Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #1)Phoenix Rising

by Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris
Series: Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #1

Mass Market Paperback, 402 pg.
Harper Voyage, 2011

I’ve been curious about Steampunk fiction, but wasn’t sure where to start amongst all the choices out there–so I just dove in and grabbed one. If Phoenix Rising is any indicator of what the sub-genre offers, I’ll be coming back to it again and again.

Most of the ingredients of this book–the characters, the secret organizations, the conspiracies on top of conspiracies, the chemistry between the protagonists–would make for a decent read if set in contemporary England. But throw them into an alternate history of Victorian England, with advanced technology and it’s a sure winner.

I can’t think of anything really to say that doesn’t get into spoiler territory, so I’ll cut this short–as a great spy thriller with a twist, Phoenix Rising is a good, pulpy read and great introduction to what will likely be a great series.

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4 Stars