What do you think?
Rate this book
Landbringer
Sade has always lived in the shadows of the Society, surviving only by risking her life in dangerous dives over the abyss during airship heists. But her time among the street gangs of Vale is coming to an end and she must get hers and get out before it's too late. Seeking an escape, Sade agrees to one last airship heist. When the job goes sideways, Sade finds herself in the refuge of an unlikely a spiraling heiress and the ghost of her violently murdered sister.
As Sade is hauled into the underworld of magic, she is thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that runs ages deep and Society wide. Forced to confront the reality of her repressed past and the complexities of her own abilities, she discovers the truth of the gods, and the lengths they will go to maintain a controllable populace. To free the world, Sade must risk all life.
As Sade is hauled into the underworld of magic, she is thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that runs ages deep and Society wide. Forced to confront the reality of her repressed past and the complexities of her own abilities, she discovers the truth of the gods, and the lengths they will go to maintain a controllable populace. To free the world, Sade must risk all life.
395 pages, Paperback
Published November 29, 2022
16 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Karen H. Lucia
12 books14 followersKaren is a Minneapolis author. The long Minnesota winters taught her the value of a good story. Growing up on authors like Piers Anthony and Ursula K LeGuin she developed an interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy that has shaped her writing today. Throughout her life, Karen has had a small handful of adventures that help her craft the stories she writes, ranging from her time abroad, to becoming a mother, or her years spent as an Army Officer, working on a mass casualty response force, and her time in cybersecurity. Always on the hunt for strong female leads, Karen decided to write some of her own leading to the Warriors of Helsvern series. THE GOLDEN VALIA is her debut novel and the first book in the Warriors of Helsvern.
For updates on Karen's writing, visit her website (KarenLuciaAuthor.com), or follow her on Blue Sky (Karenlucia.bsky.social) or Twitter (@Karen_HL)
For updates on Karen's writing, visit her website (KarenLuciaAuthor.com), or follow her on Blue Sky (Karenlucia.bsky.social) or Twitter (@Karen_HL)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 21, 2025
Really unique story, with very lovable characters. The first half is fairly slow in pacing, but when the overarching plot starts to reveal itself... it's ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥.
February 24, 2025
I’m not sure how someone can fit SO MUCH story in 400 pages. This is the most complex story line I’ve ever read that was still easy to follow and captivating
September 10, 2025
We have Sade, a vagabond who makes her living hijacking airships. We have ghosts, and the people who can see them. We have some other magic powers (future sight, present sight, emotional manipulation, et cetera). We have the people who control those who have magic. We have floating islands above deadly gas. And a lot more.
Honestly, this book has so much, but it's not a super long book. It's broken up in three sections with each having a fairly distinct arc, but it's all told from Sade's POV. Both the world and the characters are interesting. There's also a sweet sapphic relationship.
I would recommend this to people who like gaslamp fantasy and stories that feature underdogs.
Honestly, this book has so much, but it's not a super long book. It's broken up in three sections with each having a fairly distinct arc, but it's all told from Sade's POV. Both the world and the characters are interesting. There's also a sweet sapphic relationship.
I would recommend this to people who like gaslamp fantasy and stories that feature underdogs.
February 22, 2025
Once you DIVE IN to this book, you won't be able to put it down! The book starts with immediate action, has incredible world building, and has interesting characters. I read this book in one sitting and have recommended this to as many people as I can! I cannot wait for another book from this indie author.
July 16, 2025
I loved Landbringer! I’ve read stand alone books that cram too much into the pages and end up being hard to follow. Landbringer was not that! It was engaging and the world and characters were beautifully written. I couldn’t put it down from the very beginning and am honestly disappointed it is over!
August 14, 2024
With this book, Lucia proves that her excellent world building extends to new and varied places beyond that of her Helsvern series. Filled with action, intrigue, and interesting characters, Landbringer is a book you won’t want to put down.
Want to read
February 11, 2026This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBOX contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
A gang of miscreant youth raid a passenger airship in a world above the mist covering the surface of the planet in this dystopian steampunk.
This first-person fantasy leads with voice and does a good job of establishing the conversational patter of its young narrator.
It opens on an otherworldly scene of jumpers waiting for their chosen airship, choking on the fumes of the open air. The raid begins. It’s active and impactful.
The narration is maybe a little overwritten. We wait a good while for something to finally happen. We’re ready to jump, but the jump is put off in favor of commentary from our MC that is a little more style than establishing substance.
It’s absorbing stuff, but as it goes on the story begins to drag. The leap finally comes. The action is full of grounding, active details, tho maybe just a little too full.
All the particulars slow the pace and begin to feel repetitive: the danger of the environment, the fear of a deadly fall, the need to succeed.
In place of these physical details that keep us locked on our MCs immediate experience, I found myself wanting more grounding in the context of what is happening and who is doing it and why.
Our vagabond gang are all young, most much younger than 20. I don’t know why they’re all so young, but it’s interesting. I would have liked to understand more about them and why they’re driven to this deadly peril.
These things are just barely hinted at. I feel I understand more about the establishment magic users with their white flashes of deadly magic, perhaps because they seem straightforward enough.
Character details are hard to come by. There are almost no names to speak of, and the other vagabonds are reduced to a “girl” or a “boy” whether or not we hear about their expressions.
Our MC has been with this group a while, we learn, but not everyone survives long, and that’s reason to dissociate from any newcomers, but still, something to add more context to these people would have been nice for me.
While a more concise, active start with more pointed establishing details would have made this an out and out triumph for me, it’s still an engaging beginning with a compelling, flawed MC who has been through a great deal in her short life.
My critique here can only be as pointed as they may seem because there is so much working so well in this opening that I'm taking every detail in and seriously thinking about it.
I want to know more about our MC and this world, and I’m curious about how she’s gotten out of the terrible situation she ended ch1 in (if she did get out), not to mention my anticipation of the queer romance turn (always welcome).
The prose is competent and engaging, the voice is terrific, and the dystopian steampunk setting comes alive. It’s done enough for me to read on. I’m in.
A gang of miscreant youth raid a passenger airship in a world above the mist covering the surface of the planet in this dystopian steampunk.
This first-person fantasy leads with voice and does a good job of establishing the conversational patter of its young narrator.
It opens on an otherworldly scene of jumpers waiting for their chosen airship, choking on the fumes of the open air. The raid begins. It’s active and impactful.
The narration is maybe a little overwritten. We wait a good while for something to finally happen. We’re ready to jump, but the jump is put off in favor of commentary from our MC that is a little more style than establishing substance.
It’s absorbing stuff, but as it goes on the story begins to drag. The leap finally comes. The action is full of grounding, active details, tho maybe just a little too full.
All the particulars slow the pace and begin to feel repetitive: the danger of the environment, the fear of a deadly fall, the need to succeed.
In place of these physical details that keep us locked on our MCs immediate experience, I found myself wanting more grounding in the context of what is happening and who is doing it and why.
Our vagabond gang are all young, most much younger than 20. I don’t know why they’re all so young, but it’s interesting. I would have liked to understand more about them and why they’re driven to this deadly peril.
These things are just barely hinted at. I feel I understand more about the establishment magic users with their white flashes of deadly magic, perhaps because they seem straightforward enough.
Character details are hard to come by. There are almost no names to speak of, and the other vagabonds are reduced to a “girl” or a “boy” whether or not we hear about their expressions.
Our MC has been with this group a while, we learn, but not everyone survives long, and that’s reason to dissociate from any newcomers, but still, something to add more context to these people would have been nice for me.
While a more concise, active start with more pointed establishing details would have made this an out and out triumph for me, it’s still an engaging beginning with a compelling, flawed MC who has been through a great deal in her short life.
My critique here can only be as pointed as they may seem because there is so much working so well in this opening that I'm taking every detail in and seriously thinking about it.
I want to know more about our MC and this world, and I’m curious about how she’s gotten out of the terrible situation she ended ch1 in (if she did get out), not to mention my anticipation of the queer romance turn (always welcome).
The prose is competent and engaging, the voice is terrific, and the dystopian steampunk setting comes alive. It’s done enough for me to read on. I’m in.
February 12, 2026
Amazing! The magic system was fun, the characters were fantastic, and an intriguing plot. I haven't been this happy with a fantasy book in a long time. I wish there was more but it also wrapped up in a satisfying manner. Highly recommend reading this one
December 1, 2025
Loved it!
Well written, interesting characters, not a cookie cutter story. I got to the end and was immediately wanting more! Will seek out other Karen Lucia books for sure!
Well written, interesting characters, not a cookie cutter story. I got to the end and was immediately wanting more! Will seek out other Karen Lucia books for sure!
January 4, 2025
There was some super interesting worldbuilding in this one, but it felt REALLY long even though it wasn’t a challenging read. There ended up being some pacing issues and honestly, I wonder if this would have done better as a trilogy or duology because there are some very distinct divisions between parts of the story and they don’t really transition effortlessly. There are some characters that don’t feel like they have consistent characterisation or we don’t get to see their growth, and then there’s the gods which undergo a seismic shift into the last part. (Not necessarily in personality, but I never really got enough of a sense of their importance before that, or indeed their literal existence.)
3.5*
3.5*
November 23, 2025
I really loved the magic system and world-building in this story, as well as the cast of strong female characters. The idea of the overarching story was good, but certain parts felt too slow paced and other parts felt rushed or lacking in detail, so pieces didn’t always come together seamlessly. Still, I’d give this author another try.
February 25, 2025
DNF at about 70%
August 2, 2025
2.5 stars rounded up
September 12, 2025
(This review has been a while after finishing the book)
I enjoyed the idea and the theme of the abilities a lot (I like spooky things). The ending had me scratching my head a little, but the wrap-up left me feeling pretty good about it.
I enjoyed the idea and the theme of the abilities a lot (I like spooky things). The ending had me scratching my head a little, but the wrap-up left me feeling pretty good about it.
April 11, 2025
Incredible gas lamp fantasy novel with unique magic system and great story
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews