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blodeuedd's review
I feel very meh about this and skimmed most of it. It is my and Carole's discussion book so I had to skim to see what happened. Else it would have been a DNF
Imam was a priestess, can not say she had a personality. I was told she was pretty, she was dark, she was a priestess. That was it.
There was this demon kid, all I knew about him was that he protected them
Narissa was the one with most promise. A little kid with secrets and she actually showed a personality,
There sell swords...ehhh, have forgotten all about them already. Marco was pale...that was about it. Oremund, who the F is he? Dalvin, like Narissa was the most with most personality (as for the others who had none.)
Show, do not tell.
Yawn.
Very unforgettable. Totally skimmable.
Imam was a priestess, can not say she had a personality. I was told she was pretty, she was dark, she was a priestess. That was it.
There was this demon kid, all I knew about him was that he protected them
Narissa was the one with most promise. A little kid with secrets and she actually showed a personality,
There sell swords...ehhh, have forgotten all about them already. Marco was pale...that was about it. Oremund, who the F is he? Dalvin, like Narissa was the most with most personality (as for the others who had none.)
Show, do not tell.
Yawn.
Very unforgettable. Totally skimmable.
cmliwagdixon's review
5.0
From its first page, “Gold for Steel” plunges readers into a beautifully-crafted fantasy world. In this land, griffins and other magical creatures roam but magic itself is dead — or is it? Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are mercenaries whose adventures are only beginning in this first book of what promises to be an action-packed series.
“Gold for Steel” avoids the pitfall of many fantasy novels by building its world through action and dialogue rather than through lengthy descriptions. The plot is well-developed and the story is excellently paced. The cliffhanger at the end is tortuously designed, setting the series up nicely for its next installment.
“Gold for Steel” avoids the pitfall of many fantasy novels by building its world through action and dialogue rather than through lengthy descriptions. The plot is well-developed and the story is excellently paced. The cliffhanger at the end is tortuously designed, setting the series up nicely for its next installment.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
4.0
I received a copy of Gold for Steel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Gold for Steel is the first novel in a new series, Gates of Kastriel written by Charles Dixon. It’s a blend of action oriented fantasy and epic fantasy, making it a pretty fantastic start for a new series. This was my first time reading anything by Charles Dixon, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I have to admit that I’m pretty pleased with the work I’ve seen, and would be interested in seeing more by him in the future.
Gold for Steel takes advantage of swapping perspectives to show us different parts of the same (larger) story. The cast itself is pretty expansive, even just looking at those who give us their story; Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are all sellswords with their own secrets and backstories (which we must take time to unravel to understand), Iman (along with Qoraag, an ork) is trying to protect a little girl in grave danger, and Jacob is the kindly man who brings these odd teams together.
Within the first couple of chapters of Gold for Steel it becomes pretty clear that there’s something major being set up outside of the view of the main cast. Through the varied perspectives we get to read from we see hints, little breadcrumbs hinting at the bigger world. Presumably more information will be given in later novels, but it certainly has gotten me curious about what exactly is going on in this world.
What I loved in particular about all of the characters we got to know is how they each had their own fair share of secrets (and then some), but none of them were revealed in a rushed manner, and in some cases they have only been hinted at. This furthers my belief that Dixon has done a decent job of setting up for a series. There’s no need to rush the main plot, the world building, or the character development when one has a few novels with which to tell it. There’s a balance of course, one can’t go too slowly either, but I believe Dixon has found the right balance for his tale.
I imagine each reader will be inclined to find their own favorite character out of the options given. Personally I found Dalvin the most noble and likable, Oremund a bit on the immature side, and Marco to be the most intriguing of their little group. Seeing them work together as well as argue over their secrets was interesting for me. On the one hand they clearly trust each other in battle, but on the other they truly seem to resent certain secrets (like how one accomplished something during a fight) while not being concerned about others (their past).
All of the secrecy has gotten me very curious about what I can see of each of the plots, as well as how they connect together. I have theories, most of them based on the characters involved, but that’s about it. I’ll have to keep reading in order to confirm anything.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Gold for Steel is the first novel in a new series, Gates of Kastriel written by Charles Dixon. It’s a blend of action oriented fantasy and epic fantasy, making it a pretty fantastic start for a new series. This was my first time reading anything by Charles Dixon, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I have to admit that I’m pretty pleased with the work I’ve seen, and would be interested in seeing more by him in the future.
Gold for Steel takes advantage of swapping perspectives to show us different parts of the same (larger) story. The cast itself is pretty expansive, even just looking at those who give us their story; Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are all sellswords with their own secrets and backstories (which we must take time to unravel to understand), Iman (along with Qoraag, an ork) is trying to protect a little girl in grave danger, and Jacob is the kindly man who brings these odd teams together.
Within the first couple of chapters of Gold for Steel it becomes pretty clear that there’s something major being set up outside of the view of the main cast. Through the varied perspectives we get to read from we see hints, little breadcrumbs hinting at the bigger world. Presumably more information will be given in later novels, but it certainly has gotten me curious about what exactly is going on in this world.
What I loved in particular about all of the characters we got to know is how they each had their own fair share of secrets (and then some), but none of them were revealed in a rushed manner, and in some cases they have only been hinted at. This furthers my belief that Dixon has done a decent job of setting up for a series. There’s no need to rush the main plot, the world building, or the character development when one has a few novels with which to tell it. There’s a balance of course, one can’t go too slowly either, but I believe Dixon has found the right balance for his tale.
I imagine each reader will be inclined to find their own favorite character out of the options given. Personally I found Dalvin the most noble and likable, Oremund a bit on the immature side, and Marco to be the most intriguing of their little group. Seeing them work together as well as argue over their secrets was interesting for me. On the one hand they clearly trust each other in battle, but on the other they truly seem to resent certain secrets (like how one accomplished something during a fight) while not being concerned about others (their past).
All of the secrecy has gotten me very curious about what I can see of each of the plots, as well as how they connect together. I have theories, most of them based on the characters involved, but that’s about it. I’ll have to keep reading in order to confirm anything.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
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