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The Incorruptibles #3
Infernal Machines
The world is burning.
Rume is under attack. The Autumn Lords, rulers of the Tchinee empire, have had their true nature revealed. The Emperor descends into madness. And Fisk and Shoe—unlikely heroes, very likely mercenaries—must find their way to Fisk's wife and child, who he has never seen.
There might be quite a lot in their way. A war, for one thing. But Livia is as determined as Fisk to be reunited. And Shoe may have a plan...
Rume is under attack. The Autumn Lords, rulers of the Tchinee empire, have had their true nature revealed. The Emperor descends into madness. And Fisk and Shoe—unlikely heroes, very likely mercenaries—must find their way to Fisk's wife and child, who he has never seen.
There might be quite a lot in their way. A war, for one thing. But Livia is as determined as Fisk to be reunited. And Shoe may have a plan...
361 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2017
13 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
John Hornor Jacobs
24 books758 followersJohn Hornor Jacobs, is an award-winning author of genre bending adult and YA fiction and a partner and senior art director at a Little Rock, Arkansas advertising agency, Cranford Co. His first novel, Southern Gods, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Excellence in a First Novel and won the Darrel Award. The Onion AV said of the book, “A sumptuous Southern Gothic thriller steeped in the distinct American mythologies of Cthulhu and the blues . . . Southern Gods beautifully probes the eerie, horror-infested underbelly of the South.”His second novel, This Dark Earth, Brian Keene described as “…quite simply, the best zombie novel I’ve read in years” and was published by Simon & Schuster’s Gallery imprint. Jacobs’s acclaimed series of novels for young adults beginning with The Twelve-Fingered Boy, continuing with The Shibboleth, and ending with The Conformity has been hailed by Cory Doctorow on BoingBoing as “amazing” and “mesmerizing.”Jacobs’s first fantasy novel, The Incorruptibles, was nominated for the Morningstar and Gemmell Awards in the UK. Pat Rothfuss has said of this book, “One part ancient Rome, two parts wild west, one part Faust. A pinch of Tolkien, of Lovecraft, of Dante. This is strange alchemy, a recipe I’ve never seen before. I wish more books were as fresh and brave as this.”His fiction has appeared in Playboy Magazine, Cemetery Dance, Apex Magazine and his essay have been featured on CBS Weekly and Huffington Post.Books:Southern Gods – (Night Shade Books, 2011)
This Dark Earth – (Simon & Schuster, 2012)
The Twelve-Fingered Boy – (Lerner, 2013)
The Shibboleth – (Lerner, 2013)
The Conformity – (Lerner, 2014)
The Incorruptibles – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2014)
Foreign Devils – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2015)
Infernal Machines – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2017)
The Sea Dreams It Is The Sky – (HarperCollins / Harper Voyager, October 2018)
A Lush and Seething Hell – (HarperCollins / Harper Voyager, October 2019)
Murder Ballads and Other Horrific Tales – (JournalStone, 2020)
This Dark Earth – (Simon & Schuster, 2012)
The Twelve-Fingered Boy – (Lerner, 2013)
The Shibboleth – (Lerner, 2013)
The Conformity – (Lerner, 2014)
The Incorruptibles – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2014)
Foreign Devils – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2015)
Infernal Machines – (Hachette/Gollancz, 2017)
The Sea Dreams It Is The Sky – (HarperCollins / Harper Voyager, October 2018)
A Lush and Seething Hell – (HarperCollins / Harper Voyager, October 2019)
Murder Ballads and Other Horrific Tales – (JournalStone, 2020)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 17, 2017
I am a poor person, usually all my reading material comes from used book stores. I was blown away when I read the Incorruptibles. I was also sadenned by the fact that JHJ books don't sell as much and he doesn't get the recognition that he deserves (for me he is one of the top fantasy writers around). So to do my part, I skipped midday meals for a week, and for once, bought a new copy of Infernal Machines. Gladly I was not disappointed one bit
October 9, 2024
A decent closure to a trilogy.
August 29, 2019
JHJ is an author who doesn't get enough praise. He writes the kind of wild, weird and wonderful stories that tick every box for me. Fantasy, in some cases has become boring, pedestrian, repetitive and predictable. A farm boy becomes a hero. There are lots of typical stories. Jacobs takes the mould of those stories and throws them out the window.
