nick (the infinite limits of love)'s Reviews > Iron Cast

Iron Cast first came to my attention thanks to the lovely Kaja and Becky‘s lovely reviews. Everything about it sounded perfect and these ladies made a terrific case for it. So I immediately put in a request at the library. I picked up the book with high expectations and I’m happy to say that Iron Cast delivered.

Here are some reasons why this book just worked for me:

-The Pre-Prohibition era setting, together with the magical elements to the story were luscious and rich and completely swept me away. Oddly, even though I don’t have much of an interest in history IRL, I’m all for historical fiction in books. Destiny Soria does a fantastic job at making the era come to life, and she’s without a doubt, very talented with historical settings.

-The friendship between Ada and Corrine was quite possibly the best part of Iron Cast. I love a good romance as much as anyone else, but what I love even more in YA is girl friendships. And these two, with their fierce loyalty to each other, epitomized everything that I love about positive relationships between girls. They loved each other deeply and even when they fought, there was never a doubt in my mind that they would always be there for each other. Both these characters were witty and whip-smart, so any scene of the two of them together was a blast. More girl friendships like Ada and Corrine’s please!

-Family also plays an important role in Iron Cast, and I loved that. We get to see the complicated bond that Ada shares with her mother, as well as the even more complex bond that Corrine shares with her brother. I thought both were explored beautifully, and truly added an extra element to the book.

-While very subtle at first glance, I enjoyed Ada and Corrine’s romances with their beaus. I actually liked that the romances weren’t the focus. There was just enough for the romantic in me to be satisfied.

-I loved the ideas of hemopathy, the genetic ability to create illusions through songs and poems. It was unique and entirely refreshing, and truly made the book an engaging read. I also loved the criminal elements to the book as well as the exploration of unethical experiments and the mystery. There’s a lot going on in Iron Cast, but they are also executed very well.

All in all, I was mesmerized by Iron Cast. I will admit that it was a little slow at the beginning, but I definitely recommend pushing through those slower moments, because this is a terrific book that deserves more attention. I, for one, will be eagerly looking forward to Destiny Soria’s future stories.