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The Owl in the Labyrinth: The Boiling Seas, Book 3
PRAISE FOR THE BOILING
“Indiana Jones meets Locke Lamora... full of imagination” - Beauty In Ruins
★★★★★ - "my dream come true" - The Wood Between the Worlds
"wonderful worldbuilding... deeply engaging" - The Qwillery
“We’re stuck in the middle of the Boiling Seas,” Tal said, “surrounded by soldiers, at the mercy of a tyrant and one of the most powerful magicians in the world. We’ve got no weapons, no friends, and no way out.”
“Exactly,” said Lily. “It’s going to be so much fun.”
Tal, Max and Lily might have sailed the deadly Boiling Seas, explored their mysterious islands, even flown through their steamy skies – but they’ve never ventured underneath them. Until now.
Because Max is trapped, surrounded by the very secrets she and her friends have been hunting – but while she unravels the mystery of the Scrolls, Tal and Lily are more concerned with getting her back alive.
It’s only a journey into the most inhospitable environment on the an ocean of boiling water, floored with molten rock and filled with steel-scaled sea serpents. And it’s not like the most powerful man on the Seas is trying to seize their secrets for himself at the same time.
What could possibly go wrong?
Hûw Steer is an author and historian from London. You may have read one of his various short stories, his theses on ancient Roman science-fiction, or even seen him onstage. You probably haven’t, but at least you’re reading this.
Hûw’s first novel, The Blackbird and the Ghost, was a semi-finalist in the fifth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off; five more have followed since. His short stories can be found in Utopia, Etherea and Grimdark Magazines, Shoreline of Infinity and The Future Fire, as well as on his website.
You can reach him at huwsteerofficial@gmail.com, and read more of his work at huwsteer.wordpress.com.
“Indiana Jones meets Locke Lamora... full of imagination” - Beauty In Ruins
★★★★★ - "my dream come true" - The Wood Between the Worlds
"wonderful worldbuilding... deeply engaging" - The Qwillery
“We’re stuck in the middle of the Boiling Seas,” Tal said, “surrounded by soldiers, at the mercy of a tyrant and one of the most powerful magicians in the world. We’ve got no weapons, no friends, and no way out.”
“Exactly,” said Lily. “It’s going to be so much fun.”
Tal, Max and Lily might have sailed the deadly Boiling Seas, explored their mysterious islands, even flown through their steamy skies – but they’ve never ventured underneath them. Until now.
Because Max is trapped, surrounded by the very secrets she and her friends have been hunting – but while she unravels the mystery of the Scrolls, Tal and Lily are more concerned with getting her back alive.
It’s only a journey into the most inhospitable environment on the an ocean of boiling water, floored with molten rock and filled with steel-scaled sea serpents. And it’s not like the most powerful man on the Seas is trying to seize their secrets for himself at the same time.
What could possibly go wrong?
Hûw Steer is an author and historian from London. You may have read one of his various short stories, his theses on ancient Roman science-fiction, or even seen him onstage. You probably haven’t, but at least you’re reading this.
Hûw’s first novel, The Blackbird and the Ghost, was a semi-finalist in the fifth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off; five more have followed since. His short stories can be found in Utopia, Etherea and Grimdark Magazines, Shoreline of Infinity and The Future Fire, as well as on his website.
You can reach him at huwsteerofficial@gmail.com, and read more of his work at huwsteer.wordpress.com.
705 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2025
About the author
Hûw Steer
14 books19 followersI’m an author and historian from London. I have an MA in Ancient History, specialising in the study of ancient science-fiction (yes, there is some!). I’ve been writing for some years now, have published several short stories and five novels, and am currently having several more rejected by agents and publishers.
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October 14, 2025I've been following Tal Wenlock (the Blackbird) since the beginning, and have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the Boiling Seas trilogy. When all is said and done, this was a brilliantly-executed concept of fantasy archaeology.
Whereas the first two books were aptly described as "fantasy Indiana Jones," I felt that this book had a distinct Jules Verne flavor. The story started with a kind of "Journey to the Center of the Earth" sense of wonder and exploration, and then soon introduced an undersea adventure that would have made Captain Nemo envious.
Our intrepid temple raiders, The Blackbird, The Nightingale, and The Owl, fill each page with thoughtful research and witty banter, broken occasionally with furious swordplay and spell-slinging. I also thought that the antagonist in this book was well-written with a simple, but not superficial motivation.
Best of all, the book concludes with fantastic potential, both for the bird-themed trio of explorers and the magnificent Boiling Seas setting that Steer has created. I look forward to whichever series comes next!
Whereas the first two books were aptly described as "fantasy Indiana Jones," I felt that this book had a distinct Jules Verne flavor. The story started with a kind of "Journey to the Center of the Earth" sense of wonder and exploration, and then soon introduced an undersea adventure that would have made Captain Nemo envious.
Our intrepid temple raiders, The Blackbird, The Nightingale, and The Owl, fill each page with thoughtful research and witty banter, broken occasionally with furious swordplay and spell-slinging. I also thought that the antagonist in this book was well-written with a simple, but not superficial motivation.
Best of all, the book concludes with fantastic potential, both for the bird-themed trio of explorers and the magnificent Boiling Seas setting that Steer has created. I look forward to whichever series comes next!
Displaying 1 of 1 review