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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
“The Sin in the Steel” by Ryan Van Loan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release date 7/21/2020
Thank you #bookishfirst and #ryanvanloan for the #arc in exchange for my honest review!
If you like Fantasy, Pirates, and Mystery this is the book for you! Fantasy isn’t usually my go to genre, but I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot of action pact scenes that kept you on the edge of your seat.
Buc and Eld are a dynamic pair. Buc grew up on the streets and is always in survival mode. Eld is an ex-solider and has become Buc’s partner in crime. They work together to solve crimes. They are hired for their biggest job yet! The Company wants them to find out who has been stealing their ships that carries tea. The entire trading company is at risk. If they fail then the entire empire might go down in ruins. Many ships have gone missing and so far no one has been up for the task. Their last resort is Buc and Eld. The problem is it is a suicide mission. It requires dealing with pirates, Mages, dead gods, and many other unknowns. Buc is not prepared for the Dead Gods, but the Gods are not prepared for Buc! Read to find out if Buc and Eld can solve the mystery and if they survive.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release date 7/21/2020
Thank you #bookishfirst and #ryanvanloan for the #arc in exchange for my honest review!
If you like Fantasy, Pirates, and Mystery this is the book for you! Fantasy isn’t usually my go to genre, but I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot of action pact scenes that kept you on the edge of your seat.
Buc and Eld are a dynamic pair. Buc grew up on the streets and is always in survival mode. Eld is an ex-solider and has become Buc’s partner in crime. They work together to solve crimes. They are hired for their biggest job yet! The Company wants them to find out who has been stealing their ships that carries tea. The entire trading company is at risk. If they fail then the entire empire might go down in ruins. Many ships have gone missing and so far no one has been up for the task. Their last resort is Buc and Eld. The problem is it is a suicide mission. It requires dealing with pirates, Mages, dead gods, and many other unknowns. Buc is not prepared for the Dead Gods, but the Gods are not prepared for Buc! Read to find out if Buc and Eld can solve the mystery and if they survive.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fast paced, action packed, gripping and entertaining read.
I liked the good world building and character development and the excellent storytelling.
I can't wait to read the next installment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I liked the good world building and character development and the excellent storytelling.
I can't wait to read the next installment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The author is very talented with his prose and did a great job creating a voice that was authentic for the high seas. It was extremely fast-paced and the world building was on point; I love the term "Dead Gods" because it conjures up all sorts of cool images. A parallel can definitely be made between this book and Pirates of the Caribbean, from the undead featured prominently later in the book and the crew of the Black Pearl , pirates and magic, to both this book and the movie creating a fictional version of the East India Trading Company. I loved Pirates of the Caribbean, so being able to revisit a world like this was a treat. It'll be fun to see where Buc and Eld go in the sequel.
I really, really wanted to love this book, but it suffered so much from telling instead of showing and other sloppy decisions. It opens really well in the aftermath of a shootout, yet still staying exciting with a political cat-and-mouse that did actually keep me interested. I didn't mind that at all! But it quickly went downhill from there.
Buc and Eld board a ship to go get to Plot(tm), and Eld immediately goes to look broodingly at the sea and conveniently remember his own backstory. He ends this explaino-flashback with a cliche'd like about how he didn't save Buc, Buc saved him. He had time to stand there and painstakingly think out so much of his own thoughts and past--technically, a "show" given we saw this as a flashback of an action-memory, but it only happened to tell the reader what's up with him--but he couldn't devote literally any thought whatsoever to why or HOW the hell Buc saved him? Literally, how did she?? Just by ... being there? Letting him rescue her from the streets? How did he do that? No answers for those questions though.
Buc is very seasick on the journey, but that's all entirely glossed over because we spend the whole time with Eld broodily remembering his own past. So then in the next several chapters, where Buc repeatedly thinks about how she's never been so tired or so messed up before, I genuinely had no idea what she was talking about. What on EARTH was making these few days any different from any other day in her life? Turns out it was the seasickness! I guess?? The seasickness we literally did not see AT ALL, but then suddenly after a couple of chapters on land, she finally succumbs to this fever she's had the whole time that wasn't shown or mentioned or anything other than her continually referencing how fucked up she is with zero explanation for what she's talking about.
Also, her and Eld are supposed to be so incredibly close, best friends who ~saved each other~ yet she doesn't know anything about his backstory whatsoever. They've just. Never had a conversation. I guess. It seems Eld did deliberately not talk about his past to her, but not even in a way like-- ""Buc knew Eld had deep dark secrets because he never discussed his past, but she didn't know those secrets involved mages"" (really bad made up example there) --there's no actual sense that Buc had tried to ask about his past, that he had either misled her or shut down that conversation, it just honestly seems like they've been friends for years and then one day Buc is SHOCKED to discover that he existed and had a life before knowing her. Because they've just never talked to each other at all I suppose!
