The Queen of All Crows
Ratings2
Average rating3.5
Only one woman can stop the world from descending into endless war in this thrilling steampunk alternative history set in the world of the Gas-Lit Empire The year is 2012. The nations of the world are bound together in an alliance of collective security, overseen by the International Patent Office, and its ruthless stranglehold on technology. When airships start disappearing in the middle of the Atlantic, the Patent Office is desperate to discover what has happened. Forbidden to operate beyond the territorial waters of member nations, they send spies to investigate in secret. One of those spies is Elizabeth Barnabus. She must overcome her dislike of the controlling Patent Office, disguise herself as a man, and take to the sea in search of the floating nation of pirates who threaten the world order.
Series
Series
6 primary booksElizabeth Barnabus
Elizabeth Barnabus is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 2014 with contributions by Rod Duncan.
Series
3 primary booksThe Map of Unknown Things
The Map of Unknown Things is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Rod Duncan.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
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3.5 out of 5 stars
My thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Fresh off her battle with the International Patent Court, Elizabeth Barnabus finds herself working on behalf of that very organization that brought her so much trouble in the past. She sets sail to investigate the disappearance of an airship that went down in the Atlantic.
The concept of the worldwide alliance that maintains world peace at the cost of technological advancement continues to be a fascinating one. This novel explores the parts of the world untouched by this alliance and the consequences of unrestrained progress.
Having raced through and enjoyed Rod Duncan's previous trilogy, I was excited to see what new direction he takes with Elizabeth in this new series set in the same world. Sure enough, Duncan has crafted a solid adventure story that featured some superb scenes and passages. I remain impressed by Duncan's skills as a writer. His prose is clean, readable, and rich. There's a great theatricality infused into his stories that make the mundane seem grand.
My main issues with the story had to do with the third act, where some lulls in pacing emerge and some steam is lost from the first parts of the book. Overall, though, this is another enjoyable adventure featuring a great protagonist and set of side characters. I look forward to seeing what comes next.
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.
