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Inkerman
Inkerman, a dark steampunk fantasy novella with a jaw-dropping reveal.
Crimea, 1867. With the miraculous Engine at Inkerman in charge of the war, what can go wrong for the British? But at the front, all is not well.
Exhausted, hungry and battle-weary, Captain James Thurston Vandermeer fears the worst when the Army’s telegraph network suddenly stops working.
He races to Inkerman to try to prevent disaster but soon finds out the problem is more complicated than anyone could imagine...
Crimea, 1867. With the miraculous Engine at Inkerman in charge of the war, what can go wrong for the British? But at the front, all is not well.
Exhausted, hungry and battle-weary, Captain James Thurston Vandermeer fears the worst when the Army’s telegraph network suddenly stops working.
He races to Inkerman to try to prevent disaster but soon finds out the problem is more complicated than anyone could imagine...
47 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2021
3 people want to read
About the author
Mark R. Brandon
3 books9 followersBorn in the UK, wrote my first 'novel' at age eight.
Always wanted to be a writer but ended up getting a proper job instead.
Trained as a journalist, ended up running a publishing company, then was a recruiter and then had my own strategy consultancy.
Moonlighted along the way as an illustrator, a copywriter and a club DJ in London.
My first book, a collection of 12 steampunk short stories called 'The Colossus of the Thames & Other Tales' was published in March 2021.
Coming soon: a steampunk novella (April 2021), a steampunk novel and a dark science fiction work.
Always wanted to be a writer but ended up getting a proper job instead.
Trained as a journalist, ended up running a publishing company, then was a recruiter and then had my own strategy consultancy.
Moonlighted along the way as an illustrator, a copywriter and a club DJ in London.
My first book, a collection of 12 steampunk short stories called 'The Colossus of the Thames & Other Tales' was published in March 2021.
Coming soon: a steampunk novella (April 2021), a steampunk novel and a dark science fiction work.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 6, 2021
Mark R. Brandon’s Inkerman is a steampunk version of the Crimea War battle of the same name. The story itself is somewhere between a short story and a novella. I’m going to go with long short story based on that it reads more like a short story than a novel or novella. The story follows Captain Vandermeer as he moves from the command of a failing frontline to investigate what is happening at the command center in the city of Inkerman.
The story moves along at a nice pace. The opening scene immediately grabs the reader’s attention with the horrors of war and continues with rich descriptions of the people and places as Vandermeer explores why the army isn’t receiving any orders or support. It’s not really a mystery, but more like a steampunk tour of a historical event.
Vandermeer is dedicated. He cares for his men and their situation. To that end, he is willing to risk himself for the greater good. He is willing to bend or break rules. He also needs to find a way to cut through the bureaucracy along the way. He is a true hero.
Overall, Inkerman was a good, compelling read. The only downside for me was that it is a curious cross between a short story and novella. A little long for a short story, yet not enough “meat” for a novella. However, it was enjoyable and well worth my time. For that, I give it a five of five stars on Goodreads.
The story moves along at a nice pace. The opening scene immediately grabs the reader’s attention with the horrors of war and continues with rich descriptions of the people and places as Vandermeer explores why the army isn’t receiving any orders or support. It’s not really a mystery, but more like a steampunk tour of a historical event.
Vandermeer is dedicated. He cares for his men and their situation. To that end, he is willing to risk himself for the greater good. He is willing to bend or break rules. He also needs to find a way to cut through the bureaucracy along the way. He is a true hero.
Overall, Inkerman was a good, compelling read. The only downside for me was that it is a curious cross between a short story and novella. A little long for a short story, yet not enough “meat” for a novella. However, it was enjoyable and well worth my time. For that, I give it a five of five stars on Goodreads.
June 17, 2021
Full disclosure: I was given a free review copy of the book by the author.
This is a dark steampunk novel set during the Crimean War, with much of the emphasis on the desperate straits that the British army have found themselves in. The plot concerns a British officer trying to find the reason for a failure of the telegraph system that the army uses to communicate with London, alternating between a horrors-of-war story and exposition of the fantastic technology involved. It's full of imaginative detail (some of it gory) and the central character is sympathetic and well-drawn given the short length of the story. (It's what literary awards tend to call a 'novelette' - shorter than most novellas, but longer than a short story). Sure, it's not a light read, but it is a quick one that still managed to draw me in more than I was expecting it to.
This is a dark steampunk novel set during the Crimean War, with much of the emphasis on the desperate straits that the British army have found themselves in. The plot concerns a British officer trying to find the reason for a failure of the telegraph system that the army uses to communicate with London, alternating between a horrors-of-war story and exposition of the fantastic technology involved. It's full of imaginative detail (some of it gory) and the central character is sympathetic and well-drawn given the short length of the story. (It's what literary awards tend to call a 'novelette' - shorter than most novellas, but longer than a short story). Sure, it's not a light read, but it is a quick one that still managed to draw me in more than I was expecting it to.
January 9, 2022
Steampunk as a genre only has a mild interest although the mechanics are fascinating, I hadn’t heard of the author before but saw him on a television show, Return to the country and thought his writing might be worth exploring. I found the first few pages over descriptive but as the story progressed it was vital to the surroundings and horror of the Crimean War. The idea that the machine has its own mind isn’t new but I found it interesting in this context.
A short but interesting and thought provoking read.
A short but interesting and thought provoking read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews