A review by se_wigget
The Brass Queen by Elizabeth Chatsworth

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you, Goodreads and Camcat Books, for the free ebook galley of The Brass Queen by Elizabeth Chatworth.

This Steampunk novel is well-written, with a quirky female protagonist, witty humor, and an intriguing and mysterious plot that sparks the reader's curiosity. I can't hold it against the author that it's just not what I'm in the mood to read.

Me reading the first few pages of a straight people book: Oh, yeah--we finally have lots of books that center queer people. That's what I feel like reading.

The blurb called this book gaslamp fantasy, not Steampunk, so I wasn't expecting Steampunk. Gaslamp fantasy is historical fantasy set in or near the nineteenth century--with a greater emphasis on magic than on technology. Steampunk has a greater emphasis on technology than on magic. The Brass Queen is Steampunk.

I lived in Portland, Oregon, for years and therefore saw prople who wore Steampunk clothes on a normal, everyday basis. I have two books on Steampunk art and style. So... visually, aesthetically, I appreciate Steampunk. However, I'm not into uniforms and not in the mood for reading about a society that's even more fascist than what we're currently seeing--and yes, a Queen Victoria who decapitates people for trivial reasons is fascist. Well, and psychopathic. Anyway, I haven't read that much Steampunk.

As a writer of historical fantasy, I lean more toward historical accuracy (aside from some androgyny) in costume. So when I began reading this book and didn't know it was Steampunk, I was appalled that the protagonist--a debutante at a ball--is wearing a bustle in 1897. After some reflection and awareness that this book is Steampunk, I concluded that the author didn't intend the costume to have historical accuracy.

There are other things besides fashion that are quite different from 1897 England in our reality, as I soon discovered. The book has detailed world building and Steampunk technology.