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The Steel Remains (2009)

by Richard K. Morgan(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0575084812 (ISBN13: 9780575084810)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Gollancz

series

A Land Fit for Heroes

review 1: An interesting fantasy read, a lot of fun and some enjoyable spins on the classic tropes. I will say, however, that there is a hint of the Science Fiction Morgan is so well known for in this, but not enough to deter even the most stalwart of Sci-Fi haters.Word of warning, however: there is a LOT of graphic sex in the novel. I'm fine with it, and as unusual as it sounds it added a lot of character development. But there is a lot.This novel also felt like the first in a series; and I do not mean just the way that it ended. By the time everything starts to really come together the novel is 90% of the way through. There is a nice culmination, but it really serves just to whet the appetite. I look forward to the next two!
review 2: This is in many ways a very uncomp... moreromisingly brave fantasy series.. At a glance its fairly standard modern fantasy, lots of graphic violence and sex, some mysterious magic, wars, heroes and politics, and a past coming back to haunt the present.The reason why i think its brave is because of how gay it is..Even though most of us dont mind the fact that some people are homosexuals, we still dont like being "confronted" by gay sex.. There are ways of writing a gay MC that wouldnt hurt anyones sensibilities, just make him/her gay in name primarily (like on tv-sitcoms), but this series arent making any compromises.. The MC is gay and have lots of gay sex and the reader just better learn to deal with it, because.. well.. thats what gays do..I think it gives an authenticity to the story, a feeling that the author cared more about writing a story that was true to what it claims to be than he did about maximizing sales and not shocking anyone.It was very refreshing..Fantasy is a wonderful genre for dealing with bigotry, and although most fantasy-series have some sort of racial or rich-vs-poor theme, homosexuality seem to be oddly neglected as a subject.. so, cudous..The homosexuality also brings interesting "new" dynamics into the story, both as a conflict between character and world, but also as a tool for creating otherwise unlikely alliances and love stories.. I really think Morgan managed to get a lot out of it, it felt as a real and natural part of the story.. That being said, listening to the audiobook i wish i had the option of skimming the pages of the gay sex, instead i was forced to listen to it all or carefully skip ahead.. The first time i skipped ahead, i didnt skip long enough and heard following sentence "...the smell of shit from his open anus" making me happy i wasnt eating..But as i mentioned before, its no fault of the book that i didnt enjoy the gay sex - that was to be expected.. All in all, a very good series with lots of strong points. Especially the main characters were well done, and fun to follow around..The plot have a tendency of getting a bit confusing at times, and it might be the sort of series best served with patience and some good notes on the side.. Listening to the audiobook i was often in doubt whether i had missed some clues, or if i wasnt suppose to know yet, and that got a bit frustrating at times.. Except for that though i have no complains..Recommended for everyone.. less

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Reviews (see all)

Neelesh

Morgan crafts a great world in this book and the characters are well done. However, as I do, I want to get my complaints about The Steel Remains out of the way. Every bit of sex in this book seems forced. Morgan can't write a sex scene to save his life. Yes, I understand this is supposed to be gritty and we're supposed to really understand that Ringil being gay is an albatross around his neck and that his privileged upbringing is all that saved him but rather than massage this gently through the narrative Morgan slams it home with a sledgehammer. Honestly it's this part that keeps this from being a better review because it takes away from the rest of the story. With that out of the way the world building here is breathtaking. Notwithstanding the issue I've already pointed out, Morgan is a good writer. The characters are just about perfect for a dark fantasy setting. There are no heroes here, only people who are doing the things that must be done. Maybe they were heroes once but at the point in their lives where we come to know them they are managing little more than surviving. It's a wonderful setting.The Dwenda, the helmsmen, the Kiriath, well done all around. The politics are a little clunky at times but that seems to be because we see them through the eyes of the characters and none of the people pulling the strings are important enough for us to see their greater machinations. This is a well written world with well written characters and if you're a fan of dark fantasy and can overlook some clumsy sex scenes then it ought to be on your list to read.

april

End of the year reviews have me swamped, but expect reviews for all three books in this series soon! Until then: this novel is an incredibly original fantasy with a complex protagonist with a strong and engaging narrative voice. The secondary POV characters give the reader a glimpse of the complexity and intricacies of Morgan's world building, and once the plot grabs your attention it will not let go until the novel's end.

korie

Well written but lots of back story.

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