Released in 2020, Valhalla Steel is an illustrated novella bursting with ideas and invention written by Sean Crow with great artwork provided by Anthony Valiukonis. I’d describe this as near-future dystopian fantasy, in which gunrunning cyberpunk Vikings try to survive in the dangerous, violent world of Twilight City, after being forced to flee their homeland. Operating to a strict code of honour, Valhalla Steel are a Viking clan, led by their Jarl, Angus, who find themselves locked in a seemingly unwinnable war against a magical race called the Fae.

Twilight City draws on several sci-fi influences and I was reminded of Bladerunner, Terminator, The Matrix and Altered Carbon. However, I think the closest analogy is Judge Dredd’s world of Mega-City One in the 2000AD comics. Twilight City is “a place where lives departed the world like clockwork and souls could be exchanged just as easily as creds.”

Although this is familiar fare, Crow brings this world to life with his fantastic writing. The artwork throughout the book is a bonus but Crow’s brilliant descriptions make the visuals pop. He also creates a sonic soundscape for Twilight City, a place where you will be drawn into the hypnotic music of a private club one moment, cowering under a table the next as automatic gunfire rings out across the same space. Crow utilises all the senses, ensuring the reader experiences Twilight City in vivid detail.

With its themes of gang violence, murder, intense gun battles, prostitution and drug use, Valhalla Steel portrays a dark, unforgiving world no one would want to live in. Both sides have done terrible things, leaving our characters morally grey and conflicted. What keeps you reading are those same characters, since Crow does a great job in making you care for each and every one. Each chapter focusses on a different POV character and Crow makes them all distinctive. For me, these shifts in perspective meant the narrative felt a little bit like a series of short stories. However, there is an overarching plot that ties everything together, leading to a dramatic conclusion.

Most of the time, Crow pulls off each of these mini-episodes with great skill. The only chapter that didn’t really work for me was the one featuring Helen’s sacrifice for Angus. For me, that scene didn’t quite ring true. However, I’m quibbling here over small details. When you find yourself rooting for the characters in the final, desperate showdown that’s due to great writing and character development.

If Valhalla Steel has a fault I think it’s purely down to the structure and length. At times this novella struggles to carry the weight of all the amazing ideas Crow is packing into this story. There were points where I wanted to pause and find out more, only to find the next chapter was throwing a whole load more concepts, characters and world-building elements at me. The novella also finishes with lots of unresolved plot points, not least the true reasons behind the death of Angus’ father at the hands of the Fae and who, or what, is Glint?

Sean Crow has a distinctive voice and writing style and this novella is excellent. The good news is Valhalla Steel is a prequel to a full-length novel set in the same world, called Quenched in Blood. That novel expands upon the brilliant ideas and concepts found in Valhalla Steel and I’ll be posting my review of that later this year.