It is New Year's Eve, 1875. In this humorously told Steampunk tale, adventure-prone Ichabod Temperance and his lovely sweetheart, Miss Persephone Plumtartt, once again find themselves swept up into a whirlwind of misadventure and international catastrophe. The entire world totters on the brink of war, as various nations develop arsenals of dreadful power. It seems as though every nation on Earth lusts for Empire. A sinister plot boils to change the course of human history. Along with a remarkable cast of characters, including sapient animals and clockwork men, our heroes find themselves plunged into unimaginable peril!
Ichabod Temperance is a silly little fellow living in historic Irondale, Alabama, USA, with his lovely muse, Miss Persephone Plumtartt, and their furry pack family.
What a unique “narrative”! This is definitely a one of a kind series. I can’t even really call it a narrative because the entirety of it is written in dialogue with brief setting statements. It reads like the close caption script to a movie, or a radio drama…. I am absolutely NOT stating this as a bad thing! I almost gave it an extra star just BECAUSE of this! It left me to fill in the blanks with my own imagination.
The alliteration in the story was so whimsical, in a very Dandy Steampunk style,
“An aura of anger arises around the metal angel of angst. The tundra trembles with trepidation at the terrible tread. The lumbering lummox looms large. James’ face, formerly framed with fearless ferocity, fails famously.”
“Poison piles up in precarious pyramids, promising portents of pushing up plenty o’ Petunias.”
“Hurrying on with our unscheduled inspection we visit vast visions of venomous vats violently vibrating, with viscous viciousness.”
Was this book written by Wayne from Letterkenny? Or Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer? The characters were all interesting. My one complaint is that because there was no inner monologue or proper narrative, is was difficult to really get to know any of them, You got a sense of what they were like, but you never really got to know them on a personal enough level to get really invested in them.
I absolutely loved the character of James Murray, the wild Australian. But, I will admit to having little clue as to what he was actually saying most of the time! (maybe that was what leant to the air of charm and mystery surrounding him. Ha ha!)
“Those imaginarian quotational markers dilly up my kwonky, Colonel. Triddie me scuppers, and blocko the diggers, am I to understand that you are involved with a plot to barbee up a method of making the populatto all gully gully?”
“Well it all started when I was just a pup-sized koala to a dingo’s relief. The upbringing I got at the hands of my Binga Bingas was priceless. Never short the berroons, I quickly made my mark in the skids. Up the Raleigh roost I came like a night squelching bird of Gongarine devouring a Tazmanian turtle tink up the gullipers.”
This book may not be for everyone, but I would love if everyone would give it a chance. It’s so unique in this copy/paste world that it’s definitely worth giving a chance. It really is different from anything I’ve ever read before, and I absolutely plan to continue with the series!
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Sit back and relax, take a minute, clear your head, ready? Because this is the last time you will be sitting still once Ichabod Temperance takes control in A World of InTemperance a whirlwind of action, fun and peril! Think Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 in the Steampunk era! (Google the reference, youngins) The ever lovable Ichabod and the brilliantly beautiful and brave Persephone Plumtartt are back and once again in the thick of trouble as they fight the good fight against global war, the quest for world domination and pretty much evil in general. This time, they are not alone, picking up unique and useful allies along the way. Sure some require some re-assembly, but the tinkerer in Ichabod is up to the task. The world of Steampunk has no idea how close it came to destruction and if not for Ichabod and Persephone, Bolt and Cogito, to name a few, an entire genre could have been lost! Is someone raising a clockwork army? Can Mr. Temperance and Miss Plumtartt foil this fatal plot? Friends and allies come in strange packages, but never once does the action let up!
Again, author Ichabod Temperance take us back in time, portrays the gentile mannerisms of a good upbringing and bestows on his readers alliteration, humor and fantastical events in rapid-fire pacing! A good sport, Mr. Temperance allows others to help tell the story from different perspectives, adding to that panoramic sense of being in the moment! This is pure adventure entertainment with a fantasy twist! Ichabod Temperance writes from the heart with a sense of humor and a dashing fare that ignites on each page. But, be warned, pay attention, lest you miss a chance to chuckle, gasp or reach for the smelling salts as we are whisked into the jaws of danger and beyond, all in the name of doing the right thing.
