Wicked Steel

The Ferric Empire #1

by Harper Lynn

In the criminal underworld ruled by the iron-fisted Rhein Mallor, renegade lieutenant Derron Frost walks a treacherous line. Though part of Mallor's empire, Derron's got big dreams of taking over one day, putting him on a collision course with his ruthless boss.

When a mysterious attack destroys the hidden clinic of Mallor's daughter Cara, her forbidden healing gift makes her a pawn in a deeper conspiracy—one that could abolish the balance of power and ignite all-out war across the land. Kidnapped in the resulting chaos, Cara's only hope lies with Derron.

Armed only with his prowess for metal magic and a deepening desire for Cara, the healer who has ensnared his heart, Derron dives into the city's gritty underbelly. Racing against time, he is determined to confront corrupt officials, wary rebels, and encroaching rivals to save Cara, who now, more than ever, needs to trust the cocky lieutenant she once scorned. This unlikely protector, whom she now sees as her sole chance for salvation, could either rescue her or destroy her family's empire completely.

Both Derron and Cara find themselves in a desperate fight for freedom and love, where trust and betrayal are two sides of the same coin.

Reader Advisory: Each book in the "Enchanted Elemental Empires" series is a standalone and can be read independently for a satisfying experience. However, to capture the full narrative and richness of this shared world, we highly recommend reading all the books within the series.

This series features closed-door fantasy romance. Please note that while this series adheres to a closed-door format, individual authors involved may have previously published books that include open-door romantic scenes or other content that differs from the closed-door standard of this series. We encourage readers to review book descriptions carefully to ensure content aligns with personal preferences before exploring the backlogs of individual authors. Thank you for your understanding and happy reading!

394 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 23, 2024

Reviews

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Interesting Start

There is a warning about the world right from the start, but I’d just come out of reading a different steampunk novel, so it’s pretty much run of the mill for me. There are steampunk elements throughout, including manpowered cabs, and driverless shuttles.

So, saying that – this is an interesting world, with magic based on eleven elements. In this story, the element is steel.

So, steel is absolutely everywhere, used in almost everything, giving the advanced users, the Heirs, much to play with.

The two main characters are Cara, Heir and daughter to one of the most powerful magnates in the city, and Derron, an odd-job guy who takes his money from whoever pays the most, currently Cara’s father.

And so the two meet, Derron learning that Cara isn’t a stuck-up good-for-nothing heiress, and Cara learning that Derron may not just be out for himself and may have a heart overall.

It is a story of love, loss, and betrayal. The betrayals were somewhat expectant, as there was clever foreshadowing. But, yes, they’re completely blind to it, and we see them get out of a few scrapes because of it.

All in all, not a bad read, but it definitely needed extra editing before it reached the ARC stage, as there were huge chunks of repeated text.

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

*I received a free digital ARC via the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

[Beba Andric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of a 37 interconnected series, written by different authors, was a fascinating concept to me. This is my first read by this author and I'm a little all over the place with my impressions. It started off slow, a lot of world building, which makes sense but was perhaps a tad too much for me. Thankfully once I'd picked up all the pieces, I could settle back and enjoy the story. The idea of Metal magic is unique, and a family who have so much clout, the odds are stacked up in their favour. They will and do everything to remain top honcho. But with so much power, it's inevitable there will be others striving to unseat them. I did enjoy the characters, especially Cara, she's a character who shows tremendous growth through the book, her insecurity, her fear of using her magic, her feelings of being simply a tool, evolves into recognition of who she is and what she is, I enjoyed seeing her coming to terms with it. And, of course, who doesn't like a bad boy? I certainly do....Derron fits the mould superbly. He's so obnoxiously confident in himself, I couldn't help loving him. I loved the banter and how he and Cara felt drawn to one another, very realistically portrayed. While low key on the romance, which seemed appropriate for this book, I nevertheless found myself enjoying the burgeoning romance.

