Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Subterranean (2009), Edition: Signed, Limited Edition, Hardcover, 320 pages
Description
A man named Ringil, hero from a great war, living nearly forgotten and obsolete in a backcountry village, is asked to find a lost cousin, drawing him back into a world that he'd thought he left behind long ago.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Surtac
The Steel Remains is Richard Morgan’s latest novel.
It purports to be his take on high or epic fantasy (or EFP or whatever, call it what you will). Yeah I can see that. It has all the classic tropes – a feudal society, a decaying empire, medieval military technology, gods as on-stage actors in
The major viewpoint characters seem to fit some of the usual stereotypes too: Ringil Angeleyes is the master swordsman / lone wolf character: an acknowledged hero with a named eldritch broadsword on his back; the scion of a noble family. Egar Dragonbane is another well-known war hero, clanmaster of a nomadic herding clan on the open plains between the two major political entities. Archeth is the long-lived halfbreed daughter of humans and the now vanished race known as Kirianth, the Black Ones, serving as scientific advisor to the young emperor of the Throne Eternal.
All three are veterans of a war that united humanity and the remaining Kirianth for long enough to fight and defeat an invasion from the sea by the Scaled Folk, a war that gave them their subsequent fame and/or notoriety. As the book progresses, these three ex-comrades in arms are brought together again to face a new and deadly threat to humanity.
So, you think you’ve got the big picture here, right? It’s just standard big fantasy fare – a motley collection of heroes and heroines coming together in a quest to save the world as we know it, maybe with Morgan’s trademark violence and bad language from his previous works added in?
You’d be wrong.
It does have those story elements, but in my opinion, Morgan has set things up like this so he can then completely deconstruct the fantasy sub-genre, which he proceeds to do with gleeful abandon. To say how would require major spoilers.
Is the book readable? Absolutely – I found it an absolute page-turner.
Does it have the graphic sex and violence and language we know from his earlier work? Yes it does, so if you are easily offended by such things be careful. But none of the sex is non-consensual, and it is relevant to the characterisation of his protagonists.
On that point, are the viewpoint characters believable and sympathetic? I believe they are – they certainly hooked me in.
Do I recommend it as a good read? Yes I do –it’s a well-paced cracker of a story that also makes you think, not least about the nature of heroism.
So it does have something serious to say also? Absolutely – about what makes a hero and the ephemeral nature of heroism; about religious intolerance and dogmatism; about forced relocations of displaced ethnic populations; about the interaction of church and state; about politics and corruption; about the darkness and bleakness in human nature; and about the consequences of individual choices we make in our lives.
If you liked Morgan's earlier work, I suggest you give it a try.
It purports to be his take on high or epic fantasy (or EFP or whatever, call it what you will). Yeah I can see that. It has all the classic tropes – a feudal society, a decaying empire, medieval military technology, gods as on-stage actors in
Show More
the story, a quest of sorts, various monsters, and all of the other usual sword and sorcery type accoutrements.The major viewpoint characters seem to fit some of the usual stereotypes too: Ringil Angeleyes is the master swordsman / lone wolf character: an acknowledged hero with a named eldritch broadsword on his back; the scion of a noble family. Egar Dragonbane is another well-known war hero, clanmaster of a nomadic herding clan on the open plains between the two major political entities. Archeth is the long-lived halfbreed daughter of humans and the now vanished race known as Kirianth, the Black Ones, serving as scientific advisor to the young emperor of the Throne Eternal.
All three are veterans of a war that united humanity and the remaining Kirianth for long enough to fight and defeat an invasion from the sea by the Scaled Folk, a war that gave them their subsequent fame and/or notoriety. As the book progresses, these three ex-comrades in arms are brought together again to face a new and deadly threat to humanity.
So, you think you’ve got the big picture here, right? It’s just standard big fantasy fare – a motley collection of heroes and heroines coming together in a quest to save the world as we know it, maybe with Morgan’s trademark violence and bad language from his previous works added in?
You’d be wrong.
It does have those story elements, but in my opinion, Morgan has set things up like this so he can then completely deconstruct the fantasy sub-genre, which he proceeds to do with gleeful abandon. To say how would require major spoilers.
Is the book readable? Absolutely – I found it an absolute page-turner.
Does it have the graphic sex and violence and language we know from his earlier work? Yes it does, so if you are easily offended by such things be careful. But none of the sex is non-consensual, and it is relevant to the characterisation of his protagonists.
On that point, are the viewpoint characters believable and sympathetic? I believe they are – they certainly hooked me in.
Do I recommend it as a good read? Yes I do –it’s a well-paced cracker of a story that also makes you think, not least about the nature of heroism.
So it does have something serious to say also? Absolutely – about what makes a hero and the ephemeral nature of heroism; about religious intolerance and dogmatism; about forced relocations of displaced ethnic populations; about the interaction of church and state; about politics and corruption; about the darkness and bleakness in human nature; and about the consequences of individual choices we make in our lives.
If you liked Morgan's earlier work, I suggest you give it a try.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jackdeighton
This is the most unusual Fantasy I’ve read in years, perhaps ever. Not only does it have two gay main characters, there is also a high (but realistic) degree of swearing, both of which are normally conspicuous by their absence in the worlds of the Fantasy novel.
Ringil, a hero of the finally
Two of Ringil’s former wartime comrades, Egar, a plains-dwelling nomad chief, and Archeth, last of the Kiriath, are also given narrative strands. All three are fully rounded, Ringil and Archeth in particular seeming like real people with all their flaws.
If I have criticisms then they are that the dwenda, when they appear, despite their ability to flit in and out of the grey spaces, seem to be too like humans - indeed it might be possible to read The Steel Remains as Science Fiction rather than Fantasy - too many of the asides outstayed their welcome, it is a pity there is still a default mediaevality to the setting and the resolution is much as you might expect from a standard fantasy. But it’s all good rollicking stuff.
Morgan deserves huge credit for taking on the Fantasy genre and thoroughly shaking it up. If all Fantasy were like this I might read more of it.
Ringil, a hero of the finally
Show More
triumphant war against the lizard folk, grown tired of the political and social disappointments that peace time has brought, now lives quietly in a rural backwater, apart from dealing with the occasional corpsemites which inhabit and animate dead bodies in the local graveyard. A master swordsman, he dispatches the corpsemites with little difficulty. He is drawn back to the capital city when his mother asks for his help in rescuing a female cousin who has been sold into slavery as a result of the debts incurred by her deceased husband. Ringil does not suffer fools gladly and before embarking on his search manages to upset more than a few of the city’s bigwigs. He is also warned that a semi-mythical species known as dwenda may be behind the strange occurrences in the region where she has been taken.Two of Ringil’s former wartime comrades, Egar, a plains-dwelling nomad chief, and Archeth, last of the Kiriath, are also given narrative strands. All three are fully rounded, Ringil and Archeth in particular seeming like real people with all their flaws.
If I have criticisms then they are that the dwenda, when they appear, despite their ability to flit in and out of the grey spaces, seem to be too like humans - indeed it might be possible to read The Steel Remains as Science Fiction rather than Fantasy - too many of the asides outstayed their welcome, it is a pity there is still a default mediaevality to the setting and the resolution is much as you might expect from a standard fantasy. But it’s all good rollicking stuff.
Morgan deserves huge credit for taking on the Fantasy genre and thoroughly shaking it up. If all Fantasy were like this I might read more of it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member FicusFan
I have read and loved Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs SF series, so I was very excited to read his first fantasy book. It was very good. In style and scope it reminded me of R.Scott Baker's Prince of Nothing series with the inclusion of politics, religion, culture and war. It was much better written
The writing is crisp and smooth. The characters are interesting, and developed, though they develop more over the course of the book. The settings are pretty good, though some places are hard to visualize. The 'enemy' is a bit nebulous for a good part of the book, because Morgan is trying to keep the mystery going. The book ends up being a dark fantasy with SF (aliens from other dimensions) and horror (zombies and ghouls) trappings.
It is very violent, and there is a lot of cussing. There is cynicism and black humor.There is sex, some forced, some straight, some gay, and the intimation of bestiality and necrophilia. Very gritty, Dark Fantasy. Think of a gay Kovacs in a low tech setting with a sword :)
The book has 3 threads and follows 3 characters, who were all in the last big war together. They are having a difficult time with the peace. They were used and discarded, and the evils they fought and won against have been adopted by their own side. They have gone their separate ways to try to make lives for themselves. The story in the book is of events that bring them back together.
The main POV is Ringil, who is a war hero who has not only been discarded by his country, but who would be executed if he weren't part of a powerful, noble family. Ringil is gay and the religion and state are one, and they consider homosexuality an abomination and kill any they find or even suspect.
The next POV character is Archeth, a black, lesbian, alien woman. She is the last of the magical Kiriath. They left the planet but did not take her because she is also half-human. She is an advisor to the Emperor of Yhelteth, trying to stay alive in his court with the factions and his mercurial moods. They too have religion that has political power and is against Arceth because she is not human, a lesbian, and a drug user.
The last POV character is Egar. He is a steppe nomad, a horse riding barbarian and he has returned to the Steppes and his people, but he is no longer a simple nomad. He brings strange ideas and odd behavior to the closed society. He heads his family, but they do not respect him.
Ringil is a big fish in a small pond, in a tiny town in the wilderness, living off his war stories. His mother finds him and recruits him to come home to look for a cousin who has fallen on hard times. He husband has lost all their money, taken out loans he can't pay, and then killed himself. The cousin, his widow has been sold into slavery to repay the debt. Gil's mother wants her back and wants him to find and free her. He has to go home to his old home town to do it. He has issues with his father and the power in the town, though he has contacts with those in the underbelly.
Archeth is being sent with a force of troops to a coastal town that has been ravaged by a mysterious force. Someone or something came ashore, past the magical metal Kiriath defenses and melted and burned almost all the people and the buildings. The Emperor wants to know what happened and who is behind it.
Egar is not traditional enough for the old timers, and too tame for the young who have no experience of war, only legends to excite them. He is more interested in whoring with young teen girls than settling and having a family. He also runs afoul of the local Shaman when his experience of the world makes him ignore the Shaman and his warnings. The Shaman incites his brothers to kill him.
Eventually they all come together to track the beings who came ashore.
I like all the characters, but I thought that Egar seemed the weakest in terms of the a reason and place in the story. This is the first book of the Land Fit for Heroes series, so perhaps he has a bigger role in the other books.
I enjoyed it but will say its not for those who are easily offended or are uncomfortable with gay characters.
I can't wait for the next book.
Show More
than The Darkness that Comes Before though. The writing is crisp and smooth. The characters are interesting, and developed, though they develop more over the course of the book. The settings are pretty good, though some places are hard to visualize. The 'enemy' is a bit nebulous for a good part of the book, because Morgan is trying to keep the mystery going. The book ends up being a dark fantasy with SF (aliens from other dimensions) and horror (zombies and ghouls) trappings.
It is very violent, and there is a lot of cussing. There is cynicism and black humor.There is sex, some forced, some straight, some gay, and the intimation of bestiality and necrophilia. Very gritty, Dark Fantasy. Think of a gay Kovacs in a low tech setting with a sword :)
The book has 3 threads and follows 3 characters, who were all in the last big war together. They are having a difficult time with the peace. They were used and discarded, and the evils they fought and won against have been adopted by their own side. They have gone their separate ways to try to make lives for themselves. The story in the book is of events that bring them back together.
The main POV is Ringil, who is a war hero who has not only been discarded by his country, but who would be executed if he weren't part of a powerful, noble family. Ringil is gay and the religion and state are one, and they consider homosexuality an abomination and kill any they find or even suspect.
The next POV character is Archeth, a black, lesbian, alien woman. She is the last of the magical Kiriath. They left the planet but did not take her because she is also half-human. She is an advisor to the Emperor of Yhelteth, trying to stay alive in his court with the factions and his mercurial moods. They too have religion that has political power and is against Arceth because she is not human, a lesbian, and a drug user.
The last POV character is Egar. He is a steppe nomad, a horse riding barbarian and he has returned to the Steppes and his people, but he is no longer a simple nomad. He brings strange ideas and odd behavior to the closed society. He heads his family, but they do not respect him.
Ringil is a big fish in a small pond, in a tiny town in the wilderness, living off his war stories. His mother finds him and recruits him to come home to look for a cousin who has fallen on hard times. He husband has lost all their money, taken out loans he can't pay, and then killed himself. The cousin, his widow has been sold into slavery to repay the debt. Gil's mother wants her back and wants him to find and free her. He has to go home to his old home town to do it. He has issues with his father and the power in the town, though he has contacts with those in the underbelly.
Archeth is being sent with a force of troops to a coastal town that has been ravaged by a mysterious force. Someone or something came ashore, past the magical metal Kiriath defenses and melted and burned almost all the people and the buildings. The Emperor wants to know what happened and who is behind it.
Egar is not traditional enough for the old timers, and too tame for the young who have no experience of war, only legends to excite them. He is more interested in whoring with young teen girls than settling and having a family. He also runs afoul of the local Shaman when his experience of the world makes him ignore the Shaman and his warnings. The Shaman incites his brothers to kill him.
Eventually they all come together to track the beings who came ashore.
I like all the characters, but I thought that Egar seemed the weakest in terms of the a reason and place in the story. This is the first book of the Land Fit for Heroes series, so perhaps he has a bigger role in the other books.
I enjoyed it but will say its not for those who are easily offended or are uncomfortable with gay characters.
I can't wait for the next book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
Richard Morgan is one of the SF authors who has established himself as a 'must-read' author for me. This is his first foray into fantasy, one that seems to have divided reviewers. Some have hailed it as a work that turns the genre's conventions on its head and bringing a gritty, dark sensibility
Overall I lean closer to the first position than the second, though not without caveats. The plot, when all is said and done, is not particularly exceptional (though it should be said that this is the first book of the series, so it may be more about introducing the world and the characters than a whole plot). Having said that, I believe the world-building is excellent and certainly sets some of the usual tropes of fantasy world-building spinning. The story is set in a fantasy land several years *after* a dark horde of lizardmen have been defeated. The world was saved. But what has happened to the world after the battle is won and the heroes hang up their swords? The Empire used the threat of invasion to conquer and consolidate its control over the continent, also incidentally making political concessions to the Church which opened its coffers to the Emperor to outfit his armies in return for extending its power into the secular domain. The League cities that fell under Empire control have once again legalized slavery to help pay off its debts (a move called 'trade liberalization'!) The Kiriath (the world's dwarves) left the world after helping the Empire fight off the lizardmen, disgusted with the uses their technology was being put to. And the heroes who helped win the war are falling back into obscurity in their own respective ways, when various events start to draw them together again.
The story takes a while to get going, and particularly in the first 100 pages or so, when the story really hasn't coalesced, I wasn't terribly impressed, particularly since one of the main characters is pretty unlike-able. But as the book progressed it starts picking up steam, and the last 100 pages or so are a real rush (also improved upon by the reader's growing comprehension of what is going on). Overall its a worthy book and I'm looking forward to the next in the series. The ending is actually very well done and really does whet the appetite for more.
Finally a note on the sex and the swearing. If you've read any Morgan, you know there's a fairly large number of sex scenes in his books - in fact [The Steel Remains] has less than most of the Takeshi Kovacs novels. I think one reason some people are particularly offended is because one of the characters is gay. So if you mind this sort of thing, and can't just skip a few paragraphs without it troubling you, go read something else. Secondly, there is the language. I do feel the swearing seems a bit distracting at times. I suppose the occasions usually call for it, but it seemed very modern in usage and would sometimes pull me out of the scene. At other times it seemed to blend in just fine.
Show More
that has heretofore been missing from the genre. Others have felt that it had an underwhelming plot and that it was not as revolutionary a work as it claimed to be, while still others have been put off by sex and foul language.Overall I lean closer to the first position than the second, though not without caveats. The plot, when all is said and done, is not particularly exceptional (though it should be said that this is the first book of the series, so it may be more about introducing the world and the characters than a whole plot). Having said that, I believe the world-building is excellent and certainly sets some of the usual tropes of fantasy world-building spinning. The story is set in a fantasy land several years *after* a dark horde of lizardmen have been defeated. The world was saved. But what has happened to the world after the battle is won and the heroes hang up their swords? The Empire used the threat of invasion to conquer and consolidate its control over the continent, also incidentally making political concessions to the Church which opened its coffers to the Emperor to outfit his armies in return for extending its power into the secular domain. The League cities that fell under Empire control have once again legalized slavery to help pay off its debts (a move called 'trade liberalization'!) The Kiriath (the world's dwarves) left the world after helping the Empire fight off the lizardmen, disgusted with the uses their technology was being put to. And the heroes who helped win the war are falling back into obscurity in their own respective ways, when various events start to draw them together again.
The story takes a while to get going, and particularly in the first 100 pages or so, when the story really hasn't coalesced, I wasn't terribly impressed, particularly since one of the main characters is pretty unlike-able. But as the book progressed it starts picking up steam, and the last 100 pages or so are a real rush (also improved upon by the reader's growing comprehension of what is going on). Overall its a worthy book and I'm looking forward to the next in the series. The ending is actually very well done and really does whet the appetite for more.
Finally a note on the sex and the swearing. If you've read any Morgan, you know there's a fairly large number of sex scenes in his books - in fact [The Steel Remains] has less than most of the Takeshi Kovacs novels. I think one reason some people are particularly offended is because one of the characters is gay. So if you mind this sort of thing, and can't just skip a few paragraphs without it troubling you, go read something else. Secondly, there is the language. I do feel the swearing seems a bit distracting at times. I suppose the occasions usually call for it, but it seemed very modern in usage and would sometimes pull me out of the scene. At other times it seemed to blend in just fine.
Show Less
LibraryThing member surreality
Plot: The pacing is very slow in the first half and the story doesn't seem to go anywhere. At the same time, there are four almost independent plotlines going on, and they have practically no intersection. For a long time, this makes you feel like you're reading four books at once that have little
Characters: Do any of these characteres actually have goals and motivations? If yes, they're doing a good job hiding them. The depth is lacking underneath all the posturing and the sex. And having far too many similar character names does not help in making anyone memorable.
Style: Morgan, friend of run-on sentences. And of plot progress and characterisation via sex. Which falls flat in nine cases out of ten. Mechanical, angry sex does not help with keeping up your reader's interest. By the way, yes, I get that homosexuality is a social taboo. Really, I get it. No need to point it out on every. Single. Page. Do some more worldbuilding instead, that was more than confusing.
Plus: It's not quite so bad that you need to leave it unfinished.
Minus: Lack of plot, lack of characterisation, lack of worldbuilding. The attempt to distract from said lack by including lots and lots of sex, thoughts of sex, and rape where regular sex isn't applicable.
Summary: Hardcore readers only.
Show More
to do with each other. Characters: Do any of these characteres actually have goals and motivations? If yes, they're doing a good job hiding them. The depth is lacking underneath all the posturing and the sex. And having far too many similar character names does not help in making anyone memorable.
Style: Morgan, friend of run-on sentences. And of plot progress and characterisation via sex. Which falls flat in nine cases out of ten. Mechanical, angry sex does not help with keeping up your reader's interest. By the way, yes, I get that homosexuality is a social taboo. Really, I get it. No need to point it out on every. Single. Page. Do some more worldbuilding instead, that was more than confusing.
Plus: It's not quite so bad that you need to leave it unfinished.
Minus: Lack of plot, lack of characterisation, lack of worldbuilding. The attempt to distract from said lack by including lots and lots of sex, thoughts of sex, and rape where regular sex isn't applicable.
Summary: Hardcore readers only.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
Basically, this book takes high fantasy tropes and screws with them. This is not a parody; it's not so facile. But the author has clearly read and loved a great deal of fantasy in his life, and knows the basic stories well. And when he grew tired of the easy answers and Light vs Dark epic battles,
The elves have left Middle Earth--but they were actually aliens, driven half-mad by their flight across the stars, and the half-Elven Princess they leave behind them is a black lesbian with a drug problem. (I found Arceth to be the most fascinating character of all. Her eldritch family taught her modern concepts of morality, but she's been stuck in a feudal society for hundreds of years--her high-minded ideals are beginning to wear thin.)
The "elves" also left behind a magical sword, wielded by war hero Gil. Like many war heroes in fantasy novels written lately, Gil has become a washed-up mercenary, only pulled back into the Epic Battle for Civilization by the danger posed to a long-lost female loved one. But uh, Gil is gay, and his main resistance to helping is that the *last* Epic Battle turned into a slaughter of civilians, and his city tortured his lover to death before his eyes.
His former sword-brother, the barbarian Egar, is also pulled into the fray. Egar is a great play on the usual "savage tribe" trope.
This book is not a criticism of High Fantasy--it takes it to the next level. The queer characters, the characters of color, the atheists, the questions of consent and privilege, the logical next step for a country that's just defeated their Big Foe...Morgan uses all of it. And the adventure is better for it.
Show More
he created this. The elves have left Middle Earth--but they were actually aliens, driven half-mad by their flight across the stars, and the half-Elven Princess they leave behind them is a black lesbian with a drug problem. (I found Arceth to be the most fascinating character of all. Her eldritch family taught her modern concepts of morality, but she's been stuck in a feudal society for hundreds of years--her high-minded ideals are beginning to wear thin.)
The "elves" also left behind a magical sword, wielded by war hero Gil. Like many war heroes in fantasy novels written lately, Gil has become a washed-up mercenary, only pulled back into the Epic Battle for Civilization by the danger posed to a long-lost female loved one. But uh, Gil is gay, and his main resistance to helping is that the *last* Epic Battle turned into a slaughter of civilians, and his city tortured his lover to death before his eyes.
His former sword-brother, the barbarian Egar, is also pulled into the fray. Egar is a great play on the usual "savage tribe" trope.
This book is not a criticism of High Fantasy--it takes it to the next level. The queer characters, the characters of color, the atheists, the questions of consent and privilege, the logical next step for a country that's just defeated their Big Foe...Morgan uses all of it. And the adventure is better for it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member magemanda
I have read a large number of reviews that indicate Richard Morgan is doing something fresh and new with this, his first book in a fantasy trilogy. However, I would respectfully disagree. I could see elements of David Gemmell and Michael Moorcock in the writing. Before his untimely death, Gemmell
The way in which Morgan differs from Gemmell is in both the well-publicised swearing and the homosexuality of Ringil. I was disappointed in the way that Morgan handled the latter, to be honest. I don't mind the homosexual sex scenes, and I don't mind the idea that Ringil is considered to be a degenerate, but I do mind the constant references to it. It was almost as though Morgan worried that if he didn't drum it home every few chapters, then the reader might forget this element of Ringil's character.
The start of the story was extremely slow. For such a slight fantasy novel (a mere 350 pages or so, in the edition I read) it took me well over a week to get through. I attribute this to the fact that the three main characters were completely separate and following different storylines up to about the last five chapters. I am familiar with cliffhanger chapter endings and multiple story viewpoints from many other fantasy books, but usually you are given a period of time with the group of characters together before they proceed on their separate storylines - this allows you time in which to bond with the characters so that when they do go their separate ways, you have an investment in the people and the trials and tribulations they face. With this book, Morgan plunged straight into multiple viewpoints and, just as one character got halfway interesting, we were shifted to the start of a new character's story and had to spend time getting to know this character.
With those negatives aside, this was a thumping good read - Ringil was never less than entertaining, and we are given a large number of hints into his background and into events from his past that give reasons for his world-weary take on life. The Dwenda are fabulous as enemies - I feel Morgan draws heavily on fey mythology (and I had echoes of the elves in Lords and Ladies while I read about the dwenda).
Eventually you completely invest in the characters and are cheering them on in the breathless climax, where Morgan demonstrates that his writing of fight scenes is second to none.
