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The Dominion Trilogy #1
The Moonsteel Crown
The Emperor of Aria has been murdered, the Empire is in crisis, and Dead Men walk the streets...
But Myla, Fings, and Seth couldn't care less. They're too busy just trying to survive in the Sulk-struck city of Varr, committing petty violence and pettier crimes to earn their keep in the Unrulys, a motley gang led by Blackhand.
When the Unrulys are commissioned to steal a mysterious item to order, by an equally mysterious patron, the trio are thrust right into the bitter heart of a struggle for the Crown, where every faction is after what they have.
Forced to lie low in a city on lockdown, they will have to work together if they want to save their skins... and maybe just save the Empire as well.
But Myla, Fings, and Seth couldn't care less. They're too busy just trying to survive in the Sulk-struck city of Varr, committing petty violence and pettier crimes to earn their keep in the Unrulys, a motley gang led by Blackhand.
When the Unrulys are commissioned to steal a mysterious item to order, by an equally mysterious patron, the trio are thrust right into the bitter heart of a struggle for the Crown, where every faction is after what they have.
Forced to lie low in a city on lockdown, they will have to work together if they want to save their skins... and maybe just save the Empire as well.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 9, 2021
22 people are currently reading
821 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Deas
29 books183 followersStephen Deas is an engineer in the aerospace industry, working on communications and imaging technology in the defence sector. He is married with two children and lives near Writtle in Essex.
Also writes as Nathan Hawke and S.J. Deas.
Also writes as Nathan Hawke and S.J. Deas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 28, 2021
**Should read as 4.5 STARS!**
This very exciting book is the 1st part of the "Dominion" series, from the author, Stephen Deas.
Known to me as , S.J. Deas, and his two excellent historical adventures featuring "William Falkland", two books which are set during the "English Civil War", called "The Royalist (2014) and "The Protector (2015, see my review of this last one!), both books are a great read and anyone who love these kind of books should check them out.
Storytelling is of a very good quality, this fantasy story is really well structured and executed by the author, and the characters are very lifelike and enterprising in their very own way.
At the beginning of the book you'll notice three well-drawn maps, one of the fictional Empire of Aria, and two of of the fictional Capitol called, Varr.
Its a fantasy story which is set in the fictional Empire of Aria, and the Emperor has just been assassinated, and this book is divided into four parts, divided between the "Murdering Bastard", Sulfane, the "ex-novice Priest" with magical powers, Seth, "the Sword-Monk"(woman), Myla or Shirish, and the young man with the "quick fingers" for stealing, Fings.
Myla, Seth and Fings are members of a gang headed by a man named, Blackhand, and they are summoned by him to join and assist Sulfane into a burglary within the Emperor's barge, and take as it turns out with them, the "Moonsteel Crown".
What is about to happen is a most colourful and thrilling fantasy tale in which Myla, Seth and Fings are taken into various paths and different actions, sometimes attacked by Mages or the rival gang of the Spicers, and in Myla's case by someone from her past, but in the end it will come to the whereabouts of the "Moonsteel Crown", because who ever can lay his/her hands on it will become the next Emperor, and so after an explosive adventure coupled with a fascinating plot, the story will finally reveal who will be victorious concerning the Throne and the "Moonsteel Crown".
Highly recommended, for although for me David Gemmell was (is) the absolute King of Heroic Fantasy, with this book in my view Stephen Deas is certainly a Prince of Fantasy, that's why I'm looking very much forward to the next instalment, and what this episode is concerned, I like to call it: "A Most Intriguing Begin"!
This very exciting book is the 1st part of the "Dominion" series, from the author, Stephen Deas.
Known to me as , S.J. Deas, and his two excellent historical adventures featuring "William Falkland", two books which are set during the "English Civil War", called "The Royalist (2014) and "The Protector (2015, see my review of this last one!), both books are a great read and anyone who love these kind of books should check them out.
Storytelling is of a very good quality, this fantasy story is really well structured and executed by the author, and the characters are very lifelike and enterprising in their very own way.
At the beginning of the book you'll notice three well-drawn maps, one of the fictional Empire of Aria, and two of of the fictional Capitol called, Varr.
Its a fantasy story which is set in the fictional Empire of Aria, and the Emperor has just been assassinated, and this book is divided into four parts, divided between the "Murdering Bastard", Sulfane, the "ex-novice Priest" with magical powers, Seth, "the Sword-Monk"(woman), Myla or Shirish, and the young man with the "quick fingers" for stealing, Fings.
Myla, Seth and Fings are members of a gang headed by a man named, Blackhand, and they are summoned by him to join and assist Sulfane into a burglary within the Emperor's barge, and take as it turns out with them, the "Moonsteel Crown".
What is about to happen is a most colourful and thrilling fantasy tale in which Myla, Seth and Fings are taken into various paths and different actions, sometimes attacked by Mages or the rival gang of the Spicers, and in Myla's case by someone from her past, but in the end it will come to the whereabouts of the "Moonsteel Crown", because who ever can lay his/her hands on it will become the next Emperor, and so after an explosive adventure coupled with a fascinating plot, the story will finally reveal who will be victorious concerning the Throne and the "Moonsteel Crown".
Highly recommended, for although for me David Gemmell was (is) the absolute King of Heroic Fantasy, with this book in my view Stephen Deas is certainly a Prince of Fantasy, that's why I'm looking very much forward to the next instalment, and what this episode is concerned, I like to call it: "A Most Intriguing Begin"!
February 18, 2021
A new twist on an old favorite book - Zombies the Walking dead but not just walking this funny, brutal, violent, beautifully dark fantasy that twist around like Zombies bone crunch.
Like lot good fantasy books you have the map which I always think helps to get better feel of the setting.
Like lot good fantasy books you have the map which I always think helps to get better feel of the setting.
February 3, 2021
This and more reviews at superstardrifter.com!~
This book follows 3 characters: Seth, Myla, and Fings. Seth is a disgraced former novice, thrown out of the church; Myla is a sword-monk, trained to kill so well it’s nearly instinct; and Fings is a superstitious thief, very skilled at not keeping his hands out of people’s pockets.
They are more or less part of a gang, known as the Unrulys, which is run by a man nobody really likes called Blackhand. The gang fights with another rival gang known as the Spicers, but one day Blackhand takes the Unrulys shenanigans a bit further by having them steal an item of very, very special significance to the emperor.
They do, and bury it, and then it seems that every faction in the city is after them for it. So, they do what they can to avoid trouble coming down on their heads, each in their own ways.
I liked this one, though I didn’t love it as much as I anticipated I would. It was sweary and fun though, so I’ll call it a win. I really liked Seth as a character. His excommunication from the church was interesting, and he more or less takes it in stride. As he sees it: ‘what are they going to do? Excommunicate me some more?’ – some of the shenanigans that he gets up to, especially in the latter half of the book, were quite interesting and a little funny. Especially when he makes a uh… special friend named Cleaver.
Myla and Fings I also liked, but less so. I did enjoy Myla’s badassitude, and I thought that some of Fings’ adventures were quite interesting. I liked how each of the three main characters had a unique characteristic about them. For instance, Seth talks to himself. A lot. He answers himself too. He does it in his head, but having that internal dialogue visible helped me warm to him, because I totally have internal dialogue like that as well.
All told, I thought that this was a fun, fast-paced book that laid a lot of groundwork in a story that I do hope continues along in more books. The ending left a lot of opening for more books, without leaving this one seeming incomplete. I’m interested to see where else this story goes in the future!
Thanks to the author, as well as Angry Robot for the review copy!
This book follows 3 characters: Seth, Myla, and Fings. Seth is a disgraced former novice, thrown out of the church; Myla is a sword-monk, trained to kill so well it’s nearly instinct; and Fings is a superstitious thief, very skilled at not keeping his hands out of people’s pockets.
They are more or less part of a gang, known as the Unrulys, which is run by a man nobody really likes called Blackhand. The gang fights with another rival gang known as the Spicers, but one day Blackhand takes the Unrulys shenanigans a bit further by having them steal an item of very, very special significance to the emperor.
They do, and bury it, and then it seems that every faction in the city is after them for it. So, they do what they can to avoid trouble coming down on their heads, each in their own ways.
I liked this one, though I didn’t love it as much as I anticipated I would. It was sweary and fun though, so I’ll call it a win. I really liked Seth as a character. His excommunication from the church was interesting, and he more or less takes it in stride. As he sees it: ‘what are they going to do? Excommunicate me some more?’ – some of the shenanigans that he gets up to, especially in the latter half of the book, were quite interesting and a little funny. Especially when he makes a uh… special friend named Cleaver.
Myla and Fings I also liked, but less so. I did enjoy Myla’s badassitude, and I thought that some of Fings’ adventures were quite interesting. I liked how each of the three main characters had a unique characteristic about them. For instance, Seth talks to himself. A lot. He answers himself too. He does it in his head, but having that internal dialogue visible helped me warm to him, because I totally have internal dialogue like that as well.
All told, I thought that this was a fun, fast-paced book that laid a lot of groundwork in a story that I do hope continues along in more books. The ending left a lot of opening for more books, without leaving this one seeming incomplete. I’m interested to see where else this story goes in the future!
Thanks to the author, as well as Angry Robot for the review copy!
April 15, 2022
I must admit that I loved this book, despite a couple flaws. But those flaws are too small to mention and didn't take anything from the sheer pleasure of discovering the rich world the author created and following the characters.
I think that the characters are the biggest strength of this book. We follow three of them: Seth, a failed priest, Fingers, a thief and pickpocket, and Myla, a sun-monk on the run from her past. They are all flawed. All three have their own fears, hang-ups, and delusions. They aren't good people by any means, but neither are they bad. They are very human and relatable, even if I had the urge to smack Fingers upside the head on more than one occasion. But truth be told, I have that urge with some of my real life friends as well.
It is truly a delight to follow these three characters through the story and watch them make mistakes, do stupid, and sometimes rather ugly things to each other, and be fully invested in their lives. Because they are human and relatable. Because I understood their motives and I wanted to see them find some kind of meaning to their lives. Not to mention, I wanted them to survive the events of this book so that they could find that meaning.
