From 1895 to 1908 King Leopold II held reign over Congo's Free State. During that time one of the worst atrocities was fell upon those people. There is no way to know the exact number of casualties. They did not have a census and no one counted the dead. The area was about the quarter of the size of the United States and it is estimated over half the population was made to disappeared. Millions were casualties of murder, rape, inhumane treatment and slavery.

In EVERFAIR Nisi Shawl uses an alternate history to show what could have happened if the Congolese were allowed to purchase their land and create an utopian society. Saving some of those under King Leopold's control. Shawl uses steampunk to add to the story and bring it alive, while the characters fight for freedom and each other any way they can, either by telling the truth of the atrocities in writing or fighting those trying to enslave and destroy them.

Nisi Shawl creates a what could have been, that should have been. A fascinating look at what the world could have been like with the twist of steampunk thrown in to make EVERFAIR book worth reading.