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Brass & Glass #1
Brass & Glass, Book One: The Cask of Cranglimmering
In the windy skies of the Republic, it's not always easy to chart your own course.
When Svetlana Tereshchenko, captain of the airship The Silent Monsoon, catches wind that a cask of mythical Cranglimmering whiskey has been stolen, she and her renegade crew of outcasts fly off in search of it. With the promise of a reward worthy of the cask's legendary lineage from both the Heliopolis Port Authority and the head of the Kavisoli crime family, Svetlana and her crew embark on a breathless chase that takes The Silent Monsoon from one end of the Republic to the other.
What Svetlana assumes will be an easy search and recover mission quickly becomes more complicated as each step she takes uncovers secrets and lies about the cask and its contents. Now, with an ethereal Ghost Ship haunting their path, friends reveal themselves as enemies and alliances develop with the most unlikely associates. The lives of her crew hang in the balance as Svetlana makes the crucial choice of whom she can trust and whom she should fear.
When Svetlana Tereshchenko, captain of the airship The Silent Monsoon, catches wind that a cask of mythical Cranglimmering whiskey has been stolen, she and her renegade crew of outcasts fly off in search of it. With the promise of a reward worthy of the cask's legendary lineage from both the Heliopolis Port Authority and the head of the Kavisoli crime family, Svetlana and her crew embark on a breathless chase that takes The Silent Monsoon from one end of the Republic to the other.
What Svetlana assumes will be an easy search and recover mission quickly becomes more complicated as each step she takes uncovers secrets and lies about the cask and its contents. Now, with an ethereal Ghost Ship haunting their path, friends reveal themselves as enemies and alliances develop with the most unlikely associates. The lives of her crew hang in the balance as Svetlana makes the crucial choice of whom she can trust and whom she should fear.
- GenresSteampunk
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 12, 2023
This rather short novel is the first in the Brass and Glass trilogy, improbable steampunk where cities float above boiling seas. The main character, Svetlana, is an airship captain who operates on the questionable side of the law. I found it mildly entertaining, but it suffered in comparison to Robyn Bennis's Signal Airship books, which I read recently, also steampunk and likewise centered on an airship captain.
I found the book implausible and not charming enough for me to overlook its implausibility. I think I was meant to find Svetlana and her crew beguiling, but instead they seemed -- like the airships and the world in general -- rather superficially rendered. For instance, various of Svetlana's crewmates and friends are endangered during the course of the story. She is nominally worried for them, but her concern seemed mostly superficial, quickly forgotten or set aside.
Three out of five whiskey stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
I found the book implausible and not charming enough for me to overlook its implausibility. I think I was meant to find Svetlana and her crew beguiling, but instead they seemed -- like the airships and the world in general -- rather superficially rendered. For instance, various of Svetlana's crewmates and friends are endangered during the course of the story. She is nominally worried for them, but her concern seemed mostly superficial, quickly forgotten or set aside.
Three out of five whiskey stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
March 2, 2024
Captain Svetlana Tereshchenko had been one of the country's best pilots before she left the military. Now she flies a rogue ship, The Silent Monsoon, with a crew of renegades from all over the world and makes her living by her wits. She still has allies from her days at the academy and in the service but she also has enemies who would like nothing better than to see her behind bars.
When Svetlana hears that one of the legendary whisky casks of Cranglimmering has been stolen, she sees an opportunity. If she can only find it before all those looking for it, she can use it as a bargaining chip and to make a fortune. In the process of looking for it, she finds an island which had left the Alliance decades before and a hint of what else the cask would mean. Can she find it before everyone else?
This is the first of a fantasy trilogy. It would best be considered young adult as it is simpler than many of the other books in this genre. Svetlana is an interesting character and her crew each have distinct personalities and backstories. The book would be considered in the steampunk subgenre of fantasy. Svetlana is the main character and the story of how she lost an eye and that of her loves is yet to be revealed. This book is recommended for fantasy readers.
When Svetlana hears that one of the legendary whisky casks of Cranglimmering has been stolen, she sees an opportunity. If she can only find it before all those looking for it, she can use it as a bargaining chip and to make a fortune. In the process of looking for it, she finds an island which had left the Alliance decades before and a hint of what else the cask would mean. Can she find it before everyone else?
This is the first of a fantasy trilogy. It would best be considered young adult as it is simpler than many of the other books in this genre. Svetlana is an interesting character and her crew each have distinct personalities and backstories. The book would be considered in the steampunk subgenre of fantasy. Svetlana is the main character and the story of how she lost an eye and that of her loves is yet to be revealed. This book is recommended for fantasy readers.
April 16, 2022
This was a fun story with interesting characters and a well-paced plot. The world the story takes place in is well-developed. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
April 6, 2017
CoC is fast paced SteamPulp adventure, with engaging characters, an interesting and rich world, airships, and a one-eyed captain who hates corsets. It also has one of the most unique MacGuffins I've seen so far--the eponymous cask. I was sad when I bumped up against the end of the book because now I have to wait to find out more. And there are a number of questions that still need answering.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews