Leo Barrons is a man of divided loyalties. Born to the
ruling Echelon and a BlueBlood, as is all of the highest
social class; he also sees the misery that has been
brought
on the human population. The iron rule of the Prince
Consort is dividing the country and crushing the humans
masses. Humans and those who are part mech are seen as
blood slaves, with lives spent in miserable servitude to
the ruling class. Not only does Barrons have empathy for
the human plight; he has two sisters who have happily
married into the non-ruling class. He himself has a secret
that could destroy him in society, as well as possibly
cause the loss of his own life.
Aramina Duvall, Duchess of Casavian, is a rare female
BlueBlood. She has become sympathetic to the Humanist
movement, and begins to covertly help them in their quest
to overthrow the oppressive rule of the Prince Consort.
Mina has her own agenda in the downfall of the Prince
Consort, however. Not only is he keeping his wife, the
true
Queen, drugged and out of the way; he is also planning to
raise the blood-tax on the humans. After two of the blood
draining factories are destroyed by the Humanists, the
life-
sustaining blood has become increasingly difficult for the
BlueBloods to obtain. Higher tithes will mean the death of
many humans, and the Prince Consort has to be stopped by
any means available.
Mina has long been aware of Barrons as a man, and he quite
attracted to her. Being the heir-apparent to the Duke of
Caine, their paths often cross on a social and political
level. Even as the sexual tension between them begins to
heat up, Mina is wary of a man that she cannot trust. When
a scandal erupts concerning Barrons, however, Mina comes
to
realize that they are on the same side. Both want to
destroy the Prince Consort and his rule, and both wish to
find a way for their country to come together and for all
citizens to be equal.
OF SILK AND STEEL is a Steampunk/PNR; set in the alternate
world of Victorian London. From the amazing airships to
the
mech armies used to attack the rookeries, the story is a
nonstop roller coaster ride. Add to that the excellent
wordbuilding, fascinating plotline, and steamy romance,
and
Bec McMaster has herself another winner. All of the story
is an excellent read, but once Mina and Barrons come
together working on the same side, the story explodes in
intensity and passion. As an avid fan of the 'London
Steampunk' series, I also highly enjoyed the peeks into
the
lives of couples from previous books in the series; as
well
as a joyous event for Honoria and Blade.
OF SILK AND STEEL is the fifth book in Bec McMaster's
highly entertaining London Steampunk series.
Although the
story can be read standalone; the reader will find plot
points from previous books mixed into the overarching
storyline. These plot points are easily assimilated by the
reader, so they do not hinder the overall enjoyment of the
read. OF SILK AND STEEL is a highly recommended read for
both lovers of Steampunk and of romance.
ENEMIES. ALLIES. LOVERS.
When her beloved father was assassinated, Lady Aramina
swore
revenge. The man responsible is well beyond her grasp, but
his dangerously seductive heir, Leo Barrons, is fair game.
When Mina obtains evidence proving that Leo is
illegitimate,
she has the means to destroy both the killer and his son,
a
man who troubles her heart and tempts her body.
A woman of mystery, Mina's long driven Leo crazy with
glimpses of a fiery passion that lurks beneath her icy
veneer. He knows she's hiding something, and he's
determined
to unravel her layer by silken layer. He just doesn't
expect
the beautiful liar to be the key to overthrowing the
corrupt
prince consort...or to saving his own carefully walled-off
heart.
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