The entire plot was well conceptualised, and although the pacing ebbed and flowed, the authors prose was wonderful. I enjoyed how she brought together so much, the mystery, the intrigue, the uniquely crafted magic system and the characters, of which there are a fair amount, are well rounded and easy to grasp. There's betrayal and action, a magic system that's intricately different, there's danger and strife and a very definite sense of self acceptance. The progression was great and carried me on a path I didn't want to veer away from. There were some very comical moments and a few unexpected elements... and I don't mean THE elements! An all round enjoyable read, which I have a suspicion I'll enjoy more as a reread, now that I understand this world, now that I can see where the author went with it, it's one of those that "grows" on me, that grew on me the more I read, and by the time I got to the end of it, I almost wanted to read it again immediately!

[Robyne Solis Breor · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC recieved in exchange for an honest review

Wicked Steel is the first book in The Enchanted Elementals series, a shared universe from multiple authors taking place in a fantasy setting where different elements of the world can be controlled by Heirs of the element. These heirs are capable of wondrous things by using their magic at the cost of tapping into their life force, shortening their already finite lives.

The first quarter of the book did seem a little slow as we got into world building and introductions to characters. My interest wasn't really piqued too much until I got a little closer to the halfway mark, but that may be accredited to the fact that I was also reading another fantasy series that I was well familiarized with and was used to the pacing for that series.

The MMC was pretty insufferable to me, being way too cocky about himself and his abilities, though these are appealing traits to others (don't let me disuaded you if you love these kinds of characters). While I'm sure in the initial conflict with him was just to get the main plot moving, I felt the heist wasn't as fleshed out as it could have been and was incredibly rushed. He also stakes a claim on our FMC without even knowing who she is and I really wasn't super into that, but I digress.

The FMC also wasn't super compelling to me in the beginning, but did have a cool ability that made up for it some. She seemed to purposely let herself be incapable of defending herself and got into a situation that entirely could've been avoided if she was willing to train and not spite her father so much. Even when she is being a "strong" character, she just feels like a little girl playing at being a leader.

The entire story felt rushed and could have had more details added in to make it flow better and feel less like it was skipping ahead of itself. The developing romance also had this vibe and felt so sudden. There really wasn't any kind of bonding between the MCs and then they suddenly noticed they had feelings.
The magic system seems to be pretty interesting, but I felt was lacking in some places, though I'm sure it'll get more in depth as this shared universe grows. Though this may feel like it for me, again, having been reading another fantasy series that is more established with a more intricate magic system that I was already used to.

Some scenes were incredibly repetitive and lacking emotion where there should be a lot going on emotions wise for the reader. Maybe it's just me being a little closed off to letting books give me big feelings.

Genuinely, the book could have been another 100 pages longer and fleshed out significantly more, be it developing the magic system more, giving some scenes more depth, and more chatacter interactions. It was fairly decent, but could've been even better with more details.

[Bethany L Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a crazy new world, unlike any I have ever read before, we follow (from a multi POV) our main characters as they navigate the underbelly of a land in turmoil. There is a heavy political storyline of families with elemental abilities wrestling for power and control. The balance of dialog is super intriguing between the FMC and her more eloquent, angsty tone and the MMC and his more lighthearted witty banter he uses to manage his world coming together for a balance between serious and lighthearted that strikes the right tone of this world. As they work together there are intense battles and strategic decisions altering every path for them and their found family. Now, for my favorite part. This world can be viewed in many different ways but in my mind it comes together as a steampunky, The Legend of Kora meets Peaky Blinders. I was sucked into the visuals of the streets and the markets and manors and it was glorious. This is Book 1 and so there is more to come from our heros but this book is also the introduction to the Enchated Elemental Empires series. I look forward to what all the series have to offer.

[H.M. Bloom · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Wicked Steel
Rating: 🌟⭐️🌟
Clean read

I had a love-hate relationship with this book. The first 30% was very slow and I struggled to connect to the characters, though found the world very intriguing. I genuinely disliked the FMC until the 2nd half and I preferred the MMC until the last 30%. A few things were off for me, such as character motivations. Some of the things the author chose for certain people to do, betrayals mostly, didn’t necessarily make sense to me. But perhaps I overlooked certain things that would have given more clarity. The major betray in the book was the thing that was off for me. I didn’t see this coming and I couldn’t find a legitimate reason for why it happened honestly. Furthermore it was a quite interesting character so I was unhappy at that loss.

Regardless of any shortcomings, I enjoyed this book and look forward to the upcoming releases in the Enchanted Elemental Empires series. I hope to see better chemistry in the future between the FMC and MMC but will definitely be continuing the series

[Tabitha Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ Review!
“Sometimes you have to risk everything to gain anything”

The world building alone is what gripped me and the roles each character played. The book was VERY WELL written! I’m so excited for the next book in this series!


✨Slight Spoilers!✨
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In the beginning, Cara feels like her father uses her gift as a weapon. It appears that way too! She was just an asset to say the least. He kinda gave the impression like she didn’t have a choice. He wants to have all the power and he claims it’s to protect his family, especially his daughter Cara. Cara however learns she was born to lead & it’s amazing to watch her grow!
Derron Frost, introduced early on - works for the Mallors and when I tell you he is the BAD BOY any girl wants - I mean it! 🫣 He is very confident in what he does and knows to get the job done. When Rhein crosses him, it’s an act of revenge until he is taken down.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in this 37 book MAS Enchanted Elemental Empires and it took me a while to get into it. A lot of world building and scene setting to begin with made it crawl for me but once the story got under way I was really hooked. The series is based on 11 elemental types and the empires that embody them. This story is based in the Ferric Empire (Metal) and is centered on one particular family who control party of its biggest city. Very mafia/ gang styley in the set up with rival factions vying for more territory and resources. There is romance in there and it's integral to the story line but not over played. By the end of the Book I was invested in the world and the main characters and I'm very keen to read more by this author and am looking forward to the next in the series.

[Heather Huggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Book series written by multiple authors. Each author's book can be read as a stand-alone. However, each author follows a world with different characters and kingdoms.

This book is set in the Ferric Empire, which has metal elementals. The world has a steampunk mafia vibe.

Cara, the MFC, is from the ruling family. Her magic can heal people, but it comes at a cost to her life. Cara was a likeable character, but I felt she could have been a bit more forceful. She let people walk all over her.

Derron, the MMC, is a worker. His magic can shape metal, but it also comes at a cost. Derron is a rogue, set on his own path. He's likable in a morally gray way.

I loved the storyline, characters, and world. I can't wait to read book two, Violet Steel, and find out what happens next.

[Angie Burnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic, danger, and intrigue abound.

This series is set to be several books, by multiple authors, that are interconnected within the same world but following different characters and kingdoms.

This was an interesting first book to this series. A lot of time was spend on world and character building because, while some things seem similar, this is not set in a different time on the earth we know. I enjoyed the concepts, characters, and world, even though at times there were some things that felt a bit repetitive or drawn out. All in all it was an entertaining read and I look forward to seeing where three rest of the series takes us!!

[Wandering Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Harper Lynn story and I was pleasantly surprised.

We begin the Enchanted Elemental Empires series in the Ferric Empire (metal element) with Cara. I found her world to be very steampunk mafia with some magic thrown in. I'd classify it as YA fantasy and while I found it a little slow to begin with, I pushed on and found myself suddenly intrigued.

There was some wonderfully written banter between Cara and Derron throughout the book and the world building at the beginning definitely helped to understand more. I'm looking forward to reading the next book throughout this new interconnected world.

