Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Covenant of Steel #1
Page Count: 600
Publication Year: 2021
Publisher: Orbit
Special Notes: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest and early review.
Summary: A guy somehow remembers every aspect of his life, years after it happened.
I hadn’t read any other books from this author and now that I have, it’s probably going to stay that way.
This is one of those books where I debated the entire time whether or not to finish it, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for giving up. I probably would have quit, except it’s an ARC from a respectable fantasy publisher and a veteran author, so I feel like it deserves a full review.
The story follows Alwyn, a thieving outlaw who quickly loses all his allies and is forced into an altogether different life full of battles, both physical and spiritual. He soon takes on the mantle of a scribe, a task destined to change his path more than he thought possible.
The plot’s pacing is not so slow that it goes backwards, but it’s pretty close. I don’t mind a slow story if it keeps me entranced. I wouldn’t say I was entranced with this book, more like slightly curious. But as I look back on what happened, I realize that not much did. Aside from the engaging bursts of action, it’s kinda boring to hear about Alwyn’s life, especially since it’s mostly backstory and setup. At the very least it could’ve been shorter.
There isn’t much urgency or intensity due to the use of retrospective first person. Whenever Alwyn enters into a dangerous situation, I know he survives it and therefore I don’t see much of a reason to care what happens to him. This narration type does add some interest—as he hints at what’s to come—but it also sounds like what he’s saying isn’t necessarily the truth (I’m not a fan of unreliable narrators). There are even some bits that spoil his future and I can’t decide if it’s good to wonder how that thing comes about, or if it’s preferable to never see it coming. What could’ve helped was if he told his story as if to a person right in front of him, thus giving him the option to write more lively, and not as a memoir.
One thing I like is that the world isn’t hard to understand. This is the first fantasy world I’ve seen in a while that is completely foreign to me and it’s nice that I didn’t struggle to keep up. This is helped by the map and list of characters.
Religion plays a big part in the world. One of the main conflicts in the story centers around a crusade of sorts. I don’t have a problem with that; it’s certainly easier to understand than a complex magic system. But it does seem like everyone is either a zealot or heathen and I think it’d be more realistic to see nuances across the people.
Speaking of magic…it is in here, but I think it’s akin to the mystical/voodoo side, and it’s on the fringe of society so most look down on it or shun it completely. I don’t know what the limits are but it seems to fit the feel of the world and there’s just enough to add intrigue without making it the centerpiece.
Even though it’s first person, Alwyn seems closed off. I don’t feel like I really know him. Sure, I see him be cunning, cheeky, loyal, scared, vengeful, and studious, but it fails to strike any chords within me. Maybe it’s by design and he doesn’t want you to care about him. He could be categorized as one of those morally gray characters and I don’t like that. Be good or be bad.
The rest of the characters are okay. I don’t have any new favorites. They fill the world but aren’t memorable to me.
The dialogue isn’t bad or particularly witty. It does have modern swearing, which is a pet peeve of mine, but other than that it doesn’t sound like the 21st century, something I always appreciate in fantasy.
One of the strong parts of the description are the fight scenes. I could see the battles and the tone became quick and concise. The prose isn’t flowery to begin with, but I can tell that battles and duels are where this author shines.
The overall description is fine.
As to the title, I know why it’s called that, but to me, “pariah” has a strong connotation and I think that outcast would work better. It’s a personal preference; I just think the title doesn’t completely reflect the story.
As of right now, I’m not invested enough to continue the series.
Check out my rating here.