My Name Is Michael Bishop

by T.R. Goodman

The greatest love requires the greatest sacrifice…

Tinker and inventor Michael Bishop wants nothing more than to leave his painful past behind and focus on his machines. But when his daughter Eva is stricken by the same magical disease that robbed him of his late wife, Michael devotes himself to finding a cure, no matter the cost.

Ezael Emmet, minor lord and wielder of clandestine magics, has his own designs for Eva, and unbeknownst to Michael, those plans demand that the disease run its course. They strike a bargain that trades Michael's life for hers. What neither expects is for his consciousness to become trapped within his greatest invention, a steam-driven mechanical man.

To free himself from his invention and save the life of his daughter, Michael must bide his time and play the part of the machine until he discovers a way to cure them both. But magic and spells are unlike steam and gears, and with each day that passes, there is a little less man left in the machine. Will Michael find the magic he needs before there is nothing left of him but lifeless metal in the shape of a man?

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Science Fiction

316 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2012

About the author

TR Goodman came into the world in the aftermath of the Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption. From an early age, he cloaked himself in stories of fantasy worlds, spaceships, superheroes, and dragons, though the mundanes assure him that Washington State hasn't seen a dragon since at least the 1970′s. Now that he is grown, he is well within his rights to keep a steampunk dragon in the back yard. As long as it doesn't eat all the fruit on the trees, everything is shiny.

Armed with a near-encyclopedic knowledge of Star Wars (except the prequels, which he chooses to ignore), retro video games, and 1980′s cartoons, not to mention a bootleg sonic screwdriver he bought off a vagrant time lord sometime next Thursday, TR Goodman weaves words into stories of magic and adventure, with the occasional alien or spaceship thrown in to keep things interesting.

TR Goodman loves hearing from readers. You can find him at:

Website
http://www.trgoodman.net

Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/trgoodman

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/TRGoodmanAuthor

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/thetrgoodman

Reviews

[H.M. Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

T.R. Goodman is quickly becoming one of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy/steampunk authors. His otherworldly stories are infused with humanity in a way that one quickly cares and wants to know more about his characters. A truly talented writer, Goodman creates characters who are neither black nor white, neither likable nor loathable, but very human, flawed and interesting.
My Name Is Michael Bishop is a book that deals with very tough issues: loss, mourning and the lengths people will go for their children. The main character muses on the lengths he will go for his daughter when a mysterious magical illness threatens to take her life. He would give his life for hers, but what else will he do to secure his daughter? The antagonist of the story faces the same dilemma, and reveals that a person's character is a flexible thing when it comes to the safety of the people he most loves.
There is just enough magic, machinery and fantasy to make this book fantastical, but those elements are complemented by difficult issues, bonds of friendship, and a race against time plot that keeps the reader on the edge of her seat. Not easily brought to tears, this book had me wiping an appreciative maternal eye, while at the same time asking myself why is this book not more widely read? I am still baffled by that question. A truly underrated author, Goodman should be a must read on your list. Don't let the market tell you what to read. Read a book that this avid reader cannot recommend highly enough.

[Lanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't have picked a better book for my first steampunk experience. Awesome book!

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book, I did not expect my final rating to be this high. I honestly read the first two chapters before, then put it down. When I picked it up again, I struggled through the first two or three chapters again, but committed to keep going. I am very happy I did.
While this is primarily a steampunk story, and I personally prefer steampunk that is more about mechanical without much magical element (and the early introduction of a magical element that would be an important factor in the story is what made me reluctant to keep reading this story), the author managed to weave the mechanical, magical, and even fantastic, into a very human story about what a parent would do for their child. He created a world where he had established a set of rules, and stuck to those rules throughout. As the story progressed, I became more invested in both the protagonist and antagonist. The conclusion was what, for me, very good for a science fiction story- true to the world it was set in, and also accurately describing human behavior.

[Alfaniel Aldavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fantasy is a RPG-like delightful episode.

The world in which we're invited is immediately engrossing, we're in a rich setting with a familiar and yet original feeling. We have sages and priestesses, dark magic and technological contraptions, apothecaries who sell plants for spells, we have lords at their manor, and we have picturesque carriages, and scientific endeavors. We have power of magic and fear and disdain for it. The characters and the world are familiar, they share many elements with the collective imaginary of every well written fantasy story, but the writer adds unique bits: he brings steampunkish golems, creates a distinctive magic system, and a poignant plot, with carefully prepared twists.

The world feels like a role-playing game universe, where immersion is how you step in and stay in all the way.

There are many things done well, the plot matters, characters are believable and likeable, the bad guy will surprise, and the writing flows just right. Sometimes the writing feels almost musical, in its rhythm. Most of all, the world building is exquisitely done, to the point where immersion in the world (more than in the plot) is how the book reads.

This book feels like a RPG. One for which you don't need instructions, you're in the middle of it. I almost have on the tip of my fingers the need to type the next scene, move a character, re-enter the manor and reach for the moondrop dew in the sage's cabinet. In case I'd need it for the spell I will - I mean, my character will, learn. From the spell book, you know. OK. Turn the corner. The two stupid and hilarious guardians are not here yet, psst, I know when I'll hear them coming, because they never stop talking...

I'm a sucker for RPGs, and My Name is Michael Bishop is an episode set in RPGish world, a well written scenario set in a world I wish it didn't end.

I recommend this book for any fantasy/steampunk fans, and anyone looking for a great book.


Note: I received a copy for free, for the purpose of an honest review.



This work by Alfaniel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

[Elite Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do to save the people you love? To what lengths would you be willing to go? These are quesitons that both the protagonist and the antagonist must answer in My Name is Michael Bishop, and the reader is left to wonder if the difference between good and evil is simply circumstantial.
Goodman crafts his characters with care, sewing humanity into stale sci-fi/fantasy/steampunk tropes, and making readers care about the lives of each one of the vastly individual peoples that populate Goodman's book.
Besides credible characters, the pace of the book and both Michael's and Emmet's race against time keeps readers glued to the book, not wanting to put it down until they reach the conclusion.
A Steampunk tale that feels fresh and modern, even paranormal, in some ways, My Name is Michael Bishop is a touching tale of love, loss and the faults, whims, and hopes of every man/woman's life.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

T.R. Goodman's Michael Bishop is one determined tinker. When a magical attempt to save his daughter's life goes awry, Michael ends up trapped inside his failed mechanical man and a prisoner of the man who lent him the magic. He continues to focus one-hundred-percent on his quest to save his child, and the resulting quest leads him into one of the sweetest stories of parental affection, loyalty, friendship and redemption ever.

I enjoyed this story and think anyone who loves steampunk, good fantasy, and a very sweet story would get a lot out of it as well.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story of a father's love and what he's willing to do to save his child. Although it was well-written, there was some serious lack of editing, especially in the second half of the book. Read it for the story, not for the editing and you'll be great.