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The Enchanter Chronicles #1
The Daemon Device
London, 1891. Prince Albert has survived his brush with death. Dirigibles, like dark leviathans, surge through the sooty air of London. Steam powers the engines that supply electricity to the new electric lights along the Thames. And Jack the Ripper appears to be on the loose again on the seamy streets.
Someone is killing women and gutting them for their body parts. Is it Jack, or a far more sinister plot afoot than murder?
Leopold Kazsmer is a magician, the Great Enchanter. Ashamed of his Jewish-Gypsy heritage, he has fashioned himself into a proper English gentleman, though he harbors a carefully guarded secret; He has learned the dangerous art of summoning daemons. When he was a child, a tattoo was bestowed upon his wrist by the denizens of the Otherworld…the same night his father was killed. Though it gives him true magical powers once he’s made a sacrifice of blood, it is also his curse, for through it the creatures of nightmares have become aware of him.
With the help of Raj, a tarot-reading automated man, and Eurynomos, a shrewd Jewish daemon who helped Leopold through his tragic childhood, Leopold must discover what is behind the revolting murders that suddenly seem to involve tight-lipped German scientists, guarded Romani, ghosts, and the beautiful Special Inspector, Mingli Zhao. Is she truly from the secret depths of Scotland Yard or is she instead a heartless spy and murderess?
In a breakneck chase through London’s streets and fighting hand-to-wand high in the skies inside a lethal airship, Leopold must destroy a secret society to defeat their plan for world domination, unmask the girl, and rescue his daemon friend from the deadly Daemon Device before all is lost.
Someone is killing women and gutting them for their body parts. Is it Jack, or a far more sinister plot afoot than murder?
Leopold Kazsmer is a magician, the Great Enchanter. Ashamed of his Jewish-Gypsy heritage, he has fashioned himself into a proper English gentleman, though he harbors a carefully guarded secret; He has learned the dangerous art of summoning daemons. When he was a child, a tattoo was bestowed upon his wrist by the denizens of the Otherworld…the same night his father was killed. Though it gives him true magical powers once he’s made a sacrifice of blood, it is also his curse, for through it the creatures of nightmares have become aware of him.
With the help of Raj, a tarot-reading automated man, and Eurynomos, a shrewd Jewish daemon who helped Leopold through his tragic childhood, Leopold must discover what is behind the revolting murders that suddenly seem to involve tight-lipped German scientists, guarded Romani, ghosts, and the beautiful Special Inspector, Mingli Zhao. Is she truly from the secret depths of Scotland Yard or is she instead a heartless spy and murderess?
In a breakneck chase through London’s streets and fighting hand-to-wand high in the skies inside a lethal airship, Leopold must destroy a secret society to defeat their plan for world domination, unmask the girl, and rescue his daemon friend from the deadly Daemon Device before all is lost.
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2019
22 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
About the author
Jeri Westerson
51 books430 followersLos Angeles native JERI WESTERSON currently writes two new series: a Tudor mystery series, the King’s Fool Mysteries, with Henry VIII’s real court jester Will Somers as the sleuth and a Sherlockian pastiche series called An Irregular Detective Mystery, with one of Holmes’ former Baker Street Irregulars opening his own detective agency. She’s also written fifteen Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mysteries, a series nominated for thirteen awards from the Agatha, to the Macavity, to the Shamus. She’s written several paranormal series (including a gaslamp-steampunk fantasy series), standalone historical novels, and had stories in several anthologies, the latest of which was included in SOUTH CENTRAL NOIR, an Akashic Noir anthology. She has served as president of the SoCal Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, president and vice president for two chapters of Sisters in Crime (Orange County and Los Angeles), and is also a founding member of the SoCal chapter of the Historical Novel Society. See JeriWesterson.com for discussion guides, book trailers, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 4, 2022
Jeri Westerson has good ideas for her novels, but somehow, for me, she doesn’t quite pull it off- in her medieval noir series or here with her steampunk/historical fantasy effort.
April 28, 2020
It is a special thing when one's perceived bond with a specific author moves from simple enjoyment and admiration to the even deeper level of trust. Such is my relationship with writer Jeri Westerson. I am a long-time avid fan of her Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mysteries and anxiously await each new book in that series. In the past two years, however, Ms. Westerson has continued to expand her oeuvre, creating her own own signature hybrids of genres and styles. It is an act of faith and trust on the part of a hard-core mystery reader to engage in her forays into such mixed media as her romantic paranormal series (Booke of the Hidden) and more recently, her steam-punk pastiche The Daemon Device. Fortunately, Westerson repays the reader's trust with a spirited romp that manages to explore a whole new and fascinating imaginary world while keeping one foot firmly planted in the intriguing characters, detailed description and well-paced storytelling which characterizes her previous writing.
For myself, my previous exposure to the often brilliant but equally often banal world of steampunk has been somewhat limited, although I have fond memories of William Gibson's The Difference Engine, read in a Science Fiction course many years ago. Westerson jumps into the alternative Victorian world of steampunk with as much dexterity as she guided us through Crispin Guest's medieval London.
We are following (sometimes at breakneck speed) stage magician and Jewish-Romani descendant Leopold Kazsmer, as he explores and fights against a dark Victorian plot to unleash creatures from the nether regions in the service of a prot0-nazi who's not afraid to co-opt the paranormal for his own ends. Along the way Leopold accumulates a simply wonderful weird and quirky group of allies. I sense that Westerson had real fun being freed from the constraints of writing "realistic" mysteries and decided to swing for the fence.
I know that beyond a superficial comparison, this book is far away from the Wizard of Oz, but the more I read of Leopold's irregular team making their way through the London Westerson creates, the resonances are as strong to me from Frank L. Baum as from William Gibson. Leopold has a bonafide Jewish Daemon, a recently-dead policeman friend now in the form of a ghost, a tarot-card reading mechanical man and a mysterious Asian Woman. Each character is so wonderfully unbelievable and over the top that the reader has no choice but to sit back, go with the flow and enjoy the ride.
And a great ride it is. Our trip takes us through the world of a Victorian England of steam power and airships, with detours through gaslit theatres, Gypsy camps, secret demonic workshops and the underworld itself. The pace is often frenetic, the characters develop quickly and as a reader, you want to pay attention or you'll find yourself re-reading passages for details you glossed over. The plot seems a bit secondary to the overall reading experience, which offers such a rich broth of character and imagination. This almost reads like a story being told around some bonfire under some London bridge. I postulate that this is due partially to Westerson's approach to the paranormal, which I think I've noticed before in her books. As an author, her approach to the supernatural is closer to that of a magic realist than a fantasy writer. Things appear, change and disappear in such a matter of fact manner (albeit with keen and detailed description) that the reader, like the narrator and the other characters, has little choice but accept it and move on. For example, the whole arrival of Special Inspector Mingli Zhao, as deftly written as it is implausible, is ultimately just accepted as a force of nature by the reader, the protagonist and Scotland Yard as a whole.
The book's frantic pace does make one a bit sad at the end, like a rollercoaster on which one would have liked one more curve or drop, but like a good carnival ride, The Daemon Device leaves one slightly giddy, satisfied, yet knowing on one level one has not been given the whole goods. It's what makes one want to buy the ticket again.
For myself, my previous exposure to the often brilliant but equally often banal world of steampunk has been somewhat limited, although I have fond memories of William Gibson's The Difference Engine, read in a Science Fiction course many years ago. Westerson jumps into the alternative Victorian world of steampunk with as much dexterity as she guided us through Crispin Guest's medieval London.
We are following (sometimes at breakneck speed) stage magician and Jewish-Romani descendant Leopold Kazsmer, as he explores and fights against a dark Victorian plot to unleash creatures from the nether regions in the service of a prot0-nazi who's not afraid to co-opt the paranormal for his own ends. Along the way Leopold accumulates a simply wonderful weird and quirky group of allies. I sense that Westerson had real fun being freed from the constraints of writing "realistic" mysteries and decided to swing for the fence.
I know that beyond a superficial comparison, this book is far away from the Wizard of Oz, but the more I read of Leopold's irregular team making their way through the London Westerson creates, the resonances are as strong to me from Frank L. Baum as from William Gibson. Leopold has a bonafide Jewish Daemon, a recently-dead policeman friend now in the form of a ghost, a tarot-card reading mechanical man and a mysterious Asian Woman. Each character is so wonderfully unbelievable and over the top that the reader has no choice but to sit back, go with the flow and enjoy the ride.
And a great ride it is. Our trip takes us through the world of a Victorian England of steam power and airships, with detours through gaslit theatres, Gypsy camps, secret demonic workshops and the underworld itself. The pace is often frenetic, the characters develop quickly and as a reader, you want to pay attention or you'll find yourself re-reading passages for details you glossed over. The plot seems a bit secondary to the overall reading experience, which offers such a rich broth of character and imagination. This almost reads like a story being told around some bonfire under some London bridge. I postulate that this is due partially to Westerson's approach to the paranormal, which I think I've noticed before in her books. As an author, her approach to the supernatural is closer to that of a magic realist than a fantasy writer. Things appear, change and disappear in such a matter of fact manner (albeit with keen and detailed description) that the reader, like the narrator and the other characters, has little choice but accept it and move on. For example, the whole arrival of Special Inspector Mingli Zhao, as deftly written as it is implausible, is ultimately just accepted as a force of nature by the reader, the protagonist and Scotland Yard as a whole.
The book's frantic pace does make one a bit sad at the end, like a rollercoaster on which one would have liked one more curve or drop, but like a good carnival ride, The Daemon Device leaves one slightly giddy, satisfied, yet knowing on one level one has not been given the whole goods. It's what makes one want to buy the ticket again.
October 8, 2019
Steampunk novels must have certain characteristics I’ve all come to expect: 1), they must be set in Victorian England; 2), they must evoke the feel of the Jules Verne and H.G. Wells fiction that inspires this genre; 3), they must include dirigibles; 4), they must involve magic or sorcery; and 5), they must include mechanistic humanoids.
Jeri Westerson’s new trilogy, The Enchanter Chronicles, has fulfilled all of those criteria Book #1, The Daemon Devise, and it goes beyond those to give us a unique spin on the steampunk genre.
I began ready Jeri’s fiction with her Crispin Guest medieval mystery series and became instantly hooked. Her research into that period was impeccable, her characters were not just authentic but had a depth to them that made you feel you could reach out and touch them, and her plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. I flew through that series and couldn’t wait to read more of her work. I next turned to her paranormal Book of the Hidden series set in present-day Maine, featuring a fish out of water who discovers a hidden book that takes her life in a direction no one could have predicted. Talk about a strong female protagonist, this young woman either has to pull herself up by her big-girl panties or die…nothing like motivation. And I was hooked again.
When Jeri posted on Facebook that she had written a steampunk novel, I was a bit apprehensive. That genre was so different from her other novels, but it was Jeri and I had grown to trust her. I’m so glad I did.
The Daemon Device builds a world that works seamlessly with character relationships that have the hallmark depth that Jeri is known for. These are people we can really root for, whether they’re human, mechanical, ghosts, or even a good-at-heart daemon. And the villains are villains we love to hate. The protagonist, Leopold Kazsmer, has a complex background that begins to unfold as the story progresses…making him a character you want to see win in his battle against a maniacal and manipulative villain. He finds his balance in a most unlikely alliance with someone who he has an understandably hard time trusting until their very lives hang in the balance.
I can’t wait to read Books #2 & #3 – and I know I’m going to be begging Jeri to write more episodes because I just can’t get enough of her novels. Bottom Line: You can’t go wrong with any of her series!
Jeri Westerson’s new trilogy, The Enchanter Chronicles, has fulfilled all of those criteria Book #1, The Daemon Devise, and it goes beyond those to give us a unique spin on the steampunk genre.
I began ready Jeri’s fiction with her Crispin Guest medieval mystery series and became instantly hooked. Her research into that period was impeccable, her characters were not just authentic but had a depth to them that made you feel you could reach out and touch them, and her plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. I flew through that series and couldn’t wait to read more of her work. I next turned to her paranormal Book of the Hidden series set in present-day Maine, featuring a fish out of water who discovers a hidden book that takes her life in a direction no one could have predicted. Talk about a strong female protagonist, this young woman either has to pull herself up by her big-girl panties or die…nothing like motivation. And I was hooked again.
When Jeri posted on Facebook that she had written a steampunk novel, I was a bit apprehensive. That genre was so different from her other novels, but it was Jeri and I had grown to trust her. I’m so glad I did.
The Daemon Device builds a world that works seamlessly with character relationships that have the hallmark depth that Jeri is known for. These are people we can really root for, whether they’re human, mechanical, ghosts, or even a good-at-heart daemon. And the villains are villains we love to hate. The protagonist, Leopold Kazsmer, has a complex background that begins to unfold as the story progresses…making him a character you want to see win in his battle against a maniacal and manipulative villain. He finds his balance in a most unlikely alliance with someone who he has an understandably hard time trusting until their very lives hang in the balance.
I can’t wait to read Books #2 & #3 – and I know I’m going to be begging Jeri to write more episodes because I just can’t get enough of her novels. Bottom Line: You can’t go wrong with any of her series!
dnf
February 3, 2024I'm not rating this because I didn't get very far in before I knew this wasn't for me but that doesn't mean someone else won't like it so I don't think it's fair to impact the book's rating for something I barely started. But I want to remember I tried this so I don't start it again down the road.
This is an author I've read books from before and very much enjoyed them. I think this one was a bit too dark and violent for me. Right from the get-go, there's blood and an extremely vicious and horrifying murder and it just wasn't what I was after in a read right now so I'm moving onto something a bit less intense.
This is an author I've read books from before and very much enjoyed them. I think this one was a bit too dark and violent for me. Right from the get-go, there's blood and an extremely vicious and horrifying murder and it just wasn't what I was after in a read right now so I'm moving onto something a bit less intense.
December 3, 2019
3 stars
I did not realize that this was a steampunk mystery until I started reading it. It is not a genre for which I particularly care.
That being said, I found the premise interesting and the magician was likable in a bumbling sort of way.
This book is written in Jeri Westerson's usual expert style. I like the way she creates her characters and infuses them with colorful, well described personalities. I will continue to read her other novels, but the steampunk ones are not for me.
I want to thank GoodReads Giveaway for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read and review.
I did not realize that this was a steampunk mystery until I started reading it. It is not a genre for which I particularly care.
That being said, I found the premise interesting and the magician was likable in a bumbling sort of way.
This book is written in Jeri Westerson's usual expert style. I like the way she creates her characters and infuses them with colorful, well described personalities. I will continue to read her other novels, but the steampunk ones are not for me.
I want to thank GoodReads Giveaway for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read and review.
October 21, 2019
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The Daemon Device by Jeri Westerson is a unique type of book. It is set in the past but with a different twist to it in history. It is in 1891 with Prince Albert still around and has steampunk mixed with the paranormal.
Is Leopold able to stop these deaths from going too far?
Leopold Kazsmer
Leopold Kazsmer is our sleuth, main character, and the one that we follow a lot. I call him our sleuth because he is solving a crime while not being helpful to the police. Throughout the process of reading this book, I was calling him Sherlock Holmes, since he seemed like that to me. Well, without some of Sherlock's quirks. He is also a magician that has an interesting backstory. Along with the fact that he is dealing with the paranormal daily.
Leo is impressive since he is trying so hard to be a good person while trying to do a lot of things. Not a whole lot, I can tell you about him, but he is a good character.
Mystery
The mystery for this story is everywhere. It's quite an interesting one. There are some things that Leopold needs to be able to figure out and a lot that he has no clue how to handle. I can't exactly talk about the mystery in too much detail, but wow did it have me on the edge of my seat.
Three Stars
The Daemon Device by Jeri Westerson is a unique type of book. I enjoyed it, but I did get a bit lost in translating some words from German to English or other things like that. It was a great story. I am giving it a three-star rating and recommending it to anyone that likes sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk, all wrapped up in a thrilling tale.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Daemon Device by Jeri Westerson.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
Is Leopold able to stop these deaths from going too far?
Leopold Kazsmer
Leopold Kazsmer is our sleuth, main character, and the one that we follow a lot. I call him our sleuth because he is solving a crime while not being helpful to the police. Throughout the process of reading this book, I was calling him Sherlock Holmes, since he seemed like that to me. Well, without some of Sherlock's quirks. He is also a magician that has an interesting backstory. Along with the fact that he is dealing with the paranormal daily.
Leo is impressive since he is trying so hard to be a good person while trying to do a lot of things. Not a whole lot, I can tell you about him, but he is a good character.
Mystery The mystery for this story is everywhere. It's quite an interesting one. There are some things that Leopold needs to be able to figure out and a lot that he has no clue how to handle. I can't exactly talk about the mystery in too much detail, but wow did it have me on the edge of my seat.
Three Stars
The Daemon Device by Jeri Westerson is a unique type of book. I enjoyed it, but I did get a bit lost in translating some words from German to English or other things like that. It was a great story. I am giving it a three-star rating and recommending it to anyone that likes sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk, all wrapped up in a thrilling tale.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Daemon Device by Jeri Westerson.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
October 15, 2019
First and foremost, that is one great cover, is it not? It catches the eye, and everything I expect to find in a steampunk novel is featured on the cover. That said, steampunk is not a genre I normally gravitate toward, but this one caught my attention. World-building and character development were well done, and the story did hold my interest despite being a bit slower-paced than I prefer. In the end, steampunk may not be my favorite genre, but Jeri Westerson does weave a darn good tale.
August 16, 2021
Paranormal steampunk
A magician who is actually magical, A daemon, a mechanical man, A Scotland Yard inspector and a special investigator from Scotland yard make the unusual cast of good guys in this fast paced gruesome murder mystery. Add in a wild plot to take over the world and you get a book that will take you away for a delightful afternoon of fantasy.
A magician who is actually magical, A daemon, a mechanical man, A Scotland Yard inspector and a special investigator from Scotland yard make the unusual cast of good guys in this fast paced gruesome murder mystery. Add in a wild plot to take over the world and you get a book that will take you away for a delightful afternoon of fantasy.
September 8, 2021
Steampunk at its best
A magician of Romani and Jewish descent faces off against a German creator of dirigibles. He plans on using them for a supernatural invasion of England during Victoria’s reign. Add on a good daemon, a female Asian police superintendent and a sentient automaton.
A magician of Romani and Jewish descent faces off against a German creator of dirigibles. He plans on using them for a supernatural invasion of England during Victoria’s reign. Add on a good daemon, a female Asian police superintendent and a sentient automaton.
September 10, 2021
I won this on goodreads for an honest review.
Not really my thing. There was some holes in this story I just could not get past and it just seemed to run on and on in other areas that ended up not making much sense to me. All in all I was not all that into this one and had some difficulty finishing it.
Not really my thing. There was some holes in this story I just could not get past and it just seemed to run on and on in other areas that ended up not making much sense to me. All in all I was not all that into this one and had some difficulty finishing it.
May 2, 2021
Thus was a fun little steampunk mystery adventure with an eclectic cast of likable characters. Very enjoyable. I listened to the Audible version and the narrator was excellent- he did all the character voices so very well.
May 10, 2024
I found this a fun read with entertaining characters in a reimagined world of the late 19th century. The author presents a plausible if not believable plot that draws readers into the world she imagines.
August 25, 2020
Magicians, daemons, demons, Scotland Yard, Jewish mythology - all come together to make an entertaining story. Also includes an interesting new take on the Ripper.
Read
January 27, 2023Not my style but I enjoyed the fantasy.
December 16, 2019
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
The plot and characters in this book are not conventional. The plot line runs with the Jewish culture, the main character is half Jewish and Romani, and has an Asian female Inspector. There are golem's from Jewish folklore to go along with the bad guys. There's also mysterious murders being committed while magic is being spun around.
This is a good start for this series.
The plot and characters in this book are not conventional. The plot line runs with the Jewish culture, the main character is half Jewish and Romani, and has an Asian female Inspector. There are golem's from Jewish folklore to go along with the bad guys. There's also mysterious murders being committed while magic is being spun around.
This is a good start for this series.
December 14, 2019
I won this book on Goodreads (Kindle version) for an honest review.
This is a riveting, haunting and well thought out book. This author can weave magic on the pages that will keep you turning until the dawn. Highly recommended.
This is a riveting, haunting and well thought out book. This author can weave magic on the pages that will keep you turning until the dawn. Highly recommended.
November 7, 2019
Steampunk can be a tricky genre but Jeri Westerson has done a masterful job with her world-building and storytelling in this book. For those not familiar with the genre, it's a little bit alternative fiction, a little fantasy, a little paranormal and a little bit sci-fi all blended seamlessly. This is Victorian London, but not the one that you know.
The mystery at the heart of this book is a new series of murders, with surgical precision. The book has elements of mysticism from various cultures, which I found to be absolutely fascinating because it gives extra dimension to a book that is already ripe with complex characters. While London in the book is familiar, it is different from the historical London that we know. As mentioned, the world-building is expertly done and all the elements feel organic and natural and the characters that are nestled into the world also have that same organic feel.
This is our first meeting of Leopold and the rest, but it feels like we are very familiar with them, as the come alive on the page through a myriad of small details that bring so much life into the book. I like that we don't get all the answers for everything, it left me hungry for more but without an annoying cliffhanger ending.
The cover is eye-catching and the book is one you won't want to put down. The illustrations that are included are well done and bring the characters even more to life.
The mystery at the heart of this book is a new series of murders, with surgical precision. The book has elements of mysticism from various cultures, which I found to be absolutely fascinating because it gives extra dimension to a book that is already ripe with complex characters. While London in the book is familiar, it is different from the historical London that we know. As mentioned, the world-building is expertly done and all the elements feel organic and natural and the characters that are nestled into the world also have that same organic feel.
This is our first meeting of Leopold and the rest, but it feels like we are very familiar with them, as the come alive on the page through a myriad of small details that bring so much life into the book. I like that we don't get all the answers for everything, it left me hungry for more but without an annoying cliffhanger ending.
The cover is eye-catching and the book is one you won't want to put down. The illustrations that are included are well done and bring the characters even more to life.
February 22, 2020
This book is a different genre I normally read. It's steampunk Victorian era, a little dark but not difficult to understand. The characters are intriguing and likeable, it's fast paced, and suspenseful. I won this in exchange for my review.
October 13, 2019
DNF@55%
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews