It’s Friday, which means we are over at Kirkus! Today Thea reflects on The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich – a challenging, ambitious novel that blends steampunk-ish elements with alternate history, math, and romance.
Inspired by The Time Roads and its vision of an alternate ruling empire in Éire, Thea talks about some of her favorite non-Victorian England steampunk-ish novels. Go HERE to check out the list.
About the Book & Giveaway Details:
Éire is one of the most powerful empires in the world. The Anglian Dependencies are a dusty backwater filled with resentful colonial subjects, Europe is a disjointed mess, and many look to Éire for stability and peace. In a series of braided stories, Beth Bernobich has created a tale about the brilliant Éireann scientists who have already bent the laws of nature for Man’s benefit. And who now are striving to conquer the nature of time.
We have a copy of The Time Roads up for grabs! The giveaway is open to ALL and will run until Sunday November 2 at 12:01am EST. Use the form below to enter – and good luck!
40 Comments
Kara
October 24, 2014 at 5:09 pmI’m always interested in reading new steampunk stuff. This one looks like fun.
Kara
October 24, 2014 at 5:11 pmForgot to mention that I like the Parasol Protectorate series. 🙂
Cathryn Lane
October 24, 2014 at 5:38 pmLooks pretty cool. I’ve not read anything by this author.
Lory @ Emerald City Book Review
October 24, 2014 at 5:43 pmThis looks fabulous! I haven’t read much steampunk, but I love alternate history books. Thanks for your list — it has many titles I haven’t even heard of.
adrienne gillespie
October 24, 2014 at 5:46 pmI always enjoy a good steampunk novel. This one looks interesting and exciting.
Harvey Brinda
October 24, 2014 at 7:19 pmLooks interesting.
Katrina
October 24, 2014 at 7:29 pmI really love the worldbuilding in Meljean Brook’s Iron Seas series (nanobot zombies! steamships! prosthetics! adventure! romance! Icelandic secret lesbian communities!). It’s so well thought out and completely integrated into social systems and history, as well as thoroughly swashbuckling. They are a series of romance novels, so some of the romance stuff is tropey (especially in the first book- alpha hero who’s obsessed with the heroine), but all in all they’re so fun and well-conceived. Highly recommended. In fact, I’m going to go reread one now!
Sharon
October 24, 2014 at 8:07 pmI think I have to count The Golden Compass as my favorite–not sure how much it counts, but “experimental theology” is how I still like to think of physics.
Mary Preston
October 24, 2014 at 8:37 pmNot sure I have a favorite yet.
Kara
October 24, 2014 at 9:17 pmI’ve read Beth Bernobich’s other novels and completely fell in love with them! This one sounds just as amazing!
Courtney Whisenant
October 24, 2014 at 9:59 pmI love Shelley Adina’s Magnificent Devices series 🙂
erinf1
October 25, 2014 at 2:29 amthe parasol protectorate by gail carringer 🙂
Jenna O
October 25, 2014 at 6:43 amMy favorite one is The Star-Crowned Kings!
Lys
October 25, 2014 at 9:31 amI had some problems with Bernobich’s River of Souls trilogy, but I’d be interested to read this one and see if she has matured as a writer.
I think my favorite ‘Steampunk’ novel is Ekaterina Sedia’s Heart of Iron — alternate history Russia where the Decembrists were successful, and the Russian empire is looking East to ally with China.
Mary Anne
October 25, 2014 at 9:40 amI liked Dru Pagliosotti (or something like that, I’m too tired to look it up) “Clockwork Heart.” Also enjoy Lindsay Buroker’s Empire’s Edge series a lot.
Caley
October 25, 2014 at 12:48 pmI’m going to go with a Romance novel here and say _The Iron Duke_
Liat
October 25, 2014 at 12:48 pmI didn’t get to read enough steampunk novel to have an absolute favorite, but Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker was very good (I almost wrote Kate Elliott’s Cold Magic, but I’m not entirely sure it’s considered steampunk). .
Thomas
October 25, 2014 at 12:55 pmI would like to try this book. Thank you for a chance to win a copy of The Time Roads.
lisa
October 25, 2014 at 3:19 pmI like Cindy Spencer Pape’s Gaslight Chronicles as well as Meljean Brooks, Gail Carriger, Lindsay Buroker and Cherie Priest.
E. P. Beaumont
October 25, 2014 at 6:40 pmIt’s a tie between Joseph Bruchac’s Killer of Enemies (Apache post-apocalyptic steampunk with monsters) or Ekaterina Sedia’s Heart of Iron (Russo-Chinese adventure story in a Russian Empire where the Decembrists won).
Mervi
October 26, 2014 at 4:52 amTime Roads sounds like a really interesting book.
I adore the Girl Genius comic and I really like Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century novels and Pagliassotti’s the Clockwork Heart. I also have two other novels from your list in my TBR.
Angel Jem
October 26, 2014 at 9:40 amI haven’t read enough steampunk novels yet… this one looks fun, and I do like alternate histories!
Hebe
October 26, 2014 at 11:04 amI’ve just bookmarked your list – I’m fascinated by steampunk, but I never know which books are going to be good and which aren’t worth reading, so thank you! I think my favourite novel with steampunk elements is currently China Mieville’s deeply scary Perdido Street Station, which features steam-powered AI among other things. (Not a book, but I’m also obsessed with Paul Shapera’s “The Dolls of New Albion: A Steampunk Opera”, which is excellent!)
Alexandra the Great
October 26, 2014 at 4:44 pmI love the ideas and aesthetic behind steampunk, but quality-wise, I’ve actually had more luck with gaslamp fantasy (particularly Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells, which is an amazing anthology).
In any case, my favourite steampunk series would have to be Kate Elliott’s Spiritwalker Trilogy.
Mayra barrera
October 26, 2014 at 5:04 pmMy favorite steampunk book is “boneshaker”
Katharine O
October 26, 2014 at 6:24 pmThis book might be loosely considered as steampunk – I enjoyed “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brain Selznick. I still need to read Wonder by the same author.
Katharine O
October 26, 2014 at 6:25 pmWonderstruck actually!
Anita Yancey
October 26, 2014 at 6:43 pmI don’t have a favorite steampunk novel yet, because I’ve only read one. But I would love to read this one. Thanks for having the giveaway.
Alison C
October 26, 2014 at 9:22 pmMy favorite is The Spiritwalker Trilogy by Kate Elliott
Mary A
October 27, 2014 at 8:50 amThe Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld and Shanghai Sparrow by Gaie Sebold are my current favorites. Thanks for the giveaway.
Michelle
October 27, 2014 at 11:49 amThe Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Lexi
October 27, 2014 at 12:03 pmI have not read many steam punk but really like alternate histories. I read the girl in the steel corset but really do not like it. I have not given steam punk a try since then but may now.
Vanessa Renee
October 27, 2014 at 1:52 pmI love the Parasol Protectorate series.
Kelsey
October 27, 2014 at 9:13 pmChina Mieville’s The Scar, for sure.
Evelyn Kristell
October 27, 2014 at 9:50 pmI haven’t read a steampunk book.
Jacqui
October 28, 2014 at 1:21 pmThis looks like a good one! Looking forward to reading it.
Emma
October 28, 2014 at 4:18 pmMy favorite steampunk novels are the Iron Seas series by Meljean Brook.
Heather D-G
October 29, 2014 at 9:21 amSoulless and the other Parasol Protectorate books by Gail Carriger
Ana Cristina Alves
October 30, 2014 at 6:11 pmThis one looks nice !
Kaethe
October 31, 2014 at 1:22 pmMy favorite is definitely the Leviathan series by Westerfeld, with the Parasol Protectorate and the Larklight series tying for second place. And then, third place goes to The Diamond Age. Since I love steampunk and time travel, your Kirkus list was a happy find.