I would say that one of the flaws is that the villains are less developed. We get more background with Sulfane eventually, so we understand what makes him do what he does. We don't get much about Blackhand. He doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. He is ruthless and doesn't hesitate to double-cross his friends and allies when it suits him. He treats even the members of his own gang like shit most of the time, especially Seth. So I had to wonder why people like Fings and Wil were so loyal to him? Why go to any lengths to rescue him after everything he's done? I would understand this if Blackhand was ruthless to the outsiders but fair and protective of his own crew, but we never get an indication of that. In fact, he is a shit leader, no matter how you look at it. But that's a small flaw.
I loved the worldbuilding in this book. Even though the action takes place in one city - Varr (and around it), we get a feeling for a much waster world with a rich and ancient history. Even Varr is a city of many layers, with ruins, palaces, temples and hovels, and forgotten catacombs, that point towards thousands of years of civilization.
I liked that we are introduced to this world organically, through conversations between characters, through snippets in books and stories, through small mentions relevant to the story itself. There are no info-dumps or characters telling each other things they should know just for the benefit of the reader. That way the reader discovers more about the world gradually and is kept interested in learning more. In fact, I definitely want to read the next book and find out more about Dead Men and mages and what happened to the Baleful Eye in the sky.
While I don't particularly approve the route Seth chose by the end of this book, and I see the enormous potential for abuse and the risk of him turning into a monster worse than Blackhand, I definitely want to learn more about the secrets he uncovered.
So all in all, this is an excellent first book in a series. It tells a complete story, introduces interesting characters, and makes you want to pick up the next installment.
PS: I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think that the characters are the biggest strength of this book. We follow three of them: Seth, a failed priest, Fingers, a thief and pickpocket, and Myla, a sun-monk on the run from her past. They are all flawed. All three have their own fears, hang-ups, and delusions. They aren't good people by any means, but neither are they bad. They are very human and relatable, even if I had the urge to smack Fingers upside the head on more than one occasion. But truth be told, I have that urge with some of my real life friends as well.
It is truly a delight to follow these three characters through the story and watch them make mistakes, do stupid, and sometimes rather ugly things to each other, and be fully invested in their lives. Because they are human and relatable. Because I understood their motives and I wanted to see them find some kind of meaning to their lives. Not to mention, I wanted them to survive the events of this book so that they could find that meaning.
I would say that one of the flaws is that the villains are less developed. We get more background with Sulfane eventually, so we understand what makes him do what he does. We don't get much about Blackhand. He doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. He is ruthless and doesn't hesitate to double-cross his friends and allies when it suits him. He treats even the members of his own gang like shit most of the time, especially Seth. So I had to wonder why people like Fings and Wil were so loyal to him? Why go to any lengths to rescue him after everything he's done? I would understand this if Blackhand was ruthless to the outsiders but fair and protective of his own crew, but we never get an indication of that. In fact, he is a shit leader, no matter how you look at it. But that's a small flaw.
I loved the worldbuilding in this book. Even though the action takes place in one city - Varr (and around it), we get a feeling for a much waster world with a rich and ancient history. Even Varr is a city of many layers, with ruins, palaces, temples and hovels, and forgotten catacombs, that point towards thousands of years of civilization.
I liked that we are introduced to this world organically, through conversations between characters, through snippets in books and stories, through small mentions relevant to the story itself. There are no info-dumps or characters telling each other things they should know just for the benefit of the reader. That way the reader discovers more about the world gradually and is kept interested in learning more. In fact, I definitely want to read the next book and find out more about Dead Men and mages and what happened to the Baleful Eye in the sky.
While I don't particularly approve the route Seth chose by the end of this book, and I see the enormous potential for abuse and the risk of him turning into a monster worse than Blackhand, I definitely want to learn more about the secrets he uncovered.
So all in all, this is an excellent first book in a series. It tells a complete story, introduces interesting characters, and makes you want to pick up the next installment.
PS: I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 18, 2020
A cracking read - fun, frenetic and full of great characters. There's a wider plot of empire-spanning conspiracies, murder and betrayal, but the strength of the book is the characters. You often see unreliable main characters who are less-than heroic types, but rarely do you get a bunch who're so wholly uninterested with world events, whose lives are played out on just a handful of streets as they spend their days lying to themselves let alone everyone else, friends and enemies included. There's loyalty to each other, but everything has a pragmatic angle - they're poor people, some with families to look after, some just needing to find out how they eat over the next few days. And it works, not feeling contrived or idealised as the Seth and co ricochet through life. Roll on book 2!
April 26, 2023
Full text review: https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-moon...
The Moonsteel Crown is the initial book in the Dominion series, by the prolific writer Stephen Deas. A complex story, spawning conspiracies, murder, and betrayal; a quite interesting setting where the main strength of the book will shine, the characters.
This story is going to be focused around our three main characters, all of them loosely part of the gang known as the Unruly: Seth, a former novice thrown in disgrace; Myla, a sun-monk looking to forget her past; and Fings, a pickpocketer. They are not exactly good people, but it's not possible to call them evil, when most of their actions are just pursuing survival.
It is interesting how each one has a different voice, you can see Myla being a strong and decided woman, meanwhile, Seth is more eccentric, conversating with himself many times. And Fings is just Fings.
With this in mind, we get to see how the Unruly band gets involved in the stealing of something they certainly didn't expect; they have been caught in the middle of a conflict with bigger proportions than they are ready for. And honestly, this is probably one of the brightest decisions made by Deas: while there is a big conflict ongoing about the Emperor's succession, and the Dead Men are on the streets, this is a story about this group of people. Simple people, whose main motivation is just maintaining themselves alive.
The novel is mostly placed in the city of Varr and around it; something that is not common in epic fantasy, a setting that is relatively small in comparison with the world, which is mostly introduced organically through dialogues.
A well-developed setting, which you can feel alive, especially as we are following the story of common people, even if at some point get crossed with epic stakes. Personally, I enjoyed so much how well-detailed are religions in this world, and how the small details are relevant to the story.
The Moonsteel Crown is a great introduction to a new series by Stephen Deas. If you are looking for fantasy with epic scopes, but whose setting is smaller than usual, this book would be perfect for you. And honestly, can't wait to continue reading the adventures of our three characters!
The Moonsteel Crown is the initial book in the Dominion series, by the prolific writer Stephen Deas. A complex story, spawning conspiracies, murder, and betrayal; a quite interesting setting where the main strength of the book will shine, the characters.
This story is going to be focused around our three main characters, all of them loosely part of the gang known as the Unruly: Seth, a former novice thrown in disgrace; Myla, a sun-monk looking to forget her past; and Fings, a pickpocketer. They are not exactly good people, but it's not possible to call them evil, when most of their actions are just pursuing survival.
It is interesting how each one has a different voice, you can see Myla being a strong and decided woman, meanwhile, Seth is more eccentric, conversating with himself many times. And Fings is just Fings.
With this in mind, we get to see how the Unruly band gets involved in the stealing of something they certainly didn't expect; they have been caught in the middle of a conflict with bigger proportions than they are ready for. And honestly, this is probably one of the brightest decisions made by Deas: while there is a big conflict ongoing about the Emperor's succession, and the Dead Men are on the streets, this is a story about this group of people. Simple people, whose main motivation is just maintaining themselves alive.
The novel is mostly placed in the city of Varr and around it; something that is not common in epic fantasy, a setting that is relatively small in comparison with the world, which is mostly introduced organically through dialogues.
A well-developed setting, which you can feel alive, especially as we are following the story of common people, even if at some point get crossed with epic stakes. Personally, I enjoyed so much how well-detailed are religions in this world, and how the small details are relevant to the story.
The Moonsteel Crown is a great introduction to a new series by Stephen Deas. If you are looking for fantasy with epic scopes, but whose setting is smaller than usual, this book would be perfect for you. And honestly, can't wait to continue reading the adventures of our three characters!
December 27, 2020
#TheMoonsteelCrown #NetGalley #angryrobot
The Moonsteel Crown is a highly enjoyable read – I usually switch between several fiction books at a time, but I had Stephen Deas’ latest novel in high enough rotation that I finished it in 3 days. What seems like a plot that has been done to death (low lives recruited to commit a crime, nothing goes as planned, everyone wants them dead, etc. in a medieval-ish setting) is a wonderful read with fully developed protagonists and an extremely dense plot. The three slum-dwelling protagonists: a novice priest kicked out of his order, a sword-monk who deserted her training, and a superstitious thief, are very sympathetic characters, and the story does not set aside any of their plot lines for so long that the reader risks forgetting what is going on. The plot is complicated by the politics of the empire, which the protagonists have little interest in, and their backstories, which are their main concerns.
If I could improve anything in The Moonsteel Crown, it would be to include a map of the city and a map of the empire. I would also have liked a clearer indication of when the interludes set in the past occur relative to the main action; but neither of these things interfered with my enjoyment of the book.
The Moonsteel Crown is a highly enjoyable read – I usually switch between several fiction books at a time, but I had Stephen Deas’ latest novel in high enough rotation that I finished it in 3 days. What seems like a plot that has been done to death (low lives recruited to commit a crime, nothing goes as planned, everyone wants them dead, etc. in a medieval-ish setting) is a wonderful read with fully developed protagonists and an extremely dense plot. The three slum-dwelling protagonists: a novice priest kicked out of his order, a sword-monk who deserted her training, and a superstitious thief, are very sympathetic characters, and the story does not set aside any of their plot lines for so long that the reader risks forgetting what is going on. The plot is complicated by the politics of the empire, which the protagonists have little interest in, and their backstories, which are their main concerns.
If I could improve anything in The Moonsteel Crown, it would be to include a map of the city and a map of the empire. I would also have liked a clearer indication of when the interludes set in the past occur relative to the main action; but neither of these things interfered with my enjoyment of the book.
April 3, 2021
You may or may not know that I have been known to grumble about some of the ‘new’ Fantasy books of late. As much as I love the genre, many of the recent publications, often described as “the best read ever”, have really not been for me and left me wondering whether I’ve been reading the same book. I know fellow reviewer at SFFWorld Rob Bedford has felt the same.
And yet we keep looking, keep trying. I know that not everything we try is going to be liked. And there have been some diamonds found amongst the rest.
To this I’m very pleased to add The Moonsteel Crown. It’s a book that seems to have been rather missed amongst the deluge of Covid-delayed books released. And yet when I sat down with no knowledge of its contents, I was unprepared for what a gripping read I was about to experience.
From the publisher: “The Emperor of Aria has been murdered, the Empire is in crisis, and Dead Men walk the streets...
But Myla, Fings, and Seth couldn't care less. They're too busy just trying to survive in the Sulk-struck city of Varr, committing petty violence and pettier crimes to earn their keep in the Unrulys, a motley gang led by Blackhand.
When the Unrulys are commissioned to steal a mysterious item to order, by an equally mysterious patron, the trio are thrust right into the bitter heart of a struggle for the Crown, where every faction is after what they have.
Forced to lie low in a city on lockdown, they will have to work together if they want to save their skins... and maybe just save the Empire as well.”
Whilst the book is sweary and violent and focuses on the lowborn, the outsiders, the ones who tend to get unnoticed, I am reluctant to refer to it as Grimdark. The characters are not as smug as some I have recently tried, nor as unpleasant as others.
The characters in this caper are quite mismatched. Myla is the combat efficient one – a partly trained sword-monk who is on the run being hunted by someone important she has crossed in the past, Seth is the academic-priest, thrown out of his order and discriminated for his unfortunate interest in forbidden knowledge, whilst Fings is the nervy, paranoid thief, always seeing signs that the omens are against them.
And there are many mysterious things on the streets of Varr, with arcane artifacts, strange mages and the zombie-like Dead Men walking the streets. Myla, Fings, and Seth travel through the many areas of the city such as the Glass Market and the Spice Market, the places where trades such as the Bonecarvers live and ceremonial areas such as the Circus of Dead Emperors trying to avoid rival gangs such as the Spicers. Working for Blackhand and Wil who are based at the tavern called the Unruly Pig they are managing a living. Until a job comes up for Sulfane that could set them up for life, but actually puts them all in grave danger.
The protagonists are undeniably conflicted and tormented, but unlike most Grimdark books they are actually quite likeable – most of the time. The situations they find themselves in are on the whole not too far-fetched (and I know how that sounds in a Fantasy novel!) nor too forced for the convenience of a plot point. There is humour but it is generally of a good-humoured if rather base nature and not as darkly cynical as many books currently feel the need to be.
Overall, there is a feeling that these characters know and understand each other well. Drawn together through adversity, there’s a camaraderie forged from friendship here, and even when they bicker and fall out, and when there are times when these relationships are sorely tested, it still feels genuine. For all their faults, you want to know how it works out, and this is the strength of the novel. For all that is going on, the focus is on the main characters.
In terms of the bigger picture, it is pretty clear from the start that Myla, Fings, and Seth’s mission to steal what they later discover is the Moonsteel Crown is part of a major scheme to overthrow the Empire and usurp power, though who is doing it remains a mystery for much on the book. When we do get a glimpse of things going on beyond the city of Varr, it becomes apparent that there is more to tell in this story. Though there is an agreeable ending to the novel, I am sure other books in this series will tell us more about this.
In short, The Moonsteel Crown is an engaging Fantasy, with sensible and imaginative world building, a variety of great characters and a nice sense of humour (something I usually find very difficult for writers to do.) It is deserving of your attention.
And yet we keep looking, keep trying. I know that not everything we try is going to be liked. And there have been some diamonds found amongst the rest.
To this I’m very pleased to add The Moonsteel Crown. It’s a book that seems to have been rather missed amongst the deluge of Covid-delayed books released. And yet when I sat down with no knowledge of its contents, I was unprepared for what a gripping read I was about to experience.
From the publisher: “The Emperor of Aria has been murdered, the Empire is in crisis, and Dead Men walk the streets...
But Myla, Fings, and Seth couldn't care less. They're too busy just trying to survive in the Sulk-struck city of Varr, committing petty violence and pettier crimes to earn their keep in the Unrulys, a motley gang led by Blackhand.
When the Unrulys are commissioned to steal a mysterious item to order, by an equally mysterious patron, the trio are thrust right into the bitter heart of a struggle for the Crown, where every faction is after what they have.
Forced to lie low in a city on lockdown, they will have to work together if they want to save their skins... and maybe just save the Empire as well.”
Whilst the book is sweary and violent and focuses on the lowborn, the outsiders, the ones who tend to get unnoticed, I am reluctant to refer to it as Grimdark. The characters are not as smug as some I have recently tried, nor as unpleasant as others.
The characters in this caper are quite mismatched. Myla is the combat efficient one – a partly trained sword-monk who is on the run being hunted by someone important she has crossed in the past, Seth is the academic-priest, thrown out of his order and discriminated for his unfortunate interest in forbidden knowledge, whilst Fings is the nervy, paranoid thief, always seeing signs that the omens are against them.
And there are many mysterious things on the streets of Varr, with arcane artifacts, strange mages and the zombie-like Dead Men walking the streets. Myla, Fings, and Seth travel through the many areas of the city such as the Glass Market and the Spice Market, the places where trades such as the Bonecarvers live and ceremonial areas such as the Circus of Dead Emperors trying to avoid rival gangs such as the Spicers. Working for Blackhand and Wil who are based at the tavern called the Unruly Pig they are managing a living. Until a job comes up for Sulfane that could set them up for life, but actually puts them all in grave danger.
The protagonists are undeniably conflicted and tormented, but unlike most Grimdark books they are actually quite likeable – most of the time. The situations they find themselves in are on the whole not too far-fetched (and I know how that sounds in a Fantasy novel!) nor too forced for the convenience of a plot point. There is humour but it is generally of a good-humoured if rather base nature and not as darkly cynical as many books currently feel the need to be.
Overall, there is a feeling that these characters know and understand each other well. Drawn together through adversity, there’s a camaraderie forged from friendship here, and even when they bicker and fall out, and when there are times when these relationships are sorely tested, it still feels genuine. For all their faults, you want to know how it works out, and this is the strength of the novel. For all that is going on, the focus is on the main characters.
In terms of the bigger picture, it is pretty clear from the start that Myla, Fings, and Seth’s mission to steal what they later discover is the Moonsteel Crown is part of a major scheme to overthrow the Empire and usurp power, though who is doing it remains a mystery for much on the book. When we do get a glimpse of things going on beyond the city of Varr, it becomes apparent that there is more to tell in this story. Though there is an agreeable ending to the novel, I am sure other books in this series will tell us more about this.
In short, The Moonsteel Crown is an engaging Fantasy, with sensible and imaginative world building, a variety of great characters and a nice sense of humour (something I usually find very difficult for writers to do.) It is deserving of your attention.
February 14, 2021
Originally published at Reading Reality
The Moonsteel Crown is one of those stories where the reader gets dropped into the middle of what is obviously going to be a long and convoluted story. Or at least this reader sure felt like she was dropped into the middle of a story that had already begun.
Although this story, particularly from the introduction in the blurb, sounds like an epic fantasy – and the series that this opens looks like it really will BE and epic fantasy – that’s not the way that things seem as the story opens. And we only get hints of the overall epic scope even as the story closes.
What it feels like we’re introduced to is an urban fantasy in an epic fantasy setting, in the way that the Chronicles of Elantra start out by using a very junior member of the city watch to introduce readers to a world that gets bigger and bigger as it goes along.
The difference here is that Kaylin’s world in the Chronicles of Elantra (start with either Cast in Moonlight or Cast in Shadow) feels functional. There are forces attacking from the outside, and there is PLENTY of political skullduggery on all sides but for the most part the city works.
The city where we begin the story in The Moonsteel Crown doesn’t feel functional. It feels like one of those urban fantasies where the criminals aren’t merely everywhere but are taking over, like Simon R. Green’s Nightside or Hawk and Fisher. It’s the Discworld‘s Ankh-Morpork without Vetinari to keep the city running effectively.
And our heroes aren’t even competent enough to be anti-heroes. They are all failures in one way or another – or a lot of ways. Myla is kind of a failed paladin. Not exactly, but close enough. She knows what she’s doing with her swords, but she’s lost her purpose and she’s drowning in drink and regret. Fingers is actually a pretty good thief, he’s just so superstitious that nobody takes him seriously and his superstitions get in his own way entirely too often.
And then there’s Seth. Seth is a failed cleric. Like an old friend of mine in the real world, Seth didn’t have any problem with the vows of either poverty or chastity, but he absolutely could not hack the obedience. Religious orders do not like people who question – and Seth had and continues to have WAY too many of those. To the point where he got drummed out of the best life he’ll ever have only to find himself washed up in the same tavern and the same gang as Myla and Fingers.
Because Seth and Fingers go way back. Way, way, way back. All the way back to their childhood and all the way down to the lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder where they barely managed to keep themselves and each other alive.
Although that’s still true.
So this isn’t a story about a band of heroes or even a band of brothers. It’s about a band of misfits who can barely keep themselves or each other together most of the time. A motley crew who seem to be sinking further and faster into the underbelly of the city.
At least until Seth discovers that he isn’t so much a failure at being a cleric as he is a possible success at being a destroyer of worlds. Unless, of course, most probably, he manages to fail at that, too, just like he’s failed at everything else in his life.
Escape Rating B: This is not a happy book. I’m glad I wasn’t reading it during one of the recent weeks where it felt like the real world was getting darker just before it turned completely black – because that’s certainly what’s happening in this story.
I’ve read other stories, particularly in fantasy, where the protagonists are a band of misfits as they are here, but never a group quite this sad or quite this downtrodden. At first I was thinking that they reminded me of the ragtag bunch in The Emperor’s Edge, but in the end that band of misfits is quite competent. They’re a group that are misfits separately but manage to gel into a competent whole at least some of the time.
Myla, Fingers and Seth never gel, and one of them – at least – is always worse off than they initially appear.
And then there’s the way that Seth’s story arc trends downward, not into incompetence but into something far worse and a place much, much darker. Seth turns out to be one of those characters, like Kihrin in The Ruin of Kings and Serapio in Black Sun, where by the end of the story no one is certain, least of all the characters themselves, whether their purpose is to save or destroy, and whether that destruction will result in a descent into darkest evil or a cleansing fire.
Or possibly both.
This was an easy book to get sucked into but a hard book to love. It is very dark as quite probably any view of any place as seen from the absolute bottom of the ladder would be dark. No one’s motives are remotely pure, and even worse, they’re being lied to by someone with the worst of intentions, which spins their personal stories even darker.
I know this all probably sounds a bit terrible and you may even be wondering why I finished it or why it gets a B rating. But it does suck the reader in. The way that all of their stories spiral even further downward is compelling. And the reader does wish they could grab either Myla or Fingers and shake them until a little bit of sense comes out.
Because we feel for both of them. They did not get into the positions they are in out of their own choice, and survival from day to day is the best they can do. They’re both trying to find a bit of light, and it seems like Myla finally does.
Seth, on the other hand, seems to be searching for the dark assiduously and with determination, but even that could turn out to be the light at the end.
This is a story of a group of little people who are doing their best and worst to get through the day – and survive the night – in spite of themselves and their circumstances. They are characters with few choices but upon whom the fate of an empire might reside.
Even if they haven’t remotely figured that out yet. And it’s that “yet” that I’m very interested in seeing in future books in this series.
The Moonsteel Crown is one of those stories where the reader gets dropped into the middle of what is obviously going to be a long and convoluted story. Or at least this reader sure felt like she was dropped into the middle of a story that had already begun.
Although this story, particularly from the introduction in the blurb, sounds like an epic fantasy – and the series that this opens looks like it really will BE and epic fantasy – that’s not the way that things seem as the story opens. And we only get hints of the overall epic scope even as the story closes.
What it feels like we’re introduced to is an urban fantasy in an epic fantasy setting, in the way that the Chronicles of Elantra start out by using a very junior member of the city watch to introduce readers to a world that gets bigger and bigger as it goes along.
The difference here is that Kaylin’s world in the Chronicles of Elantra (start with either Cast in Moonlight or Cast in Shadow) feels functional. There are forces attacking from the outside, and there is PLENTY of political skullduggery on all sides but for the most part the city works.
The city where we begin the story in The Moonsteel Crown doesn’t feel functional. It feels like one of those urban fantasies where the criminals aren’t merely everywhere but are taking over, like Simon R. Green’s Nightside or Hawk and Fisher. It’s the Discworld‘s Ankh-Morpork without Vetinari to keep the city running effectively.
And our heroes aren’t even competent enough to be anti-heroes. They are all failures in one way or another – or a lot of ways. Myla is kind of a failed paladin. Not exactly, but close enough. She knows what she’s doing with her swords, but she’s lost her purpose and she’s drowning in drink and regret. Fingers is actually a pretty good thief, he’s just so superstitious that nobody takes him seriously and his superstitions get in his own way entirely too often.
And then there’s Seth. Seth is a failed cleric. Like an old friend of mine in the real world, Seth didn’t have any problem with the vows of either poverty or chastity, but he absolutely could not hack the obedience. Religious orders do not like people who question – and Seth had and continues to have WAY too many of those. To the point where he got drummed out of the best life he’ll ever have only to find himself washed up in the same tavern and the same gang as Myla and Fingers.
Because Seth and Fingers go way back. Way, way, way back. All the way back to their childhood and all the way down to the lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder where they barely managed to keep themselves and each other alive.
Although that’s still true.
So this isn’t a story about a band of heroes or even a band of brothers. It’s about a band of misfits who can barely keep themselves or each other together most of the time. A motley crew who seem to be sinking further and faster into the underbelly of the city.
At least until Seth discovers that he isn’t so much a failure at being a cleric as he is a possible success at being a destroyer of worlds. Unless, of course, most probably, he manages to fail at that, too, just like he’s failed at everything else in his life.
Escape Rating B: This is not a happy book. I’m glad I wasn’t reading it during one of the recent weeks where it felt like the real world was getting darker just before it turned completely black – because that’s certainly what’s happening in this story.
I’ve read other stories, particularly in fantasy, where the protagonists are a band of misfits as they are here, but never a group quite this sad or quite this downtrodden. At first I was thinking that they reminded me of the ragtag bunch in The Emperor’s Edge, but in the end that band of misfits is quite competent. They’re a group that are misfits separately but manage to gel into a competent whole at least some of the time.
Myla, Fingers and Seth never gel, and one of them – at least – is always worse off than they initially appear.
And then there’s the way that Seth’s story arc trends downward, not into incompetence but into something far worse and a place much, much darker. Seth turns out to be one of those characters, like Kihrin in The Ruin of Kings and Serapio in Black Sun, where by the end of the story no one is certain, least of all the characters themselves, whether their purpose is to save or destroy, and whether that destruction will result in a descent into darkest evil or a cleansing fire.
Or possibly both.
This was an easy book to get sucked into but a hard book to love. It is very dark as quite probably any view of any place as seen from the absolute bottom of the ladder would be dark. No one’s motives are remotely pure, and even worse, they’re being lied to by someone with the worst of intentions, which spins their personal stories even darker.
I know this all probably sounds a bit terrible and you may even be wondering why I finished it or why it gets a B rating. But it does suck the reader in. The way that all of their stories spiral even further downward is compelling. And the reader does wish they could grab either Myla or Fingers and shake them until a little bit of sense comes out.
Because we feel for both of them. They did not get into the positions they are in out of their own choice, and survival from day to day is the best they can do. They’re both trying to find a bit of light, and it seems like Myla finally does.
Seth, on the other hand, seems to be searching for the dark assiduously and with determination, but even that could turn out to be the light at the end.
This is a story of a group of little people who are doing their best and worst to get through the day – and survive the night – in spite of themselves and their circumstances. They are characters with few choices but upon whom the fate of an empire might reside.
Even if they haven’t remotely figured that out yet. And it’s that “yet” that I’m very interested in seeing in future books in this series.
May 7, 2021
Actually it would be 3.5, but there are no half stars here.
Two things about this book.
1) it starts very slow. Not until about half way do thinks pick up and become more interesting.
2) the character are not likeable. Understandable, but not ones to admire. The three main characters whose PoV we get are Myla a sword-monk running from some crime and in a well if self pity. Seth a former priest kicked out and in a bout of self recrimination for not being good enough. Fings a thief, proud of it, talented with a Kleptomania habit ( he's actually the one with the best attitude). These are all damaged people.
This is marketed as the first in a series, and the ending did wrap thing up nicely but left enough plot hooks to make one curious. Will I read it.... I don't know, maybe just to see if these people can fix themselves!
Two things about this book.
1) it starts very slow. Not until about half way do thinks pick up and become more interesting.
2) the character are not likeable. Understandable, but not ones to admire. The three main characters whose PoV we get are Myla a sword-monk running from some crime and in a well if self pity. Seth a former priest kicked out and in a bout of self recrimination for not being good enough. Fings a thief, proud of it, talented with a Kleptomania habit ( he's actually the one with the best attitude). These are all damaged people.
This is marketed as the first in a series, and the ending did wrap thing up nicely but left enough plot hooks to make one curious. Will I read it.... I don't know, maybe just to see if these people can fix themselves!
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March 19, 2021https://lynns-books.com/2021/02/15/th...
3.5 of 5 stars
The Moonsteel Crown is a book that has definitely drawn me into its tangled web and I am curious to see what happens next and it is definitely a book with some curious characters but, it has left me feeling slightly puzzled.
As the story begins we meet our three central characters within fairly short order. Seth, down on his luck, cast out of the church where he was a novice for displaying too much curiosity, now a very lowly member of a gang barely surviving. Fings, long time friend of Seth and light fingered pickpocket. Fings is also a member of the Unruly gang, a lowly member doing all he can to look after his family. Finally, Myla, trained to be a sword-monk she is running from her past, her training incomplete. She likes to drown her memories in the bottom of a bottle and is also currently running with the Unruly street gang.
Now, as it happens the Unruly gang are about to be handed a lucrative, can’t possibly go wrong opportunity and surprisingly, the job actually goes well, right up until the point that it doesn’t that is. The gang have stolen something a lot more important than trinkets and baubles and everyone is on their case, now follows a strange tale of cat and mouse as everyone runs round in circles trying to outsmart each other.
So, on the face of it this has quite a lot going for it. It’s well written, it has an epic feel but also has this lowlife, grimey almost urban fantasy feel. The story revolves around three misfits, each so far down the ladder that things can’t really get much worse for them which gives them a singularly selfish outlook and brings something slightly different to the story in that you don’t really know who to trust. These characters aren’t bothered about the ‘bigger’ picture – they’re concerned with staying alive and staying one step ahead of the next possible threat. This gives the story a much smaller scale somehow because we move in their orbit but at the same time I liked the intimacy that it brings.
Now, on top of the gang business, and the heated rivalry between the Unruly and Spicer gangs there’s also strange goings on. The Emperor dead, the succession in question, possible outside interference from other sources and another thread that suggests something hidden under the city, something creepy and perhaps more dangerous than anything else.
The first half of the book took a little while to get into to be honest, the second half certainly made up for that with much more action but I still have one real issue and it’s difficult to put my finger on other than an overall state of perplexity. I think the crux of the matter is that I’m not entirely certain what’s really going on here and that’s not necessarily a bad thing in itself. It’s just that I can’t help feeling as though the story was a little lost in places or at least the focus was meandering somewhat. Anyway, that’s quite possibly more to do with me than anything else.
On the whole I would like to continue with the series. There were some very interesting developments, the writing style was easy to get along with and I think there could be some surprises in store in book 2.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
3.5 of 5 stars
The Moonsteel Crown is a book that has definitely drawn me into its tangled web and I am curious to see what happens next and it is definitely a book with some curious characters but, it has left me feeling slightly puzzled.
As the story begins we meet our three central characters within fairly short order. Seth, down on his luck, cast out of the church where he was a novice for displaying too much curiosity, now a very lowly member of a gang barely surviving. Fings, long time friend of Seth and light fingered pickpocket. Fings is also a member of the Unruly gang, a lowly member doing all he can to look after his family. Finally, Myla, trained to be a sword-monk she is running from her past, her training incomplete. She likes to drown her memories in the bottom of a bottle and is also currently running with the Unruly street gang.
Now, as it happens the Unruly gang are about to be handed a lucrative, can’t possibly go wrong opportunity and surprisingly, the job actually goes well, right up until the point that it doesn’t that is. The gang have stolen something a lot more important than trinkets and baubles and everyone is on their case, now follows a strange tale of cat and mouse as everyone runs round in circles trying to outsmart each other.
So, on the face of it this has quite a lot going for it. It’s well written, it has an epic feel but also has this lowlife, grimey almost urban fantasy feel. The story revolves around three misfits, each so far down the ladder that things can’t really get much worse for them which gives them a singularly selfish outlook and brings something slightly different to the story in that you don’t really know who to trust. These characters aren’t bothered about the ‘bigger’ picture – they’re concerned with staying alive and staying one step ahead of the next possible threat. This gives the story a much smaller scale somehow because we move in their orbit but at the same time I liked the intimacy that it brings.
Now, on top of the gang business, and the heated rivalry between the Unruly and Spicer gangs there’s also strange goings on. The Emperor dead, the succession in question, possible outside interference from other sources and another thread that suggests something hidden under the city, something creepy and perhaps more dangerous than anything else.
The first half of the book took a little while to get into to be honest, the second half certainly made up for that with much more action but I still have one real issue and it’s difficult to put my finger on other than an overall state of perplexity. I think the crux of the matter is that I’m not entirely certain what’s really going on here and that’s not necessarily a bad thing in itself. It’s just that I can’t help feeling as though the story was a little lost in places or at least the focus was meandering somewhat. Anyway, that’s quite possibly more to do with me than anything else.
On the whole I would like to continue with the series. There were some very interesting developments, the writing style was easy to get along with and I think there could be some surprises in store in book 2.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
February 9, 2021
The Moonsteel Crown is the first book in Stephen Deas’s new fantasy trilogy, Dominion. It’s set in the town of Varr in the empire of Aria that is struggling with a succession crisis and a bitterly cold winter. Of the two, only the latter has some meaning to the main characters.
The book description made me expect a fairly standard fantasy plot where the lowest of the earth end up becoming kingmakers. And while it sort of turns out that way in the end, that’s not what the book is about at all.
A group of thieves steal the emperor’s crown; accidentally, it seems at first. But instead of putting it back where they found it, they hide it. Naturally there are people who want it back and they know exactly who to come after. Why is that? Does someone in their group know more than they’ve let on? The thieves’ boss has started a war with a rivalling gang, but is that random either, or is the other group after the crown too? Meanwhile, the thieves themselves disagree on the best course of action, until the only way to save their lives is to give the crown back. But nothing is as straightforward as that.
The book has three main characters with their own point of view chapters. Seth is a former novice priest expelled from his church for blasphemy—or sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. He’s bitter and adrift, and he makes poor choices because of it. And then he gets his hands into texts that push him on a path of forbidden death magic. But is he in control of the magic, or does it control him? The book ends before we get the answer, but we’ll likely follow that story in the upcoming books.
Myla is a warrior monk who has also been expelled from her order. She’s excellent with her swords and quite deadly—and on the run. But her past is catching up with her, and it threatens the lives of the thieves with whom she has found a new home. So will she fight for them, or return home and face her past?
And then there is Fings, the greatest thief in Varr. He’s the one who does the actual stealing, and he isn’t exactly happy with being manoeuvred to doing it, especially when it puts his mother and sisters in peril. But as the forces who want the crown back press on them, he agrees with Myla that the crown must be returned—only he has an ace in his sleeve. He was my favourite of the three with his cunning plans and superstitious beliefs.
This book took a long time to get going. The characters were vague and difficult to get a hang of. A lot of space was devoted to the myths and history of Aria that didn’t really have anything to do with the plot. The reasons for Seth’s and Myla’s downfalls with their respective orders were hoarded like gold, but they turned out to be so mundane that the revelations were disappointing. It wasn’t until after the half point that I began to see what the book was about, and where it was going—and then it didn’t go there. At all. The latter half was as exciting and interesting as the first was dull, and it saved the book. The end was satisfying and complete, but it left enough questions open to lure the reader into continuing with the series.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book description made me expect a fairly standard fantasy plot where the lowest of the earth end up becoming kingmakers. And while it sort of turns out that way in the end, that’s not what the book is about at all.
A group of thieves steal the emperor’s crown; accidentally, it seems at first. But instead of putting it back where they found it, they hide it. Naturally there are people who want it back and they know exactly who to come after. Why is that? Does someone in their group know more than they’ve let on? The thieves’ boss has started a war with a rivalling gang, but is that random either, or is the other group after the crown too? Meanwhile, the thieves themselves disagree on the best course of action, until the only way to save their lives is to give the crown back. But nothing is as straightforward as that.
The book has three main characters with their own point of view chapters. Seth is a former novice priest expelled from his church for blasphemy—or sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. He’s bitter and adrift, and he makes poor choices because of it. And then he gets his hands into texts that push him on a path of forbidden death magic. But is he in control of the magic, or does it control him? The book ends before we get the answer, but we’ll likely follow that story in the upcoming books.
Myla is a warrior monk who has also been expelled from her order. She’s excellent with her swords and quite deadly—and on the run. But her past is catching up with her, and it threatens the lives of the thieves with whom she has found a new home. So will she fight for them, or return home and face her past?
And then there is Fings, the greatest thief in Varr. He’s the one who does the actual stealing, and he isn’t exactly happy with being manoeuvred to doing it, especially when it puts his mother and sisters in peril. But as the forces who want the crown back press on them, he agrees with Myla that the crown must be returned—only he has an ace in his sleeve. He was my favourite of the three with his cunning plans and superstitious beliefs.
This book took a long time to get going. The characters were vague and difficult to get a hang of. A lot of space was devoted to the myths and history of Aria that didn’t really have anything to do with the plot. The reasons for Seth’s and Myla’s downfalls with their respective orders were hoarded like gold, but they turned out to be so mundane that the revelations were disappointing. It wasn’t until after the half point that I began to see what the book was about, and where it was going—and then it didn’t go there. At all. The latter half was as exciting and interesting as the first was dull, and it saved the book. The end was satisfying and complete, but it left enough questions open to lure the reader into continuing with the series.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2021
An engrossing read. This manages to be pretty self contained as well as the first instalment in a new series. The book stands well by itself but has links to both the Thief Taker series and to the Memory of Flames series.
The characters were thankfully not, as I had thought from the blurb, YA. All three are well rounded and individual and each clamoured to be my favourite. Fings is, I think, currently in first place but Seth and his interactions with his (let’s call them) companions Cleaver and Bones left me in stitches. Deas has also managed to write another believable, relatable, and normal female character in Myla which can be a rare talent in a male author (Zafir in Dragon Queen being another of his creations).
It’s a heist gone wrong story with plenty of twists and turns. The actual theft itself goes to plan but it’s all downhill from there as we try to work out who planned and executed the theft, why they wanted to do it, and what actually happened to the loot. There’s also a wider story going on quietly in the background which is mostly alluded to, particularly in Seth’s arc, but will I’m sure be more developed as the books go on. I found it difficult to put down and enjoyed every page. Highly recommended.
Now for some spoilers for A Memory of Flames and the Thief Taker series.
An infant Myla and her brother and sister have a brief cameo in Thief Taker 2, and her mentor Tasahre has a much larger role.
Aria is one splinter of the world of the Silver Kings and the above cameo places this series after Thief Taker but prior to A Memory of Flames. The young Princess Regent, of the ominous birth omens, mentioned here is the infamous Ice Witch. The Book of Endings is the companion volume to the Raveh which the Elemental Men have tried to suppress for so long. I have much foreboding about Seth. If you’ve read Dragon Queen to Silver Kings you’ll have more awareness of the white stone buildings, the sigils, and the Black Moon. Whilst you don’t need this to enjoy the Moonsteel Crown it definitely enhances the reading experience.
The characters were thankfully not, as I had thought from the blurb, YA. All three are well rounded and individual and each clamoured to be my favourite. Fings is, I think, currently in first place but Seth and his interactions with his (let’s call them) companions Cleaver and Bones left me in stitches. Deas has also managed to write another believable, relatable, and normal female character in Myla which can be a rare talent in a male author (Zafir in Dragon Queen being another of his creations).
It’s a heist gone wrong story with plenty of twists and turns. The actual theft itself goes to plan but it’s all downhill from there as we try to work out who planned and executed the theft, why they wanted to do it, and what actually happened to the loot. There’s also a wider story going on quietly in the background which is mostly alluded to, particularly in Seth’s arc, but will I’m sure be more developed as the books go on. I found it difficult to put down and enjoyed every page. Highly recommended.
Now for some spoilers for A Memory of Flames and the Thief Taker series.
An infant Myla and her brother and sister have a brief cameo in Thief Taker 2, and her mentor Tasahre has a much larger role.
Aria is one splinter of the world of the Silver Kings and the above cameo places this series after Thief Taker but prior to A Memory of Flames. The young Princess Regent, of the ominous birth omens, mentioned here is the infamous Ice Witch. The Book of Endings is the companion volume to the Raveh which the Elemental Men have tried to suppress for so long. I have much foreboding about Seth. If you’ve read Dragon Queen to Silver Kings you’ll have more awareness of the white stone buildings, the sigils, and the Black Moon. Whilst you don’t need this to enjoy the Moonsteel Crown it definitely enhances the reading experience.
March 26, 2021
I don't know how all y'all write these epic reviews. I just finished listening to this book on Librofm and I have to say that I truly enjoyed it. Was it perfect? No. I think it was a perfect setup for grand things to come in the future.
There is a bit of everything in this book, thieves, magic, zombies, and some very strong characters. I find that the author did a fantastic job to keep readers on their toes. You might think one thing about a certain character only to be thrown for a loop in the next chapter. You root for them and then you dislike them and then you root for them again.
I am really excited for the next in the series and can't wait for how this entire spiel plays out. Very, very good book.
There is a bit of everything in this book, thieves, magic, zombies, and some very strong characters. I find that the author did a fantastic job to keep readers on their toes. You might think one thing about a certain character only to be thrown for a loop in the next chapter. You root for them and then you dislike them and then you root for them again.
I am really excited for the next in the series and can't wait for how this entire spiel plays out. Very, very good book.
February 27, 2021
A delicious heist story (but the theft is ONLY the beginning)!
Told from multiple POV’s, the story begins simply enough...a group of people trying to survive in a harsh city. Soon, however, they all find themselves caught up in a plot that twists and turns and never ends up where expected.
Full of magic, humor, mayhem, oh...and just a few walking Dead Men, The Moonsteel Crown had me reading late into the night.
Told from multiple POV’s, the story begins simply enough...a group of people trying to survive in a harsh city. Soon, however, they all find themselves caught up in a plot that twists and turns and never ends up where expected.
Full of magic, humor, mayhem, oh...and just a few walking Dead Men, The Moonsteel Crown had me reading late into the night.
April 4, 2021
WOW, just WOW! because it's a great start for a new fantasy series and I loved every moment of it.
Character development and world building are excellent, the storytelling is great and the plot kept me turning pages.
I loved the unusual group of characters, commoners that play in a bigger games.
Can't wait to read the next books in this series, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Character development and world building are excellent, the storytelling is great and the plot kept me turning pages.
I loved the unusual group of characters, commoners that play in a bigger games.
Can't wait to read the next books in this series, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
March 6, 2022
Your typical ragtag group of people who gather together in a fantasy novel. They're all involved in a robbery which turns out to be far more significant than they're led to believe. Really like the swordmonk warrior and her story, as well as the thief who is can't stop from stealing everything that's not nailed down and can't tell the truth to save himself or anyone else, but otherwise is quite a loyal friend. Fluffy enjoyable tale.
October 29, 2022
This is a thoroughly mediocre book, a very C-list fantasy novel. It is not bad, per se, but it more than anything deserves to be shelved in the mediocre books shelf.
The worldbuilding is good, or at least interesting. However, it is very poorly integrated into the text and is often confusing. And honestly, it is the best attribute of this book, honestly. The selling point certainly isn't the characters.
For starters, Fings the superstitious thief should never have been a POV, because he is EXTREMELY annoying. He is superstitious to the point of idiocy, and not only does he steal from the others around him, he has the gall to lie about it, too, which causes trouble on multiple occasions. Fings even lies TO THE AUDIENCE in his OWN NARRATION, and not in an unreliable narrator way, but rather in a "this was a bad writing choice" way.
Seth and Myla, the other two POVs, are more compelling, but unfortunately, they are held back by Mr. Deas for two reasons. One, Mr. Deas does not seem to know methods for revealing backstory or worldbuilding other than the infodump. Infodumps placed randomly into the story, no less. Seth is the one who suffers the most from random infodumps, because his backstory is the most complicated. He also likes to turn things the protagonist already knows, and therefore the audience should know, into little mysteries, twisting the character's thoughts so as to make sure the information is concealed until the right time.
And this is a terrible tactic. While it makes us want to know more, it does so at the cost of investment. And while I was invested in Seth, I could not say the same for Myla, even though Myla is objectively the more moral of the two.
Also, while turning Seth into a necromancer is interesting as character arcs go, the 180 Seth seems to take when it comes to how he feels about magically killing people and making zombie-servants out of the corpses is rather abrupt.
That being said, there were genuinely engaging bits of worldbuilding that I wanted Deas to follow up on, so that earns it the extra star.
The worldbuilding is good, or at least interesting. However, it is very poorly integrated into the text and is often confusing. And honestly, it is the best attribute of this book, honestly. The selling point certainly isn't the characters.
For starters, Fings the superstitious thief should never have been a POV, because he is EXTREMELY annoying. He is superstitious to the point of idiocy, and not only does he steal from the others around him, he has the gall to lie about it, too, which causes trouble on multiple occasions. Fings even lies TO THE AUDIENCE in his OWN NARRATION, and not in an unreliable narrator way, but rather in a "this was a bad writing choice" way.
Seth and Myla, the other two POVs, are more compelling, but unfortunately, they are held back by Mr. Deas for two reasons. One, Mr. Deas does not seem to know methods for revealing backstory or worldbuilding other than the infodump. Infodumps placed randomly into the story, no less. Seth is the one who suffers the most from random infodumps, because his backstory is the most complicated. He also likes to turn things the protagonist already knows, and therefore the audience should know, into little mysteries, twisting the character's thoughts so as to make sure the information is concealed until the right time.
And this is a terrible tactic. While it makes us want to know more, it does so at the cost of investment. And while I was invested in Seth, I could not say the same for Myla, even though Myla is objectively the more moral of the two.
Also, while turning Seth into a necromancer is interesting as character arcs go, the 180 Seth seems to take when it comes to how he feels about magically killing people and making zombie-servants out of the corpses is rather abrupt.
That being said, there were genuinely engaging bits of worldbuilding that I wanted Deas to follow up on, so that earns it the extra star.
July 21, 2021
You can check out my full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVF5n...
An attempt to tell a story about the gritty underbelly of a fantastical city suffering an overhaul of power. Not a successful attempt, but an attempt nonetheless. The author has clearly spent a lot of time carefully building his world, but unfortunately the execution has let him down.
We follow the characters Fings, Myla, and Seth, a group of bland gang members of indeterminate age who seem like they would rather be doing anything else but follow the book’s plot, plodding along weakly in the background. If one can get past the clumsy writing, caricature-ish players, and host of unexplored monks, priests, mages and swordsmen, one might enjoy the hints of political intrigue and the turf wars between the Unrulys and the Spicers. However, if you went in expecting a story with an exciting heist, zombies, and an actual fight for the title of emperor as opposed to just his fancy metal hat, you’ll be disappointed as you'll have to squint to see them.
For those with the paperback edition, look out for the grammatically challenged sentence on page 146!
I’ve given this book two stars because whilst it was difficult to follow and downright dull at times, there were some neat ideas at its core which just needed adequate time and space to breathe.
An attempt to tell a story about the gritty underbelly of a fantastical city suffering an overhaul of power. Not a successful attempt, but an attempt nonetheless. The author has clearly spent a lot of time carefully building his world, but unfortunately the execution has let him down.
We follow the characters Fings, Myla, and Seth, a group of bland gang members of indeterminate age who seem like they would rather be doing anything else but follow the book’s plot, plodding along weakly in the background. If one can get past the clumsy writing, caricature-ish players, and host of unexplored monks, priests, mages and swordsmen, one might enjoy the hints of political intrigue and the turf wars between the Unrulys and the Spicers. However, if you went in expecting a story with an exciting heist, zombies, and an actual fight for the title of emperor as opposed to just his fancy metal hat, you’ll be disappointed as you'll have to squint to see them.
For those with the paperback edition, look out for the grammatically challenged sentence on page 146!
I’ve given this book two stars because whilst it was difficult to follow and downright dull at times, there were some neat ideas at its core which just needed adequate time and space to breathe.
October 24, 2021
Once again I browsed through the New in Paperback shelves at the library, and once again I selected a fantasy novel by an author that I had never heard of - and once again I struck gold. Does this mean that there are a multitude of good new fantasy authors working out there? The answer has to be yes. Though in this case, the author, Stephen Deas, isn't a new author, he has been writing for a while, I just had never heard of any of his works. Apparently he has written a seven volume series called The Memory of Flames, along with other works. The book I read was The Moonsteel Crown, which is the start of a new series. Deas says in the afterword that the main characters will return in The Book of Endings. I will have to keep an eye out for that.
The Moonsteel Crown is the story of three characters: Seth, the failed priest; Myla, the sword monk who is on the run; and Fings, a superstitious thief who can steal seemingly anything. The three of them get talked into a scheme to steal a box by Sulfane. Sulfane's instructions seem straightforward: sneak out to a barge, elude the guards, and retrieve a particular box - "But don't open it!! - and anything else that Fings picks up along the way, he can keep. Of course, they are successful. Fings can steal anything. But, Fings opens the box...
I enjoyed the characters in the The Moonsteel Crown. Myla is an expert swordswoman, armed with two lightweight Sunsteel blades, and she knows how to use them lethally. Myla is on the run from unfortunate circumstances back in Deephaven, and she has washed up in Varr and hangs out in The Pig, drinking more than she ought to. Fings is a bold thief, but he knows Mages Day is unlucky, so it best not to try any big jobs on that day. Fings has an uncanny sense of danger, often something just "doesn't feel right" and he will alter his plans. Seth was a brilliant student, but he was too curious about researching topics that were forbidden. Seth eagerly sought dark knowledge, longing to know about ancient magic and the power of sigils. But his teachers couldn't tolerate a disobedient rule breaker like him, especially since Seth was so focused on dark sorcery. Seth was ousted from the order, and now he ekes out a meager living trying to sell leftover food from The Pig.
I liked Deas' world building. The action all takes place in Varr, but there is a sense of a much bigger empire with major events going on. There are ancient catacombs beneath the city, there are dead men walking the streets. The Spicers gang is stirring up trouble for Blackhand's gang. It is winter, and the snow and the cold freeze Varr and the countryside.
The story is told entirely from the perspective of Fings, Myla and Seth (in alternating chapters); three rogues who end up involved in a conspiracy that is beyond their understanding. The Moonsteel Crown is crucial to the ascension to the Emperor's Throne, so possession of it is a powerful weapon. There seemed to be three different factions after the crown - the mages under the sorceress Princess-Regent, the Torpreahns (a powerful city within the empire), and the mysterious Khrozus supporters, Khrozus being a missing twelfth city annihilated by some kind of mage war? I never really grasped the big picture. The stakes for ownership of the Moonsteel Crown were high, but since Fings / Myla / Seth were unconcerned with the politics of the elite, I didn't follow the machinations. Which of those three groups did I want to see ultimately possess the crown? It seemed like there was some backstory here that I missed, as if there were an earlier volume in a series.
I enjoyed this book and would read more books from Deas if I see them on the library bookshelf, especially the forthcoming sequel The Book of Endings.
The Moonsteel Crown is the story of three characters: Seth, the failed priest; Myla, the sword monk who is on the run; and Fings, a superstitious thief who can steal seemingly anything. The three of them get talked into a scheme to steal a box by Sulfane. Sulfane's instructions seem straightforward: sneak out to a barge, elude the guards, and retrieve a particular box - "But don't open it!! - and anything else that Fings picks up along the way, he can keep. Of course, they are successful. Fings can steal anything. But, Fings opens the box...
