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THREE CHARMS FOR MURDER

The Case Files of Henri Davenforth #5

Honor Raconteur

Raconteur House

September 17, 2020

The crime-solving team of Henri Davenforth, Royal Mage Seaton, and Detective Jamie Edwards are faced this time with murders among the upper crust. The bodies of the Atwoods, a wealthy couple are found in their country house, posed in an odd manner. The pose duplicates a statue in another part of the house.and magic was clearly employed. The Atwoods were friends of Henri's parents and their grieving children approach him to investigate. The local police have declared the deaths murder-suicide with no real investigation. There is a lot going on that has been hidden, and some of it about the Atwoods themselves.

I have enjoyed this series since discovering it. The characters are, including the secondary cast, all vividly described and develop in every book. I love the world-building with its magic, were people, and vaguely Victorian/Edwardian setting. We get new adorable characters, crime-solving magically constructed kittens. Three Charms, simply put, is a delightful escape from everyday reality, with more than a touch of romance this time.

I highly recommend the series as a perfect escape read.

RATING- 4.5 Stars rounded up to 5

Racing Through Time In Search of Salvation

THE CLOCKWORK DYNASTY
Daniel H. Wilson
Doubleday Books
August 1, 2017


June Stefanov is sixteen when her grandfather, a veteran of the Seige of Stalingrad, presents her with an odd relic and the tale of an "angel" who saved him on the battlefield. His savior dropped the relic, and the grandfather has hidden it away ever since. He gives it to June in the belief that she can find out its secrets but warns her to never show it to anyone. June has become an anthropologist specializing in ancient technologies and while working under a grant from a mysterious conglomerate and examining a mechanical doll, is plunged into a world of violence and beings that she could never have imagined.  There are robots, "avtomat," immensely old and powerful walking in her world, and what they are seeking is the very relic she possesses. She is saved from what assuredly would be death by another avtomat, Peter. 

June and Peter embark on a trip back in time through Peter's memories ranging from 3000 BC China, the reign of Peter the Great and London in 1725 right up to World War II and the present day. Told in alternating chapters, Peter's life, and that of his "sister" Elena, are a fascinating tale of blending into the human populace with greater or lesser success. However, the avtomat are finally dying out, cannibalizing and waging war on each other. The factions think that June's relic will be the answer to survival.

I have read some steampunk in the past and enjoyed it, but I have to admit that the gorgeous cover of Clockwork Dynasty sold me. It is a genre-bending, high action fantasy read that kept me immensely entertained throughout. I need to point out that there is a lot of graphic violence that should be taken into account by sensitive readers. I recommend it for fantasy lovers of all kinds looking for something different, and those who prefer a strong female lead.

Thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.

RATING- 4.5 Stars

Jim Butcher Hits it Out of the Park

THE AERONAUT'S WINDLASS (Cinder Spires # 1)
Jim Butcher, Narr. Euan Morton
Orbit Books, Penguin Audio
September 29, 2015

Jim Butcher's long awaited foray into steampunk lives up to every possible expectation, and they were high. I'm a big fan of the Dresden Files and if possible, enjoyed Codex Alera even more. The world of The Aeronaut's Windlass is entirely different; mankind lives in tall spire cities, away from the dangerous surface of the earth. Peopled by monsters, the surface is to be avoided at all cost. The Spire Cities, Albion and Aurora, are fiercely competitive with a history of warfare. A new round of warfare, initiated by Aurora, is the focus of The Aeronaut's Windlass. Aurora is clearly willing to use whatever means necessary to destroy Albion.

Captain Francis Grimm is loyal to Spire Albion, despite having been treated badly by the Admiralty; drummed out for cowardice unjustly. After his privateer airship, HMS Predator, is badly damaged in an Auroran ambush he must limp home for major repairs. He is recruited for a mission by the Spirearch with the promise of repairs and new crystals for The Predator.
He will be aided in his mission by a motley crew of characters ranging from the admirable to the just plain strange. He is also up against a female adversary who rivals Queen Mab of The Dresden Files and the Vord Queen of Codex Alera for sheer evil. The action of the book is relentless with the characters jumping from frying pan to fire nonstop.

I waffled about the rating on The Aeronaut's Windlass. The world building was almost too organic in that you are thrown into the action with no foundation. I don't mind saying that I had difficulty forming a mental picture of the Spires and airships, at least at the beginning. Euan Morton's narration pushed it from a 4.5 to a 5 for me. I was glued to my device until I realized there is actually no good stopping point in the action. His portrayal of Rowl, Prince of the Silent Paws is spot-on. I highly recommend The Aeronaut's Windlass.

RATING- 5 Stars

The Big Finish for Crown and Key? Hope not.

THE CONQUERING DARK ( Crown and Key #3)
Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
Del Rey Books
July 28, 2015

Once again, Britain is in dire danger from the ancient earth elemental, Gaios, and Ash, the necromancer. The Crown and Key Society must face down these enormously powerful (and quite mad) forces, or Britain will be destroyed as collateral damage in the feud between  Ash and Gaios. The Society has suffered losses as well in previous battles. Simon no longer has access to his own magic and must fight aided by the marvelous machines created by Penny Clark, tinkerer extraordinaire.  Kate Anstruther's sister was horribly mutated by a mad scientist and Kate is consumed by the search for a way to reverse the damage. Monster Hunter Mac MacFarlane is off balance because his belief that all monsters must be killed has been shaken.  His affection for the juvenile werewolf, Charlotte, has made him question his whole life's purpose. The Society will need all their powers to defeat Ash, Gaios and their minions.

The Society is bloody but unbowed and knows that it is the only defense against the threat.  The battle is joined, and it is a roller coaster ride of to the finish. I am amazed how well the Griffiths have balanced action and excellent characterization. These are characters I have grown to love over the course of three books. I for one hope that the adventure continues. There are several openings for future stories at this story's conclusion even though the three books stand on their own.

The Conquering Dark, along with it's predecessors, The Shadow Revolution, and The Undying Legion fall neatly into the description "ripping good yarn". Thanks to Del Rey and netgalley for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING- 4.5 Stars

Fast Paced Historical Urban Fantasy from the authors of Vampire Empire

THE SHADOW REVOLUTION (Crown and Key #1)
Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
Del Rey Books
June 2, 2015

The Shadow Revolution is the first of a new urban fantasy trilogy from the talented pens and imaginative minds of Clay and Susan Griffith. Set in a steampunkish fog-bound Victorian England, it introduces us to a world of spell-casting magicians; the only ones with the power to battle a new supernatural threat. Simon Archer is a talented scribe, a magician whose spells are written on his body in the form of tattoos. He is also somewhat of a charming playboy who cuts quite a swath through London Society. He and his mentor, Nick Barker, are feeling new powers stirring. When they witness the brutal death of a former mistress of Simon and almost lose the ensuing battle with the monstrous werewolf who killed her, they know that their playboy days are over. At least Simon does but Nick seems to want to stay out of it.

The other players in this battle against darkness are Malcolm MacFarlane, a deadly Scottish monster hunter, and Kate Anstruther, an alchemist whose sister is being targeted by lycanthropes. What follows is a rocket ride of battles with lycanthropes, mad scientists, and creepy homunculus; all centered around the legendary Bethlehem Hospital, "Bedlam".  The three unite to stop London from being taken over by a werewolf hoard and to rescue Kate's sister. 

Parts two and three of Crown and Key are being released in rapid succession this summer and I am looking forward to both The Undying Legion and The Conquering Dark, thanks to net.galley and Del Rey. While I didn't find The Shadow Revolution quite up to the standard of Vampire Empire, I still quite enjoyed it. The worldbuilding and characterization of Vampire Empire are so extraordinarily fresh. The Shadow Revolution covers much more familiar territory at least to a steampunk fan like me and sometimes tips into the horror genre. It is, all in all, a very good read.

RATING- 3.75 Stars

A Rousing Finale in The Baskerville Affair

A STUDY IN ASHES
Emma Jane Holloway
Random House LLC
December 31, 2013

A Study in Ashes brings to a close the new steampunk trilogy starring Evalina Cooper, niece to Sherlock Holmes and powerful magic user. The Empire has been taken over by ruthless "Steam Barons" who have the populace by the throats, controlling everything by sheer might and their strangle hold on all power sources. The use of magic is a burning offence- or even worse, being sent off to what are known as laboratories for experimentation. Evalina has spent her young life hiding her abilities and trying to become part of the aristocracy. When A Study in Ashes opens, she has been forced into the the service of the "Gold King", Jasper Keating, in order to save herself and her friends and family.

Rebellion in the form of aristocrats, plain working men and women and pirates who follow a hitherto unknown heir to the throne is brewing and comes to fruition in A Study in Ashes.  Fantastic steampunk machines, characters that leap off the page and rousing battle scenes make A Study in Ashes an absorbing read. As with the first  two books in the trilogy I feel that at almost 700 pages it is nearly too much of a good thing. The secondary story involving Evalina's friend Imogen seemed to be an intrusion into the story. Way too many pages were spent on Imogen, slowing down the rest of the action. I was much more interested in the rebellion itself and seeing justice done to Keating and the other Barons. The ending was very satisfactory and leaves openings for further books in the same world which I will be looking forward to.

Thanks to netgalley.com and Random House for an advance digital galley.

RATING- 3.5 Airships

A Study in Darkness Hits the Ground Running

A STUDY IN DARKNESS (The Baskerville Affair #2)
Emma Jane Holloway
Del Rey Books
September 29, 2013

A Study in Darkness opens just a few months after the events of A Study in Silks. Evelina Cooper, niece to Sherlock Holmes, has been spending some time with her Grandmama Holmes in Devon after being unceremoniously booted out of the home of her friend, Imogen Roth, daughter of Lord Bancroft. The efforts of Holmes and Evelina exposed Lord Bancroft's involvement in the Baskerville Conspiracy to overthrow the Steam Council's stranglehold on the Empire. Her discoveries were disastrous for both Evelina and Tobias Roth, who is now in the employ of that most loathsome of the Steam Barons, Jasper Keating, The Gold King. Tobias has also agreed to marry Keating's daughter, Alice. Evelina is bereft of both Tobias and Nick, her childhood friend.

The action starts when Evelina arrives on the doorstep of 221B Baker Street to find her uncle held hostage by a man with a gun and bomb and ratchets up from there. Evelina finds herself also in the employ of Keating under threat to Sherlock's and Mycroft's life. She finds herself on the streets of the East End and Whitechapel. The year is 1888 and Jack the Ripper is abroad. A Study in Darkness puts Evelina in life threatening danger and only the use of her magic can save her.

Full of battles, pirates, thieves, shady ladies, squalor, sorcerers and very scary automatons, A Study in Darkness is very entertaining in general. However, as in the first book, 500+ pages seems excessive and the action bogs down about the mid-point. It also ends with a double cliff-hanger that I would find annoying, if I did not know that A Study in Ashes is coming in December. The concept is extremely clever and offers a solution to the Jack the Ripper mystery that I doubt anyone ever thought of before! Thanks to Del Rey and netgalley for an advance digital copy.

RATING- 3.5 Airships

A Promising New Steampunk Series

A STUDY IN SILKS
Emma Jane Holloway
Random House/Del Rey
September 24, 2013

It is 1888 in London and Evelina Cooper, the niece of Sherlock Holmes, is preparing for her first season in society. Wait- you didn't know Sherlock Holmes had a niece? Well- never mind- that is just one of the "facts" that Emma Jane Holloway plays with in this clever beginning book of a trilogy coming out in rapid succession this fall. Evelina's England is in love with technology and in servitude to a group of Steam Barons who control all the power and materials used to make and run the technology and therefore, power the Empire. Needless to say, the Barons are no benevolent despots. They have the ability to wreck businesses and lives by "Disconnecting" and are not shy of using it. Disconnection spells ruin financially and socially, no matter high born you may be. Into this London steps Evelina who has the ability to meld magic and technology thereby cutting out the Barons. If the rebels who oppose the Barons knew this, she would be in great danger from both sides. And, magic usage is a crime that can be punished by burning or incarceration in one of Her Majesty's "research laboratories". Then there is the evil Mage who wants Evelina for his own nefarious purposes.

A Study in Silks attempts to mix steampunk, mystery, a romantic triangle and a coming of age story into a cohesive whole, mostly successfully. My feeling is that the book, at 500+ pages, bogs down in the middle and could stand some cutting. Holloway writes description very well but gets a little carried away and stalls the narrative flow.  I am a reader that really enjoys descriptive passages and I was thinking, "Just get on with it!". That being said, I  enjoyed the book and characters and I am looking forward to Book 2, A Study in Darkness, coming in October. Thanks to Random House/Del Rey and netgalley.com for an advance digital copy in return for a free and fair review.

RATING- 3.5 Devas

Exciting but Somewhat Disappointing Entry in the Newbury and Hobbes Series

THE EXECUTIONER'S HEART (Newbury and Hobbs #4)
George Mann
Macmillan/Tor
July 2013


It seems like a very long time between the release of The Immorality Engine, # 3 in the Newbury and Hobbes Series and #4, The Executioner's Heart. In my opinion, Newbury and Hobbes is one of the best steampunk series out there, but I was vaguely disappointed. I don't know whether it was the long wait, but many of the events described as happening in the past seemed unfamiliar to me. In The Executioner's Heart a hired killer has surfaced in London; a woman, beautiful, heavily tattooed and showing a porthole on her chest with her withered heart visible. She is killing the Queen's Agents, cracking their chests open and stealing their hearts. Bainbridge, Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes are called in to find the killer, but both the Queen and the Prince of Wales are throwing obstacles in their way. In addition a level of distrust has developed among the three partners.

George Mann has the ability to construct characters that are grotesque but believable. The Executioner herself is completely mad, but oddly sympathetic. Queen Victoria is like a particularly malevolent spider in a web of machinery keeping her alive. There is literally nothing that she won't do to expand her power. The characterization in The Executioner's Heart is as strong as ever, but the mystery of who hired the killer is somewhat obvious. I was also surprised that the shattering event that serves as a cliff-hanger for the next in the series is revealed in the first chapter.


As I said, I was vaguely disappointed but will be looking forward to the next in the series, The Revenant Express.

RATING- 3 Stars

The Affinity Bridge eBook is now on sale for $2.99 | Tor/Forge's Blog

The Affinity Bridge eBook is now on sale for $2.99 | Tor/Forge's Blog: The Newbury and Hobbes Series by George Mann is one of my  favorite Steampunk series and I'm delighted to see that the first book is on sale in ebook form. If you are looking for a new series and have an interest in Steampunk, this is the one for you. The fourth adventure, The Executioner's Heart, is coming July 9 from Tor/Forge after what seems like a very long wait.

Quirky Characters Enrich Automatic Woman

Automatic Woman
Nathan Yocum
Curiosity Quills Press
August 2012


I requested Automatic Woman from netgalley on a whim, as I do like steampunk as a rule. I certainly was not expecting to meet someone like Jacob "Jolly" Fellowes. By his own admission, Jolly is fat, ugly and violent. The violent part comes in handy as he acts as muscle for the Bow Street Firm, chief thief catchers in 1888 London. The fat and ugly part is handy as well- Jolly quite often can intimidate people with his looks alone.

Jolly is called in to search for "the Swan", a remarkable automatic woman in an equally remarkable dance troupe built by Dr. Saxon, mechanical genius. Things very quickly go south and Jolly is accused of murder and on the run from both his employer, Lord Barnes, and the Metro Police. Charles Darwin, Bram Stoker and Dr. Conan Doyle romp through the pages of this shortish novel. Along with Jolly's love interest, a prostitute named Mary, Jolly must solve multiple mysteries and go up against some of the great minds of the age to avoid hanging.

I began the novel thinking that Jolly was simply a thug- one that I could never root for. But Jolly is also good hearted, a smart investigator and surprisingly erudite under all that thuggish veneer. Automatic Woman has some wonderful characters, chief among them Jolly himself.

3.5 Cogs

Wherein much is Revealed about our Colonial Pepperpot and the Intrepid Mr. Books

THE JANUS AFFAIR (A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel)
Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
Harper Voyager
May 29, 2012


The second novel in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series (after last year's Airship Award winner, PHOENIX RISING) does not disappoint. Our intrepid Archivists, Eliza D. Braun and Wellington Thornhill Books are returning to London from Edinburgh on the train when a young woman disappears in a flash of lightning and an overwhelming electrical odor before their eyes. Eliza even knows the woman, a colleague in the women's suffrage movement. Even though Eliza is on probation of a sort after the events of PHOENIX RISING, she can't let it go. Neither can Wellington when he discovers identical cases that have been shoved into unsolved cases at the Ministry.


The leading light of the New Zealand suffrage movement, Kate Sheppard, is visiting England in order to rally the troops and asks Eliza to aid in her protection. Along with Kate is her son, Douglas, world explorer and Eliza's first love. It's clear that Douglas would like to restart the relationship but Eliza is not at all sure. Wellington is quite sure that he doesn't want that to happen however! The disappearances continue, the movement is falling apart and it is becoming clear that something is rotten at the very heart of the suffragists. The sinister Maestro, assassin Sophia del Morte, part mechanical housemaid Alice and the Ministry Seven (a band of street urchins much like the Baker Street Irregulars) from PHOENIX RISING all play a large part in the story. Horrifying events abound; non-stop action and a slowly simmering romance make THE JANUS AFFAIR a book you can't put down. Plus great gadgetry and airships of course.


I particularly liked the homage to a real historical figure, Katherine Sheppard, who was the leader of the New Zealand suffrage movement. New Zealand was the first nation to grant the vote to women in 1894 and Katherine Sheppard was largely responsible. The fictional Kate Sheppard does not resemble her physically but embodies her spirit and dedication.


Much is revealed about Eliza's life in New Zealand and just why Welly has been hiding his many talents in the depths of the archives. The novel ends with Eliza and Welly off on assignment in the former American Colonies. One wonders how oh-so-proper Welly will cope with the Americans and whether the Maestro and Sophia will follow.


Rating- 4 1/2 Airships

What the heck is STEAMPUNK??

I have fallen in love with the Steampunk genre, but have completely failed in attempting to explain just what it is. Until today, when I ran across this description of Steampunk on the audible website by Mark Hodder, author of the Burton and Swinburne Series. I have not yet jumped into this series, but will be doing so in short order.


“What is steampunk? This is a question that can be, and is, hotly debated. Some will tell you that it's a quirky celebration of a time when upper lips were stiff, chins were square, backs were straight, corsets were tight, moustaches were gigantic, and good manners were still de rigueur. Others will tell you that, with a disturbing lack of self-awareness, it eulogizes the notion of imperialism while conveniently overlooking all the iniquities that go with it. The counter argument insists that the exact opposite is true; steampunk knowingly toys with the trappings of empire while slyly commenting on its evils.

Perhaps we can clarify matters by asking, instead, "When and where is steampunk?" The obvious answer is in an alternate version of 19th century England. However, you don't have to look far before you'll find steampunk in the Wild West, steampunk on other planets, steampunk in the future, steampunk at comic conventions, and steampunk walking down the aisle in your local supermarket.

Just when you think you might have grasped it, steampunk reveals itself to be something more than you thought. You shouldn't be surprised. After all, how can you expect to pin down a genre/fashion/attitude that references the steam powered technology of the late 1800s yet employs the airships of the 1930s as its primary icon? Bit of a mishmash, ain't it? Therein is the joy. Steampunk gleefully borrows the flavours of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. G. Wells, and Jules Verne, and mixes 'em up with whatever it damned well pleases.

In these cynical know-it-all but can't-solve-it-at-all times, what better tincture than steampunk? It may not be a miraculous cure-all but it is, at least, unashamedly fun and wonderfully stylish. It also dresses for dinner and tips its hat at you when it passes by.

