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Tethys Chronicles #1
The Exile's Violin
Out of Print.
Why hire mercenaries to kill an innocent family just to obtain one little key? That question haunts Jacquie Renairre for six years as she hunts down the people responsible for murdering her parents.
Not even accepting an assignment to investigate a conspiracy that aims to start a war can keep her from searching for the key. Armed with her father’s guns and socialite Clay Baneport, she continues her quest for answers abroad.
With the world edging closer to disaster, Jacquie is running out of time to figure out how the war, the key, and ancient legend are intertwined. The fate of the world hinges on her ability to unravel both mysteries before it’s too late.
Why hire mercenaries to kill an innocent family just to obtain one little key? That question haunts Jacquie Renairre for six years as she hunts down the people responsible for murdering her parents.
Not even accepting an assignment to investigate a conspiracy that aims to start a war can keep her from searching for the key. Armed with her father’s guns and socialite Clay Baneport, she continues her quest for answers abroad.
With the world edging closer to disaster, Jacquie is running out of time to figure out how the war, the key, and ancient legend are intertwined. The fate of the world hinges on her ability to unravel both mysteries before it’s too late.
226 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2012
6 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
R.S. Hunter
9 books22 followersR.S. Hunter–nobody calls him that in real life, but it looked and sounded nice on book covers–is a science fiction and fantasy author.
His short fiction has appeared in anthologies like In Situ from Dagan Books. The Exile’s Violin is his debut novel and the first in his steampunk Tethys Chronicles series.
He lives in Oregon with his wife and a dog who thinks she’s a cat. You can find him on Twitter (@rshunter88).
His short fiction has appeared in anthologies like In Situ from Dagan Books. The Exile’s Violin is his debut novel and the first in his steampunk Tethys Chronicles series.
He lives in Oregon with his wife and a dog who thinks she’s a cat. You can find him on Twitter (@rshunter88).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 25, 2012
When I started The Exile’s Violin I found myself questioning if a male author could pull of writing a novel from a females POV. I started thinking about how many books I have read that were wrote by men with a female main character. I did not come up with many. I was pleasantly surprised by the reality that R.S. Hunter wrote it flawlessly. Jacquie was a fantastic strong and firey women. Even through the worse of her troubles she was never helpless or hopeless. R.S. Hunter created a creative masterpiece in The Exile’s Violin. With a strong sci-fi feel to the writing I enjoyed the twists and turns as you found yourself in this steampunk influenced world. This was a very in-depth book that really kept you thinking. The secondary characters added a light side with enough humor that surprised me at times. This was not a romance, but I loved The Exile’s Violin.
The cover needs a mention as well. This is beautiful steampunk artwork that (OMG) actually reflects the book perfectly
I received this book directly from Hydra Publications in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation for this review.
The cover needs a mention as well. This is beautiful steampunk artwork that (OMG) actually reflects the book perfectly
I received this book directly from Hydra Publications in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation for this review.
May 3, 2015
The first thing I want to say, before even addressing the story, is that I love, love, love, love, love the cover. It's awesome. I thought the airships where largely made of metal instead of wood, but who cares. The cover rocks. The story was pretty good.
For me, the tag team comedy of Jacquie and Clay really made the book. In fact I would read the whole thing again just for Clay. His ability to blithely flaunt and disparage his wealthy upbringing at the same time was endearing and his obvious affection for the brash Jacquie admirable. There was no rushed romance here, but you just knew. I adored him.
While I greatly appreciated Jacquie's strong backbone - no delicate, wilting heroines to be found here - I did wonder why there so often can't be any sort of middle ground between a soft, genteel, mannered woman and a tactless, violent, loose cannon like Jacquie. This is something I've noticed before, not just here in Hunter's book. It's as if in order to emphasise how not useless a female character is (thereby suggesting that normally behaved women would be useless) they have to exaggerate their lack of female characteristics. They all HATE dresses, don't wear makeup or make any effort to be pretty, eat more than would be expected in an ill-mannered fashion, speak roughly, and are quick to anger. This is more of a theoretical observation than any real complaint. I really liked Jacquie, foibles and all...or rather, most especially because of her foibles.
