Mark Bondurant

This is a steampunk adventure set in the American West, and in an alternate time stream wherein the Civil War doesn't get started until 1888. That means there's been time for technology to reach the level of dirigibles and artillery that is even larger and deadlier than what was used in real life. It was an entertaining read, and the two lead characters are both off the beaten path in terms of the steampunk and the romantic paradigms (if steampunk can be said to have one). The derring-do would have made Roy Rogers proud, but the characters are far more three-dimensional than that. Neither one has drunk the Kool-Aid concerning the ideologies of the two sides of the war. They are trying to survive, to find a way forward in a world that is tearing itself apart, and dealing with the unexpected at every turn. The only part that disappointed me a bit was the ending, which did not pay off in terms of scale or emotion as strongly as I'd hoped it would, based on developing themes. I felt the story was somewhat rushed at the end, and mostly in the interests of setting up the next episode. Still, if you're a Civil War buff and into steampunk, this is a lively combination.… (més)