I enjoyed the characters in the The Moonsteel Crown. Myla is an expert swordswoman, armed with two lightweight Sunsteel blades, and she knows how to use them lethally. Myla is on the run from unfortunate circumstances back in Deephaven, and she has washed up in Varr and hangs out in The Pig, drinking more than she ought to. Fings is a bold thief, but he knows Mages Day is unlucky, so it best not to try any big jobs on that day. Fings has an uncanny sense of danger, often something just "doesn't feel right" and he will alter his plans. Seth was a brilliant student, but he was too curious about researching topics that were forbidden. Seth eagerly sought dark knowledge, longing to know about ancient magic and the power of sigils. But his teachers couldn't tolerate a disobedient rule breaker like him, especially since Seth was so focused on dark sorcery. Seth was ousted from the order, and now he ekes out a meager living trying to sell leftover food from The Pig.
I liked Deas' world building. The action all takes place in Varr, but there is a sense of a much bigger empire with major events going on. There are ancient catacombs beneath the city, there are dead men walking the streets. The Spicers gang is stirring up trouble for Blackhand's gang. It is winter, and the snow and the cold freeze Varr and the countryside.
The story is told entirely from the perspective of Fings, Myla and Seth (in alternating chapters); three rogues who end up involved in a conspiracy that is beyond their understanding. The Moonsteel Crown is crucial to the ascension to the Emperor's Throne, so possession of it is a powerful weapon. There seemed to be three different factions after the crown - the mages under the sorceress Princess-Regent, the Torpreahns (a powerful city within the empire), and the mysterious Khrozus supporters, Khrozus being a missing twelfth city annihilated by some kind of mage war? I never really grasped the big picture. The stakes for ownership of the Moonsteel Crown were high, but since Fings / Myla / Seth were unconcerned with the politics of the elite, I didn't follow the machinations. Which of those three groups did I want to see ultimately possess the crown? It seemed like there was some backstory here that I missed, as if there were an earlier volume in a series.
I enjoyed this book and would read more books from Deas if I see them on the library bookshelf, especially the forthcoming sequel The Book of Endings.
February 12, 2021
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Moonsteel Crown is the first book in a new epic quest SF series with an ensemble cast of exquisitely rendered (but admittedly trope-y) characters by veteran speculative fiction author Stephen Deas. Released 9th Feb 2021 by Angry Robot, it's 384 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
I've been on a bad-luck run with my speculative fiction choices lately, so it was doubly refreshing to find a well written, engaging, epic group-quest introduction to a promising new series. It could be slightly benefiting by comparison to my recent dearth of good SF/fantasy reads, but I don't think so. It's a strong read, well plotted and put together, set in a realistically built up city-state with mages, thieves, battles, epic quests, powerful magical talismans, and a trio of heroes (badass female sword-monk, thief, and defrocked cleric straight to order).
I enjoyed watching the realistic interplay of the three main characters set against the overwhelming odds arrayed against them. The dialogue is well done and never clunky. There is a lot of snark, but I never found that it shaded over into irritating. There are some genuinely warm and humorous interactions and I found myself smiling throughout much of the book.
There is an average amount of strong language and some graphic violence. One place the author really shines is in his sleek battle and combat descriptions. No 34 page overwhelming massive battles full of strategic minutiae necessary (I'm looking at you, GRRM).
Four stars. Highly recommended for fans of the genre looking for new series to follow.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Moonsteel Crown is the first book in a new epic quest SF series with an ensemble cast of exquisitely rendered (but admittedly trope-y) characters by veteran speculative fiction author Stephen Deas. Released 9th Feb 2021 by Angry Robot, it's 384 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
I've been on a bad-luck run with my speculative fiction choices lately, so it was doubly refreshing to find a well written, engaging, epic group-quest introduction to a promising new series. It could be slightly benefiting by comparison to my recent dearth of good SF/fantasy reads, but I don't think so. It's a strong read, well plotted and put together, set in a realistically built up city-state with mages, thieves, battles, epic quests, powerful magical talismans, and a trio of heroes (badass female sword-monk, thief, and defrocked cleric straight to order).
I enjoyed watching the realistic interplay of the three main characters set against the overwhelming odds arrayed against them. The dialogue is well done and never clunky. There is a lot of snark, but I never found that it shaded over into irritating. There are some genuinely warm and humorous interactions and I found myself smiling throughout much of the book.
There is an average amount of strong language and some graphic violence. One place the author really shines is in his sleek battle and combat descriptions. No 34 page overwhelming massive battles full of strategic minutiae necessary (I'm looking at you, GRRM).
Four stars. Highly recommended for fans of the genre looking for new series to follow.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
June 14, 2023
The Moonsteel Crown is a classic heist gone wrong type of story. We’ve got three PoVs throughout the book, two of which were involved in the heist and the third a close compatriot of the other two. It’s cold and dark, and spends a lot of time in our characters mind as they navigate the fallout of this heist.
I’ll go ahead and say - this was not my favorite and I’m not sure if it’s due to when I read it or the book itself. It’s pacy, with short chapters and the ideas and most of the characters sounded good on paper. I also loved the magic and setup around the world but there was one big flaw for me, and that was the way the characters thought. We weren’t in a first person PoV, but a third person with access to our characters thoughts and by god they thought a lot. It was a lot and a lot of back and forth with themselves, actual arguments with themselves, and guilt about events that are constantly teased with reveals that are drawn out.
They’re clearly very flawed characters, our one female character seduced and tried to break up her sister’s engagement just because she could. One of the male protagonists was too curious, finding dark secrets about the religion and magic of his world and getting booted from the church because of it. The third, the only redeemable character for me was a simple man who believed everything and anything, every saying or fairy tale, but who was a fantastic thief. But those two heavily flawed characters have constant guilt trips within their own minds, and that led me to being frustrated. All I was left with of the world was that it was cold and dark. I didn’t have a clear understanding of the magic. All that I had was clarity about guilt and how circular the characters thought processes were.
Perhaps this is something that’s explored more as the books progress, and I’m not against giving the book a second go, but I was grumpy and annoyed by the end of this - not a good sign. It will definitely work for some but for me it was just… fine. Mostly a miss.
P.S. It is very clear to me that the flaw of the female character is actually a *very bad* flaw where the male characters have what could actually be seen as positive flaws. I’m giving the book grace on this, hopefully this is not a trend with the other books.
I’ll go ahead and say - this was not my favorite and I’m not sure if it’s due to when I read it or the book itself. It’s pacy, with short chapters and the ideas and most of the characters sounded good on paper. I also loved the magic and setup around the world but there was one big flaw for me, and that was the way the characters thought. We weren’t in a first person PoV, but a third person with access to our characters thoughts and by god they thought a lot. It was a lot and a lot of back and forth with themselves, actual arguments with themselves, and guilt about events that are constantly teased with reveals that are drawn out.
They’re clearly very flawed characters, our one female character seduced and tried to break up her sister’s engagement just because she could. One of the male protagonists was too curious, finding dark secrets about the religion and magic of his world and getting booted from the church because of it. The third, the only redeemable character for me was a simple man who believed everything and anything, every saying or fairy tale, but who was a fantastic thief. But those two heavily flawed characters have constant guilt trips within their own minds, and that led me to being frustrated. All I was left with of the world was that it was cold and dark. I didn’t have a clear understanding of the magic. All that I had was clarity about guilt and how circular the characters thought processes were.
Perhaps this is something that’s explored more as the books progress, and I’m not against giving the book a second go, but I was grumpy and annoyed by the end of this - not a good sign. It will definitely work for some but for me it was just… fine. Mostly a miss.
P.S. It is very clear to me that the flaw of the female character is actually a *very bad* flaw where the male characters have what could actually be seen as positive flaws. I’m giving the book grace on this, hopefully this is not a trend with the other books.
January 2, 2022
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
The Emperor is dead and there is chaos and catastrophe everywhere. But petty criminals Fings, Myla, and Seth don't much care - the Emperor's never shown any interest them, and likewise, they've never had much interest in the Empire - other than what they could steel in order to stay alive.
Good fortune comes to Fings, Myla, and Seth (members of the Unrulys) when the gang is commissioned to steal and unusual item. Unfortunately, that item puts them smack in the center of a battle for the throne and every side trying to lay claim to the Crown wants what the Unrulys have.
Somehow, this group of people who have known nothing but mistrust and looking out for ones self must work together to stay alive.
There's a bit of adventurous fantasy here, though nothing is particularly unique. Unwilling and unwitting hero protagonists. Thieves Thieves thrown into a fight for the throne. Rough characters who have to suddenly work together. Throwback to the middle ages world. And everything is dark and dreary. I feel as though I read this kind of story with every third book I pick up.
There's a huge focus on our trio, Fings, Myla, and Seth, and I really didn't connect or enjoy any of them. Fings stood out the most and I liked him the least (I'm not sure why, other than I couldn't take him seriously with a name like "Fings" [short for "fingers" since he was a thief]). Like so much of the rest of the book, there really wasn't anything about these three that made them unique in a bookstore full of similar fantasies.
Mostly I found this to be quite ordinary. It wasn't 'bad' - it just doesn't stand out. I likely won't bother with the next one, even though the door was left open at the end, to pique the reader's curiosity.
Looking for a good book? The Moonsteel Crown by Stephen Deas is a decent, though familiar, fantasy with criminals who suddenly find themselves hunted because of their control of political power.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
The Emperor is dead and there is chaos and catastrophe everywhere. But petty criminals Fings, Myla, and Seth don't much care - the Emperor's never shown any interest them, and likewise, they've never had much interest in the Empire - other than what they could steel in order to stay alive.
Good fortune comes to Fings, Myla, and Seth (members of the Unrulys) when the gang is commissioned to steal and unusual item. Unfortunately, that item puts them smack in the center of a battle for the throne and every side trying to lay claim to the Crown wants what the Unrulys have.
Somehow, this group of people who have known nothing but mistrust and looking out for ones self must work together to stay alive.
There's a bit of adventurous fantasy here, though nothing is particularly unique. Unwilling and unwitting hero protagonists. Thieves Thieves thrown into a fight for the throne. Rough characters who have to suddenly work together. Throwback to the middle ages world. And everything is dark and dreary. I feel as though I read this kind of story with every third book I pick up.
There's a huge focus on our trio, Fings, Myla, and Seth, and I really didn't connect or enjoy any of them. Fings stood out the most and I liked him the least (I'm not sure why, other than I couldn't take him seriously with a name like "Fings" [short for "fingers" since he was a thief]). Like so much of the rest of the book, there really wasn't anything about these three that made them unique in a bookstore full of similar fantasies.
