The Iron Children
Asher has been training her entire life to become a Sor-Commander. One day, she’ll give her soul to the gilded, mechanical body of the Sor and become a commander to a battalion of Dedicates. These soldiers, encased in exoskeletons, with extra arms, and telepathic subordination to the Sor-Commanders, are the only thing that’s kept the much larger Levastani army of conquest at bay for decades.
But while on a training journey, Asher and her party are attacked, and her commander is incapacitated, leaving her alone to lead the unit across a bitterly cold, unstable mountain. Worse, one of the Dedicates is not what they seem: a spy for the enemy, with their own reasons to hate their mechanical body and the people who put them in it.
To get off the mountain alive, Asher and her unit will need to decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice — and what for.
Reviews
"The Iron Children is a compelling SF war story but with unique worlds, characters and view of war to make it feel a refreshing take on a familiar subject. Definitely an author I will keep an eye out for more work from. Highly recommended!"
"Such plot as there is moves along at a nice clip, driven on one hand by natural calamity and on the other by the game of cat and mouse between the soldiers and the enemy hiding within their ranks. The work is certainly entertaining enough that I will be keeping an eye out for more Fraimow works."
"This novella is about the foot soldiers. About the unit. About losing those around you. About what they had to give up (voluntarily or otherwise) to become a Dedicate."
"THE IRON CHILDREN is a sci-fi novella about the morals and consequences of making people into soldiers. [...] I really liked the murky nature of the final choices made."
"Perfect for fans of Murderbot and Becky Chambers."Zen Cho, Hugo-award winning author of BLACK WATER SISTER
"It grabs you and doesn't let go."Michael Mammay, award winning author of the Planetside Series
"A compulsively readable dish of tension and emotion."Freya Marske, author of A MARVELLOUS LIGHT and A RESTLESS TRUTH
"Come for the clockwork battle nuns and fascinating worldbuilding, say for a profound, moving conclusion that goes straight for the soul."Ren Hutchings, author of UNDER FORTUNATE STARS