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Steel Empires
Steel Victory
One hundred years ago, the vampire Victory retired from a centuries-long mercenary career. She settled in Limani, the independent city-state acting as a neutral zone between the British and Roman colonies on the New Continent.
Twenty years ago, Victory adopted a human baby girl, who soon showed signs of magical ability.
Today, Victory is a city councilwoman, balancing the human and supernatural populations within Limani. Her daughter Toria is a warrior-mage, balancing life as an apprentice mercenary with college chemistry courses.
Tomorrow, the Roman Empire invades.
Twenty years ago, Victory adopted a human baby girl, who soon showed signs of magical ability.
Today, Victory is a city councilwoman, balancing the human and supernatural populations within Limani. Her daughter Toria is a warrior-mage, balancing life as an apprentice mercenary with college chemistry courses.
Tomorrow, the Roman Empire invades.
215 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2015
18 people are currently reading
839 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Gribble
14 books72 followersJ.L. Gribble writes speculative fiction and romance, but she’s happiest when combining the two and adding a dose of the unexpected or nontraditional. When not writing, Gribble reads an eclectic range of books, adds to her LEGO collection, and plays video games. She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, with her husband and three vocal Siamese cats. Find her book review blog and info about her publications at jlgribble.com.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 11, 2016
Note: I was involved in publishing this book
Steel Victory takes place in what I like to think of as an alternate future where magical creatures such as vampires, shapeshifters and elves have always existed and still do. It's also post-apocalyptic because there has been a nuclear disaster in the past. Although this book is in the future, technology has been mostly eliminated and magic rules the day.
The style is an intricate weave of urban fantasy and alternate history with a lot of the elements of a straightforward adventure tale. Steel Victory is the first book in the Steel Empires series and introduces us to a unique family: Victory (a vampire), her daywalker husband, mage warrior daughter Toria and adopted son Kane. The story unfolds quickly and disastrously as the characters are swept up in a sinister plot the details of which I'll keep to myself. Expect plenty of tight situations, magical dilemmas and ingenious solutions. But the bonus surprise is the bond between the characters that lays the groundwork for adventures yet to come.
Steel Victory takes place in what I like to think of as an alternate future where magical creatures such as vampires, shapeshifters and elves have always existed and still do. It's also post-apocalyptic because there has been a nuclear disaster in the past. Although this book is in the future, technology has been mostly eliminated and magic rules the day.
The style is an intricate weave of urban fantasy and alternate history with a lot of the elements of a straightforward adventure tale. Steel Victory is the first book in the Steel Empires series and introduces us to a unique family: Victory (a vampire), her daywalker husband, mage warrior daughter Toria and adopted son Kane. The story unfolds quickly and disastrously as the characters are swept up in a sinister plot the details of which I'll keep to myself. Expect plenty of tight situations, magical dilemmas and ingenious solutions. But the bonus surprise is the bond between the characters that lays the groundwork for adventures yet to come.
May 30, 2016
I’m in between ratings with this one (2/3). While it was a story that went through the motions with a lot of action and new twists and turns, it just didn’t really pull me in for some reason.
From the get go I was thrown into action, from the get go there was a lot of stuff happening and I felt I needed to be super attentive to make sense of all the past, present and future political, personal and historical arrangements. There was quite a bit to take in and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I guess, for me, reading about vampires, wereanimals, mages, British, Roman empire and elves in the setting which I didn’t really understand, was just a bit messy?! Yes, it’s post-apocalyptic, what’s there to understand, but the fact Roman Empire was involved just made my wires get crossed and I couldn’t picture a modern day with the ancient arrangement. I totally accept, it’s my fault and should not cloud your decision making. Who cares what I think.. Really? If the blurb takes your fancy and you see the 5* reviews on Goodreads/Amazon, then heck- this might just be your cup of tea.
Victory had been alive for thousands of years but because my head wasn’t fully in the story I have a feeling I might have missed the point where the environment was really set hence I wasn’t fully involved. The fact there were weresnakes, a werebadger (?), wolves, oh.. yes, humans as well, of course, in addition to the above mentioned characters was just like a big pot of mix and match. Maybe the fact that there were so many different characters had nothing to do with why the read didn’t sit with me. Perhaps it was the amount of characters? I didn’t feel like I got to know any of them in a really deep level and for a while I remember thinking maybe it should be Toria who’s the main character, not Victory? See? I still can’t put my finger on it, cause I was fairly certain I would have enjoyed this one… Go figure. Must be the moon phases or something that are messing with my reading tastes.
Having made those points I would like to say that Steel Victory totally matches the description for a wonderful read for and audience whose perfect book has a mix of paranormal infused with fantasy infused with end of the world kind of stuff. For you, peeps, this will be a wet dream come true. There is plenty of action, plenty of interesting characters clashing, and I can say not a single bad word for the work the author has done in pulling this all together. I wish I would have liked it more.
From the get go I was thrown into action, from the get go there was a lot of stuff happening and I felt I needed to be super attentive to make sense of all the past, present and future political, personal and historical arrangements. There was quite a bit to take in and it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I guess, for me, reading about vampires, wereanimals, mages, British, Roman empire and elves in the setting which I didn’t really understand, was just a bit messy?! Yes, it’s post-apocalyptic, what’s there to understand, but the fact Roman Empire was involved just made my wires get crossed and I couldn’t picture a modern day with the ancient arrangement. I totally accept, it’s my fault and should not cloud your decision making. Who cares what I think.. Really? If the blurb takes your fancy and you see the 5* reviews on Goodreads/Amazon, then heck- this might just be your cup of tea.
Victory had been alive for thousands of years but because my head wasn’t fully in the story I have a feeling I might have missed the point where the environment was really set hence I wasn’t fully involved. The fact there were weresnakes, a werebadger (?), wolves, oh.. yes, humans as well, of course, in addition to the above mentioned characters was just like a big pot of mix and match. Maybe the fact that there were so many different characters had nothing to do with why the read didn’t sit with me. Perhaps it was the amount of characters? I didn’t feel like I got to know any of them in a really deep level and for a while I remember thinking maybe it should be Toria who’s the main character, not Victory? See? I still can’t put my finger on it, cause I was fairly certain I would have enjoyed this one… Go figure. Must be the moon phases or something that are messing with my reading tastes.
Having made those points I would like to say that Steel Victory totally matches the description for a wonderful read for and audience whose perfect book has a mix of paranormal infused with fantasy infused with end of the world kind of stuff. For you, peeps, this will be a wet dream come true. There is plenty of action, plenty of interesting characters clashing, and I can say not a single bad word for the work the author has done in pulling this all together. I wish I would have liked it more.
May 24, 2016
tldr: 4.5 stars - fascinating mixed genre world, very RPG-able, and spurs some DMing advice at the end.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reviewer e-copy of this book from the author, who is both a friend and one of the players in my Friday night D&D game.
It's very difficult to pigeonhole this book into a single genre. It's a post apocalyptic story, set in a city at the edge of the american wasteland after some nuclear war (WWIII?).
It's an alternate history, not just because of this war, but also because the Roman Empire never fell, and in the old world its primary opponent seems to be the British Empire, and the city that's the focus of the story is like an independent Greek city-state that serves as a neutral buffer zone between their respective new world colonies.
It's paranormal-fantasy because... well, elves, were-creatures, wizards, and vampires. Thankfully no one sparkles and the relationships tend away from high school level drama, and more toward mature adult.
There's a lot going on in the too short 215 pages including an invasion by one of the empires that happens to coincide with a flareup of humanist activity within the city and the problems that causes. It's a rather on-point topic at the moment, but handled pretty well by the author.
The difficulty in assigning Steel Victory to a specific genre is never once an issue while reading it. You'll find yourself far too engaged in wanting to know what happens next to bother worrying about it!
My only issue with Steel Victory is that the author lets you look behind the DM's screen a couple of times, wanting you to know that there is a reason for this, that, or the other thing. It's something I recognize, since I've done it myself at the table. Feeling the need to prove that I know what I'm doing and not just making it up as I go along (even worse when that's exactly what I'm doing). Learning to have confidence in your ability to manage your table, to trust your players/readers to have faith in you takes some work.
But remember, you already have buy in. They sat at your table, they bought your book. They want to have a good time, and they're willing to go along for the ride, even if they can't see the background work that goes into it!
Review originally written for my blog.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reviewer e-copy of this book from the author, who is both a friend and one of the players in my Friday night D&D game.
It's very difficult to pigeonhole this book into a single genre. It's a post apocalyptic story, set in a city at the edge of the american wasteland after some nuclear war (WWIII?).
It's an alternate history, not just because of this war, but also because the Roman Empire never fell, and in the old world its primary opponent seems to be the British Empire, and the city that's the focus of the story is like an independent Greek city-state that serves as a neutral buffer zone between their respective new world colonies.
It's paranormal-fantasy because... well, elves, were-creatures, wizards, and vampires. Thankfully no one sparkles and the relationships tend away from high school level drama, and more toward mature adult.
There's a lot going on in the too short 215 pages including an invasion by one of the empires that happens to coincide with a flareup of humanist activity within the city and the problems that causes. It's a rather on-point topic at the moment, but handled pretty well by the author.
The difficulty in assigning Steel Victory to a specific genre is never once an issue while reading it. You'll find yourself far too engaged in wanting to know what happens next to bother worrying about it!
My only issue with Steel Victory is that the author lets you look behind the DM's screen a couple of times, wanting you to know that there is a reason for this, that, or the other thing. It's something I recognize, since I've done it myself at the table. Feeling the need to prove that I know what I'm doing and not just making it up as I go along (even worse when that's exactly what I'm doing). Learning to have confidence in your ability to manage your table, to trust your players/readers to have faith in you takes some work.
But remember, you already have buy in. They sat at your table, they bought your book. They want to have a good time, and they're willing to go along for the ride, even if they can't see the background work that goes into it!
Review originally written for my blog.
July 4, 2015
I'm submitting a review of this that due to scheduling probably won't be up for awhile, and even then I'll just be able to put a link in here to it. So for the time being, something short:
This is a tightly paced novel (no bloat here) that combines elements of alternate history with urban fantasy - think supernatural characters as you'd see in a Charlaine Harris novel but within an alt history present-day world that is one part anachronistic to our reality, one-part post-apocalyptic. As with many of RDSP (Dog Star Book) titles, this is just a start to further volumes of a series set in this universe, and Gribble does pretty well at still making this a fulfilling self-contained story. Though Victory is the titular character, I found her daughter and her daughter's warrior-mage partner to be the most engaging characters, so much that I could see this working within the folds of YA genre fiction. Fans of this type of genre smash up should enjoy this and look forward to further adventures.
This is a tightly paced novel (no bloat here) that combines elements of alternate history with urban fantasy - think supernatural characters as you'd see in a Charlaine Harris novel but within an alt history present-day world that is one part anachronistic to our reality, one-part post-apocalyptic. As with many of RDSP (Dog Star Book) titles, this is just a start to further volumes of a series set in this universe, and Gribble does pretty well at still making this a fulfilling self-contained story. Though Victory is the titular character, I found her daughter and her daughter's warrior-mage partner to be the most engaging characters, so much that I could see this working within the folds of YA genre fiction. Fans of this type of genre smash up should enjoy this and look forward to further adventures.
October 30, 2016
Disclaimer: I'm friends with the author (and wish I were friends with her cats).
This review is super late because I have issues with time. :/ I haven't read much alternate history, but it turns out that I love it! I really enjoyed the political issues facing Limani and how those issues intersected with the tension between magic users and anti-magic humanists. And, of course, the kick-butt heroines. Victory and Toria are awesome separately, each fighting their own battles, but it's Gribble's attention to relationships--the mother/daughter one between Victory and Toria, the romantic one between Victory and Mikelos, and the sibling one between Toria and Kane--that really sets Steel Victory above the rest. I'm looking forward to spending more time with these characters!
This review is super late because I have issues with time. :/ I haven't read much alternate history, but it turns out that I love it! I really enjoyed the political issues facing Limani and how those issues intersected with the tension between magic users and anti-magic humanists. And, of course, the kick-butt heroines. Victory and Toria are awesome separately, each fighting their own battles, but it's Gribble's attention to relationships--the mother/daughter one between Victory and Toria, the romantic one between Victory and Mikelos, and the sibling one between Toria and Kane--that really sets Steel Victory above the rest. I'm looking forward to spending more time with these characters!
