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Dark Arts #2
The Iron Codex
Doctor Strange meets Jason Bourne: The wizards of World War II become the sorcerers of the Cold War in this globe-spanning thriller sequel to The Midnight Front
1954: In Southeast Asia, Cade Martin, hero of The Midnight Front during World War II, chases ghosts and flees his past. In the United States, Briet Segfrunsdóttir heads the Pentagon's top-secret magickal warfare program. And in South America, Anja Kernova hunts fugitive Nazi sorcerers with the help of a powerful magickal tome known as The Iron Codex.
In an ever-more dangerous world, a chance encounter sparks an international race to find Anja and steal The Iron Codex. Anja is hunted by friend and foe alike toward a showdown on Bikini Atoll in March 1954: the Castle Bravo nuclear test, where science and black magic are destined to collide.
1954: In Southeast Asia, Cade Martin, hero of The Midnight Front during World War II, chases ghosts and flees his past. In the United States, Briet Segfrunsdóttir heads the Pentagon's top-secret magickal warfare program. And in South America, Anja Kernova hunts fugitive Nazi sorcerers with the help of a powerful magickal tome known as The Iron Codex.
In an ever-more dangerous world, a chance encounter sparks an international race to find Anja and steal The Iron Codex. Anja is hunted by friend and foe alike toward a showdown on Bikini Atoll in March 1954: the Castle Bravo nuclear test, where science and black magic are destined to collide.
373 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2019
35 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
David Mack
111 books668 followersDavid Mack is the New York Times bestselling author of 39 novels of science-fiction, fantasy, and adventure, including the Star Trek Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 17, 2018
Review: I don't know what took me so long to read this. I think I was enjoying this read a little too much, hence the dribbling reads late at night. Guilty pleasure or a solid novel to soar from great heights? Read on!
What I liked about this novel was the grounded entertainment value. It has this Captain America World War II vibe meshed with the improbability of magik that is also grounded in frailty. That is to say that no one is invincible whether they wield a gun or anchor demons and angels. The characters all have personality flaws and life choice baggage that helps build depth without detracting from the whole.
There is constant movement interleaved with different journeys involving different characters. These characters seem to coalesce and expand as the story line shifts to add resonance to the overall plot. Very intelligent writing.
There is a love interest that is rebuffed (Yay!) and then re-kindled (boo!) which dropped this novel into average-ville. Anja is also speshul but denies her heritage and takes a discerning look at everyone's intentions with regard to her role in Armageddon. A refreshing character that remakes the "reluctant hero" meme. I kept pulling for Briet and I still don't know why. Perhaps the cold exterior, when melted by loss, helped imbue her with a deeper sense of humanity. I loved that Cade is a druggy, alcoholic wizard with a boner for Anja. He just kinda lays his emotions out there for all the world to see, and gives no fuks in the process. There is the gay sidekick trope, because authors these days have to cover all their bases.
I had high hopes for this novel, and elevated this novel to stardom before it slid into romance and artificially rendered characters. It still had some great moments.
You can read all of my reviews, here.
What I liked about this novel was the grounded entertainment value. It has this Captain America World War II vibe meshed with the improbability of magik that is also grounded in frailty. That is to say that no one is invincible whether they wield a gun or anchor demons and angels. The characters all have personality flaws and life choice baggage that helps build depth without detracting from the whole.
There is constant movement interleaved with different journeys involving different characters. These characters seem to coalesce and expand as the story line shifts to add resonance to the overall plot. Very intelligent writing.
There is a love interest that is rebuffed (Yay!) and then re-kindled (boo!) which dropped this novel into average-ville. Anja is also speshul but denies her heritage and takes a discerning look at everyone's intentions with regard to her role in Armageddon. A refreshing character that remakes the "reluctant hero" meme. I kept pulling for Briet and I still don't know why. Perhaps the cold exterior, when melted by loss, helped imbue her with a deeper sense of humanity. I loved that Cade is a druggy, alcoholic wizard with a boner for Anja. He just kinda lays his emotions out there for all the world to see, and gives no fuks in the process. There is the gay sidekick trope, because authors these days have to cover all their bases.
I had high hopes for this novel, and elevated this novel to stardom before it slid into romance and artificially rendered characters. It still had some great moments.
You can read all of my reviews, here.
December 7, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
I had a difficult time finishing this novel. It is good, and well written. However, the beginning moved too slow for me to become emotionally invested in it. The last half of the novel more than made up for the beginning sluggishness. Mack wrote some very exciting scenes and the magic system that he created is great. It is different than most urban fantasy/fantasy out there. I recommend this book as it is well written and fun. It is a great dip in history and fantasy. Just know that the beginning is a little slow and sluggish, but it will pay off in spades by the end.
I had a difficult time finishing this novel. It is good, and well written. However, the beginning moved too slow for me to become emotionally invested in it. The last half of the novel more than made up for the beginning sluggishness. Mack wrote some very exciting scenes and the magic system that he created is great. It is different than most urban fantasy/fantasy out there. I recommend this book as it is well written and fun. It is a great dip in history and fantasy. Just know that the beginning is a little slow and sluggish, but it will pay off in spades by the end.
February 19, 2019
The second of three books in The Dark Arts trilogy, we jump ahead to 1954 and follow our cast as the stakes are raised set against the real world Cold War paranoia. This is mostly Anja's but Cade and Briet play large roles. Wisely, David Mack builds on his supernatural overlay, showing the Vatican's place in this fascinating world. He also introduces new characters, notably Father Luis. is a major problem to be solved but a larger threat looms in the shadows, setting up the third book. It is a gripping page turner, as Mack makes his characters grow and suffer.
August 23, 2019
An expanded and extended version of this review may be found on my blog post, at papa Pat Rambles.
This book was presented to me as Alternate History. I think the book belongs in the Horror section, because the CORE to this book is about demon possession. And I think that makes it horror.
The cover is GREAT! In fact, that's how I selected this as the next book to read. It's a dark-haired, black-clad figure with a blade, riding a black motorcycle, so YAY! The cover art is by Larry Rostant, and the cover design was done by Jamie Stafford-Hill; these are people I'm not familiar with, but I do like their work here.
And, the book opens with that scene. It's 1954. The figure on the bike is one Anya Kernova, and she is in hot pursuit of a wicked, wicked NAZI!
Whatever else may be going on in the book, the author is good with the details. The bike she is riding is a Vincent Black Shadow, a legendary machine that was clocked in excess of 150 mph at a test run at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The motorcycles are no more, alas; they depended on hand-fitting the parts by master craftsmen, and that just wasn't economically feasible, once assembly line techniques were mastered. At the time, though, this was the fastest production motorcycle in the world.
Although I loved the bike, and am always in support of tracking down wicked, wicked Nazis, I do confess to being a bit perplexed by one thing: Anya is possessed by demons. At first, I thought they were speaking figuratively, as in, the demons of your guilty past, etc. Nope. These are nasty, pit-dwelling demons; even if they ARE used as weapon to capture and interrogate wicked, wicked Nazis, how do you tell the good guys from the bad guys if they are all possessed by demons? It's a non-trivial issue.
But here's a take-away: Anya wants to kill Nazis.
On the other side of the world, in a London gentleman's club, dastardly Dragan Dalca hosts manufactures representatives from France, America, and Russia. It's pretty east to tell that HE is a bad guy, because he accepts bribes from them to sabotage a British de Havilland Comet, an early jetliner.
In Washington DC, Briet Segfrunsdottir starts a new day in the Silo, in the Pentagon, where she summons demons to prepare a defense against nuclear war. Ob this particular day, she is angered, because she is presented with four new trainees. She has already prepped three prior sets, but they have mysteriously disappeared.
In Rome, Father Luis Rodrigo Perez is horrified by the action of Dalca's demon, as he destroys the airliner and passengers, and is dismayed that the church team observing fails to intervene.
In Laos, British intelligence agent Miles Franklin finds his partner, American ex=pat Cade Martin, in a narcotic stupor, as a demon prepares to devour him. At the last second, Cade rises and kills the demon. Then, the pair kills three Russian agents on a hit mission. And Cade seems to be available to go back to work.
Anya tries to swap the journal she took from the body of the wicked, wicked Nazi for assistance from a group of rabbis in translating a peculiar document she owns: the Iron Codex. It is written in an angelic language, that only a few can read. The rabbis aren't interested in helping her. A group in the Catholic Church could help, but they want the Codex for themselves. In fact, the head of the secret magic-wielding order, Cardinal Lombardi, sends Father Luis to La Paz to get the Codex from Anya.
Briet has her work shut down, in the middle of interviewing a powerful demon. And Dragan blackmails a US senator into transferring title of a facility over to him.
Those are all the pieces we start with; of course, the fate of the world is in the balance. And I'm just guessing that the group that is working against the plans of the evil jetliner-killing Dragan are the good guys, although I can't quite work out the morality of subjugating demonic and angelic beings.
I think your opinion of the book is going to depend on how you feel about working with demons. Me? Don't care for it. Would not read this book, or the prequel, or the sequel. However, I THINK you'll find that the book is well-written. I only found one minor weapons quibble; a flash suppressor on an M3 carbine will NOT muffle the sound, but for sure, wind noise can distort the sound of a gunshot. And other elements are well detailed.
I had a hard time with coming up with the rating for this book. It's entirely subjective, and after a bit, I decided not to struggle with that any more. I fell back on the bald definition: two stars means I didn't like it. And I didn't. That's not due to any technical or artistic failing on the part of the author; the plot line wasn't a problem. But, you read my reviews, you are going to get my opinion, and:
I didn't like this book.
Two stars.
This book was presented to me as Alternate History. I think the book belongs in the Horror section, because the CORE to this book is about demon possession. And I think that makes it horror.
The cover is GREAT! In fact, that's how I selected this as the next book to read. It's a dark-haired, black-clad figure with a blade, riding a black motorcycle, so YAY! The cover art is by Larry Rostant, and the cover design was done by Jamie Stafford-Hill; these are people I'm not familiar with, but I do like their work here.
And, the book opens with that scene. It's 1954. The figure on the bike is one Anya Kernova, and she is in hot pursuit of a wicked, wicked NAZI!
Whatever else may be going on in the book, the author is good with the details. The bike she is riding is a Vincent Black Shadow, a legendary machine that was clocked in excess of 150 mph at a test run at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The motorcycles are no more, alas; they depended on hand-fitting the parts by master craftsmen, and that just wasn't economically feasible, once assembly line techniques were mastered. At the time, though, this was the fastest production motorcycle in the world.
Although I loved the bike, and am always in support of tracking down wicked, wicked Nazis, I do confess to being a bit perplexed by one thing: Anya is possessed by demons. At first, I thought they were speaking figuratively, as in, the demons of your guilty past, etc. Nope. These are nasty, pit-dwelling demons; even if they ARE used as weapon to capture and interrogate wicked, wicked Nazis, how do you tell the good guys from the bad guys if they are all possessed by demons? It's a non-trivial issue.
But here's a take-away: Anya wants to kill Nazis.
On the other side of the world, in a London gentleman's club, dastardly Dragan Dalca hosts manufactures representatives from France, America, and Russia. It's pretty east to tell that HE is a bad guy, because he accepts bribes from them to sabotage a British de Havilland Comet, an early jetliner.
In Washington DC, Briet Segfrunsdottir starts a new day in the Silo, in the Pentagon, where she summons demons to prepare a defense against nuclear war. Ob this particular day, she is angered, because she is presented with four new trainees. She has already prepped three prior sets, but they have mysteriously disappeared.
In Rome, Father Luis Rodrigo Perez is horrified by the action of Dalca's demon, as he destroys the airliner and passengers, and is dismayed that the church team observing fails to intervene.
In Laos, British intelligence agent Miles Franklin finds his partner, American ex=pat Cade Martin, in a narcotic stupor, as a demon prepares to devour him. At the last second, Cade rises and kills the demon. Then, the pair kills three Russian agents on a hit mission. And Cade seems to be available to go back to work.
