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4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
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R. Chamberlain
4.0 out of 5 stars This was a good start to a fantasy series
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2017
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This was a good start to a fantasy series. In my opinion, world building is the key part to a successful fantasy series. Then obviously the characters. Gold for Steel has a really done a nice job getting your attention in this book. There are few characters and it feels like this book is always in motion, which is the best way that I can explain that. There is a really good mythological structure built into story. There is magic and monsters, who doesn't love that. There are rival houses and a warden of the East.
I am looking forward to rest of the series since there was definitely some thing just hanging out there. I feel like there were somethings that I didn't Side note: I loved the cover, and that's what made me decide I gotta read this. I know how terrible that is to admit, but I loved the cover and how it went with the who trio who killed the Griffin thing. Another aspect to look forward to is if the cover evolves with it.
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Mimi Jazman
4.0 out of 5 stars A good start
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2018
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Gold for Steel: The Glass of Kastriel is the first book in the series written by Charles Dixon. The book plot is interesting and it does have few resemblances with other fantasy story but I found that the book has different depth and elements.

The book pace is consistent even when it comes to the climax, there isnt anything shocking that I havent guess since the beginning. The battle scene itself is not as flat but it is not that remarkable either. The book flow almost feels like relaxing in a good way. The details and the description of everything else are perfect and I like that the author includes everything necessary to make the setting believable.

The characters are well rounded especially for the three sellswords and the priestess. There are different points of view and it does help in understanding the characters more. I like that all of the characters have different backstories and the way the author reveals the bits to the reader is brilliant. Each of the stories is being told slowly to keep the suspense at bay, which is wonderful but I am left disappointed when there are a lot of loose ends. I feel like the book should have one complete backstory of a character at the very least.

Overall, I really enjoy reading this book even though it is more like a light reading for me. I hope that the next installment will have more answers and more twists to make the book stands out more.
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Rebecca L.
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good, Action-Packed Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2017
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This was a pretty good, action packed book. There weren’t many spots where something or multiple things weren’t going on. However, I don’t really find battle sequences all that interesting since they tend to be pretty straightforward. I felt that my attention flagged in those spots but that’s just a personal issue. I also got the sense that something more was going on with conflict between the three wardens but it’s never made clear to the reader which side is telling the truth. Since the story is told through the eyes of three mercenaries, I guess the author thought it was better not to place too much emphasis on either side of the conflict. Instead both sides have a chance to have their say. There were also a lot of backstory items that were hinted at but never fully addressed. At least the issues surrounding Nerissa were easier to follow since it’s obvious she’s a young magician that needs to be trained so she can control her powers better. And along the way, the poor girl has attracted the attention of fanatics, one of whom is currently hunting her.

The primary characters were likable enough. But I easily found Marco to be the more interesting of the three main companions because he didn’t remind me strongly of any characters that I’d read about in other books or seen on television. His shocking declaration near the end seemed to call for more explanation that readers were given at that moment. Oremund seemed like a generic character, a former gladiator who earned his freedom and who is currently enjoying the fact that he’s making a name for himself as a mercenary worth his salt. Likewise, the washed up former hero trying to redeem himself only to end up saddled with a pretty young woman and a precocious child is slightly overdone. They were nonetheless written well enough that they didn’t come across as cardboard cutouts.

The obvious to-be-continued ending that’s seen here is a personal pet peeve of mine. The story could simply stop before the last chapter and it would have a complete ending so that it could function as a satisfactory stand-alone novel rather irritate readers with such an obvious a sequel hook. The author could simply insert a few comments mentioning the salient information to the hero so that the reader knows what happened to an off-screen character and that there’s potential for a sequel but it’s not like “tune in next week to see if this plot has a satisfying ending or not.” Another thing that got annoying was how many times the narrative pointed out how pale-skinned Marco was. While it turns out there’s an in-story explanation for his odd appearance, that seemed to be all anyone could say about him and it bugged me. Aside from those elements, it still was a readable novel and I would still like to see what happens next.
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Yvonne Glasgow
5.0 out of 5 stars Adventure around every corner
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2017
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Right from the start, this book begins with an adventurous fight scene. As if the action were not enough to get you hooked into the story, the two guys you're reading about are fighting a griffin. There's your adventure! It seems like there is adventure around every corner for these two, but then again, they are sellswords, so that's kind of what they do. While not learning about these two, you learn about another group of people with an interesting storyline all their own. Someone comes to our mighty Griffin slaying heroes with a job that will combine these two stories. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I will leave it at that.

It's an epic tale with twists and turns. If you enjoy books about knights and mythical creatures, you'll find lands you'll enjoy while visiting these pages. As the first book in the serious, it works to introduce you to the main characters and the land the book takes place in.
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Faith
4.0 out of 5 stars High Fantasy Fun
Reviewed in Canada on October 21, 2017
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With an impressive mythology and immersive world-building, Gold for Steel provides an entertaining high fantasy read. The three main male characters--sellswords who have garnered fame after slaying a griffin--are flawed with engaging backstories. The only elements that detracted from the overall plot were the repetitive sentences and dense interior monologues.
Overall, a great opener to a series with lots of potential to grow.
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