City of Iron and Ivy follows Elswyth Elderwood, the last debutante of the Elderwood line who has to enter London society in search of a husband. Elswyth would rather study botany at Oxford, where she was just accepted, but when her sister Persephone goes missing and is declared dead with little investigation into her disappearance, the role of saving their family falls to Elswyth. Elswyth's London is filled with floromancy, the ability that allows the user to sprout plants from their skin. Floromancy is used by people to decorate their clothes, for medicinal purposes, and by one known as the Reaper, who leaves their victims with organs missing and plants sprouting from their insides when they're left in the streets. Elswyth believes her sister's disappearance might have a connection to the Reaper, and when she realizes the Reaper might be a nobleman, Elswyth's efforts to find a husband also merge with her investigation into the suitors and friends her sister had gathered in the season before she went missing. Elswyth must learn how to defend herself and understand the nobility in order to find the Reaper or she might end up just like her sister.
I'll start with the writing. This was intricately done, finding the perfect tone to feel set in the 1800s. The writing translated well, building a world that seemed familiar and yet stood apart with its magic system. As a book focused on a murder mystery and a woman trying to learn what she needed to enter society, the book managed to find the perfect balance between these two vastly different subjects. Readers are shown enough of Elswyth's lessons and her interactions with her peers to feel the strain these rules had on society and how they keep Elswyth struggling to fit in. Elywyth, a scholar, is forced to learn etiquette and how to curtsy depending on who she is speaking to, and everything feels like a lady being forced into the marriage market is a game that only the most skilled have learned how to play. All Elswyth can do is hope to survive the encounters with the nobility as she attempts to question them about the last few weeks before Persephone disappeared. On the other hand the mystery is well-handled, keeping the suspense steady so that every moment Elswyth is out with others, the tension can still be felt as she continues her search. Elswyth has to find the time to keep up her investigation and every moment she can magage to find is devoted to understanding her sister and what led to her demise. The merging of the two keeps the reader turning pages, waiting to see if another victim will come to light or if Elswyth will manage to impress the ton, both feats keeping readers on the edge of their seat. The writing is accesible and the rhythm is smooth, easily enthralling readers with the world West has created.
As for the characters, everyone is detailed, whether they spent a lot of time on the page or not. I loved, truly, absolutely, LOVED Elswyth. I loved how Elswyth was passionate about her studies, using her knowledge to find ways to interact with her peers. She was forced into learning lessons from a matchmaker and she fought it in ways and at intervals whenever she could but at the same time, her interest in botany helped to make her stand out. The moments where she truly shined were when she used plants to talk to people, helping her to make connections that could have been beneficial to her future. Her knowledge of plants gave her the chance to spend some hours working for a highly influential doctor where she helped with his experiments and she was able to use plants to truly engage with some of the suitors she hoped would make a match for her. Her efforts over and over to pick her head up and try again when so many of the nobility wanted to cast her out and they tried their hardest to destroy her, made me love her just that much more. Nothing was easy for her and it felt realistic to see Elswyth struggle, to see her feel dejected and then rally again for the sake of finding out what happened to her sister. That dogged determination felt like true sisterly love which was impressive, as Persephone is only mentioned in passing because of the circumstances of her being the missing person of the mystery central to the plot. I believed in their relationship without having to see it for myself and that kept me believing in Elswyth as a character.
As for the rest of the cast, I loved both Elswyth's uncle Percival and his steward Kehinde. I loved how Percival was the outcast of his generation, able to relate to Elswyth's struggles and able to talk to her on their level, to show her how he managed to go out and make his own path even if it didn't fit with what was expected of him in society. He could understand her struggles and he cared for her happiness and he worked to make a difference with his role in Parliament that he never wanted for himself but he made do with the hand he was dealt. I also enjoyed how Kehinde respected Elswyth's intellect, choosing to challenge her and teach her to defend herself because he knew she was capable of more. I loved how quickly Kehinde accepted Elswyth and how in turn that became him willing to step in and take care of her when she needed help. I especially loved Mrs. Rose, Elswyth's matchmaker and tutor, who was pushy and snarky and who butted heads more often than not with Elswyth but still managed to show just how much she cared for her charge with her actions every step of the way with the story. I thought Persephone was clearly drawn for readers with the recollections of every character that described her, marking her as the more approachable of the sisters and yet still someone important to Elswyth. The love interest, Silas Blackthorn, was intriguing with the circumstances we are introduced to him with and the background of his birth and his current status in society. There are more characters like Dr. Gall, who Elswyth worked for, and Venus Forscythe, a former close friend of Persephone's, all who make impacts on the story that keep Elswyth working hard to get what she wants, a husband and information about her sister. Everyone has a part to play and no one felt like they needed more development as they all felt like fully fleshed out people with their wants, their dreams and their schemes and machinations.
The mystery itself, the idea about the Reaper and what they could do to their victims was riveting. The magic system was unique enough already but the way it was used to have the Reaper when they had another victim was so engrossing. The idea of someone killing people in this way was enough to make my stomach turn a bit and yet I couldn't turn away from the page at the same time. The different developments kept me locked in to the story and the reveals were each bigger than the last, showing West has a deft hand at handling the different elements of a good mystery. By the time the book ended, I can confidently say that West kept me guessing until the last moment what would happen and that ending was in a word, PERFECTION. I have no idea if West would ever return to the world created in this book but if it were to happen, I'd be first in line to read it.
In the end, City of Iron and Ivy has become another favorite and Thomas Kent West has become an author to follow from here on out. I loved every moment of this book and I can't wait to see what West has in store next for readers. I'm sure it will be another favorite for my shelves when the time comes.
Rating on my Scale: 10 Stars. I honestly had no complaints about this book. Everything worked and I will probably read it again when it arrives in the mail. This was a truly magical book and I hope so many readers find their way to this London to spend time with Elswyth and see her in action.
My thanks to Netgalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Thomas Kent West for the eARC of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
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