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hannahhbic's review against another edition
3.0
Do you like anime, casual lgbtq+ inclusion, or buddy cop stories? Then this is the novel for you! It's a standalone which means no waiting for sequels to finish out the story. Steel Crow Saga has it all! The main romances are f/f and f/m. I found them both compelling for different reasons. This book is definitely character-driven instead of plot-driven, but it still gets wild. Kim Mai Guest did a wonderful job with the audio and giving each main character a distinct voice. Highly recommend.
phearn's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic. Phenomenal. The story itself is great, but the strength of this story lies in the characters. Each one climbs off the page and comes to life in a way that it feels as if I’ve known them my entire life. I feel like I know them inside and out just as well as I do my own friends. Even if I didn’t agree with the characters all the time, they were so vibrant that it was impossible not to cheer for them.
heidi_mcj's review against another edition
3.0
It is hard to rate this book. The writing is well done and I really wanted to like it but I just found it boring. The story didn't go anywhere. The characters were fairly well thought out but by the end I just didn't care.
rosepetalsandpaperbacks08's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mogojojo1013's review against another edition
5.0
Steel Crow Saga bounces between perspectives of four people as they deal with the aftermath of a revolution. Tala was a Sergeant in the revolution and is now tasked with returning the captive Iron Prince Jimuro to his home in Tomoda. Xiulan is determined to kidnap the prince and present him to her father, the emperor of Shang, to prove her worthiness to inherit the throne. She enlists the help of Lee, a Jeongsonese girl who has been stealing to make ends meet since she was a child. All four learn about themselves and each other as their stories ravel together into one narrative.
The magic system Krueger created for this world is unique. All of the magics are derived from the soul. The people of Shang and Sanbuna are able to bind their souls with the soul of an animal, giving them a partner that is stronger than the original animal. The Tomodanese are able to bind their soul with metal, allowing them to sharpen swords, heat metal, and run cars with a thought. The people of Dahal are able to wield the energy in their souls to create bolts to use as weapons and healing energy as well. Krueger expertly shows the differences in these cultures and how they all interact in the aftermath of a war. His characters undergo change throughout the book, they learn and grow and become better. The story had me on the edge of my seat many many times, biting my nails and wondering how they would make it out of their dire situation. This was a very good read and though it is over 500 pages long it is well worth the read. I loved every moment of it.
The magic system Krueger created for this world is unique. All of the magics are derived from the soul. The people of Shang and Sanbuna are able to bind their souls with the soul of an animal, giving them a partner that is stronger than the original animal. The Tomodanese are able to bind their soul with metal, allowing them to sharpen swords, heat metal, and run cars with a thought. The people of Dahal are able to wield the energy in their souls to create bolts to use as weapons and healing energy as well. Krueger expertly shows the differences in these cultures and how they all interact in the aftermath of a war. His characters undergo change throughout the book, they learn and grow and become better. The story had me on the edge of my seat many many times, biting my nails and wondering how they would make it out of their dire situation. This was a very good read and though it is over 500 pages long it is well worth the read. I loved every moment of it.
betharanova's review against another edition
5.0
I finished the book last night and lay there with the book on my chest, staring at the ceiling, for a long time. I couldn't write a review because I was crying.
This was incredible from start to finish. It's so often described as a cross between Pokemon and A:tLA, but it's SO much more than that. This is a beautiful, lovingly crafted world with history and tensions and a genuine feel for each nation. It's obviously Asian-inspired, but the loving detail each character gave their home country made it feel magical.
And the characters! We have a princess working as a detective teaming up with a street-wise thief, and a bitter soldier charged with guarding the enemy prince. Each character was messy; everyone had their shining moments and their hang-ups both. They're heroes; they're young people finding their way in the wake of a war; they're enemies and friends and lovers. It's perfect. Even the big antagonist pulled the full range of emotion out of me.
I don't know what else to say about this book except it's perfect. I literally had a dream about it about three quarters of the way through. Read it and join me in this sea of emotion.
This was incredible from start to finish. It's so often described as a cross between Pokemon and A:tLA, but it's SO much more than that. This is a beautiful, lovingly crafted world with history and tensions and a genuine feel for each nation. It's obviously Asian-inspired, but the loving detail each character gave their home country made it feel magical.
And the characters! We have a princess working as a detective teaming up with a street-wise thief, and a bitter soldier charged with guarding the enemy prince. Each character was messy; everyone had their shining moments and their hang-ups both. They're heroes; they're young people finding their way in the wake of a war; they're enemies and friends and lovers. It's perfect. Even the big antagonist pulled the full range of emotion out of me.
I don't know what else to say about this book except it's perfect. I literally had a dream about it about three quarters of the way through. Read it and join me in this sea of emotion.
whatsbeckyreading's review against another edition
5.0
Too destroyed to write a real review, will update later. To summarize: LOVED IT
ddillon154's review against another edition
4.0
This one took a while to really hit a groove for me. The cast of characters all come together well in the end, but it took a long time for me to get used to bouncing back and forth between all of them. The downside of building the world/story from their individual perspectives; you have to figure out how they all relate and connect as you go.
aliena_jackson's review against another edition
3.0
I’m not sure all of the elements here worked for me; it did, after all, take me two months to finish this. But I thought it was fun and queer and the writing flowed easily. It was a dose of the fantasy I’ve been craving.
truthaurdare's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0