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b33dubs's review
2.0
Interesting concept...so poorly executed. Why did I finish it? Eh, I had nothing better to read at the time.
weltenkreuzer's review
3.0
Solide steampunk-angehauchte Alternate-History-Geschichte mit spannenden Ansätzen, aber ohne das gewisse Etwas.
skycladmp's review
5.0
I LOVE this book. The author created such a believable alternate history that I felt myself going, "Oh, of course". I'm not usually into steampunk novels but this had just the right balance of steampunk technology and story. Elizabeth Barnabus is a very well-written character and it was fun to work out the mystery with her. The supporting characters were all well-developed as well. No one suffered from a dropped side plot. I hope Julia gets a bigger part in the next book, as I'm really looking forward to reading it.
elizpeace's review
4.0
An Elizabeth I can root for! Loved the mystery, and Elizabeth's wit and cleverness.
crasscasualty's review
5.0
I'm surprised how much I ended up loving this. The prose is clunky and filled with sentence fragments; after getting over that, however, I was entirely sucked in. Like all good detective novels, the plot and pacing are excellent. Unlike most detective novels, the world is novel and interesting and the characters are well-developed. I'm eagerly awaiting a second installment.
It's not high lit by any means, but it has been a long time since I've read a novel I enjoyed so thoroughly.
It's not high lit by any means, but it has been a long time since I've read a novel I enjoyed so thoroughly.
moirwyn's review
3.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/04/03/dnf-review-the-bullet-catchers-daughter-by-rod-duncan/
The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan is a steampunk fantasy novel about a young woman who leads a double life. Elizabeth Barnabus grew up as part of the circus, and learned from an early age how to use illusion to manipulate an audience. After her parents’ untimely deaths, Elizabeth cross-dresses and pretends to be her fictitious brother (also a private eye) in order to escape from the rigid confines of Victorian-ish society. One of her cases proves to be inordinately dangerous, and leads to entanglements with the dangerous Patent Office.
It’s been a while since I’ve written a DNF review, but I was inspired to finally do this one by a post from Anya at On Starships and Dragonwings entitled “What if DNF was your default option?” (http://www.onstarshipsanddragonwings.com/dnf-as-your-default/) While DNF (did not finish) is not my default option, one of my goals this year was to allow myself to let my reading be guided by my own whims rather than schedules or feelings of obligation. And even though there were a lot of things about The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter that I enjoyed, I’ve spent about six months of reading a chapter here or a chapter there, and I just can’t bring myself to finish the book. It isn’t because I dislike it, but rather that it doesn’t grip me or excite me in the way that so many other books do. I’m giving myself permission to stop dwelling on it and move on.
That said, the setting and characters both appealed to me. I loved the description of Elizabeth’s riverboat home. I enjoyed seeing Elizabeth try to keep up her charade, especially as she became more and more socially entangled with her neighbors. I was intrigued by the lore spread among traveling performers, and the way that those legends and superstitions began to creep into Elizabeth’s life as she tried to untangle her story and understand her parents’ deaths. There was a very real sense of mystery, and the mystery/steampunk/fantasy genre-blend is something I usually enjoy. I’d definitely recommend The Bullet-Catchers Daughter to other readers. It just wasn’t for me, and I’m not entirely sure why.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/04/03/dnf-review-the-bullet-catchers-daughter-by-rod-duncan/
The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan is a steampunk fantasy novel about a young woman who leads a double life. Elizabeth Barnabus grew up as part of the circus, and learned from an early age how to use illusion to manipulate an audience. After her parents’ untimely deaths, Elizabeth cross-dresses and pretends to be her fictitious brother (also a private eye) in order to escape from the rigid confines of Victorian-ish society. One of her cases proves to be inordinately dangerous, and leads to entanglements with the dangerous Patent Office.
It’s been a while since I’ve written a DNF review, but I was inspired to finally do this one by a post from Anya at On Starships and Dragonwings entitled “What if DNF was your default option?” (http://www.onstarshipsanddragonwings.com/dnf-as-your-default/) While DNF (did not finish) is not my default option, one of my goals this year was to allow myself to let my reading be guided by my own whims rather than schedules or feelings of obligation. And even though there were a lot of things about The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter that I enjoyed, I’ve spent about six months of reading a chapter here or a chapter there, and I just can’t bring myself to finish the book. It isn’t because I dislike it, but rather that it doesn’t grip me or excite me in the way that so many other books do. I’m giving myself permission to stop dwelling on it and move on.
That said, the setting and characters both appealed to me. I loved the description of Elizabeth’s riverboat home. I enjoyed seeing Elizabeth try to keep up her charade, especially as she became more and more socially entangled with her neighbors. I was intrigued by the lore spread among traveling performers, and the way that those legends and superstitions began to creep into Elizabeth’s life as she tried to untangle her story and understand her parents’ deaths. There was a very real sense of mystery, and the mystery/steampunk/fantasy genre-blend is something I usually enjoy. I’d definitely recommend The Bullet-Catchers Daughter to other readers. It just wasn’t for me, and I’m not entirely sure why.
c_morning's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ahumblepear's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
kittykornerlibrarian's review
5.0
Clever, engaging protagonist and an interesting setting and plot. Can't wait to read the sequel. My full review: http://blog.heightslibrary.org/steampunk-mystery/
elusivity's review
3.0
2.5 STARS
I found this mostly... Underwhelming.
The detective-seeking-lost-person-with-forbidden-treasure part was woefully thin and completely predictable.
For a place dumbed the Gas-Lit Empire, there was very little steam punk technology. The main setting was Victorian, with its strict code of social morality. And yes, there was flight by airship, and the main McGuffin was. Beyond that... Nope.
The ending was like deflating a balloon, and obliterated even my half-hearted enjoyment of the first 3/4.
Sigh.
I found this mostly... Underwhelming.
The detective-seeking-lost-person-with-forbidden-treasure part was woefully thin and completely predictable.
For a place dumbed the Gas-Lit Empire, there was very little steam punk technology. The main setting was Victorian, with its strict code of social morality. And yes, there was flight by airship, and the main McGuffin was
Spoiler
a laser created by mystery chemicalsThe ending was like deflating a balloon, and obliterated even my half-hearted enjoyment of the first 3/4.
Sigh.