A review by songwind
The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan

5.0

The best words for this book have to be "viceral" and "earthy." Despite the fantasy subject matter, the world feels very present and real. There are no archetypal, bigger than life characters. Everyone feels very human (or realistically non-human I guess?) The choice to cast older, retired, cynical soldiers as the main characters rather than the usual hero-types works well. In keeping with its tone, descriptions are also very present and contain a lot of sensation. Sex, combat, survival all leave you feeling a bit sullied, a bit mussed.

The story itself is very enjoyable. The escalation of the conflict is steady, starting off with seemingly mundane concerns and resulting in something truly frightening.

Simon Vance was perfect as the narrator, at least as far as Ringil is concerned.