The Clarity of Cold Steel

by Kevin Wright

Mortise Locke, the Machine City, last bastion of mankind in all its fallen glory, where the sum total of life is cheaper than in part.A poor kid wrung from the city's dregs has been abducted.His family's lost all hope.Enter Detective Shakteel, gumshoe legend in his own mind and maybe - just maybe - a few others. He's the bloodhound loosed on the kid's trail, and it's clear from the get-go that someone wants this hound put down. And they ain't shy about it. Killers keep coming.And the clock keeps ticking...Can Detective Shakteel navigate the labyrinth of Mortise Locke's criminal underworld? Can he follow the trail? Can he dodge death in its pantheon of incarnations to finally find the missing kid?And if he does find him, will he wish he hadn't?

Join Detective Shakteel in this lightning-paced steampunk thriller sure to set your blood to boil.

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Steampunk

266 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 2017

About the author

Kevin Wright studied writing at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell and fully utilized his bachelor’s degree by seeking and attaining employment first as a produce clerk and later as an emergency medical technician and firefighter. His parents are thrilled.
For decades now he has studied a variety of martial arts but steadfastly remains not-tough in any way shape or form. He just likes to pay money to get beat up, apparently.
Kevin Wright peaked intellectually in the seventh grade.
Kevin Wright wrote this bio, and this is how he actually refers to himself while speaking to people, in the third person like some steroid-addled NFL wide receiver.
He enjoys reading a little bit of everything and writing sci fi, fantasy, and horror. He does none of it well. Revelations, his debut novel, is his second venture into the realm of novel writing. His first was nigh-unreadable. Kevin continues to write in his spare time and is currently working on another full length novel.

Reviews

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning I claimed that this book actually had more of a fantasy feeling rather than sci-fi but I’m not entirely happy with that description anymore now that I’ve finished it. Maybe a little bit of urban fantasy if anything but the steampunk and apocalyptic feel definitely took over eventually. I don’t read a lot of detective stories, especially in the SFF genre, so I was surprised to find myself glued to my kindle at multiple points in the story. The chapters’ lengths also really lent themselves to the whole “just one more” at night before going to sleep finally as well as the author’s ability to choose the right times to stop those chapters on tiny cliffhangers throughout.

Organ trading is the main theme in this book and I can’t say that I’ve ever read anything like that before. It was in parts fascinating as well as horrifying. I really appreciated how the main character worked his way through the system for both himself as well as the object of his investigation, having multiple reasons to find out what was going on and how to survive in his world. At the same time though, I was also a bit disappointed by his previous lack of knowledge about these matters as well. If the organ trade and trafficking is really as rampant as this novel made it seem, then how come he didn’t know at least a bit more about it as a private investigator? This also wasn’t the only inconsistency I felt about him. The storytelling very much gave the impression that he didn’t have much money yet he was able to fund what I would assume are big money purchases, such as enough bombs to do… something I don’t want to spoil. A little bit more explanation there would’ve been appreciated and could’ve fixed those doubts. The book is rather short in general but while I would’ve liked more knowledge in some areas (What’s an untouchable? Why are they untouchable? How do other people know they’re untouchable?), overall that did lend itself to a rather smooth and quick read through, especially since the pace was pretty rapid with a mostly linear plot.

It did manage to take me off guard in how it ended. I appreciate it when a conclusion doesn’t have a clear black and white answer or good vs evil. When a character has to make hard decisions and figure out how to live with them. I also appreciated the humor that was sprinkled throughout but sometimes that did take a bit away from the seriousness that some situations warranted. The MC, despite some flaws, felt pretty fleshed out even for such a short novel (compared to the chonkers I often read) but in contrast, the villain felt rather flat and predictable. As a rooter for villainy in my reading, I find a multi-layered villain important to the enjoyment of my books so that was a little bit of a disappointment.

This ended up being a lot longer-winded than I expected. I am apparently in ramble mode right now. So for those that prefer a TLDR for this book — a quick read with multiple pros and cons that told a story that I haven’t quite heard before with the kind of topic that allows for multiple layers of exploration as the author has shown here.

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Clarity of Cold Steel is the first book I read as part of the TBRind - An Indie Author and Reviewer Matching Service created and maintained by The Weatherwax Report.

I asked the author for a copy based on a synopsis and inclusion of steampunk elements.

The story is set in the labyrinth of Mortise Locke - the Machine City, last bastion of mankind tormented by plagues and cruelty. It's a savage world in which people have degenerated and sickness is everywhere. Human organs trade flourishes and those who have no money get used organs on loans. Avinash Shakteel, detective extraordinaire, tries to make ends meet and pay off his new, second quality, liver.

A poor kid, the victim to a neoteric slough, has been abducted. Unluckily, the kid is directly related to Avinash's liver loan holder.
Finding the kid becomes a priority and it doesn't sit well with mysterious forces that abducted him. Everything that happened, happened for a reason. Once it's revealed Avinash will discover bitter truths about life and himself.

The world pictured in the book isn't happy. Humanity is tormented by many problems and it seems the things are about to get worse. The Machine City is an interesting place, although I can't help but notice it's barely sketched. After reading the book I have some general idea of the place but I'm not able to clearly picture it in my head. And that's a pity as post-apocalyptic scenery flavored with steampunk elements is one of my favorites.

The pacing of the story is consistent and good. Information and events lead the main character from one location to the next, from one character to the next, from one reveal to the next. The story never slows down. On the other hand, some of the scenes were a bit chaotic and sometimes jumps between chapters lacked smoothness. As a result, at times I wasn't sure what happened in between the chapters. That said, the story never slows down and remains mostly engaging. The development is here, but sometimes the scenery gets a little hashed over.

The plot is rather straightforward and simple and it has few connected storylines. The main one is Avineesh's quest for the missing kid. Other involve his troubled family relationships. Serious topics like human organ trade, abuse of the power and sexual abuse are touched and done in a pulpy way.

The tone of the book shifts between serious and comedic. As a result, some of the serious scenes lack the strength to punch the reader in the guts. Additionally, descriptions of emotional states aren't perfect.

“Catia?” Parth glares down at his wife. His voice is low. “Please.” He lifts her chin until she’s staring into his puppy dog eyes. He blinks. Begs. Practically whimpers. I couldn’t say no. “Answer the man.”

The prose is rather utilitarian and simple. Wright uses quite a lot of substandard English (there're, y'see etc) and slang that may negatively influence reading experience. There are a few blips in the flow where Wright’s prose gets too terse or too voluminous. there were times I had a hard time following character movement, but on the whole, that’s a small issue compared to the consistent pacing and entertaining action.

Having said that, I'm not that keen on overtly convoluted sentences like this one:

“Oh, you ’re welcome, sunshine,” she calls out in her ginger-peachiest secretary voice, all butter and honey and grandmotherly goodness, all the while dead-eye dicking me through one large caliber eye and chucking me one lone monotone middle finger with that arthritic claw.

.

Some may find them funny. For me, though, they kill the flow of the story.


Characterization is done mostly well for the genre. Both Avinash and his brother are clearly but roughly defined. His brother is a silent killing machine. Avinash is a wisecracking detective. Their motivations aren't too developed but it's fine as I approached this story the way I approach graphic novels of 1980's action movies. As long as it's fun, characters don't need in-depth characterization. I have an issue with story's villains, though. The main bad guy is literally cut from the cardboard. There's no life to him. He mainly serves to push Avinash around and move the plot a bit. Overall, bad guys in the story weren't too thrilling.

In the end, The Clarity of Cold Steel is an entertaining story. Quick to read, fast, pulpy and with some genuinely good ideas. It feels a bit underdeveloped but, to be fair, I was never tired or bored. I think that Mortise Locke has plenty of potential for future development.

[Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the concept for this book. Yet I can't get past the 20-page mark. I kept trying for over 15 minutes. I don't like giving up on books because I'm complete whole book kind of person. I really wanted to like the book. I wish the author best of luck.

[Jamedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This score is not representative of what was given for SPSFC2.

So finally, here we are with the reviews of the SPSFC2 quarterfinalists for Wayward Stars. And the book I chose to be the first among them is The Clarity of Cold Steel, a Hindu neo-noir sci-fi thriller, by Kevin Wright; probably mostly as a mood read. In this book, we are going to follow Detective Singh on a run to discover what was behind the kidnapping of Gotham, a boy who is also the nephew of a Mafia boss.

Because yes, the world in this novel is mostly a post-apocalyptic dystopic one, as we are going to explore different instances of Mortise Locke, the Machine City, during the investigation. Organ transplants are a common occurrence at this time, and they are being even used as lending, as happens with the liver of our main character. Due to incompatibilities, the use of immunosuppressors is also a common coin; and as you can imagine, most of the organs and meds are controlled by mafias. At the same time, we can observe that power is also split among military groups and different faiths, such as the Catholic church and different subgroups. While there are many elements that are really attractive in worldbuilding, they are not developed enough in my opinion, and I would like to see more about them.

Probably my favourite aspect of the book is how the plot is developed and how the pace is really fast, not taking a single moment to breathe, with plenty of action scenes to keep the tension built previously in the investigative ones. Chapters are also short, a resource that reinforces the sensation of "just one more chapter" when reading. 

While the characters are interesting, I would say they could have been developed more, despite I think it is possible to empathize with Singh's situation, overwhelmed due to the debt he has with the mafia; and his familiar relationship is kinda interesting. Probably the ones that took more of my attention were the ones related to the Church (as we are going to know them well), and also how law enforcement works in this dystopic world.

In general, this novel kept me interested, and it felt like a great detective story, which also takes its opportunity to raise some moral dilemmas that could be applied to our own world. Sometimes you can feel lost due to the style of writing, but again, I think it's a trade-off for the fast pace the author chooses. In summary, if you enjoy detective stories, and don't mind action there, read this book.

[The Reading Ruru (Kerry) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite - a detective/fantasy collaboration

A down at the heel Detective looking for a young Hindu boy amongst the only city standing and populated by cultures from all over the world due to very lethal plague.
A great book about the cut throat *cough* gang warfare world of selling and stealing
body parts. Can our Detective MC find the lost boy before his own donated liver craps out. Utilising help from denzines of 'the Boneyard' and his own talented swordsman brother he goes up against a corrupt police force, the church and some seriously kitted out mercanary bodyguard.
I love well written dystopian futures and morally grey characters; especially ones with a very droll humour. This book ticked all the boxes. A good read - so good that I was late to work and I had to force myself to put book down

[Deedra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clarity was something I did not get with this book.I enjoyed the narrator and even followed him through most parts.There were times though, I had no clue what was going on,or how we got where we were.Paul Jenkins was a terrific narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

[Joshua Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Clarity of Cold Steel follows detective Avinash Singh as he is hired to find a missing boy in the dark and gritty world of Mortise Locke—the Machine City. The author presents a noir-inspired steampunk setting with a mix of interesting worldbuilding elements such as derelict boats turned into sharecropping farms, the Indian caste system, and a leprosy-like plague.

Wright has a strong writing style that fits the atmosphere of the story. Especially noteworthy is the dialogue, which was consistently purposeful and interesting, and gave each character distinct voices.

I'll say one thing for this book, it's got a very unique style. First, the writing style itself is very strong and gives the story a heavy atmosphere. Then there's the dialogue, which was generally quite engaging throughout the book. All the characters talk like 1940s American detectives, saying things like "What's the smoke?" and "Everything's jake."

I actually have a semi-serious in-world theory about: that this is actually an alternate history steampunk set in the 1940s. There are difference engines, the cops have Lugers, people have cogwork implants and there are other steampunk aesthetics. It would explain the characters' accents too. The other explanation is that the author really just wanted to write noir-style dialogue.

I only bring this up because the book only started feeling like science fiction during the climax of the book. Suddenly there were ultralight gliders and rockets, which resulted in some exciting action but felt a bit incongruous with the rest of the book's worldbuilding. I think if you go into this expecting a grimdark noir fantasy, you might have a better time than if you're expecting sci-fi.

Regardless of its genre, I found the book struggled a bit with pacing and a lack of depth for the main character. Avinash's motivations seem to be limited to getting paid and the injustice of being in the lowest caste, but there's not much more. Because of that, the emotional impact of some of the events were diminished.

The only other critique I have is that something about the setting was hard to picture. I think there were two reasons for this.

First, the description of the Machine City was often interspersed with completely unrelated dialogue, making my brain try to do two things at once—picture the city and follow the conversation. As my mental faculties are limited, I would have rather seen the descriptive prose just broken out into a solid paragraph so I can immerse myself in the city for a bit before jumping back into plot movement.

Second, there was an abundance of detail provided, but it was often abstract description, sometimes owing to the author's adherence to that strongly noir-styled prose that relies on lots of metaphors. Because of the lack of concrete details, I felt I was left with an incomplete picture of Mortise Locke, which is a shame. After all, what I was able to glean from it was really interesting! I just wish I could have connected with it more.

Overall, The Clarity of Cold Steel is a competently written book that doesn't quite hit the mark of an exceptional read. Its strong writing style, interesting worldbuilding, and engaging dialogue are counterbalanced by the lack of clarity in its setting and lack of character depth and development. I gave it a 6/10 because I struggled to connect with a lot of it, but if you love grimdark noir there's a solid chance you'll love this one too.

/* Note: This review reflects only my personal opinion of the book, not the opinion of the entire Team Sciencefiction.news */

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I was really expecting a voodoo inspired story, my copy has a skull made of gears wearing a top hat that made me think of Baron Samedi but it turns out the main character is a Hindu in a post apocalyptic city. Which becomes plot relevant in an interesting way Avinash was upper caste but he had a liver from an Untouchable implanted which got him kicked out of his neighborhood and into the slums.

Also, there was a significantly larger discussion of the organ trade than I was expecting.

Well, to be fair the whole darn story is about tracking down this kid that was stolen to harvest his organs.

Stylistically this reminded me of Law and Order to be honest. The scenes would change with these abrupt transitions where I had to figure out where the story had gone too based on the context. About a quarter of the way in the book, I started doing the Law and Order sound effect myself.

Also, the book really leans into the noir aesthetic. The main character is cynical and abrasive, most everyone else is too and the book really leans into the weird, overly elaborate metaphors that I associate with noir.

Now, the ending and the antagonists. I figured out the plot on ~page 172 and ~page 210 the main character figured out and then in the last two chapters the author Rian Johnson'ed me and subverted my expectations.

Which left me with mixed feelings, I was expecting a violent, climactic confrontation but that last minute twist was interesting but it made the ending feel like an anti-climax.

Also, the antagonists turn out to be the Catholic Church. Any reputation the Church has for being a refuge of pedophiles can be laid at the feet of bishops and priests but I still roll my eyes when it comes up in a story. Personal frustration I suppose.

Anyway, the following has spoilers about the ending and final twist I thought that Gortham (the missing person) was kidnapped because he was a matched organ donor for the pope but it turns out the Church kidnapped him because he was universal donor to everyone and they're cloning him to save everyone affected by the ongoing plague. On the one hand, I liked it because it did surprise me in a relatively plausible way and it moved the Church from the 'evil' column to the 'good intentions but doing wrong things' column. On the other hand, it disappointed me because it led to Avinash just surrendering and cooperating rather than some kind of violent showdown.

In story, it made sense that he made that decision but it was still a bit of a letdown and ended the story on a sour note.

[Mark Lucas-Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Clarity of Cold Steel.

The meaning of the title will not become clear until the final page but when it does, oh when it does!
Kevin Wright has written a magnum opus in his novel and this story will stay with me for a long time. I read it using Kindle Unlimited but will be purchasing a copy for my own library. It is an incredible tale told brilliantly by the author.
A steampunk hard boiled noir tour de force that also carries a terrifying warning and will cause you to question your own convictions on morality.
The book is complete in itself yet I find myself hoping that there will be more to come of Detective Avinrash Singh. If there should be I’ll be at the front of the queue.

[Scott Waldie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hindu fantasy chic set against a grimy steampunk dystopia. A private investigator and his combat gifted brother square off against a terrifying cultural conspiracy, with plenty of twists, and enough compelling world building thrown at the reader that you'll become immediately interested in fleshing out more of Wright's Mortise Locke setting. Hands down one of the finest independent genre reads I've encountered this year.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The digest: The Clarity of Cold Steel has one of the most unique takes on a post-apocalyptic world that I can remember – it is clearly the result of much hard work, and the efforts seem to have paid off. The plot is absolutely stunning, and the development of our protagonist through his speech and other nuances is very well handled.

For the full review, please see: https://wp.me/pa153j-2G

[Marianne Germain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly original tale. So much I loved about this: the amazing prose, the dark humour, the complex and flawed anti-hero. The pace is fast, but each sentence, sometimes each word, really packs a punch. Reminded me of JG Ballard. I highly recommend to lovers of real literature.

[Patrick LeClerc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Wright has found a way to one up his medieval fantasy detective noir "Lords of Asylum." Post apocalyptic steampunk Hindu detective noir.

Wright has crafted a brilliant new setting and populated it with fresh takes on standard characters. The world of Mortise Locke is unique and well developed, with just enough familiar notes that it's easy to get to grips with, and marvel at the new twists. Wise cracking sleuth Avinash Shakteel squares off with a rogues gallery of fascinating villains, informants and uneasy allies as he struggles to unravel the case of a young man's disappearance.

Black market organ trade, corrupt policemen, underground knife fighters, hired assassins and worse await our hero. Can he rise, or perhaps stoop, to the challenge?

[Yvonne Blackwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wright has embarked on a unique concept that has great potential. The protagonist is a detective, but nothing like the ones we are accustomed to. Avinash Shakteel is a Hindu, dark-skin man with a transplanted liver! He owes Mr. Chirag, the person who sourced the liver, for the organ. In addition, he has to obtain pills from Chirag regularly. Because of the obvious Indian names used and the description of a place that sounds like India/Pakistan, it took me a while to realize that this is a fantasy story.

The overview of the story: Mr. Shakteel is hired by Mr. Chirag to find Gortham, his teenage nephew, who has disappeared. Shakteel goes through some impossible feats, pain and agony, to try to find the boy, but his heroic brother, Nikrunj, seems to be always near to bail him out of tight spots. Shakteel suffers betrayal and near death experiences as he seeks to find the truth about Gortham. In the process he learns more and more about the disgusting organ selling that goes on and how the poor untouchables are taken advantage of by the wealthy. He also learns that Gortham has special attributes and it is for this reason he was abducted.
While the concept of the story is unique and has great potential, and the writer’s vocabulary is extensive, I found the writing choppy with little or no transitions. In addition, the use of heavy American slang, made it difficult to combine the diction with the Indian characters.