Let me tell you: this whole review is going to be a long walk to ‘If you haven’t read Steel Crow Saga yet then DROP EVERYTHING AND DO SO IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE THE FAINTEST IDEA WHAT YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON!’ I could go on and on about how this is one of the best epic fantasy books ever written, but for the sake of a coherent review, I’ll try my best to rant only a little.
Steel Crow Saga has been blurbed as ‘Pokémon meets Avatar: the Last Airbender’ and that perfectly describes the novel. It is set in a secondary world; the story takes place in the aftermath of a revolution that led to war. The united forces of Sanbuna, Dahal, and Shang brought down their coloniser Tomoda, and Tomoda’s crown prince Jimuro was imprisoned by Sanbuna. Now, after three years, he is being returned to take back his throne and reinforce the fragile peace all four of the countries have agreed upon. Sergeant Tala is duty bound to ensure his safe return, although in her eyes he is her greatest enemy. Meanwhile Shang princess Xiulan and Jeongsonese thief Lee have other plans- to imprison the prince and present him to Xiulan’s father to prove that she should be the next Crane Empress. Destiny brings this band of people with conflicting motives together as they must unite to defeat a threat that looms over their world—a brutal killer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
First of all, this is very much a character-driven story. Steel Crow Saga is nothing short of a masterpiece when it comes to the characterisation. The cast of characters is diverse and delightful to read about. The four leads are all equally important to the story, are treated with equal care and are equally well developed—something that can not be said for a lot of multi-POV novels. Their voices are each unique in their own way and distinct from one another. You can see how much the author really cares about them from the way they are all given time to grow and are multi-layered- they actually feel like real people with real pasts and real backgrounds.
Tala, Jimuro, Xiulan, and Lee all carry their own baggage. Tala is struggling with the psychological consequences of the war she fought, and the trauma of seeing her own people slaughtered. However, her violent impulses and her insistence on seeing every Tomodanese as an enemy even after the war is over are constantly questioned. Lee would rather flee than face the truth of her feelings towards the princess who was suddenly her partner in crime, but over the course of the book, she comes to value what really matters. Xiulan and Jimuro, both royals, go through so much character development, but the most beautiful and satisfying arc is perhaps Jimuro’s. He goes from being naive and blind to the utter havoc his people wreaked on the world to a ruler who takes full responsibility for his nation’s actions and works towards changing his country and the world for the better. (Did someone say Zuko? Because yeah, they’re very similar in some ways.)
“If my people run from the horror of what we’ve done, in time we would forget. And if we forget, we might one day do it again. Your people do not have the luxury of forgetting how you’ve suffered. And so I intend to deny my people that same luxury.”
Krueger’s writing soars when it comes to the worldbuilding, especially regarding the perfect balance he managed to strike between magic and technology. The four nations/empires Steel Crow Saga centers around are heavily influenced by four real world Asian countries, their histories and their cultures. We come across the lore, the myths and the history of this world as the story progresses, and that gives it an ancient and real feel. As for the magic system, magic takes several forms in this world- all of which are explained in great detail and used in the story in the best way imaginable. The author has talked about how this book is heavily influenced by anime, and as an anime enthusiast myself, I loved that I could clearly picture every scene in an anime setting as I read the book.
Paul Krueger’s particular writing style hit the right chord with me from the very beginning. He portrays the chaos and the devastation in the postcolonial world acutely and in a way that’s all too real, even though the tone of the narrative is mostly kept light and humorous. The action sequences are vividly written and immensely enjoyable, and the epic and deeply emotional battle at the end of the book is definitely one of the most remarkable ones I’ve read about in fantasy books. The pacing slows down at times, but Krueger takes that time to develop the characters and it does the plot justice too. I can see how this book might not be for everyone, and how it might seem a little info-dumpy sometimes, especially at the beginning. But ultimately, this book guarantees a fun reading experience, and for me every aspect of it was wonderful and just perfect.
Above all, Steel Crow Saga is a love letter to anime and everything Asian, from its vast assortment of cuisines to its gorgeous clothing to its rich heritage and cultures. If you’re looking for something that blends the sort of fantasy Fullmetal Alchemist offers with the thrills of a Pokémon battle and the extensive worldbuilding of Avatar: the Last Airbender, I’ll urge you to read this book immediately. If you crave the sort of gritty tales books like R.F. Kaung’s The Poppy War tells—stories that allegorise real world themes and issues—you don’t want to miss this. And definitely pick it up if you’re a fan of fantasy fiction, because Steel Crow Saga is a fantasy lover’s dream.
Steel Crow Saga is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Four destinies collide in a unique fantasy world of war and wonders, where empire is won with enchanted steel and magical animal companions fight alongside their masters in battle.
A soldier with a curse
Tala lost her family to the empress’s army and has spent her life avenging them in battle. But the empress’s crimes don’t haunt her half as much as the crimes Tala has committed against the laws of magic… and her own flesh and blood.
A prince with a debt
Jimuro has inherited the ashes of an empire. Now that the revolution has brought down his kingdom, he must depend on Tala to bring him home safe. But it was his army who murdered her family. Now Tala will be his redemption—or his downfall.
A detective with a grudge
Xiulan is an eccentric, pipe-smoking detective who can solve any mystery—but the biggest mystery of all is her true identity. She’s a princess in disguise, and she plans to secure her throne by presenting her father with the ultimate prize: the world’s most wanted prince.
A thief with a broken heart
Lee is a small-time criminal who lives by only one law: Leave them before they leave you. But when Princess Xiulan asks her to be her partner in crime—and offers her a magical animal companion as a reward—she can’t say no, and soon finds she doesn’t want to leave the princess behind.
This band of rogues and royals should all be enemies, but they unite for a common purpose: to defeat an unstoppable killer who defies the laws of magic. In this battle, they will forge unexpected bonds of friendship and love that will change their lives—and begin to change the world.
