I was looking forward to this one. Jazz Age, secret Cotton Club-like place where magic enhances jazz, a female-friendship centered book, it starts in an asylum!

For whatever reason, I just didn't get into the book.

I think it's never a good thing when the first thing the characters do is escape from a supposedly escape-proof asylum and make it look ridiculously easy. No magic even involved! If that place is escape-proof, then it seems that motivation has been lacking in the past. And that seemed to be a bit of the pattern of the book. There was build-up for obstacles that ended up not being that hard to overcome.

The very night the girls return from the asylum, they're asked to go on and do their act, which consists of one character (Ada) playing the violin with her band and the other (Corinne) reciting poetry. Apparently this takes a lot out of them and they can only do this a couple of times per week, but it's fine to do it just after breaking out of chains which cause you constant pain(being iron).

The idea is that some people are "hemopaths", who can't stand the touch of iron. These same people also have the power to create feelings or illusions, using either poetry, acting, or music. It's a really cool idea and utterly unexplained. To me, a natural explanation would be some kind of fairy blood- the whole cold iron and fairies, right?

There are some descriptions, but I never really felt like I was transported into the Jazz Age. The characters didn't use speech from that era- it felt modern. And to me, wouldn't something like beat poetry (maybe it's too early for this) feel more like something that would be recited in a jazz club instead of Dante? The idea of improvisation, making words up on the spot that paint a picture, feel more creative than memorizing a ton of poetry.

The world felt interesting, but it didn't feel "true". And that lack of authenticity is something I haven't had the patience to power through lately in a book.

One last thing: I liked the name of the book, but the club in the book is called the Cast Iron. Why switch the name?

Thank you to netgalley and Abrams Kids for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set in the 20s during the time of prohibition, but that's not the only thing banned; people who have powers to manipulate people using art are also banned.

The biggest part of this book that I liked was the sisterhood. There was no girl on girl fighting for the sake of it, the 2 MCs were really close friends and loved each other and you could feel that throughout the whole book. They had really distinct personalities and I liked them as characters, however I felt like the book maybe should've been told from just one perspective because they all just rolled into one and it kind of felt like more of an omniscient narrator than separate character's points of view in a way.

I also really loved the magic system, everything was related to art, some people could do magic with music, some with painting, some with poetry which I just found really cool. Though at times they would start to use their powers at moments where I just felt like it didn't make sense to the situation, like surely someone would've stopped them before it actually took hold of them. Would it not be obvious to you that someone was Iron Cast if they started just randomly singing?

The world building could have done with some work. I found myself confused a fair amount of the time about just what was really going on. It felt a bit wooly at times and I think that was partly to do with the pacing which went from being really slow to really fast that I couldn't really concentrate wholly on what was actually going on.

There was some really good points about racism and sexism that were brought up that are often swept under the carpet in historical fiction. Just because things were different doesn't mean people were happy to just be treated like second rate citizens because of their gender or skin colour and this book was a reminder of that. Not only was one of the MCs facing difficulties in her life due to her magic but she was also black and whilst it is set in Boston where racism wasn't nearly as bad as places in the south there was still a clear racial divide. It also raised some thoughts on the anti-Russian sentiments in the states, which not as strong as the narrative about racism against black people it was still there and mentioned.

I'd definitely be interested in what this author will come out with next as I can tell that she's going to improve the more she writes.

An interesting premise I have not really seen before. Artists who have the power to make people feel or see whatever they desire. Their shows have been outlawed in Boston and many are ending up in an asylum - and they are never seen again.
Lots of twists and turns in the story with a great jazz-era background. Slightly unsatisfying ending though, which leads me to think there may be a sequel in there somewhere.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this one, mainly because of the characters and the setting. Don't get me wrong, I love the discription of the book and the idea behind the book. But the story itself is just not what I would have expected it to be. I did not feel like I was in that era and I did not connect with the characters at all. So greta idea, but not worked out very well.

As much as I enjoyed this book and the world of artists and singers it created, I wish there was more backstory and logical mythos surrounding the powers. Their magic involves blood and an aversion to iron, yet as a biology major, I know iron is the foundation of our blood and the ability to oxygenate our bodies. The lack of explanations killed my suspension of disbelief.