Anya tries to swap the journal she took from the body of the wicked, wicked Nazi for assistance from a group of rabbis in translating a peculiar document she owns: the Iron Codex. It is written in an angelic language, that only a few can read. The rabbis aren't interested in helping her. A group in the Catholic Church could help, but they want the Codex for themselves. In fact, the head of the secret magic-wielding order, Cardinal Lombardi, sends Father Luis to La Paz to get the Codex from Anya.
Briet has her work shut down, in the middle of interviewing a powerful demon. And Dragan blackmails a US senator into transferring title of a facility over to him.
Those are all the pieces we start with; of course, the fate of the world is in the balance. And I'm just guessing that the group that is working against the plans of the evil jetliner-killing Dragan are the good guys, although I can't quite work out the morality of subjugating demonic and angelic beings.
I think your opinion of the book is going to depend on how you feel about working with demons. Me? Don't care for it. Would not read this book, or the prequel, or the sequel. However, I THINK you'll find that the book is well-written. I only found one minor weapons quibble; a flash suppressor on an M3 carbine will NOT muffle the sound, but for sure, wind noise can distort the sound of a gunshot. And other elements are well detailed.
I had a hard time with coming up with the rating for this book. It's entirely subjective, and after a bit, I decided not to struggle with that any more. I fell back on the bald definition: two stars means I didn't like it. And I didn't. That's not due to any technical or artistic failing on the part of the author; the plot line wasn't a problem. But, you read my reviews, you are going to get my opinion, and:
I didn't like this book.
Two stars.
March 22, 2019
I loved the first Dark Arts novel and have been looking forward to diving back into the secret world of midcentury dark magic practitioners ever since. I've been especially looking forward to THE IRON CODEX because it promised to feature Anja, who had more of a supporting role in the first book, as basically the main character. Though like Midnight Front (book 1), The Iron Codex is very much an ensemble book. Aside from my favorite demon-power-wielding, Nazi-hunting kickass gal, a few other characters return as well, including Cade (the main character from Book 1) and Briet (villainess-turned-antiheroine... careful with this one).
The Iron Codex follows these three, along with a new character, Father Luis (who is pretty awesome in his own way), across the early months of 1954. Almost a decade has passed since the World War 2-set first book, but Anja, Cade, and Briet are all still entangled in their occult practices. The timeline is much more compressed this time; instead of a sprawling war epic covering a half-decade, we have a quicker-paced spy thriller-type story. A rogue magician of enormous power is threatening armageddon, and it's up to our heroes and antiheroes to save the world.
I don't want to get too much into the plot because of spoilers. I'll just say that I loved this book as much a the first, and the world-building of this series, both the supernatural part and the spy thriller part, is perhaps the best I've read in a long time. The high-stakes plot is interspersed with some lovely character moments that explores both their inner selves and their relationships with each other.
There's only one problem: I now have to wait for Book 3, I'm impatient as hell.
The Iron Codex follows these three, along with a new character, Father Luis (who is pretty awesome in his own way), across the early months of 1954. Almost a decade has passed since the World War 2-set first book, but Anja, Cade, and Briet are all still entangled in their occult practices. The timeline is much more compressed this time; instead of a sprawling war epic covering a half-decade, we have a quicker-paced spy thriller-type story. A rogue magician of enormous power is threatening armageddon, and it's up to our heroes and antiheroes to save the world.
I don't want to get too much into the plot because of spoilers. I'll just say that I loved this book as much a the first, and the world-building of this series, both the supernatural part and the spy thriller part, is perhaps the best I've read in a long time. The high-stakes plot is interspersed with some lovely character moments that explores both their inner selves and their relationships with each other.
There's only one problem: I now have to wait for Book 3, I'm impatient as hell.
August 11, 2020
Is there a better bad guy than Nazis? I don't think there are. Nazis, and the Nazi occult division called the Thule Society were the antagonists of David Macks novel the Midnight Front. In it, an Allied magic force called, you guessed it, the Midnight Front take on the Thule Society before they assist Hitler in winning World War 2. This book was amazing! And that is why I held off so long on reading the second book of this series. How could it follow up? Damn well. That's the answer.
