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A review by loont
Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick
3.0
When writing any story, a good question to ask ones self is "what is that's propelling the story forward? What is it that needs to be resolved before the story can end?"
It was certainly asked in Hulick's first novel, Among Thieves. There was a clear throughline of challenges the protagonist Drothe has to get through in short order, for the sake of survival, friendship, and other things. And those challenges felt clear and understandable.
Unfortunately Sworn in Steel doesn't really have the same drive the first one had. In fact a lot of the time the drama and challenges Drothe once again faces feel artificial, and sometimes forgotten altogether like the author brought it up to go somewhere but then couldn't find anywhere for it to go.
For example, apparently the only way any criminal in this world ever greets any other is through threats, cons, setups, cajolery, kidnapping, or etc. No other means of communication is apparently allowed. Even when, as is often the case in Sworn in Steel, the two parties don't actually have any direct reason before hand to be hostile towards each other whatsoever, the go to greeting is "do it or I'll kill you and everyone you know!"
It becomes a crutch to rely on when things are getting too dull. It's not just how the entire story starts back up again *Minor spoilers*
Despite a quick face to face talk obviously showing that both initial main characters would share a mutual goal anyway with animosity between the two really only complicating matters */Spoilers*
But it also happens quite often, again and again and again, just to introduce some drama to proceedings the author seems to realize would otherwise have gotten kind of dull. And often these threats to Drothe don't even go anywhere or are forgotten about for half the book. One character will show up, threaten Drothe's life, and then disappear with no consequence for most of the rest of the book, which is what makes for the dull dead areas to begin with and necessitates yet another character/party showing up to threaten Drothe yet again. It gets utterly tiring, and the author even knows that pretty much none of these threats really make any sense, as each one is followed up by a detailed explanation trying justify it that doesn't really connect.
Apparently in the "Tales of the Kin" universe the only possible greeting or even communication whatsoever between two parties of criminals is one going up to the other, hitting them in the face a couple times, insulting them, and putting a knife to their throat, and only then asking them who they are, what they're doing there, and would they like to stop by for some tea later?
It was certainly asked in Hulick's first novel, Among Thieves. There was a clear throughline of challenges the protagonist Drothe has to get through in short order, for the sake of survival, friendship, and other things. And those challenges felt clear and understandable.
Unfortunately Sworn in Steel doesn't really have the same drive the first one had. In fact a lot of the time the drama and challenges Drothe once again faces feel artificial, and sometimes forgotten altogether like the author brought it up to go somewhere but then couldn't find anywhere for it to go.
For example, apparently the only way any criminal in this world ever greets any other is through threats, cons, setups, cajolery, kidnapping, or etc. No other means of communication is apparently allowed. Even when, as is often the case in Sworn in Steel, the two parties don't actually have any direct reason before hand to be hostile towards each other whatsoever, the go to greeting is "do it or I'll kill you and everyone you know!"
It becomes a crutch to rely on when things are getting too dull. It's not just how the entire story starts back up again *Minor spoilers*
Despite a quick face to face talk obviously showing that both initial main characters would share a mutual goal anyway with animosity between the two really only complicating matters */Spoilers*
But it also happens quite often, again and again and again, just to introduce some drama to proceedings the author seems to realize would otherwise have gotten kind of dull. And often these threats to Drothe don't even go anywhere or are forgotten about for half the book. One character will show up, threaten Drothe's life, and then disappear with no consequence for most of the rest of the book, which is what makes for the dull dead areas to begin with and necessitates yet another character/party showing up to threaten Drothe yet again. It gets utterly tiring, and the author even knows that pretty much none of these threats really make any sense, as each one is followed up by a detailed explanation trying justify it that doesn't really connect.
Apparently in the "Tales of the Kin" universe the only possible greeting or even communication whatsoever between two parties of criminals is one going up to the other, hitting them in the face a couple times, insulting them, and putting a knife to their throat, and only then asking them who they are, what they're doing there, and would they like to stop by for some tea later?