Landquaker

The Great Iron War #4

by Dean F. Wilson

The Resistance has barely nursed its wounds from the recapture of Blackout, and it is now looking to another, tougher target: the massive steam-powered railway gun known as the Landquaker. They call the vast railroad the Iron Wall, and that mounted barrel is its only sentry. It does not need another.

Blackout was a sitting duck, but the Landquaker is a moving target, and not only one that shoots back, but one that shoots first. The Resistance turns to old allies and new friends, from the land-loving tribes to the land-roving biker gangs. It will need every soldier it can muster.

The Landquaker was designed with a singular purpose: a monstrous gun to hold back a multitude of monsters. Except this time the multitude mans that weapon, and in its hands the land is not the only thing that will quake.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Science Fiction, War

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2016

About the author

USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author

Dean F. Wilson was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1987. He started writing at age 11.

He is the author of the Children of Telm epic fantasy trilogy, the Great Iron War steampunk series, the Coilhunter Chronicles science-fiction western series, the Hibernian Hollows urban fantasy series, and the Infinite Stars space opera series.

Dean previously worked as a journalist, primarily in the field of technology. He has written for TechEye, Thinq, V3, VR-Zone, ITProPortal, TechRadar Pro, and The Inquirer.

Reviews

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wheels and cogs of the Great Iron War keep turning. Resistance keeps resisting and the Iron Emperor with his mighty Regime is powering on with force.

Landquaker is the 4th book in The Great Iron War series of dusty magnificent steampunk, featuring characters I got to know in the first 3 books with some new interesting ones introduced. I have to say, I can’t wait until the Worldwaker to finally meet the Iron Emperor… I hope I meet him…

This instalment was more around war strategy and action than the previous three books in which the sideplots strongly focused on the much needed personal demons the characters were fighting. It has been a steady yet solid pace of character development over time in an environment where the enemy will not waste a second to pull the trigger.

It has been a while since I last read the 3rd book in the series and when I started Landquaker is just nodded to myself:”Ah, yes, that brilliant flawless writing of Dean F Wilson.” There is plenty of action, plenty of descriptions of people and places that fit perfectly with the genre and guarantee a good reading experience.

In every review I have written for this series, I have complimented on the cover art and again, it doesn’t disappoint. Even though we’re looking at weapons, they look beautiful.

Overall: 5 well deserved ***** because the book (the whole series this far) is consistent, well developed and well written.

[Jonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps on getting better and better! Wilson never ceases to amaze me with his intricate narrative and vibrantly captivating story. The plot is action intensive, with a great deal of danger to the main characters. I loved the mix of mechanics and people. Also, the continuation of world building brought everything to the forefront for me. I enjoyed getting to know the different peoples who populate this world. The way that everything ties together was phenomenal.

Emotions run high as characters try to recover from past losses while fighting their most dangerous battle yet. Teberah’s new vulnerability adds even more depth to her already intriguing character. I also like how Jacob is stepping up to the plate more and more. He’s grown so much since the 1st novel, while still remaining the same loveable character who first drew me in. Wilson’s intricate characters definitely capture your heart and draw you deep into this story.

Wilson brings such unique and unforgettable concepts forward in this novel. Each aspect of it piqued my interest, while the whole was something that I simply couldn’t put down. But I will warn you, the ending of this novel has me on edge, counting down the days until the next novel in this series.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

[Andy Peloquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this series immensely since the beginning, and this book is a solid continuation. I'd have to say that each book is getting better than the last!
The good:
- Loved the continued journey of the main character Jacob. He's gone from a rogue to a hero-ish character in a very believable way. Great job!
- Many of the supporting characters (Mudro, Rommond, etc.) are still fascinating, with ever-increasing layers.
- Enjoyed the continued exploration of the world. The bigger it gets, the more I want to learn about it.
- Thrilled to find out more about the "demons" of the world.
- Loved the "Great Train Robbery" feel of it all.
The not-so-good:
- Some of the supporting characters (Taberah, Brooklyn, and the kid) lost my interest a tad.
- Not a huge fan of the "machine spirits" addition. It felt a bit out of place in the highly technological world. But that's just my preference.
- The story didn't move as fast as the previous books. The climax was excellent, but it took a lot of build-up to get there.
All in all, a VERY good choice for steampunk readers--for anyone who enjoys a good action book, really. I can't wait to see what crazy steampunk weapon of mass destruction is slated for the next book/s.

[Stalking · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve journeyed through this strange world and met characters who were flawed, broken, and desperate. I’ve experienced their sorrows and cherished the small victories alongside them. The characters, big or small, are written with such realism, they all feel like I should know them and be joining to bring down the forces of the Regime with them. The development has been spot on. I was fully captivated watching as each person evolves into who they will be. Landquaker moved more than the earth in the fictional world of Altadas, it moved me the entire time I read it, which didn’t take long because I devoured it in one sitting. Sometimes when a series goes into a fourth book I worry that it’s going to be mostly filler and slow. The previous book, Skyshaker, left me doubting the author could top himself (it was THAT good). I no longer doubt the writing genius of Wilson, he weaved the perfect balance of action, suspense, and emotion to create one of the most brilliant books I’ve had the pleasure of reading. If you’ve read The Great Iron War series, this book will surpass your expectations. If you haven’t read it yet, I can’t recommend this series enough!

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***

[Gordon Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Four has arrived! The Great Iron War continues, and with much iron in evidence - both metaphorical and elemental. Our author is much fascinated by combat vehicles - their look and power - the Landquaker being lovingly described. Much of the new tale is taken up with the struggle between machines, but humanity is never ignored, Wilson having a deft touch with the finer emotions. Taberah stares at the blank pages of her diary wondering why fate has denied her joy. Yet, it is the great themes of love, ambition, and betrayal that drive the narrative, as our now familiar cast experience the heights of elation, the depths of despair.

The old campaigner Rommond attempts to keep the peace, yet never lets any adversary far out of sight. He must seek allies, those who will stand with him, but ultimately he is never sure of their loyalty. The tribesmen who he encounters inhabit a different world, one more primitive, even lyrical, but they are also cruel and ruthless. Rommond is the most fabulous (in the traditional sense) character with such utterances as, ‘…you may disarm the man, but you still leave the greatest weapon behind – the man himself.’

Life is a paradox, war the same, and the latter continues unremittingly, recalling the times, ‘When war was as common as sand’. The eternal questions remain, ‘How may we deceive the enemy?’ ‘Will our friends betray us?’ We are in a world of spirits (uncannily of machines), humans and demons. The spyglass is an allegory. We are capable of seeing far, but being blind to that which is before us. Ostensibly, the fighter seeks liberty, but who is ever free from the wheel of birth and loss? And, as the pirate reveals, there is, ‘…something comforting in the feel of the manacle…you don’t wander, and you can’t get lost.’

A new addition to the panoply of characters, one as lively as the wise-cracking Jacob, is Nox. A cowboy-hatted guitar player, he soon reveals himself to be also an unconventional fighter. He deserves respect, especially with his bag of deadly conjuring tricks always at the ready. Of deadly substances, the drug ‘Hope’ features once more. Some have the need for the transformation it brings, while Taberah chooses the pretence of addiction. The author’s voice is convincing enough here, this is not the abstract stance of the social worker or the psychologist, the situation is real.


We will not say too much of General Leadman, and only hint that the greatest surprises comes when least expected! In the final pages, Rommond addresses Brooklyn, ‘What about your soul? What about…your heart?” The ellipsis is telling. Not only does such a pause give the correct weight to the emotion of the scene, it displays the greater maturity that is in the writing, one emerging more and more with each succeeding volume.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a dystopian world filled with Steampunk attitude, the war between the Iron Emperor and the Resistance is rampaging on, the action full throttle. This time out, characters flash back to parts of their lives that make them who they are today, the world the Resistance lives in seems to grow and the tension is ramped up even more.

Jacob is taking on more and more as he settles in as the go to guy as oppose to the wild and free guy and it is time to call on old allies to re-join forces as the deadly Landquaker takes to the rails with guns on full auto! Designed to pulverize the monsters all on its own, it seems the monsters may have their own deadly plans that must be thwarted.

Hang on as allies band together to overpower evil with death –defying feats that will have your heart racing! This time out, Dean F. Wilson has caused me to hold my breath, grip the edge of my seat and feel every single scene as I could swear I was hearing heart-pounding music to amp the tension up even more!

Dean F. Wilson knows just how to create action-packed scenes that build and build to epic proportions and the ride he takes us on is definitely NOT tame or easy. Love this series and the brilliant imagination of this author with his incredible machines and that Steampunk flavor. Need a fresh author to read? Try something by Dean F. Wilson.

I received this copy from Dean F. Wilson in exchange for my honest review.

Series: The Great Iron War - Book 4
Publisher: Dioscuri Press (April 17, 2016)
Publication Date: April 17, 2016
Genre: Dystopian Steampunk Adventure
Print Length: 260 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nach den ersten drei Bänden nimmt der Krieg gegen das eiserne Imperium noch größere Dimensionen an. Das Ziel diesmal: Der eiserne Wall selbst, der das bisher größte Hindernis für den Widerstand im Kampf gegen das Regime. Die Ambitionen im Plot sind wieder einmal hoch. Im Gegensatz zu den letzten beiden Bänden steht auch wieder etwas mehr Reise auf dem Plan. Während sich die erste Hälfte mehr der Vorbereitung widmet, wenngleich auch hier ausreichend Spannung geboten wird, findet man sich in der zweiten Hälfte hauptsächlich im Feuergefecht wieder. Stellenweise wirkt die Geschichte zu lange ruhig oder gipfelt andererseits viel zu schnell und ohne Pause von einer Enthüllung zur nächsten. Zum Ende hin erschienen mir bestimmte Feinde zu wenig eingeführt, sodass wenig Interesse für diese übrig blieb. Andererseits gibt es auch Schlüsselmomente, die ein ganz neues Licht auf die Lage werfen. Gerne hätte ich auch mehr über die wilden Völker und ihre wilden Geister erfahren, hoffentlich wird die Idee im nächsten Band fortgeführt.

Auch die Charaktere bleiben realistisch und nicht selten gibt es Schwierigkeiten, weil einer von ihnen mit seinen Defiziten konfrontiert wird. Am meisten hat mir Jacob gefallen. Er entwickelt sich stets weiter und wird von sympathisch zu noch sympathischer. Die übrigen Figuren haben mich auch mehr oder weniger beeindruckt, etwas enttäuscht. Hier hatte ich das Gefühl, alles drehe sich im Kreis, besonders durch die ganzen Andeutungen war es zudem sehr vorhersehbar. Für den nächsten Band würde ich eine kleine Einführung zu den Charakteren wünschen. So hatte ich etwa schon vergessen, ob gewisse Charaktere schon vorher aufgetaucht sind oder nicht.

Insgesamt habe ich mich mit Landquaker gut unterhalten können. Wer Steampunk mit einer bunten Truppe mag, die im Fall der Fälle doch füreinander einsteht, wird hier nicht enttäuscht.

[Sherry Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the fourth in the Great Iron War series, and does not disappoint this reader at all! I've been anxiously awaiting its release and it was worth the wait. There is such emotion and feeling in the writer's words - the depth of Taberah's sorrow, the physical pain and emotional anguish of the Copper Matron... I felt this was a fast-paced novel, perhaps more so than the three previous books. The re-introduction of Teller was a genius move, loved it! The reader gets a more detailed look into the demons and the mechanical transformation, for lack of a better phrase, of some of the characters. The complexity of the Regime is actually quite fascinating to me, this lone reader. I'd love to know more of the backstory of the Regime - another series perhaps? This book will keep your attention once you start it. If you've not read the first three books of the Great Iron War series, you really need to do so. Though this book stands on its own, giving some background, you really need to get the complete backstory of each of the characters to fully appreciate their development and evolution.

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Next!!!!!

This is by far the most ominous ending yet. The character development keeps getting better. The storyline would be tough to follow if you don't read the previous books so don't be lazy! Get the Books and enjoy the RIDE! It has all the steam punk gadgets and goodies.
Thanks for another action packed read!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the first 3 books of The Great Iron War, this one was a bit of a let down. While I liked it enough, it definitely wasn't as good to me as the first 3. It seemed a little disjointed and I didn't get enough of the interaction between Whistler and Jacob that I like. Too much time was spent on the resurrected character of Brooklyn. I didn't like the character at all. The first 3 books were spent talking about him being dead and it made him come across as a great war hero and I liked that. Meeting him in person and his interaction with Rommond on the other hand were not good. Rommond went from being a strong leader, a big character who was hurting from the loss of his love to a mush of a man who seemed no longer the strong leader. His interactions with Brooklyn were very awkward to me. I understand it being awkward to the characters themselves but as the reader, no, it shouldn't feel that way. I honestly feel his story arc was pointless and adding nothing of value to the book. In fact, to add that in, better things had to be taken out.
Another thing that seemed pointless in the long run was the trip to the Wild North and the meeting with the Tribes people. They team up but then we never see that in action later on. The only good part was this was the book that introduced the best character from this universe...NOX! The Coilhunter is a fantastic character and his books blow these ones away.

I will continue to read the rest of the series as I own them all. I just hope some of what brought this book down isn't as prevalent in the next 2.

[Josh Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was easily the best book in the series so far. As always, Dean continues to impress with his vivid imagery and scene development. I still love Whistler's character and absolutely adore the relationship between Brooklyn and Rommond. I truly had some very emotional moments throughout this story and was certain I knew what was coming in certain chapters only to breath a sigh of relief as the chapter concluded. This is also the book where we get introduced to Nox from the Coilhunter Chronicles and he is just as awesome as ever.

This book ended on a MASSIVE cliffhanger which makes me sad as I know book five isn't due for a bit due to R.C. Bray having a backlog for audiobook narration.

Like every other book in the series, an easy 5/5

[Sara Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Dean Wilson is writing books I’ve always wanted to read - steampunk with actual emotions and true character development. The forth book in the Great Iron War series, Landquaker is by far the best. I've been following this whole series with great enjoyment as they're filled with the perfect mix of adventure, mystery & war! Once again the characters in this book are great. For example, a wonderful new addition to the cast of is Nox - a conjuring cowboy full of surprises. With prose that is silver smooth this story is truly full of "Hope" ;)

[David Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second revised review after re-reading this book and realising that I had misread a passage...

Another great follow up in this incredible series by Dean F Wilson.
Unlike the first 3 books, this story details more the military strategy aspect and the logistics of how to attack and where.
The communication between characters is flawless as usual, there are some quite deep interactions and a lot of background detailing which develops a deeper understanding of them. The areas encountered are well detailed and fit well with events taking place. The pace fluctuates between sounding out the plans of action and intense battle scenarios, but never gets boring in the quieter periods. One of my favourite characters was introduced into this story for the first time too which was a bonus (Nox, the COILHUNTER)...See the series of same name for more.
There is also a focus on an almost mystic element in this instalment, where tribes compete to win the approval from their spirits to lead them into battle. This leads to some interesting happenings.
There are some incredibly poignant moments in this story detailing the battle of characters internal demons inasmuch as physical enemies, the ongoing struggle for Taberah is particularly powerful.
This was the only book out of the series (so far) that I've not read straight through as it seems more intense - although this is not a bad thing! The ups and downs and battles within all left me wanting to read Worldwaker - which I will!

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://jerseyguyscanread.blogspot.com...

Please note, I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite parts about reading a well-written book series is being able to pick up right where I left off, without having to re-read other books to try to figure out what is going on. I read the last of the Great Iron War series books, Skyshaker, back in the winter, and got to jump right back into the world of Altadas with Landquaker without a preamble or refresher course. Wilson's books are fairly fast paced and keep you on the edge of your seat, constantly wondering what's going to happen next (because when you go up against the Iron Emperor, there's bound to be a few obstacles and enemies). Landquaker earns itself 4 out of 5 stars and fills me with anticipation for the next in the series.

What a world, what a world! There is just always trouble for our band of rebels, but you can't help but know that they are going to find a way to pull through. One of my favorite parts of Wilson's writing is the relationship he builds between the reader and his characters. They are not only fighting in a war, but they are fighting their own battles as well. Taberah dealing with motherly duties, Brooklyn and Rommond trying to repair what the Regime has taken from them, Jacob just chugging along, finding his niche among the Resistance fighters. I'll admit, I didn't really like some of the characters when I first started Hopebreaker oh so long ago. After getting to know them more, I can't help but feel for them, and want nothing for the best for all of them (especially Whistler, he's just so young and innocent and naïve in some ways). I actually get anxious when somebody is in mortal danger, which happens a lot in these novels.

I really enjoyed the feel of Landquaker. The plot had a very traditional feel; fighting to take back something that was stolen and used for evil. Dean Wilson makes this plot his own, both modernizing and traditionalizing it in a way that only a talented author and a steampunk novel can do. Throwing in the tribes and a more spiritual subplot was an interesting tactic, and I'm still kind of working out if this worked for me, but overall I truly enjoyed getting to read another story, and getting to meet another instrument of war in the Great Iron War. Can't wait to see what Worldwaker has in store!

[Liquid Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Four of The Great Iron War, Landquaker delves into mysticism and the power of nature, while playing out a mixture of Mad Max meets WW2, but in the 1800s, with The Terminator reliving his role as the Conductor. The Copper Vixens play such an important role in this installment; its endearing and violent. Jacob and Whistler, although in the thick of things, take a back seat from the spotlight. Rommond shines more, but this is still more of an action-mission story.

The pace is fairly quick and the line between man and machine isn't as black and white as it should be. Magic/mysticism, to me, came out of left field. Sure, there have been references before - but the whole angry machine bit took some getting used to. I hope you enjoy the bounty hunter.
Quick recap - The Resistance is enjoying their latest victory, but a massive railgun can put an end to that. Outnumbered, the crew enlist help from some new allies and go on the offensive once more against the Iron Wall.

Author provided copy for review.