Železné srdce – Sládek Martin (2023)

A PROPERLY GRITTY HEROIC FANTASY, IN WHICH THE WANDERER, BRAWLER, AND ADVENTURER HARALD RETURNS... The mercenary, brawler, and adventurer Harald knows that, to his misfortune, he can be good at bad things. Sometimes so good that it's amusing, but there's nothing to laugh about here. The first thing is his unintended entanglement in politics, which Harald usually tries to avoid like a Viking avoids the cross. However, when politics is balanced by a rather pleasant reward for an interesting job, Harald's own curiosity betrays him. Moorish ambassadors disappear only once in a lifetime, and what would break another's back, Harald takes as a challenge. The second thing is the fulfillment of dark omens. What initially seems to be an intriguing search in the streets of summer Paris turns into a nightmare full of flames, pain, and tough decisions within two hot, tense, and extremely hectic days. Nothing comes for free, and Harald must go over corpses because falling behind in a world that changes faster than anyone suspects means only one thing: a quick death. 'When Harald sets foot in Paris, there's a lot of regret. Iron Heart is top-notch and properly gritty heroic fantasy.' – PEVNOST