A review by shells
The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Potential. That's what this book has. 
I listened to it on audio. If I'd read it, my experience might have been different, I don't know. But I only stuck with it on audio because it's easy enough to listen to on my drive to and from work. 
It was convoluted and I didn't know which character was speaking a great deal of the time. That might have been the narrator's fault, but I can't say for certain. While the narrator had a nice "speaking voice" there was no distinction between her characters and the exposition. 
The characters were a challenge to like - this isn't always a bad thing - but there should be at least one you want to follow throughout the narrative. I didn't care who was killing the mentaths. I wanted to know more about this world rather than Miss Banon's narrow point of view down the tip of her nose. 
It wasn't until nearly the end that I became more invested in the story and started to see a little more dimension to the characters. That being said, the characters were still quite cliched, and it's unfortunate that I only enjoyed the final act of the story.
However, I might be willing to give the second book a try based on this one's ending and I hope the author developed her skills more between books 1 and 2.