Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Dog Star Books
Description
Funerals are usually the end of the story, not the beginning. Newly graduated warrior-mages Toria Connor and Kane Nalamas find themselves the last remaining mages in the city when a mage school teacher mysteriously falls ill and dies. But taking over the school themselves isn't in the cards. They're set to become professional mercenaries-if they make it through the next 18 months as journeymen first. The debate over whether to hunt mutated monsters in the Wasteland or take posh bodyguard jobs is put on hold when a city elder hires them to solve the mystery of the disappearing mages. Toria and Kane's quest brings them to the British colonial city of New Angouleme, where their initial investigation reveals that the problem is even greater than they feared. But when a friend is kidnapped, they'll have to travel to the other side of the globe to save her, save themselves, and save magic itself.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member IndiaD
Steel Magic is a brilliant interpretation of an alternate reality where the British and Roman Empires are the major powers. The story follows Kane and Toria as they embark as journeymen, investigating the decline in mages.
Their enquiry takes them into the Roman Empire where they discover desperate
This brilliant novel deprives many a reader of their sleep as they keep telling themselves just one more page and the minutes tick by into the late hours as the tension builds up.
One star less because book was really good but I cant say excellent
Their enquiry takes them into the Roman Empire where they discover desperate
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attempt by a Mage School to cover their decline and barely escape with their lives. They are further thrown into danger when a friend is kidnapped for by a perverse cult for a sinister purpose.This brilliant novel deprives many a reader of their sleep as they keep telling themselves just one more page and the minutes tick by into the late hours as the tension builds up.
One star less because book was really good but I cant say excellent
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LibraryThing member carod
Steel Magic is the second book in the Steel Empires fantasy series. Although it isn’t necessary to have read the first book to enjoy the second, it does help to better understand the characters and the alternate world the author has created. In the alternate history of this series, the world is
The protagonists of this novel were still students during the events of the first novel. Toria is a warrior-mage, bonded with another, Kane. As a rare bonded warrior-mage pair they have a great deal of power and potential. In this novel they are about to embark on their 18 month period of journeyman quests in order to become full mercenaries. Before they can really start their adventures, however, they find that they are the last remaining mages in their city. They need to figure out why mages appear to be disappearing. When a friend is kidnapped, they will travel across the ocean to rescue her and to save magic itself.
I enjoyed this novel. Many of the characters from the first novel appear in this one as well, including the intriguing character of Victory, Toria’s adoptive vampire mother. The way magic is used in this series is quite interesting, with a combination of science and ritual. In both books much of the story revolves around the various races and the different empires and how they coexist peacefully (or not). There is an engaging mix of sword and sorcery and cars and guns. The relationship between Toria and Kane, who are a bonded pair yet not romantically involved, is a different take on the trope of soul-linked characters.
While this novel doesn’t end in a cliff-hanger, there is enough left unresolved to make further novels welcome. Toria and Kane have more growing and learning to do. I would also enjoy seeing some prequels. There seems to have been many interesting adventures, especially with the vampire Victory, that could be explored. I would recommend this series for fans of traditional fantasy as well as urban fantasy.
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recovering from a human-caused catastrophe. The Elves are keeping the humans in line with their magic and an uneasy peace exists between shifters, vampires, elves and humans as well as the Roman and British Empires. The characters in this series live in an independent city-state which acts as a neutral zone between the British and Roman colonies in the New World. The protagonists of this novel were still students during the events of the first novel. Toria is a warrior-mage, bonded with another, Kane. As a rare bonded warrior-mage pair they have a great deal of power and potential. In this novel they are about to embark on their 18 month period of journeyman quests in order to become full mercenaries. Before they can really start their adventures, however, they find that they are the last remaining mages in their city. They need to figure out why mages appear to be disappearing. When a friend is kidnapped, they will travel across the ocean to rescue her and to save magic itself.
I enjoyed this novel. Many of the characters from the first novel appear in this one as well, including the intriguing character of Victory, Toria’s adoptive vampire mother. The way magic is used in this series is quite interesting, with a combination of science and ritual. In both books much of the story revolves around the various races and the different empires and how they coexist peacefully (or not). There is an engaging mix of sword and sorcery and cars and guns. The relationship between Toria and Kane, who are a bonded pair yet not romantically involved, is a different take on the trope of soul-linked characters.
While this novel doesn’t end in a cliff-hanger, there is enough left unresolved to make further novels welcome. Toria and Kane have more growing and learning to do. I would also enjoy seeing some prequels. There seems to have been many interesting adventures, especially with the vampire Victory, that could be explored. I would recommend this series for fans of traditional fantasy as well as urban fantasy.
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LibraryThing member bellymonster
This is the second book in a series revolving around a warrior-mage pair, Toria and Kane. When the book end, the pair have completed their Mage training and are ready to become mercenaries, and their first job is to investigate the disappearance and decline in number of mages in their home town. In
This book was well-written and the story engaging. I haven't read the first book in the series and feel that enough was explained that I wasn't missing much, without being hit over the head with backstory. I'm also pleased to say that it left plenty of room for a sequel without ending on a cliffhanger or partway through the story.
A good fantasy novel suitable for the older teen audience.
*i received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
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their quest, they are joined by Syri, an elf friend of theirs.This book was well-written and the story engaging. I haven't read the first book in the series and feel that enough was explained that I wasn't missing much, without being hit over the head with backstory. I'm also pleased to say that it left plenty of room for a sequel without ending on a cliffhanger or partway through the story.
A good fantasy novel suitable for the older teen audience.
*i received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Again, didn't review as I finished, so the details are a little blurry. Not much, which speaks to the strength of the book. I read the first book, Steel Victory, first, and I'm glad I did - some of the relationships were laid out a lot more clearly in the first book, though I don't think they're
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strictly needed to understand events in the second. I have to say I prefer Victory to Toria as protagonist; I can apparently empathize with a 700+ year old vampire better than with a teenager. Toria and Kane are graduating, and have to take up their mercenary journeyman year (actually 18 months); they discover that something is happening to mages, and struggle for a while with divided duties. That problem is mended with an unexpected contract, and they set out to investigate the question. There's a lot of wandering around, and cities seen through the eyes of youngsters used to much smaller places. Also a lot of peculiar events, which point in all sorts of directions - the "clues" are more than a little vague, to me. The end is...convenient, and obscure, and I think she made the wrong choice (wrong for the world) though it's definitely the one that fits her, and what's going to happen now? Not exactly a cliffhanger, but there are a lot of loose threads left from that last bit. Oh yeah, and the slow betrayal - that was a nasty and unexpected surprise. More timeline questions - I still can't tell if this is post-apocalyptic or alternate universe, and things still don't make sense either way; I kind of have to suspend thinking about the way this world came to be and just accept it. Which makes it a little difficult, when the characters are discovering the history of this world... Still, I'm interested to read the next book (presuming there will be one), and am keeping an eye out for other things by this author as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Johnsokim
I started the book and found it very engaging, well written and the plot build up is excellent. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Vampire Fiction.
LibraryThing member tellen81
I was emailed that I won a copy of Steel Magic byJ.L. Gribble from Member Giveaways but never received it.
Local notes
Steel Empires, 2
DDC/MDS
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