I don’t think there are any casual Steampunk fans.
I think Steampunk is one of those interesting genres where those who enjoy it are always “all in.” They sip tea while wearing goggles and corsets, and have a language preserved in time. Steampunk isn’t a category as much as it is a lifestyle.
I don’t claim to be a Steampunk person. I don’t own goggles or a corset, and I have way too much l33t speak and tech slang in my vocabulary. I do, however, completely respect the people who live and breathe that lifestyle.
I also really enjoy well written, character-driven tales of action and mystery. Among my favorite series in the last few years is the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences – a Steampunk series that crosses both sides of the Atlantic ocean, features wonderful lead characters, an incredibly diverse supporting cast, and the nefarious plots of would-be rulers.
The Ministry series follows archivist Wellington Books, a man who loves order and detail, as he is partnered against all odds with explosive-tossing Eliza D. Braun. Books and Braun made strange bedfellows, and their adventures take them globetrotting against any manner of evil scheme.
The series includes secret societies, emotional baggage, laugh out loud moments, and all the steam-driven technology you could imagine and more. The audio books feature the world-class talent of James Langton, who can do any voice and inflection ever heard. As I said on a podcast once, that guy has more accents than an Ikea showroom.
Book four of the Ministry series is set to release in early 2015 (pre-order it today) and we have to wait no longer for the first glimpse at agents Books and Braun. “The Diamond Conspiracy” cover is here to get you all revved up.
What are the Ministry agents up to this time? Here’s the scoop:
Having narrowly escaped the electrifying machinations of Thomas Edison, Books and Braun are looking forward to a relaxing and possibly romantic voyage home. But when Braun’s emergency signal goes off, all thoughts of recreation vanish. Braun’s street-wise team of child informants, the Ministry Seven, is in grave peril, and Books and Braun must return to England immediately.
But when the intrepid agents finally arrive in London, the situation is even more dire than they imagined. The Ministry has been disavowed, and the Department of Imperial Inconveniences has been called in to decommission its agents in a most deadly fashion. The plan reeks of the Maestro’s dastardly scheming. Only, this time, he has a dangerous new ally—a duplicitous doctor whose pernicious poisons have infected the highest levels of society, reaching even the Queen herself…
So, what are you waiting for? Grab the first three books now, and get caught up. This adventuresome pair is too fun not to read (or treat yourself to something extra special and grab them on audio.)
One love,
nK