This fast-paced, razor-sharp fantasy with a grimdark edge is “one part China Miéville, one part Andrew Lang, one part James M. Cain” (Locus).
In a brutal city where goblins rule, the fae have had their magic stolen and seek solace in the darkest corners of the metropolis—but now, they’ve had enough.
The Iron City is a prison, a maze, an industrial blight. It is the result of a war that saw the goblins grind the fae beneath their collective boot heels. And tonight, it is also a city that churns with life.
A young fae tries to make his fortune one drug deal at a time.
A goblin princess searches for a path between her own dreams and others’ expectations, while her bodyguard decides who to kill first.
An artist hunts for his own voice.
An old soldier starts a new revolution.
A a young rebel finds fresh ways to fight.
And an old goblin dreams of reclaiming her power over them all.
On this night, all their stories twist together, wrapped up around a single bag of Dust—the only drug that can still fuel fae magic. Its fate and theirs will change the Iron City forever.
Genre: Fantasy
In a brutal city where goblins rule, the fae have had their magic stolen and seek solace in the darkest corners of the metropolis—but now, they’ve had enough.
The Iron City is a prison, a maze, an industrial blight. It is the result of a war that saw the goblins grind the fae beneath their collective boot heels. And tonight, it is also a city that churns with life.
A young fae tries to make his fortune one drug deal at a time.
A goblin princess searches for a path between her own dreams and others’ expectations, while her bodyguard decides who to kill first.
An artist hunts for his own voice.
An old soldier starts a new revolution.
A a young rebel finds fresh ways to fight.
And an old goblin dreams of reclaiming her power over them all.
On this night, all their stories twist together, wrapped up around a single bag of Dust—the only drug that can still fuel fae magic. Its fate and theirs will change the Iron City forever.
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"Oakes delivers wit, grit, and magic in spades, all mixed together with a heap of heart-stopping action and relentless humor. Unforgettable." - Natania Barron
"I truly wish there were more fantasies written with this verve and steel. I don't think I've loved a book this hard in quite a while." - T Frohock
"A fantastic book, full of wit and sharp humor, City of Iron and Dust careens through a modernized faerie at a breakneck pace, full of verve and unforgettable characters. Oakes spins a smart, electric, and sometimes snarky tale, showing that the beating heart of modern fantasy is alive and well." - John Hornor Jacobs
"City of Iron and Dust is a bloody, brutal and bold novel featuring all manner of fantastical creatures... but it's really about being human. Oakes has crafted a tale that is as entertaining as it is wonderfully original." - Tim Lebbon
"A hard-boiled, phantasmagoric fable of blasted myths and desiccated dreams exploding into bloody revolution. Epic, intimate and one-of-a-kind!" - Dale Lucas
"I was sold on this 'grim for all the cynical reasons' fantasy novel by J.P. Oakes with the six words of the first chapter title. Well, two of the words weren’t that important. The point is that Oakes knows we’re tired of all the heroic and earnest and uplifting tropes, and that what we really want is something nasty and funny and thrilling to read." - Mark Teppo
"A wonderful mash-up fantasy with a dash of Carl Hiaasen, a mad scramble through a burning city for the ultimate prize. Fans of Daniel Polansky's Low Town or Robert Jackson Bennett's City of Stairs will enjoy this one." - Django Wexler
"I truly wish there were more fantasies written with this verve and steel. I don't think I've loved a book this hard in quite a while." - T Frohock
"A fantastic book, full of wit and sharp humor, City of Iron and Dust careens through a modernized faerie at a breakneck pace, full of verve and unforgettable characters. Oakes spins a smart, electric, and sometimes snarky tale, showing that the beating heart of modern fantasy is alive and well." - John Hornor Jacobs
"City of Iron and Dust is a bloody, brutal and bold novel featuring all manner of fantastical creatures... but it's really about being human. Oakes has crafted a tale that is as entertaining as it is wonderfully original." - Tim Lebbon
"A hard-boiled, phantasmagoric fable of blasted myths and desiccated dreams exploding into bloody revolution. Epic, intimate and one-of-a-kind!" - Dale Lucas
"I was sold on this 'grim for all the cynical reasons' fantasy novel by J.P. Oakes with the six words of the first chapter title. Well, two of the words weren’t that important. The point is that Oakes knows we’re tired of all the heroic and earnest and uplifting tropes, and that what we really want is something nasty and funny and thrilling to read." - Mark Teppo
"A wonderful mash-up fantasy with a dash of Carl Hiaasen, a mad scramble through a burning city for the ultimate prize. Fans of Daniel Polansky's Low Town or Robert Jackson Bennett's City of Stairs will enjoy this one." - Django Wexler
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Used availability for J P Oakes's City of Iron and Dust