El dios caído

The Black Iron Legacy #3

by Gareth Hanrahan, David Tejera Expósito (translator)

El final de la saga de fantasy oscuro más leída en español.
Una ciudad de dragones y oscuridad...
La Guerra de los Dioses ha llegado a Guerdon, la ciudad se ha dividido entre las tres potencias que la ocupan. Un frágil armisticio frena a los dioses, pero otras fuerzas peligrosas buscan ejercer su influencia en la ciudad.  
Spar Idgeson, una vez heredero de la hermandad de los ladrones, se ha transformado en la piedra viva de la Nueva Ciudad. Pero su magia está fallando y la mafia de los dragones criminales de Ghierdana gana cada día más poder.
Mientras tanto, al otro lado del mar, Carillon Thay, ladrona, santa y asesina de dioses; ahora está sola y busca desesperada la misteriosa tierra de Khebesh, en un intento por encontrar una cura para Spar. Pero, ¿qué esperanza tiene cuando incluso los dioses buscan venganza contra ella?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Steampunk, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

709 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 18, 2021

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

The Broken God continues The Black Iron Legacy’s reputation as one of the most imaginative ongoing fantasy series right now.

First of all, thank you so much to Gareth Hanrahan for including a detailed summary of the previous two books on his website; I wish this is a norm, and if it is, it would be much easier for me to continue reading a series without feeling lost. Secondly, I was a bit sad that Richard Anderson didn’t return to do the cover art for this book, but Thea Dumitriu did a great job doing the new cover art. Lastly, I have been sitting on this review for a few days. This isn’t an easy review for me to write; I can’t seem to feel right with what I wanted to convey within my review as spoiler-free as possible.

The Broken God is the third book in The Black Iron Legacy series by Gareth Hanrahan, and it was easily one of my most anticipated books of the year. The first book in the series, The Gutter Prayer, is one of my favorite debuts of all time; the sequel to it, The Shadow Saint, was a political installment that almost matched the quality of the first book, in my opinion. The Broken God, however, is my least favorite volume in the series so far.

But allow me to start with the things I loved first. I absolutely loved Cari’s POV chapters; Cari didn’t appear much in The Shadow Saint, and it gave me joy that The Broken God featured her as one of the main characters again. And not only Cari returns as one of the POV characters, but Hanrahan’s decision to put her away from Guerdon was also a brilliant move. I totally didn’t expect Cari’s story to be an intimate dive into her background and origin story. We found out about Cari’s past friends and also how she met Spar and Rat. In her journey to find the legendary land of Khebesh, amidst the conflicts with the criminal dragons of Ghierdhana, in Cari’s POV chapters we also get to witness more display of Hanrahan’s breathtaking imagination. Seriously, some of the scenes exhibited in her POV chapters—or the entire book, really—were downright cruel, epic, and jaw-dropping. The characters Cari met in her chapters definitely enhanced my investment in her compelling characterizations and narrative. Artoro, the new villain in this book, was so insane and loyal towards achieving his revenge that tensions in the text were successfully pulled off. Cari’s and Artoro’s POV chapters were thoroughly captivating, and the highly fascinating world-building, divine powers, and creatures of the series showed Hanrahan’s storytelling capability at his best again.

So what went wrong for me? The two other new POV characters, and the climax sequences. Similar to The Shadow Saint, and quite likely the rest of the series, Hanrahan continues to introduce new characters as POV characters here. But unlike the character of The Spy in The Shadow Saint, which I ended up loving, things seem to turn the other way around with Rasce and Baston. I was interested in these two characters at first, but as the story goes on, it gets increasingly difficult for me to feel invested in their chapters. Their characterizations felt forced, and their motivations fluctuated too much; their actions felt unbelievable at times. Lastly, the climax sequences. One of the greatest things about The Black Iron Legacy series is in the climax sequences. The Gutter Prayer and The Shadow Saint have a memorable and epic climax sequences. As for The Broken God, after all the great build-up leading towards the final pages, things just sort of… ended unsatisfyingly. Also, I feel inclined to mention, please do not expect anything amazing to come out of Cari’s journey to Khebesh. As much as I enjoyed the characterizations of Cari’s here, I wish the result of her journey to Khebesh was more satisfying.

Honestly speaking, giving The Broken God a rating below 4 stars is painful to me, but I have to always be honest with my rating and review. This isn’t to say that The Broken God wasn’t a good book. As always, Hanrahan’s imagination blessed this book, Cari’s characterization was compelling, and the world-building was incredible; I’m definitely still a fan of the series. But The Broken God pales in comparison to the brilliance of The Gutter Prayer and The Shadow Saint, and I hope the next book in the series will bring the series back to its full glory. Right now, I’m still not too sure regarding the status of the series being extended into a five books series; there’s a definite middle book syndrome here. On the positive side, though, I totally have no idea where the series will go from here, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the future will be a bright one.

You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) | The Broken Binding (Use my code: NOVELNOTIONS121 for discount!)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.

[Jeremy Szal · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might wonder how it's even possible to add more delicious weirdness and bizarre fantasy city upheavals, after the events of the first two books. Don't worry, because the most insane entry in the BLACK IRON GODS series goes above and beyond what you're expecting. Whereas the first book was a sort of mystery/heist novel, and the second more of a political/election narrative, this is a full-on reverse siege/take-over story. I'll let you discover what that means.

A stunning and furiously intense read from start to finish, every page seethes with secrets and intrigue. A gothic kaleidoscope of dark imagination. Mad gods, ghouls, mad fish people, wax patrol guards, monsters made from worms, sentient dust devils, giant squids, angry dragons, angry dragon riders, imaginary cities, underground tombs, and insane deities are just a few of the creatures that inhabit this insane and claustrophobic world. I loved this from start to finish and you will, too.

The wait for the next book will be unbearable.

My website

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I still really love the worldbuilding in this trilogy, but I was admittedly a little underwhelmed by this final book. I think there were just too many moving pieces that distracted me. Still the epilogue was great.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third and final instalment in The Black Iron Legacy series.

The Godswar has come to Guerdon. Three separate entities are fighting to reign over it and innocent lives are being crushed under the powers attempting to control them. No escape can be found underneath the city streets as ghouls still dwell there, as ready to take lives as those living lavishly atop the hill. One scrappy girl was the saviour of the people once but now Cari lies many leagues away, imprisoned and enslaved. Can she escape? If so, can she return and become a hero once more? Was she ever really one to begin with?

I was so reluctant to complete this series that I set it aside, partially read, for over a year. I decided it had been too long since I was last in this world and that I would probably restart the series again. When I did pick the book back up, however, I was mid-way through a chapter and had no trouble at all reacquainting myself with the particulars of the world, the characters, and the plot. I think that is a testament for just how vividly this author creates every facet, as this book is a dense and intricate one.

I have previously stated, in my reviews for both the first and second series instalment, just how in awe I am of the mind that has conjured such convoluted religious and political systems. I remain even more impressed here as the author also provided an insight to the geography of the world, as the central characters were strewn across it, and differing systems and beliefs were established and abolished.

As the novel, and series, drew to a close, the central characters became closer to reuniting. I never for a second trusted this author to bring a just ending to what has been a brutal and bloody series. It was bittersweet to see what I, and they, had hoped for come ever closer but also I could not help but lament all they had lived through and how different, understandably so, the characters who closed this novel were to the individuals that had begun it. I feel genuine pain not to have any more interaction with them but this world is a vivid one and so hopefully the author will return to it, in the future.

[Jayadev · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I'd like to say that to keep this review spoiler free is neigh impossible. This book builds so much of it's story upon the events the transpired at the end of the previous book (pretty much like how the previous book, the shadow Saint built upon the events of the ending of the gutter prayer). So unless you need a review under 30 words which just says "Yeah, this is a good book but I can't elaborate further because muh spoilers" please check elsewhere. (Also if you haven't even read the first book, what are you doing here reading this review)

Guerdon, the last city free of the godwar has been taken over, The three major factions who desired the city finally have it, expect there's a catch, there's no true winner. A fragile armistice holds the three powers at bay, dividing the city into three with the threat that if one tries to trun the balance, the other two would join forces to destroy it. The Empire of Haith with its dead soldiers gets the north. The sacred realm of Ishmere with their mad gods and endless conquest agree to the armistice after the death of their war goddess Pesh. (at the end of book 2, see this is why I said a spoiler free review won't work) Because Pesh represented the concept of war, with her death the ishmerians loose most of their will for battle. This also leads to them being pushed back in the lands they've conquered. In Guerdon, they take the temple district pleading the return of their goddess. Lyrix , the third group takes the new city. Welcomed to Guerdon to maintain the armistice by Eladora Duttin in the previous book

While the second book focused on both Haith and Ishmere, this one focuses entirely on Lyrix (which is good as all we've seen of Lyrix previously were in the interludes and epilogue of the 2nd book). The ishmerians are mentioned more often but Haith is almost entirely absent from this book. The main point of view's we follow in this book includes Carillon Thay, the Saint of knives, vessel for the black iron gods, killer Pesh etc who is on her way to Khebesh, the city of sorcerers to return one of their journals and find a way to save her friend Spar (who literally became the new city, seriously these book are some of the most imaginative pieces of work I've read). Rasce , the dragon's chosen, leader of the Ghierdana the crime syndicate lead by the dragon's of Lyrix. Baston, a childhood friend of Spar who now has joined the Ghierdana as a spy but quickly rises among their ranks and finally Artolo, the dragon's chosen before Rasce, driven out of the new city by Carillon (events of 2nd book) and loosing his status and his fingers for his failure to capture the new city. Rat and Eladora, who were principal characters in the previous books are relegated to side characters and have little or no major presence most of the story.

All throughout the book, the Ghierdana are trying to control the supply of Yilaster, an alchemical compound which is required by the Alchemist's of Guerdon either by destroying their rival sellers or forcing them to subservience. The Ghierdana have a supply of Yilaster on Ushket, where they force people to work for them led by Artolo. Consequently this is where Carillon ends up and once Artolo finds out this, the two begin a cat and mouse chase with Carillon desperately trying to reach Khebesh while Artolo pursuing her with any means possible. Carillon tries her best but is betrayed, thwarted at every attempt of escape as even the gods are against her. Carillion's story starts pretty slow and her story can be summarised as journey, obstacle, capture, escape, new obstacle repeat. Although her journey attributes to some amazing worldbuilding, Her return to Guerdon at the end though wasn't really needed which I'll elaborate in a little while. We are also shown the risks of using Sorcery, there's always a price to pay.

Unlike the other books, there is no threat approaching, be it the waking of the gods of black iron in the first book or the invasion by the sacred realm in the second. This time the threat is already here, the fragile armistice is all that is holding the city back from complete bloodbath. it's not a matter of if but when it all goes to shit and we see characters desperately try to maintain peace while others try to shake this balance.

Spar, who is now slowly loosing himself (mainly due to the absence of Carillon anchoring him to the world) finds a new host in Rasce, creating a new pseudo Saint of knives. But Rasce unlike Carillon uses his newfound power for his own needs going against what Spar originally had intended for him. Rasce takes control of spar's power and bends it to his own will. His descent into this corruption an subsequent madness is done perfectly. The way it ended sort of disappointed me, Rasce quickly turned from an unlikely hero to an unlikeable villian and then the author tries to give him a redemption arc that doesn't really work. It takes away from the whole loyalty to the dragon ideal that the Ghierdana preach throughout the book and throws it out of the window. Cari's return to Guerdon brings an opposition to Rasce's hold over the new city. As I said above, this could've been avoided as the author could've had Baston take her role instead allowing Carillon to proceed to Khebesh. Spar had tried to communicate with both Baston and Rasce initially.

Which brings me to Baston, his was the most interesting story initially considering his history with Spar and apprenticeship with the fever knight whom Spar had killed. Baston was the representation of the majority of the population, the every man, the average citizen and it would've been a perfect way to move the story forward with Baston taking over cari's role as the Saint of knives. But this is wasted, Baston goes through a character arc for the worst and at the end sort of becomes a wasted character. His loyalty to Rasce is what irked me the most. Initially he was against the Ghierdana much like everyone else, then when he joins with them seeing that there was potential for the poor people. The problem starts when most of the populace in the new city realise the immorality of the Ghierdana and the fact that they don't really care what happens to the people and begin to oppose them, Baston still stands with the Ghierdana which goes against everything his character initially stood for. it could be interpreted as him not loosing faith in Rasce while everyone else does. With how things go down with Rasce, Baston is sort of disposed off and that annoyed the hell out of me. The author may have had something planned for him as his fate is really unclear at the end but it does seem unlikely. This is probably the one thing I truly didn't like in the book. Another small criticism would be the names of places and things kind of overlap for example, we have Ushket, Ulbishe and Usharet, two are cities one is a goddess but the names feel so similar that it becomes difficult to keep track sometimes when these are mentioned. One more issue (which is mostly an issue for me alone) is the fact that there was no map for Guerdon. For a story so focused on the city, the absence of a map even after three books is a little disappointing. A map will only add to the worldbuilding, never take away anything from it.

These issues aside, the book was one of the most imaginative piece of fantasy I've read in a while. The worldbuilding in this series for me atleast is up there with the world's of craft sequence and divine cities and just below Malazan. A very enjoyable read which is why I still love it despite some of the issues I had with character arcs. I sincerely hope this isn't the end of the series (though this might be the end of the books focused on Guerdon) and more books are coming.

[L.L. MacRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is… a different review than I thought I would be writing. For 3/4 of the novel this was an easy 5 star. I ADORED The Gutter Prayer. It is one of my favourite reads of all time. The second book I was less enamoured with. But this one seemed a return to form and I really enjoyed the new situations.

It had been quite a while since reading book 2, though, so my memory of certain details was somewhat fuzzy, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment at all. We have Cari as a main POV character again (YAY!) outside the infamous city of Guerdon (also YAY!), and her chapters were brilliant. Like settling down under a warm blanket.

I mean, she goes through hell, of course. There are unspeakable terrors out there and she faces them all with gusto.

The Godswar is still very much going on. There are saints and miracles and destruction everywhere (this is NOT a world I ever want to visit), and the vividness of these are beyond incredible.

The new POVs we have are back in the city - Rasce and Baston. For the most part, I enjoyed Rasce’s chapters. He is chosen of the dragon (oh yes, did I mention we have dragons featuring prominently in this book!?), a sort of arrogant prince. I won’t go into details due to spoilers, but he makes a connection with Spar (another character I love), and those parts of the book were some of my favourites. The descriptions of a mind unravelling, genuinely lost in thought, were absolutely brilliant. I get goosebumps even now just thinking about them.

Baston was a kind of…neutral party? He’s mostly on his own side. Until he isn’t. He was okay. I didn’t love him, I didn’t hate him. He was just kind of… there, doing stuff for Rasce. I’m still not entirely sure why he does some of the things he does, and this is why I’m giving this four instead of five stars.

The about-turns of characters seems… very abrupt. And confusing? Perhaps it’s me, missing something in the text, but in the last quarter of the book or so, certainly in the final 100/150 pages, all the characters seem to behave in ways that are unexpected? It felt almost like they were just making these random changes to be in certain places for various plot stuff to happen.

Even Lord Rat, whose appearance I loved, was treated in a similar way.

I’m not sure whether there will be four or five books in this series. I will read the next one and I am looking forward to it, but I am a little more tentative.

Still a very enjoyable read. The prose is hauntingly beautiful and twisted in equal measure. There are horrors in these pages, undeniably so. But they are fed by an incredible story with excellent world building and characters. I do recommend this series!

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a section of Gareth Hanrahan’s The Broken God, the third book in the The Black Iron Legacy series, that I didn’t want to end. The reader is led through a land ravaged by the Godswar, where anything is possible, and Hanrahan’s creativity and imagination shines the brightest. It reminded me Ed McDonald’s nightmare Misery environment mixed with Michael Fletcher’s insane, hypnotized mob cult from The Mirror’s Truth. The Godswar-set chapters was the first time in the story that truly pulled me in, but it took a long while to get there. I recall The Shadow Saint having a slow first half before rocketing toward an amazing finish, and this book started in the same fashion, but the excitement level never reached the same heights as the previous volume. There are a few reasons why.

Cari still has a lead role, and after two books of playing thief and guardian angel, she spends most of the book on a journey across the world to bring help back to Guerdon. I like this decision, as I felt that Cari needed a change of environment. Seeing her struggle outside her comfort zone - without the help of Spar - is one of the best parts of the book. It was more-or-less an origin story for Cari, and we finally get to see the larger world that has been often referenced, but rarely visited.

There are a couple of other returning POVs. While Eladora has very little page time, Artolo fills the role of the main antagonist, and goes through some exciting transformations. But we have two new main characters we spend most of the book with: Rasce, a young ‘prince of the dragon,’ a favored dragon rider who is placed in Guerdon for racketeering and political purposes. His actual-dragon family are prideful beasts who, to me, seem like they don’t give a Rat’s carcass what humans they favor – even their own so-called ‘blood’ family is entirely expendable as long as they gain power. However, Rasce rises above his station because he is able to form a bond with Spar, the living city – an ability that was previously only accessible to Cari. He uses his power and resources to take advantage of his connection to Spar, but he’s conflicted because he’s not sure what the right path is.

