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Cold Iron
It is 1856, and New York is burning.When a series of devastating fires tear through Manhattan, Nathaniel Hood, Watchmage of New York, finds himself battling against a weapon beyond even his considerable power. Both Nathaniel and his police detective son, Jonas, scramble to catch the culprit, only to uncover a deep conspiracy mired in fanatical politics, greed, and a blood-soaked grudge. Is it a rebellion of Veil Dwellers, supernatural creatures trapped in our world and under Nathaniel's charge? Is it renegade magelings seeking power beyond their control? Or is it something altogether different, unknown, and far more deadly?Cold Iron is the sequel to the award-winning novel, The Watchmage of Old New York. The price of failure is higher, and the moral choices for both Nathaniel and Jonas threaten to change both them and the city forever. New York is as cruel and unyielding as iron bars, but in the Watchmage's world, even iron can burn.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2018
5 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
C.A. Sanders
4 books18 followersC. A. Sanders is a writer, teacher, and essayist. His debut novel, Song of Simon, is available in e-format and print at Damnation Books, Amazon.com, or your local bookseller. His latest release is The Watchmage of Old New York, based on his award-winning serial of the same name. It is available for preorder on Amazon now, and its official release is October 27th.
C.A has a BA in Creative Writing from SUNY New Paltz and an MA from The City College of New York. After graduating in '00, C.A. took on a variety of unique, interesting, and occasionally terrible jobs, in order to gain experience for his writing. C.A. has worked as a tarot reader, a writer/actor in a dinner theater, an ambush salesman, a non-profit solicitor, a Human Resources pencil pusher, a music journalist, a guitar instructor, a limo driver, and a Special Education teacher, to name just a few. He currently tutors and teaches creative writing.
A life long New Yorker, C. A. currently lives in the suburbs of NYC with a turtle that he has had for thirty years. He is patiently waiting for MetroNorth service in his area. He is convinced that this is the year that the Jets win the Super Bowl...he says this every year.
C.A has a BA in Creative Writing from SUNY New Paltz and an MA from The City College of New York. After graduating in '00, C.A. took on a variety of unique, interesting, and occasionally terrible jobs, in order to gain experience for his writing. C.A. has worked as a tarot reader, a writer/actor in a dinner theater, an ambush salesman, a non-profit solicitor, a Human Resources pencil pusher, a music journalist, a guitar instructor, a limo driver, and a Special Education teacher, to name just a few. He currently tutors and teaches creative writing.
A life long New Yorker, C. A. currently lives in the suburbs of NYC with a turtle that he has had for thirty years. He is patiently waiting for MetroNorth service in his area. He is convinced that this is the year that the Jets win the Super Bowl...he says this every year.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 29, 2018
A couple of things attracted me to this book. Number one, I read C.A. Sanders first book in The Watchmage Chronicles, The Watchmage of Old New York. I loved it. Secondly, the title of this book, Cold Iron. Cold iron was said to be harmful to witches, fairies, and ghosts. It was also thought to repel evil supernatural creatures.
Cold Iron brings back the wonderful characters from book one; Nathaniel Hood, the Watchmage, and his son Jonas, who is a Municipal Police Detective, and many of the various “Veil Dwellers” as well as gnomes, pixies, and other-worldly types. Picking up about a year after the adventures in book one, Sanders provides occasional hints and flashbacks to previous events. While this book stands well on its own, I recommend reading book one first, if only for the pleasure.
Fires are happening in Manhattan, fires that destroy buildings and take lives. Who is setting these mysterious fires and what is their goal? Sanders weaves a suspenseful and intense tale, combining the historical flavor of the city, fantastic fantasy characters, and a mystery as solid as anything Conan Doyle could have written.
The interpersonal relationships between the characters make the story richer. It’s possible to relate to them and their experiences despite their “supernatural” lives. Descriptions of settings within the city are so imaginative, even a reader unacquainted with Manhattan can visualize them. The political battles of the times are deftly merged into the tale. Sanders has a unique skill for incorporating the colorful language and slang of the period in a familiar manner. I could practically hear the characters speaking.
Finishing this Watchmage book leaves me hungry for more stories of old Manhattan and the lives of the human and non-human inhabitants. I hope Mr. Sanders will add more Watchmage adventures to this very compelling series. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I certainly would!
Cold Iron brings back the wonderful characters from book one; Nathaniel Hood, the Watchmage, and his son Jonas, who is a Municipal Police Detective, and many of the various “Veil Dwellers” as well as gnomes, pixies, and other-worldly types. Picking up about a year after the adventures in book one, Sanders provides occasional hints and flashbacks to previous events. While this book stands well on its own, I recommend reading book one first, if only for the pleasure.
Fires are happening in Manhattan, fires that destroy buildings and take lives. Who is setting these mysterious fires and what is their goal? Sanders weaves a suspenseful and intense tale, combining the historical flavor of the city, fantastic fantasy characters, and a mystery as solid as anything Conan Doyle could have written.
The interpersonal relationships between the characters make the story richer. It’s possible to relate to them and their experiences despite their “supernatural” lives. Descriptions of settings within the city are so imaginative, even a reader unacquainted with Manhattan can visualize them. The political battles of the times are deftly merged into the tale. Sanders has a unique skill for incorporating the colorful language and slang of the period in a familiar manner. I could practically hear the characters speaking.
Finishing this Watchmage book leaves me hungry for more stories of old Manhattan and the lives of the human and non-human inhabitants. I hope Mr. Sanders will add more Watchmage adventures to this very compelling series. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I certainly would!
September 15, 2018
About a year after the events in The Watchmage of Old New York, a series of fires sweep through Manhattan. Someone is setting these fires, and it's up to Nathaniel and his police detective son, Jonas, to find out who, how, and to stop them before more people die. Will our two intrepid heroes solve this mystery and save countless lives? You'll have to read to find out!
Honestly, I loved, loved, loved this book. Once again, as a transplanted New Yorker, I enjoyed the peek at a city I haven't seen in person in years. I also really enjoyed the way Mr. Sanders incorporated some of the politics of New York from the mid-1800s into his supernatural world. It makes this story almost like a cross between urban fantasy and steampunk, two of my favorite genres.
The plot was also extremely engaging; fast-paced with enough twists to keep you interested. The characters were well developed enough that I almost feel like I might see them the next time I make it to The City, and the descriptions of the places and people were accurate enough to make me homesick. Overall, a wonderful fantasy mystery/adventure that leaves me longing for the next book. Five stars, and please, sir, can I have some more? ;-)
Honestly, I loved, loved, loved this book. Once again, as a transplanted New Yorker, I enjoyed the peek at a city I haven't seen in person in years. I also really enjoyed the way Mr. Sanders incorporated some of the politics of New York from the mid-1800s into his supernatural world. It makes this story almost like a cross between urban fantasy and steampunk, two of my favorite genres.
The plot was also extremely engaging; fast-paced with enough twists to keep you interested. The characters were well developed enough that I almost feel like I might see them the next time I make it to The City, and the descriptions of the places and people were accurate enough to make me homesick. Overall, a wonderful fantasy mystery/adventure that leaves me longing for the next book. Five stars, and please, sir, can I have some more? ;-)
January 31, 2019
Gripping historical fantasy mixing the flavour of 19th C New York with its upperten powerful families, its slave trade and stews, with the magical world of the Watchmage, pookas and Sidhe. The two worlds are linked by the Watchmage, responsible for keeping the magical world safe and hidden, and his non-magical son Jonas, a policeman. The alternating viewpoints of these two main characters carry the story along at a cracking pace and switch the mood between the super-heroic energy of Jonas and the world-weary wisdom of his father.
There are ironies in the way Jonas dives into situations that he doesn’t have the power to survive while his father holds power beyond imagining, the Chaos seeds, he must restrain for the safety of all. The power struggle between rich and poor is paralleled nicely with that between good and evil magical beings. Sanders makes us feel the consequences of murder and arson, the pain and grief that criminals loose on the world, and the price good men pay when they stand up to fight. Classic fantasy themes with nice touches of humour and some turns of phrase that lift the novel well above the ordinary.
Great fight scenes!
There are ironies in the way Jonas dives into situations that he doesn’t have the power to survive while his father holds power beyond imagining, the Chaos seeds, he must restrain for the safety of all. The power struggle between rich and poor is paralleled nicely with that between good and evil magical beings. Sanders makes us feel the consequences of murder and arson, the pain and grief that criminals loose on the world, and the price good men pay when they stand up to fight. Classic fantasy themes with nice touches of humour and some turns of phrase that lift the novel well above the ordinary.
Great fight scenes!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews