Cold Stone & Ivy: The Crown Prince

The Empire of Steam #2

by H. Leighton Dickson

“The Crown Prince is dead, shot in the head. War is coming on iron feet.” A murdered Prince. A Gilded Empire. A clockwork locket that tick-tocks dark matter. The year is 1889 and Austria's Crown Prince Rudolf has been found with a bullet in his brain. Immediately, all eyes are turned to the Empire of Steam’s Mad Lord of Lasingstoke, a notorious ghost hunter and the last man to see the Crown Prince alive. As the first whispers of war cast a preternatural shadow over Europe, an international manhunt is launched to bring the Mad Lord and his clockwork brother to justice. Unfortunately, young criminologist Ivy Savage has written herself into the plot and it takes all of her resourcefulness to keep them one step ahead of the firing squad. From airships over the Black Forest to a stolen ride on the Orient Express, it’s clear that the Gilded Empire is not the only thing hunting the Mad Lord. Ghost horses and iron giants, long-dead saints and an archduchess more cable than flesh - all want something from the de Lacey brothers, not the least of which being the resurrection of the crown prince himself. But Ivy knows that at the heart of it, two lockets alone control the destiny of Empires and the clockwork is ticking as they race back to Vienna and the dangerous labyrinth that lies beneath...

Genres: Steampunk, Paranormal, Mystery

376 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2017

About the author

H. Leighton Dickson grew up in the wilds of the Canadian Shield, where her neighbours were wolves, moose, deer and lynx. She studied Zoology at the University of Guelph and worked in the Edinburgh Zoological Gardens in Scotland, where she was chased by lions, wrestled deaf tigers and fed antibiotics to Polar Bears by baby bottle.

A successful indie author, Heather is now repped by D. Ellis Wilson of Looking Glass Literary & Media. She has 10 indie novels including the 'Rise of the Upper Kingdom' series and the Empire of Steam series, as well as the award-winning DRAGON OF ASH & STARS. Her next novel, SHIP OF SPELLS, is published by Red Tower Books and will be available November 4, 2025.


Come join the conversation at http://www.hleightondickson.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HLeightonDickson

Reviews

[Serena Gifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of these books and was so excited to get my hands on this one!
It was exciting, creative, historical, and altogether a fantastic read! Loved this book x10 and can't wait for number 3!

[Jenny Koch · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really liked the first book (after it's slow start), so I tried to stick with this book and give it a fair shot but it just wouldn't click. I found myself hating every single character in this book.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/22/2020)! 🎁

[Dale Regnier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Stone And Ivy Book 2:

What does one do, if they fall in love with a man whose eyes
can change colour seven times?
Never trust a locket that has a presence. 😉

[Kristia Seabolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairly rarely do I find myself thoroughly enjoying an indie-book. In the past, I have been let down too many times with promising plot, in both indie and traditional, where the book falls short, or the author don't catch the right niche for it, but Miss Dickson has accomplished far beyond my expectations! She has renewed my hope for indie books and books in general.

I have now whizzed through both book one and two with eagerness and heart pounding anticipation!! Book one made me fall in love with Ivy and Sebastien, my heart ached for Bastien and his grief, and been thrilled and enthralled by the mysteries. Book two took out my heart like the Ripper and gallop off on a pale horse in the end of days!

This book was woven in such a genius manner of steam punk, history, and supernatural. The characters well developed and believable. The plot is breath taking and unpredictable!! I eagerly await the next book!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What more can I say. Wow! I’m not really a steam-punk kind of reader but I was totally mesmerized by this book by the first page. I knew I was going to be in for a treat after reading the first book in the series but everything H. Leighton Dickson did in Cold Stone and Ivy I is done ten times more so. The steam punk element is intensified and the historical allusions are twisted and woven into the story, entertaining the idea that perhaps, yes maybe, this story really did occur in another dimension, in another place and another time. And yes, Ivy and the Mad Lord are back and … Well, you just have to read it. No sense in telling you what it’s about. Just one word of advice. Make sure you have a couple days set aside to enjoy it. Send the kids off, tell the boss you’re sick, whatever. You won’t want to put it down. Nope.

[Literati Literature Lovers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart and Complex Steampunk

Dickson blends real historical events into a fantastical steampunk story, filled with betray, romance, intrigue and plenty of adventure. This book picks up a little while after the first book. Ivy, Sebastien and Christen are headed to Vienna, and death follows along. This isn't a light steampunk adventure as Dickson writes complex characters and plots that are weaved with intriguing philosophical questions about life and death. Sebastien is pursued relentlessly by one possible fate, and hopefully Ivy can save him from it. The book does have a cliffhanger type ending, which just makes me want to read more of this series.

I wish I could have given this book five stars but it wasn't a clean read as there are editing errors in the book.

I read via Kindle Unlimited

[Rick Kirka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining book, with the promise of more yet to come. For an alien alternate universe of steampunk, mysticism, and slightly-bent history, it starts to grow on you like an ice-covered room in summertime.

Among the cast of characters, I hope there is a larger role for the Helmsley-Wimpoll family. For a family of seemingly small-town country dweebs, they are remarkably dialed in to almost everything within fifty miles of Lasingstoke Hall. But are there things they know that should have been left unknown?

My other wish is to see the USA and Canada with some sort of cameo role. The “Republic of Petrol”, and the “Dominion of Dammed Waters”?

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series, especially Ivy and Sebastien, and I cannot wait for book three. But if Christien doesn't stop acting like a bitter little turd, I will have a mental breakdown. (Also if Valerie doesn't become likeable? Like why do all the badass women have to hate and/or look down at Ivy? They could have had a wicked friendship.)

3.5/5

[James Draper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dickson could write a grocery list and I would recommend it. This book is just another excellently written story. Set in the late Victorian era, it is part history, steam punk, necromancy with a little magic thrown in. Mix them all together and you'll get a wild ride!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG steampunk goodness! Review to come

[Kathy Brickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!

Exciting and interesting! I have very much enjoyed this series Can't wait for the last one, but I will hate to say goodbye to Ivy and Sebastian. Good read!

[Beth Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

I absolutely loved this book. It was as good as the first book in this series. I look forward to reading more the third book!

[John A. Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book. Looking for Book three.

[F.E. Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely riveting read. Clever, unique, and highly entertaining.

[F. AY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book

I am looking forward to reading how Ivy and Remy will stop the inevitable and reclaim Bastien into the world of the living.

[Szabolcs Szterszky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up right where Book 1 left off, Dickson draws us deeper into her rich, alchemical blend of steampunk Victoriana, comedy of manners, and political thriller. The scene shifts from England to Central Europe, weaving threads of scandal, conspiracy and power politics into a compelling tale of darkness and wit, heartbreak and triumph. The science is weirder, the cybernetics creepier, the psychical world more esoteric. And oh yes, there are Black Swans, butt-kicking 19th-century spy women. But as always, the crown jewels of Dickson's world are her characters -- multilayered, witty, endearing, terrifying. Ivy and Sebastien's story gets more beguiling with each chapter, and it's hard (but thoroughly fun!) to imagine where Dickson will take them next. Moreover, the supporting cast isn't just there to be foils for the leads. They're fully formed, appealing personalities with complex relationships of their own. This is a true ensemble adventure, worthy of a prestige cable series, not to mention a place on your tablet or bookshelf!