September 3, 2018
STEEL VICTORY was everything I'd hoped for--an alternate history/fantasy/dystopian vampire novel with exciting, fast-paced battle sequences set against a backdrop of thorny supernatural politics.
While the vampires and other supernatural creatures adhere to standard tropes, this approach freed up the narrative to be more personal--centered on the characters, their plights, and the conflict they must overcome--rather than on info-dumping.
The female characters are front and center, and these ladies kick a TON of ass. Between the wise elder vampire Victory and her adopted daughter Toria, we experience the world through the eyes of an older woman who's seen it all and a younger woman who is coming of age in a world where expectations and prejudices can kill. Both voices are unique, and the way Gribble interwove the two story arcs kept me flipping pages and wanting more when I was done.
The only criticism I have is that the geography of the world seemed vague at times, perhaps a pitfall of joining characters _in media res_ where they understand the trappings of the world but the reader may not. However, the fact that there are several books in the series is an excellent sign that more fantastic world-building and exciting adventure awaits.
After this intriguing first installment, Gribble's got me hooked for the series.
While the vampires and other supernatural creatures adhere to standard tropes, this approach freed up the narrative to be more personal--centered on the characters, their plights, and the conflict they must overcome--rather than on info-dumping.
The female characters are front and center, and these ladies kick a TON of ass. Between the wise elder vampire Victory and her adopted daughter Toria, we experience the world through the eyes of an older woman who's seen it all and a younger woman who is coming of age in a world where expectations and prejudices can kill. Both voices are unique, and the way Gribble interwove the two story arcs kept me flipping pages and wanting more when I was done.
The only criticism I have is that the geography of the world seemed vague at times, perhaps a pitfall of joining characters _in media res_ where they understand the trappings of the world but the reader may not. However, the fact that there are several books in the series is an excellent sign that more fantastic world-building and exciting adventure awaits.
After this intriguing first installment, Gribble's got me hooked for the series.
January 1, 2018
Steel Victory was good. Buy it on my website.
July 5, 2016
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Steel Victory takes place in a future where magical creatures have always been the norm, and still are, even after the apocalypse. The story features Victory (a vampire), who has to deal with the fact that the future of her beloved town of Limani, alongside everything she holds dear, is being threatened. I rushed into it with a large dose of anticipation, but, for some reason, I just didn’t feel any kind of connection with the story.
You would think that reading about all sorts of supernatural creatures and were animals in an alternate future would feel fitting; but for me, it just felt odd. There is also the fact that there is a rather big cast involved in the story; none of which I got to know on a deeper level (which, to me should never be the case).
Steel Victory is the sort of story that wouldn’t fit into any one genre. That, I believe, is a selling point for the story, as it would appeal to a mix of readers. There is something for almost everyone: action and adventure, paranormal fantasy, and post apocalyptic science fiction.
I initially did not appreciate the fact that the action started rather abruptly, right from the first page; but at the end of the day, I ended up liking the fast pace of the story. The plot is actually pretty creative, and there is a nice mix of various types of characters.
Steel Victory is a book that is rather well celebrated on Goodreads and on Amazon. Sadly, the fact that I found it hard to lose myself in the story makes it so that I’m not one of those celebrating it. I do wish I was, though.
Steel Victory takes place in a future where magical creatures have always been the norm, and still are, even after the apocalypse. The story features Victory (a vampire), who has to deal with the fact that the future of her beloved town of Limani, alongside everything she holds dear, is being threatened. I rushed into it with a large dose of anticipation, but, for some reason, I just didn’t feel any kind of connection with the story.
You would think that reading about all sorts of supernatural creatures and were animals in an alternate future would feel fitting; but for me, it just felt odd. There is also the fact that there is a rather big cast involved in the story; none of which I got to know on a deeper level (which, to me should never be the case).
Steel Victory is the sort of story that wouldn’t fit into any one genre. That, I believe, is a selling point for the story, as it would appeal to a mix of readers. There is something for almost everyone: action and adventure, paranormal fantasy, and post apocalyptic science fiction.
I initially did not appreciate the fact that the action started rather abruptly, right from the first page; but at the end of the day, I ended up liking the fast pace of the story. The plot is actually pretty creative, and there is a nice mix of various types of characters.
Steel Victory is a book that is rather well celebrated on Goodreads and on Amazon. Sadly, the fact that I found it hard to lose myself in the story makes it so that I’m not one of those celebrating it. I do wish I was, though.
March 8, 2018
This was absolutely one of the best debut novels I've ever read. It combined wonderful elements of fantasy, alternative history, action, character development into a really fun read. Will definitely be sharing this with friends.
June 6, 2024
J.L. Gribble (https://jlgribble.com) is the author of nearly 10 novels. Steel Victory was published in 2015 and is the first book in her Steel Empires series. It is the 38th book I completed reading in 2024.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.
This series of novels is set in an alternative universe. The dominant societies in North America are colonies of the British in the North and the Roman Empire in the South. Between them lies Limani, an independent city-state that acts as a buffer to the two world powers.
The other significant difference in this universe is the presence of real vampires and other supernormal beings. Victory is a city councilwoman, the Master of the City of Limani. Her leadership has gone a long way to bring a balance between the human and supernatural citizens of Limani. Before retiring and becoming a statesman, she was a skilled mercenary. That, along with her life experiences, has enabled Victory to be a very effective leader for Limani. Fortunately, her vampire heritage has given her over 700 years of life experiences to draw upon.
Twenty years earlier, Victory had adopted a baby human girl. This girl, Toria, has grown into a young woman and is becoming a powerful Mage. Toria has her sights set on following her mother as a mercenary in the role of a warrior-mage. For now, she is just battling college-level chemistry.
Most vampires have taken on Daywalkers - humans that watch over and protect them while they sleep. For Victory, this role falls to Mikelos. He is a formidable fighter and her current love interest.
The tranquility of Limani is being threatened from within by the humanist movement. They want the supernatural citizens out of Limani and the city to come under human rule. From the South comes an increasing threat of invasion by the Roman Empire. This situation is complicated by traitors within the city.
I enjoyed the 6.5 hours I spent reading this 216-page fantasy. Vampires play a significant role in this novel. I am not normally a fan of books with vampires, but the author subtly wove them into this story. The chosen cover art is ok, but it could have been better. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.
This series of novels is set in an alternative universe. The dominant societies in North America are colonies of the British in the North and the Roman Empire in the South. Between them lies Limani, an independent city-state that acts as a buffer to the two world powers.
