Rod Duncan - The Irresponsible Reader

by Rod Duncan
Series: Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire, #2

Mass Market Paperback, 368 pg.
Angry Robot Books, 2015
Read: November 28 – 30, 2015

So in The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter, Duncan created this nice little world and set up what could’ve been a pretty long running series of adventures for Elizabeth Barnabus and her alter-ego/brother Edwin. Naturally, in the sequel, he pretty much destroys all of that. Sure, it would be possible to get back to something akin to the status quo, but it’d be tricky, and he’s clearly not going for that.

As clever and skillful as Elizabeth demonstrated herself to be, there’s always someone better. And when a few of those people are working together? It’s not going to go easy for you. She’s got quite the powers arrayed against her — she’s about to be deported back to the Kingdom, along with dozens of other refugees. When she’s safely back on the other side of the border, there are sure to be representatives of the Duke that’s been hunting for her waiting.

Elizabeth’s mentee, Julia, continues her education — emboldened and possibly more headstrong thanks to her recent adventures, yet still naive and idealistic. it’s her support for a charity that drives Elizabeth in this novel (well, other than the above). John Tinker, naturally, shows up and is just as simultaneously inconvenient and perfectly helpful as he was before. I’d like to learn a little more about the America he comes from.

On the run for her life, chased by the government, bounty hunters, and investigating an odd crime (ice shortages — no, really) — things start to get strange. Strange followed by disturbing. This culminated in an action sequence I (literally) could not turn pages fast enough through. Which was followed by a denouement that in retrospect I think I should’ve expected, but took me by surprise.

I’m not ready to leave this world, and am so glad to see that The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire duology has been upgraded to a trilogy, although I haven’t the foggiest idea how Duncan is going to achieve any kind of closure in one more book. But I’m looking forward to finding out how he pulls it off.

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The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter

by Rod Duncan
Series: Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire, #1

Mass Market Paperback, 364 pg.
Angry Robot, 2014
Read: April 27 – 29, 2015

This, my friends, is how you create a world. And populate it with a great character — and several really good supporting characters. Oh, and manage to tell a rollickingly good story while you’re at it.

The back of this book says that this is supposed to be shelved in “Fantasy,” which is just about the last thing that I’d have put it under, but . . . sure, why not? This is a very alternate history — 1973, but operating on Steampunk-ish technology after a global moratorium on technological advancement (this is just a quick and dirty summary, read the book to really get it). Edwin Barnabus makes ends meet (and that’s about it) working as a Private Intelligence Gatherer with a little help from his twin, Elizabeth, they’re looking for the missing brother of a Duchess — who is more than capable of helping ends meet for quite a while.

Here’s the thing: Edwin doesn’t exist. And underneath her Victorian-era dress, Elizabeth keeps fairly decent disguise so she can go out and about as a male when necessary. There is one pretty noticeable flaw with her disguise, but she’s pretty good at covering it up — but the fact that’s there’s such a chink in her armor makes me like it all the more.

Elizabeth is smart, resourceful, kind — and haunted by a threat from the past. You can easily see this as a later entry in an ongoing series, sort of where everything Elizabeth has worked to establish is jeopardized. The search for this missing brother will push Elizabeth to her extremes, as she dodges debt collectors, representatives of two different pseudo-governmental forces, and some very driven circus performers.

The narration is crisp, and Elizabeth is charming. Her few friends, and at least one person who may be some sort of ally — or patient enemy — are well used to round-out her universe and give her the aid she needs to get the job done.

Give it a shot. This is the first of a duology, and I’m afraid that just might not be enough.

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