Every couple of chapters, Rasce seemed like a different person. Smug and annoying, then full of potential, then Machiavellian at the expenditure of innocent lives. It was a crapshoot at what kind of Rasce you were going to get, and his inconsistently prevented me from warming up to him. He is singular minded, has a lack of foresight, is wishy-washy, arrogant, and his time spent developing a connection to Spar felt like familiar territory.

Baston is the other main POV. He’s an ex-bodyguard for the Fever Knight, and while he has committed some horrible and murderous deeds, I get a sense that I’m being pushed to like him because of his fierce loyalty to his word, and his populist beliefs. I do like the fact that he is forced into decision-making that goes completely against what he desires, but since he cannot break his word, everyone must suffer due to his selfish refusal to help his former kin. I just wasn’t buying into it. Making a promise to your boss is enough to give up everything and everyone you believed in? Even when there were ripe opportunities to take back what you lost?

Character issues aside, there were some wonderfully written scenes of emotional dialogue, wide-eyed action, and surprising developments scattered throughout the story. Although this was my least favorite of the three, this series is still an easy recommendation. We’re at the midway point of the Black Iron Legacy, and each volume brings major character progressions for Cari, Spar, and especially Eladora. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out, because I haven’t the slightest clue as to where it can go from here.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing I liked about this series concerns how each installment differed so dramatically in focus, scope and narration. While The Gutter Prayer read like a spewing firehose of ideas lashed together with a frenetic pace, The Shadow Saint developed the world, especially the politics of it, along with the city of Guerdon. The Broken God juxtaposes two story arcs, the first being almost a classic quest (Cali trying to get to the ancient sorcerous city Khebesth to somehow find a cure (or whatever) for Spar, her old friend who kinda died in the first installment, but then lived on in a way in the New City, something he helped create channeling the energy of the Black Iron Gods. The other thread involves the occupation of Guerdon, focusing upon the 'Chosen' Rasce, a dragon rider, who has been tasked to do certain things for the dragons (they control part of the city).

I found this installment to be the most melancholy of the three for sure, with all the main characters facing soul-crushing choices over and over, often to little or no avail. The Godswar has scourged many nations now, leaving disaster almost everywhere. Much of the story focuses, or has at least the backdrop, of the survivors of the Godswar, most slowing dying of starvation, captivity or simply suicide. Gloomy to say the least.

After the frenetic pacing of the first installment, Hanrahan slowed this down considerably, focusing more on the characters as well rather the all kinds of crazy alchemy, miracles and what not. I did enjoy this, but it also felt like it dragged in parts; gloomy parts I may add. Looking forward to reading more of Hanrahan's later work; this series was his first foray into writing/publishing and I expect to see great things ahead. 3.5 gloomy stars.

[Filip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 review here | Book 2 review here

You can find the video version of this review here.


The third novel in the Black Iron Legacy series, The Broken God awakened my slumbering love for dark, heart-wrenching fantasy. Following the Tripartite Armistice that saw Guerdon divided in three influence zones a-la Berlin and Germany post-World War II, the precarious balance is all but sure to break under the maneuvering of the powerful criminal syndicate of the Ghierdana, its power-hungry dragons, and loyal scion, Rasce. The cast of characters swells with new faces, some more devious than others—Rasce’s not quite chief among them, but close. Rasce’s machinations are a direct product of almost rabid loyalty towards his family, a search for approval that I couldn’t help but feel was fated to end badly. Ordered to take over the city’s alchemical supply trade, Rasce will allow nothing to stand in his way – not the uneasy truce that offers Guerdon a degree of peace, not the defenders of that peace, and not the voice of the New City that only he can hear. As for that voice? It is the last remnant of Spar, whose ability to hold onto parts of himself is slipping more and more—and that is something Carillon Thay has travelled half the world to find a cure for.

The former Saint of Blades is not having an easy go of it, though—far from Guerdon’s New City, “she’s powerless. Harmless as a fucking fly” (15). Cari wasn’t a major PoV character in the The Shadow Saint (just as Eladora isn’t a major PoV character here) and to follow her once more is like coming home after years of wandering—a pleasure and a comfort. That’s not to say that a lot of what she goes through isn’t bonkers insane; some old friends, lots of backstory, and a new sorcerous ally whom I will forever ship with Carillon. Most horrific (and exciting) by far is seeing the Godswar and what it has done to the outside world—these sections are some of the most powerful in the Black Iron Legacy through sheer force of imagination. Here’s a morsel for you:

Carillon and Myri risk being remade by these vanished gods. Both women are fortified against the touch of the divine – one through her sorcery, the other through the remnants of her sainthood, through her eldritch heritage, and both have enough willpower to resist direct assault by these diminished spirits. These gods are still perilous in an oblique manner; at times, Cari’s attention strays from the dusty path, and alien thoughts infiltrate her mind. Once, she imagines what it would be like to tear Myri’s throat out with her teeth, to howl and call her vanished pack…Another time, she finds herself reciting poetry, her words so sweet that honey comes dripping from her mouth. She has the presence of mind to keep reciting for a few minutes after the fit fades, and Myri collects the honey so that they have something to eat at least. (365)

There is more, so much more that shows the boundless creativity Hanrahan is capable of, and it makes me eager to the point of desperation to see where the next novel goes. But that’s far from the author’s only strength: With Gareth Hanrahan’s writing, there is this pervading feeling that no detail he includes is extraneous, no detail is incidental. Both the political intrigue he weaves (here, unlike in The Shadow Saint, the high-brow political intrigue takes a back-street to gangster dealings and spycraft) and the character work at display are impressive. That is exhibited well in the character arc of Baston, a former lieutenant of the Brotherhood whose progression turns the stomach. In a good way.