The second volume takes place during the 1950's. McCarthyism is in full swing and everyone is terrified. This book takes a slightly different approach than the first and tells the story from four different viewpoints. Cade, the main protagonist from the first book, is working for MI-6. Anja, who is for the most part the chief protagonist of this story, is hunting down rogue Nazis in South America. Briet, one of the secondary antagonists from the first book, is working for the DOD as a part of Operation Paperclip. And finally, newcomer Father Luis is a Vatican agent on the hunt for the Iron Codex.
One of the taglines calls this an Alternate History novel, but one of the things that I love so much about this series is that it doesn't actually CHANGE any history. The author seamlessly weaves his characters and events AROUND history and USES historical events to propel the story. This, along with the extremely well thought out and rigid magic system make this book a no-put-downer. Do yourself a favor and pick up the first two books in the Dark Arts series, and if you like them go ahead and pre-order the third, which I believe will take place during the Cold War. I give this book 5/5 dead Nazis!
The second volume takes place during the 1950's. McCarthyism is in full swing and everyone is terrified. This book takes a slightly different approach than the first and tells the story from four different viewpoints. Cade, the main protagonist from the first book, is working for MI-6. Anja, who is for the most part the chief protagonist of this story, is hunting down rogue Nazis in South America. Briet, one of the secondary antagonists from the first book, is working for the DOD as a part of Operation Paperclip. And finally, newcomer Father Luis is a Vatican agent on the hunt for the Iron Codex.
One of the taglines calls this an Alternate History novel, but one of the things that I love so much about this series is that it doesn't actually CHANGE any history. The author seamlessly weaves his characters and events AROUND history and USES historical events to propel the story. This, along with the extremely well thought out and rigid magic system make this book a no-put-downer. Do yourself a favor and pick up the first two books in the Dark Arts series, and if you like them go ahead and pre-order the third, which I believe will take place during the Cold War. I give this book 5/5 dead Nazis!
April 21, 2020
A fast-paced, dark and gritty adventure. The back cover describes The Iron Codex as "Jason Bourne meets Dr. Strange" and that is SUCH an accurate description. You feel like you're in the midst of an action movie or a high-level TV show, and the novel doesn't skimp on character for plot either. I consistently enjoy the books in this series. The only reason this book gets a four-star rating from me is that I think there's a small plot hole that just kept nagging at me, which I won't get into for spoilers. Still, I recommend this to anyone looking for an action-packed, magical read.
October 10, 2018
Darker than I usually prefer, but done well enough that I still enjoyed it. The characters have some depth beyond "I suffer because of my bad decisions, and also the world sucks!" (though both of those things are true), and the mashup of 1950s spy thriller and ceremonial magic(k) works well.
None of the characters are unambiguously noble, but they do (ultimately) persevere to pursue an unselfish goal at personal cost against powerful opposition, despite being embedded in corrupt systems. I like that kind of story.
At the beginning, the five different viewpoints of seemingly unconnected characters in different parts of the world started to seem a bit much, but I kept going on the assumption that they would eventually connect up, which they did.
I did find the two female characters, and for that matter the two MI6 agents, a bit hard to tell apart for a while.
On the whole, though, this book offers plenty of excitement, lots of wizards, and high stakes, and when I'm in the mood for that kind of book, I like to find one as good as this.
I received a pre-publication copy from Netgalley for purposes of review.
None of the characters are unambiguously noble, but they do (ultimately) persevere to pursue an unselfish goal at personal cost against powerful opposition, despite being embedded in corrupt systems. I like that kind of story.
At the beginning, the five different viewpoints of seemingly unconnected characters in different parts of the world started to seem a bit much, but I kept going on the assumption that they would eventually connect up, which they did.
I did find the two female characters, and for that matter the two MI6 agents, a bit hard to tell apart for a while.
On the whole, though, this book offers plenty of excitement, lots of wizards, and high stakes, and when I'm in the mood for that kind of book, I like to find one as good as this.
