I absolutely loved this book! Paul Krueger is a new-to-me author, and so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I began reading STEEL CROW SAGA. Though I admit, I had high hopes. I was dying for something new and riveting. And I was not disappointed. The author does this brilliant thing, where he writes a flashback, then has a character explain/describe the flashback. The book takes place in an alternate history of Asia; Tomoda, Shang, Sanbuna, Jeongson and Dahali. The characters are incredibly written and developed, the story woven together seamlessly, allowing the reader to really sink into the story-line as the epic world unfolds. SO. GOOD. A definite recommend.

This book was such a wild ride i absolutely loved and I really enjoyed reslistening to it on audio. Its all my favorite things about anime but shoved into a book that made for such a great time reading.

I could not get into this book. The premise sounded great and I love the cover. I just couldn’t find love for this book. I tried on more than one occasion to make sure it wasn’t just a mood I was in. I really wanted to like it. I’m sure others will love it. Thank you for this opportunity.

Steel Crow Saga is interesting read as i never read anything quite like it. Their are several interesting characters besides the main four that we are introuduced to. I think the biggest reason that i did not enjoy it, is it felt way to long for the amount of story that was being told. I love long books but only if the story is enjoyable enough that i don’t realize i just read a 500 page novel. I should not be flipping looking to see how much is left in the story. I should be so immersed in the tale that i don’t want it to end.

The story is set in in a complex fantasy world, built and based in post-World War II Eastern Asia. The different races are unique and based on races from our world. Tomoda is based on imperialistic Japan, but with citizens who meld their souls with metal. It called metal packing. Shang is based on china, Sanbu the Philippines, Jeognsen-Korea, and Dahali, India.

This book is definitively aimed at a much older audience then young adult. The world is very diverse. Not only are the characters entirely Asian-inspired but most of the characters are sexually ambiguous. The women are kick butt, and the cultures have one histories of powerful men and women. Theirs even a secondary trans characters.

The other unique thing i found in this story is the use of shades which are viewed differently from race to race. Some see them as slaves other as family.

Overall this is story that is unique and well though out. What did not work for me may be just what you find enjoyable in story. Maybe it wasn’t the right time in my reading life for me to throughly enjoy this story. Either way it not terrible it not fantastic it just is.

Most of all, though, it is highly entertaining novel. It’s a complete story that while I could see further novels set in the world, the story here is tied off relatively neatly and the reader gets a complete reading experience in one volume. Steel Crow Saga is a secondary world fantasy novel influenced by Pokemon novel that alternates its strong characters beats with shade combats, it alternates its cultural explorations of food, and societies with thoughts on war, the aftermath of war, colonial and post colonial narratives. There is much here not to say about the novel, to invite the reader to discover for themselves the richness of the narrative and the characters. I heartily recommend readers at all interested in secondary world fantasies to do so.

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2020/02/microreview-book-steel-crow-saga-by.html

This was such a fun book. I loved the LGBTQ+ representation, the character development and relationships. It reminded me a bit of Avatar: The Last Airbender which was really cool. I enjoyed that each pace was inspired by a different Asian country which made it so beautifully rich and fascinating. Fans of Anime will also love this. I believe it is part of a series but is very much its own standalone story!

Things I loved: the cover (beautiful) and the world-building. Things I thought could've used more development: The world-building. I still enjoyed the story, so if you enjoy a good fantasy story, pick up a copy of it now!

*4.5/5 stars*

Has: LGBTQIA+ rep ( Sapphic relationship, trans character), PTSD/Grief exploration

This book was absolutely brilliant. Especially that ending, it made me tear up. The only thing that left me wanting more is that while each country has a different manifestation of magic and several are explored through the protagonists, one is not. Which made me very sad because from the glimpse of their magic I would be just as interested.

Here's to hoping that while SCS is technically a standalone, we'll get another book in this world featuring this country and their magic system.

