Ironbound

In the Iron Empire, only the strongest get the chance to Ascend. Castor has wanted this for as long as he can remember: to fuse with a Cor Heart, a heart forged from otherworldly metal that lets its bearer bind a Symbol and bend the elements.

On the day of his trial, he hopes to earn the Empress' blessing and start a life of adventure. A vicious attack cuts the trial short. His home is left in ruins and his family is in mortal danger.

Castor is conscripted into the Legions and bound to a Symbol he never wanted. From there he has to stay alive in the Iron City, against enemies in the frozen North, and among traitors hidden inside the rusting Empire itself.

The book is progression fantasy with a character-driven magic system. It opens on familiar beats, then settles into a tense military story. It is the first volume of the Ironbound series, which continues with Cold Wind and Bloody Sands.

The question running through it is whether a boy who wanted one kind of power can survive the one he was handed.