Mostly I found this to be quite ordinary. It wasn't 'bad' - it just doesn't stand out. I likely won't bother with the next one, even though the door was left open at the end, to pique the reader's curiosity.
Looking for a good book? The Moonsteel Crown by Stephen Deas is a decent, though familiar, fantasy with criminals who suddenly find themselves hunted because of their control of political power.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
September 22, 2022
I tried with this one but I got 2/3 of the way through and I realized that this was not a series of finished novels; there were going to be cliffhangers and unresolved plots and I just didn't like the characters.
I didn't mind Myla, though she was in many ways a stereotypical "badass female" character who might be accused of just being a "man with tits". I could not bring myself to like either Seth or Fings. The entire story is made up of things happening to these people, rather than them doing anything themselves. And there'll be an event or an incident every third of the book or so, and the rest of the space is the three characters, particularly Fings and Seth, doing endless self-reflection and musing about what they should have done or what they could have done and why everything is really their fault if they could only get their shit together.
As mentioned, I gave up waiting for them to get their shit together, because it very much looks like it's going to take multiple books for that to happen. I'm sure some people might find the self-reflection and deeply flawed characters interesting but I just found them pathetic and annoying. It's like someone tried to make sidekicks the main characters and the sidekicks in question were built around single character flaws, neither of which were endearing after 50,000 words.
I didn't mind Myla, though she was in many ways a stereotypical "badass female" character who might be accused of just being a "man with tits". I could not bring myself to like either Seth or Fings. The entire story is made up of things happening to these people, rather than them doing anything themselves. And there'll be an event or an incident every third of the book or so, and the rest of the space is the three characters, particularly Fings and Seth, doing endless self-reflection and musing about what they should have done or what they could have done and why everything is really their fault if they could only get their shit together.
As mentioned, I gave up waiting for them to get their shit together, because it very much looks like it's going to take multiple books for that to happen. I'm sure some people might find the self-reflection and deeply flawed characters interesting but I just found them pathetic and annoying. It's like someone tried to make sidekicks the main characters and the sidekicks in question were built around single character flaws, neither of which were endearing after 50,000 words.
June 3, 2025
I was hoping for a fun, rogue-ish fantasy novel in the tradition of The Lies of Locke Lamora, and that's pretty much what I got.
The author does a good job of world-building without stopping to world-build, which is not a small feat. I didn't love the "interludes" aka flashbacks so much, but otherwise, it's a crisply paced, banterful fantasy caper novel.
Sadly, nowhere is it marked as "book one of the Dominion trilogy," so I thought it might be that rarest of speculative fiction beasts, a standalone novel. Still, there's an ending of sorts, not a complete cliffhanger.
So minus half a point for not being what it purported to be on the cover. Recommended anyway, and I might try to find book two.
The author does a good job of world-building without stopping to world-build, which is not a small feat. I didn't love the "interludes" aka flashbacks so much, but otherwise, it's a crisply paced, banterful fantasy caper novel.
Sadly, nowhere is it marked as "book one of the Dominion trilogy," so I thought it might be that rarest of speculative fiction beasts, a standalone novel. Still, there's an ending of sorts, not a complete cliffhanger.
So minus half a point for not being what it purported to be on the cover. Recommended anyway, and I might try to find book two.
April 27, 2021
The Moonsteel Crown by Stephen Deas is about three characters – Myla, Fings and Seth – who commit petty crimes for a gang in the city of Varr. When they steal a mysterious box that they later discover contains the Moonsteel Crown, a chain of events is set in motion that leaves them on the run from authorities.
I think the biggest positive of this story was the characters – three very different but interesting people, each with their own failings and outlooks, who come together. There are some great scenes/chapters that kept me absorbed, like Fings stealing the box, and some of the fight scenes featuring Myla, and the story progresses at a good pace.
I thought the world-building took a bit of a back step to the characters, which was not a bad thing but could have made the novel even better. On the whole though a very readable and above-average fantasy novel, and the first in a series.
Also something that I found interesting - some of the names the author used of places/people were very familiar - Way of Kings, Last Argument, Lightbringer, The Speaker for the Dead - a nod to his influences perhaps?!
I think the biggest positive of this story was the characters – three very different but interesting people, each with their own failings and outlooks, who come together. There are some great scenes/chapters that kept me absorbed, like Fings stealing the box, and some of the fight scenes featuring Myla, and the story progresses at a good pace.
I thought the world-building took a bit of a back step to the characters, which was not a bad thing but could have made the novel even better. On the whole though a very readable and above-average fantasy novel, and the first in a series.
Also something that I found interesting - some of the names the author used of places/people were very familiar - Way of Kings, Last Argument, Lightbringer, The Speaker for the Dead - a nod to his influences perhaps?!
February 14, 2021
I admit when Angryrobot came through with this one I was hooked by the cover. What I didn't realize was this is the type of fantasy that doesn't always work for me. When it comes to heroic or high fantasy it's always been hard for me to find that connection. Deas made this world and it's characters enjoyable for a reader like myself.
Set in what I'd consider a medieval type era, a thief, a sword-monk and disgraced novice walk into a bar......
Made myself chuckle, but no these three are tricked into a plot to steal the crown. Now of course with fantasy it's always more than it seems and with this trio this book lived up to that. Fings is a superstitious thief, sucking feathers and wearing chicken feet for luck. Seth is the novice kicked out of the order due to a little too much creeping into forbidden religious areas. And Myla (my favorite) is a sword-monk who wields her swords with effortless precision.
Together they made the plot enjoyable and oddly funny. I did grapple a bit on the world-building but that may just be me and my struggles with this subgenre. I couldn't picture the empire in contrast to everywhere they traveled. Its a slower build but expected for a work like this and being first in a series. The action ramps up by the end. The different gangs, the unique sectors of the city and the continual backstabbing kept me intrigued. These are not your heroic MCs and I liked their ragtag personalities and realistic actions.
Favorite aspects for me besides butt-kicking Myla is the walking dead and Seth's sigil action. I really liked this magic type element.
I'd recommend this to readers who love this type of fantasy subgenre. It'll probably be a favorite read for them! Thank you to angryrobot for unknowingly pushing my reader boundary with this gem.
True rating 3.5/5.
Set in what I'd consider a medieval type era, a thief, a sword-monk and disgraced novice walk into a bar......
Made myself chuckle, but no these three are tricked into a plot to steal the crown. Now of course with fantasy it's always more than it seems and with this trio this book lived up to that. Fings is a superstitious thief, sucking feathers and wearing chicken feet for luck. Seth is the novice kicked out of the order due to a little too much creeping into forbidden religious areas. And Myla (my favorite) is a sword-monk who wields her swords with effortless precision.
Together they made the plot enjoyable and oddly funny. I did grapple a bit on the world-building but that may just be me and my struggles with this subgenre. I couldn't picture the empire in contrast to everywhere they traveled. Its a slower build but expected for a work like this and being first in a series. The action ramps up by the end. The different gangs, the unique sectors of the city and the continual backstabbing kept me intrigued. These are not your heroic MCs and I liked their ragtag personalities and realistic actions.
Favorite aspects for me besides butt-kicking Myla is the walking dead and Seth's sigil action. I really liked this magic type element.
I'd recommend this to readers who love this type of fantasy subgenre. It'll probably be a favorite read for them! Thank you to angryrobot for unknowingly pushing my reader boundary with this gem.
True rating 3.5/5.
June 11, 2022
A wonderfully taut and evocative fantasy novel, the first in a new series by Stephen Deas, one of the most talented weavers of worlds I’ve ever encountered.
This does share the same world as some of his other works. But prior knowledge is definitely not required. Neither, TBH, is a particular fondness for the fantasy genre. This is definitely one of those sword and sorcery novels with a flair for salty dialogue, well rounded intriguingly flawed characters and a twisty, intriguing plot that’s far removed from the “goodies and baddies on a quest from A to B” end of the market.
Myla, a “sword monk” exiled from her order, Seth, a failed priest, and Fings an eternally optimistic rogue find themselves caught up in the counsels of the great and wise but would much rather be un- caught. Their adventures, and the unlikely but steel-strong bond they form, makes for a rich and earthy read, with a nice line in black comedy. If you like it (I’m sure you will) an equally rewarding sequel, The House of Cats And Gulls, has just arrived.
This does share the same world as some of his other works. But prior knowledge is definitely not required. Neither, TBH, is a particular fondness for the fantasy genre. This is definitely one of those sword and sorcery novels with a flair for salty dialogue, well rounded intriguingly flawed characters and a twisty, intriguing plot that’s far removed from the “goodies and baddies on a quest from A to B” end of the market.
Myla, a “sword monk” exiled from her order, Seth, a failed priest, and Fings an eternally optimistic rogue find themselves caught up in the counsels of the great and wise but would much rather be un- caught. Their adventures, and the unlikely but steel-strong bond they form, makes for a rich and earthy read, with a nice line in black comedy. If you like it (I’m sure you will) an equally rewarding sequel, The House of Cats And Gulls, has just arrived.
February 2, 2021
‘The Moonsteel Crown’ is the first in a series of novels and is set in a glorious fantasy world.
Myla, an ex-sword fighting monk, and the rest of the gang are stuck committing crimes on the streets of Varr. When what seems like a normal everyday job to them goes wrong, they soon realise is that there is a lot more going on around them that they don’t know and that there’s a conspiracy against the crown. The gang soon find themselves fighting for their lives and now it’s upto them to save the crown.
‘The Moonsteel Crown’ is a beautifully written story that is full of action and great character development. There are also lots of funny and witty moments throughout the story.
The author has created an amazing world which I can not wait to delve into some more.
If you like your characters sword-wielding and kick-ass then I’d highly recommend ‘The Moonsteel Crown’!
Myla, an ex-sword fighting monk, and the rest of the gang are stuck committing crimes on the streets of Varr. When what seems like a normal everyday job to them goes wrong, they soon realise is that there is a lot more going on around them that they don’t know and that there’s a conspiracy against the crown. The gang soon find themselves fighting for their lives and now it’s upto them to save the crown.
‘The Moonsteel Crown’ is a beautifully written story that is full of action and great character development. There are also lots of funny and witty moments throughout the story.
The author has created an amazing world which I can not wait to delve into some more.
If you like your characters sword-wielding and kick-ass then I’d highly recommend ‘The Moonsteel Crown’!
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