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A review by kevinscorner
The Moonsteel Crown by Stephen Deas
4.0
The Moonsteel Crown by Stephen Deas was a fun read, telling a smaller story but with far reaching implications. It is set in the Empire of Aria where zombies “Dead Men” are commonplace and the priesthood are responsible for releasing them in peace. We follow three members of a criminal street gang as they unwittingly become embroiled in a plot far over their heads.
Seth is an excommunicated priest-in-training who discovers a secret his religion wants to hide. Fings is a talented, but superstitious, thief who can’t help but lie and steal. Myla is a skilled sword-monk on the run, whose past is about to catch up with her. Together, they form a team of sorts that can’t quite be trusted as they each plot and keep secrets from each other.
There’s a lot of fun to be had in this book with its funny banter and surprising amount of gore as well as the deep mystery set in a richly filled world. Fings provides plenty of comic relief to balance the much darker tones of Seth’s storyline. Myla brings the action and the moral qualms as she is the more noble and questioning of the three.
What I needed more of though are explanations about the politics and religious landscape the book is set in as it felt intricate and complex. However, we only get glimpses and casual references to them that left me confused as to who was in what faction and what each group was all about. A sequel would probably flesh this out more.
The Moonsteel Crown is a fun fantasy caper with a balanced trio of characters and a potential for even more good things to come.
Seth is an excommunicated priest-in-training who discovers a secret his religion wants to hide. Fings is a talented, but superstitious, thief who can’t help but lie and steal. Myla is a skilled sword-monk on the run, whose past is about to catch up with her. Together, they form a team of sorts that can’t quite be trusted as they each plot and keep secrets from each other.
There’s a lot of fun to be had in this book with its funny banter and surprising amount of gore as well as the deep mystery set in a richly filled world. Fings provides plenty of comic relief to balance the much darker tones of Seth’s storyline. Myla brings the action and the moral qualms as she is the more noble and questioning of the three.
What I needed more of though are explanations about the politics and religious landscape the book is set in as it felt intricate and complex. However, we only get glimpses and casual references to them that left me confused as to who was in what faction and what each group was all about. A sequel would probably flesh this out more.
The Moonsteel Crown is a fun fantasy caper with a balanced trio of characters and a potential for even more good things to come.