Image taken from Amazon.
IaIC is a collection of 14 short stories, and to fairly give each one it's due I've written the review after reading each story.
Before reading this, I will admit that, I had no real clue what steampunk was or how it came about. I've seen the cosplayers who wear lavish Victorian costumes but amped up to eleven with the addition of, what seems to be a staple, goggles.
Given that they are short stories, I won't go into too much detail as I wouldn't like to spoil it and, well, there are fourteen to get through, so we don't want to be here all day.
The Winter Court by Bernie Mojzes
A nice little story, with a good level of humour and plenty of wonder to sate my imagination. Whoever thought trying to find an island would be so enjoyable? It was a nice way to ease me into a new genre, there were markers of steampunk that I recognised, but I never thought it would go the way it did.
House of Automatons by James Chambers
This is a tale that I rather enjoyed reading, and will most likely reread. It has everything I need; a love story, a rogue of a main character, a witch, magic, automatons (steam powered robots), intrigue, puzzles, revenge....
Drinking Down Death by Jeff Young
This one had me from the start due to mysteriously missing Mediums, forgive my use of alliteration but I so rarely get to use it, and suspicious Sisters. Quite a fun little ride of a story.
Speaker for the Mayans by Brenda Cooper
A tale of exploration and bringing hope. I would have loved this one to be a full length novel. Everything was described so brightly that my mind was ablaze with colour and wonder whilst reading it. The characters worked well together and I love a woman in Victorian man trousers.
To Love and Hope by C.J. Henderson
This story has a more modern setting and features dimension travel. I'd thought steampunk was in a predominantly Victorian setting, so it was interesting to have a different setting. The heroes travel from a world just like ours, just with the addition of interdimensional travel where science reigns, to a world just like theirs only in that world magic reigns.
Little Girl with Pink Ribbons by Stuart Jaffe
Set around the Depression era, a man is entrusted with a little girl to look after, as a way to pay off his brother's debts to a mobster, during a boxing match between a wizard and a steam powered robot. I found this story to be a very quick read, nice and simple, good for a short journey and very likeable.
Scoundrel's Magic by James Daniel Ross
Who doesn't love a scoundrel's tale? The only thing better is a scoundrel's redemption story. See the horrors they inflict and how they remedy it. A good little story made even better, for me, with magical creatures.
On the Wings of an Angel by Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Seen through the eyes of a bar singer, she reflects on her job and the mechanical wings she wears. It was a nicely written story, in an accent no less!
The Trans-Siberian by A.C. Wise
What does the fox say? Quite a lot actually. Pop culture references aside, this is a very interesting story, a murder mystery, a Royal in danger, on a train, with were-foxes. I really don't think it gets better than that. I'd like to think that this is just the tip of the iceberg, and that'll I'll find more stories like this one in the future.
The First Flight of Valhalla by Darren W. Pearce
Follow Valhalla, the Dark Elves first warship, in it's maiden voyage. The elves are not of the Tolkien variety, they remind me of the elves found in Skyrim, this observation applies to all of these steampunk tales not just this one if anyone needed a frame of reference. Though in this story, they are feuding with Dwarves, that I recognise. The story is written with a lot of detail, which fed my imagination and allowed me to really see the world and it contains a very interesting plot point with fairies.
The Case of the Duchess's Dog by Elektra Hammond
A sweet little whodunit story. When the Duchess finds her dog dead, forensics use a combination of magic and science to find out what happened. The main character is smart and caring, using her gadgets, including a clockwork ferret, which I never knew how much I wanted one until now, effectively she discovers what has happened and takes the time and care to do her job properly, as the case could be considered somewhat frivolous and a waste of time to her peers, which is what I like about the main character.
That Voodoo that You Do by Patrick Thomas
Big Brother: Steampunk Edition, with Witch Trials and gangs. The main character is extremely likeable, and he likes to talk, a lot, which is all part of his charm. It's well written, with a clear narrative and interesting concept. As with the other stories, I'd love it to be expanded on.
Iron and Brass, Blood and Bone by Alma Alexander
What an amazing story, somewhat of a cautionary tale mixed with Jekyll & Hyde. Thought provoking and wonderful. That's all I can say without spoiling it.
Greater Crater Gremlins by David Sherman
A fun story to wrap up with, the main character has all the charm of Indiana Jones. It's honestly funny too, it had me laughing out loud as I read the climax. We all know that gremlins are mischievous little buggers. A twinkly eyes kind of story and definitely worth reading.
I have enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would, and I'm now rather interested in Steampunk now I have a gist of of it. I think I'll go do a bit of research on the subject.
I borrowed this book from my brother, so I'm recommending it to you on my enjoyment of it. You can find it on amazon.
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