The main characters Buc and Eld have a Sherlock-Watson kind of vibe. Buc is a genius street rat who loves to read, and needs to slow her mind down with drugs to stop it from racing. Eld is a sensible ex-soldier, two years older than Buc, with a hatred for magic. They are employed by a trading company to find out why ships carrying sugar are going missing. The action was non-stop and there was a lot of humor. There are two warring religions with associated mages, action on the high seas with zombie pirates and a variety of interesting islands. The world building is really good and enticing; I just felt there could have been more of it. I would have happily have read dozens of extra pages just to have more detail about this fascinating world. The start of the book is a little confusing as the reader is dropped in, just as Buc and Eld are extricated from a whole pile of trouble and launched into an impossible quest. Overall, The Sin in the Steel is a really enjoyable fantasy and I'll be looking for a second installment.