Dawn's Early Light

Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #3

by Pip Ballantine

Working for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, one sees innumerable technological wonders. But even veteran agents Braun and Books are unprepared for what the electrifying future holds…

After being ignominiously shipped out of England following their participation in the Janus affair, Braun and Books are ready to prove their worth as agents. But what starts as a simple mission in the States—intended to keep them out of trouble—suddenly turns into a scandalous and convoluted case that has connections reaching as far as Her Majesty the Queen.

Even with the help of two American agents from the Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical, Braun and Books have their work cut out for them as their chief suspect in a rash of nautical and aerial disasters is none other than Thomas Edison. Between the fantastic electric machines of Edison, the eccentricities of MoPO consultant Nikola Tesla, and the mysterious machinations of a new threat known only as the Maestro, they may find themselves in far worse danger than they ever have been in before…

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Adventure

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

See also works published as Philippa Ballantine.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Oh, look! Yet another scintillating review that begins with two totally useless paragraphs! Go me and stuff!

There’s something to be said about the healing properties of good old steampunk, methinks. Especially when said steampunk doesn’t take its little self seriously at all. It’s actually been proven scientifically. Indeed it has. Numerous times. By Dr Prawn Himself (he is my family physician of many years, in case you didn’t know) and his shrimpy research team What? You’ve never heard of them? Where have you been living these last two centuries? Under a barnacle-encrusted rock or something? . The world-renowned scientist and his pincer-clad flunkies have demonstrated time and time again that steampunk significantly reduces Post-Traumatic Crappy Book Disorder (PTCBD™) symptoms and cures (yes, cures!) even the most desperate cases of Severe Fantasy Rip-Offitis (SFRO™).

Now, I obviously have a lot of respect for Dr Prawn, but I have to admit I had my doubts about the supposed therapeutic effects of steampunk. Still, being a nefarious tyrant doesn’t mean one isn’t Super Extra Open Minded (SEOM™), so when the Shrimpy Doc prescribed reading 265 pages of Dawn’s Early Light ten times a day this is where you’re supposed to check how many pages this book actually has and then do the very logical math and stuff as an effort to replenish, rejuvenate and generally reinvigorate my mental bookish health, I promptly said “why the fish not?!” And here we are.



Hey now, it’s not like I didn’t warn you first two paragraphs were completely pointless so go be grumpy in someone else’s review, will you?

Okay, so this series recounts the rollicking adventures of one Eliza Braun (hereby known as the Colonial Pepperpot), New Zealand native and trigger-happy agent of Her Majesty’s Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences and her slightly uptight colleague Mr Wellington Books (hereby known as the Dashing Archivist), archivist as you might have guessed because you’re super bright and stuff turned field agent of Her Majesty’s Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. Granted, this series probably won’t win the Nobel Prize of Literature (then again, who knows?) and it is revoltingly light, but it also happens to be bloody fishing entertaining and funny as shrimp. So there. Besides, one cannot spend one’s time reading philosophy, right? Right. So glad we agree.

In this particular instalment our Colonial Pepperpot and Dashing Archivist are urgently dispatched to the Americas for reasons unknown. Initially. Then they become known but it would be spoiler spoiler spoiler to reveal what said reasons are (also, I feel as apathetic as an anemic barnacle today) so spoiler spoiler spoiler I won’t. You are quite welcome. I will, however, endeavor to disclose some Delightfully Delightful Miscellaneous Early Light Facts (DDMELF™) for what I assume will undoubtedly be your utter pleasure:

✔ Aging Queen Victoria’s apartments look like a Marseille bordello. (And that’s a fact.)
✔ Some voices are so bloody sexey they can keep teakettles piping hot. (True story.)
✔ The Colonial Pepperpot arches her eyebrows at you? Be terrified. Be very terrified. (Just ask the Dashing Archivist.)
✔ Loosening one’s corset reinvigorates blood flow to the brain. (I kid you not.)
✔ Nikola Tesla was a paranoid, reckless crackpot with an odd thing for pigeons. (Why didn’t he have an odd thing for shrimps, I wonder?)
✔ Little strumpets play Dashing Archivist like Stradivarii. (Which is quite outrageous, if you ask me.)
✔ The hardest, meanest bitch always wins. (Can’t disagree with that.)
✔ Abandoned technological triumphs of terror are very fishy indeed. (Trust me on that one. I know a lot about terror. And about fish, too. Especially fishy ones.)
✔ Henry Ford says hi. (He’s friendly like that.)



Don’t’ ask.

✔ There are some wonderfully exotic tribes in Baltimore, Maryland. (Well that’s what the Prince of Wales thinks, anyway.)
✔ Interrupting an investigation with fisticuffs is not a good idea, according to some. (I beg to differ and stuff.)
✔ Thomas Edison is a bloody @$%!!!&*@ ← censored. (You got that right.)
✔ All Hail the Most Glorious Scientific Smackdown of the 19th Century. (You won’t read about this on Wikipedia, I’m afraid.)
✔ Glasgow kisses are underrated. (And how.)
✔ Scottish mad scientists always have wild, receding red hair. And wear kilts. (Because duh.)
✔ The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has the best weapons ever. (A Brouhaha set on “Pub Crawl”—or even better, on “Typhoon”—and a Jack Frost set on “Polish Winter?” Do want.)
✔ Megalomaniacs showdowns for the win! (I should know.)
✔ The whisky didn’t make this review any better so I better vaporize on impact, like some friendly foes in this story.

➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): Just read this series already and let me go to bed, okay? Thank thee most kindly and stuff.



· Book 1: Phoenix Rising ★★★★
· Book 2: The Janus Affair ★★★★
· Book 4: The Diamond Conspiracy ★★★
· Book 5: The Ghost Rebellion ★★★★
· Book 6: Operation: Endgame ★★★★

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three to three and a half stars.

I want to start off by saying that I really, really, really loved the first two books in this series, Phoenix Rising and The Janus Affair. They were fun and cheeky and just an all-around good time. But I must confess that while I still liked this third installment in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, I just didn't love it as much. Here's the thing though, the hang up is mine and it's certainly not something that is going to bother everyone, maybe not even anyone. But let me start with what I liked.

As with the first two books, this is steampunk done well, where the gadgets and gizmos that give the genre its distinctive feel are integral parts of the story rather than just in-the-background scenery or accessories. The story does not lack for thrilling adventures or daring escapes, aspects that give it something of an Indiana Jones feel. I also like the manner in which actual historical figures are incorporated into the plot, from the British royal family to some of the great scientific minds of the time. Figuring out who is working what angle, and why, is high on the agenda for our intrepid agents, Wellington Books and Eliza Braun.

The story kicks off mid-foot chase as Wellington and Eliza are trying to run down a thief on the airship in which they are traveling. Anyone who has read the second book knows that it ended with the two agents being ordered on a new mission to the Americas. But what was supposed to be a consulting type of gig to help out America's version of the Ministry, the Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical (OSM), soons escalates into something quite a bit more complex. And this is where my issue with this particular book comes into play. Not with the underlying mystery, which I thought was well done, but with Wellington and Eliza and how they go about solving it.

What gave the first two books its heart was the relationship between Wellington and Eliza. They make great partners because they're fun and there's a definite spark of humor and attraction when they're together. The problem for me, here, is that once Wellington and Eliza arrive in the Americas they spend far too much time apart for the majority of the book, instead paired off with their opposite gender counterparts in the OSM. I understand WHY it unfolded the way it did and I understand WHY Wellington and Eliza got their wires crossed in terms of their expectations but, for me, Wellington and Eliza working with other partners doesn't have the same...magic. So, there it is, the reason why I didn't love this book as much as the previous two.

That said, I did still like it. We finally get the identity of the Maestro (my theory on that was wrong) and we get more clues about the Restricted Area and how much Doctor Sound knows as well as some tantalizing lead-ins for future storylines. Plus the last fourth of the book did finally see Wellington and Eliza figure some things out, both personally and professionally (mad science, secret societies, and conspiracies - oh my!), and I fully expect a return to the full-time awesome partnership that is Books and Braun in the next installment. And hopefully the return trip home via airship is more to Eliza's liking. *wink*

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I have been looking SO forward to this book for so long and I have to say it didn't impress me like I hoped it would. I LOVE this series though and the best thing about it has always been Eliza and Welly for me. This time however, for a large chunk of the book they were separated and going through things that just made everything so frustrating. I didn't expect sunshine and roses for them but the entire book was one big awkward moment where no one knew what to say or how to express their emotions....that is, when they even had a rare moment alone. Enter Bill and Felicity. I never mind heating things up in the jealousy department and there was a point where I didn't even care if Welly and Eliza worked their crap out, I just wanted her to either TALK to him or move on already! All this being said though, I did enjoy the end where Welly FINALLY pours his heart out and we get to see what was going on in that head of his.

That was about all I enjoyed though. Being in America was cool for a change of pace, but the action this time felt a bit all over the place and hard for me to follow at times. So many things left me scratching my head. Is there suppose to be a reason Edison and company want to blow up San Fran??? I know they said the HOU just does things to be destructive but if there was any other solid reason for all this mayhem, I couldn't find it. And yeah the Maestro probably would love to have all these inventions in his bag of crazy but again.. WHY? The dude doesn't even know who he is half the time! I dunno, maybe I'm not smart enough for these books anymore but all I know is if it wasn't for Eliza and Welly I probably would end reading right here.

Will continue on however, in hopes that the next one will clear some stuff up and be a little easier to follow... and of course would love to see E/W in a real relationship! Please let there be an end to the roadblocks!!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Genre* Steampunk
*Rating* 4.0

*My Thoughts*

Dawn's Early Light is the third installment in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris. The story begins where The Janus Affair left off. Doctor Basil Sound, director of MPO, sends reinstated agent Eliza Braun, along with newly promoted agent Wellington Books, to America where they are supposed to help the Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical find out why ocean and air ships are disappearing off the coast of the Outer Banks. But, if you know these characters, and writers, you know that nothing is that simple.

*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews 03/23/2015.

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

PUblished: January 28th 2014 by Ace (first published November 26th 2013)

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are definitely some high points in Dawn’s Early Light, the third Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel. The idea of having the greedy, litigious Thomas Edison as a bad guy was perfect for the steampunk era. Having Edison cross currents with Tesla was even better. Of course, the eventual exposure of the archvillain’s (Maestro’s) identity was welcome (especially since I had guess from the beginning), as was some clarification in the relationship of Books and Braun (in many ways, the cover blurb about “Ministry Affairs sometimes being shocking!” was both well-done and misleading).

But the grand strategic plot into which the series is heading seems overblown and preposterous to have completely thrown me from my state of suspended disbelief. For someone who has given the highest ratings to the previous books in the series, this is most disappointing. I’m not sure if I want to read any further in the series. Further, I felt [and these are personal feelings which may not be shared by the majority of readers] that both the ongoing female antagonist and the newly introduced female antagonist were largely wasted in this story. The accounts involving these two slowed the pace down and didn’t really accomplish anything worthwhile.

For much of the book, I felt like this was a Korean drama transformed into a steampunk novel. The book posits not only a romantic triangle, but a romantic quadrangle. Add in a steam automobile accident, amnesia, and a family member dying of cancer and the Korean drama formula would be right there. At times, it seemed like the outlandish technology which should be part of the delight in the book had become a diabolus ex machina. At other times, chance encounters and discovers seemed way overdone.

Still, Dawn’s Early Light where Wellington and Eliza are operating on American soil is full of solid action scenes as well-written as those raved about in former novels. Still, the badinage and, more common in this novel, snarky arguments are as witty as those to which I previously pointed. The big downgrade in my rating for this volume is simply that I believe (and I may well be the only one who thinks thus) the grand plot has escalated far too fast and is far too vast for the point reached in the series. Personally, I feel the final revelation in the scene with Doctor Sound “jumped the shark.”

[Dan Banana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book and series, fictional fiction in an over the top fictitious way but, enjoyable. James Bond in 1900 with all the gadgets.

[Melissa Hayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing fun with Eliza and Wellington once again. Enlightening on several levels, and will blow you away. We get to see Wellington in action, and the beautiful Eliza as well.

****FULL REVIEW****
Things are still simmering in England after the Janus Affair. Sound has sent Agents Braun and Books as "Goodwill Advisers" to the Americas agency, the Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical, while the heat of the last case cools a bit. Working with their counterparts of the Americas, they help with the case of ships of ocean and air are disappearing off the coast of the Outer Banks. Mysteriously, no debris is washing up on shore, that many are noticing. But there is one who has seen something. A bright light and debris that is gone the next morning. The Ministry Agents were requested for their experience with the aether gate commandeered from the House of Usher. The light ray takes the four agents to additional cities in the Americas, following Thomas Edison, working to stop the next deadly disaster. Things become suspicious for Dr. Sound as the Queen of England wants her son to visit the Americas, for a clankerton convention and he hears of the troubles stirring in the America's.

Amazing fun with Eliza and Wellington once again! Enlightening on several levels, and will blow you away. We get to see Wellington in action, and the beautiful Eliza as well.

Eliza is reinstated to active field agent. Wellington receives a promotion with her. Nothing is ever relaxing and calm for our duo. On the airship a thief is spied leaving Eliza's room and a race is under foot. There is always trouble in the line of duty that Eliza and Wellington serve.

A shoot 'm up bang, bang of American West blended with the elegance of Europe. Exciting! The American partners Eliza and Wellington meet are just like them, but maybe not as elegant as the British Agents. 'Wild Bill' Wheatley and Felicity Lovelace. I'm sure you can guess which is of Eliza's gun-shooting ways and which is the Librarian. And there is a bit of attraction to the, or from, their counterparts.