I might've given this a higher rating if it weren't so long. I had a hard time remembering the differences between the multiple characters and the various nations introduced within. It is very culturally deep with a lot of in depth world building, but it was too complex and long winded to hold my interest for long. It took me until about halfway through the book to really get into it. I kept putting the book down in favor of others, so I'm not sure if the fault is mine or the book's.

There are four main characters. One heir to the throne, one wannabe heir, one soldier, and one thief. The characters were well portrayed and each had their own plot and character arc.

The magic system was simple and interesting. Either a person could 'pact' with an animal, sharing their soul and turning the animal into a companion and fearsome war beast, or a person 'pacts' with metal and can shape and use it at will. Or one can have no magic at all. Basically, there's a lot of culture influencing one's magical determination.

In short, there were a lot of things I liked about this book, between the well written characters and world building. However, as one character in the book liked to say, "that's a long walk to saying no." (That's quoted from memory, so no accounting for accuracy.) The book is very wordy. I like dialogue and descriptions in most books, but this one felt too verbosive at times. I felt that it dragged on too long, and would've benefited from a lot of pruning.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
Oh my gosh!!!
This was so good. I am cursing myself for taking so long to start it. Steel Crow Saga was brilliant It reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender. series. Fantastic and morally grey characters with great growth, check. Awesome world building, check. Adventure story, check. Animals, check. LGBTQ and POC representation, check. This book was just an utter joy and I don't think anything I say will do it justice. Just go read it.

Overall this is a great fantasy read that features amazing characters and interesting Asian inspired world that any fantasy lover will devour.

P.S this is also a standalone novel. And I didn't think with such an epic read it could be, but it works I am glad it is. I am beginning to love fantasy reads that are stand-alones.

It may start slowly, but hang on to your hats, folks. It is one wild ride. I absolutely loved the diversity and gender fluidity within the novel. The magic is intriguing with its message of harmony and partnership. While it is not as unputdownable as I wanted, I still enjoyed it. There is a ton of world-building and character introduction, and the character development is fairly weak, existing only to help characters resolve major conflict. I particularly enjoy the fact that it is a stand-alone story, especially as it has such a great resolution. I wouldn’t want anything added.

Bottom Line Up Front

STEEL CROW SAGA is a gloriously inventive and amazing tale that follows the very end of a war and tackles themes of colonialism and grief and racism and culture and A LOT MORE. After the ex-colonies of a Imperialist not-Japan successfully win their freedom, a bitter soldier gets tasked with escorting the monarch of not-Japan back to his throne. Alas, they kind of need him to be alive so they can do treaties and such. A princess-turned-law-enforcement-agent is out to catch said prince and use him as a bargaining chip in her family's internal power struggles. So it's a race across not-Japan to see who comes out alive, all while everyone involved learns some pretty hard truths and also EVERYONE HAS A POKEMON. Everyone is also gay. I think the pokemon might be gay, too, why not.

Anime references: ???/10 I suck at this game!
Aaaaaaangst: 5000/10 A war just ended and they aaaaall got problems about it
Snark: 10/10 Put Lee and Tala in a room together I'm begging you, Paul.
Gay Ladies: 10000000/2 Okay, technically only two of them, but they count extra because they're that good. My blog, my rules.

Did you say Imperialist Japan?

Yes, I did, and I was SO EXCITED to see that come up because
1) Yessssssss, roast those imperialist fuckers for a western audience, does not happen enough
2) A story about colonialism with NO WHITE PEOPLE ANYWHERE
There's also not-Korea (getting the short end of every stick), not-China, and not-Philippines.
Please forgive me, I'm bad with names, and you wouldn't know the difference anyway.
At least, not until you read the book, which you totally should do.
All of these countries interacting in various ways in the post-war power struggle is MOST EXCELLENTLY done and I would read the snot out of this if it was a series

Lorge Cast

There's one for every not-country
Gotta get them ensemble points
They are every one of them the best, though
I am mad about Lee's name. Maybe names work different in not-Korea than in Korea but...
I'm gonna be salty anyway. Look, it's my one area of knowledge relevant to this setting, just let me have it!
But yeah, they make it clear it's pronounced with an 'L' sound. 이 does not have an L sound.
Okay my petty is out of my system we can carry on now.
BECAUSE ALSO I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE FUCK OUT OF 이! SHE'S HANDS DOWN MY FAVE. SO FUCKING SNARKY! SO MUCH 'OH, I'M TOO COLD TO FEEL LOVE' HAHA YOU THOUGHT
Wait, no Tala is actually my fave. SO ANGRY. SO ANGSTY. SO MIGHTY. ARGH! PAINFUL SECRETS! SO MUCH PAST! I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
Wait, no, it's- okay, actually those two are tied. Xiulan and Jimuro are great, don't get me wrong, but 이 and Tala and I want to, like, hug and have a beer with.


Will I read this author again? His previous novel is Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge and it looks excellent.

Will I continue this series? He's said he might revisit this world, but with different characters. Might. And it won't be what he writes next. I have a sad face.

Paul Kruger knows how to write multiple points of view without getting them muddied and hard to differentiate. We're thrown into an wonderful world full of magic systems and clashing nations that drives you to the very last page and thirsty for more (and on god, I will literally sign my soul over for a sequel but understand that some stories must stand alone).

STEEL CROW SAGA also delivers fantastically on the topic of relationships in all forms, from familial to romantic to platonic. I love stories that give us insight to the many dynamics of siblings, and this novel did not disappoint.

This is the sort of book I wish I could unread and re-read to experience for the first time again.

Check out the full review at the podcast link!

This review will go live on 12/12/19.

In a war-torn region of island nations, the dust is finally settling on a series of revolutions that freed several countries from the rule of the Tomodanese.  All that remains to finalize peace is to return a captive prince to the throne of Tomoda so that he can be crowned ruler and negotiate the terms of surrender. But with multiple nations seeking to control the prince, and some people wanting him outright dead, the journey to the throne is a perilous one.  Four fates come crashing together in the bid to see who will control the throne: Jimuro, the captive prince; Tala, his military escort from the nation of Sanbu; Xiulan, a princess-turned-detective hunting the prince to put him control of the Shang court; and Lee, a thief rescued from the gallows in return for her aid to Xiulan. As these four travel through the lands, they'll be caught between various factions and a range of magical abilities.  But none of these are as deadly as the mysterious man wielding a forbidden talent, a man who will kill every last person that stands between him and his quarry.

STEEL CROW SAGA is an imaginative world full of complex characters and deep world-building.  The chapters switch between POVs, allowing you to see how the character sees themselves and how others see them.  The characters are flawed and full of prejudices from their respective nations, and yet for the most part you still root for them and want them to succeed.  It's truly satisfying when characters realize how their upbringing or perception of the past has clouded what's happening in the present.  They felt like real people and I truly enjoyed meeting them!

Strangely, while the characters worked great on their own, their interactions didn't always work for me. For most of the book, the characters work in two pairs: Jimuro & Tala, and Xiulan & Lee.  Of these, Xiulan & Lee worked the best, detective and thief joining forces to approach problems from two wildly different angles. I had a harder time with Jimuro and Tala because Jimuro (the prince) starts off as a complete prick, and I had a harder time buying his developing friendship with defensive Tala, especially as she hates his people for the years of oppression they brought to her home.  And with these two pairs working largely apart from each other for the bulk of the story, it was a bit jarring when their paths crossed and they largely just trusted one another, especially with personal secrets.

On the more positive side, the world-building in STEEL CROW SAGA was fantastic. Krueger has developed several Asian-inspired nations, with roots in everything from China to the Philippines.  These nations have a complex history of warfare and colonization, and though it was a bit overwhelming at first, I appreciated the nuances between the different cultures. Krueger uses a whole range of differences to paint the world, from the various kinds of magic each nation uses, to the differences in culinary pallets.  I found the region fascinating to explore and a highlight of the book.

As for the magic and action, comparisons to AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER and POKEMON are apt.  The Tomodanese are metal-pacters, able to manipulate everything from copper to steel with a touch, making it harder, hotter, sharper, etc.  The other major magic is shade-pacting, the art of forming a bond with an animal and absorbing its soul into yours, allowing you to call forth a more powerful, magical creature.  There are some truly epic battles using both these magics against one another, in particular the finale sequence.  A sequence on a train, when our four heroes first run into each other, was also full of fun and tension, as competing agendas finally came crashing together.

STEEL CROW SAGA is a fantasy tale where the "good guys" aren't always right, where a maelstrom of cultures and identities come together in an impressive journey.  For those looking for both POC and queer rep, you will find plenty among the lead characters.  While there were a few hiccups in the character interactions, overall this was a fun adventure in an interesting world, and definitely worth checking out.

The review that got me interested in this book was: "A love letter to adventure anime." And it was so right. This was definitely an adult book (I see it recced as YA a lot, which?), but it brought back a lot of what I loved about watching anime and cartoons as a kid: the larger-than-life characters, the immense magical powers, and the great settings. I'm not the only one to liken it to Avatar: The Last Airbender or Pokemon, but really those are the two most accurate comparisons, and because they are two massive phenomenons that have imprinted themselves on our cultural consciousness, Steel Crow Saga feels like coming home.

Paul Krueger has done such a great job creating a three-dimensional world, heavily inspired by Asia and its various cultures. Each kingdom in this book has a detailed history, with each of them having a detailed language, culture, and type of magical ability. The novel deals a lot with post-war fallout between countries, and how nations can begin to rebuild themselves after being destroyed, and with this theme comes a conversation about international and individual forgiveness. The novel revolved entirely around breaking the cycle of abuse and choosing to be better than ones forebearers, and when our characters include a prince and a soldier, this theme can have resounding consequences. The Asian-inspired fantasy also has a great queer cast, with a f/f romance that is written with so much love its impossible not to root for the unlikely couple.

My only issue with the book is that is feels like its much longer than it needs to be. There are admittedly four different POVs that all need development, but the beginning of the novel feels like it took a really long time to find its footing. Once things got going, it was fine, but you do have to wait for the payoff a little longer than was probably necessary. But the ending is definitely worth it.

Much thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a digital copy of this book.

Ok, here's the thing. Everyone else seems to like this book. It's gotten fantastic online reviews from SF sites. I don't like it, however. I think it's because I am tired of pseudo-Japanese settings for fantasy novels. I also found the characters to be a bit juvenile and one dimensional.

DNF @7%
I feel bad stopping so early in a book but this was really rough for me. I love the idea of an Asian fantasy with anime elements; anime is my thing! But even with this prologue, I didn't understand the motivation for why these nations hate each other. I only saw the simple animosity towards each other but not enough hints at WHY they do to get the reader invested. It doesn't show any promises if you don't give hints to why something is happening or why something/someone is hated. I also felt like I was missing something. A lot of the dialogue explains the political stuff that's been going on and that info dump only made me feel like the story started in a weird place instead of helping and giving some insight. I finally feel like the chapters I did read POVs from were very one note characters. I read primarily fantasy and I didn't find anything interesting about these characters to keep reading. The ideas sounded great on paper but I couldn't get into it.

I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST …
If you immediately finished that sentence with, “Like no one ever was …” CONGRATS! This book is officially for you.

Steel Crow Saga is a high fantasy with a world that is novel enough, but which will feel familiar for those who grew up with anime. It’s full of action, battles, and characters with as much heart as they have sarcasm.

I went in hoping to love this, and while the beginning was a little rocky, I totally fell in love with this world and these characters, to different degrees. There’s a little bit of something for everyone, depending on what your character preference is. Ultimately, I devoured this book and all its twists and turns and just can’t wait for the sequel. *grabby hands*

My Thoughts:

- This book is comped as “Pokemon x Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and the author has described it as “Fullmetal Pokemist,” and y’all … both of those are so accurate. What I’m saying is if you enjoy any of these fandoms, this book is probably for you. The inspiration is obvious enough, where it elicits just enough nostalgia to make the fangirl/fanboy in you geek out without being an obvious rip-off of those series.

- These characters are absolutely delightful, and there’s the typical variety that you would expect from any anime-inspired work, so there’s a little bit of something for everyone.

- Okay, sure, metalpacting is cool and all that, but let’s talk about the coolest aspect of this world: shadepacting with animals! Some of my favorite scenes in this book revolve around the idea of shadepacting, whether it’s meeting all the different shades or watching poor Lee attempt to find her own (and cackling with glee at her struggle, but hey, I’m only human). I thought it was so neat that when an animal shadepacts with a human, they become changed. Usually, they grow in size, and their appearance changes to become … well, altered.

- There’s all sorts of diversity, but Krueger isn’t in your face about it. These characters happen to be different ethnicites, LGBTQ, etc., but it feels natural, like that’s just who they are, rather than diversity for diversity’s sake. It’s also pretty easy to see where a lot of the real-world East Asian inspiration comes into play during the book. Just like the real world, the differences between these characters matter and have implications for their arcs, personalities, and the overall plot. You know, like well-rounded characters do. It allows for some major important themes like prejudice and racism and classism and wars between belief systems and colonialism to all be brought up within the context of the story.

- This book broaches some really important, heavy subjects in a meaningful way, and it made the world feel that much more vivid.

- This book walks a really fine line between light and dark, balancing the two rather nicely. Because this book is dark, make no mistake about it. There’s levity, of course, and quite a few times I laughed out loud or giggled like crazy. But this is war. Well, technically, it’s post-war, but war’s not pretty, and neither is the aftermath. Even the characters themselves aren’t black and white; they’re all wonderfully gray.

Sticking Points:

- The beginning feels a lot like throwing a reader in the deep end and hoping they can swim. The book opens with a prologue, and while the prologue plays an important role in the overall story, it wasn’t the smooth transition into the world I was hoping for, and the jump from the prologue to the first chapter was jarring. Ultimately, it didn’t take me too long to get my bearings. By about 8%, I was invested and starting to get a better grasp of the world. So if you can hang in, the payoff is soooo worth it. I’m glad I didn’t let the rocky beginning turn me away, because phew, this book was worth it.

- The world-building felt a little limited. Following the history of the world was a bit difficult, and I felt like I only really knew what was going on with two cultures. The story is told in four perspectives, so it felt like I should have a chance to know all the different nations fairly well, but I had a really hard time remembering them and who they were fighting with and their history and keeping it all straight. I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but I did. The only thing that made it a little easier was that the real-world influences between the cultures seemed obvious enough to help keep them a bit separate in my mind.

I tried really hard to get into this- I read up to 47%, but I finally had to DNF it because it didn't hold my attention. The author is trying to make this an adult fantasy but the characters act like it's a YA. Additionally, the story moved too slowly, not enough action, to hold my interest.

Steel Crow Saga is a steampunk, fantasy, action-packed book that combines magic, politics, and a little romance. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked into this book! 

The characters were one of my favorite parts of Steel Crow Saga. Each one had their own unique history and personality. It was really fun to have chapters written from a few different perspectives so that I could really dig into each character. In the beginning, the multiple different perspectives did make it a little hard to keep track of the story. But once I got to know each character, I ended up enjoying that a lot. Some of the character arcs didn't quite feel finished to me at the end, but overall, Krueger did a great job with their development. 

I really enjoyed the world Krueger created as well. It was a fresh, unique world, but didn't feel so foreign that I couldn't conceptualize it. I felt like I could step right into this world and join the characters. Again, I feel like there were parts of the world I wanted to know more about, but I didn't feel there were too many questions left unanswered. 

This is a really interesting and fun book. I could have used a few more chapters to really close out the plot, characters, and world, but I still had such a great time reading this! If you like steampunk fantasies and strong characters, I'd recommend giving Steel Crow Saga a read!