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 conflict—where musket and cannon, bow and arrow, magic and diplomacy are all weapons in the Calahrian Empire—there’s no denying that Konowa Swiftdragon, former commander of the Empire’s Iron Elves, could be looked upon as anything but ordinary. He’s murdered a Viceroy, been court-martialed, seen his beloved regiment disbanded, and finally been banished to the one place he despises the most—the 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 Elves—only the soldiers he gets aren’t quite what he was expecting. And worse, their key adversary to obtain the Star is none other than the dreaded Shadow Monarch—a 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