I love Eliza's spunk. Welly even gets a gun, or two, in hand. It seems trouble finds our boy Welly as well. Now that he's in the field, he seems to find the right spots to be with his reasoning deductions. We see Wellington in full action, even though he doesn't want to. Mostly, he's paired with his counterpart in the Americas. With doing so, Welly steps up his game and is more active with guns and actions. Having his counterpart present gives us someone to compare and reflect on Wellington's past ways (in previous two books).

We even get views from England. We learn Queen Victoria would like her eldest child, Bertie, occupied out of town for a time. He's taken to much of an interest in her health and away from his own enjoyments. She requests Dr. Sound to arrange for Albert to go to the Americas for a Clankerton Symposium. There is...bad blood between mom and son, Queen and heir to the throne.

Aaah, if you have read this series thus far, you know there are feelings to be sorted. Eliza tries to sort out her own and what relationship she has with Wellington, who seems to have forgotten the kiss he planted on her. There is no time with all the action, and interruptions, for Eliza and Wellington to talk. But, at one point Eliza is ready to explode and makes the time. Hahaha! Perfect timing.

Oh! Are you curious who the Maestro is? Well, you will learn who the person is behind the armor. We learn a bit of Wellington as well. He's picked up some habits from Ms. Eliza Braun, but he has his own secreted talents. I love his bloody car!! He has crafted it with great care and thought! All I will say...Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.

The story here is complete. But in the end leaves me anxious as to what's to come to pass in England. There is much to look forward too. Oh how things are moving there. An amazing adventure with our favorite duo that leads us to so much more to come.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Dawn's Early Light, book three of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, Pip Ballantine brings to us a world ripe with scientific advancement. It's the start of the 20th century, and everywhere you look, gadgets and gizmos spin and whirl in this steampunk-rich world. Here, we once again join our dynamic duo, trigger-happy colonialist Eliza D. Braun, and obsessive tinkerer Wellington Thornhill Books, Esquire, as they head to America to work with our own OSM to investigate the curious disappearances of ships, as well as track the movements of enemies both old and new. Together, they must stop a respected inventor from unleashing hell on Earth, all the while battling their own tangled feelings. I was not a fan of the first two books, and this one just confirmed it. This is not an interesting series at all. The plot line is dry and very predictable and the two main characters are of only mild interest. It's simply not a story that draws you into the thick of it.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the dynamic between Wellington Books and Eliza Braun. They make a spectacular team with plenty of sexual tension, humor and they spark ideas off each other. Their working with different partners just didn't have the same magical feel. I loved Thomas Edison as the bad guy and Nikola Tesla as the good guy. Heck even Henry Ford made an appearance! A truly thrilling adventure on American soil this time.

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Wellington Brooks and Eliza Braun did pull off the impossible in their last adventure for The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, Doctor Sound has thought that it might be a good idea to get them out of the limelight for awhile and ship them off to the colonies to help their sister agency, The Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical, which is attached to the US Marshals. In the United States Books and Braun meet their American counterparts, Felicity Lovelace the librarian, which is totally different then an archivist, and Wild Bill Wheatley, who Eliza has a grudge against from a previous mission in which their paths crossed. But the mission must come first, not revenge for past slights. Off the shores of North Carolina, known as the graveyard of the Atlantic, airships have been vanishing quite literally.

But Wellington and Felicity don't really care about the mission once they learn that Thomas Edison will be speaking at their hotel! After an eventful night it looks like Edison might be involved in their mission... he might be using a lighthouse as a death ray to cause all these wrecks! Seeing that Edison is their only real lead, the gaggle of agents decide to follow him. First they venture north, to Detroit, and the very hub of Edison's Empire. By the end of their mission they will have travelled coast to coast and hopefully staved of an international incident with the Prince of Wales. Yet questions remain, how involved was the nebulous House of Usher in this scheme? Did her majesty, the Queen, have ulterior motives with regard to her son? And does Wellington want to kiss Eliza again? Or will Eliza end up kissing Bill?

The thing that drew me to Steampunk in the first place was the essential Britishness of it. The fog bound streets, the pub brawls near the docks with a side of a cockney accent, a cup of tea after a day of daring do. This is what Steampunk means to me. So when at the end of the second book in this series, The Janus Affair, it became apparent that our esteemed agents Books and Braun were headed stateside, I wasn't that thrilled at the prospect. Yes, Steampunk isn't limited to Great Britain, yes Pip and Tee have done a good job to have this series, in particular the Tales from the Archives, show the worldwide scope of Steampunk, yes their are authors like Cherie Priest, whose Clockwork Century is very much ingrained in America, but despite all this precedent, Steampunk to me is British. I won't try to explain the logic of my mind, because I don't think I could. But I was seriously worried that Dawn's Early Light would have to overcome my own preconceptions. I should have had more faith in Pip and Tee. The book combined all the Britishness I love and added a Firefly vibe (fangirl sqwee) while also taking on the historical figures whose inventiveness fuels Steampunk, but are decidedly American.

The more I think on it, the American desire for invention, exploration, and looking forward is what drives Steampunk and the Steampunk community. So while my brain always goes "British British British" it is really a combination of the two that create the perfect balance in Steampunk, a perfect balance that was caught in this book. Writing a successful series of books itself is a balancing act. Round about book three is when you start to get bogged down with too much backstory and too many characters being on stage. By sending our beloved agents to the states, Pip and Tee were able to streamline the story and bring it down to the necessary few characters that were needed. While I did occasionally miss all the other agents and the archives, Dawn's Early Light had a cleanliness to it that made it a stronger book. Plus the introduction of Felicity and Bill (aka Jayne from Firefly), Books and Braun's counterparts and also romantic rivals, brought a breath of fresh air into the book. Having our hero and heroine not only trying to deal with their own feelings, but then having these two Americans continually throwing a wrench into any possible hookup brought a frisson of excitement and a worry that the delayed gratification to the inevitable hookup might never happen. Books and Braun belong together... but that doesn't mean temptation and distraction won't be a delicious plot device.

Another plot device that might have overplayed it's hand in this installment is the celebrity cameo. As I said before, everything is about balance. Celebrity cameos are always a fun narrative device in historical fiction, even if it's alternative history. Yet there can be one too many historical figures and this can upset the apple cart. The perfection of some of the cameos is marred by the superfluous ones. Back in undergrad I took film classes for fun. It's ironic that I thought art versus comm arts was a more viable career path. The history of film cannot be told without talking about Edison. Yes, he was brilliant, but yes, he was also a class A bastard. In fact, I had a friend play bastard on my Edison card to win a game of Apples to Apples once. And speaking of Apples, in describing Edison, I liked that Edison really sounded a lot like Steve Jobs and Apple's MO, ah the parallels. I reveled in the introduction of Edison, the asshole. He's a perfect villain, unlike the ill defined House of Usher. And his evilness is not just in his villainous death ray designed to level the competition, but in the slights to women scientists and his raging ego. It was the perfect cameo. To balance that we had Tesla, still surrounded with mystery, dubious morals, and pigeon jokes. Edison and Tesla, Tesla and Edison, the battle for the ages, and the perfect duo for this book. But Henry Ford? Ah Henry Ford, you were one cameo too many. It made me cringe a bit. You upset the apple cart.

