Category: Steampunk

Outrageous Fortune — Kathleen McClure and Kelley McKinnon

By 5t4n5

Outrageous Fortune -- Kathleen McClure and Kelley McKinnonClick on picture to get your copy.

In this story we get to hear all about the crew of the airship Errant, whom we briefly met when Gideon and Mia delivered Jinna for safe-keeping in Soldier of Fortune.   Not only do we get to hear all about them and their pasts, but we also get to go on another great adventure on the planet Fortune with shenanigans galore.

To write this book Kathleen teams up with Kelley McKinnon and while i found there’s a slightly different feel to the writing, it’s certainly just as good as, and flows perfectly on from, Soldier of Fortune.   Once again, we are feasted to our heart’s content with great characters who just keep the story rip-roaring along for the reader’s complete entertainment.

This book is mostly set at the same time of the events in Soldier of Fortune, and if you haven’t read that first then i would suggest doing so before embarking on this book.

Another winner from the brilliant writers at Outrageous Fiction.

Kathleen’s Page Kelley’s Page

#steampunk #kathleenmcclure #kelleymckinnon

The Angel of Khan el-Khalili — P. Djèlí Clark

By 5t4n5

The Angel of Khan el-Khalili -- P. Djèlí ClarkThe second story from the Dead Djinn Universe, which i only just got hold of with it having been quite some time since i finished the other three books (silly me thought it was a trilogy).   But not to worry, while it would have been better to have read it before The Haunting of Tram Car 015, it was very much worth reading still and doesn’t detract from anything i’ve already read in this series.

Once again, all the super good writing we’ve come to enjoy from Djèlí, my only question would be is will there be any more Cairo books?   I do so hope so, this is a fantastic world Djèlí has created that begs to be explored a lot more.   And i totally recommend this whole series for everyone, even if you’re not already into steampunk flavoured fantasy with a North African twist you soon will be.

This is available in the anthologies, Clockwork Cairo and Swift the Chase, and also can be read for free over at Tor.com.

P. Djèlí Clark’s Page

#steampunk #fantasy #pdjeliclark

With a Golden Risha — P. Djèlí Clark

By 5t4n5

With a Golden Risha -- P. Djèlí ClarkAvailable in the periodical, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly — Issue 23.

To begin, a risha is to an Arabian oud as a plectrum is to a guitar.   If you want to know more you can read all about ouds and rishas by clicking here.

So, with that out of the way, let’s get to a review.

Great book.   This is early Djèlí introducing steampunk elements into his fantasy.   Our story begins with our oud player, Saleh, getting rescued by a philosopher pirate (captain who’s not a captain), Usman, and the rest of the crew of the airship The Beggar.   Then we’re off on a 537-kindle-loc-point adventure to find treasure, amongst which is a magical golden risha with which Saleh gets to play his oud.

I really enjoyed this book and hopefully, one fine day in the future, Djèlí might even sit down and write some more stories with Saleh and Usman.   There’s got to be some great stories to be told about a philosopher pirate captain and his side-kick minstrel oud player.

And so, next up in my Djèlí reading list will be The Things My Mother Left Me

P. Djèlí Clark’s Page

#fantasy #steampunk #pdjeliclark

Steampunk! — Anthology

By 5t4n5

Steampunk! -- Anthology

Some Fortunate Future Day — Cassandra Clare
The Last Ride of the Glory Girls — Libba Bray
Clockwork Fagin — Cory Doctorow
Seven Days Beset by Demons — Shawn Cheng
Hand in Glove — Ysabeau S. Wilce
The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor — Delia Sherman
Gethsemane — Elizabeth Knox
The Summer People — Kelly Link
Peace in Our Time — Garth Nix
Nowhere Fast — Christopher Rowe
Finishing School — Kathleen Jennings
Steam Girl — Dylan Horrocks
Everything Amiable and Obliging — Holly Black
The Oracle Engine — M. T. Anderson

#fantasy #corydoctorow #mtanderson

The Black God’s Drums — P. Djèlí Clark

By 5t4n5

The Black God's Drums -- P. Djèlí ClarkTake some super good fantasy with a good African/Caribbean flavour, season with a nice hint of steampunk, and bake slowly for a few of hours in an althist New Orleans: what more can you ever want from a book?

This good length novella is from around the same time as Djèlí was writing the Dead Djinn series, and with all of these stories you really pick up on the time in Djèlí’s writing that he begins to introduce steampunk elements into his unique and wonderful style of fantasy.

A really well written, really enjoyable read.

For my next P. Djèlí Clark story, i’m going back in time.   I managed to track down some earlier stories of his that i missed: gotta read them all.   First up of those will be The Things My Mother Left Me.

Djèlí’s Page

#fantasy #steampunk #pdjeliclark

The Windup Girl — Paolo Bacigalupi

By 5t4n5

The Windup Girl -- Paolo BacigalupiThis book is awful.

Well, at least the first 12% of it was.   It was so awful that i really just couldn’t be bothered to wade through any more of the trudging, depressing, miserable writing.   I feel i gave it a fair go because if a writer can’t sort his mess out in the first 12% of a book then the book can be deleted as far as i’m concerned.

All we get are depressing characters that you really have no inclination for any level of empathy towards, you just wish they’d all go away and someone interesting turn up, but no one does.   Just miserable, depressing people who drink alcohol and smoke and live in a kind of steampunk dystopia which hasn’t been explained as to how all this mess came about.   In fact, it all just feels totally messy, disjointed and made up by someone who really hasn’t made any attempt at understanding whatever genre this is supposed to be.

So, at the end of 12%, NO THANK YOU!

Deleted!

Paolo’s Page

#paolobacigalupi #whataloadofcrap

A Master of Djinn — P. Djèlí Clark

By 5t4n5

A Master of Djinn -- P. Djèlí ClarkThe fourth book in the Dead Djinn Universe and carrying straight on from where The Haunting of Tram Car 015 left off, with all our favourite characters involved, this really is some great writing.

This trilogy has been my first taste of Djèlí’s writing and i’m very impressed.   His imagination is excellent and his ability to put that imagination into words for all us avid readers is simply marvellous.   I’m certainly going to be reading more of his work in the future: i’m hooked.

All in all, a wonderful blend of steampunk, fantasy and folklore all thrown into an alternative history in Cairo with lots of shenanigans mixed will in.   And it’s great to have main protagonists who are strong women, from different religions, who also happen to be in a same sex relationship.

P. Djèlí Clark’s Page

#fantasy #steampunk #lgbtq #pdjeliclark

A Dead Djinn in Cairo — P. Djèlí Clark

By 5t4n5

A Dead Djinn in Cairo -- P. Djèlí ClarkThe first book in the Dead Djinn Universe, and what a good start it was.   While it’s only a short story, 36 pages, it’s a very good short story and is packed with great hints as to what the rest of the series is going to be like in this alternative fantasy/steampunk Cairo.

The title gives the beginning away in that a Dead Djinn is found in Cairo by its lover.   A special investigator from the “Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities” is brought in with a police inspector to investigate and then it’s just non stop until the end.

Then once you’re at the end of this i can’t imagine that any reader wouldn’t want to dive straight into The Angel of Khan el-Khalili, which is the next book in the series.

Great writing, great characters and just plain good stuff for those who like their fantasy mixed up with steampunk elements.

P. Djèlí Clark’s Page

#fantasy #steampunk #pdjeliclark