Series: The Adventures of Ichabod Temperance - Book 2 Publication Date: January 8, 2014 Publisher: GoldenBear Creative Works ISBN: 1497453739 Genre: Steampunk Fantasy/Adventure Print Length: 287 pages Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Ichabod Temperance is an absolutely lovable character with lots to tell. He's a happy chap, interesting and fun, enthusiastic to a fault and very much into enjoying life. Both books, A Matter of Temperance and A World of InTemperance are interesting and fun, full of facts and forms. You can see the whole world develop in your mind as he sees it through his eyes. Persephone Plumtartt is a sweet, strong yet delicate creature with whom Ichabod falls in love. The adventures they both live together are thrilling, yet for moments scary, but always told with a slight sense of humor that makes these books easy to read and the story relaxing to follow. The language in these books is educated, yet not complex. It holds a clear voice with well defined narratives that carry the reader into each scene as if watching it unfold in front of their eyes. The author has accomplished books with most pleasant characteristics, characters that are charming and easy to warm up to, funny and intellectual, prodigious in their minds and delicate in their manners. I have enjoyed these books thoroughly, the descriptions have taken me to times and places I have enjoyed visiting as a companion to our characters' adventures.
This is the amazing tale of Ichabod Temperance and his female companion Persephone Plumtartt as they travel the world on a mission to defeat alien like monsters and evil doers with new steam powered inventions.
Ichabod is the whimsical lead in this piece that happens upon Miss Plumtartt when she is in danger of being devoured by a ferocious monster of sorts; however, do not view Persephone Plumtartt as a damsel in distress, because her inner force can bring any fiend to its knees. Even though this read is a very advanced one in my opinion, it is beautifully written in a way that you can relax into it. Several point of views are used (one for each chapter), so if the book is paused and picked up again, it might be a little challenging.
The overall feel and description of the amazing cities, inventions, and modes of transportation fulfill all of your steampunk desires in this piece while Ichabod and Persephone take you on an adventure that is out of this world.
This is book two in The Adventures of Ichabod Temperance, but it is the 3rd one in the series I’ve read. I guess I started a bit backward with book 3, but I’m now on track. I’ve said in my previous reviews that these books have the feel of an old-time radio program, something like what Alien Voices as put together in the past. I still stand by that. Ichabod Temperance has a unique voice that stands out in the sea of “same old, same old”. An evil organization threatens the world using a devious plan. Ever since the Revelatory Comet passed, things have not been the same. Some animals have become more aware/intelligent. This is where the exceptional and telepathic dog, Bolt is introduced. Point of view does change from chapter to chapter and while reviewers often complain about this, I found it easy to follow. Even Bolt Cogito (the tin man) get their moments to shine. Oh, and did I mention there was more? Like vampires and such?
In A World of Intemperance, there’s plenty of action. It feels almost nonstop, from chases to chasing, to shooting, near escapes and so on. The dialogue is energetic. The story is fast-paced. Humor, excitement, witty remarks and more. It’s a fun ride that readers of this genre are sure to enjoy. If you’re a fan of the late 1800s intermixed with steampunk (thanks to the comet) or if you’ve ever sat down and listened to those old radio programs (or perhaps Alien Voices on YouTube), you’ll no doubt enjoy this series. I received a complimentary copy from the author. This review and the honest opinions expressed herein are my own.
I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into when I agreed to read A World of Intemperance, but I am SO glad I did. This is the second novel in a steampunk series, following the adventures of Ichabod Temperance and Miss Persephone Plumtartt.
This book is full of action. I’m blown away at how fast paced this story is and how energetic the dialogue and plot were. Author Ichabod Temperance has a knack for keeping his readers on the edge of their seats. I had a clear picture of everything that was happening in this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed A World of Intemperance and I highly recommend checking it out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
It's New Year’s Eve...The intrepid adventurer Ichabod Temperance and his lovely lady companion Persephone Plumtartt have finally set their feet back on American soil just in time to join the celebrations.
It would seem, however, that something fowl *ahem* I mean foul, is afoot, and the plucky pair are soon swept in to another unpredictable adventure involving voodoo practitioners, vampires, genetically modified minions, clockwork men, and hazardous bio-warfare agents!
As with 'A Matter of Temperance' puns aplenty and hilarious alliteration abound, with characters and settings styled after elements of popular culture in a wonderfully humorous fashion, such as Cluedo, The Wizard of Oz, and James Bond (the '00' is his IQ, don'tcha know?!)
The action is non-stop - from ships to trains, horse drawn sleds to zeppelins, they careen from one perilously precarious position to the next with both new and familiar faces in tow, leaving you wondering how they will get out of their latest sticky situation, and what ingenuity they'll be required to employ to do it!
I think my only complaint is the addition of others' POV's, but that's a personal preference, and to be honest, I giggled, guffawed and gasped my way from beginning to end, so ultimately it was neither here nor there.
I also loved the characters of Dee Dee and Wolfgang - It'd be great to see them again in future books *fingers crossed*
Speaking of, I'm off to start book three! Tally ho, I say, what?!
I enjoyed A World of InTemperance as much as I enjoyed A Matter of Temperance, I think that I just enjoyed it in different ways. In A World again we follow the exploits of Ichabod and Persephone. This time we get to see the story from multiple points of view, not just Ichabod and Persephone. I'm not sure if I liked that as much as the first story, for two reasons. One reason is the beginning of the story was told mainly through Ichabod's eyes. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not as much fun as in the first book where it tended to switch back and forth between Ichabod and Persephone and for a good part of the book showed their different reactions to the same situation. The Second reason is that when the story finally started to flip back and forth between characters sometimes it took a minute to figure out who was speaking. Since there were so many different voices sometimes it took me more than a minute. The story this time is also a lot more tongue in cheek and seems to take itself less seriously. There are a lot of different plays on words with the names of people and places that had me smiling constantly. Also the alliteration is amusing as well. While sometimes all the word play blew beyond the borders of corny, it was still fun. I think the comedy and corniness is what mainly won me over in this one. If you've read A Matter of Temperance and haven't gotten a chance to pick up A World of InTemperance I definitely think you should. However don't expect it to be exactly the same as the first novel. Better than the first? In my opinion they are both equally good, but for different reasons. I think the comedy is definitely higher in World. But I don't think that diminishes the fun that was had in Matter. Both books are equally enjoyable and I think this series is turning into something truly fun
I found that I didn’t enjoy this one QUITE as much as I did the first book in this series, but I did still enjoy it. I found that there was a charming quirkiness to the first one that I found lessened in this one, at least through most of the beginning, though I saw more of it as the book progressed and I enjoyed it more as I saw those things return.
This book did kind of make me think of what Patterson’s “Zoo” would have been like if it had been steampunk, and funnier, and, y’know, written better.
There were several new elements I really enjoyed: Bolt was awesome. I really liked Cogito as well. In both cases, I love when we see humanity via the inhuman. It’s a theme I really like, as anyone who has read my Adelheid series will know. Our Author continues to have a way with wonderfully color characters, which we see a lot more of in this book. Gauzot was a lot of fun, and I liked her fight scenes in particular. Piston was also very amusing.
I did find that the ending felt a little rushed, but still funky and fun. So, still a great read and one I’d definitely recommend. I even had to read a couple parts aloud to my husband that I found particularly funny. I’ll be reading the third book! A solid 4 Fireballs.
Ichabod Temperance and Miss Persephone Plumtartt strike again on a completely new and incredible adventure along with new and exciting inventions. If you enjoyed Matter of Temperance, this of course is an absolute must read sequel.
Follow the dual as they fight against a global war, meeting useful and interesting characters along the way.
Great new allies! An army swiss knife of emotions. A world of InTemperance is fun, funky, quirky, and full of action. Just as much as the first book in the series. I felt the world come to life from the many points of view. Looking forward on continuing this amazing adventure.
The second book of the adventures of Ichabod Temperance and Persephone Plumtartt was nearly as enjoyable as the first. A very well written and imaginative tale, A Matter of InTemperance was a fun continuation to our favorite steam punk couple.