Gold For Steel

by Charles Dixon

After a major victory in battle, Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are becoming local legends. With the growth of their names come a deadly contract with an equally impressive bounty. Though the job seems impossible, the reward for success is too great to turn down. Upon accepting the contract, the trio of sellswords find their loyalty and trust to one another tested and in some ways irreparable.

Meanwhile, Iman, a foreign priestess is trying to keep herself and her companions safe as they are hunted by a deadly assassin. After crossing paths with the sellswords, she finds herself in desperate need of their help. The secret she and her companions carry may determine the fate for all of the realms. Hunted by a vicious orc, the priestess is unsure how many times she will be able to escape death's grasp. A lost treasure is set to alter the direction of humanity, and she is forced to protect it.

Genres: Fantasy

454 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2017

About the author

Charles C. Dixon is a former video game developer turned writer. His love of storytelling inspired him to release his very first novel "Gold For Steel." He is currently working on the second installment to his series "The Gates of Kastriel."

Reviews

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an old school sword and sorcery fantasy story that mixed plenty of action with a bit of intrigue and mystery. It lacked that special something that would have made it a super engaging tale but was entertaining enough despite a few small flaws.

The story set up was basic enough with the focus mainly being on a trio of sellswords. Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are local legends and ever more in demand after their exploits of slaying a griffin. Rather than make life easier for the trio their fame helps make life even more complicated as they are dragged into the tense politics of the region when a local Warden offers them a ton of money to help lead the charge to take a rivals impenetrable castle and defeat its legendary champion. As an added complication Dalvin gets caught up in the affairs of a woman and a child who are fleeing from an Orc assassin.

The story was pretty fun and interesting for all its familiar set up. The world ended up being a fairly interesting one which had the feel of an old school sword and sorcery fantasy world. Humans shared the world with creatures like Orcs and Gargoyles while the Gods were the living and interfering type! The action scenes were a bit hit and miss. Some were really fun while others ended up a bit dull. The mystery and intrigue was probably the stories real strength. The world building was deep enough to get a true feel for the places visited and to draw the reader into the political tensions in the region and to hint that there was much more to come where the Gods and magic were concerned.

The three sellswords were all complicated and very different characters. They were not your typical bunch and had a complicated relationship with each other and a lot of mystery in their pasts which was explored a bit as the story progressed. I found all three guys quite interesting. The other main characters in the story were Iman and the girl she was sworn to protect. They were an interesting duo and added a fun extra dimension to the story.

If this book had a flaw it was the fact that it just lacked that special something that helps me fully immerse myself in a book. I'm really not sure what it was lacking as most of the building blocks were in place for a very good story. Perhaps the flaw was the fact that the writing was just OK rather than anything exceptional.

I went into this one with fairly low expectations so was happy it turned out to be a decent read. I mostly just picked up this self-published fantasy audio because I got it at a bargain price and was in the mood for a bit of sword and sorcery so I'm glad it did not disappoint! I'll definitely move onto the second book in the series if it makes it to audio.

Rating: 3.5 stars. I'm rounding down to 3 stars but I feel like that is a little harsh. I'm mostly just doing that because I took a while to finish this one. It might be a reflection on the book but it might also just be a side effect of me being in my worst book slump in 7 or 8 years!

Audio Note: I feel like Tim McKiernan did a decent job with the audio for this one. His character voices were fine and his general narration voice was pretty good.

[Veronica Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gold for Steel is the first book in a new fantasy series by Charles Dixon. This book is full of adventure, magic, and secrets. In a world of knights, sellswords, orcs, and goblins, Dixon brings the reader in with an intriguing story line, great character development, and keeps you guessing and wanting more.

Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are a trio of sellswords whose paths may now lead them on different adventures that will test their loyalty to one another. They all have secrets, some more than others, and the fate of their world is in their hands.

This is a beautifully written book that reminds me of Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. I can't wait for the second book!

[Frank Frisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

From author Charles C. Dixon comes an all new sword and sorcery fantasy series called The Gates of Kastriel. First in the series is Gold for Steel, which introduces fantasy lovers to the adventure filled, dangerous, far-famed, and lastly, profitable lives of sellswords in a world shared with direful creatures such as griffins, gargoyles, and demons. The author offers many sensible bullet points about a sellsword’s life, dispersing them throughout the chapters so that readers can more easily grasp what being a sellsword is all about, and why a sellsword would prefer his life over that of a noble knight.

