Publisher: Tor Books
Pub. Date: October 13, 2015
Genre: Steampunk
Source: Print ARC
Rating: +2 Stars
Blurb:
The real identity of Jack the Ripper revealed at last? Only if the Hero of the Empire has his way!
In an alternate nineteenth century where a technologically advanced Britain holds sway over most of the known world and the American Revolution never happened, young Gideon Smith is firmly established as the Hero of the Empire.
Back in London, Gideon and his colleagues: journalist Aloysius Bent, airship pilot Rowena Fanshawe, and Maria, the mechanical girl to whom Gideon has lost his heart, are dragged into a case that is confounding the Metropolitan Police. For the city is on the edge of mass rioting due to the continuing reign of terror by the serial killer known only as Jack the Ripper, who is rampaging though London's less salubrious quarters.
While chasing the madman, a villain from their past strips Gideon Smith of his memory and is cast adrift in the seedy underbelly of London, where life is tough and death lurks in every shadowy alley.
With mob rule threatening to engulf London, the Empire has never needed its hero more...but where is Gideon Smith?
Gideon Smith and the Mask of the Ripper is the latest in David Barnett's riproaring steampunk adventures about a Britain that never was...but should have been.
Review:
I thought this was quite interesting but nothing more. This is my first time reading a novel by David Barnett and while I didn't wholly love Mask of the Ripper, I would be opposed to reading more books by him. Maybe it was the writing style? I just kept getting confused at time...
The story is a good one despite not understanding at time, I even somewhat enjoy some of the characters. And I really loved where the story is set. So Victorian. I feel funny because when I don't particularly LOVE a book, I find it hard to write anything down about it. This review is very difficult to write! I wish there were more redeeming things I could say about it, but there wasn't much I liked - I so wish there was.
At first I enjoyed the adventure I felt like the author was going to take me. The world he created was very interesting, and I found myself not being able to turn the pages fast enough. Then somewhere along the way, it just fell kind of flat. Maybe I should have read the previous two books from the series to really get along with the characters, but I couldn't.
Overall, I recommend this for steampunk fans, it wasn't that enjoyable to me, but it might be your next favorite read! You'll never know if you don't try. I may go back to the first book and try to see if maybe I just need to go back to the beginning.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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