Carpathians' Shard

Steam and Aether #4

by Jaxon Reed

Solomon’s Compass points toward a very specific shard in the Carpathians.
Rip’s team recovered the gem known as Solomon’s Compass, which points toward aether crystals and their shards in a special rhythm synced to Halley’s Comet. This time, the stone points resolutely toward a unique cave system in the Carpathians, guiding the Steel Comet, Ripley and the Verez family toward a special shard. But Darhaven and the Prussians are looking for aether shards, too. And the Kaiser’s zeppelins are hunting the Steel Comet, with orders to destroy on sight . . .

Don't miss the fourth book in this stunning steampunk gamelit adventure! Veteran science fiction and military fantasy author, two-time Kindle Scout winner Jaxon Reed presents an exciting series set in a fantastic gaslamp universe! Featuring fistfights, machineguns, gang warfare, dungeon crawls and sci-fi adventure, Steam and Aether garnered tens of thousands of reads on Royal Road and was a 2022 Writathon winner!

Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2023

About the author

Jaxon Reed is a speculative fiction author and two-time winner of Amazon's Kindle Scout program.

Jaxon is an Aggie, living in Texas on a ranch with his wife and boys, several cats, and one pound dog.

Sign up for new release alerts, sales and freebies at https://jaxonreed.substack.com

Reviews

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rip and his team are at it again as they continue the quest from the last book and use the Compass to find a new shard. But of course things are never easy and straight forward and the adventure and fun is just as good as the rest of the series. New characters are introduced, all my favorites are back and doing damage as usual, and a few surprises pop up too. And Rip is at his best and dealing out damage with his usual gusto as him and hi steam do what they do best and cause mayhem. Laughed and entertained throughout the story. Easy to read and so so hard to put down.

[Karen Collyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four books into the Steam and Aether series and I am still gripped by the characters and storyline. I can't wait to see what happens next.
I love the alternate dimension that Rip Coulter has fallen into. It is rich and well thought out. The plot is inventive and well constructed.
Stories to be treasured and re-read.

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

His latest quest takes out hero deep into the mountains, but he is not alone. He and his team are being hunted and they are going to be cutoff from any assistance. Time for stealth mode.

This is book four of the series. It does okay as a standalone, but will be much more enjoyable if read in order.

This is a science fiction action story with a steampunk setting. The story is well written and easy to read with a fast paced action plot that starts fast and builds. Steampunk settings are always fun to explore with little surprises around every corner and this one is no exception. The characters are also very well done, particularly our hero. The journey has lots of twists and turns to it that kept me turning pages to see what was coming next. Overall, a highly enjoyable story and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest installment of the Steam & Aether actually spends more than half the book outside of Ethinium, that world's counterpart to our London. Much of the action takes place on the continent. Our fearless heroes are on a quest to find a crystal shard that will be able to help them enhance more people and objects to prepare for war. I enjoy the way Reed has created this universe as an alternate to our own. There are differences a plenty, but also just enough similarities to make it feel real. We are treated to a mix of steampunk and paranormal. The story is imaginative and in the hands of another author would be simply unbelievable, but this author manages to make it fantastic. This is part of a serial, so I eagerly await the next installment. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book four and Rip and his team are on a quest with Solomon’s compass to locate a very special shard. Of course things don’t go to plan but then it wouldn’t be an exciting and thrilling adventure if they did! It’s a captivating and entertaining addition with incredible world building and a perfect blend of steampunk, sci-fi and paranormal you find yourself on an incredible action packed journey with some olds friends and along the way even make some new ones! I thoroughly enjoy this series and cannot wait to read more.

[tburbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This latest addition to Steam & Aether was well written and kept me coming back for more thanks to the endearing characters along with the engaging story line.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.