Sellswords Dalvin, Oremund, and Marco are famous. They slew a griffin, a magnificent accomplishment that has caught the attention of Lord Tarius of House Barrington, the Warden of the South. There is bad blood between House Barrington and House Scollick. Someone known to the famous Griffin Slayers is in trouble for providing secrets to an outlaw hired by Lord Adair Scollick, the Warden of the East, to attack Lord Tarius’s caravans. Heaven’s Gate is a city that has been standing since the Age of Gods, protected by the old magic and an entire legion of gargoyles. Lord Tarius wants the sellswords’ help in taking the city and castle before nightfall because then, the gargoyles wake up. Is the fortune offered worth a suicidal job?

We meet the three sellswords Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund as they try to slay a griffin in the Ember Forest. In an ensuing scene which I believe to be a few weeks after the three sellswords slew the griffin, a beautiful ebony woman named Imam has made her way to Unthar’s Keep with a child named Narissa and a demon, or rather, a goblin named Qoraag. Oremund and Marco are also there, and they get into a confrontation with Sir Illeum Palentfire, captain of Lord Tarius’s Onyx Guard. Later, Dalvin, accompanied by the orc Orrick, heads to Unthar’s Keep to meet with Sir Illeum who means to talk to him about the Heaven’s Gate job. Orrick is an intimidating orc with two dual-bladed battle-axes on his back, looking for none other than Iman and Narissa.

Trained to battle with sword and shield since he was seven, Dalvin Longsfeer had been a knight once upon a time in the Empire of Gallendale. Banished, he has become a sellsword. Marco, a pale faced rogue who is good with a dagger and a bow, is a character with secrets who only becomes more interesting as the layers of his character are peeled off. Having fought his way out of the Gladiator-like Honor Rings, Oremund is a great warrior who loves the freedom that comes with being a sellsword. He cheats death when the Ember Forest griffin takes him up into the air plummets back down to the ground, lifeless. Marco wants to get to the bottom of this mystery, but “Oremund the Immortal” remains a hard nut to crack.

Since Orrick’s confrontation with Iman is inevitable, Dalvin’s path is soon to cross with Iman and the child she protects as well. To me, Orrick is just one completely misunderstood, but extremely scary orc. He is a member of the Unbroken and in a world where the Unbroken exist, a child like Narissa must be vanquished. Orrick believes that he is no monster and, though his description leaves one with a nightmarish image, I actually believed it. When he first met Dalvin, Orrick could’ve killed him, but he didn’t. He remains a tricky kind of villain. One that cannot be disliked until he gives readers a good reason to. He does.

When we are first introduced to the sellsword trio, we see them working together to defeat a griffin. But keeping them together is not what the author has in mind, the reason being a child with unusual gifts. Narissa. “There are some things more important than coin.” Dalvin, being a sellsword and all, firmly believes in the three words “gold for steel,” but seeing Narissa using her gifts to deflect one of Orrick’s axes changes everything. The trio is thus divided. Marco and Oremund have to take on the Heaven’s Gate job without Dalvin, but Marco does something that could very well be the end of him being a friend to Oremund.

The author is a brilliant world builder and - next to giving readers enough background information about both his major and minor characters – I’d definitely call his world building abilities one of his biggest strengths. From utilizing the mouths of his characters, whether it be through simple remarks or entertaining warrior tales, to his pictorial setting descriptions, the author implores various methods to acquaint readers with a fantasy world that the author clearly has envisioned in full.

“She saw a trickle of blood and realized she had cut his throat by accident,” the author writes in an early scene in which readers get to catch a glimpse of just how dangerous Narissa can be if someone like Iman isn’t there to calm her down. The sentence I quoted could be reworded so as not to slow readers down as it did me. Perhaps this: “She saw a trickle of blood and was relieved when she realized she had made an insignificant (or slight) cut on his throat by accident.”

