Corinne and Ada are both hemopaths- people with magical abilities through art- in Boston 1919. Even though using their gifts, Corinne’s illusion-creating poems and Ada’s music that can change emotion, is illegal, that doesn’t stop them from working for the gangster and nightclub owner of Cast Iron, Johnny Dervish. They draw crowds by night and run cons during the day to keep the club, their home, afloat. But the jobs come with a risk, and when Johnny disappears, the two may be in more danger than they ever imagined.

Destiny Soria’s IRON CAST brims with magic, history, friendship, danger, and epic action that stacks up beautifully with books like Libba Bray’s THE DIVINERS, Justine Larbalestier’s RAZORHURST, and Cat Winters’s IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS. This layered novel offers much to readers from an engaging historical fantasy premise to a powerful and nuanced portrayal of female characters and the friendship between them.

Heiress and wordsmith Corrine and mixed race songsmith Ada are both unforgettable characters whose souls go far beyond the limits of the page. It is nearly impossible to pin either of them down into a handful of descriptions because Soria writes them in a completely three-dimensional manner, and readers will leave the story feeling as close to each of them as they are to each other. Anyone who has ever considered a soulmate to be a friend rather than a romantic partner will appreciate their relationship immensely. The diverse cast of secondary characters, including a love interest for each of the two main characters, are also delightful and distinct. They all connect in a series of shocking plot twists that are as likely to get angry, closed fists as they are tears (in a positive way).

Destiny Soria’s debut is without a doubt one of the best of the year. IRON CAST uses its own wordsmith magic to create an epic story with characters who feel powerfully real.

Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/19977-iron-cast