Dead Iron (Age of Steam1) by Devon Monk

Hello to all,

                 Like i wrote in the morning i come back today with a new steampunk book to review. It's one of the book i had on my shelves patiently waiting because if it's a new series it's not a new author for me. I follow Devon Monk for her urban fantasy series and i really love her writing style so it's with a lot of pleasure that i introduce you to Dead Iron Book one of the Age of Steam series

Publisher: ROC

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  045146396X

Genre: steampunk, adventure, romance
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 15+

Source: bought

Short description from goodread :

 Welcome to a new America that is built on blood, sweat, and gears...

In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy and carrying the guilt of his brother's death. Then he's offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers-and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this Earth.

 In a land shaped by magic, steam, and iron, where the only things a man can count on are his guns, gears, and grit, Cedar will have to depend on all three if he's going to save his brother and reclaim his soul once and for all...

My opinion:

          Devon Monk after writing really good urban fantasy decided to write a steampunk novel and what a good result. She kept her good writing style that I like so much and constructed a complex world with several kind of powers good or bad fighting each others or making alliances and she put all that in a western background, original and really interesting.

First book of her new series, the story keeps a lot of mysteries that while not capital in this book intrigue the reader making him want to read the following book really soon in hope to learn more about the characters. Cedar is a wonderful principal character, hurt in the past, cursed ( or perhaps in a way blessed) by a native Good, he is trying to live the life he wants and to fight the curse not wanting to be a pawn for anyone god or not. However, in the same time, this intellectual has a good heart that makes him try to help others and for that he needs the advantages of the curse and is doing his mission as the God wanted: fighting the Strange. Perhaps it was an accident then and it was really chosen even if the god could have explained better in that case^^;

The other characters are promising too: Cedar’s brother Will also cursed but with a different result. Why the difference? The Madders Brothers genial inventors from a strange place, a different world and with typical powers, intriguing characters helping Cedar and others but in exchange of favours… that we still know nothing about. Mae the witch, so different from her sisters and so deeply in love, is making me cry a lot but she is also a lot stronger and determined that we could have thought. And young Rose of unknown origin abandoned as a baby and who wants to fight for her dreams so uncommon for a girl: create metal things and piloting. Fiery temper for a young woman.

This story puts the characters on the board and while wanting to help find a boy Cedar makes alliance with the Madders and with Mae who wanted first his help. Will reappears and Rose makes changing life decisions. On the other side a big Villain, after hundred years of scheming he wants to give the Strange free reign to destroy the mortal in exchange for his revenge in another world. One side wants to survive, eclectic group that must to learn to know and trust each others and the other a dark power that won’t stand anyone in his path to destruction.

The romance is here centred on Mae’s love for her husband Jeb, the reader discovers the depth and the power of one’s vows in this world. It’s not all, Cedar starts to be interested again, not yet in love but wanting to feel it again slowly humanity wins. ( Mae or Rose  we will see)

In a whole a wonderful story with adventure and passion, for readers who love steampunk and urban fantasy give it a try, Devon monk is really a great author.

Score:  4,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading