The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity. Within their halls, the ruling aristocratic houses develop scientific marvels, foster trade alliances, and maintain fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. Loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is damaged in combat, Grimm joins a team of Albion agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring his ship.

And as Grimm undertakes this task, he learns that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake...

Steampunk is not one of my usual genres, which led to this book languishing on my shelf for far too long. A unique, beautiful world, memorable characters, and action-packed battles kept me enthralled.

Oh god why did I started reading this? This is just a filler book in a “serial writing” authors list. yes, its better then I could ever write, but its no excuse for such a generic and blend story.

I wanted to see how an author who I have liked two books from decades and almost liked another one was doing nowadays, how he evolved.

I have no interest in the steampunk genre but I suspect that had nothing to do with the reason I stopped reading.

The book started with a scene of an aristocrat family where the a rebellious daughter is threatening at gunpoint her mother and her guards in order to be able to go against her wishes and join the air force as a soldier.

As soon as she leaves her bedroom, the mother reveals to the reader that all of this was her plan all along, because if she wanted her to become a solder, THEN she wouldn't. This is such a lame cliche.

I quit the book when the author started describing in boring details some air fighting.

Read 32:07 / 21:39 2%

As expected, it was a fun read filled with daring deeds, heroic heroines and heroes... and cats

Butcher world building again. What I enjoy is his slow unveiling of the stage upon which his characters act. A world [not Earth it can be assumed ...perhaps?] on which humanity lives in gigantic towers miles high called Spires. Descriptive facts of this world are “dropped” into the text where appropriate. He used the same style in his Codex Alera series. I like this because it sets up in my mind a growing list of facts I want to know regarding this world which may or may not be referenced or developed as the plot develops.
And the plot... well its clear in the first chapter where Lady Lancaster states there are signs, things are changing and she unleashes her daughter [a force to be reckoned with] into the wider world, to be where she, as a Lancaster, needs to be. Page by page we are introduced to a group of comrades who are going to be set a quest, a standard trope, but which, other than the backdrop of a war with another Spire, we as reader will have to learn of as we turn the page.
The Aeronaught's Windlass is a page turner, well paced, well written, with characterisations even of the opposing forces that allows a degree of empathisation running just short of wanting them to emerge victorious. Again something I liked about the Codex series and which holds promise for this series. Jim Butcher writes a good story. I want Spires 2 now!
Oh and whilst other authors have transmogrified their cats into telepathic dragons Butcher marks his Map of this world with “Here be Cats”.

A more detailed review [with of course spoilers] I will put up on my review site.