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The Engine Series #2

This Mysterious Engine

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Ash betrayed his love’s greatest secret to save her life.

Now Sheela is in the hands of Duke Schaever, and his every attempt to save her has failed. At least she is still alive. Even if the most dangerous man in England has her in his grasp.

In a last ditch rescue effort, Ash agrees to complete another task for the Misters. This task is more dangerous than all the others, including stealing a magical item from a vault guarded by a dragon.

He must steal away the Duke’s betrothed, adding kidnapping to his already long list of sins. Ash will do anything to liberate Sheela and win her forgiveness for sharing her secret.

But the Duke’s fiancee may not be entirely human. Not anymore. The Duke’s engineering of metal and magic has created more abominations than even Ash could have known. And all of them turn their wrath upon Ash to protect Schaever’s intended.

How many more debts will Ash incur to rescue his love?

And does Sheela even want to be saved?

The Engine Series continues in this action-packed fantasy sequel, delving into the Duke’s horrific experiments and launching Ash into ever deeper trouble. Steampunk creations come to the forefront as he realizes just how driven his enemy can be. Dark Fantasy and Alternate History fans alike will devour this twisted tale of love, control, and addiction.

What does it mean to live? And what does it mean to die? By the end of this job, even Ash won’t know.

Discover the Duke’s twisted merging of science and magic today. Read This Mysterious Engine now!

450 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2019

5 people are currently reading
20 people want to read

About the author

Philip Ligon

9 books569 followers
Philip Ligon’s love of fantasy began in earnest when he tried to read The Sword of Shannara for a book report in high school. Though he had to choose a different book for the report, he was forever hooked on epic adventures, quests, and fantastic realms. He proceeded to read every Terry Brooks book he could find, and soon discovered the works of Raymond Feist, Michael Moorcock, and threw in a heavy dose of Orson Scott Card, to name a few.

He has received numerous awards for his writings, including being a multi-year finalist in the Paul Gillette Writing Contest and a finalist in Colorado Gold. This Strange Engine was a finalist in the 2015 Zebulon writing contest and a quarterfinalist in the 2014 ABNA.

Philip calls the hills and valleys of north Alabama home.

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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
564 reviews4 followers
July 12, 2019
Got this as an ARC for an honest review.

Ash is a magic addict that can never say no to a job that allows him to harness his addiction.
But this time he is trying to make right a mistake he made before in regards to a woman he fell in love with named Sheela.
Ash has to conquor the Duke's crazy underground world filled with magic and crazy science experiments if he's able to even have a chance to succeed in rescuing her. Already Ash is starting out as the most wanted man in the realm and this mission needs stealth if he will succeed. On top of this the Duke is planning something big and anything that guy has planned is never good.
Will Ash be able to do the impossible beyond all odds of actually staying alive or will the majority of enemies get the better of him?

Great series that meshes Steampunk with Magic in our world. Ash is a little bit insane but what the man goes through, who wouldn't be? I highly recommend you read the first book first since this one continues where the other left off. However, the author does a great job of bringing the reader up to speed if the other book has not been read.
Definitely worth it!!
2 reviews
July 15, 2019
This is the second book in “The Engine” series. This book alludes to what happened in book one. If you haven’t read that book 1st I highly suggest that you buy both books and read book 1 first. Do you like steam punk? Do you like paranormal adventures? Do you like both!?! Get the series!
The main character is Asherton ( Ash ). He is a fallen man who is addicted to magic, trying to get by in the world by performing perilous assignments for a mysterious group. He is likeable but his addiction is strong. He has friends who see the good in him and risk themselves for him. Possibly, more than he deserves.
The action scenes are exciting. The dialogue flow smoothly and is very real. The villains are villainess. His friends are kind and caring.
I read the first book about nine months to a year ago. After reading this book and enjoying, I have a desire to go back and re-read book one. I will probably re-book two again!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Roger Cohen.
37 reviews
July 12, 2019
I totally enjoyed This Strange Engine , the first book in Philip Ligon’s The Engine Series. Now series star Alexander Asherton (Ash) is back in This Mysterious Engine (Book 2). As the publisher’s blurb notes, Ash “will do anything to liberate Sheela and win her forgiveness for sharing her secret”. We lucky readers get to follow along in the well-plotted, well-written tale that follows as a result. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Charlie Seon.
22 reviews
February 5, 2021
The second installment of Ash's adventure, and better than the first. The world of Campden gets more rich, intriguing and mysterious as the enigma of the Duke is unraveled. The functions of magic being combined with science is extremely fascinating. There were so many turns with character development in this book that left me infuriated, confused, and delighted. Ash's moral struggle, cleverness, loyalty, love and even his friendships are being tested to the limit. In short, I LOVED it! I'm eager to see how the third book wraps up and answers my remaining questions.
131 reviews
July 11, 2019
This is one of the best books I have read in a while! It grabbed and kept my attention from the first page to the last. It had a great storyline, well- developed characters, with lots of twists and turns to keep it interesting! The ending left me with the impression that this is a series, and I am going to go look and see if there is another book because the ending leaves you hanging. You'll be hooked right away from the first page, throughout to the last!
2 reviews
July 13, 2019
This is one of the best books I have read in a while! It ia an attention grabber from start to end. It has a great storyline, well- developed and defined characters, with l twists and turns. The book is a hanger leaving you wanting more. A series in the making.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
564 reviews4 followers
July 12, 2019
Got this as an ARC for an honest review.

Ash is a magic addict that can never say no to a job that allows him to harness his addiction.
But this time he is trying to make right a mistake he made before in regards to a woman he fell in love with named Sheela.
Ash has to conquor the Duke's crazy underground world filled with magic and crazy science experiments if he's able to even have a chance to succeed in rescuing her. Already Ash is starting out as the most wanted man in the realm and this mission needs stealth if he will succeed. On top of this the Duke is planning something big and anything that guy has planned is never good.
Will Ash be able to do the impossible beyond all odds of actually staying alive or will the majority of enemies get the better of him?

Great series that meshes Steampunk with Magic in our world. Ash is a little bit insane but what the man goes through, who wouldn't be? I highly recommend you read the first book first since this one continues where the other left off. However, the author does a great job of bringing the reader up to speed if the other book has not been read.
Definitely worth it!!
Profile Image for Roger Cohen.
37 reviews
July 12, 2019
I totally enjoyed This Strange Engine , the first book in Philip Ligon’s The Engine Series. Now series star Alexander Asherton (Ash) is back in This Mysterious Engine (Book 2). As the publisher’s blurb notes, Ash “will do anything to liberate Sheela and win her forgiveness for sharing her secret”. We lucky readers get to follow along in the well-plotted, well-written tale that follows as a result. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
131 reviews
October 4, 2018
This is one of the best books I have read in a while! It grabbed and kept my attention from the first page to the last. It had a great storyline, well- developed characters, with lots of twists and turns to keep it interesting! The ending left me with the impression that this is a series, and I am going to go look and see if there is another book because the ending leaves you hanging. You'll be hooked right away from the first page, throughout to the last!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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