Review: The Sins of Steel and Shadow by Steve Pannett
Blurb:
Centuries have passed since the lauded Battle King defeated the vampyr hordes and ended the Years of Blood, but the memories on both sides are long, and some grievances are not so easily set aside. Humans and vampyrs coexist in an uneasy peace, but no peace lasts forever.
And for Bail Neren, there has never been peace. He is a Turned. Not fully vampyr, but no longer human. Hated and reviled by both sides of the divide, his very existence is a constant struggle to survive.
But Bail longs for more, and when he's offered the chance of a lifetime, there's more at stake than just his own survival. Already an accomplished smuggler, he must now turn his hand to becoming a master assassin, leading his fellow Turned on a deadly mission to stop a dangerous coup.
To survive, he will have to learn to work alongside other Turned. To succeed, he will have to learn to trust them. And only in doing both will he have a chance of securing the one thing that matters most to him; his humanity.
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The Sins of Steel and Shadow is the first book of The Turned series - a low fantasy series that follows the plight of those caught in the middle of an ancient feud.
Featuring gritty characters and dark settings, The Sins of Shadow and Steel is perfect for those readers who enjoy fast-paced, character-driven storytelling with plenty of action, set amid a thrilling and immersive fantasy world.
Review:
Vampires are probably my most favorite “creatures” of all time… and I ain’t talking bout the friendly ones. More like brutal, blood-thirsty, and straight up evil. Give me more of that, and I’m gonna end up loving it more often than not. So when I had the opportunity to possibly get my hands on something similar and very promising, I immediately jumped on it without second thoughts. Talk about the brilliant cover, simple yet very well presented (love the colour scheme and the vibes!), and then the very intriguing blurb to go alongside. Would’ve been gutted to miss out on that for sure! And hence, I would sincerely like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this excellent new opening chapter.
What’s it about?
Quicker and stronger than most men, Bail is a Turned – pointed, elongated ears; sharp canines; eyes pale and blue as fresh ice, and a deathly pale complexion to match them. A thinker, a fighter— but most of all, a survivor.
No longer human, but not quite a vampyr, either. A twisted and wretched creature.
In a world where humans and vampyrs live in an uneasy peace, Bail is neither. And that is bad, really bad. The only thing rarer than his kind is Magick itself. And so to survive, he threads somewhere between the two civilisations as a smuggler, barely pulling off a living. He is desperately longing to somehow go back to the life that once was; an impossible dream he wishes comes true, no matter the cost, and however slim the chance. And the perfect opportunity to achieve that is about to come knocking right at his very doorstep…
The periphery of a civilisation was a place often cloaked in darkness. Only criminals, cutthroats and castouts existed there, in the shadows. And the periphery of two civilisations was naught but shadows.
Joining hands with fellow Turned, Bail and the group are tasked with a job which is not only gigantic in magnitude, but questions the possibility of making it out alive by the end. But the uneasy alliance will do anything, each and every one of them; all Turned, to complete their mission, for the rewards promised are too precious and personal to be ignored.
And thus begins a high-stakes race against time, where both humans and vampyrs will be plunged into chaos, and the world “turned” upside down (hah, how about the pun!?). The peace is about to be shattered in the most dangerous and shocking span of events. After all, no peace lasts forever…
The good
The characters, for one. Not only were they well-written, but their turmoil of emotions resonated with me throughout. The chemistry between the rag-tag group was superbly depicted as well. I mean the main cast was simply great, but one of the bad guys… even better, hah!
The writing (third person; multi-POV) was excellent from start to finish; just smooth sailing right from page one. It had me hooked and wanting to read more, especially given that this is a chonky boi!
The plot was fast-paced, exciting, full of drama, and with plenty of action and other stuff happening around each turn. Loved it!
The world was amazingly portrayed. There’s tension in the air among the people, and you will feel it. And also, “The Warren” has easily become one of my favorite places to be!
The ending blows everything wide open… I’m eager to continue for sure!
The “not so” good
I honestly don’t have anything negative to say whatsoever. The only real criticism I had was that the pacing was a tad slow at a few patches. And that’s it. Apart from that, to say that I enjoyed my time with the Turned would be an understatement.
Highlights
Because the truth of the world was more evil than even the grandest storybook could convey.
The truth is, Bail mused, his thoughts bitter, the world doesn’t care a shit either way. Good. Evil. It passes no judgement. Offers no justice. The real evil is that absence. That uncaring void. Infinite and eternal.
If his long years had taught him anything then it was that no depths of depravity surprised him anymore. There was always a lower place— and if there wasn’t, someone would find a shovel and set to work.
Dark work always required dark folk to do it. Bail knew that better than most.
Final thoughts
The Sins of Steel and Shadow (Book 1 of the Turned) was an absolute joy ride from start to finish. The writing was excellent throughout, with the characters very well-written (alongside an even better depicted villain!); the plot was fast-paced and full of stuff happening around every turn, and the world was rich and amazingly portrayed (with a particular place I simply couldn’t get enough of!). And even though it was a chonky boi alright, I was thoroughly intrigued by it all and constantly wanting to read more. This is an amazing start to a new fantasy series featuring vampires… and they ain’t the friendly types either! A very high recommendation from me. Go check it out ASAP!
