Gunmetal Gods is a sweeping epic from Zamil Akhtar, full of Middle Eastern flavor, complicated characters, and breakneck pacing. Set in a very loose late Holy Roman - Ottoman analogue, the book uses a split-perspective format, both in the first-person: one character from Holy Crucis, the other from Sirm. Both main characters are complicated, flawed men, each dealing with loss and heartbreak and world-weariness. Though many readers will likely side with one character over the other, both are given plenty of depth so who we're meant to root for is never spelled out in black and white.

What seems like a rather simple world is built upon in bits and pieces, with hints dropped throughout the story that suggest there's much more to this universe than meets the eye. Relatively grounded at the service level, with the standard paladins, janissaries, and horsemen, Akhtar slowly weaves in bits of Middle Eastern mythology and otherworldliness. It's done well, and all signs point to those elements taking more of a front seat in future novels.

The story moves at an incredible pace, both a positive and a negative. You'll never be bored, but momentous events happen fast and sometimes offscreen. It would've been nice if the bigger climaxes were given a bit of room to breathe. Character motivations could have been fleshed out more, side characters given some more depth. The plot moves steadily from point A to B to C and slowing down the pacing a bit would have made the epic moments more impactful. The breakneck pace along with the gratuitous gore and violence became almost exhausting near the end of the novel and the constant perspective switching can be a bit disorienting.

The writing, on a technical level, is serviceable. Dialogue feels a bit too modern for me, which is a personal taste, but it also tends to dip into the melodrama a bit during emotional moments with the finesse of a Guy Gavriel Kay or a Patricia McKillip. Nothing in particular jumped out at me as outstanding or particularly bad - a compliment when talking about a book that moves this quickly. The prose stays out of its own way and helps Akhtar tell an interesting and original story. This author is on my radar, and I'm definitely interested in reading future entries in the series and seeing how Akhtar develops this world and his skill as a writer.