Where the book fell down was in logic. There were a few things worth mentioning in this vein.
All-in-all I liked The Exile's Violin, but really had to suspend a lot of disbelief to get into it. Mr. Hunter is a talented writer though. There were a few editorial mishaps (mostly missing particles), but the language flowed wonderfully and I don't remember even one example of stiff dialogue. I'd have no trouble recommending the book.
For me, the tag team comedy of Jacquie and Clay really made the book. In fact I would read the whole thing again just for Clay. His ability to blithely flaunt and disparage his wealthy upbringing at the same time was endearing and his obvious affection for the brash Jacquie admirable. There was no rushed romance here, but you just knew. I adored him.
While I greatly appreciated Jacquie's strong backbone - no delicate, wilting heroines to be found here - I did wonder why there so often can't be any sort of middle ground between a soft, genteel, mannered woman and a tactless, violent, loose cannon like Jacquie. This is something I've noticed before, not just here in Hunter's book. It's as if in order to emphasise how not useless a female character is (thereby suggesting that normally behaved women would be useless) they have to exaggerate their lack of female characteristics. They all HATE dresses, don't wear makeup or make any effort to be pretty, eat more than would be expected in an ill-mannered fashion, speak roughly, and are quick to anger. This is more of a theoretical observation than any real complaint. I really liked Jacquie, foibles and all...or rather, most especially because of her foibles.
Where the book fell down was in logic. There were a few things worth mentioning in this vein.
All-in-all I liked The Exile's Violin, but really had to suspend a lot of disbelief to get into it. Mr. Hunter is a talented writer though. There were a few editorial mishaps (mostly missing particles), but the language flowed wonderfully and I don't remember even one example of stiff dialogue. I'd have no trouble recommending the book.
March 30, 2013
Not a very good book. The narrative voice lacks depth and character. Too much overuse of generic, abstract language. The characters are thin, 2-D caricatures, and the story doesn't ring with authentic life experience.
March 18, 2019
This may work better for others, but not for me.
Issues that I had were characters introduced, killed quickly, and I am supposed to have sympathy but I cannot. They were not on the page long enough to get to know them.
Also, there is a six year time pass with nothing more than a slight mention of "These past six-years".
Then, there is dialog that is classified as Butler-Maid dialog, or the "As you know, ...." dialog.
The character that is introduced and survives more than two chapters is obviously going to be the relationship story, but I do not care about him, nor the lead.
I believe that this could be a good story, but it is front loaded with either too much backstory told in chapter labeled prologue, or it is flashbacks told in the beginning of the story. No development time is given to what is shown to be important.
Also, the main character does not ever show the ability to be cold blooded until she kills someone in cold blood.
Issues that I had were characters introduced, killed quickly, and I am supposed to have sympathy but I cannot. They were not on the page long enough to get to know them.
Also, there is a six year time pass with nothing more than a slight mention of "These past six-years".
Then, there is dialog that is classified as Butler-Maid dialog, or the "As you know, ...." dialog.
The character that is introduced and survives more than two chapters is obviously going to be the relationship story, but I do not care about him, nor the lead.
I believe that this could be a good story, but it is front loaded with either too much backstory told in chapter labeled prologue, or it is flashbacks told in the beginning of the story. No development time is given to what is shown to be important.
Also, the main character does not ever show the ability to be cold blooded until she kills someone in cold blood.
May 2, 2013
A Trickster Eric Novels review
R.S. Hunter asked me to review his story "Exile's Violin." It's a steampunk detective novel with a smidgen of fantasy. It stars Jacquie, a girl who losses everything when thieves blow up her home. The backbone of the story is her quest to retrieve two items that were stolen from her at that time and take revenge on those that did it. The following review will evaluate the characters, plot, polish, and finally assign a grade.
PLOT
There are three genres in this story: detective, military, and heroic fantasy and all in a steampunk setting. It works better than you might think.
The plot begins as a detective novel; Jacquie is hired by a big wig to investigate a warmonger conspiracy. Then the plot transitions to a military story when the conspiracy is revealed and battles take place. Finally it shifts to heroic fantasy at the climax; a warrior armed with mystic weapons fights a power mad villain with magic. When I stopped to think about it, I was amazed by how well Mr.Hunter makes this work.
Jacquie has an internal monologue lampshading how out of place she, as a detective, is on a military vessel, and the second transition is adequately developed before hand so it doesn't feel too jarring. Indeed, Jacquie is more shocked by the Big Bad killing people with his magic powers than by the fact that he has magic powers at all.
The sequence of events from scene to scene is well done; no shocking swerves and the reasons for doing X or Y make sense. The characters are driving the plot for 99 percent of the story and that makes for an engaging adventure. However, the problem lies in that last 1 percent.
It may be due to my troper experience but the big plot twists were easy to see coming. I count four of them and the last one is the only one that surprised me and only because of the setting. This is due to the nature of the setup; I'm surprised Jacquie herself didn't see them coming. At points such as this I could feel Mr.Hunter hands on her shoulders; preventing her from taking action. This also happens with the Big Bad, who would have gotten along famously with one from a James Bond film.
1. Why Don't You Just Shoot Her?
-The Big Bad had ample opportunity to kill the heroes throughout the novel but doesn't act on it. Even at the end he doesn't seriously try to kill them. He uses a magical, undodgeable, one-hit kill on the soldiers but uses something else to attack Jacquie. It lead me to consider Alternate Character Interpretation to explain it because otherwise the plot would collapse like a house without support beams.
2. You Can't Thwart Stage One
- Jacquie has two opportunities to shoot the Big Bad before the final stage. The first time she lets him give a motive rant despite saying she doesn't care why he's doing it. This allows him to get away. The second time she has Clay and six soldiers with her and she doesn't shoot. She takes a long time to aim which is enough for the Big Bad to get the upper hand again. This time it is so ridiculous it would be funny if it were not painful. One man with an auto-rifle makes eight fully armed people (six of them soldiers) surrender. On both of these occassions the Big Bad could have killed Jacquie with ease but doesn't and provides no reason why he doesn't.
Neither of those problems affect the conclusion of the climax. That was foreshadowed well in advance and drawn attention to in the calm before the climax. Not everything is tied up pretty with a bow but the main conflict and Jacquie's character arc are resolved. It's a great place to push from because the baggage of this book is shed and leaves great potential for future adventures.
CHARACTERS
Whatever problems the plot has in its foundations, they are easy to overlook thanks to the characters. My favorite part of this book is not the conspiracy plot or anything involving the Big Bad but the snark to snark combat between Jacquie and her sidekick, Clay. The contrast between their lives (working class detective and upper class socialite) and their mutual wit are much more fun to read than their investigations.
Jacquie is a deconstruction of badass and this is one of the reasons why I like her. She's is a tough woman; she can win gun fights when outnumbered and escape a city that's quarantined by a military looking for her specifically, but she's not unstoppable or invincible. She gets tired like real people and gets splinters and scrapes like real people that need to be attended to. Secondly, when the story shifts from investigating to airship battles, she fades into the background and becomes a view point character. She is not a soldier or a sailor so she's useless in such a situation and acknowledges it.
Secondly, she is what I'd call a positive use of Static Character; there is a long time skip between the robbery and the main narrative because the former is a prologue. In this period she goes from traumatized schoolgirl to veteran detective. Seeing these two mesh in the main story is the appeal of her character arc.
By contrast, Clay has a significant amount of character development. He goes from a bored rich guy to a devoted knight in shining armor; taking his hobby seriously, caring about Jacquie personally instead of as a source of excitement, and becoming her conscience. He regularly snarks at her anti-hero actions and calls her out on the more extreme ones. Watching him grow is like watching a gaudy foam sword transform into an elegant steel one.
POLISH
I don't see any word cruft which is always a plus. The sentences are crisp and precise and clear. There may have been one or two spelling errors but overall the book has a polished feel to it.
GRADE
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Exile's Violin" an A-
R.S. Hunter asked me to review his story "Exile's Violin." It's a steampunk detective novel with a smidgen of fantasy. It stars Jacquie, a girl who losses everything when thieves blow up her home. The backbone of the story is her quest to retrieve two items that were stolen from her at that time and take revenge on those that did it. The following review will evaluate the characters, plot, polish, and finally assign a grade.
PLOT
There are three genres in this story: detective, military, and heroic fantasy and all in a steampunk setting. It works better than you might think.
The plot begins as a detective novel; Jacquie is hired by a big wig to investigate a warmonger conspiracy. Then the plot transitions to a military story when the conspiracy is revealed and battles take place. Finally it shifts to heroic fantasy at the climax; a warrior armed with mystic weapons fights a power mad villain with magic. When I stopped to think about it, I was amazed by how well Mr.Hunter makes this work.
Jacquie has an internal monologue lampshading how out of place she, as a detective, is on a military vessel, and the second transition is adequately developed before hand so it doesn't feel too jarring. Indeed, Jacquie is more shocked by the Big Bad killing people with his magic powers than by the fact that he has magic powers at all.
The sequence of events from scene to scene is well done; no shocking swerves and the reasons for doing X or Y make sense. The characters are driving the plot for 99 percent of the story and that makes for an engaging adventure. However, the problem lies in that last 1 percent.
It may be due to my troper experience but the big plot twists were easy to see coming. I count four of them and the last one is the only one that surprised me and only because of the setting. This is due to the nature of the setup; I'm surprised Jacquie herself didn't see them coming. At points such as this I could feel Mr.Hunter hands on her shoulders; preventing her from taking action. This also happens with the Big Bad, who would have gotten along famously with one from a James Bond film.
1. Why Don't You Just Shoot Her?
-The Big Bad had ample opportunity to kill the heroes throughout the novel but doesn't act on it. Even at the end he doesn't seriously try to kill them. He uses a magical, undodgeable, one-hit kill on the soldiers but uses something else to attack Jacquie. It lead me to consider Alternate Character Interpretation to explain it because otherwise the plot would collapse like a house without support beams.
2. You Can't Thwart Stage One
- Jacquie has two opportunities to shoot the Big Bad before the final stage. The first time she lets him give a motive rant despite saying she doesn't care why he's doing it. This allows him to get away. The second time she has Clay and six soldiers with her and she doesn't shoot. She takes a long time to aim which is enough for the Big Bad to get the upper hand again. This time it is so ridiculous it would be funny if it were not painful. One man with an auto-rifle makes eight fully armed people (six of them soldiers) surrender. On both of these occassions the Big Bad could have killed Jacquie with ease but doesn't and provides no reason why he doesn't.
Neither of those problems affect the conclusion of the climax. That was foreshadowed well in advance and drawn attention to in the calm before the climax. Not everything is tied up pretty with a bow but the main conflict and Jacquie's character arc are resolved. It's a great place to push from because the baggage of this book is shed and leaves great potential for future adventures.
CHARACTERS
Whatever problems the plot has in its foundations, they are easy to overlook thanks to the characters. My favorite part of this book is not the conspiracy plot or anything involving the Big Bad but the snark to snark combat between Jacquie and her sidekick, Clay. The contrast between their lives (working class detective and upper class socialite) and their mutual wit are much more fun to read than their investigations.
Jacquie is a deconstruction of badass and this is one of the reasons why I like her. She's is a tough woman; she can win gun fights when outnumbered and escape a city that's quarantined by a military looking for her specifically, but she's not unstoppable or invincible. She gets tired like real people and gets splinters and scrapes like real people that need to be attended to. Secondly, when the story shifts from investigating to airship battles, she fades into the background and becomes a view point character. She is not a soldier or a sailor so she's useless in such a situation and acknowledges it.
Secondly, she is what I'd call a positive use of Static Character; there is a long time skip between the robbery and the main narrative because the former is a prologue. In this period she goes from traumatized schoolgirl to veteran detective. Seeing these two mesh in the main story is the appeal of her character arc.
By contrast, Clay has a significant amount of character development. He goes from a bored rich guy to a devoted knight in shining armor; taking his hobby seriously, caring about Jacquie personally instead of as a source of excitement, and becoming her conscience. He regularly snarks at her anti-hero actions and calls her out on the more extreme ones. Watching him grow is like watching a gaudy foam sword transform into an elegant steel one.
