In honor of the Watch City Steampunk Festival, which will be celebrated virtually this year, I am devoting May's "Lucci's List" to steampunk! From gaslamp romance, to magical theatrics, to dystopian worlds, this list has something for everyone interested in the steampunk genre.
Also, be sure to tune in this month to Watch City Readers! Brought to you through a grant from the Waltham Cultural Council and the Mass Cultural Council, this innovative and fun literacy program is geared to tweens, teens, and families. This month's genre is Steampunk, and will include games and prizes, an interview with an immigrant steampunk author, and a dramatic reading from Elizabeth Chatsworth's "The Brass Queen." Sunday, May 9, at 6PM, on Jessica Lucci's Facebook page - come join the live show!
"The Brass Queen" by Elizabeth Chatsworth is a steampunk gem.
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When a socially awkward British belle of the ball who secretly heads an international weapons empire meets a mysterious American cowboy, all heck breaks loose! Soon there are kidnapped scientists, invisible people invading private bathrooms, a costume party, and a pink dirigible airship. The mechanoids are magnificent, and the inventions are incredible! Prepare yourself for a steampunk adventure with a will they or won't they romantic storyline. Absolutely thrilling!
"The Alchemyst's Mirror" by Liz Delton is a torrid tale of treachery and tea.
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Sisters Petra and Maisie are Victorian ladies who run a tea shoppe. Life is sweet until their brother goes missing and they must rescue him from kidnappers. They become spies, using magical contraptions with steampunk power, to glean information regarding their enemies. They soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that goes back for generations.
Light romance, dark moods, and whimsical settings abound in this steampunk adventure.<br />
"Love Letters to the Postman: A Dystopian Steampunk Romance (Love Letters Series Book 1) by David Hurley is a steampunk fantasy filled with magic. With angels and ores, it tells a tale of action and redemption.
After a miserable divorce, Mark McLeod survives with the help of a few supportive friends. It is 1886, and New Philadelphia is just beginning to regain solid infrastructure after the Civil War. In this alternative timeline, technology and self-help skills are major attributes. Inventions such as glowing ore for technologically advanced machines are an ingenious way to power a new world.
As a well known inventor, Mark's expertise and talents are sought out as the new city emerges from ruin.
Angels of a Christian god intercede along the way. They are mystical and delightfully steampunk. Their integral addition to the story enhances the entire book and makes the plot delve deep into themes of self-worth, redemption, and faith. They are really cool creatures!
The banter between Mark and his buddies are realistic and make the characters more relatable.
Parts of this book and certain recurring themes took away from the joy of this book for me. Mark McLeod is struggling emotionally after a recent divorce. He makes lame excuses, and wonders if his ex-wife was a closet lesbian, and that is why "she didn't enjoy time in the sack." He wallows in self-pity. "Why do I always get the short end of the stick? Nobody gives a rat's ass about Dad."
Then there's Elroy, one of his best buds, who, "lost all mental capacity when near big boobs." These are grown men. Quite disappointing.
All in all the writing was good and the steampunk science and angels may redeem the dismal character traits.
Splinter Town by Peter Maloy is a fantastical read. It is set in an alternate 1920s British universe that edges on steampunk and post-apocalyptic concepts. The characters were well drawn, and there is plenty of action to keep them busy.
A dramatic action packed steampunk-esque adventure.
