When I saw that this book was about pirates, dead gods, shape- shifting mages and a super smart teenager I was immediately intrigued. This looked like a crazy story and I wondered just how in the world would all of these elements come together to make a novel that wasn't goofy. The Sin In The Steel is an epic adventure novel. I loved the super smart totally crass Buc and her cohort Eld. Buc is a woman after my own heart and she has the mouth to match. The mages and their religions are interesting and I enjoyed the detail put into describing how each organization differs from the other. The story is not lacking in action and there was never a dull or boring moment while reading. I can not think of one bad thing to say about this novel and I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good adventure. I am looking forwarded to reading more from Ryan Van Loan!!