By the novel’s end, Guerdon is remade once more, the cost of Rasce’s ambitions having marked it in ways you’d never expect at The Broken God’s opening. What I want to find out most is, what’s next? Will the peace hold? What of Cari and Eladora? What of Spar? And the Godswar? It’s only going to get worse, isn’t it? Only time will tell.

I leave you with a final quote that I particularly enjoyed: “Arrogance or pride? The difference between them is one of balance—take pride just a little too far, and you’ll slip and fall.”

[Librukie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

"Guerdon tiene fama en todo el mundo de ser el lugar de las maravillas forjadas por el gremio de alquimistas. Las armas que salen de sus fundiciones y de sus calderas cruzan el mar en dirección a la Guerra de los Dioses, y luego regresan en forma de oro y plata".

Terminado este tercer (QUE NO ÚLTIMO) libro de la saga de "El legado del hierro negro", tengo que decir que he tenido algún que otro altibajo en la lectura, pero que de todas formas cumple con lo que esperaba y me deja con muchas ganas de más de esta historia.
"El dios caído" lo deja justo donde lo dejamos en el libro anterior, pero de nuevo los protagonistas (y con ello las perspectivas a través de las cuales seguimos la historia) vuelven a cambiar. Cari vuelve a tener un peso fundamental en la historia, como lo tuvo en "La plegaria de la calle", y a ella se unen Rasce, jefe de los Ghierdana y elegido del dragón, y Baston, un miembro de la Hermandad que busca lo mejor para los habitantes de Nueva ciudad.
Este cambio de protagonistas fue para mi un punto de partida muy prometedor, ya que lo que menos me gustó del libro anterior fue precisamente ese cambio de perspectivas. Me gustó mucho volver a verlo todo desde los ojos de Cari, además de conocer a dos nuevos personajes que prometían mucho, junto con toda la nueva información sobre los Ghierdana y Lyrix.
Tengo que seguir destacando lo que para mi es lo mejor de esta saga: la construcción del mundo. Me parece apasionante ir descubriendo más de él en cada libro, y como el autor siempre tiene más y más cosas interesantes que contar. Creo que por eso precisamente empecé el libro tan arriba, porque te da muchísimos datos nuevos sobre este mundo tan complejo, y cada página esconde un trocito de ese universo. Y sin embargo, en cuanto a trama... Tengo que decir que a ratos se me ha hecho un poquito cuesta arriba. Empieza muy fuerte, pero hacia la mitad creo que empieza a dar demasiadas vueltas en redondo y cuando terminas el libro tienes la sensación de que la trama principal apenas a avanzado a pesar de que no han parado de pasar cosas en todo momento.
Creo que peca un poquito de "libro del medio", porque sí, no hay que olvidar que es la novela intermedia en una saga de cinco, y se siente como tal. De hecho el final es el más abierto de los tres hasta ahora, así que compadezco un poco a la gente que vaya a este libro pensando que es un cierre... Porque no es en absoluto así, y me parece un poco feo que se venda como tal. Un poco feo y un error que creo que le hace un flaco favor a esta saga tan increíble y a su autor.

Me parece quizá el más flojito de los tres que llevamos hasta ahora, pero eso no quita que siga siendo un buenísimo libro, que siga fascinada con su worldbuilding y que siga queriendo leer mucho más de él. Espero que pronto tengamos noticias del cuarto, mientras tanto aquí esperaremos pacientemente.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and more reviews at superstardrifter.com!~

This is the continuing story of the city of Guerdon, among other things, and some of its various residents. In this volume, tensions in Guerdon are high, because the city is split between several factions. In this case, the New City is currently occupied by the Ghierdana, a group of dragon-worshiping pirates who are hell bent on shifting the trade of a special alchemical ingredient through them and them alone. And in their efforts, there are many shenanigans.

I enjoy New Weird, as a genre, and this series definitely qualifies in my opinion. It reads somewhat like Miéville’s Bas-Lag series. It has some fantastic vocabulary, to start, but that’s not why Guerdon reminds me of New Crobuzon. It takes place in a city that is dark, grim, rather corrupt, and full of monsters, gods, and miracles. A plague that turns men to stone, candle-men made out of the corpses of thieves that patrol the city for other thieves, and underground ghouls who eat the dead are just some of the daily sights in this city.

The characters have come a long way in the last few books. My favorite character is still Rat, who has become rather important as a ghoul since the first book. I still love reading about Spar and Cari, and this book definitely left me with feelings about the two of them. It also introduced a new character, Rasce, who is the Chosen of the Dragon. Basically, he is the guy that the head of the dragons in the area has chosen to lead their people. Rasce develops a lot over the course of this book, and I went through an entire gamut of emotions about him from start to finish.

It was well written, paced very well, and full of all kinds of creepy adventures. This, like Bas-Lag, are the sort of creepy, gritty, and very unique stories that I can’t stop reading even when they get a bit gross. Hanrahan has made these characters that I can’t stop cheering for even though I know that they are mostly quite morally grey. I just want more and more and more.

I definitely can’t wait to see what is next in this series, because this one left me with questions.

Thanks to the author, as well as Orbit via NetGalley for the review copy.

[Flying Monkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!!

The Broken God is a solid 3rd book in the Black Iron Legacy. I enjoyed the story and I'm hoping the characters and world-building continue to grow in the next book.

[Vigasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gareth Hanrahan is an excellent voice in modern fantasy. He definitely isn't repetative and every one of his books in the same series is something unique so we can't know what to expect. To be honest I thought this is the last one in the series, but apparently I was wrong. Seeing when the story went so far I can't wait for what will happen next.

[Paul Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first encountered GRH as a designer and writer for table-top roleplaying games, and you can see that background in the care with which he constructs the environments his story takes place in. The city of Guerdon - initially, in the earlier books, one of the few places in the world not ravaged by the Godswar, although that has now taken over here too - is a fully realised city, with districts and factions, history and legends, families and culture.


Playing "spot the gamer" is one of my hobbies, as I think you can sometimes tell in the world-building or construction of plot or characters or magic systems if that is in the background. Both Mark Lawrence and Charles Stross have confirmed that they played in their youth, but haven't in years, for example, while Mary Gentle, Justina Robson, Neil Gaiman, Alistair Reynolds and Steph Swainston either play currently or did so beyond their teen years. Although I somehow doubt Gaiman has the time for it these days.


With some writers from a game-design background, you can see their working - the same fault as writers who feel the need to show off how much research they've done by including too much of it in the finished story. One that comes to mind is Brandon Sanderson (although I don't know if he has a gaming background, either playing or designing) but you can see the construction, the work that has gone into putting it together - although I confess I've only read some of his earlier stuff.


Ryder-Hanrahan is far too good a writer for this. The build is utterly organic and believable, the world and, vitally, the characters superbly realised. He pulls off the trick of making the absurd both believable and horrifying - his alchemical Tallowmen, condemned criminals that have been literally remoulded into living wax puppets, psychotic all-but-unstoppable sentient candles complete with flaming wick, brought to mind the cactus people in China Mieville's New Crobuzon books, something that should be laughable but somehow works within the reality of the story.


GRH uses this setting both as a canvas for the action but, as in the best writing, the city is very much a characterby this third book, literally so, a dark alchemical steampunk fantasy dystopia filled with politics (both low and high), crime, piracy, familial relationships, honour, war - all in a world where the Gods are real and powerful and present, and demand worship.


The end of The Broken God suggest there is more to come, and I can't wait.

[C Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved book one but by midway through this book I just stopped caring what happened.

The problem is that the series can't seem to settle on what the main plot thread is, is it the godwar? The future of the city? Carillon? Spar? And because the focus keeps changing and the final payoff so unfocused the series died with a whimper.

If the city/Spar was the star, and it should have been because Hanrahan's skill in creating the setting of Guerdon is impressive, then the ending was dull. If it was Carillon then book 2 was a waste, if it was the godwar then the series just maintained the status quo.

I'll read the authors next work with eagerness, but this series lacked focus and plot coherence.

[Jordan (Forever Lost in Literature) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.75

Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!

I'm finally managing to catch up on some of this year's fantasy releases, and this latest installment in The Black Iron Legacy series has been one of the series I've been most excited to continue.

One of the best things about The Black Iron Legacy series, in my opinion, is how incredibly unique and distinctive it is. Each one of the books in this series so far has been pretty unpredictable for me. A lot of books tend to have either a plot where you can see a general sort of typical plot direction, with tropes, etc., or a plot that just feels entirely unpredictable where I genuinely am just along for the ride because I have no idea what's going to happen–and The Black Iron Legacy falls firmly in the latter. The Broken God has continued this trend and proved to be yet another incredible installment with some amazing world-building and characters, although I will admit that this has not been my favorite book in the series.

Each book so far in the series has had different main POV characters, with some familiar faces thrown in as well. In The Broken God, we had a return of Cari (the infamous Carillon Thay) as a main POV character, which we haven't seen since the first book and was easily a highlight for me, as well as newer characters Artolo, Baston, and Rasce. We also get to see Spar, Eladora, and handful of other recognizable (and new) characters to meet. And although this may be a slightly unpopular opinion, I really enjoyed getting to check in on Eladora and see what she's up to, as I find her an intriguing character.

Cari was, of course, a joy to read from again. I think my opinion matches pretty well with other readers when I say that Cari is a favorite character and I love getting chapters from her perspective. Her story is such an interesting one, and I also find her personality compelling as well. She's a bit of an erratic character with a rather large chaotic streak, but she also has a lot of determination and heart that I think is what makes so many of us readers like her character so much. The Broken God really gave us the opportunity to focus on Cari a bit more and learn more about her background and how she came to who and what she is today. And since we're talking about Cari, this feels like a good place to mention Spar as well, who I was really glad to see again in this book. I don't know exactly what it is about him, but Spar is also a character I love to see, and it was hard to see that him and Cari weren't together much in this book.

Artolo, Baston, and Rasce are the newer POVs we followed as more main protagonists, and I had some mixed feelings about all of them. Artolo was a great general antagonist figure for Cari, but I have to say that, overall, I didn't find him as compelling as I might have expected him to be. His singular drive and focus–to get Cari–was both admirable and annoying, at times in how it influenced his every action and personality. Baston and Rasce were hard for me to connect with as well. Rasce is a favored dragon rider of the Ghierdana, and the entire Ghierdana focus in this book was really interesting to learn more about. He was placed in Guerdon with politics in mind, but his begins to form a connection that I didn't exactly expect, and I found this entire development really interesting. Baston is one of those characters that I found myself admiring for his strong dedication to his moral values and personal feelings. I found myself a bit more interested in Baston's personality and individual motivations than Rasce's, though in contrast I found Rasce's general storyline and plot events more compelling than Baston's.

The Broken God is a novel that is undeniable action-packed and never really has a dull moment. Even the times of political discussions or any other religious or philosophical or involved discussion feels fast-paced and exciting. This lends itself to a nicely paced novel that, in general, makes for a pretty quick read. There were a few spots in the plot that I felt dragged a bit, such as when characters seemed to be forced into some action scene or other that didn't feel entirely necessary to the plot. This book felt like a middle-of-a-series novel in that there was considerable plot movement and some incredibly important things happened, but it also felt like it was sort of working quickly to progress and set up the plot for the future books, while also trying to simply fill in more world-building and background. I liked all of these elements, but I have to be honest that I didn't end up enjoying it as much as the previous two books. Still, I have no doubt I'll continue to enjoy this series and still had a great time with this book!

That ending was also entirely unpredictable, and I can't wait to see where Hanrahan decides to take this story next. I'll be anxiously awaiting the opportunity to find out! Overall, it's 3.75 stars from me for The Broken God!

[Kamila Komisarek · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There are always monsters and powerful folk in charge, scheming and squabbling with each other. Sometimes they’ll help you, and sometimes they’ll hurt, but they never give a damn about us on the streets.”


“The Broken God” is the third book of “The Black Iron Legacy” fantasy series by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan. This review will contain spoilers to the first two books because I can’t write anything of essence without it, so if you haven’t started this series yet, I advise you to go and read my review of “The Gutter Prayer” first, and then decide if you want to read it.
Every book in “The Black Iron Legacy” has a different central theme. “The Gutter Prayer” mainly evolved around a heist and took place in Guerdon, with only minor mentions of what is happening outside the city. “The Shadow Saint” focused on politics, elections, and trying to get ready for inevitably incoming threats. Finally, “The Broken God” is the damage control after the worst imaginable disaster already happened. Each volume is focused on a different set of characters that slowly show us the enormous wealth of the world that the author has created. I love that with every book, we got pulled into this expanding world more.
This series is very peculiar for me. It is not a quick read. I usually spent a week or two with those books, slowly making my way through the complicated and complex storylines. It doesn’t keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time (except the endings, as those are always highly gripping and epic), and I don’t love the characters so much that I would cry for them. And yet, I still love reading them! I come back to Guerdon repeatedly with every new book to see what crazy mess is happening now.
“The Black Iron Legacy” is one of my favourite series when it comes to world-building. It is dark, unprecedently imaginative and simply stunning. The main attractions include the mad gods, corpse-eating ghouls, evil sorcerers made of worms, a magical city that is alive, crazy alchemist and their horrible creations. And dragons, let’s not forget the dragons, who are mainly pirates. I couldn’t not fell in love with this world!
Moving on to the “The Broken God” itself. This time we follow Cari, who leaves Guerdon in a quest to make sure her friend Spar survives in whatever form was left for him. But in the meantime, Guerdon must face its internal troubles. With the fragile Armistice, life in the city is almost unbearable for ordinary people. The whole place is divided into three occupation zones controlled by Ishmere with their mad gods, Haith with their undead, and Lyrix with their dragons. This book mostly features the last fraction, as one of the protagonists is Rasce, the chosen of the dragon and prince of Ghierdana. Spar, who is fading into oblivion while Cari is away, forms a bond with Rasce, who swiftly uses his newly acquired saint powers. It causes no end of trouble for poor Eladora, who is prepared to do everything to keep the Armistice in place. The last protagonist is Baston, a thief of the Brotherhood who used to be Spar’s friend and now has a hard time finding his place in the new Guerdon, so he eventually ends up supporting Ghierdana.
The book starts on a slow note, and it takes time to get to know a primarily new cast of characters, but after few first chapters, we are pulled into the dark world of intrigues and never-ending struggles for power. And the thing is, it’s hard to say who should we cheer for, as not one party has good intentions.
I immensely enjoyed another visit to Guerdon, and once again, I was left wanting more and looking forward to the next book.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read, such a joy to read, the ending is spectacular, and never expected it to end like them.

Looking forward to reading more by author.

[Doomscribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: The Broken God by Gareth Hanrahan is a strong continuation to the Black Iron Legacy series, a world where mad gods walk the earth, monsters roam the streets, and Dragon crime families hold hostage entire cities. While perhaps a step down from the two previous entries, the book is still a great ride the whole way through.

The Broken God brings us back Carillion Thay and Spar as prominent POVs, and includes Baston, a former member of the criminal Brotherhood, and friend of Spar’s, and Rasce, Chosen of the dragon Taras, representing one of the Ghierdana families interests in the city of Guerdon.

For Cari, this book is somewhat of a journey of discovery, as she tries to figure out her place in the world beyond her position as the Saint of Knives, while also trying to make her way to Khebesh to trade knowledge for knowledge to bolster Spar’s waning power. She quickly finds herself hunted by Artolo, a Ghierdana agent she stabbed and drove out of Guerdon months previous. Cari’s story is one of reconnecting with her past, while trying to understand who she is and who she wants to be.

Rasce, Baston and Spar’s story is intertwined heavily in this book. Rasce is tasked by his great uncle dragon to corner the yliaster (alchemist stuff) supply in the city. This means working outside the zone of the city controlled by Lyrix, and potentially endangering the treaty that split the city apart in the first place. Baston is recruited due to his skills and his old contacts in the Brotherood, but his loyalties are divided, and struggles to figure out what the right thing to do is. Spar manages to make a connection with Rasce, giving him a similar sort of sainthood that Cari had, and their differing interests clash – Spar just wants to protect the people of the New City, his magic given body, without unravelling in the process.

As usual, the world-building is incredible. It came as no surprise to me the knowledge that Hanrahan writes books for roleplaying games, as the man is bursting with ideas. In this story, we get to see the return of old allies and enemies (well, mostly enemies) and a much bigger look at the Ghierdana. I was maybe a little disappointed that the Ghierdana are mostly just what they seem – crime families ran by dragons. The backstory to how the dragons came about is novel, but not used much, and as a faction they seem almost vanilla compared to some of the other crazy elements of this world. We get a lot more new stuff in Cari’s story, however, and even a look at what was once the heart of the godswar itself.

Eladora Duttin is back, in a mostly adversarial role this time, along with supporting players of hers from the previous novel. It’s great how the protagonists from one book become villains in the next. I have to admit, I never completely warmed to Rasce or Baston. I enjoyed their storylines, especially when characters from the previous books were involved (especially when Spar is involved) but I never found myself too bothered about what their eventual fate might be. Cari I still loved, even more for the development she underwent in the last two books.

I don’t think the plot had quite the impact that it did in the previous two books. It was good, but it didn’t have as much of the twists, turns, shifting factions and unfolding mysteries and before. And the last sequences were certainly less bombastic than in The Shadow Saint, and The Gutter Prayer.

Having said that, this is still a great book, with most of the elements I’ve come to expect from a Black Iron Legacy book. A world still bursting with character, twisty plots and danger round every corner. Don’t stop here fans (and if you’re not a fan, don’t start here either – pick up The Gutter Prayer for the start of this series).

Rating: 8/10

Thanks to Netgalley and the Orbit for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For reviews like this and more, visit my blog

[Bibliotecario De Arbelon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este tercera entrega de la saga arranca justo en la conlcusión de Los Santos de Sombra y plantea un nuevo cambio de personajes protagonsitas: Cari quien vuelve a cobrar protagonismo tras La Plegaria de la Calle, Rasce, jefe de los Ghierdana y elegido del dragón y, por último, Baston, un miembro de la Hermandad.

Si bien es un libro en el que suceden muchas cosas y el mundo construido por Hanrahan cobra todavía más profundidad, peca un poco del mal de "el libro de en medio" (no olvidemos que es una saga de 5 libros) y la trama general en sí avanza más bien poco, cosa que hace que este libro te deje con un sabor algo agridulce al terminarlo.

Aunque probablmente sea el libro más fojo de los publicado hasta ahora, es un buen libro y deja las cosas preparadas para que todo vaya in crescendo en las dos últimas entregas que faltan por publicar, de las que espero tener noticias más pronto que tarde porque tengo muchas ganas de saber como concluirá todo.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following up the shadow saint is a hard act to follow 3 books in Gareth finds even more imaginative ways to weird and just plain crazy some of the best chapters are thr exploration of the fallout of the gods War.

Now just give me book 4 because that ending

[Jordan Short · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous fucking book!
This world is so imaginative and unique. Hanrahan has great characters, great prose, and great stories. This is my favorite series in years.
Full review to come on @Booknest.eu

[Marco Landi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stelle più che abbondanti...

Come ogni romanzo di questa serie, la qualità è altissima.. il sense of wonder e la creatività non mancano.. essendo il volume centrale di questa pentalogia diciamo che aggiunge un po' ma non troppo...

Seguiamo Cari nelle sue peregrinazioni verso il sud.. questo amplia di molto la veduta del mondo creato, con tantissime trovate e idee assurde.. diverte, peccato però che poi il tutto si rivela un po' un nulla di fatto, avrei preferito avesse un epilogo diverso.. Ma vabbè..

Dall'altra parte, nella città di Guerdon, occupata da tre forze nemiche dopo i perigliosi fatti del secondo libro, seguiamo alcuni nuovi PoV, affiancati da alcune vecchie conoscenze.. soprattutto finalmente vediamo i maestosi Draghi e le loro mafiose famiglie.. con l'equilibrio precario tra le tre forze d'occupazione mantenuto dalla presenza degli alchimisti e dalle loro armi.. ma anche qui le cose precipiteranno in modi imprevedibili e fantasiosi, con continui cambi di fronte e cruenti scontri..

Diciamo che rispetto ai precedenti due romanzi, questo l'ho trovato un po' inferiore, per quanto sempre molto bello, per la troppa tortuosità, a volte un po' faticosi da capire tutti i continui cambi di intenti e schieramento, e per il ritmo.. le ultime 100 pagine, che avrebbero meritato un escalation continua, invece rallentano di più, a parte le ultime 10 pagine che fanno presagire grandi cose per il futuro, ma resta il fatto che il finale è piuttosto sottotono rispetto agli altri..

Resta una di quelle serie magiche, in cui non sai mai cosa aspettarti dalla trama, dai personaggi, in cui non c'è nulla di banale, tante riflessioni profonde e ogni volta che pensi di aver capito come andranno le cose, Gareth ti lascia di nuovo a bocca aperta con la sua fantasia sfrenata.. spero che il quarto volume esca presto!!

[Travis Riddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wildly inventive and unpredictable. Hanrahan has crafted one of the weirdest, grimiest, most creative worlds I've ever read and it's a joy to explore.

The imagery and setpieces in this volume are unlike any I've read anywhere else, and I was constantly in awe of what was going on. Hanrahan throws a lot at the wall in this series, and especially in this entry, but I felt it came together in a satisfying way.

If nothing else, it has me desperate to know where the story goes from here.

If you like your fantasy weird, gross, and devoid of any easy cliches, then you should be reading the Black Iron Legacy.

[Leigh Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent continuation of the Black Iron Legacy series, filled with mind-blowing wonders and horrors across an impressivly crafted world. Great characters, great worldbuilding. Probably the most vital on-going fantasy series right now, not to be missed!

[Mark Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good addition to the story. In terms of a stand alone book, I preferred the previous two. There was just something off about this one. Cari's adventure was almost like a side story and Artolo's POV just seemed unnecessary. However, it continued the overall story very nicely. It opened up the world even further and set up the next book. There's so much creative content in these books, you really feel like you got your money's worth when you are done reading.

[Elijah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice tidy finish to a solid series about gods, monsters, and the little people that run the show behind the scenes. Can't wait to see what this author has planned next whether it be a return to this world, or an entirely new one

[Shonipamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. In fact one of the best series i have read to date. Brilliant. Do yourself a favour and read it!

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good!

[RaeLeigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was better than the second one, but I keep saying this can’t be the end. There has to be more. So many characters that were brought in don’t have typical resolutions, but that being said, I am still satisfied with the ending. After all the chaos of the series, it was a calm ending that was enjoyable.