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:
If you’ve ever had the privilege, as a child, to visit a theme park and run around in glee, partaking in countless thrilling rides and activities with your friends and family, then you will understand how I felt while reading The Crew by Sadir S. Samir.
This dark fantasy tale is packed full of humour. Whether through satire, farce, absurdist and black comedy, or deadpan delivery, every instance is enough to paint a smile on your face—if not bring forth a slightly disturbing amount of laughter.
“Your name’s Jasper Jesperson? Seriously?” Dog Man whispered to the gravedigger. “You never stood a chance in life, did you?”
Honestly, I may just be somewhat unhinged, but so is a healthy portion of this book. That may just be why it worked so well for me. On multiple occasions, I found myself in hysterics due to absurdly random scenarios or the grand misfortunes of certain characters. Wacky demons, talking dogs, and crazy old men hurling fish are just a taste of what to expect.
However, there’s nothing fishy about why I managed to breeze through these pages. Beneath the zany characters and feral plot development is a dose of lore and character history that I found to be surprisingly intriguing. When layered with the captivating Middle Eastern-inspired world-building, I can’t help but eagerly await my chance to dive into further installments of the God Dust Saga.
There is a fun dynamic between the darkness and the humour that works particularly well because each character is so lovable. Each crew member offers something unique and memorable, whether through epic banter or simply a ridiculous anatomy. Indeed, I was somewhat shocked at the level of emotional investment rising within me.
“Yup, he’s pummelling the giant’s gonads. That’s what he’s doing.”
One of my favourite themes in literature is found family. Samir brings together an unlikely crew of motley individuals with vastly different traits and characteristics that quickly steal your heart. And when cast into the furnace of total chaos and uncertain futures, you’ll find a quick, fun, and unforgettable story that will keep you coming back for more.
What The Crew lacks in polish, it more than makes up for in its unique concepts and unexpected measure of engagement. It’s a rowdy fantasy tale which offers a level of unrelenting hilarity the likes of which I haven’t encountered since Pratchett’s Discworld. It’s wacky, absurd, somewhat rough around the edges, and I absolutely loved every second of it.