POLISH
I don't see any word cruft which is always a plus. The sentences are crisp and precise and clear. There may have been one or two spelling errors but overall the book has a polished feel to it.
GRADE
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Exile's Violin" an A-
August 10, 2017
Waited a long time for the reprint. Time well spent. Live the characters, premise and whole concept
Book reads like a movie,fast and furious. Can't wait for " Terraviathon" . Hope that this is the start of a whole slew of adventures
Book reads like a movie,fast and furious. Can't wait for " Terraviathon" . Hope that this is the start of a whole slew of adventures
March 22, 2013
Jacquie Renairre has never accepted that her parents' deaths were an accident - capitalising on her guardian, Uncle Serge's contacts and her burgeoning skills as a Private Investigator, Jacquie embarks on a quest to discover the truth behind the mysterious black key that was stolen on the night her parents were murdered. Teaming up with socialite Clay Baneport, Jacquie is also contracted by Special Advisor Maximilian Delacroix to investigate a possible conspiracy to start a war between her home country, the Republic of Alesir, and their enemy, the Kingdom of Kenesta.
It took a while for me to get into the story - maybe a little more back story than was necessary was included in the beginning of the book, making it seem like it took forever to get to the more exciting bits - and I would have liked to have learnt more about the Exile's Violin a little earlier in the story (rather than only in the third quarter of the book). The story has its eyebrow-raising bits (as in, really, that's a bit unbelievable, isn't it?) but nothing too far out that it wasn't somehow rationalised (after all, it IS fiction).
The main characters, Jacquie and Clay, were well-written and had an easy chemistry that made me like them. Jacquie is both spunky and determined, as well as impulsive and vulnerable, making her utterly relatable, though a little annoying at times (just like real people, ha!) and I really wanted to box her for being so mean to the faithful Clay. Okay, it's not a romance, but when you have a guy and a girl as main characters, you can kind of guess where they're generally going to be heading. (Plus points to Hunter for keeping it really clean - I can recommend this book to younger readers without any qualms!)
I'm generally a fan of mysteries and science fiction and fantasy (I haven't given steampunk much thought thus far) and since this was a weaving of the two, I enjoyed this book quite a lot, though I've been rather wavering between a 3 and a 4 star rating, as you would have seen if you've been following my updates to this review. (Okay, I'm settling for a 3.5)
It took a while for me to get into the story - maybe a little more back story than was necessary was included in the beginning of the book, making it seem like it took forever to get to the more exciting bits - and I would have liked to have learnt more about the Exile's Violin a little earlier in the story (rather than only in the third quarter of the book). The story has its eyebrow-raising bits (as in, really, that's a bit unbelievable, isn't it?) but nothing too far out that it wasn't somehow rationalised (after all, it IS fiction).
The main characters, Jacquie and Clay, were well-written and had an easy chemistry that made me like them. Jacquie is both spunky and determined, as well as impulsive and vulnerable, making her utterly relatable, though a little annoying at times (just like real people, ha!) and I really wanted to box her for being so mean to the faithful Clay. Okay, it's not a romance, but when you have a guy and a girl as main characters, you can kind of guess where they're generally going to be heading. (Plus points to Hunter for keeping it really clean - I can recommend this book to younger readers without any qualms!)
I'm generally a fan of mysteries and science fiction and fantasy (I haven't given steampunk much thought thus far) and since this was a weaving of the two, I enjoyed this book quite a lot, though I've been rather wavering between a 3 and a 4 star rating, as you would have seen if you've been following my updates to this review. (Okay, I'm settling for a 3.5)
March 28, 2014
Jacquie Renairre’s life is turned upside down when her parents are murdered, her home destroyed, and her two most precious possessions stolen by person or persons unknown. Luckily her mysterious uncle arrives to offer shelter, and Jacquie studies the art of detective work at his side. Now she’s out to recover what she lost and find out why her parents died. A surprising side-kick offers help, and a story of fast action, violent warfare, revenge and magic ensues.
The Exile’s Violin is set in an enjoyable steam-punk world of international politics and intrigue. Detective work gives way to the fight against terrorism as the stakes ramp up, and war begins to threaten the livelihoods of all. Meanwhile one girl’s revenge becomes a whole world’s hope.
The politics is a little heavy at times. The violence is a little graphic. And the violin doesn’t appear until two thirds of the way through the novel. But the details of this imaginary world and its machines are well-drawn, and the dialog offers the same pleasing humor as Star Wars and other such movies. Quick decisions, swift changes of fortune, and dogged determination drive the plot. An undercurrent of romance is nicely contrasted with the darkness of betrayal. And a touch of magical power counterbalances the age of steam. It’s a long novel, with lots of characters and a wealth of settings and scenes—good dark fun.
Disclosure: I was lucky enough to buy this when it was free.
The Exile’s Violin is set in an enjoyable steam-punk world of international politics and intrigue. Detective work gives way to the fight against terrorism as the stakes ramp up, and war begins to threaten the livelihoods of all. Meanwhile one girl’s revenge becomes a whole world’s hope.
The politics is a little heavy at times. The violence is a little graphic. And the violin doesn’t appear until two thirds of the way through the novel. But the details of this imaginary world and its machines are well-drawn, and the dialog offers the same pleasing humor as Star Wars and other such movies. Quick decisions, swift changes of fortune, and dogged determination drive the plot. An undercurrent of romance is nicely contrasted with the darkness of betrayal. And a touch of magical power counterbalances the age of steam. It’s a long novel, with lots of characters and a wealth of settings and scenes—good dark fun.
Disclosure: I was lucky enough to buy this when it was free.
March 4, 2013
Jaquie Renairre is hunting for the killer of her parents. It seems they were killed for a broken key her father wore around his neck.
For 6 years Jaquie has had no luck until she takes an investigation assignment on a conspiracy that aims to start a war. With her partner Clay Baneport the investigation leads them closer to her parents killers than she thought possible.
A cross between science fiction and fantasy this book is very detailed with two strong main characters.
Although this book is written about a young woman I found it very unforgiving when it came to some of the violence she endures and I wondered at times how she could sustain injuries described and still continue into the story.
I would have liked to have read something showing more character development, they seemed to be emotionless throughout, I didn’t feel I knew them well enough to form a picture of them.
The timeline of the story can get a little confusing, sometimes putting you a week or so ahead from the previous paragraphs read.
Although there are a couple of things I would have liked to see happen the descriptive of the war and surroundings were written well and are essential in this story.
I am not a huge science fiction fan but this story has a good plot with plenty going on, I would have just liked to feel more for the characters along the way.
For 6 years Jaquie has had no luck until she takes an investigation assignment on a conspiracy that aims to start a war. With her partner Clay Baneport the investigation leads them closer to her parents killers than she thought possible.
A cross between science fiction and fantasy this book is very detailed with two strong main characters.
Although this book is written about a young woman I found it very unforgiving when it came to some of the violence she endures and I wondered at times how she could sustain injuries described and still continue into the story.
I would have liked to have read something showing more character development, they seemed to be emotionless throughout, I didn’t feel I knew them well enough to form a picture of them.
The timeline of the story can get a little confusing, sometimes putting you a week or so ahead from the previous paragraphs read.
Although there are a couple of things I would have liked to see happen the descriptive of the war and surroundings were written well and are essential in this story.
I am not a huge science fiction fan but this story has a good plot with plenty going on, I would have just liked to feel more for the characters along the way.
February 26, 2013
The plot is like a cargo net. I don't mean that it's carefully woven - I mean it's full of huge holes.
I didn't much like the mostly reactive and otherwise violent main character, either. Not what I think of as a strong female protagonist.
There were also numerous editing issues, but they can be fixed fairly easily. The plot and characters, not so much. Shows some promise, though, the prose is mostly competent and the action scenes are well done. Good banter, too.
