Steel Crow Saga

"Every year there’s a book that falls through the cracks, that I read too late to fit into our regular coverage and then smack myself and yell “ARRRGH!” loud enough to scare the cats. This year, it’s Paul Krueger’s delightful, swaggering, multilayered Southeast Asian-inflected fantasy Steel Crow Saga. If you’re getting tired of waiting for the final volume in Ken Liu’s Dandelion Dynasty series, you should spend some time with Krueger’s band of misfits as they navigate war, rebellion, postcolonialism, diplomacy, love, family ties – and magical animal companions."