Though the pedant in me now has to put on the lecturing voice and say what I've been saying for two books now. I know this is an ARC, so there will be errors... but seeing as these errors have persisted in the finished copies of the first two books, I have a feeling they might remain. The grammar and the spelling needs a polish. I will seriously do this for free. Yes, I am serious. I love this series and it pains me when errors still abound making it a flawed text... at one point their own character's name is misspelt. Also, it's chaise lounge not chez lounge... unless it's the house of lounges and not a piece of furniture. Aside from the obvious errors, there were also a few anachronisms that got under my skin. Blackbeard's dates are off by a hundred years. Why would Edison being going through Wisconsin to get to Arizona? There's this lake that I've gone over between me and Michigan... plus, to get to Arizona aka, the southwest, you wouldn't go northwest now would you? The OSM seems a little too much like Victorian SHIELD with the reference to Thor's hammer... plus, can we sing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when talking about Wellington's car? I know they are all nudge nudge wink wink, but they are just too modern, and like the typos, pull me out of a story I don't want to leave, like ever. In fact, can the next book be ready now?

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series and was another highly entertaining book in that series. I didn't like it quite as much as the last book but it was still very enjoyable.

This book is set in America and Braun and Books are spending time with their American cohorts trying to track down Edison and his Death Ray. I didn't really enjoy their American counterparts as much and wished that Braun and Books had spent more time on the case together rather than separate.

I also think that I didn't enjoy the setting in America as much as the London based setting of the previous books. However, it sounds like we are returning to London in future books.

I did enjoy how some of the story around the Maestro and the House of Usher was moved progressed. I also liked how we learned more about Books background and past. The story is action-packed and very fun to read. It's highly entertaining and engaging and I enjoyed it a lot.

Overall I have really been enjoying this series I would recommend to those who enjoy steampunk adventures. There are lots of fun devices and airships galore in this book. The characters are spunky and interesting. I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this at all. I really enjoyed the first book in the series but this one just didn't do it for me.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great field trip for our dynamic duo. Enjoyed the pairing with their American counterparts.... lots of gadgets that would make even Q envious. Interesting perspective of Edison's character.... one could even say electrifying. Cliffhanger has me ready to see what is next.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third installment of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences changes everything. The continuation is going to be one hell of a ride! Good thing we have a handy motorcar at the ready for the adventure.

Dawn's Early Light takes our duo across the Atlantic, on quite the adventurous tour of the United States, in order to help their American counterparts solve one hell of a convoluted mystery. Of course, Eliza is never one to pass on the action and adventure - being in the field is what suits her best.

Still the same as ever, she tends to solve her problems with bullets, and fists. I was absolutely giddy when she knocked one particular American cowboy flat on his arse in the middle of a pub (a woman after my own heart, she is). However, emotions are running high.

I recall being very excited at the end of the last book that the romantic undertones between Books and Braun were finally coming to a conclusion. Well, I was wrong. It takes a few thwarted conversations, a few misguided flirtations, and a lot of frustration before Eliza and Wellington see fit to resolve their unspoken feelings for each other. While disarming a bomb. Because when else are you supposed to confess your undying love for your partner?

As we come to our climax and conclusion, everything changes, and everything we thought we knew turns on a dime. There is, undoubtedly, a distinct feeling of being punched in the gut.

The first two books of this series, and a good portion of this third book, do a fantastic job of setting us up for what's to come. We have fully established the world, the technologies, and how everything works. We've meshed technology, science, and clockwork into the mechanics of what keeps this world going. We've met our main cast, and we know them very well (with a few mysteries left to solve, but that's all in the character development).

We are now set for what's to come - and it's going to be on hell of a hair-raising adventure. Eliza and Wellington definitely have their work cut out for them.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After their involvement in the Janus Affair, our dynamic duo finds themselves on a simple mission to the Americas. The Office of Peculiar Occurrences thinks this little trip will keep their agents out of trouble. What? Do they even know our Braun and Books? They meet up with two American agents who work for the Office of Supernatural and Metaphysical. This creates some tension for the couple. As you remember, the two shared a rather heated kiss.

With a series of aerial and nautical disasters and  suspected foul play, the foursome, find themselves looking at none other than the king of electricity, Thomas Edison. Morris and Ballantine really know how to spin a yarn, weaving in electric machines and gadgets that made my geeky side giddy. The danger and suspense is intensified by a new threat known as the Maestro and I found myself looking for excuses to listen.

The banter and developing romance between Books and Braun is filled with tension, a little miscommunication and mistakes. Braun has some competition for Books' affection and I loved how it made her painfully aware of her own feelings. It was fun seeing her discombobulated. It all notched up my enjoyment keeping me in suspense with missed moments and Books’ attempts at clarifying his feelings. It was awkward and cute. Oh lord I wanted to lock them in the secret rooms of the library!

From the adventure and danger of the case to the relationship developments Dawn’s Early Light was a fantastic addition to the series and I cannot wait to dive into, The Diamond Conspiracy the next audio.

Fans of snark, wit, steampunk and crime mysteries will enjoy the antics that occur in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series.

 

  This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Kootch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rollicking steampunk adventure that is, alas, spoiled by sloppy writing / editing. Seriously, Eliza is asked if she is calling in the CALVARY. Really? Must be a heck of a powerful aethergate to pull in the hill of the crucifixion all the way from the Holy Land to America.

This is the most grating of the mistakes, there are others, albeit minor but occurring often enough that they detract from the story.

Also that thing with Wellington/Felicity, Eliza/Bill? Felt forced as if the writers thought to add spice to the story with a little bit of jealousy and emotional insecurity but didn't bother to put any genuine effort into how it's going to work.

This is the third in the series and with all the new developments the reader should have been hooked and really, really waiting impatiently for the next book. Instead I finished the book feeling less engaged. It's still OK, but, you know, hope the writers put a little more heart into the next one.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3

Didn't love this like I thought I would. The POVs were too frequent and from characters thst, while interesting, were not necessarily necessary (the exception being Doctor Sound and maybe Sophia) and made the plot more convoluted than it needed to be.

I needed more Books and Braun. And more of a natural approach to their relationship. Eliza was a bit of a jerk to Welly which made it hard for me to understand their end. Not to mention, Welly was an excellent agent in the field and I would've liked to see more of him and Eliza working together.

I will say that the last twenty or so pages were awesome. The way the whole book should have been.

All in all, it was OK and that bugs me.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another exciting adventure for Books and Braun.

This book started off a little slow. There are a lot of Interludes (some that move the overarching plot forward more than others) and for a good chunk of the book it's not so much a story about the adventures of Books and Braun as it is a story of Books and Felicity and Braun and Bill. But in the later half of the book the story catches it's stride and Wellington and Eliza are back to being the duo I've come to love. There is also a wonderful set up for the next book(s?) and a fantastic cliffhanger.

I don't think I liked this book as much as the last, but there is defiantly enough I love about these stories to make it my favorite steampunk series

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Braun and Books are at it again but this time they've taken their show on the road. This time taking on a rough and wild America with a sinister scientist, dashing American counterparts, jealousy, intrigue, and of course the House of Usher. Good development, still want more Books background, you would be completely lost without being a fangirl who's read his short story back ground stuff... I was really surprised by who the Maestro was found that a bit of a stretch/needless red herring... love anything by ballantine!

[Kaugummiqueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leider der schlechteste Band bisher... :( Schade!

Inhalt
Eliza Braun und Wellington Books wurden von Doctor Sound im Auftrag des Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences nach Amerika versetzt, um dem Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical bei merkwürdigen Luftschiff-Abstürzen und dem Verschwinden von eben jenen zu helfen. Doch anstatt die Aufmerksamkeit des House of Usher vom Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences abzuwenden, sorgen Eliza und Wellington dafür, dass nicht nur die Erzfeinde hinter ihnen her sind. Mit der Hilfe von zwei amerikanischen Agenten gerät das explosive Duo schnell in einen Krieg zwischen Erfindern, Geld und Macht...

Meine Meinung
Wie man vielleicht schon an meiner Post-Einleitung erkennen konnte, hat mich das Buch leider Gottes doch etwas geschlaucht. Die rasante und amüsante Leichtigkeit der anderen beiden Bände kam in den ersten zwei Dritteln von Dawn's Early Light meiner Meinung nach leider ziemlich abhanden, was dafür sorgte, dass ich so lange an dem Buch gesessen habe.

Wellington, der sich seiner Gefühle für Eliza schon im letzten Band bewusst war, hatte am Ende von The Janus Affair all seinen Mut zusammen genommen und seiner Partnerin mehr oder weniger gesagt, was er für sie empfindet. Zumindest haben sie sich geküsst und diese Szene fand ich damals im letzten Band sehr sehr schön. Es war mir schon klar, dass die Beiden in Dawn's Early Light sicherlich nicht sofort ein Paar sind und sich die ganze Zeit gegenseitig Verliebtheiten in ihre Ohren säuseln, aber das, was ich dann geboten bekam, machte mich sprachlos und auch ein kleines bisschen Wütend. Anstatt, dass beide miteinander reden, gehen sie sich ständig aus dem Weg. Und immer, wenn der eine reden will, ist der andere nicht da oder hat keine Zeit oder wird abgelenkt oder Sonstiges. Dass die beiden amerikanischen Kollegen ein Mann und eine Frau sind, Bill Wheatley und Felicity Lovelace, macht die Sache auch nicht unbedingt einfacher. Bill ist ein Cowboy, eine richtig coole Sau und extrem männlich und macht sich mit Freude und Eifer an Eliza ran, die sich übrigens von einem früheren Fall her schon kannten. Wellington reagiert dementsprechend eifersüchtig und empfindlich, macht aber nicht wirklich was dagegen. Felicity, eine hübsche junge Frau, die dazu auch noch Bibliothekarin ist, was Wellys Job als Archivist ja unheimlich ähnlich ist, hat einen Narren an ihn gefressen und klammert sich bei jeder Gelegenheit an ihn, was Eliza ordentlich auf die Palme bringt. Aber auch sie macht nichts dagegen. Die Geschichte wird, mit einigen eingeschobenen Interludes, immer abwechselnd aus der Sicht von Eliza und Wellington erz��hlt. In dem einen Kapitel denkt Eliza, dass sie mal mit Wellington über alles reden sollte und nimmt Anlauf für ein Gespräch, doch irgendwie kommt immer etwas dazwischen - sei es das Auto, an dem Welly seit ihrer Überfahrt nach Amerika bastelt oder Felicity oder die Wichtigkeit des aktuellen Falles. Im nächsten Kapitel denkt sich dann Wellington, dass er mal mit Eliza über alles reden sollte und dann blockt sie ab und ist genervt (obwohl sie ja eigentlich vorher selbst das Gespräch gesucht hat wohlgemerkt) oder es kommt irgendwas anderes dazwischen. Das ist einfach so konstruiert, dass es mir beim Lesen keinen Spaß gemacht hat. Ich dachte eigentlich, es hier mit einem Buch für eine eher erwachsene Leserschaft zu tun zu haben, aber dieses Liebesdrama und -hickhack kann gut und gerne mit Twilight Konkurrenz machen. Es ging mir wirklich tierisch auf die Nerven und war in meinen Augen absolut unnötig. Da hätte ich es zum Beispiel viel besser gefunden, wenn sie die ganze Zeit getrennt voneinander gewesen wären und wieder zueinander hätten finden müssen, weil zum Beispiel einer entführt wurde oder sie sich bei einem Scharmützel verloren haben oder etwas Ähnliches.

Was mich auch ein wenig gestört hat war, dass ich teilweise sehr schlecht durch die Story durchsteigen konnte. Eliza und Wellington werden ja nach Amerika geschickt, um zum Einen die Aufmerksamkeit nicht mehr auf das Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences zu richten, und zum Anderen, um dem nicht ganz so gut ausgestatteten und ausgebildeten Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical bei dem Verschwinden der Luftschiffe zu helfen. Dieses Phänomen weist erstaunliche Ähnlichkeiten zu den Entführungen der Janus-Affäre auf, da auch die Luftschiffe irgendwie durch elektrische Entladungen zu verschwinden scheinen - wenn ich das richtig verstanden habe. Denn zwischendurch wusste ich echt nicht mehr, was Sache ist. Okay, ich habe das Buch auf Englisch gelesen, da geht sowieso schon mal ein bisschen Inhalt verloren. Dann ist das Englisch auch nicht das simpelste, sodass man eh konzentrierter lesen muss. Aber dennoch hatte ich dieses Problem bei den anderen beiden Bänden überhaupt nicht. Immer wieder dachte ich: "Häh, habe ich hier was überlesen? Oder missverstanden? Und was hat das jetzt damit zu tun?" Denn viele unterschiedliche Fälle und Begebenheiten scheinen irgendwie miteinander verstrickt zu sein. Aber wer da mit wem oder gegen wen und für wen arbeitet, hat mir teilweise wirklich Kopfzerbrechen bereitet. Da gibt es zum Einen das House of Usher, das unbedingt an Wellington ran will - warum wird immer noch nicht ganz verraten, aber ich bin gespannt. Zum Anderen ist da Thomas Alva Edison, der mit dem House of Usher zusammenarbeiten, aber gleichzeitig noch seine eigenen Ziele verfolgt. Und dann ist da der Maestro, der unbedingt an das Geheimnis des Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences gelangen möchte und irgendwie mit und gegen das House of Usher arbeitet und häh? Und er will irgendwie an den Sohn von Queen Victoria gelangen, die auch nicht so ganz koscher ist. Und dann ist da noch der Duke of Sussex, der auch seine Pläne verfolgt und am Ende kam dann noch ein ziemlich krasses Geheimnis raus, was für mich die Verwirrung komplett gemacht hat.

America was a strange creature (...); always talking about liberty for all, and yet failing so miserably to provide it.
(Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris // Dawn's Early Light (Ace by Penguins) // S. 261)

Ich glaube, ein großes Problem für mich war, dass die Story in den USA und nicht mehr in England spielte. Einige lieb gewonnene und sympathische Charaktere aus den Vorgängern fehlten mir hier doch schmerzlich. Dennoch gibt es auch einige Positive Aspekte anzusprechen. Der Humor war die meiste Zeit noch da und dann auch eigentlich immer sehr nach meinem Geschmack. Vor allem Elizas Verwünschungen in Richtung Felicity haben mich zum Lachen gebracht. Auch die Action ist in einem ordentlichen Ausmaß vorhanden, sodass unsere Helden kaum einmal die Zeit für eine Verschnaufpause haben. Aber richtig gut gefallen hat mir dann das letzte Drittel.

Da fiel es mir zum Einen leichter, der Story wieder zu folgen (bis auf kleine Ausnahmen gegen Ende hin) und zum Anderen konnten innerhalb der Agentengruppe endlich (!!!) alle Fronten geklärt werden. Das hat mir das Lesen doch ziemlich erleichtert, vor allem weil ich die Szene zwischen Eliza und Wellington wirklich sehr schön fand. Davon im nächsten Band bitte mehr. Es war in meinen Augen nicht kitschig, sondern einfach nur schön. Außerdem verbinden sich alle Fäden zu einem großen Strang und die Ausmaße und die meisten Pläne der Feinde kommen ans Tageslicht, beziehungsweise werden allmählich deutlicher. Es ist auf jeden Fall deutlich, dass der dritte Band die Reihe noch lange nicht abschließt und dass noch Einiges auf das Agenten-Duo zukommen wird. Ich bin jedenfalls gespannt, was Eliza und Wellington alles erwartet, wenn sie England zurückkehren.

Fazit
Obwohl ich wirklich viel an dem Buch zu kritisieren habe und mir die ersten zwei Drittel von Dawn's Early Light, bis auf wenige Ausnahmen, nicht so gut gefallen haben, möchte ich die Reihe auf jeden Fall weiter lesen. Das letzte Drittel konnte mich dann endlich wieder überzeugen, da es an die Vorgänger anknüpfen konnte. Auf weiteres Liebesdrama kann ich im nächsten Band aber bitte verzichten. Ich erwartete kein eitel Sonnenschein, aber die ersten zwei Drittel des Buches waren einfach nur ein großer unangenehmer und unnötiger Moment. Daher vergebe ich dem dritten Band noch knappe 3 von 5 Sternen !

[Mervi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences steampunk series.

Our colonial pepperpot and dashing archivist are heading to the US. During the airship voyage, a mysterious man tries to sabotage the ship but Agents Eliza Braun and Wellington Books manage to stop the sabotage. Otherwise, Eliza is unhappy with the voyage because Wellington kissed her previously and she’s expecting him to continue in the same way. Instead, Wellington labors with his steam powered motorcar.

In Norfolk, our intrepid agents are met by two agents from the US’ Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical. Librarian Felicia Lovelace is on her first field assignment and she clearly doesn’t have any experience in spying, going so far as forgetting the others’ assumed names. On the other hand, her partner William “Will Bill” Wheatley is a very experienced field agent. The Ministry agents are supposed to just consult the Americans about why ocean and airships are disappearing. Soon, they uncover an ominous plot which seems to involve Thomas Edison and his inventions.

I really enjoyed the steampunk elements and the inventors, Edison and especially the others. Both new agents are also rather interesting characters and they play well against each other but their role in the story made me dislike them. I also rather enjoyed the Ministry’s own mad scientists Blackwell and Axlerod.

Also, the Ministry’s enemies are on the move. Almost every other chapter was an interlude focusing on a mysterious priest doing the House of Usher’s work or Sophia del Morte moving in on her newest target. I rather enjoyed these chapters as well. The story is fast-paced with lots of fight scenes.

Unfortunately for me, this book has not just one romantic triangle but two. That’s right: Bill/Eliza/Wellington and Eliza/Wellington/Felicity. Both American agents start to court a British agent amazingly quickly. Eliza and Wellington are unsure about each other’s feelings and Eliza is barely civil to Wellington. So, the story has lots of Eliza and Bill going off to do mayhem while Wellington and Felicia do scouting and other spy things. So, there’s plenty of time for Bill to make moves toward Eliza and likewise Felicity to Wellington. Unfortunately, it felt very contrived to me and went on for far too long.

Near the end, there are some revelations which will, no doubt, feature heavily in the next two books. It ends almost in a cliffhanger. I was thinking that I might not want to continue with this series but it seems that the jealousy and UST is now finally ended as major parts of the books, so I’m going to get the next two books, too.

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: B Liked It, recommend
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Review copy provided by publisher.

The third full-length tale from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences begins shortly after the conclusion of the second book, with Agents Wellington (Welly) Books and Eliza Braun en route to America. This is Books first official mission as a field agent, although he’s been through the routine a few times with Eliza. The pair are being sent to America to help with a case, but more importantly, to stay out of the limelight back home while there is some heat on the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences following their last case. While on the airship, the pair gives chase to a cunning thief, who gets away. The start of Dawn’s Early Light opens with action and adventure, befitting of our heroes.

Once Books and Braun are in the New World, they are paired with their counterparts from the Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical (OSM). Agent Felicity Lovelace is the OSM librarian. She’s never been in the field, and this is only her tenth assignment. Then there is William "Wild Bill" Wheatley. He is a rough and tumble cowboy with arrogant attitude. He and Eliza share a brief history, and he was the cause of some problems for her several years ago. The American pair are truly mirror images of Welly and Eliza. The team is tasked with investigating the disappearance of airships off the coast of North Carolina. But what they uncover is something much larger, taking the quartet cross-country, and involving Thomas Edison, The House of Usher, a female priest, and a death ray. The story truly is a madcap adventure with high stakes and plenty of action.

One thing that I love about the Ministry books, which holds true with the current offering, is that the stories are richly detailed, complex, and full of action. There is so much that goes on within the pages of each book, that to try and recap the adventures would take up several paragraphs of review space, something I choose not to do. So don’t mistake my lack of summary for a sign that the book is simple in structure and nature - for it is not. And if I tried to connect the dots, not only would I spoil the experience for other readers, but I could never do justice to the marvelous storytelling of Ms. Ballentine and Mr. Morris. I will admit, however, that at times the volume of information did overwhelm me, and careful note taking was a must. But once the pieces of the puzzle started to lock into place, I found that the journey to get there was well worth the effort!

The story is told in the back-and-forth third person point-of-views of both Wellington and Eliza. There are also interludes that are written from one of the antagonists’ POV or the agents’ director, Dr. Basil Sound. These interludes provide bread crumbs of parallel stories that all come together by the end of the book. Hearing the tale from both Books and Braun’s perspective is wonderful. Each of the agents have their own unique way of thinking about the cases and life, so the reader is privy to a more complete picture of the story having both POVs.

In addition, the reader gains some insight as to the emotional ties and feelings each agent is experiencing. For example, in the previous book, Books planted an intense kiss on Agent Braun, leaving her to ponder what it meant. And boy, does she think about it. A lot. And she tries unsuccessfully several times to do something about it while on their journey. But Books is completely obtuse, leaving Eliza even more confounded. However, Eliza’s personality pushes her to solve the meaning of the kiss and Welly’s behavior. At first I loved how perplexed Eliza is over the kiss; however, once I reached the midpoint of the book, I had grown tired of Eliza’s childish attitudes and jealousy. While I loved how their feelings enhanced The Janus Affair, for about half of Dawn’s Early Light, I found it distracting and annoying. But it does get better... a lot better!

Eliza's wit and sarcasm are such a pleasure to read. I found myself chuckling out loud throughout the title. She is sharp and seems to know when and how to speak her mind to provoke a desired reaction. However, there is more than one time that Eliza is left speechless. One such example comes in her interactions with Wild Bill, someone she relates to as a field agent. There is a definite spark there, and when he kisses her (not giving any more detail than that!), Eliza isn’t too sure what to think or say. In addition, Agent Lovelace gives Eliza a run for her money when it comes to Welly’s attention. Felicity may seem innocent and naive, but underneath is an observant woman who can call it like she sees it. Finally, Wellington has poor Eliza stumped. Why did he kiss her? Why can’t she figure this one out? I don’t know if there is as much character growth as in previous books, but we do see a side of Eliza we haven’t before… jealousy. The evolution of both her and Books’ feelings was enjoyable, but it did take up a little too much of the story.

The most enjoyable scenes in the book come when Books and Braun work together in the field. They make an amazing team. Neither tries to outdo the other, each recognizing his/her own strengths and weaknesses, while acknowledging the same in the other. When it counts, they are seamless. I think Chapters Nineteen and Twenty were my favorites because they showcase the pair’s teamwork so marvelously. And then, Eliza does something crazy, which is a stroke of genius, to finally air out the pair’s true feelings.

Another favorite part came early in the book, when the agents observe a potential witness dying. The entire scene was marvelously written. Not only is it touching - allowing me to gain more emotional investment in the story, but it showcases the agents, all coming together with differences aside, to pay respects to a fallen hero. The scene demonstrates the integrity of the agents, telling us so much more by painting an entire picture, rather than using a few words to describe the characters. This is the type of storytelling I admire and appreciate.

Finally, for readers of the series, we learn a lot more about the mysterious Maestro, who I had been confusing as the head of the House of Usher. After finishing Dawn’s Early Light, I went back and reread large chunks of The Janis Affair to piece together the bigger picture. Overall, this storyline, which also involves the Queen and Dr. Sound, is still a bit too ambiguous and enigmatic for my liking. And unfortunately, the book ended oddly with a vague chapter, which personally, I could have done without.

Overall, Dawn’s Early Light is another great tale in the amazingly creative and entertaining Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series. Although I struggled with some of the extended jealousy, I enjoyed where it took Eliza and Welly in the end. I was also a bit confused over some of the background story, and I didn’t care for the final chapter. However, I loved Books and Braun in the field, the gadgets, the fight scenes, the use of historical figures, and some of the interactions involving supporting characters. This series becomes richer with each title, and I cannot wait to find out what adventure is next for dear Books and Braun!

[Jim Razinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to jump around between different series, amidst all of the non-fiction I read, and sometimes, the book-ADD (Oooh, look! another!) takes me away from some I really like. Such was the case for this series ... and now that I've returned, I need to clean up the trail and keep going... wild trip, nasty cliffhanger, imaginative story, it's all here. I like steampunk because its a science fantasy that is impossible, so its okay to just roll with the flow and not have to unavoidably analyze or over-analyze what the author(s) is doing. Ballantine and Morris make it easy. I was beginning to get pretty annoyed (along with the characters, it turned out), at one thread of exacerbating unrequitement, but that was resolved. And I was quite pleased to see one particular real life inventor painted in the light he needed to be, and his rival in the light he need to be (I generally don't do spoilers for fiction - disservice to a reader and the author, though I did give away the genders here). Eliza and Wellington make quite the pair and I look forward to the next adventure.

One oddity seen, as part of the arc this time involved a colorful "western" character (think "pardner" western): one exchange had a character referring to some young women as "phillies". Now, my best friend is a lifelong Phillies fan and would have loved that, the correct spelling of that disparagement is "fillies", which was correct when in singular form later.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of critical reviews dampened my enthusiasm for Dawn's Early Light following the whirlwind of an ending in The Janus Affair and I went into book 3 with significantly lowered expectations. I think it turned out for the best, because I was able to enjoy the action to the fullest (now that Books & Braun have finally departed from the Archives to work in the field) - the authors have a real talent for writing heart-stopping action - while being prepared at the same time for the tedious relationship conflict that I was forewarned would ensue. As a result I enjoyed this third installment, but certainly not anywhere near as much as the previous two.

We left off at the cusp of a great many changes to the lives of Agents Wellington Books and Eliza Braun; not only had they been promoted to field agents and sent on mission to America, but Welly's secret (he's quite possibly the best marksman in England) was out and there were major positive developments in their romantic relationship. Leaving the romance aside for now, this should have heralded a darn exciting plot for the third book, now that our agents are on the move and out of the Archives, right?

Wrong. I have to say - the plot (the main mystery at the heart of Dawn's Early Light, that is) really did not compare favourably to the preceding novels. Where Phoenix Rising and The Janus Affair introduced tension-filled, suspenseful and delightfully complex "mysterious occurrences," there was none of that in this book. The mysterious occurrence barely remained a mystery for very long - the problem was introduced, I barely had time to process what it entailed, and then it was conveniently explained. The rest of the story dealt with the agents trying to stop the evil mastermind behind this latest scheme, but what basically boiled down to a cross-country chase lacked appeal. It also lacked the pressing sense of urgency, fear and looming threat that the previous books held - "Oh, airships are being zapped from the sky? Meh." The actual acts of violence and mayhem are kept at such a distance from the protagonists that they almost felt incidental.

As I mentioned earlier, however, one can't fault the thrilling action scenes or the seamless integration of the steampunk aesthetic with the settings and people that populated the Victorian era. I love how wholly part of the story the "science" is - we don't get airships and gadgets just thrown in for the sake of being "steampunk" as in many other books. The technology, and Welly's inventions in particular (his enhanced motorcar!), is so much fun. I also love every chance Welly has to show off his marksmanship because I adore it when he gets a chance to be awesome - keep 'em coming!

