Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Pirates, Gods, and Magic To Be Found in The Sin in the Steel

The Sin in the Steel is the debut novel of Ryan Van Loan and the first novel in The Fall of the Gods series. It’s a world where magic and pirates exist side by side – though not necessarily peacefully.

Buc is a street rat with a brilliant mind, one whose entire life was changed when Eld stepped up and rescued her. Together, they’ve found a way to use her brains and his brawn. Solving mysteries (while staying alive, ideally).

That is until they’ve been handed the biggest mystery of their lives. Literally, under pain of death, it must be solved, and it will take them up against pirates, magic, and dead gods. And so much more.

Writing

The Sin in the Steel is a well-written novel that isn’t afraid to grab your attention right from the start. The characters are fascinating, from the main to the secondary ones, especially the antagonists.

Undoubtedly, the world itself is a major highlight of this novel. The magical system, the politics, even the tone of it all is perfection. The merging of pirates with a Sherlockian theme was a good call that made it all surprisingly memorable.

They say you can define a series by its antagonists, and that feels right here. There are many layers to the enemies facing Buc and Eld, which enhances the read by leaps and bounds. I do not doubt that there is more to be revealed as far as that is concerned.

Ryan Van Loan’s writing style suits the themes he chose to run with her. That includes showing the good and the bad about his leading characters. All of it makes the world feel real and alive.

Development

Reading The Sin in the Steel made the time go by quickly. It’s fast-paced and action-packed. Picture a female Sherlock Holmes who enjoys stabbing and using her slingshot, and you can guess how quickly the story moves.

That being said, some elements could have used some fleshing out. Namely, I would have liked to see more of the antagonists’ motives and consequences for what has or will be done.

All things considered, though, I found this to be an enjoyable read. Buc and Eld have set down a path they can no longer turn from. Only time will tell what that will do to them – and their world.

Conclusion

The Sin in the Steel was overall an enjoyable and interesting read. The world and tone were on-point, proving to be highlights of the novel. Using classic elements resulted in the book being highly memorable and leaving readers wanting more.

I’m looking forward to seeing announcements about the sequel. Any news will potentially help indicate what sort of path the rest of the series will take from here.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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