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trackofwords's review
4.0
Marking Jamie Crisalli’s first longer-form Black Library story (after a couple of short stories), The Measure of Iron is an action-packed Age of Sigmar novella exploring the Warcry setting. Dominar Syzek Govius of the Iron Golems leads his warband on a quest to find glory and honour, seeking out suitable components to forge a weapon fit for the Everchosen himself. More used to his old role as a forge-master than leading a warband, if Syzek is to succeed then he’ll have to survive not just the dangers of the Eightpoints and its inhabitants but also the attentions of his own warriors.
With a pretty simple narrative, a compelling(ly bloody) protagonist and an absolute bucket load of bone-crushing action, this is an unashamed pulpy story which rewards the reader who’s happy to just sit back, relax and enjoy the violence. Syzek is a lot of fun to follow, and even if the secondary characters are somewhat thinly drawn they’re still entertaining, especially sarcastic drillmaster Eziel, and suit the story very well. As long as you don’t mind the odd minor continuity gripe and a slightly convenient narrative setup, there’s a lot to enjoy here in terms of visceral action and cool world building in the crazy realm of the Eightpoints (the daemonskin, in particular, is disgustingly brilliant). There are underlying themes of authority, self-belief and endurance running through the story, but mostly you can just enjoy the fun!
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/01/04/the-measure-of-iron-jamie-crisalli/
With a pretty simple narrative, a compelling(ly bloody) protagonist and an absolute bucket load of bone-crushing action, this is an unashamed pulpy story which rewards the reader who’s happy to just sit back, relax and enjoy the violence. Syzek is a lot of fun to follow, and even if the secondary characters are somewhat thinly drawn they’re still entertaining, especially sarcastic drillmaster Eziel, and suit the story very well. As long as you don’t mind the odd minor continuity gripe and a slightly convenient narrative setup, there’s a lot to enjoy here in terms of visceral action and cool world building in the crazy realm of the Eightpoints (the daemonskin, in particular, is disgustingly brilliant). There are underlying themes of authority, self-belief and endurance running through the story, but mostly you can just enjoy the fun!
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/01/04/the-measure-of-iron-jamie-crisalli/
majorrawne's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
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