Metal Slinger: Fire & Metal: Book One

“The world was perfect by [Mother Nature’s] design, a gift to her four children: air, water, fire, and earth. But legend says they constantly fought for dominance, and it created a world of chaos, not the stability Mother Nature intended. To protect the earth from total decimation, Mother slipped her own creations into the world—humans with gifts fit to control the elements…And the last time a light wielder walked the earth, she ruled the earth and the four elements within it.” Acker is “what they call an elemental…able to wield anything with metals. Iron, steel, brass…Whenever a weapon is handmade from the hearthstone of the land, it is magicked to belong to you. Axes or swords or even a battering ram— whatever it is will always answer the call of the person who made it. It’s why most blacksmiths are blood-oathed. Only the most righteous are trusted to forge for others.” “He’s loyal to a fault—a dangerous fault. The kind where he’d risk life and limb to save someone he cares about, to save his people…There are only two sides of Acker: people he’s loyal to and everyone else. And trust me when I say there’s a side you never want to be on.” “I’ve seen the soldier, seen the arrogance. I’ve seen the fighter and the annihilator of a man trained to kill without a second thought, and I’ve seen the caring protector. I’ve even seen the boy who was seeking his father’s approval moments ago. But this is the first time I’ve seen the predilection for power lurking underneath. Sitting upon a metal throne, surrounded by his liege, in a palace coated in gold. The abilities he has could ravage this building and everyone in it.” “Magic always comes with a price…There are good people in the world, the same as there are bad, except the bad people with magical abilities are exceptionally dangerous when left unchecked…I’m offering you the throne because I know your heart. You deserve the crown.” And Rachel Schneider’s Metal Slinger deserves a diadem!

I think this book was over-hyped to me, so I thought it was pretty good, but I was a little disappointed because I had higher expectations.

I read Metal Slinger in about three days. The premise is genuinely intriguing, and the story had potential to be a standout in the romantasy space. But the execution left me frustrated.

The pacing felt uneven, and the magic system often came across as too convenient—more like a plot device than something fully developed. The ending was abrupt, and while it did leave me curious about what happens next, I couldn’t imagine continuing the book any longer. I might skim a summary of the sequel just to tie up loose ends, but I’m not sure I’ll commit to reading it.

I’m usually not too picky about grammar or spelling errors in published works—things get missed, and that’s understandable. But this was excessive. Misspelled words, missing words, poor grammar… it was a mess throughout, and only got worse toward the end. It wasn’t just distracting—it made the storytelling feel rushed and under-edited. The characters didn’t help either. I struggled to connect with the MCs, and they didn’t feel fleshed out enough to carry the emotional weight of the story.

What’s especially disappointing is that this book could have been a 4 or even 5-star read with stronger editing and deeper character work. I really wanted to love it. What’s baffling is how much attention Metal Slinger is getting on Instagram and BookTok, while so many better-crafted romantasy series are flying under the radar. The hype doesn’t match the quality, and it’s frustrating to see overlooked gems passed by in favor of something that feels unfinished.

As it stands, this is a 2, maybe 2.5-star read for me. I wish it had been given more time and care—it deserved it.

Huge plot twist and cliff hanger at the end!

I enjoyed the story and overall experience of reading this book. I think it would be helpful to include a map of the world and further explanation of the magic system. Hopefully that will happen in book two. The end was quite the twist, but I thought it made the main character more interesting. What I did find surprising was the numerous punctuation and editing errors. They didn’t hinder the story but by the end were more and more noticeable.