The Monstrous Burden of Professor Darkwood

The Darkwood Tales #1

by John Robert Mills

For Professor Solan Darkwood, every day is a burden, whether it involves coping with her social phobia or dealing with the chauvinistic world of late 19th Century Armancras. But her stifled world is about to be shaken to its core.
A visit by a strange man, a betrayal, and a shared discovery, will all lead to a cataclysmic series of events. When she accidentally unleashes a horde of Fomorians, deadly giants who lay dormant under the city, she finds she is the only one who can subdue the terrible beasts.
But as she leads them into the wilderness to help them find out who they are, she finds she is at the centre of an ancient mystery. She also soon learns that there are much worse monsters than the Fomorians.

Genres: Steampunk

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 9, 2015

Reviews

[Clay Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of War of the Worlds, Pacific Rim and Indiana Jones.

[Edmund Metheny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was what I consider to be "OK" - average for a free book on Kindle. Read it, didn't regret the experience, but I don't feel any great desire to read a sequel.

[Jessica Lucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archaeology secrets locked in a museum are freed with the inspection of a university professor in Victorian England. Mystery, romance, and lust entwine in this spooky steampunk story.

[Jess Shanahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mills manages to deliver a stellar debut novel "The Monstrous Burden of Professor Darkwood" in the genre of Steampunk/Fiction.

The plot is a well thought out and an incredibly detailed affair, full of exciting twists and turns that often left me unable to put the book down.

This having been the first novel in this genre that I have read, I found it in some parts quite complex and intense, in result I found I had to concentrate more than I normally would, yet this did not detract from the overall experience.

The characters, and the world of Armancras in which they inhabit is dynamic and well-constructed, breathing life into this novel. Solan and Edward are particularly good protagonists and were written with a rather eloquent poise.

Congratulations John Mills on your first novel, it was fantastic and I eagerly await a sequel.

[Loren Lockner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Steampunk with a twist! This riveting book set in that quasi-Victorian, Steampunk era is a delight to read. The first thing to love is the spunky heroine Solan Darwood with the awesome name. Solan is intelligent (she’s a professor) quirky (has an anxiety disorder), brave (she courageously battles bureaucracy and strange monsters), and has time for love (ex fiancé/new love interest). I laughed at how the adventure grabbed poor Solan and then took off running with the reader in tow! I was particularly intrigued by the mysterious Thomas Mantle with his face paint and undetermined agenda. While it is a fight between good and evil, the lines between are often blurred. I loved the steampunk styles and gadgets, as well as the often frustrating mentality of Earthe’s (yes that is the right spelling) inhabitants. Highly recommended.

[Lauren Scharhag · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could, I would give this 3 1/2 stars. This is a very well-written and inventive first novel. I really enjoyed the world in which it was set. The reason I rated it as low as I did is because the story itself did not engage me as much as I would have liked. Still, I look forward to seeing more from this author.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and plot, but I had a hard time following along sometimes. To me, there just wasn't enough description in the book. I had a hard time visualizing people, events and different things. Other than that, I enjoyed the book.

[Velvetink]

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