I will say I did like the few parts I managed to read of Buc's neurodivergence (some sensory issues, racing thoughts, could be autistic or ADHD) that felt realistic, but I didn't get to read much of that because I dnf'd it at about 20% :/
Buc and Eld board a ship to go get to Plot(tm), and Eld immediately goes to look broodingly at the sea and conveniently remember his own backstory. He ends this explaino-flashback with a cliche'd like about how he didn't save Buc, Buc saved him. He had time to stand there and painstakingly think out so much of his own thoughts and past--technically, a "show" given we saw this as a flashback of an action-memory, but it only happened to tell the reader what's up with him--but he couldn't devote literally any thought whatsoever to why or HOW the hell Buc saved him? Literally, how did she?? Just by ... being there? Letting him rescue her from the streets? How did he do that? No answers for those questions though.
Buc is very seasick on the journey, but that's all entirely glossed over because we spend the whole time with Eld broodily remembering his own past. So then in the next several chapters, where Buc repeatedly thinks about how she's never been so tired or so messed up before, I genuinely had no idea what she was talking about. What on EARTH was making these few days any different from any other day in her life? Turns out it was the seasickness! I guess?? The seasickness we literally did not see AT ALL, but then suddenly after a couple of chapters on land, she finally succumbs to this fever she's had the whole time that wasn't shown or mentioned or anything other than her continually referencing how fucked up she is with zero explanation for what she's talking about.
Also, her and Eld are supposed to be so incredibly close, best friends who ~saved each other~ yet she doesn't know anything about his backstory whatsoever. They've just. Never had a conversation. I guess. It seems Eld did deliberately not talk about his past to her, but not even in a way like-- ""Buc knew Eld had deep dark secrets because he never discussed his past, but she didn't know those secrets involved mages"" (really bad made up example there) --there's no actual sense that Buc had tried to ask about his past, that he had either misled her or shut down that conversation, it just honestly seems like they've been friends for years and then one day Buc is SHOCKED to discover that he existed and had a life before knowing her. Because they've just never talked to each other at all I suppose!
I will say I did like the few parts I managed to read of Buc's neurodivergence (some sensory issues, racing thoughts, could be autistic or ADHD) that felt realistic, but I didn't get to read much of that because I dnf'd it at about 20% :/
Buc and Eld are too much fun as protagonists. Buc is an old 17: smart, skilled, and brave. Eld is an even older 19: polite, strong, and mysterious. Together, they are a dynamic duo of pirate fighting geniuses. The back of the book describes Buc as a young, female Sherlock, and she certainly has some of his qualities, but Eld is much more like Watson than she is Sherlock.
However, I am in love with the setup of this series. There are pirates, mages, and Gods. It left me wanting more without feeling disappointing.
Buc and Eld are hired for a mission: figure out who is cutting of The Company’s sugar supply. If they can figure it out, they will get a seat on The Company’s board. They take the first hunch that they are given and chase down the deadly pirate Widowmaker. She is not what they anticipated, and there is much more to the lack of sugar than anyone at The Company knew.
Buc is our POV character, but sometimes it drops into third person so we can see somethings from other perspectives. I wish we had more of that. We get one chapter from Eld early on that seems like it will be a regular thing, but it isn’t. It is nice to sometimes get a break from Buc because she is an over explainer and a sassafras. But I still really liked her. Yes, she liked to remind us she was from the streets and explain to us her normal battle moves in the middle of a fight scene, but if you gloss over those parts, she isn’t annoying. I like her because she thinks she knows everything and is the master of all, but she isn’t and the reader gets to see her flaws and growth. I see a lot more room for her to grow as the series continues.
Eld is a mystery. For some reason, Buc is obsessed with how old he is, but he is only nineteen! He’s a baby! But apparently, he has been through a lot, but Buc doesn’t know what (she doesn’t even learn his real name till the end). I really like the mystery of his backstory because the reader doesn’t know what motivates him except that he cares deeply for Buc.
The pirates are awesome. The adventures at sea are awesome. As the book went on, I got more and more attached. The world is really cool. The islands they land on are fun. I really want to talk about more, but I want you to experience it for yourself. This is the kind of fantasy book that I like. Not too forced, some tropes, some subversions, and a romantic subplot. Let me know when you read it, and we can chat about the ending.
However, I am in love with the setup of this series. There are pirates, mages, and Gods. It left me wanting more without feeling disappointing.
Buc and Eld are hired for a mission: figure out who is cutting of The Company’s sugar supply. If they can figure it out, they will get a seat on The Company’s board. They take the first hunch that they are given and chase down the deadly pirate Widowmaker. She is not what they anticipated, and there is much more to the lack of sugar than anyone at The Company knew.