Delve in and enjoy! Tally ho!” - Mark Hodder

Some of my favorite steampunk reads so far have been The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger; Phoenix Rising (A Ministry of Peculiar Occurences Novel) by Pip Ballentine and Tee Morris; The Newbury and Hobbes Investigations by George Mann. I reviewed The Immorality Engine (3rd in the series) on the blog Nov.5, 2011.

Back to the Iron Seas in Airships

Heart of Steel
A Novel of the Iron Seas
Meljean Brook
Penguin Audio
November 2011

Following the first book in Meljean Brook's Iron Seas series, Heart of Steel continues the adventures of two characters from the Iron Duke, Archimedes Fox and Yasmeen, mercenary airship captain. Archimedes Fox is an adventurer specializing in retrieval of antiquities lost in territories infected by the zombie plague. He is also the hero of "pulp" novels written by his sister, Zenobia. The mysterious Yasmeen is not only one of the few female airship captains, but is one tough cookie- the "heart of steel" of the title. She kicked Archimedes out of her airship into a zombie infested Venetian canal. Needless to say, Archimedes fell madly in love with her at that instant (even though he doesn't quite know it)! She kicked him off the ship, but kept an unknown Leonardo Da Vinci sketch that he had salvaged.

The action starts when Yasmeen goes to see Zenobia- not only to report the probable death of her brother, but to offer her a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the sketch. When she arrives, she finds Zenobia held hostage. The existence of the sketch has somehow become public and lots of people want it. Including Archimedes who needs it to repay a debt, one that will cost him his life if not repaid. Archimedes and Yasmeen join forces and the great adventures begin. Yazmeen loses her hard won fortune and her beloved airship, Lady Corsair, along with her crew but gains much more.

I can't even attempt to describe the intricate world that Meljean Brook has built in the Iron Seas series. I can only recommend that you begin with the Iron Duke and follow up with Heart of Steel. High adventure, steampunk gadgets, zombies and romance make Iron Seas a must-read. I really cringed at the cover of the book and the audio book, but managed to ignore its general cheesiness. There is plenty of lusty romance here, but I personally enjoyed the adventure more. My only quibble was that the various scrapes and dilemmas of Archimedes and Yasmeen seemed too easily resolved. One expects a book like this to have a happy ending, but it just was a little too neatly done. Otherwise, I highly recommend Heart of Steel as a fast-paced, enjoyable escapist read. The audio book is very competently performed by Faye Adele


Rating  4 Airships


                                         

An Incredible Romp through Victorian London (Steampunk Style)

The Immorality Engine

Newbury and Hobbes Investigations

George Mann

August 2011

Tor Books

The third in George Mann's Newbury and Hobbes Investigations Steampunk series is great fun from beginning to end. Sir Maurice Newbury, Queen Victoria's agent, is continuing to sink into his opium addiction, much to the dismay of his great friend, Sir Charles Bainbridge of Scotland Yard. Still more distressed is Sir Maurice's assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes.

When the body of a suspected jewel thief turns up murdered in one of the seedier sections of London, yet robberies identical to to the corpse's earlier crimes are still happening, Sir Maurice must rise to the occasion. Bainbridge and Hobbes must literally drag him out of an opium den. To add to the mystery of the corpse, there also seems to be a threat to the life of the Queen.

The plot includes clairvoyants, clones, a wacky resurrection cult, spectacular war engines in the best Steampunk tradition, and a vision of Queen Victoria that is truly creepy. Kept alive by the machines of the the diabolical Dr. Fabian, she sits like a spider in the web of her own mad plots and deceits. Newbury and Hobbes are forced to decide whether their loyalty has been misplaced.

The Immorality Engine completes the first story arc of the series and I can hardly wait for the next installment of the Newbury and Hobbes investigations. I would, however, recommend reading The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual before diving into The Immorality Engine. While Mann does a great job of bringing us up to speed, the first two books help build the world and characters. The Newbury and Hobbes Investigations are a great blend of mystery, horror, steampunk and a little romance.

Rating- 5 Opium Pipes