Reviewed by Quirky Cat on
Gold for Steel is the first novel in a new series, Gates of Kastriel written by Charles Dixon. It’s a blend of action oriented fantasy and epic fantasy, making it a pretty fantastic start for a new series. This was my first time reading anything by Charles Dixon, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I have to admit that I’m pretty pleased with the work I’ve seen, and would be interested in seeing more by him in the future.
Gold for Steel takes advantage of swapping perspectives to show us different parts of the same (larger) story. The cast itself is pretty expansive, even just looking at those who give us their story; Dalvin, Marco, and Oremund are all sellswords with their own secrets and backstories (which we must take time to unravel to understand), Iman (along with Qoraag, an ork) is trying to protect a little girl in grave danger, and Jacob is the kindly man who brings these odd teams together.
Within the first couple of chapters of Gold for Steel it becomes pretty clear that there’s something major being set up outside of the view of the main cast. Through the varied perspectives we get to read from we see hints, little breadcrumbs hinting at the bigger world. Presumably more information will be given in later novels, but it certainly has gotten me curious about what exactly is going on in this world.
What I loved in particular about all of the characters we got to know is how they each had their own fair share of secrets (and then some), but none of them were revealed in a rushed manner, and in some cases they have only been hinted at. This furthers my belief that Dixon has done a decent job of setting up for a series. There’s no need to rush the main plot, the world building, or the character development when one has a few novels with which to tell it. There’s a balance of course, one can’t go too slowly either, but I believe Dixon has found the right balance for his tale.
I imagine each reader will be inclined to find their own favorite character out of the options given. Personally I found Dalvin the most noble and likable, Oremund a bit on the immature side, and Marco to be the most intriguing of their little group. Seeing them work together as well as argue over their secrets was interesting for me. On the one hand they clearly trust each other in battle, but on the other they truly seem to resent certain secrets (like how one accomplished something during a fight) while not being concerned about others (their past).
All of the secrecy has gotten me very curious about what I can see of each of the plots, as well as how they connect together. I have theories, most of them based on the characters involved, but that’s about it. I’ll have to keep reading in order to confirm anything.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 21 January, 2018: Finished reading
- 21 January, 2018: Reviewed