This is the last ride of Fisk and Shoe. It's a complex story set in a pseudo-wild west America where the power of gunpowder has been replaced by demonology, where machines sit alongside gunslingers and non-human races have the same names as some you might have heard in other fantasy stories but Jacobs makes them completely his own. They're incredibly fleshed out, feel real and have a long history which he conveys without pages and pages of exposition. All of his books are lean and yet I'd wager they're more in depth and emotional than some weighty 700 page tomes where it's book 1 of a 7 part series.
It's hard to talk about this book without spoilers as it's the third in the trilogy, but it's full of action, heart ache, surprises, twists and raw, emotional moments with a fantastic turn of phrase. An incredible story from a rare and unique voice in the industry. Read it.
This is the last ride of Fisk and Shoe. It's a complex story set in a pseudo-wild west America where the power of gunpowder has been replaced by demonology, where machines sit alongside gunslingers and non-human races have the same names as some you might have heard in other fantasy stories but Jacobs makes them completely his own. They're incredibly fleshed out, feel real and have a long history which he conveys without pages and pages of exposition. All of his books are lean and yet I'd wager they're more in depth and emotional than some weighty 700 page tomes where it's book 1 of a 7 part series.
It's hard to talk about this book without spoilers as it's the third in the trilogy, but it's full of action, heart ache, surprises, twists and raw, emotional moments with a fantastic turn of phrase. An incredible story from a rare and unique voice in the industry. Read it.
April 29, 2020
Sigh.... where to begin?
Loved the first book in the series which set out a world as a cross between Roman and Wild West with magic. The first book for me was almost lyrical in its depiction of the world. In particular the descriptions of the landscape, trees and rocks, people made the world truly come alive in my imagination. Some of the best fantasy / scifi writing I've come across and I've been reading these genres for over 30 years.
Second book carried on the story but not as a lyrical a book for me. Still enjoyable enough.
Final book? Meh. Had to make myself finish it to complete the story arc. Not hard going but after the joy of the first book this one was a let down.
Loved the first book in the series which set out a world as a cross between Roman and Wild West with magic. The first book for me was almost lyrical in its depiction of the world. In particular the descriptions of the landscape, trees and rocks, people made the world truly come alive in my imagination. Some of the best fantasy / scifi writing I've come across and I've been reading these genres for over 30 years.
Second book carried on the story but not as a lyrical a book for me. Still enjoyable enough.
Final book? Meh. Had to make myself finish it to complete the story arc. Not hard going but after the joy of the first book this one was a let down.
September 22, 2017
c2017: FWFTB: Hardscrabble, submersible, Gynth, dvergar, daemon. For me, this was the best yet - and Gynth has turned from an inexplicable terror to a great character in his (?her?) own right. Pacy, exciting, a bit of steam-punk, a bit of Roman, a bit of the Wild West - how this all works together, I have absolutely no idea - but work it most certainly does. The main characters have changed and morphed because of their 'adventures' and I can't wait for the next in the series. Highly and definitely recommended to the normal crew. 'I worry about his state of mind, truly,' I said."
August 20, 2019
As an ending, this is a book full of loss, sin, and misery. There is hope, though, and enough of our heroes make it through to make an ending that is happy enough. There are threads that I felt still needed tying up, but there is real closure here.
A fine ending. A red ending.
A fine ending. A red ending.
March 11, 2020
Terrible final book to a trilogy. BOTCHED (to use a non offensive term) the ending royally which is why the low rating. One cool thing about it was a modern machine is introduced that uses the daemon technology. That was cool. The battles were cool. Fisk and Shoe are interesting protagonists as well as the rest of the cast. But without spoiling anything, boy that final act was a hastily written trash fire, and the final sacrifice of a character, plus the final line was awful.
NOTE TO FANTASY AUTHORS: Your story does NOT need dragons. Please just don't just throw them in there, especially on your final act, for the sake of having them.
NOTE TO FANTASY AUTHORS: Your story does NOT need dragons. Please just don't just throw them in there, especially on your final act, for the sake of having them.
November 25, 2017
I just can’t get enough of John Hornor Jacobs - I was so enthralled by the book that I wanted to write a review while I was part-way through it. Now that I’ve actually finished it, I’ve considered revising all my previous 5 star ratings, this one was that standout.
