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A review by ambermarshall
The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan
4.0
Elizabeth Barnabus is a woman between two worlds: born into a circus in the Kingdom but living in exile in the Republic, using her skills in illusion to carry on a double life as her fictional brother in order to make a living.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this one, of which there is a lot and yet never feels like an info-dump. In an alternate past where Ned Ludd's followers essentially curtail the Industrial Revolution, the International Patent Office in effect controls progress and holds sway over the multi-nation "Gas-Lit Empire." I like how while the Kingdom is shown to be a place with a lot more color and freedom, it's also a place with vast gulfs between nobility and commoners, where a person can be sold into slavery to pay a family debt.
The story and how it unfolds is intriguing, with a very capable and resourceful heroine. I definitely would like to continue with this series.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this one, of which there is a lot and yet never feels like an info-dump. In an alternate past where Ned Ludd's followers essentially curtail the Industrial Revolution, the International Patent Office in effect controls progress and holds sway over the multi-nation "Gas-Lit Empire." I like how while the Kingdom is shown to be a place with a lot more color and freedom, it's also a place with vast gulfs between nobility and commoners, where a person can be sold into slavery to pay a family debt.
The story and how it unfolds is intriguing, with a very capable and resourceful heroine. I definitely would like to continue with this series.