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Steel Blood
Dr. James Cancilleri stared at the wall screen, mouth open as if to speak. He shook his head, looked at his hand, and pointed at what he Six hundred years in the past, according to the time monitor display—his most important ancestors were in trouble. The males were dying before they had a chance to marry and procreate. Cancilleri, the founder of time travel science, knew then if he did not go back and save his ancestors, he would soon disappear…along with his life’s work and the thousands of lives saved by his science.
308 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 30, 2024
One-of-a-kind, Steel Blood by Gabriel F.W Koch, winner of the prestigious L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Awards is a charming and witty read that guarantees an intriguing and highly entertaining read! The captivating plot is what initially drew me to this exciting sci-fi fantasy novel but it was Gabriel’s narrative style that sealed the deal; I just couldn’t put Steel Blood down! Also, the characters were delightfully pleasing and ensured high-value entertainment and hilarious dialogue that had me laughing out loud. I enjoyed Steel Blood immensely and am putting it on my list of hidden gems reads of 2024. Steel Blood is for all the sci-fi fantasy fans who enjoy a good time travel read. It is a charming novel I highly recommend!
January 15, 2025
The novel "Steel Blood by Gabriel F. W. Koch" is an intricately knit tale that weaves science fiction, fantasy, and human emotion into a riveting narrative. So, it's your pick if you are looking for a perfect Sci-fi drama. The central plot is set in a vividly imagined world that explores themes of loyalty, morality, and survival against technological advancement and political intrigue at the later stages. The seamless storytelling magnetizes the reader with its elaborate world-building and multifaceted, well-developed characters, which leads to an immersive experience. The novel is developed within an alternate universe where technical advancement has climaxed, yet humanity continues battling age-old power and identity issues. Our central character, whose journey is significant to the tale, navigates through scenarios of betrayal, unexpected alliances, and a fight for justice. The author has skillfully combined human conflicts with broader societal aspects, keeping the stakes and pages whirling. After a long time, I had a gripping sci-fi drama which kept me hooked till the end. It's my definite recommendation.
January 26, 2025
The book entitled 'Steel Blood,' written by Gabriel F.W. Koch, takes you into a suspense-packed story grafted with emotional drama. If you’re a fan of sci-fi novels, then this might suit your taste with all the properties in the right amount. The blend of history and sci-fi is novel and grasps readers attention.
The story talks about two different worlds and their people. One belonged to the high-tech lab of the Gate Project and the affluent, powerful, and bold people of the medieval era. The central character, Dr. James Cancilleri, is a sci-fi person who invented the concept of time travel, which gives a whole foundation to this interesting story. The story starts with a beautiful introduction of two contrasting worlds, but as the differences become more poignant, the threat for survival of the fittest arises. As the story progresses, more characters get into the picture, which makes it more thrilling.
Overall, it is a good thriller packed with a unique combination of history with a sci-fi world.
The story talks about two different worlds and their people. One belonged to the high-tech lab of the Gate Project and the affluent, powerful, and bold people of the medieval era. The central character, Dr. James Cancilleri, is a sci-fi person who invented the concept of time travel, which gives a whole foundation to this interesting story. The story starts with a beautiful introduction of two contrasting worlds, but as the differences become more poignant, the threat for survival of the fittest arises. As the story progresses, more characters get into the picture, which makes it more thrilling.
Overall, it is a good thriller packed with a unique combination of history with a sci-fi world.
February 23, 2025
I think this is one of the most unique books I have ever read. The seamless blend of genres and elements is executed beautifully, making the story feel natural and immersive. This is hands down a fantastic book, and I daresay it might be the best book I’ve read (and will probably read) this year.
The novel introduces us to two timelines—the past and the present. In the past, we follow Julianna, a fierce female knight who initially disguises herself as a man before earning a place in the Earl’s court. She is driven by the need for revenge, vowing to avenge her loved one’s death. However, in the present, Dr. Winton Cancilleri and his assistant Michael are investigating Julianna’s history—and her connection to Dr. Winton himself. They must ensure Julianna finds her loved one again, or else Dr. Winton’s existence could be erased.
Julianna is an impressive and unforgettable character. I loved reading about her journey, her strength, and the way she carries herself despite her inner grief. She is a powerful protagonist, and I was completely invested in her story.
Without revealing spoilers, I’ll just say this: as soon as I finished this book, I immediately searched for a sequel—only to be shocked that this is (so far?) a standalone. While it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, it does leave you wanting more—more of the world, the characters, and their fates. The writing style is exquisite, the story is compelling, and I enjoyed it immensely.
The novel introduces us to two timelines—the past and the present. In the past, we follow Julianna, a fierce female knight who initially disguises herself as a man before earning a place in the Earl’s court. She is driven by the need for revenge, vowing to avenge her loved one’s death. However, in the present, Dr. Winton Cancilleri and his assistant Michael are investigating Julianna’s history—and her connection to Dr. Winton himself. They must ensure Julianna finds her loved one again, or else Dr. Winton’s existence could be erased.
Julianna is an impressive and unforgettable character. I loved reading about her journey, her strength, and the way she carries herself despite her inner grief. She is a powerful protagonist, and I was completely invested in her story.
Without revealing spoilers, I’ll just say this: as soon as I finished this book, I immediately searched for a sequel—only to be shocked that this is (so far?) a standalone. While it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, it does leave you wanting more—more of the world, the characters, and their fates. The writing style is exquisite, the story is compelling, and I enjoyed it immensely.
February 14, 2025
Have not read the book but I just wanted to say what the fuck is going on in the reviews??
Is everyone just paid to prompt a nonsensical ChatGPT reviews but is doing a shitty job so everything looks the same? Same lenght, same lack of substance?
I’ve never noticed that on Goodreads and that’s the sole reason I won’t pick up this book which I found interesting additionally from the blurb.
Is everyone just paid to prompt a nonsensical ChatGPT reviews but is doing a shitty job so everything looks the same? Same lenght, same lack of substance?
I’ve never noticed that on Goodreads and that’s the sole reason I won’t pick up this book which I found interesting additionally from the blurb.
January 5, 2026
Fast paced story with intense action scenes and solid depictions of steel willed combat. The battles feel raw and gripping. However, character development is shallow, and the plot follows predictable patterns. Overall, it's entertaining for casual reading but lacks depth solid three stars.
October 21, 2025
I was expecting a simple thought experiment. Save your ancestors, save yourself. The book aims higher. It takes the problem apart like an engineer would and rebuilds it as a human story. The core loop is clean. A founder of time travel sees a failure mode in his family line six centuries back. Males dying before they can marry. That puts his work, and his existence, at risk. He decides to intervene. That premise is efficient. It gives the plot gravity from page one and it never loses that vector.
The opening misdirect is fun. We are on a medieval battlefield, in the rain, with a nameless knight who is better than the men around her. The duel is nasty and vivid. Steel hits bone. The victor claims a jeweled sword. Then the visor lifts and the knight is revealed as Julianna. That reveal lands with a calm shrug rather than melodrama, which I liked. Either way, it sets the tone. Competence first. Labels later.
Then the lens snaps back to the lab. Doctor Winton James Cancilleri and his assistant Michael are staring at a wall sized display, watching that same scene as a recording pulled from the past. You get the sense of a shop built around one obsession. Custom machine. Custom code. Two sleep deprived people pushing their luck. When Julianna leans into the castle window and shouts into the wind, the feed isolates her voice. Now I have avenged your death, my love. That line hits hard and connects instantly to the old man at the console. I actually said wow out loud, then laughed at myself. Sometimes the obvious moment is the right one.
What works best here is how the narrative alternates between two problem sets. In the past, survival is physical. Mud, cold, politics, a dining hall that stops breathing when a woman sits at the dais as a knight. In the present, survival is logical. Time ripples, rules you should not break, a Gate that may scramble your atoms. The second law of time travel is spelled out in plain language and I kind of loved how pragmatic it felt. No hand waving. Make a paradox and the timeline ripples. Accept that as a constraint, then act. That sort of design discipline gives the story lift.
Characters clear the bar. Julianna is not a trope. She is unflinching, but not invulnerable. Her private moments by the fire have weight. She wants purpose and also wants a garden and children and quiet. Contradiction makes her feel alive. Cancilleri is a different gear. Stooped, brilliant, sometimes reckless, sometimes almost tender when the image of Julianna fills the monitor. I kept thinking about older founders who pretend detachment until the thing they built is at risk. He knows Thomas Tumbaar is critical. He knows the timeline where Thomas dies too early kills more than one future. He is tempted to cross anyway. The book lets him be wrong and still admirable.
I am still not sure how I feel about one piece. There is a stretch where the lab talk edges into lecture. Necessary, yes, but a bit long for my taste. I also tripped on a few repeated phrases in the medieval chapters. Not fatal. Just moments where the signal dips. On the other hand the first act sequence that reveals Julianna to the Earl of Highgate is terrific. It feels earned. It also slides a note of humor into a very serious room. That balance is rare and I was into it.
Emotionally this got me in quiet ways. A line of dialogue that is really a goodbye. A chambermaid’s hands crusted with animal fat while she serves a knight who is still shaking from battle. Cancilleri’s small gasp when he hears the woman’s voice stripped of wind. The little human tells stack up. None of them are loud. They aggregate. That is hard to do and the book does it again and again.
From a first principles view, the design holds. Clear objective. Defined constraints. Iterative attempts to solve. When new data appears the characters update. The system never feels rigged. Even the twist about how the recorded events line up in time is handled with restraint. I prefer that to fireworks for their own sake. I will admit I wanted two more pages inside the Gate room late on. I wanted to sit with the choice a little longer. Still, the burn is right. The landing is steady.
I kind of loved how messy it gets when loyalty to the past collides with loyalty to the future. Still not sure how I feel about one specific lab decision, but the aftershock works. The Scotland canvas is textured. The lab has a lived in hum. The prose slides from brutal to tender without losing focus. This is an easy four star experience for me. Efficient idea. Human core. I closed the book grateful I read it and a little restless about my own family tree. That is a good reaction for a story about time, blood, and the cost of fixing what you think is broken.
The opening misdirect is fun. We are on a medieval battlefield, in the rain, with a nameless knight who is better than the men around her. The duel is nasty and vivid. Steel hits bone. The victor claims a jeweled sword. Then the visor lifts and the knight is revealed as Julianna. That reveal lands with a calm shrug rather than melodrama, which I liked. Either way, it sets the tone. Competence first. Labels later.
Then the lens snaps back to the lab. Doctor Winton James Cancilleri and his assistant Michael are staring at a wall sized display, watching that same scene as a recording pulled from the past. You get the sense of a shop built around one obsession. Custom machine. Custom code. Two sleep deprived people pushing their luck. When Julianna leans into the castle window and shouts into the wind, the feed isolates her voice. Now I have avenged your death, my love. That line hits hard and connects instantly to the old man at the console. I actually said wow out loud, then laughed at myself. Sometimes the obvious moment is the right one.
What works best here is how the narrative alternates between two problem sets. In the past, survival is physical. Mud, cold, politics, a dining hall that stops breathing when a woman sits at the dais as a knight. In the present, survival is logical. Time ripples, rules you should not break, a Gate that may scramble your atoms. The second law of time travel is spelled out in plain language and I kind of loved how pragmatic it felt. No hand waving. Make a paradox and the timeline ripples. Accept that as a constraint, then act. That sort of design discipline gives the story lift.
