A gripping tale of a woman who refuses to be defined by her physical and magical limitations, thwarting both assassins and all who see her as a pawn. A great read!” — Brandon Sanderson
“Curtis Craddock's debut is a grand tale of intrigue, adventure, and gaslight fantasy in the tradition of Alexander Dumas.” —Charles Stross
“A setting fabulous and strange, heroes to cheer for, villains to detest, a twisty, tricky plot — I love this novel!” —Lawrence Watt Evans
“In a world shattered by sorcery, a princess without magic battles for peace, aided only by her wits and a drunken sot of a musketeer. A thrilling adventure full of palace intrigue, mysterious ancient mechanisms, and aerial sailing ships!” —David D. Levine, author of Arabella of Mars
“Debut author Craddock’s vivid, fluid prose makes for the best kind of world building....His writing remains buoyant, sweeping the reader along with the ease of an airship. Isabelle’s dedication to peace and Jean-Claude’s dedication to Isabelle comprise the novel’s emotional core, even as they flip-flop allies and adapt to a barrage of shocking twists.” — Booklist, starred review
“The skullduggery is pleasurably complex, the emotional stakes feel convincing, and the reasonably happy ending feels earned. And while Jean-Claude's doggedness in protecting Isabelle is admirable, Isabelle is decidedly and enjoyably not a damsel in need of rescue. A very promising start, both for a series and a new author.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
What new SFF are you picking up this week?
2017 was a great time to be a fan of sci-fi and fantasy. Pop culture has become a veritable geek feast, with comic book adaptations riding high at the box office, prestige SF films getting respect from the Oscars, and, of course, the books, which only seemed to get better with each passing week. Here’s what […]
What happens when you cross Patrick O’Brien’s Master and Commander with magic, alchemy, steampunk, alternate history, fairy tales, and impossible science? Really rad pirate ships in space! Ok, so they aren’t always pirate ships, but they are all masted ships sailing through air and space instead of across oceans—some meant for war, some meant for […]
An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors, the first novel by Curtis Craddock, is a delightful debut, drawing from the tropes of gaslamp and steampunk fantasy, classic adventure and mystery novels, and the real history of late 17th century France and Spain to tell an altogether different kind of princess story. A differently-abled heroine, an aging […]