Review: The Crew by Sadir S. Samir
Blurb:
THIS AIN'T A JOB FOR THE GOOD GUYS
Varcade fled to the deserts of Harrah to escape his past as an Educator, a member of an order of zealot warrior-monks that aims to shape the world according to their sacred Teachings by force. Varcade makes his living as a reckless sword-for-hire, caring only about himself, until his self-centered lifestyle is turned on its head when he is contracted to recruit a misfit team of unruly assassins and take out the mighty Bone Lord of Akrab.
But the Bone Lord is aware of the plot and sends her band of Dusters to stop them; individuals who have gained bizarre and lethal magical powers by snorting the pulverised bones of dead gods. Hunted by Educators and Dusters in a city-state where an escalating conflict between the human and demon population threatens to boil over in a civil war, will Varcade and his ragtag crew save Akrab from the cruel Bone Lord, or will they make things even worse?
Review:
The Crew by Sadir S. Samir has been on my TBR since ages. Why, you ask? Well, the cover is straight up fire, and the synopsis is super exciting to say the least. To state that it was right down my alley would be an understatement in all honesty! So when a dear friend, mentor, and the founder of SFF Insiders – Boe Kelly (or “chief”, as I like to call him) offered a digital copy that was up for grabs courtesy of the author, I immediately pounced on it without second thoughts. I mean, how could you possibly say no to that?! And after absolutely RAMPAGING through the pages of this crazy debut, here I am (finally!) with the review. A big thanks to Boe and Sadir for the copy.
What’s it about?
So here’s the deal. I’m NOT going to dive into any details about the plot, characters, lore, world, etc. The synopsis does an incredible job of the same, and to add more to that would be quite unfair as it would stand to spoil certain “details”. Yes, that also includes a few character names as well (which are absolutely hilarious and unique in their own way!).
What I’ll do instead is expand on the blurb just a tad bit.
So, let’s meet our hero (not really) – Varcade. A former ‘Educator’ aka a warrior-monk, but now a silver-haired assassin cum sellsword. To put it simply, nothing about Varcade was ordinary. Oh, and he loves clasping hands behind his head at every opportunity he gets!
Everything about him made him stand out and Edghar was confident it was not by chance. The silvery/ grey hair cemented him as a foreigner, something he could easily have addressed to blend in. And the ridiculously stylish red coat took it even further. He stuck out like a sore thumb wherever he went.
Varcade’s “chill” life is about to turn real chaotic pretty soon though… and in more ways than one. Political unrest is brewing in Akrab, one of the greatest city-states in the desert region of Harrah. Clea, the Bone Lord, has a massive task of trying to control the alarmingly escalating situation. And to make matters even worse, Varcade and a band of misfits are given the job to assassinate her and boil things down as fast as they can without adding to everyone’s troubles. Easier said than done… by all means.
What follows is quite literally a WILD RIDE that the reader won’t forget in a hurry whatsoever!
The good
For me, EVERYTHING from start to finish was simply AWESOME!
Firstly, the book opens with a crazy, fun-filled chapter that hooked me straight away.
The characters were amazing! Pretty much loved each and every one of them. There’s a certain depth to them as well, and they are portrayed so very well throughout. Honestly, I couldn't get enough of them all!
The plot, as mentioned before, is crazy, fun-filled, and takes you on a wild ride quite unlike any other. I simply couldn’t stop turning the pages.
The world building was done gradually throughout, adding to the lore, which I really loved as a whole.
The writing was just superb! The third person, multiple POV was done excellently, and the humor hit every single time!
The “not so” good
There’s literally NOTHING that I didn’t like or enjoy or had a problem with in the entirety of this book.
Now that… that is saying something!
Highlights
Quote: - “What is life if not a series of events that you can’t control?” (Shamil the bald bartender)
Quote: - “Once we get the plan rolling, there’s no turning back. We’re about to send this city into utter chaos. Are we sure this’s the way to go?” (Baaq)
Final thoughts
The opening entry in The God Dust Saga Book 1, The Crew, is an AWESOME debut by Sadir S. Samir. I was absolutely hooked right from the start, and ended up absolutely rampaging through the pages! The characters, the plot, and the world were not only unique in their own way, but also presented excellently. The writing was just superb to say the least. If you’re looking for a crazy, fun-filled, action-packed, and fast-paced WILD RIDE with tons of hilarious humor and equally insane characters, then look no further. This is the REAL DEAL! Eagerly awaiting the next entry. And in all honesty, I simply can’t recommend it highly enough! Easily one of my fav. indie reads OAT. Go read it NOW.