I received a pre-publication copy from Netgalley for purposes of review.
February 2, 2019
The Iron Codex is a mile-a-minute action adventure fantasy, featuring motorcycle chases, the demons of hell, and buckets of intrigue. There’s a lot of reference to the first book in the series, specifically regarding the pasts of the lead characters and their relation to the war. Mack does a great job of giving us their backstories, treating the book as though it’s a standalone novel. If you want a full history of the magic in this wild universe, you can definitely start with the first book.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
January 26, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I’ve been waiting for it since I finished The Midnight Front. I am really liking the characters Anja, Cade, & Miles. Luis was also interesting. I was really sad when Anja’s rat,Trixim was killed. I was so upset, I had to put the book down for a few moments. Very good writing. Very good. I can hardly wait for the next book, The Shadow Commission. I will buy it as soon as I can get it. I would definitely recommend this series.
January 31, 2019
"The Iron Codex" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by David Mack (http://davidmack.pro). Mr. Mack has published nearly 40 novels. This is the second novel in his "Dark Arts" series.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set the contemporary time frame, but in a slightly alternate world, one with magic. The primary character is Russian Anja Kernova who has been hunting former Nazis in South America.
There are three other principal characters: The American Cade Martin who works for British MI6, but who is now under suspicion because he has been disappearing; The German Briet Segfrunsdóttir who now serves as the master magician of the Pentagon’s top-secret magickal warfare program; and the Spanish Father Luis Roderigo Pérez of the Monte Paterno Monastery who has been studying White Magic for the Catholic Church.
World War II has been over nearly a decade. Kernova is using her abilities to hunt Nazis. She comes into possession of the Iron Codex that contains many magical secrets. That causes her to be the target of pursuit by agents of the Vatican, Russia, and others. Complicating the situation is the effort by a cabal led by Dragan Dalca to open the way for demons.
Kernova calls on Martin for help. Both Segfrunsdottir and Pérez are drawn into the fray on the side of Kernova. There are many competing groups all wanting to control the Iron Codex for different agendas.
I enjoyed the 12 hours I spent reading this 375-page alternate history fantasy. I found this novel a little hard to read without having read the first novel in the series, but it wasn't too bad. I thought that the plot was interesting, mixing magic and spies. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set the contemporary time frame, but in a slightly alternate world, one with magic. The primary character is Russian Anja Kernova who has been hunting former Nazis in South America.
There are three other principal characters: The American Cade Martin who works for British MI6, but who is now under suspicion because he has been disappearing; The German Briet Segfrunsdóttir who now serves as the master magician of the Pentagon’s top-secret magickal warfare program; and the Spanish Father Luis Roderigo Pérez of the Monte Paterno Monastery who has been studying White Magic for the Catholic Church.
World War II has been over nearly a decade. Kernova is using her abilities to hunt Nazis. She comes into possession of the Iron Codex that contains many magical secrets. That causes her to be the target of pursuit by agents of the Vatican, Russia, and others. Complicating the situation is the effort by a cabal led by Dragan Dalca to open the way for demons.
Kernova calls on Martin for help. Both Segfrunsdottir and Pérez are drawn into the fray on the side of Kernova. There are many competing groups all wanting to control the Iron Codex for different agendas.
I enjoyed the 12 hours I spent reading this 375-page alternate history fantasy. I found this novel a little hard to read without having read the first novel in the series, but it wasn't too bad. I thought that the plot was interesting, mixing magic and spies. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
January 25, 2019
Alright I get it. The central premise isn't going to win any pulitzer awards for literature; which is magic users bind demons to their body, to give themselves super powers, to stop the evil Nazis (who do the same thing) but for more nefarious purposes. But you know what? The author writes with a energy and flair that I found to be a delight and kept the pages turning.
If the first book was a "secret history of World War 2" the second book is a "secret history of the hydrogen bomb testing". I personally found the second book better. Briet is a much more complex character in this book and Father Perez was a great addition to the story. The first book was just a little too simple for my preference (hunt the bad Nazis) and while there is a large element of that there also seemed to be a lot more stuff going on. The second book ends like the first; it definitely wraps things up but offers some small tantalizing hints for the next book. I'm looking forward to what the third book holds!
