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30th out of 138 books
—
158 voters
Steelflower (Steelflower Chronicles #1)
by
Lilith Saintcrow (Goodreads Author)
Picking the wrong pocket can get a girl in trouble…
First of the Steelflower Chronicles
Thief, assassin, sellsword—Kaia Steelflower is famous. Well, mostly famous, and mostly for the wrong reasons. She’s made a good life for herself, despite being kicked out of her homeland for having no magic. She’s saving up for her retirement, when she can settle down, run an inn, and lea...more
First of the Steelflower Chronicles
Thief, assassin, sellsword—Kaia Steelflower is famous. Well, mostly famous, and mostly for the wrong reasons. She’s made a good life for herself, despite being kicked out of her homeland for having no magic. She’s saving up for her retirement, when she can settle down, run an inn, and lea...more
ebook, 335 pages
Published
March 13th 2007
by Samhain Publishing
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*NOTE: Speed read only.
So where to start this review?
The book is called "Steelflower," but the ballads mentioned in the book itself call the main character "Iron Flower."
And that's pretty much how the rest of it goes.
Why would a society that reveres all females throw out one who has serious issues after her mother dies?
Why would a main character immediately start killing guards in the opening scene when they aren't even there for her and she's supposedly a thief and assassin (e.g., someone who...more
So where to start this review?
The book is called "Steelflower," but the ballads mentioned in the book itself call the main character "Iron Flower."
And that's pretty much how the rest of it goes.
Why would a society that reveres all females throw out one who has serious issues after her mother dies?
Why would a main character immediately start killing guards in the opening scene when they aren't even there for her and she's supposedly a thief and assassin (e.g., someone who...more
I really liked this. It reminded me of the older style sword and sorcery books. Kinda like Jennifer Roberson's "Sword Dancing" but not quite as in depth. In this day and age to find a new author who writes an entertaining tale such as this that does not involve heaving bosoms or rampant masculinity is a treat. I look forward to more.
This was fun. No excess world building, with a witty, fun dialogue. The author expects u to be able to piece together the terminology and story line for yourself with the tidbits of what is given. I LOVE that! If u need to be spoon feed every tiny piece of history and terminology and love endless descriptions of everything- this book is not for u! If u like to figure the stuff the narrator knows, but u clearly don't as u go along with the story and have enough brain juice to pay attention and cl...more
I usually shy from full-on fantasy stuff that is full on alternate reality and very far from our own reality which leaves me grasping for the first 50 or so pages to get a feel for WHAT it is that I'm SUPPOSED to be comprehending (feeling a lot like when I was in 6th grade at a G&T private school that thought we'd all fully comprehend every nuance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar). That being said...
I did struggle for the standard handful of (digital) pages, but Saintcrow does such a great job...more
I did struggle for the standard handful of (digital) pages, but Saintcrow does such a great job...more
When I first tried the opening chapter of Steelflower through Kindle preview, I didn't think I would like it. Now, I am sincerely glad I gave it a chance.
Saintcrow writes in her protagonist's dialect, which is unusual and occasionally sacrifices clarity and lucidity for personality. Saintcrow also is not shy about introducing the reader to a world full of foreign terms and concept. At first, the dialogue and vocabulary were deterrents from enjoying the lively characters and plot.
It didn't take m...more
Saintcrow writes in her protagonist's dialect, which is unusual and occasionally sacrifices clarity and lucidity for personality. Saintcrow also is not shy about introducing the reader to a world full of foreign terms and concept. At first, the dialogue and vocabulary were deterrents from enjoying the lively characters and plot.
It didn't take m...more
First in the fantasy Steelflower Chronicles...and most likely the last, Steelflower refers to a shunned elf, Kaia, who believes she never manifested any of her expected elfin powers and so left home to seek her fortune as a mercenary. We encounter a hungover Kaia doing battle while still half asleep only to find she's fighting on behalf of the man whose pocket she picked the night before.
In general, I really like Saintcrow as an author and the idea of this story is intriguing. It also has a grea...more
In general, I really like Saintcrow as an author and the idea of this story is intriguing. It also has a grea...more
I'm not a big traditional fantasy reader, but I really enjoy Saintcrow's contemporary/urban fantasy stuff. I highly suspect that this was an early novel that she got published only because of her other successes.
At first, I didn't think I was going to get more than a chapter or two into this, but within 50 pages, I was enjoying the characters and even the world she'd created.
This is the start of a series, and I'd enjoy the chance to read the next one!
At first, I didn't think I was going to get more than a chapter or two into this, but within 50 pages, I was enjoying the characters and even the world she'd created.
This is the start of a series, and I'd enjoy the chance to read the next one!
i love lilith saintcrow's style - she gives a kind of well-hidden fragility to her protagonists that makes them likable, real and gives them good depth. in this case, kaia was shunned because she thought she lacked powers (which, well. yes.) i cannot stop delighting myself with the strong bonds that miss saintcrow forms between the boy and the girl in her books. it's endearing. i liked the band of people she collected, and how firmly she embraced her honor and her debt. the story, the gods, and...more
Although I really enjoyed the storyline in this book by Lilith Saintcrow, I only gave it 3 stars because it was not as well written as her other books that I've read so far. At times the storyline seems to "stutter", either by repeating itself, or by seeming disjointed between paragraphs, as if they were written at different times. Like another reviewer, I wonder if this was a trunk novel.
However, I really enjoyed the storyline. The story is a fantasy that takes place in medievil times. The hero...more
However, I really enjoyed the storyline. The story is a fantasy that takes place in medievil times. The hero...more
Oh how I love a sword and sorcery tale! Love Lilith Saintcrow's writing, all her worlds are very well drawn and her writing style is very distinctive (makes me think of Simon R. Green).
Kaia Steelflower is a mercenary who insists on working alone. However, she soons finds herself unwillingly collecting travelling companions and possibly embroiled in two separate issues of 'succession', both of which may get her killed.
***A word of warning though, this is supposed to be the first book in a series...more
Kaia Steelflower is a mercenary who insists on working alone. However, she soons finds herself unwillingly collecting travelling companions and possibly embroiled in two separate issues of 'succession', both of which may get her killed.
***A word of warning though, this is supposed to be the first book in a series...more
I picked this up on a whim, knowing that Lilith Saintcrow was one of those authors that could be hit-or-miss about me. Uusually she's in the group of fantastic worldbuilding but the characters tend to make me want to slap them sometimes. I also occasionally have problems wiht her romance.
I have a weakness for sword and sorcery that is compounded by my insistence on interesting and varied female characters. (What can I say? For all it's flaws, I cut my teeth on Mercedes Lackey's Vows and Honor d...more
I have a weakness for sword and sorcery that is compounded by my insistence on interesting and varied female characters. (What can I say? For all it's flaws, I cut my teeth on Mercedes Lackey's Vows and Honor d...more
Okay, I have downright mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I like the concept, and the author endears herself to me by including non-Anglo-Saxon fantasy worldbuilding and really strong fight scenes. However, with all of that said, I have a few major bones to pick.
Bone number one: for f's sake, Kaia has the worst denial of any fantasy heroine ever, and that is really saying something. I think the first two-thirds of this book consisted of "oh, woe is me, no one wanted me and I have no mag...more
Bone number one: for f's sake, Kaia has the worst denial of any fantasy heroine ever, and that is really saying something. I think the first two-thirds of this book consisted of "oh, woe is me, no one wanted me and I have no mag...more
I am eagerly awaiting the next in this series. Definitely a departure from Saintcrow's usual surroundings, but equally well done. Not fond of the illustrations but the story made up for it...way to develop the flawed heroine!
I HATE this kind of book. You open it and expect it to be a contemporary book. You are thrown into a strange world full of new characters. There are tons of words you don't know (because they are made up) and you can't pronounce. You can't even say the name of the protagonist...yeah, I hate these. And then I fell in love...about 4 pages in. LOVED this book. Can't wait to read more of them. Love the world. Love the main character--strong woman with a soft spot for all things lost. Thanks Lilith....more
Mar 01, 2012
Lauren
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who enjoy strong female characters
3.5/5 stars
Kaia is one of the G'mai, called "elves" by those ignorant of their culture. The G'mai are worshippers of the moon and daughters have power and are held as particularly prized. The have destined mates that protect these precious daughters so that they can wield said power. In Kaia's case she has no mate and her people treated her with silence and avoidance because of her supposed lack of power. Now Kaia works as a sellsword and thief. The kingdom she's currently in is fighting a const...more
Kaia is one of the G'mai, called "elves" by those ignorant of their culture. The G'mai are worshippers of the moon and daughters have power and are held as particularly prized. The have destined mates that protect these precious daughters so that they can wield said power. In Kaia's case she has no mate and her people treated her with silence and avoidance because of her supposed lack of power. Now Kaia works as a sellsword and thief. The kingdom she's currently in is fighting a const...more
This is the best by Saintcrow since the first of hers I read. Well done fantasy with a strong heroine.
I didn't dislike this book by any means but I did feel a bit let down by it.
I'm a big Lilith Saintcrow fan; and I admit after finishing Heaven's Spite I had higher hopes for Steeflower. While the characters grow on you, I wasn't sold on the plot.
I found the background story to be unbelievable in the context of their culture, and the writing sometimes dragged on.
Not an awesome read; but not bad. I wouldn't demand my money back but I'm glad it wasn't the first I'd read of LS or I may not have look...more
I'm a big Lilith Saintcrow fan; and I admit after finishing Heaven's Spite I had higher hopes for Steeflower. While the characters grow on you, I wasn't sold on the plot.
I found the background story to be unbelievable in the context of their culture, and the writing sometimes dragged on.
Not an awesome read; but not bad. I wouldn't demand my money back but I'm glad it wasn't the first I'd read of LS or I may not have look...more
Fantastic book. When I first read it I totally could not put it down. It has such short chapters that you just keep trying to read one more and one more and one more and...
You really feel for the main character. I prefer to read about characters with depth and some kind of haunting past. It makes this more intersting and more realistic. Defiantly recommend to anyone who likes fantasy with tough and yet wounded female charaters with some romance involved!
Cannot wait for the next book!
You really feel for the main character. I prefer to read about characters with depth and some kind of haunting past. It makes this more intersting and more realistic. Defiantly recommend to anyone who likes fantasy with tough and yet wounded female charaters with some romance involved!
Cannot wait for the next book!
I found this book purely by accidental browsing at B&N, while looking for something else. It was actually an impulse buy for me, as I've not read anything Lilith Saintcrow has written yet but I really liked this book. It's romantic, though the point of the book is not the romance but the main character's struggle with her own perceived flaws. I'm a sucker for character flaws. I finished this book in four hours and had a hell of a time getting up the next morning. And I don't regret it.
I loved this book.The characters had depth and the world Lilith Saintcrow built was intriguing. It was obviously suppose to be a trilogy but we'll never know how the story ends. Do to epiracy Saintcrow won't be writing any more books in this series.I really wish the publisher would only put out a paperback version if this problem was so huge but I understand the author has so make a living too so we won't be hearing anymore from Kaia and company.It's a damn shame!
A fantasy novel about trust, fear of being abandoned, and accepting that you are not flawed. Kaia, the main character, is both confident in her physical prowess and filled with self-doubt. The other characters are interesting but we don't learn much about their pasts. The plot is loose and simple, with a hurried ending and little foreshadowing of a larger story. It reminds me a little of Lynn Kurland's "Star of the Morning" but with less emphasis on magic and evil.
So. Much. Potential. This book had do much of it. Unfortunately Saintcrow took an interesting and original idea and mucked it up. Also, she's pretty much abandoned this series--something I didn't know when I purchased Steelflower--so I guess I'll never know what happens to any of the characters. While there is much that just didn't work for me, I still liked the story enough to want to continue reading it. I'm irritated. 2 stars.
Synopsis
What do you do with yourself when you are the only elf without magic? Run away from home and become a famous sell sword of course! While Kaia has excelled at her chosen profession, one drunken theft and her suddenly her past begins chasing her down. As her dreams of a quite life running an inn get farther away, she must decide to face her past, or die avoiding it.
Review
I loved it, I didn't want it to end!
Reading this novel was like venturing into a deep and wonderful world of possibiliti...more
What do you do with yourself when you are the only elf without magic? Run away from home and become a famous sell sword of course! While Kaia has excelled at her chosen profession, one drunken theft and her suddenly her past begins chasing her down. As her dreams of a quite life running an inn get farther away, she must decide to face her past, or die avoiding it.
Review
I loved it, I didn't want it to end!
Reading this novel was like venturing into a deep and wonderful world of possibiliti...more
This author is very hit or miss for me. Two of her series I really like, two others I couldn't finish the first book. Sad to say that this book fell into the later category for me. I made it about 20 pages in when I gave it up. There was something about the language that just bugged me, the shorted drawl, that you aren't sure what the characters are saying. This one just wasn't for me.
A really good read. Took a bit of time to get used to style of english used (old words and different sentence grammar) but felt just fine by the end of the book.
I loved the characters, although I did feel majorly frustrated along with the main character Kaia as to her predictament and all the people pestering her.
I actually wanted her to escape from it/them all.....but then there'd be no story, so I guess we can't have everything. :)
I loved the characters, although I did feel majorly frustrated along with the main character Kaia as to her predictament and all the people pestering her.
I actually wanted her to escape from it/them all.....but then there'd be no story, so I guess we can't have everything. :)
Quite different from many of her other books, but I still loved it. Lili does Fantasy as well as she does Paranormals. This isn't to imply that this book is for everyone, but to suggest that people give it a good chance. Some of the world building was a little heavy, but that is common with any first-in-series fantasy world books, as we have no pre-existing knowledge to build on. As someone who loves languages, the linguistic aspects were great fun to read, if occasionally a smidge heavy for the...more
Woo, soulbonds! This book isn't bad, so long as inescapable soulbonds and plots powered by idiot-miscommunications aren't going to bother you too much. These may seem like insurmountable difficulties, but actually, the characters are real enough, and the action lively enough, that unless those things really bother you, you'll probably find it quite enjoyable.
The lead character is obnoxious and everyone in the book is one dimensional. I had to force myself to finish it, only to see a "To Be Continued"... with no sequel and it was published in 2007. A crap book with no ending, don't waste your time.
Loved, loved, loved this book. Clever twists on the genres tropes and unexpected plot developments. Only way disappointed there has never been a sequel and nothing in the pipeline. It ended with some closure but also with a gigantic cliff hanger.
Steelflower is a sword and sorcery novel of the kind that reminds me of a certain “shared universe” series that came out in the early eighties. (Specifically, it reminds me of Thieves World by Robert Lynn Asprin.) It also has the flavor of a book that written based off of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. (The story begins in a tavern, for one thing. Because this is the most frequent way adventuring parties meet in table top gaming, you know.) Our Heroine is a young woman named Kaia.
She is an o...more
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Lilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, bounced around the world as an Air Force brat, and fell in love with writing when she was ten years old. She lives in Vancouver, Washington, in a house full of stray cats and children.
More about Lilith Saintcrow...
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