REVIEW: The Sins of Steel and Shadow by Steve Pannett
Two years ago Steve Pannett impressed with his self-published debut The Hunter’s Lament, a grim fantasy with a tense and addictive plot, full of brilliant close-quarters action and subtle character work. Now Pannett has sought to build on that formula but, Spinal Tap-style, cranked the ambition up to eleven by presenting the first in a new (grim?)dark series The Turned, full of assassination, politics, vampires, humans, and things in between. The Sins of Steel and Shadow is a cracking first instalment that shows his ambition was not misplaced.
The plot concerns the Turned: half-human, half vampires, hated by everyone. Bail, a Turned, survives by selling human military secrets to the vampires in return for valuable relics. But when an emissary of the human king summons him and several other Turned for a mission—assassinate four key figures of a plot to overthrow the King—in return for the cure to his condition, he sees the opportunity to be human and no longer loathed.
There’s a lot to love in The Sins of Steel and Shadow. The worldbuilding—a vampire kingdom balancing a fragile peace with the neighbouring human kingdom—intrigues, although a lot is clearly being held back for the sequels, and the plot is addictively readable. There’s few things more fun than a bunch of assassins and a kill list, and Pannett uses this to his advantage, introducing a series of grim and conniving characters, all anchored on the central character of Bail, who’s a fascinating character to read not just because of his inner turmoil about being a Turned and his smart skillsets, but because he’s a refreshingly thoughtful character, which is helpful given his team include a permanently furious dagger-wielding woman with a tragic backstory and a tendency for literally burning everything down. There’s a bit of a slow start as the plot is established, but once the kill mission begins, it’s non stop, grim entertainment.
Then there’s the fight scenes. These are violent, engrossing action set pieces full of vicious injuries and kinetic, simple, yet effectively choreographed encounters. These violent blitzes that frame the finales of each assassination mission won’t just make you wince at the wanton bodily destruction (fans of daggers in faces, your time is now) but will suck you in with the careful, blow-by-blow narration. There is a true art to this kind of fight-write, and Pannett has it. One particular nasty set piece involving some forest traps laid down for some unsuspecting hunters galloping past is utter carnage in a can’t-look-away variety and one of the most brutally memorable scenes you’ll read in a fantasy this year.
But although the action is a headline reason to read, Pannett has more to his bow than that. There’s some meaty themes about discrimination and self-hatred in The Sins of Steel and Shadow. What makes a person and what makes a monster? Is it really important if the Turned get “cured” and get their humanity back? Or is it more important how you act, whether your ears are pointy or rounded? Pannett isn’t one to hammer themes over your head, but he does like his characters to chew over them. Just as impressive is his character development. Although there’s still a lot to come from these characters and it does feel like they’re just getting warmed up in the series, there is some subtle emotion and character development here, one of Pannett’s strengths. Oh and some great twists, as you’d expect from a tale like this full of connivers and spies.
Sins of Steel and Shadow is a great start to a promising new fantasy epic: an action-packed, bloody, character-driven fantasy ride in a fascinating, gritty world. The real sin is leaving this on the shelf.
Read The Sins of Steel and Shadow by Steve Pannett
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