If the first book was a "secret history of World War 2" the second book is a "secret history of the hydrogen bomb testing". I personally found the second book better. Briet is a much more complex character in this book and Father Perez was a great addition to the story. The first book was just a little too simple for my preference (hunt the bad Nazis) and while there is a large element of that there also seemed to be a lot more stuff going on. The second book ends like the first; it definitely wraps things up but offers some small tantalizing hints for the next book. I'm looking forward to what the third book holds!
February 23, 2019
"The Iron Codex" by David Mack is the high-octane sequel to Midnight Front and book #2 in his series.
Much like the first book "The Iron Codex" provides an entertaining and often thought-provoking view on an alt-history wherein magick exists via powers both diabolical and divine. Spies from WWII now yoke their Powers to fight in the Cold War.
I really enjoyed this work, perhaps more than the first. Characters seemed much more intimate and vivid. The relationships and interesting perspectives were fascinating. Watching a trio of acolytes grow into powerful magi is an interesting transformation.
The plot hauls ass and takes the reader to a series of interesting and seldom used settings. I very much enjoyed that aspect of the work as well.
Combat scenes are imaginative and very well-choreographed.
Good, quick read - but you certainly don't want to start the series with this book.
Much like the first book "The Iron Codex" provides an entertaining and often thought-provoking view on an alt-history wherein magick exists via powers both diabolical and divine. Spies from WWII now yoke their Powers to fight in the Cold War.
I really enjoyed this work, perhaps more than the first. Characters seemed much more intimate and vivid. The relationships and interesting perspectives were fascinating. Watching a trio of acolytes grow into powerful magi is an interesting transformation.
The plot hauls ass and takes the reader to a series of interesting and seldom used settings. I very much enjoyed that aspect of the work as well.
Combat scenes are imaginative and very well-choreographed.
Good, quick read - but you certainly don't want to start the series with this book.
February 20, 2019
In David Mack’s universe, sorcerers can achieve super powers by yoking specific demons or angels, each with its own power. The Midnight Front (paper) showed the fight between sorcerers in the height of World War II. It’s now 1954 and the powers-that-be are after The Iron Codex (hard from Tor). A group of ex-Nazi’s have found a way to harness a hydrogen bomb to power an awful result on the Bikini Island. Trying to stop them are Briet Segfrunsdóttir who now works for America because of a pardon for her Nazi years; Anja Kernova whose been hunting Nazis in South America; Cade Martin, who is now part of MI-6; and Father Luis Pérez a white sorcerer working for the Vatican. This a very exciting tale and impossible to put down. Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
March 12, 2019
I’m afraid this was not what I’d hoped for after the first book. Mack’s writing is as strong as ever but the character bits that I appreciated in book one were largely sacrificed here in favour of cover to cover action. I found myself zoning out during the battle descriptions. The military lingo, and lengthy descriptions of guns and ammunition are just not my thing.
I missed the LGBTQ2 content that was higher in the first book. I enjoyed the inclusion of priests, the Vatican and angels. I find I’m much more interested in the hierarchies of demons and angels than I am what’s going on with the humans. I’m hoping book three has more of that and less war and vengeance.
I missed the LGBTQ2 content that was higher in the first book. I enjoyed the inclusion of priests, the Vatican and angels. I find I’m much more interested in the hierarchies of demons and angels than I am what’s going on with the humans. I’m hoping book three has more of that and less war and vengeance.
November 3, 2019
This is A world where Nazis and the allies used wizards and sorcery and the Blackhearts as weapons of war. Now we are in the post war era. This not the Cold War of our parents. The forces of light and dark wage a hidden war. One where ex Nazis try to Resurrect the Reich. Where the Catholic Church wants to hide its dealings with the Nazis. Where forces of light hunt and kill Nazis. Meanwhile the forces of Hell secretly use both sides to bring about the apocalypse . I loved this spy novel where former enemies have to cooperate to save world while not trusting each other’s motives. The books only flaw is that they use magic without consequences. There are no free lunches.
