That Self-Same Metal (The Forge & Fracture Saga, Book 1)
Set in 1605 London, sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is one of the King’s Men: a group of actors under the patronage of King James I. As a woman, Joan cannot act. Instead, she is master of the prop swords and fight training for the company. Orisha-blessed, Joan has the magical ability to control metal and to spot the faint glow of the Fae who populate London. When an unusual increase in brutal Fae attacks occur, Joan and her twin brother, James, are drawn into the conflict between Fae, Orisha, and mortals. After wounding a powerful Fae on stage at the Globe, the stakes are raised. Only Joan has the power to end the violence and make peace.
Magic and Shakespeare abound in this first installment in Williams’s The Forge & Fracture Saga fantasy series. Cover copy promises the story is “swashbuckling (and) romantic,” which it truly is, though some of the fight scenes might need to be read twice to follow the action. The magical world is unique and draws a reader in. Williams uses Shakespeare’s work for inspiration, twisting and melding it with fantasy in a completely enjoyable way. Though well researched and grounded in history, there are a few instances where history is altered by magic, which might have some readers gritting their teeth. All around, it is a fun, quick read with diverse and queer characters a reader will happily follow into battle.
