Chris Braak

Disclaimer: Chris Braak is my husband's cousin. And I did some proofreading for a subsequent edition.

Having said that...

A complex combination of Victoriana, steampunk technology, Lovecraftian horror, and old-fashioned detective noir--a world of heretical science and Reanimates where the world of the Aether lies like a layer on the visible. This is a story that creates a rich world, high in detail, fully realized, but without wasting any time--there is no fat here. The plot gallops forward, with Elijah Beckett, the "knocker" Skinner, the rich-kid-turned-coroner Valentine, and the mathematcian Alan Charterhouse.

OK, all of this has been said before, and better, at places like io9. But what I want to say is this--it's a damned fun read. I'm not kidding about there being no fat, about this being a rich, well-detailed world, where you'd do better to pay attention, not because you won't understand the plot otherwise but because you'll miss the fun details that create this world. But all-in-all, it's just an enjoyable story.… (más)

I'm not one to give out 5-star reviews easily, but this book is flat out great if you're a fan of adventure-filled pulpiness. The setting is unique in my experience (with the fantastic idea of the Architecture Wars between great houses), the various species are interesting, and the automatic death sentence for practicing heretical sciences allows plenty of room for Braak to dream up mad scientist villains (and their creations) to go up against Elijah Beckett, Detective-Inspector of the Coroners' Division of the Imperial Guard. Beckett is a great character, as are the members of his Coroner team, Skinner and Valentine (not to mention the kid mathematician, Alan Charterhouse). Finally, if you like characters who possess rather unique enhanced sensory abilities, then you'll enjoy this story even more.

As mentioned, this book gets… (más)

This is a "steampunk" detective novel set in the city of Trowth. Trowth is an insane city set in an alternative universe where the Coroners' Division of the Imperial Gaurd protects the Empire from practitioners of heretical sciences such as ectoplasmists, dream poisoners, reanimators, and aetheric geometry.

While the main story line focuses on the murder investigation of a family, the plot really shines in the details that the author has added to bring the city to life. Background information on the Architecture Wars, the ongoing war with the ettercap, the various races that inhabit the city, and strange diseases such as The Fades weave into storyline to create a fantastic world.

I have a predilection towards stories about abnormal geometry and opening doors into bad places ala "Dreams in the Witch House" so maybe that has effected my opinion, but I would strongly recommend this book to anybody who appreciates this genre.… (más)