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brokenmnemonic) wrote2023-01-11 10:03 pm
brokenmnemonic) wrote2023-01-11 10:03 pm
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Fannish Fifty #2: Steampunk Romance Novel Series
Fannish Fifty #2: Steampunk Novel Series
I've been having a bit of a difficult week, so I thought I'd try recommending something cheery for my second Fannish Fifty post.
I'm lucky enough to have a friend with excellent taste in steampunk novels, so I thought I'd recommend three of my favourite series as a way of paying forward the recommendations I was given.
The Iron Seas, by Meljean Brook. I feel a little guilty about reccing this one, because it's not technically finished yet. There are currently 5 full novels and a bunch of novells and short stories, but book 6 has been in the works for some years now, and the last update indicated that the author was putting it on hold rather than trying to force it. With that warning in place, I really love the worldbuilding in this series. I'm trying to work out the best way to summarise this, and the closest I can get is "imagine a world in which the Mongols had access to nanotech and were able to take over a large part of the world by infecting people with nanobots and controlling them via broadcast towers. And using a kind of nanobot to turn people into zombies, with Leonardo da Vinci having helped fight off the hordes for years using clockwork soldiers. Europe is overrun, and a lot of Africa, but the tower in Britain was taken out, and Britain is free. And now it looks like something has changed in the Khanate." There are airships, and krakens, and archaeology involving quick adventures into zombie-infested ruined cities like Vienna.
Each book has a different main pair of protagonists, although there are crossovers between books; each book is also a romance novel (from what I remember, predominantly het) but the second novel is my favourite of the series, and there are a lot of characters I really like in this.
The Parasol Protectorate, by Gail Carriger. I know that there are spin off sequels and prequels, but so far I've only read the main Parasol Protectorate series, and picked up two of the spin-off novels to read. Set in Victorian times, where supernatural beings include werewolves and vampires, this series focusses on Alexiaa Tarabotti, who is ... something else. There's tea, dirigibles, murder mysteries, templars, at least one hedgehog, self-defence by parasol and at least one comedic incident involving a hedgehog. I find the books gently funny as Alexia learns about who she is, and the history of her kind, and spends a lot of time annoying werwolves. I find Lord Akeldama remarkably entertaining - an amazingly fashion-conscious vampire aristocrat - and while the main series is predominantly het romance, at least two of the novellas (Romancing the Inventor and Romancing the Werewolf aren't, and after everything Lyall goes through in the main series he deserves a good romance.)
The St. Croix Chronicles by Karina Cooper. The world-building isn't as fleshed out in this series as it is in the Iron Seas novels, but I loved the basic concept; pollution has become so bad in Victorian London that the wealthy decide there's clearly only one sensible option; put all the rich parts of the city on giant elevator platforms and lift them up in the air, and leave the smoggy, soot-clogged horrible bits to the lower classes. There's alchemy, steam-powered dirigibles and flying gondolas, secret societies, mad scientists, a circus... there's a lot going on, and the main character goes through the wringer over the course of the books. In contrast with the other two series, there's a feeling of dark indulgence and addiction that runs through the series.
I've been having a bit of a difficult week, so I thought I'd try recommending something cheery for my second Fannish Fifty post.
I'm lucky enough to have a friend with excellent taste in steampunk novels, so I thought I'd recommend three of my favourite series as a way of paying forward the recommendations I was given.
The Iron Seas, by Meljean Brook. I feel a little guilty about reccing this one, because it's not technically finished yet. There are currently 5 full novels and a bunch of novells and short stories, but book 6 has been in the works for some years now, and the last update indicated that the author was putting it on hold rather than trying to force it. With that warning in place, I really love the worldbuilding in this series. I'm trying to work out the best way to summarise this, and the closest I can get is "imagine a world in which the Mongols had access to nanotech and were able to take over a large part of the world by infecting people with nanobots and controlling them via broadcast towers. And using a kind of nanobot to turn people into zombies, with Leonardo da Vinci having helped fight off the hordes for years using clockwork soldiers. Europe is overrun, and a lot of Africa, but the tower in Britain was taken out, and Britain is free. And now it looks like something has changed in the Khanate." There are airships, and krakens, and archaeology involving quick adventures into zombie-infested ruined cities like Vienna.
Each book has a different main pair of protagonists, although there are crossovers between books; each book is also a romance novel (from what I remember, predominantly het) but the second novel is my favourite of the series, and there are a lot of characters I really like in this.
The Parasol Protectorate, by Gail Carriger. I know that there are spin off sequels and prequels, but so far I've only read the main Parasol Protectorate series, and picked up two of the spin-off novels to read. Set in Victorian times, where supernatural beings include werewolves and vampires, this series focusses on Alexiaa Tarabotti, who is ... something else. There's tea, dirigibles, murder mysteries, templars, at least one hedgehog, self-defence by parasol and at least one comedic incident involving a hedgehog. I find the books gently funny as Alexia learns about who she is, and the history of her kind, and spends a lot of time annoying werwolves. I find Lord Akeldama remarkably entertaining - an amazingly fashion-conscious vampire aristocrat - and while the main series is predominantly het romance, at least two of the novellas (Romancing the Inventor and Romancing the Werewolf aren't, and after everything Lyall goes through in the main series he deserves a good romance.)
The St. Croix Chronicles by Karina Cooper. The world-building isn't as fleshed out in this series as it is in the Iron Seas novels, but I loved the basic concept; pollution has become so bad in Victorian London that the wealthy decide there's clearly only one sensible option; put all the rich parts of the city on giant elevator platforms and lift them up in the air, and leave the smoggy, soot-clogged horrible bits to the lower classes. There's alchemy, steam-powered dirigibles and flying gondolas, secret societies, mad scientists, a circus... there's a lot going on, and the main character goes through the wringer over the course of the books. In contrast with the other two series, there's a feeling of dark indulgence and addiction that runs through the series.
no subject
I'm sorry to hear you're having a difficult week.
*sending virtual hugs and cocoa
no subject
The first book in the Parasol Protectorate seems to be on sale on Kindle US for 99 cents pretty regularly. Putting this list together reminded me that I have three of the books from the spin-offs that I really have to sit down and read!
One of the things I like about the Iron Seas series is that a lot of the tie-in short stories are available for free. While the second novel in the series is my favourite, the first has one of my favourite quotes from the series in it:
“You wear your armor even to dinner, Lady Wilhelmina?"
“Of course I wear armor. I am sitting with a pirate, a mercenary, an adventurer, and a bounder. If a shot is not fired tonight, I daresay that your reputations are nothing but lies.”
no subject
If I could, I would lend you my cat, when he was young he was a good mouser. :(
From your notes & comment, the Iron Seas one looks like the one I might look into first. But I may change my mind based on availability ($0.99 is doable)
:D
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no subject