Characters clear the bar. Julianna is not a trope. She is unflinching, but not invulnerable. Her private moments by the fire have weight. She wants purpose and also wants a garden and children and quiet. Contradiction makes her feel alive. Cancilleri is a different gear. Stooped, brilliant, sometimes reckless, sometimes almost tender when the image of Julianna fills the monitor. I kept thinking about older founders who pretend detachment until the thing they built is at risk. He knows Thomas Tumbaar is critical. He knows the timeline where Thomas dies too early kills more than one future. He is tempted to cross anyway. The book lets him be wrong and still admirable.
I am still not sure how I feel about one piece. There is a stretch where the lab talk edges into lecture. Necessary, yes, but a bit long for my taste. I also tripped on a few repeated phrases in the medieval chapters. Not fatal. Just moments where the signal dips. On the other hand the first act sequence that reveals Julianna to the Earl of Highgate is terrific. It feels earned. It also slides a note of humor into a very serious room. That balance is rare and I was into it.
Emotionally this got me in quiet ways. A line of dialogue that is really a goodbye. A chambermaid’s hands crusted with animal fat while she serves a knight who is still shaking from battle. Cancilleri’s small gasp when he hears the woman’s voice stripped of wind. The little human tells stack up. None of them are loud. They aggregate. That is hard to do and the book does it again and again.
From a first principles view, the design holds. Clear objective. Defined constraints. Iterative attempts to solve. When new data appears the characters update. The system never feels rigged. Even the twist about how the recorded events line up in time is handled with restraint. I prefer that to fireworks for their own sake. I will admit I wanted two more pages inside the Gate room late on. I wanted to sit with the choice a little longer. Still, the burn is right. The landing is steady.
I kind of loved how messy it gets when loyalty to the past collides with loyalty to the future. Still not sure how I feel about one specific lab decision, but the aftershock works. The Scotland canvas is textured. The lab has a lived in hum. The prose slides from brutal to tender without losing focus. This is an easy four star experience for me. Efficient idea. Human core. I closed the book grateful I read it and a little restless about my own family tree. That is a good reaction for a story about time, blood, and the cost of fixing what you think is broken.
September 24, 2025
Steel Blood opens with a jolt of red and a countdown you can feel in your teeth. Dr. James Cancilleri, the mind who cracked time itself, realizes the men in his family line are dying six centuries back, which means his present is on a timer. It’s such a clean, grabby premise that I did the little reader-lean you do when a book suddenly puts a hand on your shoulder and says pay attention.
What I loved most is how personal the stakes stay even when the set pieces go big. Yes, there’s a high-tech lab with a name that sounds like a warning siren and yes, there are dangerous medieval corridors where steel answers questions no one should ask. But the engine here is simple and human: a son of a long-ago family trying not to vanish. It’s selfish and selfless at the same time, which is catnip for me. I kept thinking about that odd cocktail of motives while I turned pages I was supposed to be saving for tomorrow. Oops.
The book toggles between the cool hum of the lab and the mud-and-iron mess of the past, and the contrast works. In the present, you can feel the nervous shiver of colleagues watching for ripples in the timeline, the way you watch a storm radar that keeps blooming new colors. In the past, Koch leans into texture. Armor clanks. Prayer and superstition sit beside knife logic. There’s a female knight who arrives with the energy of a door kicked open, and I’m not exaggerating when I say she wakes the plot up in the best way. The whole thing has a “brace yourself, we’re going in” momentum that made me a little feral about my reading time.
Small confession: I didn’t always track the time-science on the first pass, and I didn’t care. Some of the tech talk gets dense in a way that made me slow down, like chewing a caramel that fights back, but the emotional clarity keeps carrying you. I also thought a few side characters felt like sketches standing beside Cancilleri’s full portrait. Did that bug me? A tiny bit. Did it matter when the book is this propulsive and surprisingly tender about legacy and choice? Not really.
There’s more bite than I expected. The opening scene is vivid and, fair warning, gory enough that I actually blinked and set the book down for a second. That edge keeps showing up: blades, blood, consequences. I’m squeamish and I still appreciated it because it never feels like shock for its own sake. It’s there to sharpen the theme that history is not polite. It maims. It refuses to step aside just because a scientist asks nicely.
My favorite through line is the panic that turns into focus. Cancilleri starts as a man staring into the throat of his own nonexistence, and the narrative keeps him there, trembling between duty and desire. Save the people who made you possible, or lose not only yourself but the good you’ve done. That is such a great moral knot. By the time the last reversals click, there’s this quiet satisfaction, like when a puzzle piece you swore was cut wrong finally slips into place. I might have grinned. Fine, I definitely grinned.
If you want hard sci-fi that spends fifty pages on schematics, this is more character-first than that. If you want a story that mixes time travel with medieval danger, lets a few scenes get messy and human, and leaves you a little breathless at the end, this absolutely delivers. I’m landing at a very happy four-and-a-half stars, rounding up in spirit because the ending stuck the landing and the heartbeat of it is still thumping in my chest. Worth your time. Worth your sleep. I’ll be thinking about that choice at the center for a while.
What I loved most is how personal the stakes stay even when the set pieces go big. Yes, there’s a high-tech lab with a name that sounds like a warning siren and yes, there are dangerous medieval corridors where steel answers questions no one should ask. But the engine here is simple and human: a son of a long-ago family trying not to vanish. It’s selfish and selfless at the same time, which is catnip for me. I kept thinking about that odd cocktail of motives while I turned pages I was supposed to be saving for tomorrow. Oops.
The book toggles between the cool hum of the lab and the mud-and-iron mess of the past, and the contrast works. In the present, you can feel the nervous shiver of colleagues watching for ripples in the timeline, the way you watch a storm radar that keeps blooming new colors. In the past, Koch leans into texture. Armor clanks. Prayer and superstition sit beside knife logic. There’s a female knight who arrives with the energy of a door kicked open, and I’m not exaggerating when I say she wakes the plot up in the best way. The whole thing has a “brace yourself, we’re going in” momentum that made me a little feral about my reading time.
Small confession: I didn’t always track the time-science on the first pass, and I didn’t care. Some of the tech talk gets dense in a way that made me slow down, like chewing a caramel that fights back, but the emotional clarity keeps carrying you. I also thought a few side characters felt like sketches standing beside Cancilleri’s full portrait. Did that bug me? A tiny bit. Did it matter when the book is this propulsive and surprisingly tender about legacy and choice? Not really.
There’s more bite than I expected. The opening scene is vivid and, fair warning, gory enough that I actually blinked and set the book down for a second. That edge keeps showing up: blades, blood, consequences. I’m squeamish and I still appreciated it because it never feels like shock for its own sake. It’s there to sharpen the theme that history is not polite. It maims. It refuses to step aside just because a scientist asks nicely.
My favorite through line is the panic that turns into focus. Cancilleri starts as a man staring into the throat of his own nonexistence, and the narrative keeps him there, trembling between duty and desire. Save the people who made you possible, or lose not only yourself but the good you’ve done. That is such a great moral knot. By the time the last reversals click, there’s this quiet satisfaction, like when a puzzle piece you swore was cut wrong finally slips into place. I might have grinned. Fine, I definitely grinned.
If you want hard sci-fi that spends fifty pages on schematics, this is more character-first than that. If you want a story that mixes time travel with medieval danger, lets a few scenes get messy and human, and leaves you a little breathless at the end, this absolutely delivers. I’m landing at a very happy four-and-a-half stars, rounding up in spirit because the ending stuck the landing and the heartbeat of it is still thumping in my chest. Worth your time. Worth your sleep. I’ll be thinking about that choice at the center for a while.
December 18, 2025
Time travel stories usually make my brain ache a little. I’m not great at keeping track of paradoxes and timelines and what-happened-before-that-happened stuff. But Steel Blood surprised me in a way I honestly wasn’t ready for. I thought I was signing up for a sci-fi mind-bender — and sure, there’s plenty of that — but what I didn’t expect was how emotional it would feel. Weirdly personal. Almost existential.
Dr. James Cancilleri is the guy who invented time travel. That alone sets up so many ways this book could have veered off into dry technobabble, but it doesn’t. Instead, it leans into this quiet panic — he’s watching his own bloodline die out 600 years in the past. Like, literally watching it. His ancestors are dying before they can have children, which means he’s going to disappear. Not just him, but everything he’s created. His science. His impact. Gone. I kept thinking about what that would feel like — to look at a screen and see your own nonexistence creeping toward you.
And that’s what hooked me. This isn’t just time travel for the cool factor. It’s about survival, yes, but also legacy. Identity. Responsibility. There’s this thread running through it about how far someone would go to protect the future by fixing the past, and how terrifying it is to realize your very existence might depend on decisions made centuries ago. The stakes felt real. Tangible. Heavy.
I won’t pretend the science is easy to follow. There were moments where I had to reread a line and go, “Wait, what?” But honestly, I kind of liked that? It didn’t feel dumbed down. It expected me to keep up — or at least try — and that’s something I appreciate, even when my brain gets a little foggy.
The pacing isn’t constant adrenaline, but I didn’t mind that either. There’s this slow, measured tension that builds as Cancilleri gets closer to what he has to do. And yeah, the ethics of messing with the past? Definitely not brushed aside. There were moments I sat there thinking, “Is this really okay? Can you just go back and rewrite your own bloodline?” It doesn’t hand you easy answers.
Is it perfect? No. There were a few moments where I wanted more detail, especially about the ancestors themselves — who they were, what exactly was happening to them — but maybe that distance was intentional. After all, Cancilleri doesn’t know them either. He’s saving people he never met, and somehow, that makes it all the more intense.
Bottom line: this book made me think. Not just about science or time loops, but about what we leave behind. What it means to matter. What happens when you’re the only one who can fix something, and you have to go alone.
It stayed with me. That’s what matters most.
Dr. James Cancilleri is the guy who invented time travel. That alone sets up so many ways this book could have veered off into dry technobabble, but it doesn’t. Instead, it leans into this quiet panic — he’s watching his own bloodline die out 600 years in the past. Like, literally watching it. His ancestors are dying before they can have children, which means he’s going to disappear. Not just him, but everything he’s created. His science. His impact. Gone. I kept thinking about what that would feel like — to look at a screen and see your own nonexistence creeping toward you.
And that’s what hooked me. This isn’t just time travel for the cool factor. It’s about survival, yes, but also legacy. Identity. Responsibility. There’s this thread running through it about how far someone would go to protect the future by fixing the past, and how terrifying it is to realize your very existence might depend on decisions made centuries ago. The stakes felt real. Tangible. Heavy.
I won’t pretend the science is easy to follow. There were moments where I had to reread a line and go, “Wait, what?” But honestly, I kind of liked that? It didn’t feel dumbed down. It expected me to keep up — or at least try — and that’s something I appreciate, even when my brain gets a little foggy.
The pacing isn’t constant adrenaline, but I didn’t mind that either. There’s this slow, measured tension that builds as Cancilleri gets closer to what he has to do. And yeah, the ethics of messing with the past? Definitely not brushed aside. There were moments I sat there thinking, “Is this really okay? Can you just go back and rewrite your own bloodline?” It doesn’t hand you easy answers.
Is it perfect? No. There were a few moments where I wanted more detail, especially about the ancestors themselves — who they were, what exactly was happening to them — but maybe that distance was intentional. After all, Cancilleri doesn’t know them either. He’s saving people he never met, and somehow, that makes it all the more intense.
Bottom line: this book made me think. Not just about science or time loops, but about what we leave behind. What it means to matter. What happens when you’re the only one who can fix something, and you have to go alone.
It stayed with me. That’s what matters most.
September 4, 2025
Time travel is a narrative trick that usually announces itself with glitter and noise. Steel Blood doesn’t do that. It begins with a quiet panic — a scientist seeing his ancestors dying off on a wall screen, realizing his entire bloodline is about to vanish. And from that first image, the book held me.
Dr. James Cancilleri isn’t a hero in the traditional sense. He’s a man holding too much at once: his work, his legacy, the people who were supposed to make his life possible in the first place. I liked the way the story made his desperation feel intimate, not just epic. Yes, the stakes are huge. But the fear is personal. You can feel it in how quickly he acts, in how reckless some of his choices are. It’s not about saving the world. It’s about not disappearing.
The writing sometimes leans dense — not in a bad way, just in a way that makes you slow down. There are passages that read like thought spirals, the way real people panic. I appreciated that. I also liked how Koch doesn't hand you everything. Some of the mechanics of the time tech? I didn’t fully understand them. And I kind of liked not understanding. It made the story feel less like exposition and more like experience.
There's this quiet emotional thread running through it all — the pressure of family, even across centuries. I kept thinking about how weirdly moving that is, to fight for people you’ve never met because their survival means your existence. It’s both selfish and selfless. It made me think about my own grandparents in a way I didn’t expect. Time travel stories don’t usually do that.
If I had to point out a flaw, it’s that some characters could’ve used a little more grounding. I felt close to Cancilleri, but others around him felt like silhouettes. Still, that didn’t take away from the emotional hit.
It’s a strange little book — I say that with love. Smart, tightly written, and oddly tender in its urgency.
And I’ll be honest, I kind of loved how messy it got.
Dr. James Cancilleri isn’t a hero in the traditional sense. He’s a man holding too much at once: his work, his legacy, the people who were supposed to make his life possible in the first place. I liked the way the story made his desperation feel intimate, not just epic. Yes, the stakes are huge. But the fear is personal. You can feel it in how quickly he acts, in how reckless some of his choices are. It’s not about saving the world. It’s about not disappearing.
The writing sometimes leans dense — not in a bad way, just in a way that makes you slow down. There are passages that read like thought spirals, the way real people panic. I appreciated that. I also liked how Koch doesn't hand you everything. Some of the mechanics of the time tech? I didn’t fully understand them. And I kind of liked not understanding. It made the story feel less like exposition and more like experience.
There's this quiet emotional thread running through it all — the pressure of family, even across centuries. I kept thinking about how weirdly moving that is, to fight for people you’ve never met because their survival means your existence. It’s both selfish and selfless. It made me think about my own grandparents in a way I didn’t expect. Time travel stories don’t usually do that.
If I had to point out a flaw, it’s that some characters could’ve used a little more grounding. I felt close to Cancilleri, but others around him felt like silhouettes. Still, that didn’t take away from the emotional hit.
It’s a strange little book — I say that with love. Smart, tightly written, and oddly tender in its urgency.
And I’ll be honest, I kind of loved how messy it got.
February 18, 2025
Fascinating and immersive – a superb time travel epic!
Author/photographer Gabriel FW Koch opened his award-winning literary career in 2015 with this debut novel PARADOX EFFECT and has subsequently published BEHOLDEN, EMMA AND THE DRAGON TOOTH SWORD, AND COME DAY’S END, and now STEEL BLOOD. His creative abilities are well displayed in this fascinating science fiction time travel story. As he has stated, ‘Imagine returning to that one moment you think about at 3 a.m. and changing the outcome (of time travel)? If you succeeded, every event directly related to the original outcome would be erased.’ And with that intriguing concept he opens a story that, while ‘sci-fi in genre, offers insights about how we think and the choices and decisions we face – a fine story, and a fine dose of philosophy.
Gabriel has distilled the multifaceted time travel adventure well: ‘Dr. James Cancilleri stared at the wall screen, mouth open as if to speak. He shook his head, looked at his hand, and pointed at what he Six hundred years in the past, according to the time monitor display—his most important ancestors were in trouble. The males were dying before they had a chance to marry and procreate. Cancilleri, the founder of time travel science, knew then if he did not go back and save his ancestors, he would soon disappear…along with his life’s work and the thousands of lives saved by his science.
Keen knowledge of medieval concepts as well as a very polished appreciation of future possibilities add to Gabriel’s sensitive and immersing drama. This is another fine novel to add to his subsequent literary contributions. Recommended.
Author/photographer Gabriel FW Koch opened his award-winning literary career in 2015 with this debut novel PARADOX EFFECT and has subsequently published BEHOLDEN, EMMA AND THE DRAGON TOOTH SWORD, AND COME DAY’S END, and now STEEL BLOOD. His creative abilities are well displayed in this fascinating science fiction time travel story. As he has stated, ‘Imagine returning to that one moment you think about at 3 a.m. and changing the outcome (of time travel)? If you succeeded, every event directly related to the original outcome would be erased.’ And with that intriguing concept he opens a story that, while ‘sci-fi in genre, offers insights about how we think and the choices and decisions we face – a fine story, and a fine dose of philosophy.
Gabriel has distilled the multifaceted time travel adventure well: ‘Dr. James Cancilleri stared at the wall screen, mouth open as if to speak. He shook his head, looked at his hand, and pointed at what he Six hundred years in the past, according to the time monitor display—his most important ancestors were in trouble. The males were dying before they had a chance to marry and procreate. Cancilleri, the founder of time travel science, knew then if he did not go back and save his ancestors, he would soon disappear…along with his life’s work and the thousands of lives saved by his science.
Keen knowledge of medieval concepts as well as a very polished appreciation of future possibilities add to Gabriel’s sensitive and immersing drama. This is another fine novel to add to his subsequent literary contributions. Recommended.
December 14, 2024
Steel Blood by Gabriel F. W. Koch
Love this book because it has a lot of difference time frames. The lab-the men have discovered that something that happened or didn't happen in the past makes a difference to the world today. One goes back and disguises himself as a monk who travels from castle to castle. He hopes to change things so his life will have a meaning. The lab project is the Gate Project. The boss is not too happy about why the man left to go back in time. Love hearing that there is communication between the men and the boss doesn't know.
Back in time is a great place, the Templars are involved. Love hearing about the noble men and so loyal. There is a backstory there as well. The ruler of the castle, Thomas must revenge his fathers death once and for all and leaves with his knights. He has loyal knights. Love that they allow a woman to be a knight as well as she has proven herself. Reminds me of Covington Cross series on tv many years ago.
Detailed descriptions are so precise and I can smell, see, feel things in the past as if I am there with them. Love how the castle was built, how each floor was placed for safeguarding the occupants.
I feel as if I am getting two stories for the price of one as they alternate chapters throughout the book.
Received this review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
Love this book because it has a lot of difference time frames. The lab-the men have discovered that something that happened or didn't happen in the past makes a difference to the world today. One goes back and disguises himself as a monk who travels from castle to castle. He hopes to change things so his life will have a meaning. The lab project is the Gate Project. The boss is not too happy about why the man left to go back in time. Love hearing that there is communication between the men and the boss doesn't know.
Back in time is a great place, the Templars are involved. Love hearing about the noble men and so loyal. There is a backstory there as well. The ruler of the castle, Thomas must revenge his fathers death once and for all and leaves with his knights. He has loyal knights. Love that they allow a woman to be a knight as well as she has proven herself. Reminds me of Covington Cross series on tv many years ago.
Detailed descriptions are so precise and I can smell, see, feel things in the past as if I am there with them. Love how the castle was built, how each floor was placed for safeguarding the occupants.
I feel as if I am getting two stories for the price of one as they alternate chapters throughout the book.
Received this review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
October 5, 2025
Steel Blood by Gabriel F.W. Koch is a fast-paced sci-fi fantasy novel that grabs you from the very first page. It opens with a vivid, action-packed scene of a knight locked in battle, immediately setting the tone.
The story follows Dr. James Cancillen, the inventor of time travel, who discovers through a time monitor that his ancestors from 600 years ago are in danger. Many of the men were dying before they were able to get married and have children. The problem is if they don’t survive, he will never have existed, and neither will his work and invention of time travel. To protect his own life and the future of his work, he must journey back in time to help save them.
The novel moves between two different worlds and their people. The character development of Dr. James and others stood out to me and the writing is so vivid and immersive. The book is more than just action, it addresses themes of morality, loyalty, justice, and betrayal.
I found this story to be unique, engaging, and entertaining. I definitely recommend this book.
The story follows Dr. James Cancillen, the inventor of time travel, who discovers through a time monitor that his ancestors from 600 years ago are in danger. Many of the men were dying before they were able to get married and have children. The problem is if they don’t survive, he will never have existed, and neither will his work and invention of time travel. To protect his own life and the future of his work, he must journey back in time to help save them.
The novel moves between two different worlds and their people. The character development of Dr. James and others stood out to me and the writing is so vivid and immersive. The book is more than just action, it addresses themes of morality, loyalty, justice, and betrayal.
I found this story to be unique, engaging, and entertaining. I definitely recommend this book.
February 6, 2025
I recently read Steel Blood by Gabriel F. W. Koch, and I can definitely say it was amazing. Dr. James Cancilleri, the pioneer of time travel, discovering that his descent is at risk and he decides to go back six centuries to save his ancestors, is intriguing and gets you mind going.
Koch's writing in this book kept me invested, and I was moved by how he brings to Cancilleri's character—a scientist with the power to remove his existence and the moral dilemmas of intervening in history, all to save the future.
What i found truly interesting was the way he brought science fiction with historical drama, and how your actions can affect the future. Cancilleri's mission kept me invested, and i was really intrigued to see how he would navigate the past to protect his future.
This book is a great fit to the time-travel genre. For anyone who is into history and futuristic science, Steel Blood is a definite read that I 100% recommend.
Koch's writing in this book kept me invested, and I was moved by how he brings to Cancilleri's character—a scientist with the power to remove his existence and the moral dilemmas of intervening in history, all to save the future.
What i found truly interesting was the way he brought science fiction with historical drama, and how your actions can affect the future. Cancilleri's mission kept me invested, and i was really intrigued to see how he would navigate the past to protect his future.
This book is a great fit to the time-travel genre. For anyone who is into history and futuristic science, Steel Blood is a definite read that I 100% recommend.
February 17, 2025
I just finished reading Steel Blood, and I have to say it is a must read.
The story is based on Dr James Cancilleri, he’s a pioneer of time travel science. He discovers that he has family from six centuries ago. He comes to the realisation that people in his family line are dying prematurely, which is putting him and all his groundbreaking work at risk.
The author makes it seem like there’s two books in one on how he writes the story, you have it where there is one person that goes back in time and disguises himself as a monk, and another which is in the present where the boss of the man is not too happy about why he left to go back in time.
This story is not only on complications of time travel it is also about family, legacy and the extent of what people would go to, to protect themselves. That is what kept me turning the pages and seeing what each chapter had to reveal next. So to sum up this is an amazing book and would recommend to science fiction lovers.
The story is based on Dr James Cancilleri, he’s a pioneer of time travel science. He discovers that he has family from six centuries ago. He comes to the realisation that people in his family line are dying prematurely, which is putting him and all his groundbreaking work at risk.
The author makes it seem like there’s two books in one on how he writes the story, you have it where there is one person that goes back in time and disguises himself as a monk, and another which is in the present where the boss of the man is not too happy about why he left to go back in time.
This story is not only on complications of time travel it is also about family, legacy and the extent of what people would go to, to protect themselves. That is what kept me turning the pages and seeing what each chapter had to reveal next. So to sum up this is an amazing book and would recommend to science fiction lovers.
April 2, 2025
Koch masterfully captures the beautiful Scottish landscape—from the Highlands, Outer Hebrides, and beyond. I love how well he manages the imagery and setting. This is consistent with Koch's style, which I've seen in his other books.
This book follows Dr. James Cancilleri and his search for solutions for the future through risky time-travel science. Cancilleri's quest to preserve the future by dabbling in his own ancestral timeline, possibly resulting in his removed existence, makes him a strong character. Koch has written the doctor in a way that captures the troubled mind of Cancilleri's struggle with sacrifice, preservation, and the future of everything.
This is a neat time travel book that spans centuries but really lives in medieval times. I like the perspectives and winding road we took to get to the end of the journey and the nagging question: did anything change, or was it always going to be like that since Cancilleri exists at all?
Great book!
This book follows Dr. James Cancilleri and his search for solutions for the future through risky time-travel science. Cancilleri's quest to preserve the future by dabbling in his own ancestral timeline, possibly resulting in his removed existence, makes him a strong character. Koch has written the doctor in a way that captures the troubled mind of Cancilleri's struggle with sacrifice, preservation, and the future of everything.
This is a neat time travel book that spans centuries but really lives in medieval times. I like the perspectives and winding road we took to get to the end of the journey and the nagging question: did anything change, or was it always going to be like that since Cancilleri exists at all?
Great book!
January 7, 2025
Gabriel F.W. Koch created a fascinating novel in Steel Blood that combines time travel with medieval drama. Dr. James Cancilleri developed a device that allowed him to observe the past. Of course, he would follow his genealogy, which baffled him when he observed that his ancestor died before they could marry. With his assistant's help, he went back in time to save him before Dr. Cancilleri vanished from existence. Will this small trickle cause a title wave in his time?
I found Steel Blood mesmerizing. I loved how Dr. James Cancilleri maneuvered through medieval times to correct the timeline. Michael, his assistant, worries as things begin to change around him. Gabriel F.W. Koch keeps you guessing as the story twists. I couldn't help but smile as the story ended. Everything fell into place.
I found Steel Blood mesmerizing. I loved how Dr. James Cancilleri maneuvered through medieval times to correct the timeline. Michael, his assistant, worries as things begin to change around him. Gabriel F.W. Koch keeps you guessing as the story twists. I couldn't help but smile as the story ended. Everything fell into place.
February 5, 2025
This opens with a bloody scene with vivid imagery, and soon shifts into an unforgettable story. Koch does an amazing job bringing everything to life before your eyes, but be warned, it can also get a bit gory at times. The descriptions can get quite in-depth, and at times disrupted the flow a bit for me. I love that the premise brings up the paradox of time travel - how the past and changing it can affect the future. Taking that to the level of the inventor of time travel now racing to prevent himself from ceasing to exist added a nice level of tension to the entire story. Cancilleri is an interesting and complex character in his own right, and I enjoyed following along on his quest. If you’re looking for a book that mixes a bit of sci-fi, mystery, and historical fiction all in one, then this needs to be your next read!
May 5, 2025
A Great Combo of Science Fiction, History and Drama
This book is very different to my usual read, but I was very surprised and impressed by the way
this book was written. The thought and detail came through, Dr James Canceller is the pioneer
of time travel, and he has only gone to discover that his ancestors are at risk so he makes the
big decision of going back in time to change this. This was enough to keep me reading. The
thing I found most interesting was how Koch managed to bring history, drama, and science
fiction into one book. The writing style was entertaining rather than science-heavy, the way some sci-fi books can be. And it didn’t try to be overly clever with the science either, the way some time-travel books can get. Overall I’d say this is a great read for fans of the genre, and also newbies as well.
This book is very different to my usual read, but I was very surprised and impressed by the way
this book was written. The thought and detail came through, Dr James Canceller is the pioneer
of time travel, and he has only gone to discover that his ancestors are at risk so he makes the
big decision of going back in time to change this. This was enough to keep me reading. The
thing I found most interesting was how Koch managed to bring history, drama, and science
fiction into one book. The writing style was entertaining rather than science-heavy, the way some sci-fi books can be. And it didn’t try to be overly clever with the science either, the way some time-travel books can get. Overall I’d say this is a great read for fans of the genre, and also newbies as well.
May 7, 2025
Gabriel F.W. Koch's Steel Blood is an exploration of time-travel and identity. At its core is Dr. James Cancilleri, a pioneer in temporal science. The doctor who faces something of a crisis when he discovers that his lineage is under threat centuries in the past. This revelation is what sets him off on a mission to preserve not only his existence but also all of the lives his work has impacted.
Koch manages to blend the personal and the universal into a narrative that is feels very intimate as well as entertaining. Steel Blood delves into the complexities of causality and the implications of altering the past. Koch’s writing style paints vivid scenes that linger long after I closed the book. It is a compelling addition to contemporary speculative fiction, deserving of a wide and attentive readership.
Koch manages to blend the personal and the universal into a narrative that is feels very intimate as well as entertaining. Steel Blood delves into the complexities of causality and the implications of altering the past. Koch’s writing style paints vivid scenes that linger long after I closed the book. It is a compelling addition to contemporary speculative fiction, deserving of a wide and attentive readership.
June 8, 2025
Alright, so Steel Blood messed with my head—in a good way. It’s part gritty sci-fi, part medieval chaos, and all wrapped around a guy who’s basically fighting extinction—his own, specifically. I liked that twist.
James Cancilleri isn’t some shiny sci-fi genius. He’s stubborn, way too impulsive, and completely not ready to handle the time-travel mess he’s thrown into. I felt that—especially when he's trying to save people who, technically, haven’t even made him yet. It’s weird and kind of brilliant.
What really hit me was how the story shifts between clinical future tech and dusty, brutal old-world grit. One chapter you’re inside a sleek lab, the next you’re watching someone try not to get impaled by a sword. Enjoyed a lot of the themes—legacy, time, identity, all tangled up with some solid character work.
And look, there’s a woman knight. She’s everything. More of that, always.
James Cancilleri isn’t some shiny sci-fi genius. He’s stubborn, way too impulsive, and completely not ready to handle the time-travel mess he’s thrown into. I felt that—especially when he's trying to save people who, technically, haven’t even made him yet. It’s weird and kind of brilliant.
What really hit me was how the story shifts between clinical future tech and dusty, brutal old-world grit. One chapter you’re inside a sleek lab, the next you’re watching someone try not to get impaled by a sword. Enjoyed a lot of the themes—legacy, time, identity, all tangled up with some solid character work.
And look, there’s a woman knight. She’s everything. More of that, always.
March 20, 2025
This book is thrilling and tense, it kept me hooked. Life for Dr James Cancelleri was on the verge of disappearing literally, unless he did something about it. He decided to go back in the past and sort it. So using science he did, becoming the founder of time travel. He developed a device that allowed him to watch the past and go back in time and correct his timeline. The plot was very well written, and told his story in a gripping and skilfull way. There was plenty of detail on each character, and there backstory to really get you into the characters shoes as if it were me there. If your go to read is time travel, drama and science this is a must read!
May 6, 2025
Gabriel Koch has gone and done it, he has written a very enjoyable Sci-fi drama book with some out-of-the-box thinking involved. The plot was really engaging from early on, and there were aspects I thought I saw coming, but realised I’d been wrong. The characters are well written and likeable enough, without being too over the top. The author has managed to combine human struggles, science fiction and historical drama to create a page-turner of a story. He writes in such detail that I felt like I could see, and hear these places. If you’re looking for a time-travel sci-fi drama read, I highly recommend giving Steel Blood a go.
December 23, 2024
Steel Blood by Gabriel F.W. Koch is an exciting combination of time travel, medieval drama, and solid characters. The plot effortlessly switches between the Gate Project's high-tech lab and a perilous medieval environment. Dr. James Cancilleri, the brain of time travel, is faced with an unthinkable choice: preserve his ancestors 600 years in the past or risk removing himself from existence. With colorful descriptions, loyal knights, and a female knight, this novel transports readers into a fascinating, creative story. Recommended.
November 2, 2025
Powerful, emotional, and utterly captivating from start to finish. Steel Blood explores the coeixstence of strength and vulnerabitily in a way that feels both epic and deeply human. The war-torn setting intertwined with the characters’ inner battles creates a story that hits hard on every level.
The writing is sharp yet lyrical — every scene pulses between the coldness of steel and the warmth of blood. The emotional intensity of the finale stayed with me long after I closed the book.
Strong characters, well-crafted action, and an unexpected emotional resonance — truly unforgettable.
The writing is sharp yet lyrical — every scene pulses between the coldness of steel and the warmth of blood. The emotional intensity of the finale stayed with me long after I closed the book.
Strong characters, well-crafted action, and an unexpected emotional resonance — truly unforgettable.
March 20, 2025
Steel Blood by Gabriel Koch is a fantasy, science fiction mix drama. The author has a way of creating an experience as you follow along the alternate universe with themes of morality and loyalty. The survival against technology is heavy as our main characters journey through the novel. For those you love time travel and well developed sci-fi this is the novel for you!
April 6, 2025
this has some weird connection with Scientology
November 16, 2025
The book Steel Blood by Gabriel F.W. Koch pulls you into a thrilling story that’s as emotional as it is imaginative. If you’re a fan of stories with time travel, medieval drama, and interesting characters you’ll root for until the very end.
The story weaves together two worlds, the high-tech lab of the Gate Project and the rich, dangerous medieval era. The main character, Dr. James Cancilleri , is a genius who invented time travel. Sounds cool, right? But here’s the twist: he finds out his ancestors, the very people his existence depends on, are dying off before they can continue his family line. And that’s when he has to make an impossible decision, jump back 600 years into the past to save them or risk disappearing from existence altogether. Can you even imagine the pressure?
So if you’re into sci-fi with a historical twist, or you just want a book that’s going to grab your attention and not let go, this is it.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
The story weaves together two worlds, the high-tech lab of the Gate Project and the rich, dangerous medieval era. The main character, Dr. James Cancilleri , is a genius who invented time travel. Sounds cool, right? But here’s the twist: he finds out his ancestors, the very people his existence depends on, are dying off before they can continue his family line. And that’s when he has to make an impossible decision, jump back 600 years into the past to save them or risk disappearing from existence altogether. Can you even imagine the pressure?
So if you’re into sci-fi with a historical twist, or you just want a book that’s going to grab your attention and not let go, this is it.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
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