The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

Indeed I was blown away by just how nonstop the pace was with this particular novel. Sorcery, conspiracy, extreme mental prowess and hey STEAMPUNK! You’d be hard-pressed to find a more action packed ride then The Iron Wyrm Affair. Sorcery, conspiracy, extreme mental prowess and he But I think I'll read the next one in print.

This was an enjoyable book, and I am crossing my fingers and hoping Saintcrow brings Bannon and Clare back for more. But I've listened to many audiobooks that kept me alert on a long drive, and this one would not have done so. If you are an ardent audiobook listener, by all means, give this one a shot. To be fair, I much prefer to listen to books I've already read than those I'm encountering for the first time, so some of this may be personal preference. This review doesn't have a plot summary included because there are huge portions of the book where I'm not quite sure what happened. I frequently had to stop, back up, and listen to a passage again to figure out what had just happened, because I'd glazed over what was spoken. Something about the style of writing, which is heavy on rapid-fire conversation with very delicate exchanges, makes it very difficult to follow when Quirk is reading. Yet somehow, Quirk's reading and Saintcrow's writing mix like oil and vinegar. Moira Quirk is an excellent reader, and her cultured voice is well-suited to the book - or, it should be. The supporting characters are fascinating, and make you want to read more about them. The main characters take a little bit of warming up to (which is probably just how they like it) but are well-written and multi-faceted.

The book is, at its heart, a mystery, heavily reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, with distinctly dark undertones. If you're tired of traditional steampunk (do we have 'traditional steampunk' yet?), Bannon and Clare are a wonderfully novel approach to the gothic Victorian magic-and-metal genre. Great book, great reader, but difficult to follow.

The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow