The third book in the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire fantasy/alternate history series.
Format: Audio
Length: 8 hours, 7 minutes
Publication year: 2016
Narrated by: Gemma Whelan
Elizabeth Barnabus has returned to her steamboat Harry together with the young orphan boy Tinker who has latched on to her. Together they deliver cargo and mail on the canals of the Anglo-Scottish Republic. At the end of book one, The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter, Elizabeth was given a book, the Bullet-Catcher's Handbook. Now, she finds out that it's priceless and the Patent Office, the secret police of the republic, is after it. A group of previous enemies from the circus come to her and propose the ultimate heist: theft from the vaults of the Patent Office. To do it, Elizabeth must trust them and return to the Kingdom where she's a wanted woman.
This is a good ending to the series but some things are left hanging and there's obviously more to come. Also, for a smart woman, Elizabeth makes a couple of very stupid moves which the plot requires. She comes to know the circus crew better and to even trust them a bit. Still, the Patent Office and a duke are after her, so she still has problems trusting anyone. Also, the handsome Patent Office agent she's encountered before has declared them enemies.
I had some other problems with the book, but those would be spoilers.
The circus folk are interesting and we get a couple of new characters, as well. The plot has many twists and turns, some of which I saw coming and some not.
No comments:
Post a Comment