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The God Dust Saga #1
The Crew
Kings of the Wyld meets Deadpool in this action-packed fantasy adventure set in an Arab-inspired landscape.
Varcade fled to the deserts of Harrah to escape his past as an Educator, a member of an order of zealot warrior-monks that aims to shape the world according to their sacred Teachings by force. Varcade makes his living as a reckless sword-for-hire, caring only about himself, until his self-centered lifestyle is turned on its head when he is contracted to recruit a misfit team of unruly assassins and take out the mighty Bone Lord of Akrab.
But the Bone Lord is aware of the plot and sends her band of Dusters to stop them; individuals who have gained bizzare and lethal magical powers by snorting the pulverised bones of dead gods. Hunted by Educators and Dusters in a kingdom where an escalating conflict between the human and demon population threatens to boil over in a civil war, will Varcade and his oddball crew save Akrab from the cruel Bone Lord, or will they make things even worse?
Varcade fled to the deserts of Harrah to escape his past as an Educator, a member of an order of zealot warrior-monks that aims to shape the world according to their sacred Teachings by force. Varcade makes his living as a reckless sword-for-hire, caring only about himself, until his self-centered lifestyle is turned on its head when he is contracted to recruit a misfit team of unruly assassins and take out the mighty Bone Lord of Akrab.
But the Bone Lord is aware of the plot and sends her band of Dusters to stop them; individuals who have gained bizzare and lethal magical powers by snorting the pulverised bones of dead gods. Hunted by Educators and Dusters in a kingdom where an escalating conflict between the human and demon population threatens to boil over in a civil war, will Varcade and his oddball crew save Akrab from the cruel Bone Lord, or will they make things even worse?
Audiobook
Published May 23, 2023
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About the author
Sadir S. Samir
2 books85 followersSADIR S. SAMIR spent his first years in the Middle East before moving to Sweden. A passion for storytelling manifested early in childhood, and he always knew that would be his guiding light in life growing up. That passion eventually led him to the video game industry where he’s been working as a game writer and a producer for over a decade. Now he lives in the medieval city of Uppsala, where he writes tales of the fantastical and bizarre.
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November 12, 2022
Disclaimer: ARC provided by the author in exchange for honest and fair review
The Crew is a debut novel by Sadir S. Samir and man oh man does he come out swinging. If Sadir isn’t on your radar he truly should be.
The author used the tagline Kings of the Wyld meets Deadpool and while I haven’t read Kings of the Wyld I can say if you like Deadpool then I think you will enjoy this book. The cast in the book is well…. eclectic to say the least. I can see so many references to so many other shows in each core character that I feel confident there is something for everyone along the way.
I would say there are two main characters, Varcade who is an assassin for hire and Edghar who was the Spymaster for the Bone Lord aka Queen of Akrab.
Varcade truly does give off Deadpool vibes especially in the humor and his willingness to kill without feeling any remorse. Whereas Edghar is a man of reason battling his own inner turmoil of the heart in one of those I know it's the right thing to do but I don’t want to do it scenarios.
While those two are great there are so many more supporting/side characters who play an equally significant role in the story with my personal favorite being Zuba (if you know me at all you will know why he’s my favorite) but honestly I love each member of the crew.
I can honestly say this story had me hooked from the first page to the point I simply couldn’t put it down and when I did I was always itching to pick it back up. I simply fell in love with this book. Sadir did a fantastic job with the world building in how he described things to the point I felt like I could see the scene taking place but also the pacing of his action was spot on. Most importantly though the comedy in this book quite literally made me laugh out loud so many times that I lost count. Any book that can do that to me is an instant recommendation as far as I’m concerned.
I know for me I’m adding Sadir S. Samir to my list of authors whose books I will instantly buy going forward and I feel confident if you give this book a shot you will be doing the same. Well done Sadir and thanks again for allowing me early access to this wonderful world you created, I can’t wait to see what comes next.
The Crew is a debut novel by Sadir S. Samir and man oh man does he come out swinging. If Sadir isn’t on your radar he truly should be.
The author used the tagline Kings of the Wyld meets Deadpool and while I haven’t read Kings of the Wyld I can say if you like Deadpool then I think you will enjoy this book. The cast in the book is well…. eclectic to say the least. I can see so many references to so many other shows in each core character that I feel confident there is something for everyone along the way.
I would say there are two main characters, Varcade who is an assassin for hire and Edghar who was the Spymaster for the Bone Lord aka Queen of Akrab.
Varcade truly does give off Deadpool vibes especially in the humor and his willingness to kill without feeling any remorse. Whereas Edghar is a man of reason battling his own inner turmoil of the heart in one of those I know it's the right thing to do but I don’t want to do it scenarios.
While those two are great there are so many more supporting/side characters who play an equally significant role in the story with my personal favorite being Zuba (if you know me at all you will know why he’s my favorite) but honestly I love each member of the crew.
I can honestly say this story had me hooked from the first page to the point I simply couldn’t put it down and when I did I was always itching to pick it back up. I simply fell in love with this book. Sadir did a fantastic job with the world building in how he described things to the point I felt like I could see the scene taking place but also the pacing of his action was spot on. Most importantly though the comedy in this book quite literally made me laugh out loud so many times that I lost count. Any book that can do that to me is an instant recommendation as far as I’m concerned.
I know for me I’m adding Sadir S. Samir to my list of authors whose books I will instantly buy going forward and I feel confident if you give this book a shot you will be doing the same. Well done Sadir and thanks again for allowing me early access to this wonderful world you created, I can’t wait to see what comes next.
March 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes you just want to read something that's fun, packed full of adventure and excitement without loads of misery and angst to bring you down. Sadir has managed to create such a gem in a book full of memorable characters, that expertly keeps you turning the pages and occasionally chuckling out loud. I'm not sure what to label this type of fantasy - Epic fun fantasy perhaps? All I know is I want more of it. The sooner the better. Bravo.
November 17, 2022
This review was originally posted on Queen's Book Asylum.
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
When the cover and the blurb of The Crew popped up on my feed, I was intrigued, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure if it would be up my alley. For one thing, it’s labeled as epic fantasy, and for another, I’m not really into action-movie-style novels – mainly because I’m not really into action movies either. On the other hand, one of the comps used to market this book is Kings of the Wyld, which I did enjoy back in the day. Then again, that was a couple of years ago and my reading habits changed a bit. What actually convinced me to give The Crew a chance was an interview with Sadir S. Samir over at Fantasy Book Critic. The fact the book was set mostly in Akrab was a deciding factor for me, because I’m not a fan of a lot of traveling in books. And then there is the comedy aspect, which really can be a hit or miss.
Keeping all that in mind, I proceeded with caution. The first chapter of a book – hell, the first page even – can be a decider whether you’ll like a book or not. At least, that’s how it works for me. And that’s true for The Crew as well. I smiled – even giggled! – through the first chapter and from there I knew I’ll be fine. It sets the tone really well and gives you a taste of what’s to come. This book won’t be for everyone, so I definitely recommend taking a look at the sample. I promise it’ll only going to get weirder the further you read, but in a glorious way. It’s clear right from the start that Varcade is not your average MC. As you learn about his background you’ll understand why. He is frustrating and damn entertaining at the same time. You just never can predict what is he going to do in any given situation.
The Crew introduces a wide host of characters all of them quite distinguishable and memorable. I especially love the naming of most of them – such as Fat Pudding (a demon gang leader), Fish-City (a demon innkeeper and peace advocate who stands up to Fat Pudding), and Modzarellah (a giant toad beast – don’t ask, just read the book), just to name a few. We obviously get to know the crew itself better:
- Baaq a demon with a special (and cool as hell) rifle,
- Marduk the revolutionary demon who believes that demons should rule,
- Dog Man a Duster (someone who uses God Dust to have powers) who’s been using it for so long that it had permanent effects aka he is stuck in a dog’s body (also he is my absolute favorite character),
- Zuba Ghul the Mad Puppeteer who is creepy AF, like really but in an entertaining way which made me question my own sanity and go “What the fuck, Samir?! That’s sick and this isn’t supposed to be funny, and why the fuck am I laughing?!”,
- Lady Qanah who is Zuba’s mother and protector as her son is pretty much useless in a fight,
- Biter who tags along after Varcade saves him,
- Varcade himself
- and of course, Edghar who put this mad crowd together in the first place in an attempt to save his beloved city, Akrab. Being a former Spymaster, he seemed pretty unprepared and lacked knowledges about a lot of stuff going on in Akrab…
While I liked the characters and most of them get a nice arc within the story, I never fully connected with them on an emotional level. Varcade, for example, felt like a very complex character whose depths weren’t fully explored, but I would be very interested in that. Then again, this book is more action-heavy, and as I said there is a big cast so it’s hard to find that balance where you can make the reader invested in the characters but also keep up their interest. Personally, to me, it felt like the balance was a bit off as I wanted more from the worldbuilding too – like, most of the book is set in Akrab, a big city in a desert, and while the characters visit several places, I never could grasp the feeling of the city itself, you know. I didn’t feel immersed in this world and also the demon-human conflict was a bit superficial. Like, I got the issue and we’ve seen glimpses but it was more tell than show. Then again, the ending of The Crew suggests the possibility to have a much closer look at this conflict.
I loved the idea of the God Dust and the impact it makes on those who use it regularly, and generally how it’s the most valuable thing. I loved the wide variety of Dusters and their abilities, some great stuff there. And the role it plays in the overall plot. And since we are talking about the plot, I found it overall well-executed, the ending didn’t feel rushed and it had a few surprises in store for us and for the crew as well. Also, most of the plotlines got a resolution, but a few were left open to explore in the sequel. And I can’t wait for that to happen.
I’m not sure including Vashi’s plotline was absolutely necessary for The Crew, although it did provide an interesting insight into Varcade’s past and a tiny window at the wider world, especially The World Authority. Which gets mentioned as the big looming threat but it never really gets any weight – not in this book anyway. Nor is it fully explained/introduced so it’s a bit out of place. I understand what Samir tried to accomplish here – setting up the world and the conflict between Clea and Edghar in the first place, adding more depth to Varcade’s past, etc. but at the same time, maybe he tried to cram too much into the book all at once. I kind of have conflicted feelings. And a lot of thoughts about the Teachings and the Educators, but I’m afraid I’m not writing an essay here…
Where Samir’s writing style really shines is the dialogues, especially the banters between the crew members. And since we are talking about the dialogues, one thing I wanted to touch upon was the dialogue tags. I know there is a lot of argument out there about them, but from a reader’s perspective, I’m really not a huge fan of using only – or rather mostly – “said” throughout the book, as I find it repetitive and often takes me out of the reading. I’m team descriptive tags. But, I also admit this is a wholly subjective thing.
I probably could go on talking about this book, but this review already got a bit too long, and we would go into spoiler territory, so let me finish it off by saying that The Crew is a noteworthy debut novel. It’s a bit rough around the edges, and it shows the signs of being a debut, but it also shows that Sadir S. Samir got skills (and some sick sense of humor that I absolutely love) and we better watch out for him in the future. The Crew is one hell of a fun book, one I didn’t encounter in a long time. If you like action-packed fantasy novels and have a certain sense of dark humor, then I would definitely recommend giving this a read.
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
“He forced both spears deeper into his body until they went straight through, then kept pushing them, making the two marauders stab each other. “Hey, would ya look at us? hanging out shish-kebob style. Isn’t this something?” Varcade said.”
When the cover and the blurb of The Crew popped up on my feed, I was intrigued, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure if it would be up my alley. For one thing, it’s labeled as epic fantasy, and for another, I’m not really into action-movie-style novels – mainly because I’m not really into action movies either. On the other hand, one of the comps used to market this book is Kings of the Wyld, which I did enjoy back in the day. Then again, that was a couple of years ago and my reading habits changed a bit. What actually convinced me to give The Crew a chance was an interview with Sadir S. Samir over at Fantasy Book Critic. The fact the book was set mostly in Akrab was a deciding factor for me, because I’m not a fan of a lot of traveling in books. And then there is the comedy aspect, which really can be a hit or miss.
Keeping all that in mind, I proceeded with caution. The first chapter of a book – hell, the first page even – can be a decider whether you’ll like a book or not. At least, that’s how it works for me. And that’s true for The Crew as well. I smiled – even giggled! – through the first chapter and from there I knew I’ll be fine. It sets the tone really well and gives you a taste of what’s to come. This book won’t be for everyone, so I definitely recommend taking a look at the sample. I promise it’ll only going to get weirder the further you read, but in a glorious way. It’s clear right from the start that Varcade is not your average MC. As you learn about his background you’ll understand why. He is frustrating and damn entertaining at the same time. You just never can predict what is he going to do in any given situation.
The Crew introduces a wide host of characters all of them quite distinguishable and memorable. I especially love the naming of most of them – such as Fat Pudding (a demon gang leader), Fish-City (a demon innkeeper and peace advocate who stands up to Fat Pudding), and Modzarellah (a giant toad beast – don’t ask, just read the book), just to name a few. We obviously get to know the crew itself better:
- Baaq a demon with a special (and cool as hell) rifle,
- Marduk the revolutionary demon who believes that demons should rule,
- Dog Man a Duster (someone who uses God Dust to have powers) who’s been using it for so long that it had permanent effects aka he is stuck in a dog’s body (also he is my absolute favorite character),
- Zuba Ghul the Mad Puppeteer who is creepy AF, like really but in an entertaining way which made me question my own sanity and go “What the fuck, Samir?! That’s sick and this isn’t supposed to be funny, and why the fuck am I laughing?!”,
- Lady Qanah who is Zuba’s mother and protector as her son is pretty much useless in a fight,
- Biter who tags along after Varcade saves him,
- Varcade himself
- and of course, Edghar who put this mad crowd together in the first place in an attempt to save his beloved city, Akrab. Being a former Spymaster, he seemed pretty unprepared and lacked knowledges about a lot of stuff going on in Akrab…
While I liked the characters and most of them get a nice arc within the story, I never fully connected with them on an emotional level. Varcade, for example, felt like a very complex character whose depths weren’t fully explored, but I would be very interested in that. Then again, this book is more action-heavy, and as I said there is a big cast so it’s hard to find that balance where you can make the reader invested in the characters but also keep up their interest. Personally, to me, it felt like the balance was a bit off as I wanted more from the worldbuilding too – like, most of the book is set in Akrab, a big city in a desert, and while the characters visit several places, I never could grasp the feeling of the city itself, you know. I didn’t feel immersed in this world and also the demon-human conflict was a bit superficial. Like, I got the issue and we’ve seen glimpses but it was more tell than show. Then again, the ending of The Crew suggests the possibility to have a much closer look at this conflict.
I loved the idea of the God Dust and the impact it makes on those who use it regularly, and generally how it’s the most valuable thing. I loved the wide variety of Dusters and their abilities, some great stuff there. And the role it plays in the overall plot. And since we are talking about the plot, I found it overall well-executed, the ending didn’t feel rushed and it had a few surprises in store for us and for the crew as well. Also, most of the plotlines got a resolution, but a few were left open to explore in the sequel. And I can’t wait for that to happen.
I’m not sure including Vashi’s plotline was absolutely necessary for The Crew, although it did provide an interesting insight into Varcade’s past and a tiny window at the wider world, especially The World Authority. Which gets mentioned as the big looming threat but it never really gets any weight – not in this book anyway. Nor is it fully explained/introduced so it’s a bit out of place. I understand what Samir tried to accomplish here – setting up the world and the conflict between Clea and Edghar in the first place, adding more depth to Varcade’s past, etc. but at the same time, maybe he tried to cram too much into the book all at once. I kind of have conflicted feelings. And a lot of thoughts about the Teachings and the Educators, but I’m afraid I’m not writing an essay here…
Where Samir’s writing style really shines is the dialogues, especially the banters between the crew members. And since we are talking about the dialogues, one thing I wanted to touch upon was the dialogue tags. I know there is a lot of argument out there about them, but from a reader’s perspective, I’m really not a huge fan of using only – or rather mostly – “said” throughout the book, as I find it repetitive and often takes me out of the reading. I’m team descriptive tags. But, I also admit this is a wholly subjective thing.
I probably could go on talking about this book, but this review already got a bit too long, and we would go into spoiler territory, so let me finish it off by saying that The Crew is a noteworthy debut novel. It’s a bit rough around the edges, and it shows the signs of being a debut, but it also shows that Sadir S. Samir got skills (and some sick sense of humor that I absolutely love) and we better watch out for him in the future. The Crew is one hell of a fun book, one I didn’t encounter in a long time. If you like action-packed fantasy novels and have a certain sense of dark humor, then I would definitely recommend giving this a read.
August 22, 2024
8/17/24🎧🎧🎧🎧
I bought the audio wanted to go back to the Zany world! On audio this time!🎧
The CREW 11/24/22 👀📖
This book would make an excellent comic!!
My Absurdity of laughter throughout this book were like daggers of expression! Had me in stitches!!!
This is the stories of two sets of betrayed
- [ ] The Bone Lord of Akrab and her Spymaster Edghar
- [ ] Varcade & Vishi
So you’re saying to me :
Who are these people?
For that you’re gonna have to read the book!!!😜
This Death heist will be unleashed
You’re introduced to Varcade immediately , he’s sippiing cold milk and honey ! At the bar! Yummy 🤤
He is a sellsword , hired gun!
He has a bounty to pick up!
This is where the Mafia nicknames begin!!
Beware of the God Dust
Be careful they’re taking the God Dust which alters humans or demons into something else.
Varcade has unorthodoxed abilities and an interesting mindset , Reminds be of Logan(Wolverine) Weapon X or Deadpool
Let’s just say he’s been altered.
All this takes place in Harrah desert very hot region !
Edghar hires the Sellsword
And has the rest of the Motleys picked out!
The adventure to Akrab begins!!
Edghar assembles his team
While the Bone Lord hears of the Death Heist they Assembles her own Band of Dusters with the help of her new Spymaster!
Think of the brotherhood of evil Magnetos team vs the X-Men with an occasional Deadpool added for comic release🤣
That’s all I’m gonna say , the rest I plead the fifth
Disclaimer: ARC provided by the author in exchange for honest and fair review
I bought the audio wanted to go back to the Zany world! On audio this time!🎧
The CREW 11/24/22 👀📖
This book would make an excellent comic!!
My Absurdity of laughter throughout this book were like daggers of expression! Had me in stitches!!!
This is the stories of two sets of betrayed
- [ ] The Bone Lord of Akrab and her Spymaster Edghar
- [ ] Varcade & Vishi
So you’re saying to me :
Who are these people?
For that you’re gonna have to read the book!!!😜
This Death heist will be unleashed
You’re introduced to Varcade immediately , he’s sippiing cold milk and honey ! At the bar! Yummy 🤤
He is a sellsword , hired gun!
He has a bounty to pick up!
This is where the Mafia nicknames begin!!
Beware of the God Dust
Be careful they’re taking the God Dust which alters humans or demons into something else.
Varcade has unorthodoxed abilities and an interesting mindset , Reminds be of Logan(Wolverine) Weapon X or Deadpool
Let’s just say he’s been altered.
All this takes place in Harrah desert very hot region !
Edghar hires the Sellsword
And has the rest of the Motleys picked out!
The adventure to Akrab begins!!
Edghar assembles his team
While the Bone Lord hears of the Death Heist they Assembles her own Band of Dusters with the help of her new Spymaster!
Think of the brotherhood of evil Magnetos team vs the X-Men with an occasional Deadpool added for comic release🤣
That’s all I’m gonna say , the rest I plead the fifth
Disclaimer: ARC provided by the author in exchange for honest and fair review
December 1, 2022
Full text review: https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-crew...
Interview with the author: https://jamreads.com/interviews/some-...
The Crew is the debut novel from Sadir S. Samir, and honestly, I think it's difficult to nail so many things in your first book as Sadir did. Pitched as Deadpool meets Kings of the Wyld, expectations were pretty high, as Deadpool is one of my favourite films; but I have to admit it delivered, and also gave me the vibes of another of my faves. If you want to get a funny novel, with epic tones and with quirky and charismatic characters, The Crew is your book.
We might not have Wade Wilson in The Crew, but we clearly have a character that feels like him, Varcade, but is slightly more spectacular, and I would say a little crazier. And what's the better way to show his abilities, that in a fight against a Duster, in one of his missions for the Guild. And you might ask: what's a Duster? Let me introduce you to another crazy element of Sadir's craft, the Dusters, people who after consuming God Dust, a remain of a war between gods, gain crazy powers. When I say crazy, I mean really crazy, things such as throwing exploding fish.
After this introduction to our main character, he returns to the Guild, proving he is one of the best in his job. And as one of the best, he gets recruited by Edghar, the former adviser of the ruler of Akkrab, to form a crew to depose her, as Edghar perceives as dangerous the last decisions she has taken. After gaining the interest of Varcade, Edghar fastly exposes his plan, creating a group of really talented people, and with their help, getting back the Throne. This marks the start of my favourite part of the book with no doubts, as I got vibes of Ocean's Eleven.
The process of getting these different members become a great way to show us how Akkrab and other cities are in serious danger of revolts, as the delicate equilibrium that allows demons and humans to live together is being broken. Trying to avoid spoilers, each one of the recruitments becomes memorable episodes, being each member of the Crew certainly a personality. Probably my favourite encounter is with Zuba, the necromancer, and how his house works, as we get to see our full crew for once.
And after this difficult process, we get to the second part of the plot, where our band has the opportunity to dethrone Clea. But what if Clea is not what all of us thought about her, and there are more things behind her decisions? Well, my friends, I have to say that this second arc despite being shorter, is really intense. There are plenty of fighting scenes (please, Vashir, don't change), and the final quarter of the arc is explosive.
Worldbuilding is quite interesting, despite I think it could have benefited from a greater length. I would have liked to know more about how God Dust gets produced, and about the delicate equilibrium among the seven cities of the desert. Samir does an excellent job transmitting the Arab inspiration to his book, embroidering small details into the craft that makes it feel authentic.
The Crew is such a good book, and a really funny one. It gives you exactly what it promises, with charismatic characters, jokes, and memorable moments. I can't wait to see what more Sadir S. Samir is able to do, because this novel is such a promising debut.
Interview with the author: https://jamreads.com/interviews/some-...
The Crew is the debut novel from Sadir S. Samir, and honestly, I think it's difficult to nail so many things in your first book as Sadir did. Pitched as Deadpool meets Kings of the Wyld, expectations were pretty high, as Deadpool is one of my favourite films; but I have to admit it delivered, and also gave me the vibes of another of my faves. If you want to get a funny novel, with epic tones and with quirky and charismatic characters, The Crew is your book.
We might not have Wade Wilson in The Crew, but we clearly have a character that feels like him, Varcade, but is slightly more spectacular, and I would say a little crazier. And what's the better way to show his abilities, that in a fight against a Duster, in one of his missions for the Guild. And you might ask: what's a Duster? Let me introduce you to another crazy element of Sadir's craft, the Dusters, people who after consuming God Dust, a remain of a war between gods, gain crazy powers. When I say crazy, I mean really crazy, things such as throwing exploding fish.
After this introduction to our main character, he returns to the Guild, proving he is one of the best in his job. And as one of the best, he gets recruited by Edghar, the former adviser of the ruler of Akkrab, to form a crew to depose her, as Edghar perceives as dangerous the last decisions she has taken. After gaining the interest of Varcade, Edghar fastly exposes his plan, creating a group of really talented people, and with their help, getting back the Throne. This marks the start of my favourite part of the book with no doubts, as I got vibes of Ocean's Eleven.
The process of getting these different members become a great way to show us how Akkrab and other cities are in serious danger of revolts, as the delicate equilibrium that allows demons and humans to live together is being broken. Trying to avoid spoilers, each one of the recruitments becomes memorable episodes, being each member of the Crew certainly a personality. Probably my favourite encounter is with Zuba, the necromancer, and how his house works, as we get to see our full crew for once.
And after this difficult process, we get to the second part of the plot, where our band has the opportunity to dethrone Clea. But what if Clea is not what all of us thought about her, and there are more things behind her decisions? Well, my friends, I have to say that this second arc despite being shorter, is really intense. There are plenty of fighting scenes (please, Vashir, don't change), and the final quarter of the arc is explosive.
Worldbuilding is quite interesting, despite I think it could have benefited from a greater length. I would have liked to know more about how God Dust gets produced, and about the delicate equilibrium among the seven cities of the desert. Samir does an excellent job transmitting the Arab inspiration to his book, embroidering small details into the craft that makes it feel authentic.
The Crew is such a good book, and a really funny one. It gives you exactly what it promises, with charismatic characters, jokes, and memorable moments. I can't wait to see what more Sadir S. Samir is able to do, because this novel is such a promising debut.
January 6, 2023
Zany, wild, action-packed, and full of fun. The crew is the mash-up of Never Die by Ron J hayes and Deadpool that I never knew I wanted.
The characters in this story are a riot. Mix them into a soft magic world where magic runs amok. Demons, Dusters, Educators this story does a line of god dust and takes off at a run.
Speaking of the world building I love the use of soft magic so that we get to just have fun in the sandbox that is Harrah.
Overall I had a lot of fun. The only con is that at times the weird and wacky is a hair overdone. Still fun but the jokes and gags can take center stage over the story.
But FROG steeds make up for it. A great palette cleanser read.
The characters in this story are a riot. Mix them into a soft magic world where magic runs amok. Demons, Dusters, Educators this story does a line of god dust and takes off at a run.
Speaking of the world building I love the use of soft magic so that we get to just have fun in the sandbox that is Harrah.
Overall I had a lot of fun. The only con is that at times the weird and wacky is a hair overdone. Still fun but the jokes and gags can take center stage over the story.
But FROG steeds make up for it. A great palette cleanser read.
April 10, 2023
THE CREW
sparked my interest when I started seeing the cover pop up on the different social media apps. I had to investigate further, because it looked like one of my favorite anime characters on the front cover - InuYasha! Turns out, its about a guy who is putting together a team of assassins to put things right and save the city of Akrab. Bizarre magical powers, trouble brewing between the human and demon populations and a heist - I was allll in for this adventure!
I did express interest in reading THE CREW on social media and the author then asked if I'd like a copy in consideration for review, to which I graciously accepted.
Characters: 9
Atmosphere: 5
Writing: 7
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 10
Characters
This band of misfits are absolutely unforgettable. Now, do some of them remind me of other characters I've met in other stories? Sure. That doesn't bother me at all, it makes these characters feel familiar to me. While there is a group involved, readers spend the majority of time tagging alongside Varcade, Edghar and Clea. Varcade is a milk drinking sword-for-hire that was once a living tool of justice for the Order of the Educators. His training for this Order gave him special abilities, which is why he is first on Edghar's list to join his crew. Edghar is the former Spymaster of Akrab who is recruiting criminals *cough* assassins *cough* to help save Akrab from its Bone Lord, Clea. Remember when everyone laughed and called Steve the babysitter in Stranger Things? THAT'S Edghar...lol
Atmosphere
I have no strong feelings regarding the atmosphere or setting. The entirety of the story takes place in or around the outskirts of Akrab. I believe that was the author's intent - Akrab felt secluded, which I believe will piece in to a greater plotline of the series in regards to Varcade. Remember when I mentioned earlier he was once part of the Order of the Educators? Yeah....so the only way to officially get out is by being released...permanently.
Writing
I got along very well with Sadir S. Samir's writing style. It was easy to read and understand and the lines of sarcasm and humor were delivered with perfect timing. I was laughing so much throughout this book. Honestly, being a manga/comic lover, this book felt reminiscent of that style, just without the pictures. Imagine InuYasha, except in the world of One Piece and with Luffy's appetite.
Plot
This is an action and adventure story with a heist and side quests. Nothing I haven't read before, but again, that's not an issue for me because I love these types of stories and I'm a creature of repetition. I find something I love and I keep coming back for more. (Drives my husband crazy!) Now, this is the first book in the series - so I do think the author set up some smaller plotlines that will get developed over the other books that could be unique and different.
Intrigue
As you could probably already infer from what you've read so far, I want to read more from this author and especially from this series! I didn't want to put this one down whenever I was finally able to squeeze in some reading time each day. There were two nights that I fell asleep holding it - it was a case of "One more chapter!"
Logic
With a fantasy book involving magic and over the top characters, logic kinda goes out the window. There weren't any holes, per se, but there were threads that were teased that I feel we'll get more from later in the series. I have some predictions and of course questions of curiosity about characters and their origins, pasts. The author was very clever in my opinion because while there are clear paths to go forward with this series, there are so many avenues for standalone novels about the characters, a prequel - even just a history of Akrab.
Enjoyment
This story is a homerun when it comes to overall enjoyment - just knocked it right out of the park. I had entirely too much spending time with these characters and I look forward to more adventures as the series progresses. Not only that, I look forward to rereading this book - this one is reading gold: use it to bust out of a reading slump, when you need a good laugh or use to break up some more serious/complex reads.
This book - I honestly could not ask anything more from the author. I loved the action, the adventures, the characters, the conflict between humans/demons, the different groups such as Educators, Elder Gods, Supremes - I just cannot recommend it enough!
I did express interest in reading THE CREW on social media and the author then asked if I'd like a copy in consideration for review, to which I graciously accepted.
Characters: 9
Atmosphere: 5
Writing: 7
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 10
Characters
This band of misfits are absolutely unforgettable. Now, do some of them remind me of other characters I've met in other stories? Sure. That doesn't bother me at all, it makes these characters feel familiar to me. While there is a group involved, readers spend the majority of time tagging alongside Varcade, Edghar and Clea. Varcade is a milk drinking sword-for-hire that was once a living tool of justice for the Order of the Educators. His training for this Order gave him special abilities, which is why he is first on Edghar's list to join his crew. Edghar is the former Spymaster of Akrab who is recruiting criminals *cough* assassins *cough* to help save Akrab from its Bone Lord, Clea. Remember when everyone laughed and called Steve the babysitter in Stranger Things? THAT'S Edghar...lol
Atmosphere
I have no strong feelings regarding the atmosphere or setting. The entirety of the story takes place in or around the outskirts of Akrab. I believe that was the author's intent - Akrab felt secluded, which I believe will piece in to a greater plotline of the series in regards to Varcade. Remember when I mentioned earlier he was once part of the Order of the Educators? Yeah....so the only way to officially get out is by being released...permanently.
Writing
I got along very well with Sadir S. Samir's writing style. It was easy to read and understand and the lines of sarcasm and humor were delivered with perfect timing. I was laughing so much throughout this book. Honestly, being a manga/comic lover, this book felt reminiscent of that style, just without the pictures. Imagine InuYasha, except in the world of One Piece and with Luffy's appetite.
Plot
This is an action and adventure story with a heist and side quests. Nothing I haven't read before, but again, that's not an issue for me because I love these types of stories and I'm a creature of repetition. I find something I love and I keep coming back for more. (Drives my husband crazy!) Now, this is the first book in the series - so I do think the author set up some smaller plotlines that will get developed over the other books that could be unique and different.
Intrigue
As you could probably already infer from what you've read so far, I want to read more from this author and especially from this series! I didn't want to put this one down whenever I was finally able to squeeze in some reading time each day. There were two nights that I fell asleep holding it - it was a case of "One more chapter!"
Logic
With a fantasy book involving magic and over the top characters, logic kinda goes out the window. There weren't any holes, per se, but there were threads that were teased that I feel we'll get more from later in the series. I have some predictions and of course questions of curiosity about characters and their origins, pasts. The author was very clever in my opinion because while there are clear paths to go forward with this series, there are so many avenues for standalone novels about the characters, a prequel - even just a history of Akrab.
Enjoyment
This story is a homerun when it comes to overall enjoyment - just knocked it right out of the park. I had entirely too much spending time with these characters and I look forward to more adventures as the series progresses. Not only that, I look forward to rereading this book - this one is reading gold: use it to bust out of a reading slump, when you need a good laugh or use to break up some more serious/complex reads.
This book - I honestly could not ask anything more from the author. I loved the action, the adventures, the characters, the conflict between humans/demons, the different groups such as Educators, Elder Gods, Supremes - I just cannot recommend it enough!
November 29, 2022
This is the action-comedy fantasy novel I've been craving ever since reading and loving Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames. This book is a ride, awash with zany characters, epic action, and heaps of fun. It's also very accessible and easy to read; the pages just breeze by. I read mostly dark fantasy, and this was the perfect palette cleanser. Highly highly recommended!
June 11, 2023
3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4 for sheer entertainment value.
How do I describe this book? Where do I begin? I’m struggling because I’ve never read anything else quite like The Crew by Sadir S Samir. His debut novel is the first in a planned series called The God Dust Saga. Whilst most fantasy books seem to draw their inspiration from … well, other fantasy books, I’d say the most obvious influence here is the Marvel superhero character Deadpool. The central character in The Crew, Varcade, is essentially a sword-wielding version of Deadpool and possesses similar attributes with rapid healing, phenomenal combat skills and the ability to offer inappropriate wisecracks at the worst possible time.
There’s a sense of fun and humour running through this novel, which really makes it stand out from the crowd. I think the humour is what is going to make or break this for you as a reader. In short, if you find Deadpool funny, you are going to find The Crew hilarious. If you don’t, you won’t. If you don’t know who Deadpool even is, see what you think of this excerpt from the early part of the novel, where Varcade is embroiled in a fight in a tavern:
‘He leapt over the two other thugs, landing behind them. He kicked the closest one in the back, making the man crash into a table, his butt an open target. A quick in-and-out with the blade where the sun doesn’t shine, and the man was no more.
Varcade grunted as a bolt burst from his chest. He pulled it out before dropping it on the floor, blood gushing from the wound. “Oh, come on … Really?”
He turned and faced the remaining thugs; one was still aiming his crossbow at Varcade. The man’s mouth was frozen in an O. “What? How’re you still alive?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Varcade said, inspecting the tear in his coat. “I’m so gonna kill you for that.”’
Now, I laughed out loud at this and various similar scenes. I’ve read a lot of fantasy fiction and never once in any of those books has an enemy been killed by a sword to the butt. Some people will think this is funny (I’m firmly in that camp). Others will think this is juvenile and fail to see the joke – in which case, this book simply isn’t for you, and I think that’s exactly how Samir intended it to be.
In keeping with the Marvel influences, most of the baddies have comic book names like Frying Pan Pete, Fat Pudding, Fly Guy and Bonky-Bonk, to name but a handful. The language is also very modern throughout. Varcade is a violent man child, a product of experiments after being taken from his home when still a boy to turn him into a superhuman Educator (a kind of monk, who enforces their faith through oppressive control and violence, until Varcade flees from them). As a result, it often feels like death has no consequences after the moment, sometimes giving the story a cartoonish feel. Here’s another Varcade quote, which had me chuckling:
‘“I rode the big toad and crushed him into a pulp. It was pretty awesome. You should’ve seen it.”’
So, is this book entirely frivolous? Bearing in mind the clear nods I noticed to Star Wars characters (yes), I think the answer is … er … well, probably about 75% frivolous to be perfectly honest. However, a frivolous book can still be a good book, and there’s certainly lots here to be impressed by, especially when you consider this is Samir’s first novel.
The Arab inspired setting is very well realised and helps distinguish the book from other fantasy releases. With a big cast, Samir also does a very good job making the various characters distinctive, with their own particular quirks and charms.
The magic system is very interesting. In this world, the gods fought a huge battle back in history and many of them died. Their bones can still be found out in the desert and these have been mined. The resulting dust that is extracted can be used to give people various incredible powers, which makes it both valuable and highly sought after.
There are also underlying themes about religious intolerance and the treatment of refugees that drive some of the key events in the novel. I thought these were well handled and it will be really interesting to see how Samir handles these issues in the second book.
The tone of the book becomes a bit (I stress ‘a bit’) more serious by the final quarter, once the plot has reached its climax and the reader understands what’s at stake. It can be hard to maintain out and out humour for an entire novel and still progress the plot, so I think this was probably necessary. The first half really stands out, whilst for me the second half was a bit more your typical fantasy fare, albeit with an absolutely epic showdown to ensure the book ends on a memorable high.
The authors you should take note of are the ones who take an established genre and surprise you by doing something different with it. Sadir S Samir has done just that with The Crew. This is an author to watch.
How do I describe this book? Where do I begin? I’m struggling because I’ve never read anything else quite like The Crew by Sadir S Samir. His debut novel is the first in a planned series called The God Dust Saga. Whilst most fantasy books seem to draw their inspiration from … well, other fantasy books, I’d say the most obvious influence here is the Marvel superhero character Deadpool. The central character in The Crew, Varcade, is essentially a sword-wielding version of Deadpool and possesses similar attributes with rapid healing, phenomenal combat skills and the ability to offer inappropriate wisecracks at the worst possible time.
There’s a sense of fun and humour running through this novel, which really makes it stand out from the crowd. I think the humour is what is going to make or break this for you as a reader. In short, if you find Deadpool funny, you are going to find The Crew hilarious. If you don’t, you won’t. If you don’t know who Deadpool even is, see what you think of this excerpt from the early part of the novel, where Varcade is embroiled in a fight in a tavern:
‘He leapt over the two other thugs, landing behind them. He kicked the closest one in the back, making the man crash into a table, his butt an open target. A quick in-and-out with the blade where the sun doesn’t shine, and the man was no more.
Varcade grunted as a bolt burst from his chest. He pulled it out before dropping it on the floor, blood gushing from the wound. “Oh, come on … Really?”
He turned and faced the remaining thugs; one was still aiming his crossbow at Varcade. The man’s mouth was frozen in an O. “What? How’re you still alive?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Varcade said, inspecting the tear in his coat. “I’m so gonna kill you for that.”’
Now, I laughed out loud at this and various similar scenes. I’ve read a lot of fantasy fiction and never once in any of those books has an enemy been killed by a sword to the butt. Some people will think this is funny (I’m firmly in that camp). Others will think this is juvenile and fail to see the joke – in which case, this book simply isn’t for you, and I think that’s exactly how Samir intended it to be.
In keeping with the Marvel influences, most of the baddies have comic book names like Frying Pan Pete, Fat Pudding, Fly Guy and Bonky-Bonk, to name but a handful. The language is also very modern throughout. Varcade is a violent man child, a product of experiments after being taken from his home when still a boy to turn him into a superhuman Educator (a kind of monk, who enforces their faith through oppressive control and violence, until Varcade flees from them). As a result, it often feels like death has no consequences after the moment, sometimes giving the story a cartoonish feel. Here’s another Varcade quote, which had me chuckling:
‘“I rode the big toad and crushed him into a pulp. It was pretty awesome. You should’ve seen it.”’
So, is this book entirely frivolous? Bearing in mind the clear nods I noticed to Star Wars characters (yes), I think the answer is … er … well, probably about 75% frivolous to be perfectly honest. However, a frivolous book can still be a good book, and there’s certainly lots here to be impressed by, especially when you consider this is Samir’s first novel.
The Arab inspired setting is very well realised and helps distinguish the book from other fantasy releases. With a big cast, Samir also does a very good job making the various characters distinctive, with their own particular quirks and charms.
The magic system is very interesting. In this world, the gods fought a huge battle back in history and many of them died. Their bones can still be found out in the desert and these have been mined. The resulting dust that is extracted can be used to give people various incredible powers, which makes it both valuable and highly sought after.
There are also underlying themes about religious intolerance and the treatment of refugees that drive some of the key events in the novel. I thought these were well handled and it will be really interesting to see how Samir handles these issues in the second book.
The tone of the book becomes a bit (I stress ‘a bit’) more serious by the final quarter, once the plot has reached its climax and the reader understands what’s at stake. It can be hard to maintain out and out humour for an entire novel and still progress the plot, so I think this was probably necessary. The first half really stands out, whilst for me the second half was a bit more your typical fantasy fare, albeit with an absolutely epic showdown to ensure the book ends on a memorable high.
The authors you should take note of are the ones who take an established genre and surprise you by doing something different with it. Sadir S Samir has done just that with The Crew. This is an author to watch.
January 3, 2023
I was lucky enough to get an Advance Reader Copy of Sadir S. Samir's debut novel, The Crew. It's a comedy fantasy about a misfit crew come together to kill the corrupt ruler of a city. And it's genuinely funny. I rarely laugh out loud at books, but I did several times with this one. Comedy fantasy is often associated with the great Terry Pratchett and those who have copied him, but Samir has taken his own path. The fantasy he is riffing off is a more modern fantasy, influenced by ethically grey and grimdark stories as well as humorous fantasies like Kings of the Wyld, The Black Hawks, and The Blacktongue Thief. But Samir is funnier than any of those.
The writing is occasionally a bit clunky - it's a first novel, after all - but when the story really kicks in at about a third of the way through, you won't notice.
I was very impressed by The Crew and I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
The writing is occasionally a bit clunky - it's a first novel, after all - but when the story really kicks in at about a third of the way through, you won't notice.
I was very impressed by The Crew and I'll definitely be reading the sequel.
November 7, 2022
I got my hands on a review copy of the book and finished it tonight. Honestly it was a little rough around the edges at some points but that is to be expected of someone’s first book written.
The humor alone made it a five star to me. By the first night of reading I had laughed out loud at least three times and can’t remember ever having done that before whilst reading a fantasy novel. By the third or fourth night of reading I had gotten used to that being a normal occurrence.
The book is funny as hell but don’t make the mistake of believing that that is all there is to it - it is quite an original world we get to take part of, loaded with interesting references and refreshing takes on story telling. Without spoiling anything, some events are explained in the book in a VERY satisfactory way that I wish more writers would adopt.
The “rough around the edges” part is mostly about that I wish to understand the world better, and historic events that the book mentions. A great incentive to read the second part for certain. I can’t wait for the sequel to explain the worlds history and the world building in greater detail, that is for damn sure!
If you liked Kings of the Wyld, which I did, you will like The Crew! Rest assured.
The humor alone made it a five star to me. By the first night of reading I had laughed out loud at least three times and can’t remember ever having done that before whilst reading a fantasy novel. By the third or fourth night of reading I had gotten used to that being a normal occurrence.
The book is funny as hell but don’t make the mistake of believing that that is all there is to it - it is quite an original world we get to take part of, loaded with interesting references and refreshing takes on story telling. Without spoiling anything, some events are explained in the book in a VERY satisfactory way that I wish more writers would adopt.
The “rough around the edges” part is mostly about that I wish to understand the world better, and historic events that the book mentions. A great incentive to read the second part for certain. I can’t wait for the sequel to explain the worlds history and the world building in greater detail, that is for damn sure!
If you liked Kings of the Wyld, which I did, you will like The Crew! Rest assured.
November 23, 2022
This book just what I needed, and I did not know it until I read this book. Instantly, I was hooked by the characters and storyline. I get where the reference to Deadpool comes from as Varcade has a snarky attitude like Deadpool. Snarkiness is one of my weaknesses. If a character has a snarky attitude, I instantly gravitate towards them.
There is a large arrangement of characters in this book. Besides Varcade, who is one of the main characters, there is Edghar, who hires Varcade to help eliminate the great Bone Lord. Luckily, for Varcade and Edghar, they are joined by Biter, Baaq, Dog Man, Marduk, and Helmet Head. Get used to these names as the other characters have interesting names as well. However, the names make sense when you get to know the characters.
The Bone Lord is joined by her protectors who have unique abilities thanks to God Dust. The abilities that are exhibited are not the normal ones that you would expect. Beware the exploding fish!
I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series and seeing the crew take on the Educator Order.
There is a large arrangement of characters in this book. Besides Varcade, who is one of the main characters, there is Edghar, who hires Varcade to help eliminate the great Bone Lord. Luckily, for Varcade and Edghar, they are joined by Biter, Baaq, Dog Man, Marduk, and Helmet Head. Get used to these names as the other characters have interesting names as well. However, the names make sense when you get to know the characters.
The Bone Lord is joined by her protectors who have unique abilities thanks to God Dust. The abilities that are exhibited are not the normal ones that you would expect. Beware the exploding fish!
I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series and seeing the crew take on the Educator Order.
December 22, 2022
The Crew is a fast-paced, action-packed story with a team whose members possess the glorious disfunctionality of The Guardians Of The Galaxy characters and a leader whose personality, humour and even some parts of his backstory resembles Deadpool’s.
I enjoyed this crazy ride, even if the first few chapters felt weakest for me writing-wise, which is probably more a reflection on my personal taste and reading choices in recent years, and I might have put it down, had it been a different book written by a different author. As it was, curiosity, recommendations and having actually met the author at BristolCon this year, kept me going, and I’m glad I carried on because the novel got stronger and more confident for me with each chapter, delivering a highly imaginative, fun tale.
The heart of the story is the eclectic cast of characters, Zuba and his mother being my favourites for providing much entertainment with their dark humour, intriguing home and hilarious personalities. The character that made me laugh out loud was surprisingly Vashi, though, and I enjoyed the contrasting personalities of the siblings. By the end of the book I found that I came to care about Edgar, the only sane member of the crew, and felt upset for what he had to endure. Seriously, that thing, funny as it was, need to be fixed in book 2, Sadir! :D
The worldbuilding was another strength of the book. Inventive, colourful, complex. The Arab inspiration was nice to have, grounding the story in something that felt both familiar and fascinating at the same time. I look forward to more stories in this creative and wild world.
I enjoyed this crazy ride, even if the first few chapters felt weakest for me writing-wise, which is probably more a reflection on my personal taste and reading choices in recent years, and I might have put it down, had it been a different book written by a different author. As it was, curiosity, recommendations and having actually met the author at BristolCon this year, kept me going, and I’m glad I carried on because the novel got stronger and more confident for me with each chapter, delivering a highly imaginative, fun tale.
The heart of the story is the eclectic cast of characters, Zuba and his mother being my favourites for providing much entertainment with their dark humour, intriguing home and hilarious personalities. The character that made me laugh out loud was surprisingly Vashi, though, and I enjoyed the contrasting personalities of the siblings. By the end of the book I found that I came to care about Edgar, the only sane member of the crew, and felt upset for what he had to endure. Seriously, that thing, funny as it was, need to be fixed in book 2, Sadir! :D
The worldbuilding was another strength of the book. Inventive, colourful, complex. The Arab inspiration was nice to have, grounding the story in something that felt both familiar and fascinating at the same time. I look forward to more stories in this creative and wild world.
December 20, 2022
3.5 stars (rounded up)
Look, it’s no secret that I’m a sucker for stories following a merry band of misfits reluctantly teaming up to go on a heist, but they do run the risk of feeling a bit predictable or repetitive. So, what if the person that our ragtag group is trying to con is already aware of the plot and sends a group of God Dust-sniffing magic users after them? Oh, and add to that the looming threat of a civil war between humans and demons… I mean, I don’t know about you, but I was sold!
The Crew is just about the most original and bizarre heist story I have read in a long time, maybe ever. While this story follows a whole plethora of characters, there are arguably three main characters at the centre of this book. There’s the audacious and rash Varcade, an ex-Educator now turned assassin, then we have Edghar, the ex-spymaster to the Bone Lord of Akrab and mastermind behind the whole heist, and lastly there’s Clea, the notorious Bone Lord herself. Their seemingly separate storylines quickly start to intersect once the heist plot kicks in and it’s just non-stop chaos from there, but I was all here for it.
The highlight of this book is 100% the absurdly eclectic cast of characters and their hysterical banter. I mean, just take a look at the cover and you’ll get a good grasp of exactly how bizarre this crew is. We have assassins, multiple demons, a man stuck in a dog’s body, a mad puppeteer and his callous mother, a cannibal, and a giant toad called Modzarellah... told you it was a motley crew, didn't I?
Now, I thought all of these characters were very distinct and I loved seeing how their unique skill sets added something valuable to the crew, but I do wonder if all the side characters needed their own POV. By switching perspectives so frequently, I personally felt like I couldn’t get emotionally invested in any of them. Don’t get me wrong, they are incredibly entertaining and fun to follow, but as a character-driven reader, I wish there had been a bit more depth and complexity to this entire cast.
That said, the more prominent characters are actually very well-developed and I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the author managed to weave some meaningful and thought-provoking themes into this book. This story explores the weight of power, the dangers of blind zealotry, and it deals with concepts of othering, redemption and forgiveness.
And then there's of course the incredibly engaging and fast-paced plot, which just kept me glued to the page. Sure, there are some plot conveniences and slightly far-fetched revelations, but because this book is so intentionally and unapologetically zany and bizarre, I could just sit back and revel in the absurdity. The humour in this book is either gonna give you pain in your cheeks from laughing or it will drive you completely up the wall, but either way you have to give props to the author for just boldly going all-out with the craziness. I was personally highly entertained by all the hysterical events and comical interactions, especially when reading from the perspective of a character who was just as flabbergasted by all the weird shit going on as I was. There are so many ‘what the fuck’ moments, but it all just worked for me.
The world building is interesting, but still a bit rough around the edges. The majority of this book takes place in the city of Akrab, which is definitely a cool and atmospheric Arab-inspired setting. The set-up for the rest of this world is kinda elusive though, as is the history behind the brewing conflict between the humans and the demons, and the ins-and-outs of the God-Dust sniffing magic system. Everything stayed a bit surface-level and I really hope that we get to see the world building deepen and expand in further instalments, because there is SO much potential here.
All that said, those deeper world building elements aren’t absolutely necessary to enjoy this fairly contained story, so take those critiques with a grain of salt.
Overall, I had an absolute blast with this story and I think it’s exactly the type of entertaining romp that a lot of readers crave between all the dense and intense chunkers. This book is bold, bizarre and honestly just complete insanity, but I promise you will love it all the more for it.
If you are in the mood for a story where you can just switch off your critical brain and are ready to be delighted by all the wonderfully weird scenarios in this book, then I highly recommend giving The Crew a shot asap!
Thank you so much to the author for sending an ARC copy my way. All opinions are my own.
Look, it’s no secret that I’m a sucker for stories following a merry band of misfits reluctantly teaming up to go on a heist, but they do run the risk of feeling a bit predictable or repetitive. So, what if the person that our ragtag group is trying to con is already aware of the plot and sends a group of God Dust-sniffing magic users after them? Oh, and add to that the looming threat of a civil war between humans and demons… I mean, I don’t know about you, but I was sold!
The Crew is just about the most original and bizarre heist story I have read in a long time, maybe ever. While this story follows a whole plethora of characters, there are arguably three main characters at the centre of this book. There’s the audacious and rash Varcade, an ex-Educator now turned assassin, then we have Edghar, the ex-spymaster to the Bone Lord of Akrab and mastermind behind the whole heist, and lastly there’s Clea, the notorious Bone Lord herself. Their seemingly separate storylines quickly start to intersect once the heist plot kicks in and it’s just non-stop chaos from there, but I was all here for it.
The highlight of this book is 100% the absurdly eclectic cast of characters and their hysterical banter. I mean, just take a look at the cover and you’ll get a good grasp of exactly how bizarre this crew is. We have assassins, multiple demons, a man stuck in a dog’s body, a mad puppeteer and his callous mother, a cannibal, and a giant toad called Modzarellah... told you it was a motley crew, didn't I?
Now, I thought all of these characters were very distinct and I loved seeing how their unique skill sets added something valuable to the crew, but I do wonder if all the side characters needed their own POV. By switching perspectives so frequently, I personally felt like I couldn’t get emotionally invested in any of them. Don’t get me wrong, they are incredibly entertaining and fun to follow, but as a character-driven reader, I wish there had been a bit more depth and complexity to this entire cast.
That said, the more prominent characters are actually very well-developed and I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the author managed to weave some meaningful and thought-provoking themes into this book. This story explores the weight of power, the dangers of blind zealotry, and it deals with concepts of othering, redemption and forgiveness.
And then there's of course the incredibly engaging and fast-paced plot, which just kept me glued to the page. Sure, there are some plot conveniences and slightly far-fetched revelations, but because this book is so intentionally and unapologetically zany and bizarre, I could just sit back and revel in the absurdity. The humour in this book is either gonna give you pain in your cheeks from laughing or it will drive you completely up the wall, but either way you have to give props to the author for just boldly going all-out with the craziness. I was personally highly entertained by all the hysterical events and comical interactions, especially when reading from the perspective of a character who was just as flabbergasted by all the weird shit going on as I was. There are so many ‘what the fuck’ moments, but it all just worked for me.
The world building is interesting, but still a bit rough around the edges. The majority of this book takes place in the city of Akrab, which is definitely a cool and atmospheric Arab-inspired setting. The set-up for the rest of this world is kinda elusive though, as is the history behind the brewing conflict between the humans and the demons, and the ins-and-outs of the God-Dust sniffing magic system. Everything stayed a bit surface-level and I really hope that we get to see the world building deepen and expand in further instalments, because there is SO much potential here.
All that said, those deeper world building elements aren’t absolutely necessary to enjoy this fairly contained story, so take those critiques with a grain of salt.
Overall, I had an absolute blast with this story and I think it’s exactly the type of entertaining romp that a lot of readers crave between all the dense and intense chunkers. This book is bold, bizarre and honestly just complete insanity, but I promise you will love it all the more for it.
If you are in the mood for a story where you can just switch off your critical brain and are ready to be delighted by all the wonderfully weird scenarios in this book, then I highly recommend giving The Crew a shot asap!
Thank you so much to the author for sending an ARC copy my way. All opinions are my own.
July 12, 2023
Occasionally, a book comes along that just clicks with you. The Crew did just that for me. Maybe I just read this at the right time with the right mood set.
First, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. There is a reason I often like to go into reads blind without knowing too much save maybe the book blurb. Outright humor was one of the last things I expected. Now humor exists in many fantasy books, but Samir handles this very well and the humor lands in The Crew, because it’s so far out there at times and there's no apologies for it. The main character Varcade, the assassin, is the primary source of this humor, and yes, has a very Deadpool-like comparison in more ways than one. Again, this type of snarky humor works for me.
Do not get me wrong, there is a soul to this book as well. The cast of colorful characters of The Crew are the heart and highlight of the story including the supporting characters the Crew interacts with. Sadir creates characters that sometimes can be over-the-top & tongue-in-cheek but again like the humor they fit in the world he creates; there’s a synergy and I think that’s done unabashedly deliberately. He gives each of them unique distinctions to easily differentiate with no carbon copies of anything you see often in fantasy.
The world-building here is as unique as its characters. Comparing the world of The Crew to our world, there’s a Middle-Eastern feel to it which is greatly refreshing from reading fantasy that often utilizes the standard Western European style. Sadir describes his world with just enough so the reader doesn’t feel lost, but I do look forward to further exploring this world in subsequent books to this series.
Sadir’s writing craft improves as you read this series and will say there’s a clear difference between the early chapters to the later. His confidence in the story shines quickly, however, and so too the writing style becomes more fluid. The story is fast-paced, and while the main heist plot of the story isn’t anything too new, the unique characters sure make up for it.
Give The Crew a read. I highly recommend it.
First, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. There is a reason I often like to go into reads blind without knowing too much save maybe the book blurb. Outright humor was one of the last things I expected. Now humor exists in many fantasy books, but Samir handles this very well and the humor lands in The Crew, because it’s so far out there at times and there's no apologies for it. The main character Varcade, the assassin, is the primary source of this humor, and yes, has a very Deadpool-like comparison in more ways than one. Again, this type of snarky humor works for me.
Do not get me wrong, there is a soul to this book as well. The cast of colorful characters of The Crew are the heart and highlight of the story including the supporting characters the Crew interacts with. Sadir creates characters that sometimes can be over-the-top & tongue-in-cheek but again like the humor they fit in the world he creates; there’s a synergy and I think that’s done unabashedly deliberately. He gives each of them unique distinctions to easily differentiate with no carbon copies of anything you see often in fantasy.
The world-building here is as unique as its characters. Comparing the world of The Crew to our world, there’s a Middle-Eastern feel to it which is greatly refreshing from reading fantasy that often utilizes the standard Western European style. Sadir describes his world with just enough so the reader doesn’t feel lost, but I do look forward to further exploring this world in subsequent books to this series.
Sadir’s writing craft improves as you read this series and will say there’s a clear difference between the early chapters to the later. His confidence in the story shines quickly, however, and so too the writing style becomes more fluid. The story is fast-paced, and while the main heist plot of the story isn’t anything too new, the unique characters sure make up for it.
Give The Crew a read. I highly recommend it.
June 29, 2023
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely! 💥
The Crew is something that I rarely see enough of - a big epic fantasy world, with a lot of humour and comedy!
I liked the characters and enjoyed their banter and weird quirks all the way through the book - it's really the absolute strong suit of this story.
The plot and pacing are definitely secondary, and at times are a bit rough around the edges. I'm way more forgiving about some scenes lacking depth in a comedy, as the humour is what drives the story, but it still did feel a bit too rushed in a few places. Especially the end felt a bit anticlimactic in that regard.
What people find funny is obviously even more subjective than general taste, and some bits were too over the top for my personal liking. I personally like a blend that makes me snort, but still also holds up the suspense, and here the jokes did at times make suspense go fully out the window. Some of it just felt a bit too "juvenile" for me, while the tone and voice mostly was a good fit. However, for others this might make the book all the better.
All in all it was a really fun and entertaining read, even though it didn't hit all the sweet spots for me along the way.
The Crew is something that I rarely see enough of - a big epic fantasy world, with a lot of humour and comedy!
I liked the characters and enjoyed their banter and weird quirks all the way through the book - it's really the absolute strong suit of this story.
The plot and pacing are definitely secondary, and at times are a bit rough around the edges. I'm way more forgiving about some scenes lacking depth in a comedy, as the humour is what drives the story, but it still did feel a bit too rushed in a few places. Especially the end felt a bit anticlimactic in that regard.
What people find funny is obviously even more subjective than general taste, and some bits were too over the top for my personal liking. I personally like a blend that makes me snort, but still also holds up the suspense, and here the jokes did at times make suspense go fully out the window. Some of it just felt a bit too "juvenile" for me, while the tone and voice mostly was a good fit. However, for others this might make the book all the better.
All in all it was a really fun and entertaining read, even though it didn't hit all the sweet spots for me along the way.
September 3, 2024
The Crew was definitely a fun time! Whoever wrote the description Kings of the Wyld meets Deadpool hit it right on the nail. I love a book that strikes a really good balance between fantasy elements, humor, and heart. The Crew definitely achieved that. The writing kept me engaged the entire time, had a great time with these characters. What a fun ride, I cannot wait to read a sequel!
July 15, 2023
This. This book is absolutely incredible. I rarely give out five star ratings (this is only my second of the year) but this book deserves even more than five stars. “The Crew” by Sadir S Samir is a debut novel set in an Arab inspired fantasy land. The core plot of this book circles around Edghar, the disgraced spy master to the ruler of Akrab, the Bone Lord. Edghar is on the run, and planning to assassinate the Bone Lord herself and consequently must put together a group of people to help him do so. They are mainly fighting against Dusters, which are people that receive questionable super powers from snorting the bone dust of dead gods, as well as members of The Bone Lord’s advisory team.
My first rave for this book is in regards to the characters. Every single character in this book was so creatively written and entertaining in their own little weird way. Our main cast consists of a number of ragtag individuals, starting with Varkade, an ex member of The Educators, a religious group that takes young children and turns them into indestructible soldiers meant to carry out the religious teachings of their order. We also have Baaq and Marduk who are both demons, but polar opposite from each other when it comes to backstory, Baaq is an ex sharp shooting soldier that fought for demon kind in the last war, and Marduk is a member of the demon rebellion group bent on murdering any humans that get in his way. We also have Dog Man, a Duster that is fully human in personality, but also has the body and mannerisms of a dog. Our last duo, Zuba and Lady Qanah were probably my favorite. This is a mother and son team who are very involved with reanimating dead corpses and causing them to explode.
Some other honorable mentions of characters that should not go unmentioned are Biter, a zombie like character that enjoys feasting on flesh, Mr. Bonky, a giant hammer wielding Duster that, as you may have guessed, enjoys pulverizing people with said large hammer and Hang Man, another Duster who’s weapon of choice is a large sack that he tries to shove people into that possibly vacuums them out into outer space? The Dusters themselves were such a creative feature of this story in their own. I felt like Samir’s creativity really shone here as there are absolutely endless possibilities of what can be created with these “powers”.
The plot itself was also very well paced and I did not find a single part of the book where I got bored or started drifting off. I finished this book in 24 hours and it was absolutely the definition of “can’t put it down”. The humor in this story was absolutely unmatched and I found myself laughing out loud countless times. I think Samir’s humor really worked for me personally, but I have heard from others that it did not work for them, so take my opinion with a grain of salt (I think balls and fart jokes are absolutely hilarious).
I cannot really speak to the writing (as far as spelling or grammatical errors) itself for this book as I listened to it on audio, but the audio experience and author’s voice was extremely enjoyable. Samir writes some quality dialogue and the banter between characters was another one of my favorite parts. The violence mixed with the humor also really landed for me. Just because this book is mainly billed as a comedy doesn’t mean it skimps out on violence, there was plenty to go around.
I think my only (very minor) complaint was that I felt this book could have been slightly longer. I think the “big bad” boss fight at the end ended up being slightly rushed and I would have enjoyed more page time dedicated to that battle, but this is such a nitpicky complaint and I was still extremely satisfied with that scene.
In conclusion, I am now obsessively following the planning page on Samir’s website for the next book in this series and I absolutely cannot wait to pick it up as soon as it releases. This is one of my favorite books of the year so far and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
My first rave for this book is in regards to the characters. Every single character in this book was so creatively written and entertaining in their own little weird way. Our main cast consists of a number of ragtag individuals, starting with Varkade, an ex member of The Educators, a religious group that takes young children and turns them into indestructible soldiers meant to carry out the religious teachings of their order. We also have Baaq and Marduk who are both demons, but polar opposite from each other when it comes to backstory, Baaq is an ex sharp shooting soldier that fought for demon kind in the last war, and Marduk is a member of the demon rebellion group bent on murdering any humans that get in his way. We also have Dog Man, a Duster that is fully human in personality, but also has the body and mannerisms of a dog. Our last duo, Zuba and Lady Qanah were probably my favorite. This is a mother and son team who are very involved with reanimating dead corpses and causing them to explode.
Some other honorable mentions of characters that should not go unmentioned are Biter, a zombie like character that enjoys feasting on flesh, Mr. Bonky, a giant hammer wielding Duster that, as you may have guessed, enjoys pulverizing people with said large hammer and Hang Man, another Duster who’s weapon of choice is a large sack that he tries to shove people into that possibly vacuums them out into outer space? The Dusters themselves were such a creative feature of this story in their own. I felt like Samir’s creativity really shone here as there are absolutely endless possibilities of what can be created with these “powers”.
The plot itself was also very well paced and I did not find a single part of the book where I got bored or started drifting off. I finished this book in 24 hours and it was absolutely the definition of “can’t put it down”. The humor in this story was absolutely unmatched and I found myself laughing out loud countless times. I think Samir’s humor really worked for me personally, but I have heard from others that it did not work for them, so take my opinion with a grain of salt (I think balls and fart jokes are absolutely hilarious).
I cannot really speak to the writing (as far as spelling or grammatical errors) itself for this book as I listened to it on audio, but the audio experience and author’s voice was extremely enjoyable. Samir writes some quality dialogue and the banter between characters was another one of my favorite parts. The violence mixed with the humor also really landed for me. Just because this book is mainly billed as a comedy doesn’t mean it skimps out on violence, there was plenty to go around.
I think my only (very minor) complaint was that I felt this book could have been slightly longer. I think the “big bad” boss fight at the end ended up being slightly rushed and I would have enjoyed more page time dedicated to that battle, but this is such a nitpicky complaint and I was still extremely satisfied with that scene.
In conclusion, I am now obsessively following the planning page on Samir’s website for the next book in this series and I absolutely cannot wait to pick it up as soon as it releases. This is one of my favorite books of the year so far and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
July 7, 2023
This was a really fun action packed story with a good building pace! I really appreciated the humour as it made me chuckle out loud several times!
I just wish we got a little bit more time with and dynamics of the crew as a group instead of assembling them over the course of the book.
I just wish we got a little bit more time with and dynamics of the crew as a group instead of assembling them over the course of the book.
November 22, 2022
3.5 rounded up
Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Craving something with action and silly humour but also with depth? I've got you covered. The Crew features this merry band of people who are trying to assassinate the leader of a City State. It's like Ocean's Eleven meets Deadpool where we see the main characters recruiting people to their group of assassins. To make things more interesting, the target of the assassination hires her own band of misfits to stop our heroes.
The book opens with one of our main characters Varcade, who is a sellsword, beating the shit out of a gang of criminals and killing their head. On his way to get payment from the guild he encounters a cannibal merchant and trades the dead body of the guy he killed for a magical music box. Yes, this is that kind of a book. If you don't like this kind of silly humour, I would suggest you to give this book a pass. Humour is subjective and not everything will work for you. Fortunately, this kind of humour is right up my alley and I was cackling my way through the book.
At the Guild, Varcade gets introduced to Edghar, the former spymaster of the Bone Lord of Akrab. Edghar wants to kill the Bone Lord and wants to recruit Varcade to his team. The book then follows their exploits as they travel through Akrab to find and recruit candidates to their team. Things don't always go according to plan and they realise coexisting in the group is as hard as sticking to the plan.
The world building in this book is interesting but also a bit rough around the edges. We don't fully comprehend why Edghar is trying to kill the Bone Lord, we don't understand the relation between humans and demons in this world. This could have been easily remedied by writing it mostly from Varcade’s perspective as he's a foreigner in this part of the world. Instead, I had to wait till one third of the book before we got any information about the demons. We also don't get much about the larger picture of the world which I could overlook because I feel it would be explored in the sequel.
Once we get to the middle of the book, we get a more well rounded view of the demons and their tense relationship with the humans. Demons are refugees in this world and because of prejudice and misinformation tensions between them are escalating. The themes explored in this book- prejudice, us vs them mentality, moral ambiguity of revolutionaries, etc. were surprisingly compelling.
Oh and did I mention this book had drugs that give you superpower? There's something called the God Dust which when snorted, gives the person superpowers. The caveat is you can get addicted to it quite easily and overuse changes you permanently. I would have wanted some information on the source of this God Dust like how the Gods were killed, etc.
Although I loved the humour, it proved to be a bit much for me by the second half of the book. The author introduced more and more quirky and weird characters and it got overwhelming after a point. One character made me uncomfortable as fuck and I didn't find their antics funny. I would have preferred more depth from the characters, more introspective moments to make me care.
The final showdown was like a Marvel movie on drugs. I like Marvel movies so it worked for me but have to admit that it was a bit too convenient and ridiculous.
Overall, this book is pure insanity and fun. If you can turn your brain off and read it for what it is, you'll have a great time. Samir’s humour is brash and unapologetic and will hit you like a giant toad named Modzarella! This book releases soon, go pick it up for a good time.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Craving something with action and silly humour but also with depth? I've got you covered. The Crew features this merry band of people who are trying to assassinate the leader of a City State. It's like Ocean's Eleven meets Deadpool where we see the main characters recruiting people to their group of assassins. To make things more interesting, the target of the assassination hires her own band of misfits to stop our heroes.
The book opens with one of our main characters Varcade, who is a sellsword, beating the shit out of a gang of criminals and killing their head. On his way to get payment from the guild he encounters a cannibal merchant and trades the dead body of the guy he killed for a magical music box. Yes, this is that kind of a book. If you don't like this kind of silly humour, I would suggest you to give this book a pass. Humour is subjective and not everything will work for you. Fortunately, this kind of humour is right up my alley and I was cackling my way through the book.
At the Guild, Varcade gets introduced to Edghar, the former spymaster of the Bone Lord of Akrab. Edghar wants to kill the Bone Lord and wants to recruit Varcade to his team. The book then follows their exploits as they travel through Akrab to find and recruit candidates to their team. Things don't always go according to plan and they realise coexisting in the group is as hard as sticking to the plan.
The world building in this book is interesting but also a bit rough around the edges. We don't fully comprehend why Edghar is trying to kill the Bone Lord, we don't understand the relation between humans and demons in this world. This could have been easily remedied by writing it mostly from Varcade’s perspective as he's a foreigner in this part of the world. Instead, I had to wait till one third of the book before we got any information about the demons. We also don't get much about the larger picture of the world which I could overlook because I feel it would be explored in the sequel.
Once we get to the middle of the book, we get a more well rounded view of the demons and their tense relationship with the humans. Demons are refugees in this world and because of prejudice and misinformation tensions between them are escalating. The themes explored in this book- prejudice, us vs them mentality, moral ambiguity of revolutionaries, etc. were surprisingly compelling.
Oh and did I mention this book had drugs that give you superpower? There's something called the God Dust which when snorted, gives the person superpowers. The caveat is you can get addicted to it quite easily and overuse changes you permanently. I would have wanted some information on the source of this God Dust like how the Gods were killed, etc.
Although I loved the humour, it proved to be a bit much for me by the second half of the book. The author introduced more and more quirky and weird characters and it got overwhelming after a point. One character made me uncomfortable as fuck and I didn't find their antics funny. I would have preferred more depth from the characters, more introspective moments to make me care.
The final showdown was like a Marvel movie on drugs. I like Marvel movies so it worked for me but have to admit that it was a bit too convenient and ridiculous.
Overall, this book is pure insanity and fun. If you can turn your brain off and read it for what it is, you'll have a great time. Samir’s humour is brash and unapologetic and will hit you like a giant toad named Modzarella! This book releases soon, go pick it up for a good time.
January 7, 2023
This book was amazing, and everyone needs to bask in its magnificence. But seriously, I can’t even put into words how awesome this book was. Wait that’s not true. I can, and here it goes:
*disclaimer*
This book is NOT for everyone. You have to have a particular taste in humour to enjoy this novel. I’ll put it this way, if you like the themes and comedy surrounding the character ‘deadpool’ then this book is for you.
Okay, so onto the review. I was sceptical starting this book, I gave it my prime reading slot of the whole year (my one week relaxing on the sandy beach of ocean grove) so I had high expectations and Sadir would face my angry fist if he disappointed me.
But alas a disappointment it was not! Quite the opposite in fact. This book was funny, and I mean REAL funny. It had me physically laughing out aloud on MULTIPLE occasions, which never happens. Every page was just joke after joke, and I’d say 90% of them landed, and I shall forgive the other 10% as the 90% was so damn good.
I would love to know what is going on in Sadir’s mind because the sheer amount of f****ed up shit that happens in this novel is nearly beyond my comprehension. There is talking dogs, dust snorting Demi-gods, exploding fish, summersaulting dough men, and much, much more.
Now you would think with all this going on there couldn’t be a cohesive narrative woven into the tale, could there? Wrong. I was constantly surprised with how well the plot points were drawn together and even how the characters developed throughout the story. This is very much a ‘gather a band of misfits to try and topple an evil overlord’ kind of novel, and it is true the narrative plays second fiddle to the humour, but still, there is some very real themes portrayed throughout the story and some stuff that makes you think.
I won’t spoil the plot or the characters for you, just go out and read it yourself! I will end this review by saying that please make sure you are in the right mood and that you understand what type of story this is before going in, because I wouldn’t want you to feel dissatisfied with it if you are simply reading the wrong book for you at the time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and an early contender for my favourite of the year
*disclaimer*
This book is NOT for everyone. You have to have a particular taste in humour to enjoy this novel. I’ll put it this way, if you like the themes and comedy surrounding the character ‘deadpool’ then this book is for you.
Okay, so onto the review. I was sceptical starting this book, I gave it my prime reading slot of the whole year (my one week relaxing on the sandy beach of ocean grove) so I had high expectations and Sadir would face my angry fist if he disappointed me.
But alas a disappointment it was not! Quite the opposite in fact. This book was funny, and I mean REAL funny. It had me physically laughing out aloud on MULTIPLE occasions, which never happens. Every page was just joke after joke, and I’d say 90% of them landed, and I shall forgive the other 10% as the 90% was so damn good.
I would love to know what is going on in Sadir’s mind because the sheer amount of f****ed up shit that happens in this novel is nearly beyond my comprehension. There is talking dogs, dust snorting Demi-gods, exploding fish, summersaulting dough men, and much, much more.
Now you would think with all this going on there couldn’t be a cohesive narrative woven into the tale, could there? Wrong. I was constantly surprised with how well the plot points were drawn together and even how the characters developed throughout the story. This is very much a ‘gather a band of misfits to try and topple an evil overlord’ kind of novel, and it is true the narrative plays second fiddle to the humour, but still, there is some very real themes portrayed throughout the story and some stuff that makes you think.
I won’t spoil the plot or the characters for you, just go out and read it yourself! I will end this review by saying that please make sure you are in the right mood and that you understand what type of story this is before going in, because I wouldn’t want you to feel dissatisfied with it if you are simply reading the wrong book for you at the time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and an early contender for my favourite of the year
January 15, 2023
I have to say, it took me a bit for the story to grow on me. I was most afraid that the humor and lighthearted fun injected throughout the story would rub me the wrong way. And I am pleased to have been proved so wrong.
The characters, each and every weirdo of this book completely grew on me. I had some really decent chuckles and... this is the real shiny star about this book - the action scenes are fantastically written!
In fantasy, action scenes are a must. Swords and clashes and magic and what have you... and sometimes, they can be a bit of a drag. Well, The Crew nails each and every fight scene. They're fun! They're full of sass, I mean the characters are full of sass... It's simply so imaginative and entertaining, I would recommend this to any and every fantasy reader!
My heartfelt greetings to Dog Man (I think you're my favourite!), to toad Modza! Yo! Marduk - you crazy bastard! Jasper... have to hail your ambition! ... Biter! I have a feeling about you yet, you funny weirdo!.. And, this is to name a few...
All in all, an absolutely brilliant debut, guaranteed to keep you entertained! Can't wait to see what happens next!
The characters, each and every weirdo of this book completely grew on me. I had some really decent chuckles and... this is the real shiny star about this book - the action scenes are fantastically written!
In fantasy, action scenes are a must. Swords and clashes and magic and what have you... and sometimes, they can be a bit of a drag. Well, The Crew nails each and every fight scene. They're fun! They're full of sass, I mean the characters are full of sass... It's simply so imaginative and entertaining, I would recommend this to any and every fantasy reader!
My heartfelt greetings to Dog Man (I think you're my favourite!), to toad Modza! Yo! Marduk - you crazy bastard! Jasper... have to hail your ambition! ... Biter! I have a feeling about you yet, you funny weirdo!.. And, this is to name a few...
All in all, an absolutely brilliant debut, guaranteed to keep you entertained! Can't wait to see what happens next!
March 25, 2024
This Was Fun.
This was a very fun read. A little slow at certain times but still a fun read. Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series. Marduk made me laugh out loud quite a few times throughout. Also delighted by the character Haroon since that's actually my middle name( although spelled differently.)
This was a very fun read. A little slow at certain times but still a fun read. Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series. Marduk made me laugh out loud quite a few times throughout. Also delighted by the character Haroon since that's actually my middle name( although spelled differently.)
April 22, 2024
Okay, first things first: If you are looking for a classic epic fantasy with chosen one heroes, a medieval Europe vibe, and just a general Robert Jordan-ness about it all…THIS IS NOT THAT BOOK.
Here, you will find fist bumps, giant toad mounts named Modzarellah, talking dog men, and a “guy” called the biter, who may be my favorite character of all. It’s insane. It’s hilarious. It’s the best damn time you’ll have all year.
I’m going to go on the record and say this is my favorite book of 2024 so far, and the most fun I’ve had with a book since Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose, or the Gentleman Bastards sequence.
I loved it, and can’t wait to read more in the series.
The world Samir creates is unique, well-developed, and immersive. Middle-eastern flair with some really interesting dynamics between the people (onions!) and the demons. The magic system is crazy fun, with God Dust being a sort of drug made from ground up gods, of course, that gives the user powers/abilities.
Samir’s characters are full of the best kind of one liners and the book has wit, heists, and action galore. Varcade, who is an ex-Educator--a group of extremely strong beings who keep order and “educate those” who err from what they believe; cult alert!. He’s on the run from the Educators and now works as an assassin. Edghar is an ex-government official who leads their mission to take down his ex-lover. The break up did not go well! The Biter, Dog Man, and several hilarious demons make up some of the other cast members, and Samir’s ability with characters shines throughout the novel.
Like I said, if you only like serious classic fantasy or grimdark, this may not be the book for you, but if you want to laugh, have a hell of a good time, and root for some characters, this IS the book for you.
Now I just need more!
March 21, 2025
I just loved this book! A sort of twisted crew gathering mission to save a city and kill the despot that just spirals out of control. Just like the main character Varcade is impossible to control. Brought up in a strict culture, tortured to be given super human powers, now he has escaped and just wants to have a good time.
Great story and extremely funny, read it!
Baby arm! Baby arm!!!!!!!!!!!
Great story and extremely funny, read it!
Baby arm! Baby arm!!!!!!!!!!!
December 11, 2023
3.5-4
My moments with The Crew:
1. Yooo this started off interestingly lol
2. NOOOO Mr. FLABBY!!!
3. Funny!
4. Varcade and I could be friends...Yes we are friends, he just doesn't know it yet.
5. Vashi is terrifying.
6. Now that was a ride right there!
You ever been to a party where you did not know what you were getting into? Did you feel like the night dragged on inbetween moments of excitement? You know that group of quirky friends that you watched from a distance and you wanted to be in their group but you knew you probably couldn't hang and would be wrecked by the end of the evening? That is The Crew for me. There were moments that felt like they dragged, but damn are the characters so fun and so funny! Even the tense moments are lifted by Varcade's comments, Edghar's delirium (baby arm!!!), Murduk's inserts, Biter's insanity, Dog Man's chill, it just was good. This was very good.
My moments with The Crew:
1. Yooo this started off interestingly lol
2. NOOOO Mr. FLABBY!!!
3. Funny!
4. Varcade and I could be friends...Yes we are friends, he just doesn't know it yet.
5. Vashi is terrifying.
6. Now that was a ride right there!
You ever been to a party where you did not know what you were getting into? Did you feel like the night dragged on inbetween moments of excitement? You know that group of quirky friends that you watched from a distance and you wanted to be in their group but you knew you probably couldn't hang and would be wrecked by the end of the evening? That is The Crew for me. There were moments that felt like they dragged, but damn are the characters so fun and so funny! Even the tense moments are lifted by Varcade's comments, Edghar's delirium (baby arm!!!), Murduk's inserts, Biter's insanity, Dog Man's chill, it just was good. This was very good.
October 3, 2025
A debut fantasy novel that succeeds in more ways than not. The biggest surpise for me was how polished the writing and the pacing were. The writer's imagination was also a big plus. It seemed he was having fun coming up with different fantastical creatures and the implementation of said creatures was done very well.
The humor was hit and miss. It was borderline juvenile most of the times, but in some way it worked as a whole and it was fun. The characters were nothing truly original but were perfect for the tone of this book.
I personally had a lot of fun with this and even though it certainly has flaws, I think this is a great debut. If you're looking for witty dialogue with a dose of Abercrombie humor, this is not the book. But for an action packed, fantasy adventure with some silly but charming interactions among the protagonists, then give this a try.
7,1/10
The humor was hit and miss. It was borderline juvenile most of the times, but in some way it worked as a whole and it was fun. The characters were nothing truly original but were perfect for the tone of this book.
I personally had a lot of fun with this and even though it certainly has flaws, I think this is a great debut. If you're looking for witty dialogue with a dose of Abercrombie humor, this is not the book. But for an action packed, fantasy adventure with some silly but charming interactions among the protagonists, then give this a try.
7,1/10
May 21, 2024
Everyone says this book is like Deadpool and wile that is true, it isn't the most accurate. It's actually a fantasy novel version of an anime. From wildly design characters to various magics that are only linked through how it is fueled. It honestly is a breath of fresh air. I loved this from line one to the last. I don't know if Samir is continuing but my fingers are crossed. If you are looking for a trip down a rabbit hole of crazy fun fantasy adventure. Then this is one insist you read.
May 27, 2023
Craziness Aplenty!
To have to slightest of chances it will take the most disciplined, focused cohesive of groups. For the Bone Lord & the powerful Dusters are fearsome indeed….but it looks like these guys are going to have to do.
One zany ride! Loads of action, humour & fun! Thx @Sadir_S_Samir
To have to slightest of chances it will take the most disciplined, focused cohesive of groups. For the Bone Lord & the powerful Dusters are fearsome indeed….but it looks like these guys are going to have to do.
One zany ride! Loads of action, humour & fun! Thx @Sadir_S_Samir
April 5, 2024
This isn't the deepest book I've ever read, but that is okay because I enjoyed my time with it. The characters are fun, the action is nonstop, and there's even a good amount of humor thrown into this not-quite-fantasty-not-quite-scfi romp through the desert.
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