We finish up Giveaway Week with two - two! - books, one here on the Steampunk Librarian and one (less steampunk and more Dungeons & Dragons) over on Folderol. Thanks to everyone who has entered the contests so far -- and if you haven't entered one yet, please do! You've got until Friday, May 27, so there's still lots of time. Thanks again! I'll be gone all next week but will be back the week of the 23rd.
The Alchemist in the Shadows by Pierre Pevel (Pyr)
The year is 1633. The nation is France. The country is full of dragons. This is somewhat normal.
This is the world of Pierre Pevel's series of books, which began with The Cardinal's Blades and continues with The Alchemist in the Shadows. The Blades are commanded by Cardinal Richelieu and, among other duties, struggle to contain the growing menace of the Black Claw, a dragon-led faction which wants to control not only Paris, but all of Europe if possible.
Pevel's series is, essentially, a swashbuckling dragon-filled tale, like the Dumas's Three Musketeers with the occasional fire-breathing hazard. Paris comes to life, with all its 17th-century sights and smells vividly described. The dragons are only a part of the changed zoology in this universe; people ride wyverns above the buildings, and huge tortoise-like creatures tend to block traffic at the most inopportune times. The dragons can hold human form for a time, which leads to all sorts of intrigue, and one member of the Blades is a half-dragon. Throughout the book, the political maneuverings and doublespeak carry the plot forward, revealing the plans of all sides bit by tantalizing bit.
Like many books these days which are published as a series, The Alchemist in the Shadows ends on a precipice, with the reader wondering what happens next. Pevel's books are definitely geared toward fans of the musketeer genre; anyone who enjoys a thoroughly French tale of swordfighting and politics will most likely enjoy the series.
We have an advance copy of The Alchemist in the Shadows to give away! To enter the contest, post a comment below and tell us your favorite fantasy book, movie or show. (We're veering away from steampunk a bit with this book into alternate history tales, so we're going to go with more of a fantasy bent here.) All entries will be places in a top hat and the winning entry will be drawn at random, perhaps by a snarky puppet. The deadline for entering the contest is 11:59 pm EST Friday, May 27. Good luck, and thanks again!
(More information on The Alchemist in the Shadows is available on Pyr's website.)
My favorite fantasy ... there is always the Lord of the Rings, the first Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, the first four books of the Runelords series, and the first Chronicles of Amber series. Now, while it is not my favorite the 14 original Oz books god me reading (and you do have Tik-Tok, who could be considered steambunk).
Posted by: Alden Ash | May 13, 2011 at 11:18 AM
*steamPUNK, not steambunk - oops.
Posted by: Alden Ash | May 13, 2011 at 11:19 AM
I haven't read fantasy in years, but I do have a great fondness of the Lord of the Rings Movies. I'm a medievalist, so much of the pseudo-medieval element of fantasy turns me off.
What of real medieval works though? Could Beowulf or the Táin Bó Cúailnge count? I'll go with those.
Posted by: Liam | May 13, 2011 at 03:24 PM
Hmmm...favorite fantasy...
Book: This one is the hardest to pick. I'm an English major, and I've read a lot of novels. If I had to pick a few ('cause I can't pick just one), I'd pick The Lord of the Rings, His Dark Materials series, and Alice in Wonderland.
Movie: My top favorite is Merlin. :)
Show: I don't know if it's really considered fantasy, but I really like Warehouse 13. If that's not fantasy enough, Arthur is also a great show. I like the retelling of the Arthur legend.
Posted by: Caity | May 14, 2011 at 02:21 PM
I just have to go and say The Lord Of The Rings. No matter how many times it is mentioned or how topic it becomes when it comes to fantasy, Tolkien's work simply changed my life. So it will always be my all-time favourite.
Posted by: Soundofthunder | May 16, 2011 at 04:05 AM
Take me back-- take me w-a-y back! Steampunk fans with a yen for time travel will enoy Jack Finney's "Time and Again" and "Time after Time," as well as Richard Matheson's "Bid Time Return," all of which use psychological rather than mechanical means to transport the reader into the turbulent world of the 1880s-1890s. Carley Dawson's "Mr. Wicker's Window," "Dragon Run," and "Sign of the Seven Seas" employ a similar method of time travel to convey visitors to Colonial America, as do the novels of Diana Gabaldon's fabulous "Outlander" series. "The Railway Children" is a marvelous film with steampunk overtones, but for musical fantasy time travel, it is hard to beat The Lost Boys, the first rock band-- from 1599! The Lost Boys are an endlessly creative Ren Faire band and their recordings may be purchased online at CD Baby. Steampunk fans, though, may prefer "The Whistler and His dog" by Rick Benjamin's Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, for background music. Rick and his ensemble perform gorgeous instrumental ragtime music from original scores, exactly as it sounded in the age of steam. In concert, they appear in period-correct costume. A nice touch, that!
Posted by: Page Turner | May 20, 2011 at 08:16 AM