8/18/14

Steam on the Horizon - book review


Steam on the Horizon is one of the books I picked up at OSFest from one of the authors I had the chance to meet at the con.

It's a steampunk novel, the tale of Gavin Roberts, an airman in 1850s Britain. Roberts is first mate of an airship when a boiler explosion damages the ship and kills the captain. As it happens, the captain is the incompetent son of the ruthless owner of the most powerful airship line in London. Roberts makes a deal to acquire the airship. He struggles to make repairs and assemble a crew as a brand-new Captain.

The novel is quite the zippy read. The language can be a bit much at times, but it does evoke something of the style of Victorian literature. There's the usual gears and gadgets as per any steampunk work. The story had some interesting detail touches, such as an inventor's drug habit and references to the Irish Potato Famine.

It's the first book in a series, and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes. Roberts is an interesting character, and the world-building is good.

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