#16 Blood and Iron by Elizabeth Bear

430 pages, Fantasy

Blood and Iron is an urban fantasy saga, juxtaposing the nature loving and never aging Fae against the iron and industry of the modern age. There are two camps of Fae - the Daoine Sidhe and the Unseelie Court, the more evil of the two. There is also a human group of Magi, The Prometheus Club, pitted against the Fae and trying to prevent them from gaining a foothold and re-establishing their dominance. All three groups are vying for the support of the newest Merlin, born every 500 years and the embodiment of magic. Gaining the support of the Merlin would turn the tide for the winner of her support.

The Seeker of the Daoine Sidhe, Elaine, was a changeling child, betrayed by her lover (a werewolf) and sold to the Fae. She is bound to service by the Mebd, Queen of the Fae, and her job, in addition to winning the alliance of the Merlin, is to find the other changeling children and bring them home to Faerie. Elaine's mortal mother, Jane, is highly placed in the Prometheus Club. She is driven by rage over her child, taken from her, and has vowed to destroy Faerie. She uses Matthew Magus as pawn in her scheme, for he is also driven by rage against the Fae.

The story finally comes to a head in a mythical battle for survival. A bridge built of blood and iron is forged by the Prometheus Club to cross into Faerie, and Elaine, the Merlin and the Dragon Prince gather all their allies and the Unseelie Court to their aid. Many are lost in the battle on both sides, but there is no clear victor. By the end of the book, the Prometheus Club and the Fae have come to an uneasy truce and will both continue to exist.

To say that I didn't like the book would be an understatement. The plot was convoluted, to say the least. I couldn't understand who the protagonist was supposed to be until I was about halfway through the book. It was more soap opera than story, with too many characters and subplots. What made the book even more disappointing, though, was that I could see so much potential. The prose is absolutely beautiful, and Bear is an extraordinary wordsmith. How sad that there is no meaning or feeling behind her beautiful words! I didn't care about any of the characters in the book, and I was thrilled when I finally got to the last page. Now if only I could get back the three days it took me to read this monstrosity...

I had previously read a science fiction book by Bear, and my feelings were much the same. I originally thought that I didn't like that book because it was sci-fi and not my usual cup of tea. I was apparently wrong. I can honestly say I will never read another book by this author, and I give Blood and Iron 2 stars out of 5. If the prose hadn't been so beautiful, it would definitely rank at 1.