This is one of the best books I read this year, tied with You Die When You Die by Angus Watson and The Skull Throne by Peter V Brett. I’m mentioning and comparing all these other works to give anyone reading this review a flavour of my preferences and also to show how underrated I think John Hornor Jacobs is - for me, he’s up there with the real big-hitters of fantasy writing.
The story in itself is marvellous - original setting, compelling drama, great pace but for me, the special elements of this work and this author are the poetic turn of phrase and the incredibly drawn characters.
The prose is beautiful, spare, and descriptive without being cumbersome - the only other author I have read whose beautiful turn of phrase has arrested me so is Haruki Murakami.
The characters are utterly outstanding - loveable, odious, complex, realistic, varied......it’s a masterwork of character building. Their personalities are illustrated through brilliantly written dialogue too, further cementing my point above. Stand out for me above the rest is Livia; one of the very best strong females I have ever read, next to Althea in Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders trilogy and Monza Murcatto in Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold.
Start with the first in the series - it’s absolutely totally worth it. Brilliant brilliant stuff.
Since there are no more stories of Fisk, Shoe, Livia, Gynth and Carnelia ready for me to devour, its onto Twelve Fingered Boy next......just cant get enough....
This is one of the best books I read this year, tied with You Die When You Die by Angus Watson and The Skull Throne by Peter V Brett. I’m mentioning and comparing all these other works to give anyone reading this review a flavour of my preferences and also to show how underrated I think John Hornor Jacobs is - for me, he’s up there with the real big-hitters of fantasy writing.
The story in itself is marvellous - original setting, compelling drama, great pace but for me, the special elements of this work and this author are the poetic turn of phrase and the incredibly drawn characters.
The prose is beautiful, spare, and descriptive without being cumbersome - the only other author I have read whose beautiful turn of phrase has arrested me so is Haruki Murakami.
The characters are utterly outstanding - loveable, odious, complex, realistic, varied......it’s a masterwork of character building. Their personalities are illustrated through brilliantly written dialogue too, further cementing my point above. Stand out for me above the rest is Livia; one of the very best strong females I have ever read, next to Althea in Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders trilogy and Monza Murcatto in Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold.
Start with the first in the series - it’s absolutely totally worth it. Brilliant brilliant stuff.
Since there are no more stories of Fisk, Shoe, Livia, Gynth and Carnelia ready for me to devour, its onto Twelve Fingered Boy next......just cant get enough....
January 31, 2024
The book starts right when the previous one ended: with Fisk and Shoe escaping the destroyed city of Harbour Town, pursued by Beleth and his men. Their adventures in the wilderness are a welcome return to the style of the first book, as opposed to the second one that took place mostly in cities. But the book no longer feels like a Western because the war has now taken center stage. The pair team up with the Dvergar to stand against the Medeiran invasion, but it's hard because the Medeirans have weaponized demons to an unprecedented degree. They get some help from the Vaettir, as Kin brings some of his folk to aid them; apparently not all Vaettir are psycho killers.
Meanwhile, Livia and Cornelia are returning from Tchinee. The Tchinee storyline is gone and forgotten, like a little-loved side quest. But it does mean that Livia is now half a world away from Fisk, and it will take a lot of cunning to get back to him. The party steals an advanced ship and make their way across the ocean, avoiding both Rume and Medeira. Livia's storyline in this book is a vast improvement over her storyline in Book #2: there's a lot of adventure and tension, and the maritime escapades are a refreshing new element.
The book, and the series, end in bittersweet fashion. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that there's not going to be a great victory against Medeira that rolls back the tide of history: too much has been lost for that to happen. But things do change, both with humans and Vaettir, and a final quest changes even the nature of demonology.
Meanwhile, Livia and Cornelia are returning from Tchinee. The Tchinee storyline is gone and forgotten, like a little-loved side quest. But it does mean that Livia is now half a world away from Fisk, and it will take a lot of cunning to get back to him. The party steals an advanced ship and make their way across the ocean, avoiding both Rume and Medeira. Livia's storyline in this book is a vast improvement over her storyline in Book #2: there's a lot of adventure and tension, and the maritime escapades are a refreshing new element.
The book, and the series, end in bittersweet fashion. I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that there's not going to be a great victory against Medeira that rolls back the tide of history: too much has been lost for that to happen. But things do change, both with humans and Vaettir, and a final quest changes even the nature of demonology.
November 11, 2017
More of the western/alternate Roman Empire saga. It’s been a while since I read so I had lost track of what had happened in the previous installment but eventually my mind put everything together. This is the war narrative the preceding books had been building towards so there’s a healthy dose of war both on land & at sea. Generally I don’t enjoy a lot of prose about sailing, as things can get a little bogged down in nautical terminology but I never felt those things got too extraneous here. I found the conclusion satisfying overall though the pacing was a little bit strange, I wasn’t sure if this was actually the conclusion until the very end. Which is actually probably a good thing if you think about it. Overall, I enjoyed this book & felt it was more than worth the relatively scant amount of time it takes to read it.
February 5, 2024
A great ending to a great trilogy. The world of Shoe and Fisk continued to grow, the enemies continue to become more formidable, and new friendships formed. Another action packed, emotional roller coaster of a book, I read at a breakneck pack, really inhaled this book. I just love the western style action, steam punk touches, unique "magic" of daemons. This book has those in spades. But it adds larger philosophical issues-what makes a person-their race/genetics, or their behavior? what makes "family"-genetics or behavior? when mankind has horrible weapons, who should have them? and if we could rid the world of those weapons, what would you sacrifice to do it?
And as always, JHJ's does many things well, but his character development/relationship development, is outstanding. I miss Shoe already!
And as always, JHJ's does many things well, but his character development/relationship development, is outstanding. I miss Shoe already!
January 23, 2024
Mayb 4, mayb 4.5
Everything I was missing in the 2nd one was made up for here! Constant action, really gripping story. I love how the characters have developed and grown from 1st book to now.
I think this is the last book which is a shame, as the last few pages felt very rushed trying to close all the story lines. I would have liked to know a bit more on how the war finished and how Rume rebuilt itself, or what happened to the Occidens after the land was divided.
Also Carnelias ending? Love that for her. But you’re really going to get rid of the Crimson Man, the big bad GOD OF HELL in like half a page?? Gimme more please
Everything I was missing in the 2nd one was made up for here! Constant action, really gripping story. I love how the characters have developed and grown from 1st book to now.
I think this is the last book which is a shame, as the last few pages felt very rushed trying to close all the story lines. I would have liked to know a bit more on how the war finished and how Rume rebuilt itself, or what happened to the Occidens after the land was divided.
Also Carnelias ending? Love that for her. But you’re really going to get rid of the Crimson Man, the big bad GOD OF HELL in like half a page?? Gimme more please
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2017
3.5 *
The weakest in the trilogy, I'd say. A bittersweet ending, and...dragons!
My biggest gripe was Fisk. Perhaps it was a natural progression, but wasn't a fan of his turn into an Aragorn type leader. Missed his old west gunslinger feel. But then again, maybe it made sense for his character to move away from that after 3 books.
Also, definite lack of Shoe and Fisk banter. That's what made The Incorruptibles. Still, cool lore and worldbuilding. Not better than Southern Gods by Jacobs, but then again, what is?
The weakest in the trilogy, I'd say. A bittersweet ending, and...dragons!
My biggest gripe was Fisk. Perhaps it was a natural progression, but wasn't a fan of his turn into an Aragorn type leader. Missed his old west gunslinger feel. But then again, maybe it made sense for his character to move away from that after 3 books.
Also, definite lack of Shoe and Fisk banter. That's what made The Incorruptibles. Still, cool lore and worldbuilding. Not better than Southern Gods by Jacobs, but then again, what is?
March 13, 2018
I was worried about this book when I started reading it, because it seemed like it would be a tough job to tie up (probably, anyway--fourth book would certainly be appreciated but, I imagine, also kinda difficult) a wonderful Roman steampunk western series, with demon-elves, of course.
Reading it, though, I was roped back in and along for a whiteknuckle ride into the wonderfully crafted world. Great fun, and kind of a bummer this didn't get more awards, because it deserved a whole mess of them.
Reading it, though, I was roped back in and along for a whiteknuckle ride into the wonderfully crafted world. Great fun, and kind of a bummer this didn't get more awards, because it deserved a whole mess of them.