There’s no reason The Gates of Kastriel shouldn’t become a favorite series among fans of the sword and sorcery fantasy genre. Bagging readers’ interest straight from the onset, Gold for Steel offers everything these readers often look for: scheming lords, warriors both human and inhuman, unexpected betrayals, legendary characters, magical items, and heroes whose bravery prove sharper than any sword and stronger than any piece of armor. Developments at the end make you eager for the sequel. This book goes right up there with the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read. I can’t recommend it highly enough, but boy do I want to smack it down hard on a library table in front of some fantasy geek and tell that person simply to read it. Five FF stars for Charles C. Dixon!

[Rebekaneongirlyahoo.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good, action packed book. There weren’t many spots where something or multiple things weren’t going on. However, I don’t really find battle sequences all that interesting since they tend to be pretty straightforward. I felt that my attention flagged in those spots but that’s just a personal issue. I also got the sense that something more was going on with conflict between the three wardens but it’s never made clear to the reader which side is telling the truth. Since the story is told through the eyes of three mercenaries, I guess the author thought it was better not to place too much emphasis on either side of the conflict. Instead both sides have a chance to have their say. There were also a lot of backstory items that were hinted at but never fully addressed. At least the issues surrounding Nerissa were easier to follow since it’s obvious she’s a young magician that needs to be trained so she can control her powers better. And along the way, the poor girl has attracted the attention of fanatics, one of whom is currently hunting her.

The primary characters were likable enough. But I easily found Marco to be the more interesting of the three main companions because he didn’t remind me strongly of any characters that I’d read about in other books or seen on television. His shocking declaration near the end seemed to call for more explanation that readers were given at that moment. Oremund seemed like a generic character, a former gladiator who earned his freedom and who is currently enjoying the fact that he’s making a name for himself as a mercenary worth his salt. Likewise, the washed up former hero trying to redeem himself only to end up saddled with a pretty young woman and a precocious child is slightly overdone. They were nonetheless written well enough that they didn’t come across as cardboard cutouts.

The obvious to-be-continued ending that’s seen here is a personal pet peeve of mine. The story could simply stop before the last chapter and it would have a complete ending so that it could function as a satisfactory stand-alone novel rather irritate readers with such an obvious a sequel hook. The author could simply insert a few comments mentioning the salient information to the hero so that the reader knows what happened to an off-screen character and that there’s potential for a sequel but it’s not like “tune in next week to see if this plot has a satisfying ending or not.” Another thing that got annoying was how many times the narrative pointed out how pale-skinned Marco was. While it turns out there’s an in-story explanation for his odd appearance, that seemed to be all anyone could say about him and it bugged me. Aside from those elements, it still was a readable novel and I would still like to see what happens next.

[Emerson Jesseler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sword-and-sorcery fantasy novel about three soldiers for hire, or sellswords. All three have dark and mysterious pasts that catch up with them as the story unfolds. All three are remarkably skilled warriors -- each in his own way. It's a good thing, too, because danger follows at every step. The violence here is unflinching and brutal. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Blood and gore do not overwhelm the story, however. On the contrary, the hard-hitting action drives the plot forward and shows what these three men are made of. Even so, there is a definite Book One feel to this story. Too many interconnected plot threads are strung out to be satisfactorily tied up in one volume. That being said, there is enough resolution to give this book its own dramatic arc -- it's a full story, even if there is more to come in Book Two. The writing is done in a simple, direct style that mostly stays out of its own way. An awkward phrase pops up now and then as well as the occasional error or typo, but nothing cringe worthy. The plot, however, is finely honed. And that is what this genre is all about.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel very meh about this and skimmed most of it. It is my and Carole's discussion book so I had to skim to see what happened. Else it would have been a DNF

Imam was a priestess, can not say she had a personality. I was told she was pretty, she was dark, she was a priestess. That was it.

There was this demon kid, all I knew about him was that he protected them

Narissa was the one with most promise. A little kid with secrets and she actually showed a personality,

There sell swords...ehhh, have forgotten all about them already. Marco was pale...that was about it. Oremund, who the F is he? Dalvin, like Narissa was the most with most personality (as for the others who had none.)

Show, do not tell.

Yawn.

Very unforgettable. Totally skimmable.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the book opens, the sellswords Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are battling a griffin, a fearsome monster few can defeat. When they succeed, they gain a reputation that brings them notice- and far more dangerous tasks. While Marco and Oremund are recruited to help defeat a seemingly undefeatable Keep, Dalvin takes on the role of bodyguard for a mysterious young woman and her charge, a little girl who is far more than she appears to be.
This is an intriguing and lively start, that throws the reader directly into the action and doesn't stop until the end - not even there, as it ends on something of a cliffhanger for everyone concerned. The characters are the best part of the story - well-rounded, interesting people with backstories and secrets that they haven't even told each other. These backstories and secrets are revealed to the reader naturally, in the course of the story, without ever resorting to boring exposition or unnecessary explanations. Neither of the two storylines is ever permitted to drag, and the book switches back and forth between them in a way that maintains suspense without being confusing. The worldbuilding is solid and intriguing, relying a bit on standard fantasy tropes but doing some new and creative things with them - and again, the world's background is revealed through casual, incidental daily experiences and natural conversations rather than lectures or exposition, leaving the reader wanting more rather than less. If you can't stand to read an incomplete story, wait for the sequel/s, as this story is not anywhere near done. But if you love a good rollicking fantasy set in a reasonably believable world with complex characters, this is a good place to start.

[Yvonne Glasgow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the start, this book begins with an adventurous fight scene. As if the action were not enough to get you hooked into the story, the two guys you're reading about are fighting a griffin. There's your adventure! It seems like there is adventure around every corner for these two, but then again, they are sellswords, so that's kind of what they do. While not learning about these two, you learn about another group of people with an interesting storyline all their own. Someone comes to our mighty Griffin slaying heroes with a job that will combine these two stories. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I will leave it at that.

It's an epic tale with twists and turns. If you enjoy books about knights and mythical creatures, you'll find lands you'll enjoy while visiting these pages. As the first book in the serious, it works to introduce you to the main characters and the land the book takes place in.

[Rachel Never Enough Novels · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - An entertaining fantasy novel that completely drew me in but failed to deliver conclusions to many of the story lines. Gold for Steel is the first book in this fantasy series and it introduces readers to a trio of sellswords and a young girl being hunted for her rare magical powers. Dixon does an admirable job building his world while introducing a myriad of plot lines. Each of the characters seem to have something in their past that is currently unknown to the reader. Some of these are revealed along the way, but I was definitely left wanting for more after the first book ended.

I'm hoping his second book won't be too long in the writing so I can continue the story and find out more about the ulterior motives and hidden pasts of these characters. I'd recommend this if you're a usual fan of the fantasy genre, but be warned that a lot of story is left hanging at the end.

[Carole Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blodeuedd and I discussed this together over here: http://www.caroleraesrandomramblings....


**My overall conclusion**
This had a lot of hope at the beginning. I was automatically glued to the pages until about 25% if the way through. After that, I barely cared. I only wanted to see Iman's and the kid's POV. The other characters were super meh. I didn't have a chance to get to learn about them. I honestly feel there needed to be a hair more world-building and character-building. It just fell flat and I felt lost half of the time. There was hope in the ending tho! I am curious to see what will befall our poor character (I will not name names to avoid spoilers) who is in a BAD spot now. Eee!

But yes...there was hope, but it fell short for me.

[Cade Judd · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Gold For Steel: The Gates of Kastriel, Book One" by Charles Dixon sets itself firmly on the brink of battle not only between two opposing Lords but also between unknown forces with plans centered on one very special girl. Gold for Steel keeps good pacing as it moves the reader through the story while keeping the characters interesting and likable, despite their faults. It doesn't tread much new ground and, to veterans of such stories, shows no innovations nor twists that surprise the reader. It also has that unfortunate illness of switching viewpoints too often. Despite this I still found myself enjoying the story and looking forward to what happens next, a matter slightly vexing due to the multiple cliffhangers at the end.

[Erikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this ebook as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

I often wish I could rate books out of 10 stars instead of 5. There are so many times that I don't know where to rate a book because it is really more of an in-between.
Gold For Steel would fall into the 4.5 star category, but falls to 4 in my ratings because I save 5 stars for the books I absolutely love.

This book was an easy read which kept me intrigued and I am now impatiently waiting for the sequel.. darn cliff hanger, but if I was being honest, I would be eagerly waiting the next book with or without that last little teaser.
Some of the characters were a little difficult to get a picture of, due to being thrown directly into a battle scene, but I feel like that went well with the secrets everyone had. I wasn't supposed to have a clear grasp of who each person was until they chose to reveal some of their past to me.

[Joecrash411 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great booze, but did I miss something?

This was a very good read, with interesting characters and world building, but I really had the feeling that I walked in halfway through the show. There was a lot of unexplained and obvious background between characters but, it very clearly says "Book One" I hope book two explains what was left out of book one! Is there e prequel? Regardless, a fun read, and now I have to wait for book two to find out what happened before book one. Interesting sales tactic!

[Faith Rivens · Rating 4 out of 5]

With an impressive mythology and immersive world-building, Gold for Steel provides an entertaining high fantasy read. The three main male characters--sellswords who have garnered fame after slaying a griffin--are flawed with engaging backstories. The only elements that detracted from the overall plot were the repetitive sentences and dense interior monologues.
Overall, a great opener to a series with lots of potential to grow.

[Ron Capshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dixon breathes new life into the sword and sorcery genre by showing character not through an intrusive backstory but through violence and crisp dialogue. Fisticuffs and of course how one fights with a sword gives the reader more than just an entertaining bit of action but a window into each character. Dixon is so good at this that he keeps the pages turning and will no doubt leave readers wanting for more.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Gold for Steel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Gold for Steel is the first novel in a new series, Gates of Kastriel written by Charles Dixon. It’s a blend of action oriented fantasy and epic fantasy, making it a pretty fantastic start for a new series. This was my first time reading anything by Charles Dixon, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I have to admit that I’m pretty pleased with the work I’ve seen, and would be interested in seeing more by him in the future.



Gold for Steel takes advantage of swapping perspectives to show us different parts of the same (larger) story. The cast itself is pretty expansive, even just looking at those who give us their story; Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are all sellswords with their own secrets and backstories (which we must take time to unravel to understand), Iman (along with Qoraag, an ork) is trying to protect a little girl in grave danger, and Jacob is the kindly man who brings these odd teams together.
Within the first couple of chapters of Gold for Steel it becomes pretty clear that there’s something major being set up outside of the view of the main cast. Through the varied perspectives we get to read from we see hints, little breadcrumbs hinting at the bigger world. Presumably more information will be given in later novels, but it certainly has gotten me curious about what exactly is going on in this world.
What I loved in particular about all of the characters we got to know is how they each had their own fair share of secrets (and then some), but none of them were revealed in a rushed manner, and in some cases they have only been hinted at. This furthers my belief that Dixon has done a decent job of setting up for a series. There’s no need to rush the main plot, the world building, or the character development when one has a few novels with which to tell it. There’s a balance of course, one can’t go too slowly either, but I believe Dixon has found the right balance for his tale.
I imagine each reader will be inclined to find their own favorite character out of the options given. Personally I found Dalvin the most noble and likable, Oremund a bit on the immature side, and Marco to be the most intriguing of their little group. Seeing them work together as well as argue over their secrets was interesting for me. On the one hand they clearly trust each other in battle, but on the other they truly seem to resent certain secrets (like how one accomplished something during a fight) while not being concerned about others (their past).
All of the secrecy has gotten me very curious about what I can see of each of the plots, as well as how they connect together. I have theories, most of them based on the characters involved, but that’s about it. I’ll have to keep reading in order to confirm anything.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Christine Liwag Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

From its first page, “Gold for Steel” plunges readers into a beautifully-crafted fantasy world. In this land, griffins and other magical creatures roam but magic itself is dead — or is it? Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are mercenaries whose adventures are only beginning in this first book of what promises to be an action-packed series.

“Gold for Steel” avoids the pitfall of many fantasy novels by building its world through action and dialogue rather than through lengthy descriptions. The plot is well-developed and the story is excellently paced. The cliffhanger at the end is tortuously designed, setting the series up nicely for its next installment.

[Clipinchick]

I received this book for free from the author/publisher in response for an honest review of the book. I have not had the opportunity to read this book at this time. I will add my
review of this book once I have read the book. Thank k you for allowing me the optometrist review your work. I look forward to reading this book.