinne uses words, poetry usually, to create her illusions, and Ada uses songs. When they're not performing for the crowds at Johnny Dervish's Cast Iron club, they're conning rich people out of their money.
Then Ada is imprisoned in the Haversham asylum after a job gone wrong. Corinne helps her escape but then stuff goes down and Johnny disappears. This is nothing that the blurb doesn't tell you, and yet it is a huge chunk of the plot. Problem is, not that much happens in the book. The author prefers to spend time playing with the illusions or talking snoozeworthy gangster politics, and when things did start to move forward, I just didn't care. Maybe I am simply not that interested in gangster and con stories, or maybe this wasn't a great example of one - either way, it was a struggle to finish.
I also think a lot of my problem hangs on my lack of interest in any of the characters. ALL of the characters are forgettable and that is, for me, unforgivable. I need to care about my characters if I am to care about the story. Not only do Corinne and Ada remain indistinguishable throughout, but they also feel very modern. I just realized I've gotten this far into the review and not mentioned that it's set in 1919 Boston. That's because I keep forgetting.
The hemopathy scenes in the club are well-crafted with lots of attention to detail, but beyond that, there's very little atmosphere. I got no sense that I was in the early twentieth century, sneaking around clubs in Prohibition-era America.
[b:Iron Cast|28818313|Iron Cast|Destiny Soria|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456595105s/28818313.jpg|48183733] is a book I took a chance on, knowing very little about it. Sadly, it didn't work out. I wanted so much more from the characters, from the plot, and from the setting. If you want a paranormal historical novel set in the early twentieth century, read [b:The Diviners|7728889|The Diviners (The Diviners, #1)|Libba Bray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336424966s/7728889.jpg|10501517] instead.
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Things I Liked
* Diversity
* Low on romance
* Addresses racism
* Black cover model (and the cover in general is quite appealing)
That's kind of it, though. I think even some more romance would have been welcome here to give the dragging pace and boring story some life.
[b:Iron Cast|28818313|Iron Cast|Destiny Soria|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456595105s/28818313.jpg|48183733] starts slow, plodding along as a lot of time is taken to explain and demonstrate the concept of hemopathy. It's basically a way of conjuring illusions through various forms of art and making people believe what you want them to believe; and it's also illegal in this world. Corinne uses words, poetry usually, to create her illusions, and Ada uses songs. When they're not performing for the crowds at Johnny Dervish's Cast Iron club, they're conning rich people out of their money.
“Unlike his predecessor, Johnny ran the club like a business instead of a social fraternity. Those who did the work earned a cut of the profits. Some of the jobs were less legal than others, but in times like these the line was blurred at best.”
Then Ada is imprisoned in the Haversham asylum after a job gone wrong. Corinne helps her escape but then stuff goes down and Johnny disappears. This is nothing that the blurb doesn't tell you, and yet it is a huge chunk of the plot. Problem is, not that much happens in the book. The author prefers to spend time playing with the illusions or talking snoozeworthy gangster politics, and when things did start to move forward, I just didn't care. Maybe I am simply not that interested in gangster and con stories, or maybe this wasn't a great example of one - either way, it was a struggle to finish.
I also think a lot of my problem hangs on my lack of interest in any of the characters. ALL of the characters are forgettable and that is, for me, unforgivable. I need to care about my characters if I am to care about the story. Not only do Corinne and Ada remain indistinguishable throughout, but they also feel very modern. I just realized I've gotten this far into the review and not mentioned that it's set in 1919 Boston. That's because I keep forgetting.
The hemopathy scenes in the club are well-crafted with lots of attention to detail, but beyond that, there's very little atmosphere. I got no sense that I was in the early twentieth century, sneaking around clubs in Prohibition-era America.
[b:Iron Cast|28818313|Iron Cast|Destiny Soria|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456595105s/28818313.jpg|48183733] is a book I took a chance on, knowing very little about it. Sadly, it didn't work out. I wanted so much more from the characters, from the plot, and from the setting. If you want a paranormal historical novel set in the early twentieth century, read [b:The Diviners|7728889|The Diviners (The Diviners, #1)|Libba Bray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336424966s/7728889.jpg|10501517] instead.
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bloodlover18's review against another edition
5.0
This book took me a little bit longer than I would have liked but I will recommend this book to anyone. This book and her other books are really good.
ashezbookz's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning of the book was slower going, I liked the concept and the overall story was good and the ending of the book tied everything together, but some parts felt quite tedious and overplayed.
ashurq's review against another edition
5.0
The author starts the book with a note regarding her two main characters. She emphasizes that she really wanted to focus on their relationship as opposed to their individual relationships with the boys they like. I always like a little romance in books, but I really appreciated that the romance wasn’t the sole focus. This book has much more depth to it than that. The thing that I really loved about this book is the interactions between Ada and Corinne. They’re so different and the author does a great job of really portraying them as individuals. Their loyalty to each other is inspiring and I love that the author didn’t have them get into any catty arguments or jealous fights. Their relationship is so much bigger than that.
I loved the atmosphere of this book as well. It’s set in a Boston winter shortly before Prohibition is passed. This book makes Boston seem like this really magical and atmospheric city and I think it was the perfect setting for this story. The magic was also very intriguing to me though I don’t think it was explained very well. What exactly is hemopathy? Why does iron effect hemopaths? And how do they get their powers? What determines what kind of powers they have? Even with all of these questions, I like how wordsmiths and songsmiths have their powers so closely tied to emotion. On the other hand thespians and whatever Saint’s hemopathy is called don’t really seem to tie-in. While I like all of the different skills, it seems like there’s a disconnect. The four “powers” don’t really seem to connect to each other. That being said, they’re all extremely cool.
Overall I really enjoyed this book even though the plot was pretty slow at the beginning. There’s a lot of background and character development that the reader needs to get first, but once the plot really got going, I was hooked. I’m just so intrigued by this world! I don’t know if the author plans on making it a series, but I would love to read another book featuring these characters!
Overall Rating: 5
Language: Mild
Violence: Heavy
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Mild
Note: I received this book free from the author/blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the atmosphere of this book as well. It’s set in a Boston winter shortly before Prohibition is passed. This book makes Boston seem like this really magical and atmospheric city and I think it was the perfect setting for this story. The magic was also very intriguing to me though I don’t think it was explained very well. What exactly is hemopathy? Why does iron effect hemopaths? And how do they get their powers? What determines what kind of powers they have? Even with all of these questions, I like how wordsmiths and songsmiths have their powers so closely tied to emotion. On the other hand thespians and whatever Saint’s hemopathy is called don’t really seem to tie-in. While I like all of the different skills, it seems like there’s a disconnect. The four “powers” don’t really seem to connect to each other. That being said, they’re all extremely cool.
Overall I really enjoyed this book even though the plot was pretty slow at the beginning. There’s a lot of background and character development that the reader needs to get first, but once the plot really got going, I was hooked. I’m just so intrigued by this world! I don’t know if the author plans on making it a series, but I would love to read another book featuring these characters!
Overall Rating: 5
Language: Mild
Violence: Heavy
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Mild
Note: I received this book free from the author/blog tour in exchange for an honest review.