June 17, 2019
This is the third in the incorruptibles series, which is a steam punk western/roman setting with dwarves and elves (very unlike the normal fantasy elves) and daemon powered ships, guns and artillery! In this final book war breaks out across the east and west, with infernal daemons unleashed as weapons of mass destruction! The setting is novel and familiar at the same time, with the daemon powered technology adding a unique flavour. It would probably be very useful to have read the previous books first though. The whole series is highly recommended!
November 29, 2019
Let me start by stating that I thoroughly enjoyed the entire trilogy. The only reason why I didn't give it five stars is because I would have preferred if the last few chapters would have been expanded into its own novel. The rich history and lore that could have been expanded upon would be fascinating!
Other than that, I absolutely recommend these books and I look forward to reading others from John Hornor Jacobs.
Other than that, I absolutely recommend these books and I look forward to reading others from John Hornor Jacobs.
September 17, 2021
I love the world this series is set in. It’s just refreshingly different and interesting to ponder the mechanics. I wasn’t as gripped by the story in this book, but it did feel like an interesting conclusion to the overall series.
I’m certainly in a place where a new book from this author immediately hits my “to read” list without having to check out the details of the particular book. I think a lot of that is because I enjoy the novelty the author manages to bring to each book.
I’m certainly in a place where a new book from this author immediately hits my “to read” list without having to check out the details of the particular book. I think a lot of that is because I enjoy the novelty the author manages to bring to each book.
September 3, 2018
What a great finish to an excellent series. Horner’s writing, as always is outstanding, great turns of phrase, especially in the portions narrated by Shoe.
I really, really want an atlas of this inspired alternative take on our world’s history and cultures.
If you enjoy Westerns, Fantasy, or Alternate History you should give this series a try.
I really, really want an atlas of this inspired alternative take on our world’s history and cultures.
If you enjoy Westerns, Fantasy, or Alternate History you should give this series a try.
November 20, 2019
Jacobs is second to none with his prose, and his Incorruptibles series is one of the more unique and imaginative I've ever read. Infernal Machines is a strong and fitting end to the trilogy, and I'll be sad to let Shoe, Fisk, Livia, and Gynth go. If you want fantasy that's as fresh as it is entertaining, this series is a good place to start.
January 26, 2021
This is one of the most imaginative series I have ever read! I thought I had it all figured out but the ending left me rather surprised and unexpectedly emotional. The trilogy is quite intricate, and the storytelling reflects that, so I recommend to read these much closer together than I did, as I know some finer points escaped me.
September 26, 2019
A reasonable ending to the trilogy. I'll probably watch for any more fantasy from this author in the future. I wasn't extremely impressed with the series as a whole, but the author knows how to make characters interesting.
October 25, 2019
This was a great series - a combination of Rome, the American West and a touch of fantasy, what's not to like?
I was worried that the ending was getting a bit Frodo on Mount Doom, but it ended up as a dragon hunt instead! Most satisfactory.
I was worried that the ending was getting a bit Frodo on Mount Doom, but it ended up as a dragon hunt instead! Most satisfactory.
May 24, 2022
An interesting series that I did enjoy overall. The final book seemed a bit anti-climatic. I think the first book is probably my favorite in the series. Jacobs excels at stories on a small-scale but I think the scope of this story went beyond his strengths.
November 27, 2023
A step down again from the second book in this series (itself a step down from the first), so the distinct sense of declining quality and interest, especially in the rushed finale and anticlimactic ending, which fails to satisfy on almost every level.
September 21, 2018
Good series though the ending of book 3 seemed a little rushed...definitely worth your time.
October 10, 2018
Terrific conclusion to this amazing series. Indescribable, at least by me.
March 3, 2019
It ends really, crazy abruptly. I could have used 50 more pages.
July 21, 2020
I struggled with this one. It felt like Jacobs was wrapping up a five book series at the end of 3.
July 22, 2020
Great end to the trilogy. Loved all three books. Refreshing to read a vividly imagined and DIFFERENT world. :)
February 3, 2021
This one felt a tiny bit rushed. The last thirty pages could’ve filled a whole novel.
But, other than that, a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.
But, other than that, a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews