I can honestly say that I think the first or second ever LitRPG that I picked up was by Dawn Chapman. I think that links her and me in some way and I know going into each one of her stories – just what I’m going to get. Along with knowing that she’s going to surprise me in some way. Steel Hearts was the same way – I knew the type of story I was going to get and the way that the RPG moments were going to be shown to me, but I didn’t realize how much I was going to fall for the characters even after just meeting them.
Steel Hearts throws us right into the action and within the first few minutes, I wasn’t sure who was going to live or not. Then, we’re introduced to each character and a little bit about the world. There’s enough going on that I didn’t feel like I needed to know everything. I think the confusion and the misdirection help since Lyndsey isn’t 100% sure what’s going on at all times either. It helps keep that disconnect going.
Lyndsey as a character was great – she was easy to like and once I found out about her back story, what happened, and a little bit about how she got where she was she instantly skyrocketed to “I want to see her survive and thrive no matter what” status. Early on we’re shown who she is and what makes her tick. She’s extremely quiet about what happened to her in the past until she finally opens up. After that scene, you can’t help but root for her.
Then, she leaves all the things that comfort her and goes into an unknown world. Just crazy to me, but her reasoning makes sense. I thought Chapman nailed the goodbye scene and really left me with tears in my eyes as she realizes things she realizes right at that moment.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable book that I absolutely flew through. A new world for me but I felt right at home there. Coupled with the great narration by Stephanie Nemeth Parker and I thought this was a surefire winner.