Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Earth and Water
SERIES: Steel Bonds #1
AUTHOR: JL Gribble
PUBLISHER: Limani Press
LENGTH: 349 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 23, 2024
BLURB:
A life with no room for distraction
Earth mage Kane Nalamas may be on his first official contract as a mercenary, but his years of experience and training don’t prepare him for immediate betrayal. Within days, he loses both his client and his freedom.
A prison of his own creation
Water mage Archer Sophin would not wish his half-life as a human magical battery on anyone. Especially not the sweet mercenary who has no idea he’s stumbled upon one of the greatest secrets in the magical world: magic is dying.
An unlikely partnership
Kane will take any help he can get from the intriguing water mage, even if he’s not sure whether Archer’s role is villain or fellow victim. Drawn further together by an unexpected voyage, what begins as a temporary arrangement turns into the potential for so much more.
To live free in a world that craves their power, the elemental mages will have to use earth and water in ways never seen before. And for a chance to build a future together, they’ll have to escape the chains of their past.
Earth and Water is an M/M paranormal romance featuring a broody pansexual water mage, a stubborn gay earth mage, forced proximity, meddling best friends, and magic as an accidental aphrodisiac. It is set in the same universe as the author’s Steel Empires series but can be read as a standalone novel with a happily ever after and no cliffhanger.
REVIEW:
When Kane goes on his first mission as a mercenary with his female partner, he doesn’t expect to encounter Archer, an enigmatic mage who is in a form of prison of the man’s own making. Despite wanting to help Archer – the man wasn’t his contract’s objective. Nevertheless, Archer can help Kane with his pursuit. But who will be pursued, and to what end?
Earth and Water is the first book of the Steel Bonds series, which is itself a spin-off from the Steel Empires Universe. As much as the blurb suggests that the tale can be enjoyed as a standalone, I suspect prior knowledge would be advantageous, allowing the reader to gain more from the novel.
The first novels in any series tend to contain an abundance of world-building. I thought I was prepared. However, the sheer volume of information (presumably to negate reading the previous series) was somewhat overwhelming. Hence, I struggled to connect with some aspects of the author’s creation. While reading, it was clear to me that a considerable amount of thought has gone into the creation of ‘steel’, and that this impressive alternative universe is well-loved enough for this spin-off to occur. Therefore, I hope with all my heart that lovers of the previous series will love this one as much.
To those of us new to the universe, the blurb is a little misleading. It gives the impression that the betrayal is immediate and a huge factor. Technically, I guess the statement is true. However, during the opening chapters, I struggled to identify duplicity’s culprit. By the time the deception was revealed, I was already wrapped up in another aspect of the story – so it wasn’t as important. Maybe if I’d read Steel Empires, the impact would have been greater.
Anyhoo, the story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Archer and Kane. As already intimated, worldbuilding is extensive, to the point where, occasionally, explanations interrupt the flow of dialogue and action scenes.
Kane and Archer are lovely people. Without the detours, their journey towards one another is splendid as the narrative merges their two worlds amid the backdrop of the mercenaries’ contract. I wholeheartedly agreed with one statement from the blurb: magic was an aphrodisiac. The way that magic plays a part between Kane, his working partner, and Archer was inspired. Hal’s presence was fleeting, yet memorable, and I’d have liked to have seen more of him – but that would have been an unnecessary diversion – albeit a delightful one.
While the overall tale was a promising start to a new series/spin-off (whatever your level of entry), less would have been more for me. It would have given me more time and space to absorb the world created and fall in love with the characters. Hence the marking, for which I feel a tad guilty. I wanted this story to be something that I could get immersed in, and hanker for more. Instead, I needed breaks to process before returning.
It’s a fine art to encourage new readers to an existing universe, and I may yet go back and read the Steel Empires series before giving Earth and Water another bite at the cherry.
RATING: 
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