I requested this book because it centers around friendship and I loved that it played through throughout the book. I loved the plot, the characters, the time period it was set in. The beginning was a bit slow, but it picked up and soared. Really glad I was accepted to read this book and so happy I enjoyed it.

The year is 1919, and hemopaths are prohibited from practicing their art; showing illusions through music, poetry and art. At the Cast Iron, Corinne and Ada are two best friends who perform together at Johnny Dervish’s club and also do scams on the side.

When Ada is imprisoned, Corinne breaks her out, but they find out their are those who want to iradicate hemopaths, not just imprison them. Johnny goes missing and the girls are being targeted, and must work together with mysterious bouncer Gabriel to uncover the truth and stay safe.

Weird but really good and honestly just different. Beautiful cover.

When I opened this book (or rather the epub file), I knew that I would love it from almost the first page. And that was because in the author's note Destiny Soria said that the most important relationship in the book was one between two girls. Friends for years. Sisters in heart.

We do not highlight that kind of friendship enough. The romance always takes the stage while friendships are there only to further the plot.

This was not the case in Iron Cast.

Ada and Corinne were nothing if not loyal to each other. They complimented each other's personalities, protected each other. It was a beautiful and healthy thing to read about.

Despite this, a few romances also thrived. I loved that they were so diverse not only physical-appearance/identity-wise but also personality-wise and the way that each couple dealt with their problems and their feelings. There was a black couple. There was a couple of people who were both extremely scarred and hardened. There was a m/m couple. It portrayed a wide variety all the more delightful to read about because it reflected reality.

The setting, in the early 1900s , with the nightclubs and sparkly dresses was combined with the existence of magic. The magic of illusions which was referred to as "afflicted" blood. The era seeped through into the story seamlessly, and the descriptions were beautifully rich almost to the point where I had to take a minute to digest everything.

The book deals with everything--betrayal, loyalty, trust, understanding, love. It's in these ways, in tackling friendships and family relationships, that it impressed me the most. Iron Cast was a beautiful read and something we greatly need in the realm of book diversity.

Really enjoyed this book! I loved the diversity and the story was so exciting!

The author set the stage right from the beginning as we're dropped into a World where hemopaths are being hunted down and there are few safe havens. The friendship between the girls take center stage and it was clear that they would do anything for each other. We, the readers, are always aware of the constant danger throughout the book and the action never lets up and the author teases out the story. I thoroughly enjoyed Iron Cast and would highly recommend it to anyone to read.

'Iron Cast' is an exciting young adult novel that perfectly blends historical fiction and fantasy. I'm not a big reader of historical fiction, but I decided to give this one a try because of the magical aspect. I'm really glad I did - it turned out to be much better than I thought. The two main characters - Ada and Corinne - are fun and intriguing. Due to their different heritage and backgrounds, they make an odd pair in the early twentieth century - which is when the story takes place. I loved that the author made them different in so many ways, but they perfectly complement each other in the parts that really made. Both are smart, spirited, loyal friends, and practiced magicians. The only small issue I had with the book was the author's choice of writing style. It's done in the third person point of view, which I'm not exactly a fan of. I fully believe that the first person POV is the way to go in almost every case - this one included. I loved the characters of Ada and Corinne, but I think the story would have been even better if it had been written using the first person POV. We get to know the girls pretty well, but not as deeply as the other writing style allows - which I think holds back a real connection with the reader. The other aspects of the book are fantastic - the setting is a great fit for the plot and the main characters, the story line was interesting and pretty unique, and the writing itself was full of vivid imagery and detailed descriptions. It brought the girls' world to life in front of my eyes, which is hard to do with historical fiction. The plot was packed with magic, action, friendship, and obstacles - and kept me on my toes the entire time. I was fully engaged right from the beginning of the novel and ended up reading the whole book in one sitting of a few hours. It's a wonderful story that fans of both historical fiction and fantasy will really enjoy.

LOVED this book! I'm so thankful that more diverse books are being published, and especially with gorgous covers and writing like this one. Loved the setting, especially.