A review by roksyreads
Steel King by Devney Perry

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

As the new owner of Clifton Forge’s small town newspaper, Bryce is hungry for a 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 story that will make her feel like her career isn’t off the rails. Following a brutal murder, where all signs point to the town’s disbanded motorcycle club, Bryce is determined to expose the members and their leader, Kingston “Dash” Slater, for the criminals they are.  

I like flawed characters, and Dash was both interesting and his growth engaging; he’s the main reason I kept reading. Bryce, on the other hand, is, frankly, meh. She goes on about values like integrity and objectivity, and yet is blatantly neither of those things for most of the novel. Dash spent so much time apologising when Bryce was the actual problem. Pacing and narrative were good through the start and middle, but the quality really dropped off towards the end. I also wish I’d been able to find more information on tropes before I started reading, because I probably would have skipped this if I’d known about some of the latter points. The mystery plot is interesting but about as subtle as a brick. Most of the suspense is a direct result of the story ending without a resolution, which I assume will eventually be found somewhere a few books down the track. However, I doubt I’ll be continuing.