A Darkness Forged in Fire
by Chris Evans, 2008. 
Audio: Tantor Media, 2008
Narrated by Michael Kramer

A Darkness Forged in Fire is a clash of two different worlds. On one side you have elves, dwarves, orcs, wizards, dragons, powerful magic and other classic fantasy trappings that recall Terry Brooks and J.R.R. Tolkien. On the other side you have muskets, cannons, howitzers, military tactics, Her Imperial Majesty, and so on that are taken right out of the Napoleonic Era. Combined, A Darkness Forged in Fire is a cross between traditional epic fantasy and military fiction, with enough elements of either one to appeal to readers of both.

In an unforgiving world of brutal conflictwhere musket and cannon, bow and arrow, magic and diplomacy are all weapons in the Calahrian Empiretheres no denying that Konowa Swiftdragon, former commander of the Empires Iron Elves, could be looked upon as anything but ordinary. Hes murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished to the one place he despises the mostthe forest. Now all he wants is to be left alone . . . but for Konowa, nothing is ever that simple.

A falling Red Star in the east heralds the return of magic long vanished from the earth, sparking a frantic race within the Empire to reach it first. Now Konowa is recalled to duty and asked to reform the Iron Elvesonly the soldiers he gets arent quite what he was expecting. And worse, their key adversary to obtain the Star is none other than the dreaded Shadow Monarcha legendary elf-witch whose machinations for absolute domination spread deeper than Konowa could ever imagine
 

First of the Iron Elves trilogy:
1 - A Darkness Forged in Fire
2 - The Light of Burning Shadows
3 - Ashes of a Black Frost