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Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider
Fire & Metal #1
👉Spoiler Free
I am going to straight up and honest with you, I didn’t like this book. I don’t understand the hype of this book after reading this. I know reading is subjective, I honestly just don’t understand why so many love Metal Slinger.
If you still want to read this for yourself, it is still available on Kindle Unlimited to read.
Metal Slinger had a lot of potential with its gritty setting and a magic system involving metal manipulation, which immediately caught my interest. The concept was fresh, and the idea of the dynamics in a high-stakes, with this magical world had promise. But unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite deliver.
The phrase “Dang Rabbits” was used a lot—it sounded childish and really pulled me out of the story. On top of that, there was no foreshadowing, so as a reader, you don’t really understand why the plot moved the way it did. So anytime anything happened, it made no sense and felt like it was pulled out of a butt plot hole somewhere.
Let’s start with the worldbuilding: it was surface-level and left me with more questions than answers. I kept waiting for more depth or context to help me feel grounded in the story, but it never really came. And then there’s the pacing—dragged in places, especially during a sea voyage that felt like it lasted forever (and honestly could’ve been cut). The plot itself felt jumpy, with no real foreshadowing or logic behind certain major events. It felt like the story pulled things out of a plot-hole hat just to keep going.
The relationships between the main characters—particularly Brynn and Acker—felt underdeveloped. There were moments where tension or romance could have really hit, but the emotional depth just wasn’t there. Personally though, I am just glad there isn’t a shadow daddy in this.
Additionally, the worldbuilding was surface-level, leaving me with more questions than answers. I wish there was more time developing this world so I understand the tension and understand what the characters are facing.
If you’re someone who enjoys fantasy romance stories with a bit of spice and a unique magical twist, you might still give this one a try. But for me, the lack of character development, uneven pacing, and rushed conflict resolution made this a miss.
If you’re looking for fantasy romance with stronger character dynamics and deeper emotion, check out my blog post:
👉 Top Fantasy Romance Tropes Ranked (and Where to Find Them)
Want to understand the different levels of spice in fantasy romance? Read my article: The Ultimate Guide to Spicy Fantasy Romance.
⚠️⚠️SPOILER⚠️⚠️
Okay, now for the spoiler-heavy breakdown.
Firstly, when Brynn found out she was a princess and Kai had been stealing her powers this whole time, she didn’t react. It was super emotionless. I expected a little more emotion and reaction from our FMC but alas, we didn’t get one.
The whole thing with Brynn (or Jovie, depending on what name she’s using) just didn’t make sense. One minute she’s cold and distant, and the next she’s suddenly deeply connected to Acker? Their romance felt like it skipped over all the necessary build-up. And when it became clear this was leading into romance territory, I was intrigued—but again, it felt underexplored. The emotional stakes weren’t there to support the complexity of their dynamic.
Then we have Acker, who was supposed to be this hardened, morally gray character—but his motivations were murky at best. The twist with his backstory as a prince and having a fiancé this whole time didn’t land the way it should have. I kept waiting for a deeper emotional reveal that never came.
And don’t even get me started on the betrayal at the end of suddenly Brynn (Jovie) wanting Acker’s fathers crown. So she does this big takeover and some how ropes two other side characters into it. What should’ve been a shocking climax just left me frustrated because this made no sense. Brynn’s actions/decisions weren’t really foreshadowed and it left me wondering how we got here in the first place.
Also, can we talk about how the metal magic system barely got explained in Metal Slinger? It seemed like the rules kept changing to serve the plot, and by the time Brynn unlocks her “true power,” I was too disconnected to care. There was a ton of potential here, but not enough payoff.
In the end, Metal Slinger had all the right ingredients but didn’t bring them together in a satisfying way.
If you’re more into morally gray love interests and darker fantasy spice that actually delivers, I highly recommend taking the Which Shadow Daddy Are You? quiz—it’s a fun way to find your next read that won’t leave you disappointed.
Thank you Rachel Schneider and St. Martin Publishing for giving me a copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