Buc is our POV character, but sometimes it drops into third person so we can see somethings from other perspectives. I wish we had more of that. We get one chapter from Eld early on that seems like it will be a regular thing, but it isn’t. It is nice to sometimes get a break from Buc because she is an over explainer and a sassafras. But I still really liked her. Yes, she liked to remind us she was from the streets and explain to us her normal battle moves in the middle of a fight scene, but if you gloss over those parts, she isn’t annoying. I like her because she thinks she knows everything and is the master of all, but she isn’t and the reader gets to see her flaws and growth. I see a lot more room for her to grow as the series continues.
Eld is a mystery. For some reason, Buc is obsessed with how old he is, but he is only nineteen! He’s a baby! But apparently, he has been through a lot, but Buc doesn’t know what (she doesn’t even learn his real name till the end). I really like the mystery of his backstory because the reader doesn’t know what motivates him except that he cares deeply for Buc.
The pirates are awesome. The adventures at sea are awesome. As the book went on, I got more and more attached. The world is really cool. The islands they land on are fun. I really want to talk about more, but I want you to experience it for yourself. This is the kind of fantasy book that I like. Not too forced, some tropes, some subversions, and a romantic subplot. Let me know when you read it, and we can chat about the ending.
A promising new fantasy novel with unexpected twists throughout
The Sin in the Steel opens with the two main characters in immediate peril and doesn't slow down from there. Sambucina Alhurra, or Buc as she prefers, is a highly intelligent girl with a tough as nails upbringing. She parters with Eld, a no-nonsense ex-soldier who is the diplomatic half of the pair. Together they use their unique skills on various jobs. The two take a job to avoid the noose, and it leads to an adventure of epic proportions involving a trade war, pirate queen, a secret, and a war between the gods. Filled with twists and double-crosses, this book keeps you on your toes throughout. The ending naturally calls for another installment to see where the characters and the story continue.
I did enjoy a few aspects of the book. Buc's intelligence and near uncanny ability to recall information were quite refreshing to see highlighted in a female protagonist. I do wish she used it more instead of just plans that seem to work out by chance or coincidence. Also I did enjoy the fact that she doesn't hesitate to speak her mind, using whatever language she deems fit. The book is filled with great vocabulary, but some terms are overused or seem out of place based on the theme and period of the setting. I also feel that this book would highly benefit from a glossary of terms in either the beginning or the end of the book. There are quite a few terms and descriptions that are specific to the story, and having the definition would benefit the reader.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and I really look forward to following this story in any potential books or stories in the future.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Buc and Eld are hired/blackmailed to solve a case and discover why ships are disappearing. They must do this in a world full of magic, warring religions, and cutthroat pirates. Luckily, Buc and Eld themselves are cutthroat and do whatever they must to solve this mystery and win back their freedom through an adventure on the high seas.
I am so impressed that this is a debut book for the author. The writing is well done and propels me forward in a complex world mixing magic and pirates. What really made this book for me are Buc and Eld. At just 17, Buc is a genius without mercy. At first I thought she was a little ridiculous and acted too tough, but soon I saw this was her and she is fully bada**. She takes charge in any situation and will swipe the head off a guy who insults her; thankfully, she doesn’t always have to as her bodyguard, Eld, will happily dispose of anyone who threatens her. They are a no-nonsense, violent pair who I was rooting for the entire time. There was a bit of romance that helped take away from the immense violence/gore that sometimes occurred, but that also gave it that darker, more mature adventure. What was missing for me in this novel was a bit more world building or explanation between the different religions and the magic they use.
If you like a darker read, don’t mind a lot of killing, and like a strong, young female lead with a penchant for getting herself out of seemingly impossible dangerous situations, you will love this book!
Thank you BookishFirst and Tor for a free copy in return for an honest review.
I am so impressed that this is a debut book for the author. The writing is well done and propels me forward in a complex world mixing magic and pirates. What really made this book for me are Buc and Eld. At just 17, Buc is a genius without mercy. At first I thought she was a little ridiculous and acted too tough, but soon I saw this was her and she is fully bada**. She takes charge in any situation and will swipe the head off a guy who insults her; thankfully, she doesn’t always have to as her bodyguard, Eld, will happily dispose of anyone who threatens her. They are a no-nonsense, violent pair who I was rooting for the entire time. There was a bit of romance that helped take away from the immense violence/gore that sometimes occurred, but that also gave it that darker, more mature adventure. What was missing for me in this novel was a bit more world building or explanation between the different religions and the magic they use.
If you like a darker read, don’t mind a lot of killing, and like a strong, young female lead with a penchant for getting herself out of seemingly impossible dangerous situations, you will love this book!
Thank you BookishFirst and Tor for a free copy in return for an honest review.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes