What do you get when you combine a regular dude, a modern setting, a fae underworld, and a journey with people who may or may not be allies?

An adventure full of enough excitement to satisfy even a hobbit’s appetite.

Forged Steel was my first introduction to the world of urban fantasy. I’m now a fan.

Here’s a peek at what Forged Steel is about (from the website):

Downtown. Coffee shop. 2 AM.

One minute, Josh is firing off sarcastic remarks at his best friend Marc – the next, they’re running from shape-shifters. Apparently, even best friends don’t share all their secrets.

Now Josh is in danger. He can see the monsters among the humans.

When Marc is kidnapped, Josh finds himself pulled into the schemes of the fae courts, and throws in his lot with Marc’s allies: the lovely Larae, a human named David, and the fighter, Eliaster. But what began as a rescue mission becomes something much more involved…

And all Josh wants to do is get out before it’s too late.

Plot

Starting in the first chapter, I found myself hurled into an adventure where appearances can be deceiving and life shifts suddenly to take on new meaning.

Welcome to Josh’s new world. A world that as a reader I couldn’t keep myself away from.

The overall plot was ordinary, but a host of twists and turns kept me swiping through my virtual pages and gave me the thrill of trekking through a gripping story. The pace lagged in a couple places, but rarely did I find my attention wandering.

I’ll admit I’m a sucker for puzzles, clues, and mysteries, ala National Treasure, and those laced through the plot many times. Forged Steel did a wonderful job of enticing me forward and hinting at more adventures to come in following stories.

Setting

One of the cool things about urban fantasy is that it takes elements of typical fantasy, such as magic and strange creatures, and inserts them into our world. It changes the way we see the world, and everything from the underworld to the presence of the fae in our world felt both realistic and magical at the same time.

The setting for Forged Steel drew heavily from Celtic traditions, which I thought was cool touch that made it different. Blending those Celtic features into an urban fantasy made for a vibrant, unique world with glimpses of a rich history and background.

I loved how the fae world interacted with ours, as legends and myths stepped from the pages of lore to take on flesh and blood in our reality, making them seem that much more real. Creepy, but cool.

Characters

Josh rocks. He’s a computer jock with a habit for breaking the rules—not your typical hero material. As the story progressed and he began to don the cloak of hero—unwillingly at first—it didn’t sound cliché.

His sarcastic tone and blunt humor had me grinning throughout the book and gave him an edgy attitude. Now that I think of it, he reminded me of Iron Man. One of those sassy, feisty characters you can’t help but love.

Then we have the supporting cast.

Wow.

There was so much happening I felt like a geek at a comic con trying to keep up with it all. With the boatloads of mystery, intrigue, hints of betrayal, and secrets, it was impossible to sort out whom to trust.

That made for a delicious amount of tension and uncertainty that kept my reader’s heart pounding from start to finish.

The plot was solid, but the characters—Josh in particular—pushed this story to the next level.

Conclusion

The writing was to the point, packing punch and blending perfectly with Josh’s voice, something I really enjoyed.

Another thing I appreciated was the tactful treatment of the Christian elements. They didn’t take over the story but slipped in as a natural extension of the characters. Huge applause for that.

This was an entertaining read, one that fans of urban fantasy should check out. Even if you’re new to the genre, I’d encourage you to give it a try.

I look forward to seeing the adventure continue.

Forged Steel earns a spot on Shelf Excellent.

Author website: H. A. Titus

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review