The other significant difference in this universe is the presence of real vampires and other supernormal beings. Victory is a city councilwoman, the Master of the City of Limani. Her leadership has gone a long way to bring a balance between the human and supernatural citizens of Limani. Before retiring and becoming a statesman, she was a skilled mercenary. That, along with her life experiences, has enabled Victory to be a very effective leader for Limani. Fortunately, her vampire heritage has given her over 700 years of life experiences to draw upon.
Twenty years earlier, Victory had adopted a baby human girl. This girl, Toria, has grown into a young woman and is becoming a powerful Mage. Toria has her sights set on following her mother as a mercenary in the role of a warrior-mage. For now, she is just battling college-level chemistry.
Most vampires have taken on Daywalkers - humans that watch over and protect them while they sleep. For Victory, this role falls to Mikelos. He is a formidable fighter and her current love interest.
The tranquility of Limani is being threatened from within by the humanist movement. They want the supernatural citizens out of Limani and the city to come under human rule. From the South comes an increasing threat of invasion by the Roman Empire. This situation is complicated by traitors within the city.
I enjoyed the 6.5 hours I spent reading this 216-page fantasy. Vampires play a significant role in this novel. I am not normally a fan of books with vampires, but the author subtly wove them into this story. The chosen cover art is ok, but it could have been better. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
February 27, 2021
J. L. Gribble has created a captivating alternate reality in her debut novel, full of magic and vampires and were-creatures. The story centers around a centuries old female vampire named Victory and her adopted family, and the city-state she's cultivated as a safe zone between the British and Romans empires.
Victory has tried to step back in her control of the city politics, but as often happens, subversive elements creep in and try to undermine all she has accomplished. A new Roman Emperor also threatens to destroy the peace that has been established by treaty for decades.
But her family is not one to be trifled with. They all have military training and varying degrees of experience in the arts of war. A mercenary guild helps protect the city as well, with ties that go back to the birth of the city. But their little hamlet is no match for an entire legion from either the Brits or the Romans, so they must rely on savvy politics to keep their status as a free-state.
The characters are all singular, well-developed, and interesting. She uses strong female characters as the main points of view, while not a new thing, it does add flavor to the historical fantasy trope, especially Victory as a matriarch of the city-state and the anchor of the story.
Mrs. Gribble's prose is excellent, a very well-done novel from a first-time author. The story is tight and moves quickly. It drew me right in. I would definitely qualify this novel as a page-turner. She keeps cranking up the tension, and just when you think things couldn't get any worse, she takes up another notch.
The timeframe this story takes place in is hard to pin down. The alternate history of Romans and Greeks still playing a large part on the world scene would imply an older venue, but it's post-apocalyptic, taking place long after a nuclear war that has devastated much of the land. Certain types of technology have been rendered useless by Elven magic but there is a history of gun making that could be taken out of our current science. The history of this world intrigues me and I hope we find out more about it in the other books in this series. She currently has this planned as a trilogy with the next book set to release sometime in 2016.
If you like vampires or urban fantasy this should be in your wheelhouse. Highly recommended.
Victory has tried to step back in her control of the city politics, but as often happens, subversive elements creep in and try to undermine all she has accomplished. A new Roman Emperor also threatens to destroy the peace that has been established by treaty for decades.
But her family is not one to be trifled with. They all have military training and varying degrees of experience in the arts of war. A mercenary guild helps protect the city as well, with ties that go back to the birth of the city. But their little hamlet is no match for an entire legion from either the Brits or the Romans, so they must rely on savvy politics to keep their status as a free-state.
The characters are all singular, well-developed, and interesting. She uses strong female characters as the main points of view, while not a new thing, it does add flavor to the historical fantasy trope, especially Victory as a matriarch of the city-state and the anchor of the story.
Mrs. Gribble's prose is excellent, a very well-done novel from a first-time author. The story is tight and moves quickly. It drew me right in. I would definitely qualify this novel as a page-turner. She keeps cranking up the tension, and just when you think things couldn't get any worse, she takes up another notch.
The timeframe this story takes place in is hard to pin down. The alternate history of Romans and Greeks still playing a large part on the world scene would imply an older venue, but it's post-apocalyptic, taking place long after a nuclear war that has devastated much of the land. Certain types of technology have been rendered useless by Elven magic but there is a history of gun making that could be taken out of our current science. The history of this world intrigues me and I hope we find out more about it in the other books in this series. She currently has this planned as a trilogy with the next book set to release sometime in 2016.
If you like vampires or urban fantasy this should be in your wheelhouse. Highly recommended.
July 25, 2023
There are some fun elements to this story - Gribble's got elves and vampires and were-creatures all cohabitating in a post-apocalyptic setting in which the Roman Empire has been reinstated. Oh, and there's magic. Given that entertaining chaos, I think she could have benefitted from clearer exposition and perhaps fewer POV characters. My main objections to the book were political, so YMMV. I found the way the characters gleefully embraced martial law a bit off-putting. Screw all this democracy stuff, right? Also, I'm just past the point in my life where I can see capital punishment as just or righteous.
September 28, 2025
An interesting alternate history world (but with vampires, werewolves, and magic). The first of a series, it gets the ball rolling for us to see more of the world Gribble has created for us. Also included, at the end, a short story providing some background for the characters we meet in this novel.
December 10, 2017
Interesting. Easy read. Hard to understand the world with just this first book. Also hard to understand the magic system.
July 1, 2023
Steel Victory follows several protagonists including Victory, a vampire and leader of her free city state Limani and her human adopted-daughter Toria – a mage bonded to another mage to form a warrior pair. They are still in training and not yet combat ready but soon must face the realities of war whether they’re ready or not.
Victory is embroiled in the rising of an anti-Fae alliance within the council that governs the city and also within the populous itself. Brutal assaults and banning of Fae individuals from businesses sees injustice and discrimination made plain.
While the Roman army marches on the Limani, Victory is forced to battle on two fronts: a physical war looming and an internal Civil War brewing.
Review
Gribble’s vast world building skilfully uses alternate history and fantasy that is highly detailed while still fast-paced. The clever plot weaves history and magic and is a masterstroke by Gribble.
Conclusion
Highly recommended to fantasy readers, alternate history, occult, LGBTQI and readers who enjoy skilful and vast world-building. A great read!
Victory is embroiled in the rising of an anti-Fae alliance within the council that governs the city and also within the populous itself. Brutal assaults and banning of Fae individuals from businesses sees injustice and discrimination made plain.
While the Roman army marches on the Limani, Victory is forced to battle on two fronts: a physical war looming and an internal Civil War brewing.
Review
Gribble’s vast world building skilfully uses alternate history and fantasy that is highly detailed while still fast-paced. The clever plot weaves history and magic and is a masterstroke by Gribble.
Conclusion
Highly recommended to fantasy readers, alternate history, occult, LGBTQI and readers who enjoy skilful and vast world-building. A great read!
June 15, 2016
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
This is a doozy to know how to categorize -- it's Post-Apocalyptic (but not really dystopian), it's Futuristic (but little tech and everyone uses swords), it's Urban Fantasy (but, pretty different from what you've seen before). Basically, this is the kind of thing that
Mike Underwood has been talking about, the kind of thing that Angry Robot does so well when they list 3 or 4 sub-genres on the back of a book. So, you'll have to settle for me saying it's a good story about vampires, weres of various stripes, mages, mercenaries, humans, elves, Romans, and Brits.
The first thing to talk about is the world building -- it's great. Gribble doesn't get bogged down in the details of the world, but you get the sense that they're present. And what you are given demonstrate a fleshed-out reality -- the magic system, the political structures (within the city and internationally), the races, the history (personal and global) -- really she has it all together here. Better yet, she (mostly) explains it bit by bit in a way that serves the story, not bringing it to a halt to give us a lesson.
I've started -- and deleted -- a few versions of a couple of paragraphs talking about the characters and plotlines -- they've been too detailed/spoilery/boring or vague/confusing/boring. And it's not her, it's me -- this is an interesting book full of characters you want more of in situations that push them to be their best. I feel really bad that I can't come up with anything here that works. So let me borrow the official cover copy:
From the action of the beginning, to the political intrigue, to the action-filled end this was a pretty entertaining read. I liked this one, I look forward to getting back to this world and characters, and do think that anyone open to reading this genre-mix would appreciate it.
Disclaimer: The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
This is a doozy to know how to categorize -- it's Post-Apocalyptic (but not really dystopian), it's Futuristic (but little tech and everyone uses swords), it's Urban Fantasy (but, pretty different from what you've seen before). Basically, this is the kind of thing that
Mike Underwood has been talking about, the kind of thing that Angry Robot does so well when they list 3 or 4 sub-genres on the back of a book. So, you'll have to settle for me saying it's a good story about vampires, weres of various stripes, mages, mercenaries, humans, elves, Romans, and Brits.
The first thing to talk about is the world building -- it's great. Gribble doesn't get bogged down in the details of the world, but you get the sense that they're present. And what you are given demonstrate a fleshed-out reality -- the magic system, the political structures (within the city and internationally), the races, the history (personal and global) -- really she has it all together here. Better yet, she (mostly) explains it bit by bit in a way that serves the story, not bringing it to a halt to give us a lesson.
I've started -- and deleted -- a few versions of a couple of paragraphs talking about the characters and plotlines -- they've been too detailed/spoilery/boring or vague/confusing/boring. And it's not her, it's me -- this is an interesting book full of characters you want more of in situations that push them to be their best. I feel really bad that I can't come up with anything here that works. So let me borrow the official cover copy:
One hundred years ago, the vampire Victory retired from a centuries-long mercenary career. She settled in Limani, the independent city-state acting as a neutral zone between the British and Roman colonies on the New Continent.The last portion of the book wasn't entirely satisfying -- I liked the way the main storylines wrapped up, and appreciated that by and large you don't have to come back for a sequel or two for some real closure. But things felt a bit rushed, and I had a couple of other little hangups. There was one character that seemed to get dropped partway through (I don't think that's what happened, but felt that way), which was troublesome. About the same time, a cultural movement seemed to peter out a little too quickly. But that could be explained by a focus (both in the narrative and in the city) on the military action. Still, a bit rushed is better than very rushed, or abruptly paused to set up a second book.
Twenty years ago, Victory adopted a human baby girl, who soon showed signs of magical ability.
Today, Victory is a city councilwoman, balancing the human and supernatural populations within Limani. Her daughter Toria is a warrior-mage, balancing life as an apprentice mercenary with college chemistry courses.
Tomorrow, the Roman Empire invades.
From the action of the beginning, to the political intrigue, to the action-filled end this was a pretty entertaining read. I liked this one, I look forward to getting back to this world and characters, and do think that anyone open to reading this genre-mix would appreciate it.
Disclaimer: The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 26, 2016
Okay, so this was an interesting but uneven read. The writing itself is polished; clearly the author spent a lot of time making sure the writing was smooth. The prose isn't fancy, but it's good solid workhorse prose that gets the job done, which was exactly what it needed to be.
Where this book fails is in the actual world-building. Too much was going on, as if the author was throwing in everything she thought was cool, without thinking of the implications of how it all fit together. There's a city with vampires, werecreatures of various types, elves, elementally-based soul-bonding warrior mages; a mercenary guild existing alongside modern science and universities; a post-nuclear wasteland with mutants; the British and Roman Empires somehow still coexisting; a world-altering spell that prevents the manufacture of new guns but not bullets, causing a weird anachronistic blend of swords and antique guns, horses and electric cars; and also this spell was intended to de-nuke the world but there is also still a warhead that was "missed" during the disarmament?
One or two of those elements could have worked. But having all of them at once created a patchwork world that didn't make sense with itself. The most relevant aspects of the world were also never explained. What are the actual parameters of the elves' world-altering de-nuking spell? What historical alterations resulted in the Roman and British empires co-existing, and why have the Romans not advanced culturally in the past few thousand years? If guns are so rare and precious now, why are they going back to the gladius, an extremely primitive sword that is only really effective in certain military situations that are not relevant anymore? Have their smithing and weapon-making techniques not advanced?
I don't need an in-depth alternate history lesson, but a few choice sentences here and there could have gone a long way towards smoothing out the world, or at least giving the impression that the author has done the research. But as it is, I get the impression the author didn't think these things through well enough. Even in a fantasy--especially in a fantasy--there are logical implications that come from setting up a world a certain way, and in order to help with suspension of disbelief, these implications need to be thought through. As it is, the author could've just made generic empires A and B, and it would've made no difference on the plot, and certainly would've raised fewer questions.
The characters themselves suffer from a similar problem of having too many awesome powers. They all have a mish-mash arsenal of traits and powers that read like they're drawn from like three different RP settings, rather than being based on any internally consistent mythos.
I feel awful being so harsh on this book, but obviously this person loves this world and really wants to be a writer of good urban fantasy. Her prose, as I said, is polished; and this is what she got her degree in. But I think she needs some time to mature as a writer, and part of that means learning to kill her darlings, and another part of that means finding beta readers who will ask her the hard questions. I've walked this path myself; I'm still walking it. I know she can do the same.
Where this book fails is in the actual world-building. Too much was going on, as if the author was throwing in everything she thought was cool, without thinking of the implications of how it all fit together. There's a city with vampires, werecreatures of various types, elves, elementally-based soul-bonding warrior mages; a mercenary guild existing alongside modern science and universities; a post-nuclear wasteland with mutants; the British and Roman Empires somehow still coexisting; a world-altering spell that prevents the manufacture of new guns but not bullets, causing a weird anachronistic blend of swords and antique guns, horses and electric cars; and also this spell was intended to de-nuke the world but there is also still a warhead that was "missed" during the disarmament?
One or two of those elements could have worked. But having all of them at once created a patchwork world that didn't make sense with itself. The most relevant aspects of the world were also never explained. What are the actual parameters of the elves' world-altering de-nuking spell? What historical alterations resulted in the Roman and British empires co-existing, and why have the Romans not advanced culturally in the past few thousand years? If guns are so rare and precious now, why are they going back to the gladius, an extremely primitive sword that is only really effective in certain military situations that are not relevant anymore? Have their smithing and weapon-making techniques not advanced?
I don't need an in-depth alternate history lesson, but a few choice sentences here and there could have gone a long way towards smoothing out the world, or at least giving the impression that the author has done the research. But as it is, I get the impression the author didn't think these things through well enough. Even in a fantasy--especially in a fantasy--there are logical implications that come from setting up a world a certain way, and in order to help with suspension of disbelief, these implications need to be thought through. As it is, the author could've just made generic empires A and B, and it would've made no difference on the plot, and certainly would've raised fewer questions.
The characters themselves suffer from a similar problem of having too many awesome powers. They all have a mish-mash arsenal of traits and powers that read like they're drawn from like three different RP settings, rather than being based on any internally consistent mythos.
I feel awful being so harsh on this book, but obviously this person loves this world and really wants to be a writer of good urban fantasy. Her prose, as I said, is polished; and this is what she got her degree in. But I think she needs some time to mature as a writer, and part of that means learning to kill her darlings, and another part of that means finding beta readers who will ask her the hard questions. I've walked this path myself; I'm still walking it. I know she can do the same.
July 10, 2016
Characters
Victory, Toria, and Mikelos are all interesting characters. I liked Max and Seri as well. It was interesting to see all the different creatures from vampires to elves integrated into a 'normal' society. However, most of the characters' actions and unique personalities seemed forced at times and didn't line up. They didn't seem terribly complex either, but neither were they one-denominational. They just didn't have that special something that really sparked my interest. Despite their somewhat flawed and lengthy character development, to me the secondary characters were the legs that held everyone else up.
Plot
I didn't feel like there was anything particularly clever, or interesting about this plot. The writing itself was fine, if not a little mainstream, but the plot was boring. I found myself struggling to get through it. I took long breaks between chapters and the book just didn't seem to end. I felt like it took forever to make a point and by the time the point or plot twist was made it was too late - I'd already figured it out.
The first 10% and the last 10% of this book are great! Sadly, I couldn't lose myself in this world. I felt as though there was too much information in some areas while there was not enough information in others. This book and idea had so much potential that just seemed lost in a sluggish plot line.
Overall
This book fell flat for me. The open scene was great! I really loved the action and introduction to the characters, after that is stagnated and just went downhill fast. I felt like 50% of the book wasn't really necessary. I get that most origin stories and character development take some time but this just took too long. This book is standalone enough that you could read it and be fine but it sets up a plot nicely for a second book. There were limited errors and the author kept pretty well to the character they started with but sometimes the characters knew things that only their compatriot would know...which made whose POV it was a little confusing.
If you need every detail explained and like books that go into detail about what it takes to run a government, this book will really interest you. It for sure covers the dynamics of a council and what it means to deal with all the complexities of a social structure. Sadly it just wasn't my cup of tea - I really wanted to love it but it just didn't catch my interest.
Rating
3 stars.
It was okay. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, I was pretty neutral over the entire plot/characters/setting. Overall it was too much detail with not enough of everything else. If you like exploring human complexities and the psychology of how people react this may interest you. Also vampires, elves, and all sorts of shifters!
More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com
Victory, Toria, and Mikelos are all interesting characters. I liked Max and Seri as well. It was interesting to see all the different creatures from vampires to elves integrated into a 'normal' society. However, most of the characters' actions and unique personalities seemed forced at times and didn't line up. They didn't seem terribly complex either, but neither were they one-denominational. They just didn't have that special something that really sparked my interest. Despite their somewhat flawed and lengthy character development, to me the secondary characters were the legs that held everyone else up.
Plot
I didn't feel like there was anything particularly clever, or interesting about this plot. The writing itself was fine, if not a little mainstream, but the plot was boring. I found myself struggling to get through it. I took long breaks between chapters and the book just didn't seem to end. I felt like it took forever to make a point and by the time the point or plot twist was made it was too late - I'd already figured it out.
The first 10% and the last 10% of this book are great! Sadly, I couldn't lose myself in this world. I felt as though there was too much information in some areas while there was not enough information in others. This book and idea had so much potential that just seemed lost in a sluggish plot line.
Overall
This book fell flat for me. The open scene was great! I really loved the action and introduction to the characters, after that is stagnated and just went downhill fast. I felt like 50% of the book wasn't really necessary. I get that most origin stories and character development take some time but this just took too long. This book is standalone enough that you could read it and be fine but it sets up a plot nicely for a second book. There were limited errors and the author kept pretty well to the character they started with but sometimes the characters knew things that only their compatriot would know...which made whose POV it was a little confusing.
If you need every detail explained and like books that go into detail about what it takes to run a government, this book will really interest you. It for sure covers the dynamics of a council and what it means to deal with all the complexities of a social structure. Sadly it just wasn't my cup of tea - I really wanted to love it but it just didn't catch my interest.
Rating
3 stars.
It was okay. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, I was pretty neutral over the entire plot/characters/setting. Overall it was too much detail with not enough of everything else. If you like exploring human complexities and the psychology of how people react this may interest you. Also vampires, elves, and all sorts of shifters!
More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com
November 14, 2015
J. L. Gribble has created a captivating alternate reality in her debut novel, full of magic and vampires and were-creatures. The story centers around a centuries old female vampire named Victory and her adopted family, and the city-state she's cultivated as a safe zone between the British and Romans empires.
Victory has tried to step back in her control of the city politics, but as often happens, subversive elements creep in and try to undermine all she has accomplished. A new Roman Emperor also threatens to destroy the peace that has been established by treaty for decades.
But her family is not one to be trifled with. They all have military training and varying degrees of experience in the arts of war. A mercenary guild helps protect the city as well, with ties that go back to the birth of the city. But their little hamlet is no match for an entire legion from either the Brits or the Romans, so they must rely on savvy politics to keep their status as a free-state.
The characters are all singular, well-developed, and interesting. She uses strong female characters as the main points of view, while not a new thing, it does add flavor to the historical fantasy trope, especially Victory as a matriarch of the city-state and the anchor of the story.
Mrs. Gribble's prose is excellent, a very well-done novel from a first-time author. The story is tight and moves quickly. It drew me right in. I would definitely qualify this novel as a page-turner. She keeps cranking up the tension, and just when you think things couldn't get any worse, she takes up another notch.
The timeframe this story takes place in is hard to pin down. The alternate history of Romans and Greeks still playing a large part on the world scene would imply an older venue, but it's post-apocalyptic, taking place long after a nuclear war that has devastated much of the land. Certain types of technology have been rendered useless by Elven magic but there is a history of gun making that could be taken out of our current science. The history of this world intrigues me and I hope we find out more about it in the other books in this series. She currently has this planned as a trilogy with the next book set to release sometime in 2016.
If you like vampires or urban fantasy this should be in your wheelhouse. Highly recommended.
Victory has tried to step back in her control of the city politics, but as often happens, subversive elements creep in and try to undermine all she has accomplished. A new Roman Emperor also threatens to destroy the peace that has been established by treaty for decades.
But her family is not one to be trifled with. They all have military training and varying degrees of experience in the arts of war. A mercenary guild helps protect the city as well, with ties that go back to the birth of the city. But their little hamlet is no match for an entire legion from either the Brits or the Romans, so they must rely on savvy politics to keep their status as a free-state.
The characters are all singular, well-developed, and interesting. She uses strong female characters as the main points of view, while not a new thing, it does add flavor to the historical fantasy trope, especially Victory as a matriarch of the city-state and the anchor of the story.
Mrs. Gribble's prose is excellent, a very well-done novel from a first-time author. The story is tight and moves quickly. It drew me right in. I would definitely qualify this novel as a page-turner. She keeps cranking up the tension, and just when you think things couldn't get any worse, she takes up another notch.
The timeframe this story takes place in is hard to pin down. The alternate history of Romans and Greeks still playing a large part on the world scene would imply an older venue, but it's post-apocalyptic, taking place long after a nuclear war that has devastated much of the land. Certain types of technology have been rendered useless by Elven magic but there is a history of gun making that could be taken out of our current science. The history of this world intrigues me and I hope we find out more about it in the other books in this series. She currently has this planned as a trilogy with the next book set to release sometime in 2016.
If you like vampires or urban fantasy this should be in your wheelhouse. Highly recommended.
November 1, 2016
An uneven smorgasbord of fantasy and urban fantasy tropes jumble together in a post-nuclear apocalypse setting. A millennia after the nuclear war, society has reformed with humans, elves, vampires, mages, and were-creatures of all sorts. The political entities are the New World Greek city-state of Limani and the British and Roman Empires somehow revived after the wars. This unlikely mix stretches the suspension of disbelief to the breaking point in its refusal to world-build with any sort of coherence.
POVs alternate between a thousand-y.o. vampire, Victory, as she juggles the politics of Limani dealing with both internal xenophobic pro-humanists and external Roman aggression and that of her adopted, mage-warrior teenaged daughter offering the angst-ridden, young adult angle.
Eyebrow raising developments lie around every plot twist. The implication of a bonded pair of mage-warriors. The implication of said pair being separated. An unexplained curse that stops one from doing magic. The threat of a 1000-y.o. nuclear missile without a delivery system.
The convoluted cultural and historical structure assumed in the tale would strengthen with careful pruning. This would allow the two themes of conservative xenophobia and imperial expansionism to take root. Each has merits worth exploring.
I received my copy of this novel directly from the author through bookreviewdirectory.wordpress.com.
POVs alternate between a thousand-y.o. vampire, Victory, as she juggles the politics of Limani dealing with both internal xenophobic pro-humanists and external Roman aggression and that of her adopted, mage-warrior teenaged daughter offering the angst-ridden, young adult angle.
Eyebrow raising developments lie around every plot twist. The implication of a bonded pair of mage-warriors. The implication of said pair being separated. An unexplained curse that stops one from doing magic. The threat of a 1000-y.o. nuclear missile without a delivery system.
The convoluted cultural and historical structure assumed in the tale would strengthen with careful pruning. This would allow the two themes of conservative xenophobia and imperial expansionism to take root. Each has merits worth exploring.
I received my copy of this novel directly from the author through bookreviewdirectory.wordpress.com.
September 29, 2015
Short form: Good stuff. Mixed-genre world, vampire heroine, shapeshifters, political intrigue, magic, and great characters.
By mixed-genre, I mean fantasy, post-apocalyptic, alternate history, urban fantasy, and paranormal. It's like Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" meets Ilona Andrews' "Kate Daniels" series. Only complicated.
So we've got a city (Limani) with a humanist bent and a vampire mercenary/heroine as a political figure. She's got a lot on her plate, obviously, what with being stuck between two empires and trying to raise a family. It would be much easier on her if the Romans weren't invading, of course...
I'm a big fan of the way she treats her undead protagonist. I like having a human being inside the corpse. Sparkles and/or brooding darkness both offend in different ways; Victory is neither!
A lot gets packed into a very short space. Multiple points of view give the reader a much better idea of what's happening than any single character can have. I'm rather envious of the way she manages to pack everything together and still not sound hurried. Pages fly by as you read, whisking you rapidly to the conclusion, where... um. No, go read it for yourself. No spoilers here!
Well? Why are you still reading *this?* Go read STEEL VICTORY!
By mixed-genre, I mean fantasy, post-apocalyptic, alternate history, urban fantasy, and paranormal. It's like Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" meets Ilona Andrews' "Kate Daniels" series. Only complicated.
So we've got a city (Limani) with a humanist bent and a vampire mercenary/heroine as a political figure. She's got a lot on her plate, obviously, what with being stuck between two empires and trying to raise a family. It would be much easier on her if the Romans weren't invading, of course...
I'm a big fan of the way she treats her undead protagonist. I like having a human being inside the corpse. Sparkles and/or brooding darkness both offend in different ways; Victory is neither!
A lot gets packed into a very short space. Multiple points of view give the reader a much better idea of what's happening than any single character can have. I'm rather envious of the way she manages to pack everything together and still not sound hurried. Pages fly by as you read, whisking you rapidly to the conclusion, where... um. No, go read it for yourself. No spoilers here!
Well? Why are you still reading *this?* Go read STEEL VICTORY!
December 28, 2015
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author of this book, and we share a publisher. STEEL VICTORY is the sort of book I would devour anyway, and eagerly so. Part alternate history, part urban fantasy, and part quasi-dystopian science fiction, this book tells the story of conflict on both large and small scales through the eyes of mother and daughter Victory (a centuries-old vampire) and Toria (half of a warrior-mage duo with her friend Kane). Both women have battles to fight, internal and external. This book has plenty of action and suspense for adventure novel fans, but also a lot of moments where strong women wrestle with right and wrong. There's also some political intrigue pitting a group of anti-magic and supernatural being "humanists" against those who are undead, magic users, elves, or werecreatures, and this storyline was a compelling allegory for injustice and prejudice in our own world. I can't wait for the sequel's release in 2016!
October 11, 2015
The most unique feature of this debut novel is the setting--a highly creative mélange of genres (contemporary, fantasy, mystery, alternate history, to name a few) best described as postmodern urban fantasy. Strong characters and world building (free of info-dumps) and a lot of original touches. (I especially liked the ‘daywalker’ concept and the magic system.) The story unfolds much like a mystery, starting with an opening action scene you’d expect in a James Bond film, with plenty of clues, hints, allegation and investigation to follow. Yes, it’s fantasy, but theme-wise, there are some deftly dealt with parallels to ongoing issues in our own society. One nice bit of realism is the way injuries are handled (and there are plenty)—something traditionally ignored in most genres. Fans of Anne Bishop’s WRITTEN IN RED series should like this.
August 10, 2016
Steel Victory is a unique and entertaining novel that crosses several genres - alternate history, coming of age, sci-fi and paranormal.
The world is in a post-apocalyptic era after a nuclear war destroyed much of the world. Twenty years ago, Victory, a vampire, adopted a human baby, Toria. Toria has magical powers. Now, Victory is trying to lead her city, while Toria is a warrior protecting the land and going to college.
There is a invasion, political upheaval and and uprising putting so much in jeopardy.
What really excels in this book are the characters. They have a depth that makes them intriguing. Gribble writes with ease and the book moves along quickly without missing something important.
An intriguing, entertaining genre-bending novel.
The world is in a post-apocalyptic era after a nuclear war destroyed much of the world. Twenty years ago, Victory, a vampire, adopted a human baby, Toria. Toria has magical powers. Now, Victory is trying to lead her city, while Toria is a warrior protecting the land and going to college.
There is a invasion, political upheaval and and uprising putting so much in jeopardy.
What really excels in this book are the characters. They have a depth that makes them intriguing. Gribble writes with ease and the book moves along quickly without missing something important.
An intriguing, entertaining genre-bending novel.
January 25, 2016
I have two disclaimers. First, I’m a friend of the author. Second, a genre-bending supernatural-fantasy alternate-history adventure is right in my wheelhouse – there was no way I wasn’t going to love this.
The novel’s structure is unusual. There are no chapters, and only section breaks to show a change in point-of-view between the two main characters or a passage in time. This initially threw me not to have those familiar mileposts in the narrative. Instead, Gribble’s crisp writing and sharp characters prosper in the format, carrying a brisk pace that befits the action. Reading Steel Victory is like binge watching your new favorite Netflix series.
The novel’s structure is unusual. There are no chapters, and only section breaks to show a change in point-of-view between the two main characters or a passage in time. This initially threw me not to have those familiar mileposts in the narrative. Instead, Gribble’s crisp writing and sharp characters prosper in the format, carrying a brisk pace that befits the action. Reading Steel Victory is like binge watching your new favorite Netflix series.
August 28, 2016
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I started this novel. I haven’t been reading vampire novels recently simply because of how overdone and cliché they have become. However, this novel is so much more. Vampires may be listed in the synopsis, but they are only a small part of the story.
It’s hard to pinpoint what makes this novel so enjoyable. The only complaint I have is how short it is. If I didn’t know this was part of series, I would be heartbroken. Filled with interesting character leads by powerfully inspiring females, Steel Victory has a storyline that is a joy to watch enfold. I am already looking at book #2.
It’s hard to pinpoint what makes this novel so enjoyable. The only complaint I have is how short it is. If I didn’t know this was part of series, I would be heartbroken. Filled with interesting character leads by powerfully inspiring females, Steel Victory has a storyline that is a joy to watch enfold. I am already looking at book #2.
July 28, 2015
A delicious blend of genres from urban fantasy to sword & sorcery. Readers will greatly enjoy this deviously raucous romp through a modern world filled with were-creatures, mercenaries, and Victory — a fanged kickass heroine who must squelch her adopted city’s political divisiveness before the Roman Empire can break down the proverbial gates and tear her world apart.
January 17, 2016
This fantasy has a fascinating combination of elements. Vampires, were-creatures, and mages are the supernatural in a setting that feels something more than timeless—more like past, present, and future all at once. Author J.L. Gribble clearly has a passion for, and command of, the genre.
August 8, 2016
Good start to a new series - lots of world building, character introductions, and a battle.
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