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Steamborn #1-3
Steamborn: The Complete Trilogy
A supernatural swarm. A treacherous scheme. A tinker’s apprentice may be the village’s only hope…
STEAMBORN (Book 1)
Jacob has yet to meet a gadget he couldn’t fix or an adventure he could resist. With trade routes to his remote Lowlands town cut off, Jacob must exchange his boyhood adventures for petty theft. After all, his wages at the tinker shop aren’t enough to pay for his father’s medicine.
But it soon becomes clear why few merchants brave the nearby roads as a plague of terrifying creatures descends upon the town. With the Lowlands under siege, Jacob and his friend have no choice but to run for their lives. When their escape uncovers a terrible secret, Jacob learns there are those who’ll stop at nothing to make sure the teen takes the scandal to his grave…
STEAMFORGED (Book 2)
There are old wounds in the forgotten places of the world, and some are soaked with blood.
Jacob and his friends fled into the Deadlands after the fall of Ancora. With the city now under the Butcher’s control, they’re going to need help if they ever hope to return home. Venturing to the desert city of Bollwerk, they seek an old ally who may hold answers that could prevent a war.
But the path to Bollwerk is rife with danger. Sky needles. Fire lizards. Around each arid bend lies a new threat. Their enemies are many. Their chances... few. If they don’t find Archibald, ruler of Bollwerk, and convince him to join their cause, however, their very lives could be claimed by the desolate wasteland that calls to their souls.
STEAMSWORN (Book 3)
The world died, only to be reborn in war. It was the way of things, but change comes with the wind...
Flanked by Bollwerk’s forces, Jacob and his friends march to the front lines of Dauschen, their sister city. There they find the armies of Fel cutting off the path to Ancora, and slaughtering any sympathizers.
Jacob learned how deadly the desert could be, yet even that pales under the cloud of the coming battle. While Jacob journeys to Dauschen, Alice stays behind to focus on her training. They defeated one Deadlands warlord, but she knows they have to be ready for what’s coming.
Forged in the Deadlands crucible, and armed with the knowledge of their true enemy, Jacob, Alice, and their allies bring the fight back to Ancora. Blood will be spilled. Lives will be lost. In the darkest hour, vengeance will light their path to a new era of hope.
STEAMBORN (Book 1)
Jacob has yet to meet a gadget he couldn’t fix or an adventure he could resist. With trade routes to his remote Lowlands town cut off, Jacob must exchange his boyhood adventures for petty theft. After all, his wages at the tinker shop aren’t enough to pay for his father’s medicine.
But it soon becomes clear why few merchants brave the nearby roads as a plague of terrifying creatures descends upon the town. With the Lowlands under siege, Jacob and his friend have no choice but to run for their lives. When their escape uncovers a terrible secret, Jacob learns there are those who’ll stop at nothing to make sure the teen takes the scandal to his grave…
STEAMFORGED (Book 2)
There are old wounds in the forgotten places of the world, and some are soaked with blood.
Jacob and his friends fled into the Deadlands after the fall of Ancora. With the city now under the Butcher’s control, they’re going to need help if they ever hope to return home. Venturing to the desert city of Bollwerk, they seek an old ally who may hold answers that could prevent a war.
But the path to Bollwerk is rife with danger. Sky needles. Fire lizards. Around each arid bend lies a new threat. Their enemies are many. Their chances... few. If they don’t find Archibald, ruler of Bollwerk, and convince him to join their cause, however, their very lives could be claimed by the desolate wasteland that calls to their souls.
STEAMSWORN (Book 3)
The world died, only to be reborn in war. It was the way of things, but change comes with the wind...
Flanked by Bollwerk’s forces, Jacob and his friends march to the front lines of Dauschen, their sister city. There they find the armies of Fel cutting off the path to Ancora, and slaughtering any sympathizers.
Jacob learned how deadly the desert could be, yet even that pales under the cloud of the coming battle. While Jacob journeys to Dauschen, Alice stays behind to focus on her training. They defeated one Deadlands warlord, but she knows they have to be ready for what’s coming.
Forged in the Deadlands crucible, and armed with the knowledge of their true enemy, Jacob, Alice, and their allies bring the fight back to Ancora. Blood will be spilled. Lives will be lost. In the darkest hour, vengeance will light their path to a new era of hope.
742 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2024
712 people are currently reading
642 people want to read
About the author
Eric R. Asher
58 books666 followersEric R. Asher is the author of over 30 titles, including the Vesik urban fantasy series and the YA steampunk series, Steamborn. Look for his upcoming cozy fantasy, The Theme Park at the End of the World, in 2024. He is currently living in St. Louis, Missouri, where the local folklore often finds its way into his Mason Dixon: Monster Hunter rural fantasy series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
September 5, 2018
I saw this series scroll by my Facebook feed and thought it looked cool. Since then, I have learned never get books that scroll by my Facebook feed. This book was just dumb. It was completely inconsistent and a hodge-podge of other stories. The only original thing about it (at least for me) was steampunk aspect. However, I felt like I was getting my nose rubbed into the gadgets at the least opportune time ..."the spiders were all over...everyone is about to die, unless Jacob can - oh my, look at how this little lever moves so fluidly and the gears are in perfect symmetry." Jeeeezzz set aside the widgets for Q's lab tour, not the middle of a fight! The endless inconsistency about the characters was also aggravating. The main character, Jacob, is 14. His pal/girlfriend is also 14. Somehow they range from 'can't be trusted alone' to 'the best pickpocket in the city' to 'I'm 14 but killed the baddest assed warlord in the world' to 'rallying resistance forces to win an impossible war." STOP IT. Even Alexander the Great wasn't that awesome at 14. There were even a few times I thought I might puke with cliche nonsense like "he cannot die...he hasn't lived enough, he hasn't loved enough," or "I never again thought I would find someone I would follow into Hell." This whole series was little more than a 'hero's journey' checklist with no glue to hold it together.
April 11, 2018
Fantastically written
And now I hope this series will go beyond just a trilogy. The characters development is what makes it a great read. I find myself wanting to know more of the future of the main characters Jacob and Alice, but also everybody else such as Mary, Smith and even Charles Von Atlier. Which of course means knowing about their past... Great world development there as well. Crossing my fingers for more :-)
And now I hope this series will go beyond just a trilogy. The characters development is what makes it a great read. I find myself wanting to know more of the future of the main characters Jacob and Alice, but also everybody else such as Mary, Smith and even Charles Von Atlier. Which of course means knowing about their past... Great world development there as well. Crossing my fingers for more :-)
October 13, 2024
A true to form steampunk/clockpunk novel with airships steam-engines, mechanical cyborgs and mutated insects and spiders.
November 14, 2017
This is another of my reviews that I first posted on Audible - the review is for the audio version of the book, obviously:)
And to clarify things first, it's 4.5 stars for the story, 5 stars for the performance - so it's 5 stars overall:)
This is my first book both by Eric Asher and Saskia Maarleveld, and I must admit it's been a very good experience. The plot of the trilogy is intriguing, well-developed, full of suspense and adventure and still not all gloomy and tragic, with hope lurking in the darkest of moments. Though it started a little slow for me, it soon sped up and kept that fast enough pace to the end. Also, the world created by Mr Asher is rich in detail, descriptions are vivid and imaginative, and all that makes for a fascinating listen.
I liked the main characters a lot, they felt real, 3-dimensional, with their quirks and their merits making them even more relatable. You just take to some of them right from the start and you hate others from page one; none of them leaves you indifferent, really, which is good in such a long story.
The narration by Ms Maarleveld is very good. It may seem a little too slow or too unemotional at times in the narrative parts, but she makes up for it in the dialogues; the characters really come to life with her ability to use so many voices for such various characters, each given their own personal manner of speaking. That's a real art, in my opinion.
So, to sum it up, I think fans of fantasy in general may and will probably like it, but fans of dystopian worlds will definitely love it.
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
And to clarify things first, it's 4.5 stars for the story, 5 stars for the performance - so it's 5 stars overall:)
This is my first book both by Eric Asher and Saskia Maarleveld, and I must admit it's been a very good experience. The plot of the trilogy is intriguing, well-developed, full of suspense and adventure and still not all gloomy and tragic, with hope lurking in the darkest of moments. Though it started a little slow for me, it soon sped up and kept that fast enough pace to the end. Also, the world created by Mr Asher is rich in detail, descriptions are vivid and imaginative, and all that makes for a fascinating listen.
I liked the main characters a lot, they felt real, 3-dimensional, with their quirks and their merits making them even more relatable. You just take to some of them right from the start and you hate others from page one; none of them leaves you indifferent, really, which is good in such a long story.
The narration by Ms Maarleveld is very good. It may seem a little too slow or too unemotional at times in the narrative parts, but she makes up for it in the dialogues; the characters really come to life with her ability to use so many voices for such various characters, each given their own personal manner of speaking. That's a real art, in my opinion.
So, to sum it up, I think fans of fantasy in general may and will probably like it, but fans of dystopian worlds will definitely love it.
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
December 22, 2022
I love Steampunk, and this trilogy ticked all the right boxes. Unlike most steampunk, this world is not based on Victorian England, or even on earth, although the characters are all human. There are different races and ages and a large cast of characters that are sometimes hard to keep straight.
I also liked the emphasis on bugs and monstrous creatures. Think Aragog and Shelob. Some are tame; others are lethal. The weaponry is atypical. The differing countries and class systems aren't unique but feel fresh.
The one thing that grated a bit on listening was the constant use of "said" as in "he said" or "she said". Perhaps my eyes would have glossed over these words if I had been reading, but hearing them during the dialogue often seemed clunky. Of course, dialogue on the page can more easily move from one character to the other without being full of tags, while a poor narrator could make it difficult to understand who is actually speaking. This narrator handled the various voices well enough that tags could have been dispensed with. It's a style choice made by the author and the story works well either way.
I also liked the emphasis on bugs and monstrous creatures. Think Aragog and Shelob. Some are tame; others are lethal. The weaponry is atypical. The differing countries and class systems aren't unique but feel fresh.
The one thing that grated a bit on listening was the constant use of "said" as in "he said" or "she said". Perhaps my eyes would have glossed over these words if I had been reading, but hearing them during the dialogue often seemed clunky. Of course, dialogue on the page can more easily move from one character to the other without being full of tags, while a poor narrator could make it difficult to understand who is actually speaking. This narrator handled the various voices well enough that tags could have been dispensed with. It's a style choice made by the author and the story works well either way.
October 26, 2017
I love a good trilogy!!! and this one delivered 100% Eric Asher truly brings you on a journey!!!
In book one you learn who the players are and see them in what you feel will be their natural world. they slowly develop and mature. He slowly brings you to a cliff hanger at the end that makes you run to book 2 to see what happens next. book 2 deepens the character development, the stroy line, the background. and in true Eric style ties some things in from book one. This is one of the things I love about this author he always ties it all in nothing is ever just left out there. He introduces new characters and he does in a very organic way and tell their back stories as part of the NOW story. I like that. it makes me feel like I am in the book not just reading it. by the end of book 2 you are in the thick of the story and ready to jump into book 3 to see where it will go. and book three moves and shakes! it is fast paced and has many passages I had to read over just because I was like OH MY GOSH!!!
In book one you learn who the players are and see them in what you feel will be their natural world. they slowly develop and mature. He slowly brings you to a cliff hanger at the end that makes you run to book 2 to see what happens next. book 2 deepens the character development, the stroy line, the background. and in true Eric style ties some things in from book one. This is one of the things I love about this author he always ties it all in nothing is ever just left out there. He introduces new characters and he does in a very organic way and tell their back stories as part of the NOW story. I like that. it makes me feel like I am in the book not just reading it. by the end of book 2 you are in the thick of the story and ready to jump into book 3 to see where it will go. and book three moves and shakes! it is fast paced and has many passages I had to read over just because I was like OH MY GOSH!!!
November 7, 2017
This was simply an enjoyable listen. In the age-old fight between good and evil, teenage Jacob, along with friends old and new, embarks upon a dangerous journey to discover who was behind the deadly attack on his city. He suffers a nearly fatal injury, only then to undergo a medical procedure that will save him and change him all at once. A teenage crush will grow into something more throughout Jacob's travels to save his home and his neighbors. Worst of all, Jacob will endure the loss of his mentor and friend. Will Jacob and his friends succeed in overthrowing the menace seeking to destroy everything they hold dear? Or will his boiling inner turmoil overshadow his better judgment?
Clever and very well written, author Eric Asher has created a fantastic land of people and creatures and machines that delighted my imagination. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld does a marvelous job in her performance. Overall, very well done!
I was provided a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review. Many thanks for this opportunity!
Clever and very well written, author Eric Asher has created a fantastic land of people and creatures and machines that delighted my imagination. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld does a marvelous job in her performance. Overall, very well done!
I was provided a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review. Many thanks for this opportunity!
February 11, 2019
At first I was a bit sceptical to the story, and unsure about the target audience. The beginning felt somewhat childish. That changed soon however, as the characters became better known and the bigger picture became more apparent. The story itself may not be totally original, I found it well written and captivating, and while some of the contraptions described didn’t really make sense, I still was fascinated by the explanations. The setting is a post apocalyptic one with several references to our time, but I was unable to place where in our world the events took place. Not that it really matters.
I wonder if there will be another book in the story. All the strings were not tied up and the bigger conflict not solved at the end of the third book. Nevertheless, the trilogy finished properly, and there wasn’t a cliffhanger type ending. Should the author write a sequel, or two, I would welcome an end to the bigger conflict, as well as more details on what disaster ended our world and how the giant bugs came to be so giant.
I wonder if there will be another book in the story. All the strings were not tied up and the bigger conflict not solved at the end of the third book. Nevertheless, the trilogy finished properly, and there wasn’t a cliffhanger type ending. Should the author write a sequel, or two, I would welcome an end to the bigger conflict, as well as more details on what disaster ended our world and how the giant bugs came to be so giant.
August 9, 2017
A fully immersive fantasy, well written and a delight to escape into.
There's a great deal to like about this trilogy from the vibrant, fully developed characters of diversity to the wonderful world building and the well described steampunk devices.
It's also a coming of age story of friends, young Jacob the apprentice tinker and Alice, who doesn't suffer fools gladly, or at all for that matter.
Conspiracy, battles, loss and friendship, this tale encompasses them all. Superbly written, deftly crafted and a resoundingly entrancing read.
If you're at all skittish around bugs you'll really enjoy the giant ones inhabiting this world! The bugs I was okay with, the giant spiders that the Knights protecting the city ride took me a little longer to be comfortable around, but who could maintain the fear for long when the fuzzy, friendly arachnid Bessie was involved. She rapidly won me over.
There's a great deal to like about this trilogy from the vibrant, fully developed characters of diversity to the wonderful world building and the well described steampunk devices.
It's also a coming of age story of friends, young Jacob the apprentice tinker and Alice, who doesn't suffer fools gladly, or at all for that matter.
Conspiracy, battles, loss and friendship, this tale encompasses them all. Superbly written, deftly crafted and a resoundingly entrancing read.
If you're at all skittish around bugs you'll really enjoy the giant ones inhabiting this world! The bugs I was okay with, the giant spiders that the Knights protecting the city ride took me a little longer to be comfortable around, but who could maintain the fear for long when the fuzzy, friendly arachnid Bessie was involved. She rapidly won me over.
December 14, 2018
It strikes me that there doesn't seem to be a explanation for the stars that are given. So I thought I'd start giving my take on it.
1 horrible no redeeming qualities. So far I've never given a 1.
2 blah but there are redeeming qualities.
3 ok worth reading.
4 great but there's something off.
5 loved it.
So now about this trilogy. I'd call it a everyone book I'm 55 and loved it. A great series, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't do it to you by going into details.
The narrator brings the story to life.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Easy-to-read/listen, Entertaining, Action-packed.
Bookshelves/tags:
adventure, collection, dystopian, futuristic, romance, tragic, young-adult.
This Audio book was given to me at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
1 horrible no redeeming qualities. So far I've never given a 1.
2 blah but there are redeeming qualities.
3 ok worth reading.
4 great but there's something off.
5 loved it.
So now about this trilogy. I'd call it a everyone book I'm 55 and loved it. A great series, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't do it to you by going into details.
The narrator brings the story to life.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Easy-to-read/listen, Entertaining, Action-packed.
Bookshelves/tags:
adventure, collection, dystopian, futuristic, romance, tragic, young-adult.
This Audio book was given to me at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
April 20, 2025
3.5 probably... A good, if sometimes oddly written, tale of steampunk adventure. There were places where I found the word choice and sentence structure a bit jarring, for reasons I can quite explain. I think this is a reading level cusp book, that straddles the line between kids and young adult fiction, and I think that trying to balance between the two has something to do with it. For most of the story I viewed the main characters as kid kids, like 12-14. but there were places where it seemed like they should be much older, closer to 18-20. I think the book says they are 15 ish, so that would work out okay but there's certainly a sense of "they are whichever is convenient in the moment" I really enjoyed the steampunk elements and the way that the mechanics were depicted. I would have liked a little more world building, and the end was quite abrupt, as if it were meant to be more than a trilogy. overall, a solid read.
May 13, 2020
Decent young adult fiction. Emphasis on the young. 3 stars for creativity.
I wanted to love this. Steampunk weapons, knights riding giant spiders, even bigger bugs attacking the hero's town. But it feels simple, written for a 6th grade audience, with limited world building, character development, and basic dialogue where the characters just describe what they're going to do. This effect was doubled in the audiobook, where the narrator could only manage one male voice, so the teenage protagonist, his 20-something friend, father, and 60-ish friend all sound like the same person. I had to wait for the "said Jacob" to know who was talking.
Adult me was half bored, due to having come straight from master of dialogue Scalzi, so probably not a fair judgement. Still, I think I would have enjoyed this more at 12, and an anime version of this book would have been the coolest thing ever.
I wanted to love this. Steampunk weapons, knights riding giant spiders, even bigger bugs attacking the hero's town. But it feels simple, written for a 6th grade audience, with limited world building, character development, and basic dialogue where the characters just describe what they're going to do. This effect was doubled in the audiobook, where the narrator could only manage one male voice, so the teenage protagonist, his 20-something friend, father, and 60-ish friend all sound like the same person. I had to wait for the "said Jacob" to know who was talking.
Adult me was half bored, due to having come straight from master of dialogue Scalzi, so probably not a fair judgement. Still, I think I would have enjoyed this more at 12, and an anime version of this book would have been the coolest thing ever.
October 25, 2017
I already had this book in my wishlist, so I really appreciate Audiobook Boom giving me the chance to listen for free and review the book. I am drawn to all things steampunk, and I also appreciate teenagers taking a stand, fully participating and kicking butt. I may not be a teenager anymore, but I distinctly remember these feelings and they are well represented in the Steamborn Trilogy.
The mechanically minded will appreciate the intricacies of the tinker's inventions. The adventurer will be on the edge of their seats as they run through tunnels, sail on airships, and fight hand to hand battles with enemies of all stripes. The romantic in you will probably wish the relationships were more developed.
This is a must read for the Steampunk in you!
The mechanically minded will appreciate the intricacies of the tinker's inventions. The adventurer will be on the edge of their seats as they run through tunnels, sail on airships, and fight hand to hand battles with enemies of all stripes. The romantic in you will probably wish the relationships were more developed.
This is a must read for the Steampunk in you!
December 3, 2017
This was, simply, a fantastic series! Imaginative, vivid, and unique. Full of surprises!
The fantastic friendships in these books are what make them so excellent. Characters full of courage, drive, passion, compassion, and the backbone to do what is right, not necessarily easy.
Absolutely engaging and a pleasure to listen to. The words are brought to vivid clarity by this narrator, take an awesome series and make it five times more enjoyable with just one voice!
Emotional and heartwarming, heartbreaking and action packed. You get so totally vested in these character's adventures that seeing the danger they face make your breath catch and your stomach tie in knots.
Wonderful, wonderful series for people of almost any age!
The fantastic friendships in these books are what make them so excellent. Characters full of courage, drive, passion, compassion, and the backbone to do what is right, not necessarily easy.
Absolutely engaging and a pleasure to listen to. The words are brought to vivid clarity by this narrator, take an awesome series and make it five times more enjoyable with just one voice!
Emotional and heartwarming, heartbreaking and action packed. You get so totally vested in these character's adventures that seeing the danger they face make your breath catch and your stomach tie in knots.
Wonderful, wonderful series for people of almost any age!
February 15, 2023
3 Books Triple the Fun!
Eric Asher never ceases to amaze me. He draws the reader in and doesn't let them go!
This Steamboat Trilogy will keep you on the edge of your seat. You will forget to eat and drink and sleep as you follow the adventures of all the characters in these books. You will get lulled into safely thinking you can stop reading in just a moment and BAM!!! Something happens to make your heart start racing again! And off you go living the life of the characters in the book as if it were your own. The food, the drinks, the environment, the people. Everything is described in living, breathing color! You won't be disappointed unless you don't like bugs, then you might get bigger scares.
Eric Asher never ceases to amaze me. He draws the reader in and doesn't let them go!
This Steamboat Trilogy will keep you on the edge of your seat. You will forget to eat and drink and sleep as you follow the adventures of all the characters in these books. You will get lulled into safely thinking you can stop reading in just a moment and BAM!!! Something happens to make your heart start racing again! And off you go living the life of the characters in the book as if it were your own. The food, the drinks, the environment, the people. Everything is described in living, breathing color! You won't be disappointed unless you don't like bugs, then you might get bigger scares.
May 23, 2024
I don’t actually remember when I read this, but I know it was last year. Just forgot to add it. Anyways, I remembered not loving to for several reasons, but didn’t think it was terrible.
The giant bug thing was interesting enough and the mystery of the-truth-behind-the-lies theme was done well enough. I did like the diversity of the characters and the equal (shooting from the him here) distribution of plot points between male and female characters. There was also much to admire regarding the treatment of ‘others’ and those with disabilities, but overall, I wasn’t sucked into this world.
Regardless, the next set went on sale and I’m a collector of audiobooks at this point, so I’m diving back in. I should also add that these were the first steampunk books I’d ever read.
The giant bug thing was interesting enough and the mystery of the-truth-behind-the-lies theme was done well enough. I did like the diversity of the characters and the equal (shooting from the him here) distribution of plot points between male and female characters. There was also much to admire regarding the treatment of ‘others’ and those with disabilities, but overall, I wasn’t sucked into this world.
Regardless, the next set went on sale and I’m a collector of audiobooks at this point, so I’m diving back in. I should also add that these were the first steampunk books I’d ever read.
November 9, 2017
Oh my, there's a lot going on in this trilogy. In fact, I might have to rethink my usual aversion to steampunk because I loved this! The detail and imagination of the author just blew me away and the descriptions of the various bugs was mind-boggling. Wonderful characters, imaginative world building, lots of action and memorable dialogue made the time fly. Saskia Maarleveld did a terrific job with the narration and made a great listening experience even better. I really enjoyed Steamborn: The Complete Trilogy Box Set and would highly recommend it.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This review is my honest opinion.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This review is my honest opinion.
October 2, 2019
Listening to this series on Audible. I'm halfway through the 2nd book, and have been thoroughly immersed this far in a richly detailed, fantastical world that is as beautiful as it is horrific. The worst threats are not the amazing monsters, but the villianous intents of men. The characters are anything but flat, and the relationships between them are believable, not shallow or cliche. I look forward to seeing how this journey ends. Nothing thus far has been predictable, but the story has flowed organically without any awkwardness or random acts of god for the sake of story movement. I just discovered this author, and I will most definitely be reading the rest of his library.
May 28, 2020
I have "read" this story several times via Audible. Have the complete trilogy from Audible and it is one of my favorites. I have read quite a few steampunk books and this one is a great example. Rich characters set in a rich world. The main pair of characters really grow through the books even though the events of the story is only a few months. My only complaint was there were a few plot point that were kind of left open. The whereabouts of the main characters parents is kind of left open and I would have liked to at least know what happened to them. A great story That I will revisit again for sure!
September 7, 2021
I'm normally a sci-fi or fantasy reader, but I was interested in getting more into steampunk. I read some reviews and reading lists, settling on the Steamborn trilogy to satisfy my appetite for gears and steam, goggles and airships. Eric R. Asher did not disappoint! Steamborn is a young adult, classically steampunkish sort of book series that kept me engaged for the entire ride. Giant bugs, hints of a past apocalypse which drove modern humanity back a tech level, "bangers", "burners", and frickin' flying ships - gotta' love it. Especially the giant bugs, which I didn't really expect, going into it. Spider knights might be one of my favorite visuals.
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November 30, 2018Steamborn, Steamforged, and Steamsworn, my third read/listen from author Eric Asher. An inventive fantasy novel with a heavy dash of Steampunk. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld’s talented narration & intriguing accent adds greatly to the book’s enjoyment. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. I’d gotten this back in July of 2017 and am just now getting around to reading it, my mistake. Well-written, with well-developed characters.
June 3, 2020
This trilogy was much better than I anticipated. Once I started it I didn't want to put it down. The two main characters are fifteen years old, but there was no teenage angst to be found. All three of the books are character driven and the characters are engaging. The world building was excellent and the descriptions were well done. I was fascinated by it all. If you like steampunk fantasy with a good vs evil theme then you will like these books.
April 25, 2018
An engaging story that kept me turning the get pages
For the first time in a long time I have been unable to put my tablet down, the story lines are solid and firmly planted in steampunk. Yes there grammatical errors here and there and the occasional requirement to read a line twice due to choose I choice of wording but I can whole heartedly say it has been a good adventure
For the first time in a long time I have been unable to put my tablet down, the story lines are solid and firmly planted in steampunk. Yes there grammatical errors here and there and the occasional requirement to read a line twice due to choose I choice of wording but I can whole heartedly say it has been a good adventure
October 12, 2019
Audiobook review: This series is not my normal for go to reading/listening but I'm glad I stepped outside my comfort zone! The author takes the audience on quite an adventure. The timeline seemed a little disjointed in spots, but just roll with it. The narrator did a great job! I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
September 29, 2024
Wow!
This is the first I've read of Eric Asher and his world, story, and characters are amazing!
This is a different type of fantasy than I'm used to. No magic, per se but sort of a "steampunk" technology that just blows me away!
If you enjoy action, suspense, and blowing stuff up, you'll live this series!
This is the first I've read of Eric Asher and his world, story, and characters are amazing!
This is a different type of fantasy than I'm used to. No magic, per se but sort of a "steampunk" technology that just blows me away!
If you enjoy action, suspense, and blowing stuff up, you'll live this series!
August 29, 2018
It was a lot better than I expected it would be. I was pleasantly surprised and look forward to more. The narrator wasn't all that good with character voices though. But that's only an issue if you listen instead of read.
October 3, 2018
Exceptional!
I took a chance buying this trilogy, and am so thankful that I did. Outstanding characterization! Absolutely engaging. Read it straight through... Can't wait to start the next book. Totally recommend!
I took a chance buying this trilogy, and am so thankful that I did. Outstanding characterization! Absolutely engaging. Read it straight through... Can't wait to start the next book. Totally recommend!
October 23, 2018
Really enjoyed the series.
Some series drag after the initial introduction of characters and themes. This did not disappoint! Looking forward to more about Alice and Jacob. Also would like to know about the evolution of giant bugs!
Some series drag after the initial introduction of characters and themes. This did not disappoint! Looking forward to more about Alice and Jacob. Also would like to know about the evolution of giant bugs!
February 6, 2019
I can see why the book appeals to some. And I really thought I would love it more. I struggled to finish it and ended up listening to it only when I didn't have anything more interesting on the go. Author built a solid world and dangerous situations and good charactors. Didn't capture me.
February 5, 2020
Steam-powered biomechs, giant insects used as transportation, airships (of course), high explosives, and an epic journey in the air, on the ground, and well below it. I would certainly like this to go beyond a trilogy, and to explore the places talked about but not yet visited.
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