Where Dawn's Early Light faltered was the dragging out of the romantic developments between Welly and Eliza; their individual character development suffered as well as a result. Their sparkling partnership, with all its zippy banter, humour, attraction and general fun, was what made the first two installments so good. For all their disagreements, they worked perfectly as a team and through their interactions we learnt more about their strengths, weaknesses and quirks. But this third installment essentially shoots all that in the foot by introducing a series of silly misunderstandings that serve only to delay (and even set back) the relationship progress they'd made in The Janus Affair. Why couldn't they have just communicated a little?!

This is not helped by the actual mission, in which Welly and Eliza are sent to provide assistance to a team working for the Ministry's American counterpart, the OSM - the team, of course, is a male/female combo clearly meant to introduce additional romantic conflict. At least two thirds of the book has Welly working with his archivist/librarian counterpart, Agent Felicity Lovelace, and Eliza with Agent Bill - jealousy, of course, ensued.

I have to say I actually liked a little jealousy to shake things up as far as Eliza went, however - the one thing that seriously aggravated me in The Janus Affair was the way she trampled all over Wellington's feelings during her fling with her former beau. Wellington was the only one who was hurt in that entire affair and I am terribly fond of him. It was therefore... well, fun, to see Eliza getting a much needed wake up call, now that she's on the other end - she's the one suffering uncertainty over where she stands with Welly for once and more desperate for his attention than he is for hers. As annoying as I found the American agents, Felicity Lovelace's presence was necessary if only to finally call attention to the (frankly) terrible way Eliza had treated Welly since Book 1; despite being WELL AWARE of how many talents he possesses and having witnessed first hand his capability in the field, she insists on treating him dismissively, condescendingly and constantly undermining his abilities. It irritates me that ultimately Eliza was still the one who forced Wellington to confess his feelings for her as if she's the only one who deserved an explanation, though, and she's still a long way from respecting him as an equal instead of treating him like a rookie that she has to train (I loved it when Doctor Sound told her straight to her face that Wellington is as good an agent as she is), but... baby steps.

This is why I hope they might return (at least part of the time) to the Archives in the next book; no matter how capable Wellington is in the field, the Archives is the one area where he is truly on equal footing with Eliza. But with the discovery of the Maestro's identity (and it came as a complete surprise to me, which I loved), some major obstacles between Welly and Eliza ironed out, the promise of a return to England and some intriguing revelations as to the involvement of the royal family in the plots to date, the fourth book promises to be an improvement on this one.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third novel in the “Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences” series is another fun romp of 1890’s era steampunk adventure. This time our two intrepid agents travel to America where they team up with two members from the corresponding “Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical”. Their mission is to determine who is behind a series of disasters involving nautical and aeronautical mishaps and the deaths of hundreds. Their journey takes them from the Carolinas to Detroit, to Flagstaff Arizona, and on to San Francisco. Along the way they encounter famous personages such as Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla as well as a few friends and foes from previous adventures. Side plots involve an assassin intent on keeping the agents at bay, the kidnapping of Prince Albert Edward, as well as further clues on what may be happening back home with none other than Queen Victoria and her plans.

I suppose it’s possible that this book can be read and enjoyed by itself, but I would recommend starting at the beginning with Phoenix Rising or else risk being in the dark on several plot arcs. This novel also ends on a sort of cliffhanger but certainly works well to leave the reader chomping at the bit to get to the next one. It appears the stakes will increase yet again as we head back to London.

This is shaping up to be a nice series, especially for those who like their steampunk mixed with gaslight historical fantasy.

[Mike Billington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agents Braun and Books are on the trail of an American legend - none other than Thomas Edison.
Why?
Because Edison is, in this version of alternative history, an evil man who has "appropriated" inventions by Henry Ford and Nikolai Tesla in a plot to destroy San Francisco.
I won't go very deeply into the plot because that could spoil the novel for those that haven't yet read it. I will say that Eliza Braun and Wellington Books are paired with a couple of American agents in their efforts to thwart Edison.
As is typical of many Steampunk novels, there are a fair amount of fantastic inventions employed throughout the narrative - some of them more than a little hard to reckon with, truth be told. Despite that, the story moves along smartly and doesn't wander. There are also some interesting interpersonal sections of the narrative - Braun and Books trying to figure out their relationship while the two American agents (a delectable woman and a handsome man) complicate that. While not strictly part of the plot, it does add a little spice to the story.
If you're a Steampunk fan, I think you'll enjoy this novel.
And if you're not, well, it's still a pretty good adventure story.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our heroes of derring do are forced to go to America to work with their America counterparts. The story includes several fictionalized versions of famous historical characters, although I'm not completely sure how accurate their personalities are.

The romance subplot between Wellington and Eliza also develops more.
However, I'm not sure how I feel about their relationship overall. Eliza's rash bevahior can be funny to read, but in the long run might not be good for Wellington. Only time will tell.

In regard to the main plot, like the earlier books, its hard to guess where the mystery will go, who's behind it, or what's going on. There's lots of unique, clever, and often unrealistic gagdets used in the many action sequences of the book. I suppose that's part of the fun. This book would fit well as a movie.

Overall, compared to the previous book, I liked it better. More action, gadgets, mystery, and unique characters. Will read the next book in the series.

[Estott]

I'm not giving this any stars because of personal piques against it. I'm an Edison fan and putting him into the villain's seat here - as well as the Tesla worship - makes my blood boil.

Henry Ford is cast as a victim here- Golly Gee, we really ARE in an alternate world of fantasy here now.

As to the rest of the book- too much bickering and whining about who kissed who and why they did & who's a bitch? The actual plot is sound enough, but there is enough of it for TWO books- and way too many characters - some of which (like Van) seem to be introduced out of nowhere just so they might turn up later in the series. There are WAY too many characters, and when the Prince of Wales gets shoved into a tertiary plotline that means something should have been edited.

If the next book is this bad, the rest of the series (I bought them all at the authors table at a Con) will go into my give away pile.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agents Books and Braun are sent off to America as part of the fallout of the Janus Affair. In America, they join two agents of the Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical - the USA's counterpart to the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences - in investigating a series of air and naval ship disappearances off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Their joint investigation led them to suspect foul play. And then overheard conversation between a House of Usher operative and Thomas Edison raised their suspicions. There is plenty of actions, narrow escapes, giant airships, and evil villains to keep the action humming along like a runaway dynamo on a Tesla machine. This was a fun story to hear read. Now I need to get the next volume to see what the cliffhanger ending portends for Books and Braun!

[Gail Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books and Braun are at it again, the personal relationship and their reactions to each other does keep this a very readable series. The irritant in the oyster with the introduction of Bill and Felicity certainly added a piquancy to the mix.

The inclusion of some real-life characters left me in two minds about the book. I could see both benefits and problems with the inclusion, but overall it didn't get in the way of a ripping yarn. There are a great many twists and turns in this instalment and some of which felt like they should have been dealt with quicker, but on the whole it was well paced, just longer than expected.

Thoroughly enjoyable, but it got a little caught up in itself and the interludes at times felt like interruptions. I would still recommend the series highly.