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samjpetto 's review for:
Steel Crow Saga
by Paul Krueger
"Now, do you find the terms agreeable or not?" Ruomei's mouth twisted. "I don't find them agreeable," she said. Then she sighed. "But I do agree." She gestured to the train platform. "Given your love of slumming, I imagine this will be a suitable venue for you." Xiulan beamed, "You do care, after all."
In the author's note, Paul Krueger says his hero is the person who started adding anime programming to Cartoon Network's Toonami block, and it shows. This book reads like an anime translated to page, something the reader should probably expect from its cover description of "Avatar meets Pokemon." I was surprised it wasn't marketed as YA (at least where I bought it.)
Steel Crow Saga follows a cast of interesting characters, mostly all trying to get a prince where he needs to go. Some people in this world can steel pact, bending metal to their will like in [a:Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg]'s Mistborn series. Others can pact with shades, animals that have been mutated into spectral Pokemon-esque creatures by accepting part of a person's soul. It's all over the top but in a fun way. The weakest points are when it tries to take itself too seriously.
I warmed up to the book as I went because the characters are mostly all so likable. I especially loved Xiulan, a royal wannabe detective. One quick other highlight: representation! This might be the best, most respectful writing about an openly trans major character that I have ever read.
It's a fun read. Shakespeare it's not. 3/5.
In the author's note, Paul Krueger says his hero is the person who started adding anime programming to Cartoon Network's Toonami block, and it shows. This book reads like an anime translated to page, something the reader should probably expect from its cover description of "Avatar meets Pokemon." I was surprised it wasn't marketed as YA (at least where I bought it.)
Steel Crow Saga follows a cast of interesting characters, mostly all trying to get a prince where he needs to go. Some people in this world can steel pact, bending metal to their will like in [a:Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg]'s Mistborn series. Others can pact with shades, animals that have been mutated into spectral Pokemon-esque creatures by accepting part of a person's soul. It's all over the top but in a fun way. The weakest points are when it tries to take itself too seriously.
I warmed up to the book as I went because the characters are mostly all so likable. I especially loved Xiulan, a royal wannabe detective. One quick other highlight: representation! This might be the best, most respectful writing about an openly trans major character that I have ever read.
It's a fun read. Shakespeare it's not. 3/5.