The forever engine
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Average rating4
15
Ratings1
Average rating4
"Original Trade Paperback. The exciting debut of a steampunk masterpiece from legendary game author and creator of the staple steampunk role playing game, Space: 1889. The stunning unveiling of a perfectly formed steampunk past, from an author who helped define the genre. London 1888. His Majesty's airships troll the sky powered by antigrav liftwood as a cabal of Iron Lords tightens its hold on a Britain choked by the fumes of industry. Mars has been colonized, and clockwork assassins stalk the European corridors of power. And somewhere far to the east, the Old Man of the Mountains plots the end of the world with his Forever Engine. Enter Jack Fargo. Scholar. Former special forces operator in Afghanistan. A man from our own near future thrust back in time--or to wherever it is that this Brave Victorian World actually exists. Aided only by an elderly Scottish physicist, a young British officer of questionable courage, and a beautiful but mysterious spy for the French Commune, Fargo is a man on a mission: save the future from irrevocable destruction when the Forever Engine is brought to full power and blows this universe, and our own, to smithereens. About The Forever Engine: "An alternate universe story full of action and political intrigue in the great tradition of Keith Laumer's Worlds of the Imperium. It'll probably be labeled "steampunk," but this is the all-too-rare kind of steampunk where the coal dust is black and gritty, engines run hot and stink, steam boilers are dangerous, and blood-spilling isn't the least bit Victorian."--Eric Flint, New York Times best-selling alternate history master, creator of the Ring of Fire series About Frank Chadwick's How Dark the World Becomes: "How Dark the World Becomes is a crackling debut novel that speaks of great things to come! It's whip-smart, lightning-fast and character-driven--in short it has everything required to be totally satisfying. Highly recommended."-- Jonathan Maberry,New York Times best-selling author of Assassin's Code"--
"London 1888. His Majesty's airships troll the sky powered by antigrav liftwood as a cabal of Iron Lords tightens its hold on a Britain choked by the fumes of Industry. Mars has been colonized and assassins stalk the European corridors of power. And somewhere far to the east, the Old Man of the Mountains plots the end of the world with his Forever Engine. Enter Jack Fargo. Former special forces operator in Afghanistan. A man from our own near future thrust back in time--or to wherever this Brave Victorian world actually exists. Aided by an elderly Scottish physicist, a young British officer and a beautiful spy for the French Commune, Fargo must save the future from the Forever Engine"--
Reviews with the most likes.
Frank Chadwick is best known of as a game designer. However, he also writes novels – and does it very well indeed. He seems to like mixing genres. His first book [b:How Dark the World Becomes 15803177 How Dark the World Becomes Frank Chadwick https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1345678721s/15803177.jpg 21526591] melds science fiction with noir crime. (My review) [b:The Forever Engine 17571515 The Forever Engine Frank Chadwick https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376474722s/17571515.jpg 24511231] takes a different tack. It feels to me like H. Beam Piper's Paratime world mated with 19th century steampunk and had a very precocious offspring.The main protagonist, Jack Fargo, is a polymath. He is a linguist, a professor of ancient history at a prestigious university, and he also has a good knowledge of science. But, no simple scholar, prior to a life-altering tragedy he was a special forces officer operating in Afghanistan. In The Forever Engine he needs all his skills when he teams up with a British professor, a special agent of the crown, and a beautiful French spy to save the world from doom.This is a good, fast-paced story with lots of action and surprises along the way. Good book, recommended.
