The premise of this fantasy promises everything I could want: pirates, gods, mages, and a Sherlockian main character who wants to change the world. And you know what: it did deliver. The Sin in the Steel’s story is set in a fantastic setting of islands ruled by an empire who let their trading companies gain almost unchecked power. Dead gods battle an alive one through mages whose magic is unique. Both the gods’ and the mages’ motives, histories, and interactions in the world are fascinating. There is a pirate queen, a dead walker, and an army of the undead. The world is so rich and the plot is fast-paced, fun, and leaves you wanting more.
As for the characters - I can’t say I’m nearly as impressed. I don’t think our main character, Buc, is as Sherlockian as she is said to be (we’re told she’s brilliant, but what happens does not show it.) Her interactions with other female characters are not fun to read - I think it’s fine to have her not trust and inherently dislike pretty much everyone, but the language and behaviours need to be consistent across genders. I appreciate that she is a morally grey or even evil character, but I think the characterization could have been better. I don’t think her motives and backstory justify or even explain her behaviours. Eld, her sidekick, has much better characterization but I wish he was more dimensional as the story continued. Buc and his relationship was not great - I just think it could have been built up better. I actually did like a lot of the other characters, but I don’t think their relationships to our main two were done well.
All in all, I really did enjoy my time with this book. The world building was phenomenal and there are so many interesting places this series could go. I think I will continue, but I hope the next book improves upon character motives and relationships. Ryan Van Loan shows a lot of promise, so I am excited to see him improve.
As for the characters - I can’t say I’m nearly as impressed. I don’t think our main character, Buc, is as Sherlockian as she is said to be (we’re told she’s brilliant, but what happens does not show it.) Her interactions with other female characters are not fun to read - I think it’s fine to have her not trust and inherently dislike pretty much everyone, but the language and behaviours need to be consistent across genders. I appreciate that she is a morally grey or even evil character, but I think the characterization could have been better. I don’t think her motives and backstory justify or even explain her behaviours. Eld, her sidekick, has much better characterization but I wish he was more dimensional as the story continued. Buc and his relationship was not great - I just think it could have been built up better. I actually did like a lot of the other characters, but I don’t think their relationships to our main two were done well.
All in all, I really did enjoy my time with this book. The world building was phenomenal and there are so many interesting places this series could go. I think I will continue, but I hope the next book improves upon character motives and relationships. Ryan Van Loan shows a lot of promise, so I am excited to see him improve.