An impressive fantasy novel.
Show More
handled the creating of characters that are drawn from shades of grey - anti-heros and fighters held up to be heros but have the morals of the worst kind of human beings. Ringil, Archeth and Egar are characters from this same mould - ambigious motives and less than black and white characteristics.The way in which Morgan differs from Gemmell is in both the well-publicised swearing and the homosexuality of Ringil. I was disappointed in the way that Morgan handled the latter, to be honest. I don't mind the homosexual sex scenes, and I don't mind the idea that Ringil is considered to be a degenerate, but I do mind the constant references to it. It was almost as though Morgan worried that if he didn't drum it home every few chapters, then the reader might forget this element of Ringil's character.
The start of the story was extremely slow. For such a slight fantasy novel (a mere 350 pages or so, in the edition I read) it took me well over a week to get through. I attribute this to the fact that the three main characters were completely separate and following different storylines up to about the last five chapters. I am familiar with cliffhanger chapter endings and multiple story viewpoints from many other fantasy books, but usually you are given a period of time with the group of characters together before they proceed on their separate storylines - this allows you time in which to bond with the characters so that when they do go their separate ways, you have an investment in the people and the trials and tribulations they face. With this book, Morgan plunged straight into multiple viewpoints and, just as one character got halfway interesting, we were shifted to the start of a new character's story and had to spend time getting to know this character.
With those negatives aside, this was a thumping good read - Ringil was never less than entertaining, and we are given a large number of hints into his background and into events from his past that give reasons for his world-weary take on life. The Dwenda are fabulous as enemies - I feel Morgan draws heavily on fey mythology (and I had echoes of the elves in Lords and Ladies while I read about the dwenda).
Eventually you completely invest in the characters and are cheering them on in the breathless climax, where Morgan demonstrates that his writing of fight scenes is second to none.
An impressive fantasy novel.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ragwaine
Richard K. Morgan is one of my favorite authors. I love his style of writing. Fantasy is and always has been my favorite genre. When I heard Mr. Morgan was writing a fantasy novel I got REALLY excited. It was going to be like peanut butter and chocolate or Simon and Garfunkel or busty wenches and
Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way. It wasn't as bad as Garfunkel in a low-cut dress or Simon slathered in peanut butter but it wasn't as good as a chocolate-covered busty wench either... Sorry got kinda carried away with the imagery there.
The world was cool. The characters were cool. The plot was boring. The writing was awesome. The fact that the main character was an ass-kicking gay guy was awesome. The EXTREMELY graphic gay sex made me a little uncomfortable. I didn't feel like he was trying to ram his gay agenda down my throat or anything because all Morgan's books have EXTREMELY graphic sex scenes, but it got me thinking that I would be just fine leaving all the sex scenes out (straight or gay).
Toward the end I started to think the book was going to be what I like to call "a fellowship book". This is where an author spends an entire novel assembling "the fellowship" of characters so that they can begin "the adventure". The best example of this I can think of outside of LotRs is [book:Pawn of Prophecy|2548569]. I say I started to think this but then after Morgan used up just about all of his "wow isn't it really amazing that we all just happened to bump into each other" points. The book is over and they go their separate ways. I don't get.
One more thing. I don't usually like to mix my fantasy with sci-fi and this book does that quite a bit, it's slightly jarring and I didn't like it in this book either.
After all this I will still definitely be reading the 2nd book but I have to say that I was pretty disappointed that this book didn't completely blow my mind.
Show More
low-cut dresses... um... well you know what I mean. How could this combination be anything but stellar?Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way. It wasn't as bad as Garfunkel in a low-cut dress or Simon slathered in peanut butter but it wasn't as good as a chocolate-covered busty wench either... Sorry got kinda carried away with the imagery there.
The world was cool. The characters were cool. The plot was boring. The writing was awesome. The fact that the main character was an ass-kicking gay guy was awesome. The EXTREMELY graphic gay sex made me a little uncomfortable. I didn't feel like he was trying to ram his gay agenda down my throat or anything because all Morgan's books have EXTREMELY graphic sex scenes, but it got me thinking that I would be just fine leaving all the sex scenes out (straight or gay).
Toward the end I started to think the book was going to be what I like to call "a fellowship book". This is where an author spends an entire novel assembling "the fellowship" of characters so that they can begin "the adventure". The best example of this I can think of outside of LotRs is [book:Pawn of Prophecy|2548569]. I say I started to think this but then after Morgan used up just about all of his "wow isn't it really amazing that we all just happened to bump into each other" points. The book is over and they go their separate ways. I don't get.
One more thing. I don't usually like to mix my fantasy with sci-fi and this book does that quite a bit, it's slightly jarring and I didn't like it in this book either.
After all this I will still definitely be reading the 2nd book but I have to say that I was pretty disappointed that this book didn't completely blow my mind.
Show Less
LibraryThing member kmaziarz
Washed-up war vetern and former hero Ringil is living in moderate comfort in a small town at the end of the world, making his way by dicing, performing small protection jobs, and telling stories of his great victories in the war. He is dragged unwillingly back into the great cities when his mother
Violent, dark, and explicit, “The Steel Remains” is fantasy for fans sick of nimble elves and looking for hard-hitting action and a sharp edge.
Show More
enlists his aid in rescuing a cousin who has been sold into slavery to pay her husband’s debts. Ringil, a foul-mouthed, jaded warrior, has long been at odds with his aristrocratic father—not least because Ringil is homosexual and his father rather violently disapproves, as do the priests and most of the rest of society. But Ringil’s mother is implacable, and Ringil finds himself drawn back into the dark underbelly of the city in which he was raised. There are rumors that a dwenda—a member of a nigh-mythical race of magical beings—is living in the heart of the most dangerous of the city’s neighborhoods and that he is behind the kidnapping and enslavement of young women meeting a certain description, for purposes unknown. With the help of two other embittered veterans, Ringil must reluctantly play the hero once again, attempting to beat back an invasion by forces far beyond anything the three can imagine.Violent, dark, and explicit, “The Steel Remains” is fantasy for fans sick of nimble elves and looking for hard-hitting action and a sharp edge.
Show Less
LibraryThing member clare616
A grand adventure and Ringil's now one of my favourite fantasy characters. The only reason I haven't given this book 5 stars is that I can barely recall the names of the other 2 central characters, which is a slight problem!
I like gore and excessive swearing and characters that really aren't that
I like gore and excessive swearing and characters that really aren't that
Show More
nice so this book hit the spot for me. Anxious for the next part. Show Less
LibraryThing member nilchance
Amazing. High fantasy with passion, grit and unflinching violence. I loved the characters and read the last 100 pages in a breathless rush. I can't wait for the sequel.
LibraryThing member etimme
Lackluster first novel in a new genre for a seasoned Scifi author. I thought the general fantasy setting was interesting and unique, and that the fighting was exciting - the brutality in these scenes reminded me a lot of Joe Abercrombie, which is fitting since he contributed a cover quote for the
Some words do need to be said briefly about his protagonist. I like how he went against the grain of traditional fantasy by having a gay protagonist in a very religiously repressed society at the forefront of the story. I suppose there's also some moral point to be made about the hypocrisy of our society by the sheer amount of homosexuality in the book, although I can't be bothered to figure out what it is exactly.
Reading on his blog it looks like there's a sort of follow-up to The Steel Remains due in mid-2010 titled The Dark Commands. I'm pretty attached to Morgan as an author, so I'll certainly read this and hope he improves the pacing of the story.
Show More
book - but the author went overboard with all the sex. These scenes are certainly signatures of Morgan as an author, but it doesn't feel like any of his previous books spent quite so much time on the erotic fiction part of the story. This practically read as an Anne Rampling novel.Some words do need to be said briefly about his protagonist. I like how he went against the grain of traditional fantasy by having a gay protagonist in a very religiously repressed society at the forefront of the story. I suppose there's also some moral point to be made about the hypocrisy of our society by the sheer amount of homosexuality in the book, although I can't be bothered to figure out what it is exactly.
Reading on his blog it looks like there's a sort of follow-up to The Steel Remains due in mid-2010 titled The Dark Commands. I'm pretty attached to Morgan as an author, so I'll certainly read this and hope he improves the pacing of the story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lewispike
The reviews printed on the back and inside this book suggest this is a ground-breaking, almost revolutionary concept. I have to say that this is misleading.
What you do have, however, is a good, solid piece of fantasy writing with interesting races and cultures, interesting characters and an
It follows a group of former heroes, from a war a decade or so ago. One is the emperor's advisor, one a drunk living in the edge of the empire and one a clan-master of his barbarian clan who is in political trouble with the clan's shaman. Their stories duck and weave and eventually come to a rather satisfying conclusion.
If you're a homophobe you probably want to avoid this book - the character we follow most often is gay, flouting the religious law of his country, and whilst it's far from explicit, there's quite a bit of gay sex in here. Perhaps that's what's meant to be revolutionary?
What you do have, however, is a good, solid piece of fantasy writing with interesting races and cultures, interesting characters and an
Show More
interesting plot.It follows a group of former heroes, from a war a decade or so ago. One is the emperor's advisor, one a drunk living in the edge of the empire and one a clan-master of his barbarian clan who is in political trouble with the clan's shaman. Their stories duck and weave and eventually come to a rather satisfying conclusion.
If you're a homophobe you probably want to avoid this book - the character we follow most often is gay, flouting the religious law of his country, and whilst it's far from explicit, there's quite a bit of gay sex in here. Perhaps that's what's meant to be revolutionary?
Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
This book seems to have been mostly written for its shock value. There's not a lot new here, the author himself acknowledges the similarity to Moorcocks' works. The characters and fight scenes are right out of Gemmell's works. The bad guys may as well all be Melniboneans, except with fancy armor
Morgan seems to be going along with the recent trend of more graphic sex in mainstream fantasy novels, which does not interest me at all. Otherwise, the book is fairly ordinary. The sex is both hetero and homosexual, and at times the situations are fairly ridiculous. I doubt I'll bother with the next one.
Show More
that seems be totally useless against heroes. The world isn't fresh, original, or interesting.Morgan seems to be going along with the recent trend of more graphic sex in mainstream fantasy novels, which does not interest me at all. Otherwise, the book is fairly ordinary. The sex is both hetero and homosexual, and at times the situations are fairly ridiculous. I doubt I'll bother with the next one.
Show Less
LibraryThing member amf0001
Not every writer can move from hard core science fiction to fantasy, but Richard K Morgan has managed it with grace and ease. He takes the tropes of fantasy and gives them a subtle spin - the elvinish half breed is an ebony skinned drug addict, the Dragonsbane clansman spends his time having sex
Show More
with teenagers and the Ringal hero of the last war, is gay. I liked how the Empire had theoretically been combined after the horrors of the lizard men war, but the Empire remembers Ringil as a 'faggot', using his sexuality to diminish his heroism, which feels entirely real to me. The whole world feels entirely real to me, if there was a world where this sort of magic/history happened, then this is far more likely what the characters would be like. It's definitely adult swords and sorcery, and I loved it. I'd be happy to spend more time there and am so glad that there is another one coming out in 2010. Show Less
LibraryThing member uawelder
I have only ever not been able to finish about 5 books. This makes 6. I'm not a prude, yet there is no reason for the language or the bizarre sexuality brought forth in this book. It adds nothing to the story with the exception of perhaps trying to shock the reader. I don't know what Richard was
2 of his other works; Altered Carbon and Black Man, are both excellent and i would recommend to anyone... but i shall no longer just buy one of his for his name on the cover.
Show More
trying to accomplish here...2 of his other works; Altered Carbon and Black Man, are both excellent and i would recommend to anyone... but i shall no longer just buy one of his for his name on the cover.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ben_h
A couple of Morgan's other books have already been optioned by Hollywood, which is maybe why this one read like it was designed to be an action movie. Not that it wasn't fun, mind you--all spilling guts and spurting cocks, tits and motherfuckers. Recommended for fans of both Conan the Barbarian and
Show More
Irvine Welsh. Show Less
LibraryThing member eaterofwords
In his first fantasy book, Morgan delivers his usual: smart, dark humor; truly sexy graphic sex; an un-romanticized portrayal of the damage done by physical and sexual violence; a willingness to plumb the depths of social issues; and a sympathetic cast of jaded characters with genuine reasons for
In some other aspects, this book was lacking. Morgan is clearly reinventing the traditional heroic fantasy. However, this book, while dark, still felt too formulaic. My suspicion is that the reader is being set up for a twist later on in the series, but for now I have a lingering sense of disappointment because I was expecting some greater divergences from the genre.
This was still a compelling read (I basically ate the thing over a six hour read) and I look forward to the next book.
Show More
their feelings of alienation. In these aspects, The Steel Remains was just as good as Market Forces or his Takeshi Kovacs books. In some other aspects, this book was lacking. Morgan is clearly reinventing the traditional heroic fantasy. However, this book, while dark, still felt too formulaic. My suspicion is that the reader is being set up for a twist later on in the series, but for now I have a lingering sense of disappointment because I was expecting some greater divergences from the genre.
This was still a compelling read (I basically ate the thing over a six hour read) and I look forward to the next book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SonicQuack
The Steel Remains tries hard to create a new niche in the high fantasy genre. Morgan's heroes are three disparate characters, each carrying their own baggage from previous (unwritten) campaigns. The separate strands run parallel until the final fifth, creating three stories with little
Show More
interconnection and even their meeting seems almost random. Unfortunately two of the three plots are unrewarding, with characters that offer no wit or reason to enjoy their arc. The one redeeming storyline, the most prominent in the novel, follows the path of anti-hero Ringil and although even his tale is somewhat padded, there are some decent scenes which are a treat to read. Ringil's story is peppered with scenes of a strong sexual nature and frequent profanity, which actually distance the reader from the character, rather than create a vibrant and adult scenario, assuming that was Morgan's intention. There's a worthy plot buried in there, however it's not entirely worth the digging required. Show Less
LibraryThing member KristiEnigl
The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan
Spoilers
I checked this book out at the library as it was repeatedly recommended by several people on the Library Thing. And, yes, you do know me! I really enjoyed this book.
I was not familiar with Mr. Morgan's science fiction books (I caught up!), so I had no
The three protagonists, Ringil, “Gil”, Archeth and Egar feel real, gritty, flawed, and burned out. They swear, sometimes profusely, take drugs, ponder their worthiness, and generally mope about being somewhat useless 9 years after saving the world in an epic battle against weird scaled-folk. Yes, they were heroes then, and the lead character, Gil, a merchant's son, is a gay ex-warrior with an bad attitude who scratches out a meager living in a backwater village, regaling tavern patrons with his past victories (he did kill a dragon with the other lead character, Egar). He has a big ole sword that was made eons ago out of some special steel by the world's long departed engineers, and it is something special. Gil uses the fact that he is gay to stun and shock people with that fact, especially his pious father and brother.
Out of money, Gil accepts a job from his Mom to retrieve a long lost cousin who's been sold into slavery. He stumbles into a plot by the planet's ancient people - The Aldrain – to stage their come back. The Aldrain are immortal, and they mean to subject the current citizens to slavery and rule the world. Until their leader, a Dwenda called Seethlaw, kidnaps Gil and things fall apart. I don't know why, but I really enjoyed the Seethlaw character...even though he's a really bad guy, and there is an intense sexual relationship between him and Ringil. (...wow)
The three characters, Gil, Archeth (her character hopefully grows in the next book), is in the Emperor's Court, and Egar is heading up his family clan – both unhappily – end up together in a village at the edge of a swamp where the Aldrain are launching their evil comeback. I won't spoil it anymore but I will say that the "speech" Ringil makes to convince the others to make a stand against the Aldrain is quite potent.
Morgan's ability to wrap essential questions about love, understanding, redemption, self-worth –the reality of war– into fantastical settings with less than likable heroes is the secret to his success. Am I looking forward to the next 2 books in this series? Fuck yeah!
Spoilers
I checked this book out at the library as it was repeatedly recommended by several people on the Library Thing. And, yes, you do know me! I really enjoyed this book.
I was not familiar with Mr. Morgan's science fiction books (I caught up!), so I had no
Show More
expectations. _The Steel Remains_ is not for the faint of heart, and is a totally unexpected look at the fantasy genre. The protagonists are not particularly likable, they don't have mysterious magic, and they are not typical “fantasy” characters. There may be a "prophecy" tho... The three protagonists, Ringil, “Gil”, Archeth and Egar feel real, gritty, flawed, and burned out. They swear, sometimes profusely, take drugs, ponder their worthiness, and generally mope about being somewhat useless 9 years after saving the world in an epic battle against weird scaled-folk. Yes, they were heroes then, and the lead character, Gil, a merchant's son, is a gay ex-warrior with an bad attitude who scratches out a meager living in a backwater village, regaling tavern patrons with his past victories (he did kill a dragon with the other lead character, Egar). He has a big ole sword that was made eons ago out of some special steel by the world's long departed engineers, and it is something special. Gil uses the fact that he is gay to stun and shock people with that fact, especially his pious father and brother.
Out of money, Gil accepts a job from his Mom to retrieve a long lost cousin who's been sold into slavery. He stumbles into a plot by the planet's ancient people - The Aldrain – to stage their come back. The Aldrain are immortal, and they mean to subject the current citizens to slavery and rule the world. Until their leader, a Dwenda called Seethlaw, kidnaps Gil and things fall apart. I don't know why, but I really enjoyed the Seethlaw character...even though he's a really bad guy, and there is an intense sexual relationship between him and Ringil. (...wow)
The three characters, Gil, Archeth (her character hopefully grows in the next book), is in the Emperor's Court, and Egar is heading up his family clan – both unhappily – end up together in a village at the edge of a swamp where the Aldrain are launching their evil comeback. I won't spoil it anymore but I will say that the "speech" Ringil makes to convince the others to make a stand against the Aldrain is quite potent.
Morgan's ability to wrap essential questions about love, understanding, redemption, self-worth –the reality of war– into fantastical settings with less than likable heroes is the secret to his success. Am I looking forward to the next 2 books in this series? Fuck yeah!
Show Less
LibraryThing member cat8864
An interesting read if you enjoy having every fantasy novel you've ever read getting hit over the head with the sharp edge of a broadsword. A sharp, gritty reality of a dark world. Characters seem a little reminiscent of Macbeth - you migth like them but there's a little matter of the fact they've
Show More
been not-coping for how many years? It leans a little too heavily on the sex and drugs (what? no rock and roll?) but is otherwise an good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member port22
Plot of this fantasy is written around the lives of its three main characters, old friends and veterans, who parted ways after the last war. Ringil, a legendary warrior, lives off retelling stories of famous battles. Egar returned to boring life of his herding tribe. Archeth, a half-human abandoned
Albeit not a fantasy fan, I decided to give this book a go owing to the excellent impression left from Richard K. Morgan's other books when he decided to broach into genre of fantasy after exclusively writing science fiction for some time.
So I'm at this point once more, feeling the same way after "Perdido Street Station", scratching my head -- What is exactly the purpose of fantasy as a plot vehicle and context scaffolding? Why does it all have to sound medieval all the time? The writing style is outstanding and the English of the prose is stellar, unfailingly enjoyable during the entire read. At the same time I fail to see how the development of a character of what I'd call a cowboy of its time, wielding a sword instead of a gun, benefits from the presence of obscure dark forces.
I believe the book is a good read. While underwhelming, the fantasy part is having a very thin presence and is not detracting from a quick paced and engaging story.
Show More
by her kind, an advanced technological race. Their paths converge on their way fighting a new battle against darker evil, a new danger to humankind.Albeit not a fantasy fan, I decided to give this book a go owing to the excellent impression left from Richard K. Morgan's other books when he decided to broach into genre of fantasy after exclusively writing science fiction for some time.
So I'm at this point once more, feeling the same way after "Perdido Street Station", scratching my head -- What is exactly the purpose of fantasy as a plot vehicle and context scaffolding? Why does it all have to sound medieval all the time? The writing style is outstanding and the English of the prose is stellar, unfailingly enjoyable during the entire read. At the same time I fail to see how the development of a character of what I'd call a cowboy of its time, wielding a sword instead of a gun, benefits from the presence of obscure dark forces.
I believe the book is a good read. While underwhelming, the fantasy part is having a very thin presence and is not detracting from a quick paced and engaging story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member revslick
Usually I'm a big fan of anything Richard K. Morgan writes. He's truly the current king of Hard-boiled detective style books right now. It has worked very well for him in his own creative scifi setting; however, in the fantasy genre it falters. The pacing is so slow it gets tedious and his raw
Show More
dialogue and fighting scenes are not even half as good as other fantasy writers. To be honest, it seems out of place, like watching Michael Phelps in a track event. The only good for the series so far is his character development, which is marvelous! Ringil plays the gay Conan/Sherlock to a tea! Show Less
LibraryThing member JR.Raluces
This is the first Richard Morgan book I have read after being advised to give it a go. It had been highly recommended to me, building my expectations, and I was really looking forward to reading it, however, ended up having mixed feelings if I'm being honest.
I loved the structure, the style of
I loved the breaking of conventions, making the lead character a bad-ass brutal sword slinging gay guy that likes to play by his own rules. The fact that this "hero" is then derided by the people and the world he helped save instead of being revered by all. Often just simply labelled as a "faggot" and people forgetting the skill, strength and danger he truly represents.
I loved the gritty, raw and edgy style that was delivered, with the graphic scenes adding to the story which seems to becoming more common in the fantasy genre recently, however, not it is not quite on the same level as the Blade Itself and the series by Joe Abercrombie which stands out in these terms for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and would recommend the read. For a debut novel in the fanatasy genre it was a solid effort, but I am hoping the second in the trilogy will be an improvement. The foundation has been laid, and I'm hoping the story pushes on, picks up the tempo, and leads to an exciting climax that will want to make me go straight onto the final book in the trilogy !
We shall see if it does or not...........
I loved the structure, the style of
Show More
writing and the language used, however, I felt the tempo needed increasing as I found parts a bit slow. The story itself I also found quite limited, finding often my favourite parts were the back story and the history behind each character and the world he had created rather than the ongoing one that formed the crux of the book. I recognise that it is the first in a trilogy, and the story will (hopefully) develop at a faster pace and I did really enjoy the part of the prophecy about a dark lord rising, which had definitely hooked me into going on to the read the second one in the trilogy soon.I loved the breaking of conventions, making the lead character a bad-ass brutal sword slinging gay guy that likes to play by his own rules. The fact that this "hero" is then derided by the people and the world he helped save instead of being revered by all. Often just simply labelled as a "faggot" and people forgetting the skill, strength and danger he truly represents.
I loved the gritty, raw and edgy style that was delivered, with the graphic scenes adding to the story which seems to becoming more common in the fantasy genre recently, however, not it is not quite on the same level as the Blade Itself and the series by Joe Abercrombie which stands out in these terms for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and would recommend the read. For a debut novel in the fanatasy genre it was a solid effort, but I am hoping the second in the trilogy will be an improvement. The foundation has been laid, and I'm hoping the story pushes on, picks up the tempo, and leads to an exciting climax that will want to make me go straight onto the final book in the trilogy !
We shall see if it does or not...........
Show Less
LibraryThing member Isamoor
Mar13:
Characters: Loved them all basically. Bad guys weren't even that bad.
Plot: Very very solid. Loved the partially uncovered back story.
Style: Right with my tastes. Smart, gritty action.
Characters: Loved them all basically. Bad guys weren't even that bad.
Plot: Very very solid. Loved the partially uncovered back story.
Style: Right with my tastes. Smart, gritty action.
Awards
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — 2009)
SF Site Reader's Choice (2008)
Gaylactic Spectrum Award (Winner — Novel — 2010)
Language
Original publication date
2008
2010
2009
Physical description
320 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
1596062371 / 9781596062375