3.5 ⭐ (rounded up to 4)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

You
The concept of this book is what got me. As a huge fan of The Last Avatar, I loved the idea of a world where these powers existed and were expanded upon. That said as times I felt like there were things/ information I was missing that I was expected to know. The overall flow of the story was good and I didn't get lost in the plot and flow of the novel. The characters felt like actual people with dreams, loves, fears, insecurities, desires and motivations. I enjoyed the story but would have been able to walk away and come back to it later. This is a close door romance so if you're expecting spice - don't. Of course, the lack of spice doesn't not take away from the story so don't let that hold you back. Diction was great and the characters could and did have good conversations. Overall, I think this book had a young adult feel to it, much like its inspiration. It states they are in their mid-early 20s but without the statement I would have put them in the 10-13 range, sometimes. Overall I gave the book 3.75 stars. I would read it again.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicked Steel is set in a fantasy world that felt a little steampunk. It had an almost grimy inner-city, crime setting as various gangs fight for power. Cara fears the cost of using her magical ability, and hides it to keep others from targeting her for it. Derron is a criminal with big plans and an overload of confidence. They're drawn to each other even though they're from opposite sides of the conflict.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of and an intricate magic setting in this book. It's a series of interconnected standalones and I'm curious about what is coming up next.

[Rania Laham · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there is one thing that I love, its great word building. For some, this can be challenging to read because it can draw on, but if you allow yourself to dream with the author, you will find yourself in an entirely new world. And that is why I love reading!!

Wicked Steel is the first of the “Enchanted Elemental Empires books” and I am so excited to join the authors on this journey. It is set in the Ferric Empire (Metal) ruled by a mafia family whose reign is coveted by others. It has magic, intrigue and romance – a great combination!!
Join the journey and read Wicked Steel.

[Jessica Alabsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started slow but once I met more of the characters I genuinely enjoyed it. Cara and Derron are interesting characters that I really liked by the end. Derron is 100% a typical cocky MMC but his charm and arrogance is fun to read with the banter between him and Cara. The scenes in the last 25% of the book made the entire story worth the read. I look forward to next phase of this part of the Enchanted Elementals series and reading this book has me excited to read about the rest of the different realms.

[ReadingandRelaxing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more of a YA fantasy novel and it was good. It was my first novel I’ve read from Harper Lynn. I like the characters but i wish there was more character development for all the characters involved. I also wish that there was a little more world building but it was only around 360 ish pages so the world building and character development was great for that amount of pages. I think this series has a lot of potential. It was clean and there were no spicy scenes or curse words. It was also funny at moments which is great for a story like this one.

[Rachel Wehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper Lynn delivers an excellent beginning to an intriguing new series. It's a world where magic comes with a costly price, and the stakes for power are higher than ever. The story was paced well, and captivating from the start. The banter flowed well, and there were laugh out loud moments for me.
I'm looking forward to this whole series, but especially continuing Derron & Cara's story in future books!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story full of world building and magic that you can really get lost in!
The first in a long series of books, this really helps set the scene for what is to come.
I thought the female lead was great but still has plenty of room to grow and mature, love interest was fine.
Looking forward to more!

[Suzy Ostapower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wicked Stupidity

I tried to read this book. I do not understand why people make their main characters so dense that they’re idiots. Cara keeps getting herself into trouble because she continues to make stupid decisions. She doesn’t seem to learn from them. Obviously Cara is intelligent- until she’s not. This type of book isn’t for me.

[Joy Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story and the character development. It was really easy to get sucked into the story and feel like I'm part of it. Those are the kinds of stories I will read more of. I look forward to more of the books in this series and definitely plan on reading them!

[Elri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I enjoyed this more than expected. Had me wanting to find out what was happening from the start and finished this in a day. Easy read. Absolutely loved the chemistry between the main characters. Derron is so different to other MMC in the fantasy world that I’ve read and I’m here for it.

[Amanda Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so excited to have jumped into the Enchanted elementals empire world! This was a great start to it all. Can’t wait for more!

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable start to the series. The world is clearly described and laid out. The reader is to come into it with an open mind as normal rules of the universe don't apply here. It's an interesting premise.

The relationship development between Cara and Derron was full of banter and inexplicable draw. There's a betrayer which will surprise. I'm interested to see where the next books take us in this new world.