Iron Cast

By: Destiny Soria

Narrated by: Christine Marshall

It's Boston, 1919, and the Cast Iron club is packed. Onstage, hemopaths - whose "afflicted" blood gives them the ability to create illusions through art - Corinne and Ada have been best friends ever since infamous gangster Johnny Dervish recruited them into his circle. By night they perform for Johnny's crowds, and by day they con Boston's elite.

When a job goes wrong and Ada is imprisoned, she realizes how precarious their position is. After she escapes, two of the Cast Iron's hires are shot, and Johnny disappears. With the law closing in, Corinne and Ada are forced to hunt for answers, even as betrayal faces them at every turn.

An ideal next listen for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners.

©2016 Destiny Soria (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Homeopathy is a cool take on Bardic skills

the twist at the end and was good, throwing you for a loop and i didnt see it coming. the whole Hemopathy th ing is a really unique take on what is usually considerd a Bard in most stories, games , etc
it was a fun adventure with likable characters and i.look forward to seeing 8f there is a sequel to pick up after this storey ends

Really enjoyed it, a great debut!

The year is 1919. Boston on the verge of Prohibition is teeming with hemopaths: people with magical talents which develop suddenly in their teens, and a strong aversion to iron. Corinne and Ada - two sixteen year-olds work in an underground club Cast Iron as its star performers, but six months ago using their talents became illegal, and they rely more and more on tricking crooks to part with their money to keep the club which is their safe haven afloat.


Both girls are very different but suit each other well. Corinne's talent is weaving illusions through reading poetry aloud. She comes from a posh family which flits from one high society event to another to strengthen their power base, and they are known for their anti-hemopaths stance. Ada can coax any emotion she wants and fog people's memories through her music. She is half-Portuguese, half Swahili and came to Johnny, their boss to keep her momma afloat while her father is serving time in prison wrongly accused of stealing the money from work. Ada is reserved and doesn't part with her own emotions easily, instead hoarding them almost to her own detriment.


When hemopaths start disappearing from the streets of Boston, rumours place them in Havesham asylum for afflicted of the blood where they are allegedly tortured and experimented upon. Corinne and Ada are forced to find out for themselves if there is any truth in it which almost costs them their lives, and soon both girls and their friends are fighting for their survival and the future of their kind while trying to keep their club from getting shut.


Iron Cast is undoubtedly character-driven book, and the girls with their supporting cast of Gabriel, Saint, Charlie, Madelaine and James are fantastic. At the same time, the world-building and the writing style reminded me of Mary Robinette Kowal's historical fantasies, and Libba Bray's The Diviners.


This is an atmospheric read, full of slang of the era and gorgeous poetry which comes to life beautifully under the narrator's touch. It also didn't shy away from the topics of violence, racism and inequality, while keeping the book clean sex-wise. It had this wry, sarcastic feel to it, and I will definitely keep an eye on this author in the future. Recommended.

What a sad story

These characters go through so much. In this book is one of the most heartbreaking I have ever heard. In the end it was loyalty that gave and took everything from these characters... so much hurt and pain...

Strong Female Leads, Murder, and Magic

I absolutely loved the narrator! The story was good too =) I thought there would be more lgbt characters, but I must of gotten my to-read lists mixed up. However there was at least one gay character, so I'm not too terribly upset about it. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy strong female leads, murder, and magic.

best friends and alternate history? yes please

this book was really amazing and beautiful and I recommend it to everyone ever because the best friends are just too good