There’s good news, and there’s so-so news. The good news is that The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is a rollicking, kick-ass, funtastic series from a Kiwi and American duo, and I look forward to more adventures featuring Agents Books and Braun. The so-so news is that the second book, while a good read, suffers a…
I’ll admit that I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked up Heart of Brass. I knew it was steampunk and that it was first in a new series, but beyond that I didn’t have any real expectations. As it turns out, I ended up getting good suspense, a romance that I liked,…
Not that I’m trying to render myself useless here, but in some ways a review like this has very little predictive value. What, exactly, can I tell you about the manga version of a hit steampunk series? It depends, right? It depends whether you like manga, or have been exposed to it. It depends whether…
I’ll sum it up in a nutshell. If you haven’t read Ms. Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate, then allow me to shoo you to book one, Soulless, because you’re missing out. If you think the series has jumped the shark, then this book probably won’t change your mind. And if you follow the series, then know that…
I really enjoyed Ms. Hobson’s debut The Native Star. The series defies any kind of categorization. While it presents an alternate fantastical history of the world in the 1870s, focusing on America, there are also steampunk elements, as well as science fiction, magic, paranormal, horror, romance, and mystery. Whatever it is, in this case smearing…
A world controlled by the Horde. Nanoagents. Clockwork men. Europe overrun with zombies. We can be only one place: The Iron Seas. This outstanding steampunk series combines dangerous women, adventurous men, endless action, and scintillating romance. Lovers of this genre really can’t do better than to pick up one of these tales. This novel starts…
Most of the present crop of steampunk romances can be divided into two subgroups: Steampunk set in a pseudo-Victorian England and steampunk using the American frontier experience as a backdrop. Badlands belongs to the second group, and the novella’s world-building is clearly one of its strengths. The second is a delectable hero. In this version…
Reviewing Paranormals, Fantasy, Steampunk, and, well, anything with a lot of world building is getting to be a somewhat dicey proposition. When I first started reviewing, there were a handful of authors that we insisted reviewers be completely up to date on before reviewing the latest. That number is growing progressively larger, and certainly includes…
When I was handed this book, I was not so sure that I would like it. As an avid sci-fi/fantasy reader, I have stumbled across my fair share of terrible steampunk. I am ecstatic to report that Phoenix Rising qualifies as excellent steampunk. This, mind you, is coming from a lady who likes to dress…
I’ve seen this book called steampunk; I think that’s too limiting. Ms. Pagliassotti’s 2008 debut is a great mystery, romance, fantasy, science fiction, and social exploration rolled into one relatively small volume. And, although the book loses steam (ha) in the last quarter, the fascinating society of Ondinium more than compensates for a floppy plot….
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