Grimsby, a junior Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself on the other side of the law in this spellbinding urban fantasy.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby may have one case under his belt, but he’s still a novice Auditor in Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. And he’s already made mistakes.

Desperate to repair his fraying friendships, he doesn’t ask too many questions when a mysterious patron offers him the chance to join a heist of an otherworldly vault—and in the process find answers that could make things right. 

Complications arise when Grimsby learns that his partner, Mayflower, is keeping secrets about his past. Between facing new demons, old horrors, and monsters—both Usual and Unorthodox—Grimsby soon realizes nothing is how it appears and that not asking enough questions just might be his downfall.

In the third book in The Unorthodox Chronicles Cold Iron Task, James J. Butcher has given us a fast paced and complex story. As the world slowly unfolds, the characters of Grimshaw and Mayflower deepen their friendship but also become increasingly more multi-faceted. Each faces struggles unique to their world and the world of The Unorthodox Chronicles gets more fascinating. 

From the very beginning, the action is fast paced and doesn’t let up. Grimshaw and Mayflower deal with the complications and secrets from other parts of their lives in the matter of a couple days but nothing about the story itself feels rushed. James J. Butcher builds up the suspense and the entanglements with increasing skill and sets up the new and old horrors perfectly. The mysteries that Grimshaw faces and secrets he learns not just about his own past but about Mayflowers add complexity to the world and help both characters to grow. I love how the various plot lines come together and how the solutions might be worse than the original problem. And the ending will leave readers intrigued and ready for more.

If you like fast paced and complex urban fantasy novels, with a struggling witch and a morally grey huntsman, you will love this book, especially if you’ve read the first two. The ending left my appetite whetted for the next book and I think most fans of the series will love how much the characters have grown.

Rating: 5 out of 5 knives 

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