I received a free review copy of this book from the author via the Kindle Book Review website. KBR's policy is that only three-star or better reviews are posted under their name on Amazon, and my policy is also not to post reviews on Amazon if they are under three stars (I haven't always had that policy, and you will see some one- and two-star reviews from me there), so I won't be posting an Amazon review. I have sent the author a long email, though, setting out the issues I saw, which I hope is more helpful than depressing to him.
I didn't much like the mostly reactive and otherwise violent main character, either. Not what I think of as a strong female protagonist.
There were also numerous editing issues, but they can be fixed fairly easily. The plot and characters, not so much. Shows some promise, though, the prose is mostly competent and the action scenes are well done. Good banter, too.
I received a free review copy of this book from the author via the Kindle Book Review website. KBR's policy is that only three-star or better reviews are posted under their name on Amazon, and my policy is also not to post reviews on Amazon if they are under three stars (I haven't always had that policy, and you will see some one- and two-star reviews from me there), so I won't be posting an Amazon review. I have sent the author a long email, though, setting out the issues I saw, which I hope is more helpful than depressing to him.
started_finish_later
April 24, 2013great cover, interesting blurb and irresistible title; the book starts well too
read some 100 pages and it's quite entertaining but with a little bit too many logic holes; it's early so there may be some later explanation for at least the major one which almost made me put the book down (the heroine with a distinctive physical appearance goes in to rob an auction for the rich and powerful, mayhem ensues, people get killed and nobody seems to care later especially how she basically flaunts her get which yes it's legitimately hers as stolen earlier, but still; usually the rich and powerful would leave no stone unturned to find the perp even if for the insult only)
on the other hand the book is fun, so I changed my "brain settings" to turn the logic off and enjoy the ride and then it works very well so far as the author can carry a tale with his narrative flow
read some 100 pages and it's quite entertaining but with a little bit too many logic holes; it's early so there may be some later explanation for at least the major one which almost made me put the book down (the heroine with a distinctive physical appearance goes in to rob an auction for the rich and powerful, mayhem ensues, people get killed and nobody seems to care later especially how she basically flaunts her get which yes it's legitimately hers as stolen earlier, but still; usually the rich and powerful would leave no stone unturned to find the perp even if for the insult only)
on the other hand the book is fun, so I changed my "brain settings" to turn the logic off and enjoy the ride and then it works very well so far as the author can carry a tale with his narrative flow
February 22, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised to receive a review copy of the ebook “The Exile’s Violin” from the author, R.S. Hunter. The ebook is a fast-paced steampunk tale, although it has a lot of those human (and humorous) moments.
“Have you seen my glasses?”
Sighing, she pointed at his head. With a look of sheepish comprehension, he reached up and pulled them down onto his face.
I thought that the world-building was superb. All to often, a steampunk story starts as something else and the author simply glues some gears on it; but this seems to be a pure steampunk adventure story. The twist with the villain’s identity was unexpected — nice touch. While ”The Exile’s Violin” is the first story of a series, I’m satisfied with it’s ending.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a solid tale with pulpy steampunk goodness. I give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
“Have you seen my glasses?”
Sighing, she pointed at his head. With a look of sheepish comprehension, he reached up and pulled them down onto his face.
I thought that the world-building was superb. All to often, a steampunk story starts as something else and the author simply glues some gears on it; but this seems to be a pure steampunk adventure story. The twist with the villain’s identity was unexpected — nice touch. While ”The Exile’s Violin” is the first story of a series, I’m satisfied with it’s ending.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a solid tale with pulpy steampunk goodness. I give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
November 4, 2015
This was an "OK" Steampunk read. It moved a little slow and the characters needed to be fleshed out a little bit. Lot's of action and some intrigue, though a little predictable. I think it best suited for YA. There was some mild swearing, no sexual content, and there was fighting. I give it three stars. I liked it.
June 6, 2013
Steampunk at its finest! Great adventure, pain, loss, overcomes tragedy. Jacquie is a one eyed wonder with Uncle Serge as a tutor. She fights against the world of injustice and corruption. Great Read!
September 16, 2013
So far so good. Might bump the star rating up to 5. Love the original artwork and the quality of the writing.
February 9, 2016
Excellent book. Great mixture of sci-fi, mystery & action/adventure.
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