When I dive into worlds of fantasy, I like to be guided from the very first
glance into a particular aesthetic. That could be the sunlit, pastoral and
wooded 'scapes of high fantasy, or--as in the case of this week's
selections--the lamplit, oil-smudged streets of alternate Victorian-era fantasy.
These three tales go beyond the cogs and gears of steampunk and lean toward the
dimmer, grimmer, and more character-driven side of the genre, without losing the
spectacle of old-world science. Each of these books will grip and drag you into
their gaslamp grandeur from their very first flicker.
I am crazy about the story in this steam-powered,
old west thrill ride. The streetwalker murders are reminiscent of Jack the
Ripper tales, and the protagonist and her fellow bordello workers prove to be a
powerful cast of characters.
About:
"You ain't gonna like what I have to tell you, but I'm gonna tell you anyway.
See, my name is Karen Memery, like memory only spelt with an e, and I'm one of
the girls what works in the Hôtel Mon Cherie on Amity Street. Hôtel has a little
hat over the o like that. It's French, so Beatrice tells me."
Set in the late 19th century--when the city we now call Seattle Underground was
the whole town (and still on the surface), when airships plied the trade routes,
would-be gold miners were heading to the gold fields of Alaska, and
steam-powered mechanicals stalked the waterfront, Karen is a young woman on her
own, is making the best of her orphaned state by working in Madame Damnable's
high-quality bordello. Through Karen's eyes we get to know the other girls in
the house--a resourceful group--and the poor and the powerful of the town.
Trouble erupts one night when a badly injured girl arrives at their door, beggin
sanctuary, followed by the man who holds her indenture, and who has a machine
that can take over anyone's mind and control their actions. And as if that
wasn't bad enough, the next night brings a body dumped in their rubbish heap--a
streetwalker who has been brutally murdered.
Hieber skillfully blends gaslamp fantasy and
historical intrigue in THE ETERNA FILES. This is sure to dazzle her fans as much as
her Strangely Beautiful series, and its creative premise will solidify
her status as a bright star in fiction.
About:
London, 1882: Queen Victoria appoints Harold Spire of the Metropolitan Police to
Special Branch Division Omega. Omega is to secretly investigate paranormal and
supernatural events and persons. Spire, a skeptic driven to protect the helpless
and see justice done, is the perfect man to lead the department, which employs
scholars and scientists, assassins and con men, and a traveling circus. Spire's
chief researcher is Rose Everhart, who believes fervently that there is more to
the world than can be seen by mortal eyes.
Their first mission: find the Eterna Compound, which grants immortality.
Catastrophe destroyed the hidden laboratory in New York City where Eterna was
developed, but the Queen is convinced someone escaped—and has a sample of Eterna.
Also searching for Eterna is an American, Clara Templeton, who helped start the
project after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln nearly destroyed her nation.
Haunted by the ghost of her beloved, she is determined that the Eterna
Compound—and the immortality it will convey—will be controlled by the United
States, not Great Britain.
Imagine Sherlock Holmes meets the X-Files and you
will have a decent grasp on the world of Inspector Nicolas Lenoir. Also, the
author herself is as fascinating as her dark Victorian settings. Check out my interview
with E.L. to see what I mean.
About:
Unraveling a deadly mystery takes time—and his is running out…
Having barely escaped the clutches of the Darkwalker, Inspector Nicolas Lenoir
throws himself into his work with a determination he hasn’t known in years. But
his legendary skills are about to be put to the test. A horrific disease is
ravaging the city—and all signs point to it having been deliberately unleashed.
With a mass murderer on the loose, a rising body count, and every hound in the
city on quarantine duty, the streets of Kennian are descending into mayhem,
while Lenoir and his partner, Sergeant Bran Kody, are running out of time to
catch a killer and find a cure.
Only one ray of hope exists: the nomadic Adali, famed for their arcane healing
skills, claim to have a cure. But dark magic comes at a price, one even the
dying may be unwilling to pay. All that’s left to Lenoir is a desperate gamble.
And when the ashes settle, the city of Kennian will be changed forever...