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Trafalgar and Boone #1
Trafalgar and Boone in the Drowned Necropolis
Dorothy Boone's attempt to help a friend leads her to an encounter with a deadly new rival. Trafalgar and Boone have been working together for a year, taking small commissions in order to learn how to work together. When a friend and colleague is committed to an asylum following a disastrous mission in the Mediterranean, Dorothy takes it upon herself to uncover the truth. What she finds is that her friend was close to the discovery of a lifetime: the remnants of a prehistoric civilization who might have been wiped out by the Biblical Flood. Trafalgar agrees to accompany her on an expedition to finish what her friend began, and soon they run afoul of a powerful enemy: Emmeline Potter, called Virago, is a treasure hunter who is also adept at magic and seeks riches to help fund a violent uprising. Dorothy and Trafalgar must race to defeat their unscrupulous opponent if they hope to preserve the site for future generations, but they soon discover Virago may be the least of their worries. The secrets of the past have ways of remaining hidden, and trying to uncover them may cost Dorothy her life.
174 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2015
9 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Geonn Cannon
113 books225 followersGeonn Cannon is a male author who grew up in Oklahoma, thousands of miles from the nearest coastline, who found his calling in stories about women who live on an island in the Pacific Northwest. In 2010, Geonn became the first male author to win the prestigious Golden Crown Literary Society Award for his novel "Gemini." In 2015, he won it again for "Dogs of War." He has written two official tie-in novels for Stargate SG-1, and his Riley Parra novels have been turned into an Emmy-nominated webseries by Tello Films. His first name is pronounced just like "John."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 30, 2016
As I’ve become accustomed to expect when picking up any book by Geonn Cannon, within a few pages I'll find myself smack bang in the middle of an action packed plot.
This story flows effortlessly from one adventure to the next. It’s not all plain sailing. An event occurs on the ship; the crew’s excursion is turned upside down. When Tall girl fights back, a prominent man dies and Trafalgar is born. And readers are left wondering about the powers of the mysterious stone.
Lady Boone is a great character, as is her maid, and sometimes lover, Beatrice. When an assassin tries to pit Lady Boone and Trafalgar against one another all hell breaks loose. My heart broke for Adeline. Ivy, the invisible woman, added a layer of depth and intrigue to the story.
The Week’s men and the secret society were quite something else. Oh god, and then the beast. Nail biting stuff.
The blurb actually sums this story up better than I possibly could, at least not without spoilers. What I can safely say is I was fascinated by the search for relics, treks with archeologists, submarines, airships, the London setting and the Thames, mysterious sea people, Egypt, the Nile of Delta.
In short, I found myself completely immersed in the era, the action, the characters and the setting. That to me is a great story. The fact the plot is so compelling and the story well edited, in and of itself, was worth taking a chance on a story out of my norm.
Copy provided in exchange for an honest review
This story flows effortlessly from one adventure to the next. It’s not all plain sailing. An event occurs on the ship; the crew’s excursion is turned upside down. When Tall girl fights back, a prominent man dies and Trafalgar is born. And readers are left wondering about the powers of the mysterious stone.
Lady Boone is a great character, as is her maid, and sometimes lover, Beatrice. When an assassin tries to pit Lady Boone and Trafalgar against one another all hell breaks loose. My heart broke for Adeline. Ivy, the invisible woman, added a layer of depth and intrigue to the story.
The Week’s men and the secret society were quite something else. Oh god, and then the beast. Nail biting stuff.
The blurb actually sums this story up better than I possibly could, at least not without spoilers. What I can safely say is I was fascinated by the search for relics, treks with archeologists, submarines, airships, the London setting and the Thames, mysterious sea people, Egypt, the Nile of Delta.
In short, I found myself completely immersed in the era, the action, the characters and the setting. That to me is a great story. The fact the plot is so compelling and the story well edited, in and of itself, was worth taking a chance on a story out of my norm.
Copy provided in exchange for an honest review
August 10, 2018
In the prologue, we meet Dorothy Boone. She is not like the other girls her sisters who are all content with getting married and having children for which Dorothy despises them. She prefers practising swordplay and archery which she somehow can do in secret because apparently, her parents don't even notice when she comes home from her supposed dancing lessons covered in bruises.
She then pisses her parents off by explaining to her suitor that she will only marry him if he can best her in a duel. The parents throw her out, she moves in with her grandmother who conveniently dies one page later and leaves her enough to live independently.
Meanwhile (still in the prologue) Trafalgar isn't yet called Trafalgar. Her mother died during her birth and her father disappeared even before that and nobody else bothered giving a name because in her tribe girls get only names when they survive long enough. Not-yet-Trafalgar is 11 or 12 at this point which I would think is long enough to get a name but whatever.
One day a group of men appear in her village and promise to take the girls to a big city where they can become nurses and Trafalgar joins them. Unlike the other girls, Trafalgar quickly realizes that they probably won't become nurses. So she attacks them. While being exhausted and hungry. But she still manages to disarm them and would totally have won if it weren't for those stupid other girls who still haven't realized what's in store for them. They stop her and she gets handed to some other moustache-twirling villain who wants to use her for a ritual to raise Cthuluh or some shit but she also manages to beat him and he drowns.
Trafalgar then reminiscences about her life and comes to the conclusion that after she had already survived her stepfather she will now survive that well. She does not tell us how her mother, who died during her birth, somehow managed to marry again or why her talking-to-and-marrying-the-dead-stepfather never gave her a name.
Thus ends the prologue. The first chapter takes place a decade later and Boone just comes back from an expedition to Mexico tosteal save indigenous artefacts. During that, she slept in tents and had no way to wash herself properly so obviously the first thing she does is shave her legs.
And then I realized that this book is by the guy who already wrote Riley Parra Season One which made me froth at the mouth a month ago so it was unlikely to get better.
She then pisses her parents off by explaining to her suitor that she will only marry him if he can best her in a duel. The parents throw her out, she moves in with her grandmother who conveniently dies one page later and leaves her enough to live independently.
Meanwhile (still in the prologue) Trafalgar isn't yet called Trafalgar. Her mother died during her birth and her father disappeared even before that and nobody else bothered giving a name because in her tribe girls get only names when they survive long enough. Not-yet-Trafalgar is 11 or 12 at this point which I would think is long enough to get a name but whatever.
One day a group of men appear in her village and promise to take the girls to a big city where they can become nurses and Trafalgar joins them. Unlike the other girls, Trafalgar quickly realizes that they probably won't become nurses. So she attacks them. While being exhausted and hungry. But she still manages to disarm them and would totally have won if it weren't for those stupid other girls who still haven't realized what's in store for them. They stop her and she gets handed to some other moustache-twirling villain who wants to use her for a ritual to raise Cthuluh or some shit but she also manages to beat him and he drowns.
Trafalgar then reminiscences about her life and comes to the conclusion that after she had already survived her stepfather she will now survive that well. She does not tell us how her mother, who died during her birth, somehow managed to marry again or why her talking-to-and-marrying-the-dead-stepfather never gave her a name.
Thus ends the prologue. The first chapter takes place a decade later and Boone just comes back from an expedition to Mexico to
And then I realized that this book is by the guy who already wrote Riley Parra Season One which made me froth at the mouth a month ago so it was unlikely to get better.
November 26, 2016
2 stars as in the literal Goodreads meaning - this book was okay. It was a fun-enough read but I can't quite bring myself to rank it higher. I feel a bit bad about it, because in large part this book was probably just not for me. I'm not a huge fan of urban fantasy or steampunk, both of which would likely go a long ways in enjoying this work.
The Virtuous Feats of the Indomitable Miss Trafalgar and the Erudite Lady Boone follow the story of the two titular ladies who adventure around the world as spunky archaeologists. They are each others' academic and professional rivals, only to be unexpectedly brought onto the same side when a mysterious organization begins to assassinate the London archaeologist community. Both characters are fun and charming enough, but it's hard to say much about them beyond the fact that they are spunky and competent. They even seem to be interchangeable at points: they are introduced to each other with Dorothy Boone acting rashly and Trafalgar keeping cool and rational; they switch these roles on several occasion throughout the novel without much reasoning as to why. The evil organization's plan is convoluted and very vague, and it makes them feel rather incompetent as opposed to any real threat. The magic in the world is interesting, but underexplored. Dorothy's relationship with her maid has, umm, unpleasant power dynamics in play.
