Publishers Weekly
04/08/2024
Chatsworth returns to the bustling Victorian steampunk world of The Brass Queen in this entertaining sequel. After Constance Haltwhistle’s quest to find a husband goes awry and Haltwhistle Hall vanishes into another dimension, the British Museum’s military arm, the Royal Antiquities Tactical Team, demands that Constance return the house and the artifacts within it by week’s end or she and her servants will be killed. To open a portal back to her own dimension, Constance must collect five Enigma Keys scattered across Europe, a quest that sends her and her crew trotting from England to France, Italy, and Switzerland staging logic-defying heists. Chatsworth concocts a delightful blend of magic and science, creating a world filled with parallel dimensions and alien invasions. The whiff of danger is enough to raise the stakes without ever deflating the whimsy. Series fans and new readers alike will tear through this action-packed, twist-filled romp. (Apr.)
Library Journal
01/01/2024
Constance Haltwhistle may be a blue-blooded rogue, but at least she is one of her own making. Under her moniker "the Brass Queen," she continues to create and sell arms, but she still hopes to enjoy a bit of a European vacation with her airship crew, including her cousin Welli and U.S. spy Liberty Trusdale. When Constance is blackmailed into stealing alien artifacts from the royal heads in Europe, her chaotic schemes put them on a collision course with old enemies and some new friends, right in the middle of a plan for interdimensional invasion by unworldly creatures. As Constance and Liberty dance around their feelings for each other, both hold secrets that could affect any future relationship. The supporting characters, including Constance's dog, Boo, all play integral parts throughout the story, and Chatsworth intertwines Victorian history with steam-powered airships and alien dimensions in her incredible world. VERDICT In the sequel to The Brass Queen, the vivid worldbuilding and delightful characters create an epic setting. Chatsworth pushes the dialogue and banter to extremes, leading to a fast-paced and humorous steampunk tale.—Kristi Chadwick
