In Graveyard Gods, the first book in the Raider and The Rapier series, Daniel & Arneson invite readers to join a rollicking adventure. The setting invIn Graveyard Gods, the first book in the Raider and The Rapier series, Daniel & Arneson invite readers to join a rollicking adventure. The setting involves ships, underwater tombs, and dangerous cities. The story starts with a bang and rarely slows down.
The main characters are well-rounded and memorable. Edmond Mondego, a grave robber and alchemist, seeks a God Grave hoping the hidden magic will allow him to bring back his murdered wife's soul. Instead of immense power, he finds an imprisoned goddess. Edmond's profane profession and notoriety make him a target of the Lord Captain Augustin Mora, newly appointed commander of His Imperial Majesty's Ship Intrepid. Things get complicated when unexpected events will force them to cooperate.
I absolutely loved Edmond's chapters. His cunning and guile make him intriguing. His deep love for his murdered wife makes him relatable. His interactions with others, especially with the mentioned goddess, are always fun. Augustin, on the other hand, is a much stiffer character. Definitely likable, but I felt his chapters lacked the spark and strength of Mondego's POV. I also felt Mora's chapters had weaker structure and lower stakes. In consequence, I impatiently looked for Edmond's POV while trudging through other POV.
Graveyard Gods tells a great story powered by great ideas. Unfortunately, it needs another pass of editing to make the writing stronger (you'll find a bit of everything here: grammar errors, misspellings, awkward similes, weird sentence structure). This book can shine - it has strong characters, a great plot, and a fascinating setting. With the help of a ruthless editor, it can shake the Nautical Fantasy charts.
Django Wexler did his homework and filled Ship of Steel and Smoke with stuff that sells. To the brim. Badass heroine, romance, diversity, whooshi2.5/5
Django Wexler did his homework and filled Ship of Steel and Smoke with stuff that sells. To the brim. Badass heroine, romance, diversity, whooshing magical blades, LGBT themes and much more.
Isoka is a ruthless money collector living in the port city of Kahnzoka. She hurts people for money and shows no remorse to kill her coworkers, but it all serves to keep her sister from harm. So, I guess, it makes her ok? Equipped with the power of Melos, the Well of Combat, that allows her to summon blades of pure energy she‘s unstoppable. Until she meets EMpire’s magical enforcers. Those guys are even more badass and they know she cares for her sister.
Unless Isoka infiltrates and takes control of Soliton (mythical ghost ship) bad things will happen. Once on board she has to build her position by killing monsters, fighting a bully, killing more monsters. Along the road she’ll discover truths about herself and her sexuality and dark secrets of Soliton.
Ship of Steel and Smoke uses tropes, and it doesn’t hide it. Isoka is violent and calculating. Life on the streets taught her that people use people, so she does the same. And yet, her change of heart comes way too fast and remains unconvincing. I mean, without spoiling too much, in a matter of weeks and after slaughtering few hostile monsters, she becomes almost a messiah figure. And she falls in love. And she discovers things that should remain hidden. And…
What can I tell you? It’s a good product, but it lacks heart and true depth. Wexler recycles ideas but does it with creativity and with flair. The world and obstacles Isoka meets are impressive and fun. Visceral action scenes entertain. Romance should appeal to the book‘s target audience. That said, I found the plot painfully simplistic and characters two-dimensional.
I can see myself loving this book twenty years ago. I can totally see younger readers dig it now. As far as YA books go, this one was ok, but nothing more.