If you like light urban fantasies and steampunk aesthetics, this will probably be a fun read for you. It's always nice to see more ladies (and lesbians!) in fantasy fiction. But I never really fell in love with this one.
The Virtuous Feats of the Indomitable Miss Trafalgar and the Erudite Lady Boone follow the story of the two titular ladies who adventure around the world as spunky archaeologists. They are each others' academic and professional rivals, only to be unexpectedly brought onto the same side when a mysterious organization begins to assassinate the London archaeologist community. Both characters are fun and charming enough, but it's hard to say much about them beyond the fact that they are spunky and competent. They even seem to be interchangeable at points: they are introduced to each other with Dorothy Boone acting rashly and Trafalgar keeping cool and rational; they switch these roles on several occasion throughout the novel without much reasoning as to why. The evil organization's plan is convoluted and very vague, and it makes them feel rather incompetent as opposed to any real threat. The magic in the world is interesting, but underexplored. Dorothy's relationship with her maid has, umm, unpleasant power dynamics in play.
If you like light urban fantasies and steampunk aesthetics, this will probably be a fun read for you. It's always nice to see more ladies (and lesbians!) in fantasy fiction. But I never really fell in love with this one.
November 21, 2021
This is a swashbuckling period piece set in the 1920's. The titular Lady Boone is a charming socialite by way of Lara Croft (the Angelina Jolie version, not the fem fatale bot of the original games). Miss Trafalgar is a mercenary from Africa who escaped potential sexual slavery with her language abilities, and her latent magical power. The two are rivals, with Trafalgar being teased by Lady Boone more often than not. Miss Trafalgar's dear friend is murdered in London, and the pair are then thrown together to solve the mystery and stop further violence.
I liked this book for the most part - it sets up the personalities of our two leads and some of our more important secondary characters. The plot works as we know that Boone and Trafalgar don't really like each other, but its more on Trafalgar's part. Boone is a bit of a snob but is kind to people she's close to. Trafalgar is fiercely loyal and is very serious about her mission, so while Boone is also very loyal to her people, Trafalgar just can stand Boone's blasé attitude towards some of the aspects of her job. Yet they kind of work. I don't think their relationship at this point as it probably could be, as I was more interested in each woman's interactions and growth with the people in their groups. Boone has Beatrice and her beard of a husband. And Trafalgar has her companion and hired fighter. I loved that Boone was so sweet to Beatrice, who is both her maid servant and occasional lover, but you can tell the relationship is way more equal than their roles would imply. The few times Boone's husband dropped in were surprisingly adorable and funny - I could tell that Boone and her husband care for each other, but platonically as they are both gay. Trafalgar just feels so much, and you can certainly see that with the loss of her dearest companion. Her relationship with her mercenary companion also had its moments.
But for all that, this is a bit of a mystery with hints of Tomb Raider/ Indiana Jones in it. I had some fun with the reveal of the magical mythology brought to life, but I had much more fun with the banter and the quieter moments. Beatrice herself is set up to me a much more important player in later books with her secret superpowers. But for a first book in the series, it does just enough to keep me interested in what happens to our leads, but is still a little rougher around the edges. If you 're looking for a period piece with a queer case of tomb raiders, then this is for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I liked this book for the most part - it sets up the personalities of our two leads and some of our more important secondary characters. The plot works as we know that Boone and Trafalgar don't really like each other, but its more on Trafalgar's part. Boone is a bit of a snob but is kind to people she's close to. Trafalgar is fiercely loyal and is very serious about her mission, so while Boone is also very loyal to her people, Trafalgar just can stand Boone's blasé attitude towards some of the aspects of her job. Yet they kind of work. I don't think their relationship at this point as it probably could be, as I was more interested in each woman's interactions and growth with the people in their groups. Boone has Beatrice and her beard of a husband. And Trafalgar has her companion and hired fighter. I loved that Boone was so sweet to Beatrice, who is both her maid servant and occasional lover, but you can tell the relationship is way more equal than their roles would imply. The few times Boone's husband dropped in were surprisingly adorable and funny - I could tell that Boone and her husband care for each other, but platonically as they are both gay. Trafalgar just feels so much, and you can certainly see that with the loss of her dearest companion. Her relationship with her mercenary companion also had its moments.
But for all that, this is a bit of a mystery with hints of Tomb Raider/ Indiana Jones in it. I had some fun with the reveal of the magical mythology brought to life, but I had much more fun with the banter and the quieter moments. Beatrice herself is set up to me a much more important player in later books with her secret superpowers. But for a first book in the series, it does just enough to keep me interested in what happens to our leads, but is still a little rougher around the edges. If you 're looking for a period piece with a queer case of tomb raiders, then this is for you.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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June 12, 2016My review on Prism Book Alliance
I expected this book to be a romance, because, well, that’s obviously nearly all I read, and therefore every book has to be a romance, right, Mel? Um… No! (This happened to me once before when all I had been reading were vampire books, so of course the secret Christian Grey was hiding had to be him being a bloody vampire. Yes. Right.) Heh… Anyway, so this is not a romance, but a steampunk adventure story with lesbian protagonists. I mean, that’s also really cool, right? Right!
Kick-arse heroines… I can never get enough of that. They were strong, sensible, funny, but still women, and not, you know, males sans penises. As for female representation, this was really great and filled me with joy.
Apart from that, we have one African and one Asian protagonist. So, like, really diverse, huh? Noticed the light snark here?
So, here’s the thing, I feel it’s not enough to say someone has a certain nationality or has roots in a certain country, and maybe provide some background story connected to it. After my first glee about the diverse female cast, I increasingly wondered whether it made any difference, because, plainly spoken, both felt to me like any other white character.
This might result from all the characters reading more or less the same, to be fair, but I don’t know if that’s really any better. So besides the outer differences, I couldn’t really make anything out that set them all apart.
Plot and adventure wise, this book is neat and simple. So, quite good, but also nothing to shout out about. No real twists or surprises, just plain adventure and we have to prevent the world from doom stuff, like Indiana Jones, you know?
So, my rating does not mirror that this book wasn’t a romance like I expected, because that simply would not be fair and stupid. I loved the female characters, the plot was good, but the lack of real diversity and the lack of anything special only make this a 3.5 star read for me.
____________________
Genre: steampunk, adventure
Tags: lesbian, Minotaur, London
Rating: 3.5 stars
I expected this book to be a romance, because, well, that’s obviously nearly all I read, and therefore every book has to be a romance, right, Mel? Um… No! (This happened to me once before when all I had been reading were vampire books, so of course the secret Christian Grey was hiding had to be him being a bloody vampire. Yes. Right.) Heh… Anyway, so this is not a romance, but a steampunk adventure story with lesbian protagonists. I mean, that’s also really cool, right? Right!
Kick-arse heroines… I can never get enough of that. They were strong, sensible, funny, but still women, and not, you know, males sans penises. As for female representation, this was really great and filled me with joy.
Apart from that, we have one African and one Asian protagonist. So, like, really diverse, huh? Noticed the light snark here?
So, here’s the thing, I feel it’s not enough to say someone has a certain nationality or has roots in a certain country, and maybe provide some background story connected to it. After my first glee about the diverse female cast, I increasingly wondered whether it made any difference, because, plainly spoken, both felt to me like any other white character.
This might result from all the characters reading more or less the same, to be fair, but I don’t know if that’s really any better. So besides the outer differences, I couldn’t really make anything out that set them all apart.
Plot and adventure wise, this book is neat and simple. So, quite good, but also nothing to shout out about. No real twists or surprises, just plain adventure and we have to prevent the world from doom stuff, like Indiana Jones, you know?
So, my rating does not mirror that this book wasn’t a romance like I expected, because that simply would not be fair and stupid. I loved the female characters, the plot was good, but the lack of real diversity and the lack of anything special only make this a 3.5 star read for me.
____________________
Genre: steampunk, adventure
Tags: lesbian, Minotaur, London
Rating: 3.5 stars
August 11, 2015
FourandHalfStars
I went into this book after reading the Riley Parra series from this author and will openly admit I had rather high and possibly unrealistic expectations. Thankfully, Cannon once again delivered a wonderful, action packed story that had me flipping pages hours after I should have put it down and gotten some sleep.
While the kind of romance I loved so much in the Riley Parra series was absent, the rest of the aspects the book held more than made up for it. The characters are true to type and personality, remaining consistent through the course of the book with believable growth and learning experiences. The backdrop of the story was riveting and well thought out as well as being wonderfully described. I would recommend this to any who enjoys steampunk or just a good plot mystery!
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
Rhayne
I went into this book after reading the Riley Parra series from this author and will openly admit I had rather high and possibly unrealistic expectations. Thankfully, Cannon once again delivered a wonderful, action packed story that had me flipping pages hours after I should have put it down and gotten some sleep.
While the kind of romance I loved so much in the Riley Parra series was absent, the rest of the aspects the book held more than made up for it. The characters are true to type and personality, remaining consistent through the course of the book with believable growth and learning experiences. The backdrop of the story was riveting and well thought out as well as being wonderfully described. I would recommend this to any who enjoys steampunk or just a good plot mystery!
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
Rhayne
January 27, 2020
Fun!
This was such an easy and fun read! Did it have loads of character depth or a perfectly rock-solid plot? No. But then I don’t think it’s meant to? I felt to me like a Sunday matinee, like The Mummy or Indiana Jones (but steampunk and with mainly female characters, who often were gay and rarely damsels in distress! Woohoo!)
I did find myself frowning at times when reading (the power imbalance between Dorothy and my favourite character - Beatrice, being an example.) Most of the time, however, I was plain and simply entertained!
I’m off to try part two to see if the parts that made me frown while reading this one are solved in the next book.
4 to 5 stars, will round up.
This was such an easy and fun read! Did it have loads of character depth or a perfectly rock-solid plot? No. But then I don’t think it’s meant to? I felt to me like a Sunday matinee, like The Mummy or Indiana Jones (but steampunk and with mainly female characters, who often were gay and rarely damsels in distress! Woohoo!)
I did find myself frowning at times when reading (the power imbalance between Dorothy and my favourite character - Beatrice, being an example.) Most of the time, however, I was plain and simply entertained!
I’m off to try part two to see if the parts that made me frown while reading this one are solved in the next book.
4 to 5 stars, will round up.
August 31, 2016
In an early 20th century where magic, to some degree, works, but not much else is changed, Dorothy Boone is the very frustrating daughter of a very respectable family. In time, the mutual frustration becomes so great that she moves in with her grandmother, Lady Eula Boone. She gets a very unexpected education, and eventually inherits her grandmother's maps, books, artifacts, and career. I'm not clear on exactly why she is thereafter Lady Boone, but this isn't exactly our world, and I choose not to worry about it.
Miss Trafalgar starts out as Tall Girl, a child in a desperately poor Ethiopian village. She and others get traded off to some men who claim they are looking for girls to train as nurses, etc. They have a different plan for the girls, of course, or at least whichever one of them seems most suitable.
They need a body for a supernatural creature from the past to inhabit, so it can rule the world. It doesn't quite work out the way they expect.
Miss Trafalgar and Lady Boone both become notable archaeological adventurers, and rivals in the field. Their mutual competitiveness and dislike is strong.
And then one day an obscure group arranges events that will either kill them both, or set them at each other's throats. They do the same for nearly all the rest of the profession, or at least attempt to, and the death toll is terrible.
Lady Boone and Miss Trafalgar are left with no choice. As distasteful as it is, they will have to work together, to find their common enemy and prevent disaster for England and the entire world. Because Trafalgar's old enemies went underground, but they didn't go out of business. They have a much, much more dangerous plan than simply taking over the archaeological profession. Boone, Trafalgar, their friends, and the reader have a lively adventure in post-Great War Europe, with airships and magic and nefarious villains everywhere. It's a lot of fun.
Recommended.
Miss Trafalgar starts out as Tall Girl, a child in a desperately poor Ethiopian village. She and others get traded off to some men who claim they are looking for girls to train as nurses, etc. They have a different plan for the girls, of course, or at least whichever one of them seems most suitable.
They need a body for a supernatural creature from the past to inhabit, so it can rule the world. It doesn't quite work out the way they expect.
Miss Trafalgar and Lady Boone both become notable archaeological adventurers, and rivals in the field. Their mutual competitiveness and dislike is strong.
And then one day an obscure group arranges events that will either kill them both, or set them at each other's throats. They do the same for nearly all the rest of the profession, or at least attempt to, and the death toll is terrible.
Lady Boone and Miss Trafalgar are left with no choice. As distasteful as it is, they will have to work together, to find their common enemy and prevent disaster for England and the entire world. Because Trafalgar's old enemies went underground, but they didn't go out of business. They have a much, much more dangerous plan than simply taking over the archaeological profession. Boone, Trafalgar, their friends, and the reader have a lively adventure in post-Great War Europe, with airships and magic and nefarious villains everywhere. It's a lot of fun.
Recommended.
February 2, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Supposed Crimes Publishing for the digital galley of this book.
Picture it. The Great War. Steampunk. Stay with me. When an explosive package arrives on Lady Dorothy Boone’s doorstep, she’ll have to team up with her arch nemesis, Trafalgar of Abyssinia, to get to the bottom of the mystery, and save others from harm or death. It’s never simple, the two uncover a massive plot by a group of treasure hunters who want to bring an ancient evil into the world. All in a day’s work.
This one took me a little while to finish. I’d pick it up, then put it down and read something else, but I kept coming back. It’s full of adventure, reminds me a little of Indiana Jones, except steampunk, lady-centric, and queer as heck (my most favorite thing). It’s listed as book #1, so it looks like there will be more tales from Lady Boone and Trafalgar, and I’d be interested in revisiting them and going on a new adventure. I’m not a fangirl of steampunk, but I do enjoy it on ocassion and can get even more behind it when there are queer characters. It’s been out for a while, so check it out if you need a bit of adventure in your reading life.
Picture it. The Great War. Steampunk. Stay with me. When an explosive package arrives on Lady Dorothy Boone’s doorstep, she’ll have to team up with her arch nemesis, Trafalgar of Abyssinia, to get to the bottom of the mystery, and save others from harm or death. It’s never simple, the two uncover a massive plot by a group of treasure hunters who want to bring an ancient evil into the world. All in a day’s work.
This one took me a little while to finish. I’d pick it up, then put it down and read something else, but I kept coming back. It’s full of adventure, reminds me a little of Indiana Jones, except steampunk, lady-centric, and queer as heck (my most favorite thing). It’s listed as book #1, so it looks like there will be more tales from Lady Boone and Trafalgar, and I’d be interested in revisiting them and going on a new adventure. I’m not a fangirl of steampunk, but I do enjoy it on ocassion and can get even more behind it when there are queer characters. It’s been out for a while, so check it out if you need a bit of adventure in your reading life.
January 27, 2021
I found parts of this book excellent and I really liked the main characters. However at times I struggled with the author’s style. It was if he was making things up on the spur of the moment, or he had forgotten something and just shoved it in where he was in the book. I realise that part of the essence of the ‘Steampunk’ genre is that some things aren’t always logical, but I found this really stretched my ability to suspend my disbelief beyond breaking point.
Until about two thirds of the way through the book I would still have given four stars, even with its faults, but I found the mind control stuff a step too far. However overall I still enjoyed the book.
Until about two thirds of the way through the book I would still have given four stars, even with its faults, but I found the mind control stuff a step too far. However overall I still enjoyed the book.
December 14, 2021
This book took me by surprise. It was so much fun! While it did take me longer to read than my usual pace, that’s the fault of holiday timing and not the book.
This was a delightful, non-stop adventure. It has SO MUCH going on that it could have been a mess, but it all works. There’s murder mystery, mythology, sci-fi, sword fights… it made me feel like a kid again. It’s a stand-alone and a setup to a series. The main story is wrapped up nicely, but there are plenty of tidbits to fuel further adventures. REALLY, REALLY FUN.
Review of free ebook from Netgalley.
This was a delightful, non-stop adventure. It has SO MUCH going on that it could have been a mess, but it all works. There’s murder mystery, mythology, sci-fi, sword fights… it made me feel like a kid again. It’s a stand-alone and a setup to a series. The main story is wrapped up nicely, but there are plenty of tidbits to fuel further adventures. REALLY, REALLY FUN.
Review of free ebook from Netgalley.
May 30, 2022
3.5 stars - Similar to an all-female League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: POC author/character, not a romance, unusual jobs, out of your comfort zone; UNICORN: historical, period (possibly other categories)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is one of my all-time favorite movies, so for the most part, I liked the book. The MCs were not only from different countries, but also from completely different walks of life. They were both treasure hunters, so they were rivals in their field, and they'd also pulled some harsh tricks on each other to reach the treasures first. Both were intelligent, insightful, well connected, and skilled fighters. Unfortunately, there were several times where they were portrayed as needing the other to help figure out something simple when they faced some type of challenge. It was inconsistent with their characters, and occasionally, it even seemed a tad insulting. That was where I had problems with the story.
The ensemble of characters was diverse, and so far, only one MC was in a noncommittal f/f relationship. (It was pretty insignificant when compared to the adventure, though.) Some of the secondary characters were unique, but one was not an original idea. She was an exact character from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but female instead of male.
If I didn't have so many other books and series to read, I would consider reading more of their adventures, but they wouldn't be my first choice.
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: POC author/character, not a romance, unusual jobs, out of your comfort zone; UNICORN: historical, period (possibly other categories)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is one of my all-time favorite movies, so for the most part, I liked the book. The MCs were not only from different countries, but also from completely different walks of life. They were both treasure hunters, so they were rivals in their field, and they'd also pulled some harsh tricks on each other to reach the treasures first. Both were intelligent, insightful, well connected, and skilled fighters. Unfortunately, there were several times where they were portrayed as needing the other to help figure out something simple when they faced some type of challenge. It was inconsistent with their characters, and occasionally, it even seemed a tad insulting. That was where I had problems with the story.
The ensemble of characters was diverse, and so far, only one MC was in a noncommittal f/f relationship. (It was pretty insignificant when compared to the adventure, though.) Some of the secondary characters were unique, but one was not an original idea. She was an exact character from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but female instead of male.
If I didn't have so many other books and series to read, I would consider reading more of their adventures, but they wouldn't be my first choice.
August 18, 2016
A fast, fun read. Steampunk adventurers is an easy given for me, but especially when both leads (and most of the supporting characters) are women. Make them rivals who have to put aside past slights to save the world and you've caught my attention. Add in a whole host of queer characters and we've gone from simply a fun read to one I got really invested in.
The mystery itself is a little sparse and feels a lot like setting up for future stories in the same 'verse, especially since a lot was still left hanging and unexplained at the end, but the mixture of the adventuresome spirit with magical artifacts and mysterious happenings was really appealing. I particularly want to know Beatrice's story and look forward to further collaborations between Trafalgar and Dot.
The mystery itself is a little sparse and feels a lot like setting up for future stories in the same 'verse, especially since a lot was still left hanging and unexplained at the end, but the mixture of the adventuresome spirit with magical artifacts and mysterious happenings was really appealing. I particularly want to know Beatrice's story and look forward to further collaborations between Trafalgar and Dot.
September 23, 2022
This book continues on from the last one, but the author does a good job of catching readers up. If you like a Victorian era archaeological adventure story, you can do much worse than this. It works well and the story is enjoyable.
Warning: not for small children, contains explicit sex.
Warning: not for small children, contains explicit sex.
February 29, 2016
This book was fun to read, although I felt it would be stronger if there were less telling.
January 29, 2021
The books contain many interesting ideas, some of which really don’t work, but they still make for an enjoyable read.
June 5, 2018
I picked this novel up as part of one of Storybundle's Historical Fantasy bundles back in 2016, and as I'm starting to work my way through a backlog of Storybundle books, it looked like a fun read. Having finished, I've found that the story is a mix of things that I enjoyed, and a few things that bothered me. Some of the things I enjoyed are things I'd really like to see more of in books; one is the fact that in this version of 1920s Europe, a mix of Steampunk tech and magic is around and relatively mainstream, or at least, mainstream enough to not be a source of constant amazement and wonder, but at the same time, not generally earth-shaking enough to be a storybreaker. Another is that essentially every major character in this barring some of the antagonists is a woman - let's have more stories like that, please. Our cast of characters includes but isn't limited to a lesbian/bi member of the gentry who doesn't want to settle down and marry and have children, but instead wants to be off adventuring, chasing ancient relics and kissing pretty women (and is able to do so thanks to the support and legacy of her grandmother, who seems to have been of similar spirit); an Abyssinian woman recruited from a village in the middle of nowhere along with dozens of other young women, allegedly to go overseas and become nannies and the like, but instead is intended to be a human sacrifice, who promptly breaks free, screws up the plans of the devil-worshiping abductors, frees the other captives, kills a few people and becomes an adventuring tomb-robber much like the other lead protagonist - so much so that the two spend years in competition to each other; an invisible thief; an Asian/something woman with no clear memory, some magic-using abilities and a large, unique tattoo of mysterious import; a British Indian airship captain and Great War veteran... and so on. In short, a collection of characters with a huge amount of potential; the only notable male characters are some of the villains, and Lady Boone's gay male beard whose name escapes me.
The world of the explorer/archaeologist/treasure hunter introduces us briefly to a whole host of potentially interesting, generally arrogant and frequently homicidal professional rivals as the story unfolds and the protagonists start to work out what's going on, becoming a running hunt that ,pves through Europe and into the remains of the ancient world, pulling together an attempted murder plot with a secret society of devil-worshiping goateed villains who'd fit nicely into a Hellboy story. There are some great historical references dotted throughout the book - I loved the minor back-and-forth between Boone and ... her gay male beard whose name escapes me ... during one of his lectures, over the nature of the Sea Peoples associated with the Late Bronze Age collapse, which was clearly an old saw between the two of them and which rather delighted me, because more novels should feature references to entertainingly mysterious parts of ancient history. For the record, I'm more inclined to believe Boone's interpretation (the Sea Peoples were from Pavlopetri) rather than his (they were from Atlantis) but I like the idea that in this world, either is a viable alternative.
So, lots of good stuff in here, at least in concept, and the book's a fast and pacey read with an entertaining mystery, a fair number of fights, a number of friendly rivalries, an airship chase and effectively an all-female cast.
There are things that bothered me, though. Archaeology of the period was basically cultural robbery, and remains an issue to this day; while there's a minor effort to address this in the book - you can tell the good 'uns like Boone and Trafalgar from the bad 'uns because the bad 'uns would happily loot holy sites and churches for baubles to sell for profit, where as Trafalgar and Boone engage in legitimate funded expeditions to take artifacts for ... museums? I think? ... but it's one of those areas that's right up there in terms of colonialist behaviour, and here it's very much set in terms of exciting adventures rather than stealing other people's history and culture, with no real acknowledgement of the latter. That made me uncomfortable, particularly as one encounter in the book involves someone accidentally coming into contact with a dangerous artifact called a Medusa Tablet from ancient Greece, which one of the protagonists has lying around in her house - and which she actually comments on how she shouldn't have left it lying around for someone to stumble across. Not the best way to convince me that the protagonists have any respect for the items they're taking or the culture they're taking them from, and yet later in the book one of the evil villain's is shown to be evil because of the way they callously destroy an ancient sculpture at Knossos for no reason other than because they can, because that's totally different to... taking it back to your London house and leaving it lying around somewhere. So... not great.
Another thing that bothered me is that in one of the relationships in the book, there's an unaddressed power imbalance that made me uncomfortable. One of the characters has an on-again, off-again, no-strings-attached sexual relationship with one of the other characters - which wouldn't be an issue, except the other character is someone in her employ. She's pitched as a loyal and trusted companion, someone who has complete access to and authority over the running of the house when the protagonist is away for months at a time, but at the same time is referred to as her majordomo or as a servant several times, so no matter how you try and skip around it, one character has power over the other. It doesn't help that the second character is someone who was living as a street urchin and thief with no other options who met the protagonist as a result of burgling her house, reinforcing the difference in power between the two from the outset. That doesn't mean that a good shagging the servants story can't be fun, but sooner or later, you need to give everyone involved free choice, and so long as one's the employer of the other, that can't happen.
The third thing that bothered me is that for all the elements of a diverse and interesting cast being in place, those elements never really get followed up. One of my favourite minor characters was Araminta Crook, the airship captain. Some things about her character are handled well, like learning why she feels she owes Boone, which touches on the most important relationship in her life, but having been introduced to us as a British Indian and veteran of the Great War airship squadrons, we don't really learn much of anything about what it's like being a British Indian woman in Britain/in the airship corps/in competition with other airship captains/in any way whatsoever, really. Given Britain's long, complicated and troubled history with India, Minty seemed like a great opportunity to see storytelling that included elements of that complex history and its effects on people, but instead, Minty could've just as easily been Sharon from Essex for all the impact it had on the story. That's also true to a certain extent for Trafalgar, although by dint of getting more of her backstory, she's more fleshed out; however, what gets no time at all is anything about what it's like working as a professional treasure hunter in 1920s Britain while being very obviously not a white woman named Sharon from Essex. We actually get more page time devoted to how Boone needed to come up with a socially-plausible explanation for Boone being able to hide that she's a lesbian than we do to anything about Minty or Trafalgar's experience of being not-white in 1920s Britain. Equally, Beatrice is effectively a half-Asian senior servant working for an eccentric but known member of the minor gentry, and is in a sexual relationship with her employer and her history and experiences don't receive much attention in this, beyond mentions of her magical abilities, funky tattoo, period as a street thief and not being able to remember her early life. In contrast, Boone - as the white female lead protagonist - gets much more by way of pagetime for her background history, romantic escapades, treasure-hunting experiences, the cunning plan by which she avoids being ostracized for being gay... it left me with the niggling feeling that while I really liked the promise implied by the diverse cast of characters, the diversity isn't actually particularly deep, and while I'm not sure I'd call it tokenistic, I'd hope that future books actually explore characters other than Boone in much more depth than this first novel did.
So, while it was an enjoyable read, I don't think it was the great read I'd hoped it would be. I'm going to check the other Storybundles I've bought over the last few years to see if I've got any of the sequels, though, because this is still a fun story in the same way that Indiana Jones comics and movies are fun, if Indiana Jones was a gay woman who got to punch Chthulhu-worshippers more while playing with Steampunk tech and magic.
The world of the explorer/archaeologist/treasure hunter introduces us briefly to a whole host of potentially interesting, generally arrogant and frequently homicidal professional rivals as the story unfolds and the protagonists start to work out what's going on, becoming a running hunt that ,pves through Europe and into the remains of the ancient world, pulling together an attempted murder plot with a secret society of devil-worshiping goateed villains who'd fit nicely into a Hellboy story. There are some great historical references dotted throughout the book - I loved the minor back-and-forth between Boone and ... her gay male beard whose name escapes me ... during one of his lectures, over the nature of the Sea Peoples associated with the Late Bronze Age collapse, which was clearly an old saw between the two of them and which rather delighted me, because more novels should feature references to entertainingly mysterious parts of ancient history. For the record, I'm more inclined to believe Boone's interpretation (the Sea Peoples were from Pavlopetri) rather than his (they were from Atlantis) but I like the idea that in this world, either is a viable alternative.
So, lots of good stuff in here, at least in concept, and the book's a fast and pacey read with an entertaining mystery, a fair number of fights, a number of friendly rivalries, an airship chase and effectively an all-female cast.
There are things that bothered me, though. Archaeology of the period was basically cultural robbery, and remains an issue to this day; while there's a minor effort to address this in the book - you can tell the good 'uns like Boone and Trafalgar from the bad 'uns because the bad 'uns would happily loot holy sites and churches for baubles to sell for profit, where as Trafalgar and Boone engage in legitimate funded expeditions to take artifacts for ... museums? I think? ... but it's one of those areas that's right up there in terms of colonialist behaviour, and here it's very much set in terms of exciting adventures rather than stealing other people's history and culture, with no real acknowledgement of the latter. That made me uncomfortable, particularly as one encounter in the book involves someone accidentally coming into contact with a dangerous artifact called a Medusa Tablet from ancient Greece, which one of the protagonists has lying around in her house - and which she actually comments on how she shouldn't have left it lying around for someone to stumble across. Not the best way to convince me that the protagonists have any respect for the items they're taking or the culture they're taking them from, and yet later in the book one of the evil villain's is shown to be evil because of the way they callously destroy an ancient sculpture at Knossos for no reason other than because they can, because that's totally different to... taking it back to your London house and leaving it lying around somewhere. So... not great.
Another thing that bothered me is that in one of the relationships in the book, there's an unaddressed power imbalance that made me uncomfortable. One of the characters has an on-again, off-again, no-strings-attached sexual relationship with one of the other characters - which wouldn't be an issue, except the other character is someone in her employ. She's pitched as a loyal and trusted companion, someone who has complete access to and authority over the running of the house when the protagonist is away for months at a time, but at the same time is referred to as her majordomo or as a servant several times, so no matter how you try and skip around it, one character has power over the other. It doesn't help that the second character is someone who was living as a street urchin and thief with no other options who met the protagonist as a result of burgling her house, reinforcing the difference in power between the two from the outset. That doesn't mean that a good shagging the servants story can't be fun, but sooner or later, you need to give everyone involved free choice, and so long as one's the employer of the other, that can't happen.
The third thing that bothered me is that for all the elements of a diverse and interesting cast being in place, those elements never really get followed up. One of my favourite minor characters was Araminta Crook, the airship captain. Some things about her character are handled well, like learning why she feels she owes Boone, which touches on the most important relationship in her life, but having been introduced to us as a British Indian and veteran of the Great War airship squadrons, we don't really learn much of anything about what it's like being a British Indian woman in Britain/in the airship corps/in competition with other airship captains/in any way whatsoever, really. Given Britain's long, complicated and troubled history with India, Minty seemed like a great opportunity to see storytelling that included elements of that complex history and its effects on people, but instead, Minty could've just as easily been Sharon from Essex for all the impact it had on the story. That's also true to a certain extent for Trafalgar, although by dint of getting more of her backstory, she's more fleshed out; however, what gets no time at all is anything about what it's like working as a professional treasure hunter in 1920s Britain while being very obviously not a white woman named Sharon from Essex. We actually get more page time devoted to how Boone needed to come up with a socially-plausible explanation for Boone being able to hide that she's a lesbian than we do to anything about Minty or Trafalgar's experience of being not-white in 1920s Britain. Equally, Beatrice is effectively a half-Asian senior servant working for an eccentric but known member of the minor gentry, and is in a sexual relationship with her employer and her history and experiences don't receive much attention in this, beyond mentions of her magical abilities, funky tattoo, period as a street thief and not being able to remember her early life. In contrast, Boone - as the white female lead protagonist - gets much more by way of pagetime for her background history, romantic escapades, treasure-hunting experiences, the cunning plan by which she avoids being ostracized for being gay... it left me with the niggling feeling that while I really liked the promise implied by the diverse cast of characters, the diversity isn't actually particularly deep, and while I'm not sure I'd call it tokenistic, I'd hope that future books actually explore characters other than Boone in much more depth than this first novel did.
So, while it was an enjoyable read, I don't think it was the great read I'd hoped it would be. I'm going to check the other Storybundles I've bought over the last few years to see if I've got any of the sequels, though, because this is still a fun story in the same way that Indiana Jones comics and movies are fun, if Indiana Jones was a gay woman who got to punch Chthulhu-worshippers more while playing with Steampunk tech and magic.
August 8, 2018
What if Indiana Jones was a woman? And British? And gay? Then you'd have Lady Boone. This book sets up an interesting world in the inter-war period (like Indie) although with more fantastical elements like the Uncharted series. I got this book on Story Bundle's Historical Fantasy Bundle, so I had no idea what to expect. That said, I do enjoy the Victorian Era as a setting and Mr. Cannon creates some pretty compelling characters.
If I have to criticize the book, it's that it seems like an intentional introduction to a series. It's heavy on setup and character introductions, but the actual climax and resolution are somewhat disappointing for the setup involved. I have the second book in the series and I'm hoping that with all the setup out of the way, the next book has a more realized plot.
Also, before I get into the spoilers as I discuss what I enjoyed about the characters (saving the rating of this book), I'll warn for the prudish and/or those considering whether the young ones should be allowed access to the book - there is a sex scene early in the book. It's get explicit, naming body parts and all that. The rest of the book is actually almost strangely sexless considering that scene early on. Perhaps that's the reason Lady Boone ends up with her period. Because I found myself wondering early on whether it was Chekov's Menstruation. On the one hand, good for recognizing something half the population deals with for 1/4 of their life (give or take). On the other hand, 100% of the population pees and poops and we almost never hear of it in books unless it's important to the plot - eg in Game of Thrones Arya has to pee in the woods while pretending to be a boy. Shoot, even in the last book currently published from A Song of Ice and Fire it's very important that Dany is having her period for the first time since she was cursed during the ritual to keep Khal Drogo alive results in her abortion. But Lady Boone's period never matters. Unless it's meant to be a reason to refrain from future sex in the book? Dunno...
Anyway, spoiler-time! The characters I really enjoyed:
If I have to criticize the book, it's that it seems like an intentional introduction to a series. It's heavy on setup and character introductions, but the actual climax and resolution are somewhat disappointing for the setup involved. I have the second book in the series and I'm hoping that with all the setup out of the way, the next book has a more realized plot.
Also, before I get into the spoilers as I discuss what I enjoyed about the characters (saving the rating of this book), I'll warn for the prudish and/or those considering whether the young ones should be allowed access to the book - there is a sex scene early in the book. It's get explicit, naming body parts and all that. The rest of the book is actually almost strangely sexless considering that scene early on. Perhaps that's the reason Lady Boone ends up with her period. Because I found myself wondering early on whether it was Chekov's Menstruation. On the one hand, good for recognizing something half the population deals with for 1/4 of their life (give or take). On the other hand, 100% of the population pees and poops and we almost never hear of it in books unless it's important to the plot - eg in Game of Thrones Arya has to pee in the woods while pretending to be a boy. Shoot, even in the last book currently published from A Song of Ice and Fire it's very important that Dany is having her period for the first time since she was cursed during the ritual to keep Khal Drogo alive results in her abortion. But Lady Boone's period never matters. Unless it's meant to be a reason to refrain from future sex in the book? Dunno...
Anyway, spoiler-time! The characters I really enjoyed:
August 6, 2021
I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own; thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.
This review will contain spoilers.
This book was a very decent urban/gaslight fantasy adventure that had some very fun ideas which were a bit overshadowed by some absolutely cringe moments. The writing was very cinematic- one could almost envision the story as a sort of SyFy channel miniseries - certainly the action scenes and the fact that each character was clearly designed and presented seem to bear this theory out
(Quirky Girl Squad Assemble!)
The world building was quite lovely; the world seemed very lived in and full of potential for all sorts of mystical shenanigans. I like that it took place in a couple of different settings and we got to know a few of the different locations through the character development. I feel that there were some pacing issues and some jarring time/tone/perspective switches, but overall the language and rhythm of the writing style enhanced the generally fun tone of the book - this is not a story that takes itself too seriously.
Some of the character set up was a bit clunky and the book was very clearly hoping to be the first of many in a series, but as a stand-alone it does wrap of the story fairly neatly.
My absolute two biggest issues with this book are related to how Lady Boone’s sexuality was presented/acted in the story. Yes, it’s super awesome to have LGBTQIA+ representation in this genre (including a nicely handled description of open relationships), HOWEVER the sex scene between Dot and Trix right after their initial reunion just straight up read like a lesbian porno scene tailored to a male audience due to its graphic nature, the fact that there was no mutual satisfaction, and that it also didn’t seem to fit in with the other smut- baiting scenes that appeared elsewhere in the book. IMO be more consistent and graphic with the inclusion of the sexy times, or fade to black the way it’s done with literally all other sex scenes in the book. I also thought the additions of her commenting about the vibration of the submarine seat and also the stuff with how her period was introduced was just totally tasteless and didn’t really add much to the character or story. Was the period an excuse for her not to sleep with Minty? it was never made clear, and if she was on her period, it’s a cool and unusual detail to add but it was never brought up ever again so why have it?
My final thoughts are if you’re looking for something a little silly, a little sexy, and you like Gail Carriger’s work or the stories in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences by Pip Ballentine and Tee Morris you might like this book.
This review will contain spoilers.
This book was a very decent urban/gaslight fantasy adventure that had some very fun ideas which were a bit overshadowed by some absolutely cringe moments. The writing was very cinematic- one could almost envision the story as a sort of SyFy channel miniseries - certainly the action scenes and the fact that each character was clearly designed and presented seem to bear this theory out
(Quirky Girl Squad Assemble!)
The world building was quite lovely; the world seemed very lived in and full of potential for all sorts of mystical shenanigans. I like that it took place in a couple of different settings and we got to know a few of the different locations through the character development. I feel that there were some pacing issues and some jarring time/tone/perspective switches, but overall the language and rhythm of the writing style enhanced the generally fun tone of the book - this is not a story that takes itself too seriously.
Some of the character set up was a bit clunky and the book was very clearly hoping to be the first of many in a series, but as a stand-alone it does wrap of the story fairly neatly.
My absolute two biggest issues with this book are related to how Lady Boone’s sexuality was presented/acted in the story. Yes, it’s super awesome to have LGBTQIA+ representation in this genre (including a nicely handled description of open relationships), HOWEVER the sex scene between Dot and Trix right after their initial reunion just straight up read like a lesbian porno scene tailored to a male audience due to its graphic nature, the fact that there was no mutual satisfaction, and that it also didn’t seem to fit in with the other smut- baiting scenes that appeared elsewhere in the book. IMO be more consistent and graphic with the inclusion of the sexy times, or fade to black the way it’s done with literally all other sex scenes in the book. I also thought the additions of her commenting about the vibration of the submarine seat and also the stuff with how her period was introduced was just totally tasteless and didn’t really add much to the character or story. Was the period an excuse for her not to sleep with Minty? it was never made clear, and if she was on her period, it’s a cool and unusual detail to add but it was never brought up ever again so why have it?
My final thoughts are if you’re looking for something a little silly, a little sexy, and you like Gail Carriger’s work or the stories in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences by Pip Ballentine and Tee Morris you might like this book.
August 17, 2021
This book was a bit of an odd read. I did enjoy it, but I felt like there was so much going on and it was hard to keep track of.
The story centers around Dorothy Boone and Trafalgar two archaeologist rivals that are forced to join forces after undercovering a plot to assasinate the archaeological community of London.
Lady Boone was a strong character, but I wished we saw more sides of her; likewise, Trafalgar as a character had potential but she wasn't developed as well as Lady Boone and on her own there wasn't much to deviate her character from Lady Boone.
The relationships between the characters were okay. I didn't believe that there was really any mutual love between Lady Boone and Beatrice, and their relationship was a bit problematic and squicky. Early on, there's a graphic scene that just felt stiff because of this.
I think the adventure presented in the story was dull and sometimes seemed to drag on. The climax, because of this, felt very underwhelming, and also because I had a hard time connecting with the characters - and caring whether or not they made it out alive.
The best part, in my opinion, would have to be when they were onboard the airship Skylarker. I thought Minty was an interesting character, and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing more of her, though that might be because I just love captains that are characters.
The inclusion of airships was also interesting. It gave the story a steampunk-like feel, along with the various magic-infested weapons and trinkets we see along the way.
I thought this book's biggest merits were the action scenes and I would recommend it to those who want a quick but entertaining read.
Thank you very much to Netgallery and the publisher for sharing this digital review copy with me to review!
The story centers around Dorothy Boone and Trafalgar two archaeologist rivals that are forced to join forces after undercovering a plot to assasinate the archaeological community of London.
Lady Boone was a strong character, but I wished we saw more sides of her; likewise, Trafalgar as a character had potential but she wasn't developed as well as Lady Boone and on her own there wasn't much to deviate her character from Lady Boone.
The relationships between the characters were okay. I didn't believe that there was really any mutual love between Lady Boone and Beatrice, and their relationship was a bit problematic and squicky. Early on, there's a graphic scene that just felt stiff because of this.
I think the adventure presented in the story was dull and sometimes seemed to drag on. The climax, because of this, felt very underwhelming, and also because I had a hard time connecting with the characters - and caring whether or not they made it out alive.
The best part, in my opinion, would have to be when they were onboard the airship Skylarker. I thought Minty was an interesting character, and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing more of her, though that might be because I just love captains that are characters.
The inclusion of airships was also interesting. It gave the story a steampunk-like feel, along with the various magic-infested weapons and trinkets we see along the way.
I thought this book's biggest merits were the action scenes and I would recommend it to those who want a quick but entertaining read.
Thank you very much to Netgallery and the publisher for sharing this digital review copy with me to review!
November 6, 2022
The Virtuous Feats of the Indomitable Miss Trafalgar and the Erudite Lady Boone by Geonn Cannon.
Trafalgar & Boone #1.
In 1899, a secret society tried to use a young woman to bring an ancient evil into the world. Twenty years later they will return to finish the job. After the Great War, London is settling once more into the gentle routine of peacetime. The airships that once protected England's coast now ferry people back and forth across the Thames, the magically-inclined are free to return to their normal work, and those who seek treasures left behind by ancient civilizations are again free to explore. Dorothy Boone shunned a life of luxury to follow in her grandmother's footsteps by uncovering the mysteries of "the worlds that came before ours." When a package explodes upon delivery to Lady Boone's townhouse, she is drawn into an unlikely alliance with her nemesis, Trafalgar of Abyssinia, to find the culprit. They soon find themselves unraveling a plot that has left many of their allies dead and the rest in fear for their lives. A group of treasure hunters with a fiendish plot to take over England has begun eliminating its competition in order to fund an expedition to retrieve the last item they need for a summoning that will bring an ancient evil into our world. With no one else to trust, Trafalgar and Boone must put aside their differences and forge a partnership to stop their mutual enemy. If they fail, a world that still bears the scars of the Great War will be once again thrown into turmoil.
An OK Read. Slow but readable. 3*.
Trafalgar & Boone #1.
In 1899, a secret society tried to use a young woman to bring an ancient evil into the world. Twenty years later they will return to finish the job. After the Great War, London is settling once more into the gentle routine of peacetime. The airships that once protected England's coast now ferry people back and forth across the Thames, the magically-inclined are free to return to their normal work, and those who seek treasures left behind by ancient civilizations are again free to explore. Dorothy Boone shunned a life of luxury to follow in her grandmother's footsteps by uncovering the mysteries of "the worlds that came before ours." When a package explodes upon delivery to Lady Boone's townhouse, she is drawn into an unlikely alliance with her nemesis, Trafalgar of Abyssinia, to find the culprit. They soon find themselves unraveling a plot that has left many of their allies dead and the rest in fear for their lives. A group of treasure hunters with a fiendish plot to take over England has begun eliminating its competition in order to fund an expedition to retrieve the last item they need for a summoning that will bring an ancient evil into our world. With no one else to trust, Trafalgar and Boone must put aside their differences and forge a partnership to stop their mutual enemy. If they fail, a world that still bears the scars of the Great War will be once again thrown into turmoil.
An OK Read. Slow but readable. 3*.
December 28, 2018
Steampunk adventure.
Strong brave women in the leading role.
It sounded good indeed.
But I did not like the book so much. Why on earth, with such good premises?
First of all: Dorothy Boone is supposed to be some sort of Indiana Jones. She's an erudite (the title says so), she's stronger than she seems, she's sensual... and she's extremely selfish and annoying. But despite that everybody likes her. (Exactly like Indy!)
Everybody she meets is grateful to her because she helped them at a point. Which clashes with the fact that she's portraited as a selfish person, and in fact seems like a cheap excuse to have plenty of other characters helping her in this adventure.
Second. While I like having female characters and this book has plenty... it did not make much sense.
Either you choose to revisit a dystopic London (where adventurers often were female) or you assume that a female adventurer would be an oddity (and you can't gather a team of a dozen just as
easily). You must choose one. Can't have both.
Third. The adventure itself was dull.
Dull.
Which finally ruined the book.
Strong brave women in the leading role.
It sounded good indeed.
But I did not like the book so much. Why on earth, with such good premises?
First of all: Dorothy Boone is supposed to be some sort of Indiana Jones. She's an erudite (the title says so), she's stronger than she seems, she's sensual... and she's extremely selfish and annoying. But despite that everybody likes her. (Exactly like Indy!)
Everybody she meets is grateful to her because she helped them at a point. Which clashes with the fact that she's portraited as a selfish person, and in fact seems like a cheap excuse to have plenty of other characters helping her in this adventure.
Second. While I like having female characters and this book has plenty... it did not make much sense.
Either you choose to revisit a dystopic London (where adventurers often were female) or you assume that a female adventurer would be an oddity (and you can't gather a team of a dozen just as
easily). You must choose one. Can't have both.
Third. The adventure itself was dull.
Dull.
Which finally ruined the book.
November 27, 2021
Having never read anything in the “Steampunk” genre and being a bit curious, I was happy to see this offering on NetGalley as a “Read Now” selection. I am ever so glad that I did. Because this book was published in 2015 and there are numerous plot summaries available, I will just give my overall impressions.
The whole Steampunk concept was easy to buy into – there was not as much world-building as I expected, but that’s a good thing. The story whizzed along nicely, and I was able to read the 260 pages in 2 easy sessions. It was very entertaining. and I never felt like it was lagging. The characters’ banter was witty and tight – not too much jabbering on.
Now the big question: will I read more Steampunk? Since I bought the second book in this series, the chances are very high that I will. I will even venture out to find more. Do not get me wrong – I will not make a steady diet of it, but it will make a nice change of pace for me. So it is a five-star review from me.
As mentioned about I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.
The whole Steampunk concept was easy to buy into – there was not as much world-building as I expected, but that’s a good thing. The story whizzed along nicely, and I was able to read the 260 pages in 2 easy sessions. It was very entertaining. and I never felt like it was lagging. The characters’ banter was witty and tight – not too much jabbering on.
Now the big question: will I read more Steampunk? Since I bought the second book in this series, the chances are very high that I will. I will even venture out to find more. Do not get me wrong – I will not make a steady diet of it, but it will make a nice change of pace for me. So it is a five-star review from me.
As mentioned about I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.
September 14, 2021
Oh wow! If you read this hang on to your hat because its fast and action packed. If I had to put a label on it I'd have to say Indiana Jones but obviously a woman. Also with a little more style.
However, saying that I found myself being steam rolled with information. It comes at you so fast I felt the need to walk away and think about it a while, and then continue. I don't normally like to think too much when I'm reading. I like to escape and enjoy. Does that make any sense. But saying that I understand why it's so fast paced. It kept me coming back.
There was a lot of whoa! and what! It would probably play better on screen.
I'd say interesting with and question mark. I would recommend it as it's just fun and action from the first to the last page.
Enjoy!
However, saying that I found myself being steam rolled with information. It comes at you so fast I felt the need to walk away and think about it a while, and then continue. I don't normally like to think too much when I'm reading. I like to escape and enjoy. Does that make any sense. But saying that I understand why it's so fast paced. It kept me coming back.
There was a lot of whoa! and what! It would probably play better on screen.
I'd say interesting with and question mark. I would recommend it as it's just fun and action from the first to the last page.
Enjoy!
August 26, 2021
Strong characters, history mixed into a steam punk world and frenemies who become so much more as they race to thwart a plot for world domination.
I loved this story - it could easily become a series.
Dorothy grew up privileged, well to do and protected. Luckily for Dorothy, her grandmother prized intelligence, independence and a sense of adventure so much that Dorothy escaped the drudgery of an arranged marriage.
Trafalgar grew up nameless, deemed worthless and expendable. Luckily, Trafalgar had a sense of her own self worth.
Separately, Dorothy and Trafalgar are wary rivals and adversaries in a male dominated profession.
Together, they are forces to be reckoned with.
I loved this story - it could easily become a series.
Dorothy grew up privileged, well to do and protected. Luckily for Dorothy, her grandmother prized intelligence, independence and a sense of adventure so much that Dorothy escaped the drudgery of an arranged marriage.
Trafalgar grew up nameless, deemed worthless and expendable. Luckily, Trafalgar had a sense of her own self worth.
Separately, Dorothy and Trafalgar are wary rivals and adversaries in a male dominated profession.
Together, they are forces to be reckoned with.
February 9, 2017
This book could easily be re-titled "adventurous steam-punk lesbians". That pretty much captures what was going on, I think.
One thing I did find unusual was that every major character was female. It's more typical for major characters to be male--and while I find both problematic, it was interesting to have the device turned on its head.
Somewhat off-topic, but great cover--it reminded me of Laura Bow!
One thing I did find unusual was that every major character was female. It's more typical for major characters to be male--and while I find both problematic, it was interesting to have the device turned on its head.
Somewhat off-topic, but great cover--it reminded me of Laura Bow!
October 27, 2021
I enjoyed as it was fun to read and fast paced. A mix of steam punk and alternate history, strong female characters and a plot that flows.
It's the start of a series and it introduce the reader to the world even if the world building was a bit overwhelming a times.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's the start of a series and it introduce the reader to the world even if the world building was a bit overwhelming a times.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
November 15, 2023
An interesting book but slow. Needed editing to make it shorter and more fascinating. I kept putting it down to read other books.
May 16, 2016
Trafalgar and Boone in the Drowned Necropolis
I very much enjoyed this book, as I did the previous installment in the series.
I found the characters have been given interesting backgrounds and a plethora of feisty attitudes which lets the several female protagonists exceed the limited expectations for women of their time period. Each personality is distinct and has elements of a backstory which I expect to grow more detailed as the series expands. There are elements of magic and ancient prophecy that flow well within the plot, and are carefully unpacked to leave many questions unanswered, perhaps for future publications. The story itself encourages readers to keep turning pages, and the transitions in viewpoints are smooth, rather than stilted as they sometimes are in this type of book. The villain offers a reasonable challenge for the heroes, and is also given believable motivation for her misdeeds.
The story posits an extinct race of pre-human sentients, the evidence of whose existence was literally drowned with a shift in the landscape. The intrepid explorers and their friends race to find the city before their counterpart can exploit it for her personal gain, ruining the knowledge it holds. The book further develops on concepts hinted at during the first novel, without repeating itself. The expectation is that you have probably read the first book, but it would not be impossible to pick this one up first. The action is fast-paced and the reader is cheering for the heroes to succeed in their quest, partially because the idea is just really cool.
The novel handles the varying sexualities of both male and female characters ably, with acknowledgement of public morals of the 1920s, but the LGBT elements feel well-conceived and the book does not make a grand commotion about any of the relationships or insinuations which occur in the story. Romantic scenes are classy and erotic without descending into excessive detail. It is nice to see characters who are more diverse than the traditional white, male, heterosexual, wealthy Englishman, who was formerly a mainstay of these genre of novels. The steampunk elements are fairly minimal, but the world-building is there, and, when relevant, explained in sufficient detail for the reader to envision the concept in question.
I look forward to further adventures with Miss Trafalgar and Lady Boone.
I very much enjoyed this book, as I did the previous installment in the series.
I found the characters have been given interesting backgrounds and a plethora of feisty attitudes which lets the several female protagonists exceed the limited expectations for women of their time period. Each personality is distinct and has elements of a backstory which I expect to grow more detailed as the series expands. There are elements of magic and ancient prophecy that flow well within the plot, and are carefully unpacked to leave many questions unanswered, perhaps for future publications. The story itself encourages readers to keep turning pages, and the transitions in viewpoints are smooth, rather than stilted as they sometimes are in this type of book. The villain offers a reasonable challenge for the heroes, and is also given believable motivation for her misdeeds.
The story posits an extinct race of pre-human sentients, the evidence of whose existence was literally drowned with a shift in the landscape. The intrepid explorers and their friends race to find the city before their counterpart can exploit it for her personal gain, ruining the knowledge it holds. The book further develops on concepts hinted at during the first novel, without repeating itself. The expectation is that you have probably read the first book, but it would not be impossible to pick this one up first. The action is fast-paced and the reader is cheering for the heroes to succeed in their quest, partially because the idea is just really cool.
The novel handles the varying sexualities of both male and female characters ably, with acknowledgement of public morals of the 1920s, but the LGBT elements feel well-conceived and the book does not make a grand commotion about any of the relationships or insinuations which occur in the story. Romantic scenes are classy and erotic without descending into excessive detail. It is nice to see characters who are more diverse than the traditional white, male, heterosexual, wealthy Englishman, who was formerly a mainstay of these genre of novels. The steampunk elements are fairly minimal, but the world-building is there, and, when relevant, explained in sufficient detail for the reader to envision the concept in question.
I look forward to further adventures with Miss Trafalgar and Lady Boone.
January 23, 2019
I wanted to like this more than I did. It's more or less a popcorn action story, with very little depth. There's an occasional attempt to add depth, which sometimes works but mostly falls flat. But if you're just looking for light action with lesbian heroines, this will suit. Think female Indiana Jones, in a vaguely steampunk-magic universe, and you'll have a rough idea of what to expect.
The biggest issue with it is the lack of any distinctive character voices. It was ridiculously easy to lose track of whose POV it currently was, and then there would be a teensy detail that would make me go back and reread to verify, okay, yes, this time it was THAT character's POV. I mean, there's a high-class British woman, and a woman raised in Africa forcibly removed from her home village, you'd think there would be SOME distinction in their voices. Nope. Completely interchangeable.
The next biggest issue is the author's tendency to derail the story every time a major character is introduced with, at the beginning, an entire chapter of background, or, later on, just several paragraphs. The latter ones, especially, would have been better done with light dialogue and memory, rather than a complete derailment of the story to cram every bit of background in.
On the minor side, this has more typos than I would expect of a professional publication. Every publication will have a few, but usually they're far enough apart that I've forgotten the last one by the time the next comes up. In this? There are maybe one or two per chapter. Mostly missing words, or wrong words, or, in one case, a misspelling of "blackguards" as "blaggards". I've read so, so much worse, but it does seem to suggest a lack of thorough enough editing.
Will I pick up the next in the series? Eh, maybe if it goes on sale at some point. I'm definitely not drawn in enough to pay full price, but it was a mildly entertaining diversion.
The biggest issue with it is the lack of any distinctive character voices. It was ridiculously easy to lose track of whose POV it currently was, and then there would be a teensy detail that would make me go back and reread to verify, okay, yes, this time it was THAT character's POV. I mean, there's a high-class British woman, and a woman raised in Africa forcibly removed from her home village, you'd think there would be SOME distinction in their voices. Nope. Completely interchangeable.
The next biggest issue is the author's tendency to derail the story every time a major character is introduced with, at the beginning, an entire chapter of background, or, later on, just several paragraphs. The latter ones, especially, would have been better done with light dialogue and memory, rather than a complete derailment of the story to cram every bit of background in.
On the minor side, this has more typos than I would expect of a professional publication. Every publication will have a few, but usually they're far enough apart that I've forgotten the last one by the time the next comes up. In this? There are maybe one or two per chapter. Mostly missing words, or wrong words, or, in one case, a misspelling of "blackguards" as "blaggards". I've read so, so much worse, but it does seem to suggest a lack of thorough enough editing.
Will I pick up the next in the series? Eh, maybe if it goes on sale at some point. I'm definitely not drawn in enough to pay full price, but it was a mildly entertaining diversion.
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