The forever engine

Frank Chadwick is best known of as a game designer. However, he also writes novels – and does it very well indeed. He seems to like mixing genres. His first book [b:How Dark the World Becomes 15803177 How Dark the World Becomes Frank Chadwick https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1345678721s/15803177.jpg 21526591] melds science fiction with noir crime. (My review) [b:The Forever Engine 17571515 The Forever Engine Frank Chadwick https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376474722s/17571515.jpg 24511231] takes a different tack. It feels to me like H. Beam Piper's Paratime world mated with 19th century steampunk and had a very precocious offspring.The main protagonist, Jack Fargo, is a polymath. He is a linguist, a professor of ancient history at a prestigious university, and he also has a good knowledge of science. But, no simple scholar, prior to a life-altering tragedy he was a special forces officer operating in Afghanistan. In The Forever Engine he needs all his skills when he teams up with a British professor, a special agent of the crown, and a beautiful French spy to save the world from doom.This is a good, fast-paced story with lots of action and surprises along the way. Good book, recommended.