September 18, 2019
This just barely inched it’s way into three stars for me.
I said for his first book, it was the world that carried the day, as the characters, plot, and dialogue were serviceable.
And this was the same, except the author is obviously far more comfortable in the WWII era versus the 1950s spy and nuclear research game because the punch and vigor just isn’t there. Once we start to wind up to our climax the pacing and writing improves with confidence, but the first couple hundred pages are a trudge.
I doubt I’ll pick up book 3 when it comes out next year.
I said for his first book, it was the world that carried the day, as the characters, plot, and dialogue were serviceable.
And this was the same, except the author is obviously far more comfortable in the WWII era versus the 1950s spy and nuclear research game because the punch and vigor just isn’t there. Once we start to wind up to our climax the pacing and writing improves with confidence, but the first couple hundred pages are a trudge.
I doubt I’ll pick up book 3 when it comes out next year.
May 4, 2020
A superb Cold War thriller with magicians instead of ordinary spies. The battle that began in The Midnight Front continues but Mack switches style gears with this one, writing more of a LeCarre thriller than the action packed Midnight Front. It was a wise move as this is a superb novel and one I enjoyed more than the first. I'm still amazed by the way he describes magic and the yoking of demons, along with the moral dilemmas it causes. The magical battles, especially the final ones, are epic. Some of the best action scenes I've ever read. I can't wait for the final part!
May 15, 2019
Dark going darker, this one looks at the Cold War through another lens, the lens of magic. The book is fairly bleak, the characters go through the wringer, motivations are questioned, loyalties change - the pacing barring the mid portion is brisk. It may not be for everyone as the characters are all entirely flawed and dark, their experiences leading them to their decisions. If you liked Bitter Seeds, this book is for you
January 9, 2020
It seemed appropriate to start the reading year on a mystic footing so I read the Midnight Front sequel. Part way in , I went back to reread Midnight Front.
I have a feeling I will need to reread both before I tackle the next one.
They are long and will get your attention. What is the plural of Apocalypse?
I have a feeling I will need to reread both before I tackle the next one.
They are long and will get your attention. What is the plural of Apocalypse?
May 1, 2020
Action packed, intriguing occult historical fiction adventure
Detailed narrative and satisfying changes in pace throughout the novel.
The description of weapons, combat tactics, and espionage could be more accurate, but that can be forgiven due to the resulting "cinematicx action sequences.
Detailed narrative and satisfying changes in pace throughout the novel.
The description of weapons, combat tactics, and espionage could be more accurate, but that can be forgiven due to the resulting "cinematicx action sequences.
October 19, 2022
I'm really enjoying the fusion of urban arcana, spy thriller, war, and with a fair bit of supernatural/religious touches to make this a really interesting series. Really well done and highly recommended.
February 2, 2019
New setting, but demon and angel weilding magicians, governments, spies, and the Church are all working secret agendas.
February 2, 2019
A good follow up, builds on the world created in the first. An excellent set up for intriguing action with magic that’s not hokey.
I look forward to that next book.
I look forward to that next book.
February 23, 2019
Wow.
This book was quite the wild ride from first to last. I totally enjoyed it. Looking forward to the third book.
This book was quite the wild ride from first to last. I totally enjoyed it. Looking forward to the third book.
May 2, 2019
The "Dark Arts" series is a terrific read. Cade & Anja kick some ass & have a better understanding of each other. Dark in scope with a promise of hope.....
July 14, 2019
Loved it second novel in the series. Had a hard time putting it down.
November 4, 2019
So freaking good. Good action twists and turns :)
Really looking forward to book 3.
Really looking forward to book 3.
November 14, 2019
The first book blew me away, and this second chapter didn't even let me hit the ground before being lofted airborne again. "The Shadow Commission" can't come quickly enough.
August 18, 2022
A fun, pulpy ride. Demon binding sorcerers racing to stop the apocalypse set against the Cold War.
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