Space, Mythology, and Metallic Monsters

Cover via AmazonThe Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
Book 4: The Necromancer
Somehow I missed the publication of Book 4 and jumped straight to Book 5: The Warlock. The gap was not as much as a problem as it could be for some series. I'm still in the midst of reading The Necromancer and admit I'm not enjoying it as much as the previous or following offerings. Not certain why, though it may just pale in comparison to some of the other books I've recently finished or am reading now. Production value for the copy I have from Reading Public Library is still excellent - hardcover, embossed and metallic cover. I'd like to see the sigils reproduced as bookmarks.

Back to the Moon by Travis S. Taylor and Les Johnson
I like this book since a) I'm a space buff, b) we need a shuttle substitute NOW even though the last Russian touchdown survived the Steppes, and c) for crying out loud, there's still SPACE out there NASA and the moon's right in front of us. So, how is the book? It's fine. I'm not glowing about it since I think that Greg Bear, Ben Bova, and Arthur C. Clarke and the like are hard to overshadow. The characters so far are interesting, the technical aspects aren't so hard wired that only a, ahem, rocket scientist, can understand, and I'm enjoying the sheer chutzpah of the antagonists. It all seems somewhat flat, however. Keep it in the scope though, for when I've finished. To this point, it's a go for young adults as well as adults.

The Immorality Engine by George Mann
This is another book in a series that is a fine stand-alone introduction to the author/characters. Imagine Anne Perry's characters Charlotte and Thomas Pitt trapped in steampunk Victorian England and you have the right atmosphere for the series. In this case Victoria and Sir Maurice are agents to the Queen/Scotland Yard and, in this particular volume, are investigating a secret society with plans to overthrow the government as well as a sinister medical institution with designs to harness visions of the future. Going back to read the previous novels should be fun. These books can definitely be part of a YA steampunk reading list. In fact, I missed the illustrations found in many other steampunk books! The cover art is excellent. Other similar books: Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series (YA approved) and a book for which I cannot remember title or author but I can say it's a steampunk romance set in Victorian London about war, time travel, impressarios and actors who take their characters offstage...ah ha! The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma (not YA approved).