The Iron Code kicks off with the tasty, twisting tale of two veterans trading war stories over a drink and a hearth, “The Other” by Dan Abnett. It needed another edit to tighten up some details, but the delicately appropriate ending makes it a nesting doll worth unpacking. “Crows and Ashes” by Kari Sperring is more vignette than story—and is as gothic in mood as can be. A prioress living at the base of a mountain sees the ravages of war wash past the nunnery in the spring melt. It spurs her to action, necessitating a hike. Stylistically the story is tumultuous, but when it's on, it's dead on.
The
Iron Code
possesses a story from Capt. Vanilla himself, “Candles” by Adrian
Tchaikovsky. It tells of an entombed knight who is resurrected by a
grave robber (necromunda in hand, natch). The story emulates what
made Gemmell cheesy—simple comedy, on the nose sword-and-sorcery,
and diffuse purpose. Likewise, I felt I was missing something, like
there was a prerequisite to the story I was not privy to, and
therefore couldn't understand/enjoy as much as was possible. “Chung
Kwai's Sister” by Eliza Chan has the tone of a legend. One woman
goes into the pits of hell to free her hideously ugly twin brother. A
cauldron frothing with Chinese mythology, it's a mini-mini-Journey
to the West.
“Shadow of the Ice Cross” by RJ Barker uses excellent authorial
voice to tell of a tribal warrior hardened to ignore fear, until he
can't. It has a nice lilt and flow, leading to a dark ending.
The
collapse
of a Medieval society as witnessed by an elderly chemist, “The
Apothecary” by Stephen Deas is a sharp, effectively written tale
that is likely as much commentary on the state of politics in the
West today (not necessary for enjoyment) as it is story. “The
Necessary Sword by M. R. Carey” is about a golem in an army of
golems; or, how a clay man came to get its one and only tattoo. Carey
captures a lot with a little. “The Calaker” by Stan Nicholls is
Gemmell imitation borne of respect. Bone simple prose tells of two
sword & sorcery brothers who become entangled in one town's
politics involving a powerful numinous object. (Is there any other
type?)
A peculiar tale of motherhood, “The Swordsman's Daughter” by Sunyi Dean is a gender-swapped warrior(ess) who is forced to make hard decisions when her hard life puts her in a hard spot. “The Witchfinder” by Joanne Harris is a Brothers Grimm-esque fairy tale of wimpy proportion. A witchfinder meets his match because... she's a witch. Last minute homework.
A
classic story that is perhaps too classic, “The Code” by Mark
Lawrence tells of Viking warriors, one old and one young, butting
heads in a tavern one evening. They fight. That's it. Nothing
special. “Fae-Blighted” by Anna Stephens is an engaging story
about a demon hunter who arrives at an inn one evening, looking for
her lost mate. The folk there want to hear a story, and does she give
them one. In the telling, the hunter peels back layers of of the
setting's reality, making for a clever ending. In “The
Wolf in Winter” by Jonathan Green, a campfire surrounded by
brigands drifts into story. But before morning, the only thing alive
is the fire. The legends may have been true. Disposable fiction, but
in a happy meal sort of way, toy included.
Take
a skeleton, chant about the skeleton—milky
white white bones, the whitest of milk, bones, white white, bones.
Then
try to imagine the human. You can't. I appreciate that “A Mighty
Battle Between Mighty Armies” by Anna Smith Spark is trying
something different prosaically. But in order to make generic fantasy
intriguing, you need character and plot details. “Mighty” is just
the skeleton. Can't have a person without meat and sinew, skin and
hair.
“The
Binding: A Banished Lands Tale” by John
Gwynne tells of a clan of giants returning home after months fighting
abroad for honor and treasure. But just as they are settling into the
laurels of their victories, surprise! Drama happens. It's a sloppily
written story that seems to require broader knowledge of the setting
to properly appreciate. Not sure what to say about “A Trim
Reckoning” by J. L. Worrad. A bit of bawdy fun, two prostitutes
are escorted drunkenly home and get into a spot of trouble in a back
alley. Story? Interlude? Comic relief? Right back after these
messages? Not sure what to say...
A
swordswoman's
bloody past comes back to haunt her when a sorcerer wants revenge in
“The Hiring Fayre” by Ian Whates—a classically styled story if
there were. “Know When to Walk Away” by Gavin Smith is an
outlier in the anthology for being urban fantasy. A boy reading pulp
magazines under the blankets lets his imagination go a little too
far. Or not? Bookending the anthology is “One More Day” by James
Barclay. A watchtower lookout has his evening's peace disturbed by a
sorcerer with subtle powers. He witnesses a war without swords,
bringing his own life and purpose into question.
In the end, The Iron Code is a solid collection of stories. Twenty-one total, 99% of which is the dark/heroic fantasy variety. Whates gets a decent amount of variety from the writers solicited. In other words, don't be put off by the theme if Gemmell isnt your bag. Could easily have been epic fantasy / swords-and-sorcery / grimdark anthology from lesser known but quality writers. For such fans, it comes recommended. The quality of individual stories will vary depending on the reader, but one thing that can be objectively said is that the handful of stories set in previously established settings and lore are more difficult to connect with.
The
following are the twenty-one stories anthologized in The
Iron Code:
The
Other by Dan Abnett
Crows
and Ashes by Kari Sperring
Candles
by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Chung
Kwai's Sister by Eliza Chan
Shadow
of the Ice Cross by RJ Barker
The
Apothecary by Stephen Deas
The
Necessary Sword by M. R. Carey
The
Calaker by Stan Nicholls
The
Swordsman's Daughter by Sunyi Dean
The
Witchfinder by Joanne Harris
Lessons
in Life and Death by Juliet E. McKenna
The
Code by Mark Lawrence
Fae-Blighted
by Anna Stephens
The
Wolf in Winter by Jonathan Green
Bloodhorn
by Anne Nichols
A
Mighty Battle Between Mighty Armies by Anna Smith Spark
The
Binding: A Banished Lands Tale by John Gwynne
A
Trim Reckoning by J. L. Worrad
The
Hiring Fayre by Ian Whates
Know
When to Walk Away by Gavin Smith
One
More Day by James Barclay
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