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A review by badcushion
The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan
5.0
I'm much better at writing about terrible books than ones I love, but I'm going to give it a shot.
In this world, the Industrial Revolution was shorted out by a proper Luddite rebellion, and instead of the glories of modern-day 1973, we find ourselves in a post-Victoria, perma-Victorian England...well not England, but the part of Britain that became the Republic....okay it's a little complicated but not that bad. Point is, this steampunk world has a solid historical framework, which makes it feel less like a clockwork fancy and more like an actual world, with actual people and politics and forces of social change. In this book, we follow Elizabeth Barnabus, who grew up in a circus but now lives on the run, working as a detective...well actually it's her brother who's the detective....well that's complicated too, but it's worth it. She's barely scraping by when she's offered a job by a duchess, who's looking for her brother....the duchess' brother not Elizabeth's brother, though there's some overlap in the two stories as well....but I promise it all makes sense and will work out in the end without making you want to rend your garments.
There are traveling shows, alchemists, nobles and workers, and over it all the strict eye of the Patent Office, making sure nobody gets too creative with unlicensed inventions or anything which might shake the social order. Duncan has created a fabulous world in all senses, vivid and complex, moving the reader from a canalside narrow boat to a circus wagon to the heart of London with equal ease. The characters are fully formed, motivations are profoundly human, and the story is gripping. Also, basically, I loved this book. I was totally immersed in the world, but was also captivated by the small things - the smells of the filthy back streets, the rock and creak of the narrow canal boat, and of course, the tick of clockworks. It was lovely. Do you like steampunk? Read this book. Do you like mysteries? Read this book. Do you like good books? Read this book!
In this world, the Industrial Revolution was shorted out by a proper Luddite rebellion, and instead of the glories of modern-day 1973, we find ourselves in a post-Victoria, perma-Victorian England...well not England, but the part of Britain that became the Republic....okay it's a little complicated but not that bad. Point is, this steampunk world has a solid historical framework, which makes it feel less like a clockwork fancy and more like an actual world, with actual people and politics and forces of social change. In this book, we follow Elizabeth Barnabus, who grew up in a circus but now lives on the run, working as a detective...well actually it's her brother who's the detective....well that's complicated too, but it's worth it. She's barely scraping by when she's offered a job by a duchess, who's looking for her brother....the duchess' brother not Elizabeth's brother, though there's some overlap in the two stories as well....but I promise it all makes sense and will work out in the end without making you want to rend your garments.
There are traveling shows, alchemists, nobles and workers, and over it all the strict eye of the Patent Office, making sure nobody gets too creative with unlicensed inventions or anything which might shake the social order. Duncan has created a fabulous world in all senses, vivid and complex, moving the reader from a canalside narrow boat to a circus wagon to the heart of London with equal ease. The characters are fully formed, motivations are profoundly human, and the story is gripping. Also, basically, I loved this book. I was totally immersed in the world, but was also captivated by the small things - the smells of the filthy back streets, the rock and creak of the narrow canal boat, and of course, the tick of clockworks. It was lovely. Do you like steampunk? Read this book. Do you like mysteries? Read this book. Do you like good books? Read this book!