This book was first published in 2009 by Dorchester, and now it’s back in a 2-in-1 edition, which includes The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, a 2009 DABWAHA nominee, and the sequel, The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker.
If you like steampunk, this is one of the earliest that I can remember in romance, though I’m sure there were others at the time. The author calls it, “Gothic Gaslamp Fantasy Romance,” which I imagine made many of your ears perk up!
To enter, comment below with some of your favorite steampunk stories because we all need more on our TBR piles, right?
Standard disclaimers apply: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and prepared for an adventure. Keep cogs and gears out of reach of small children. Check all top hats for stowaway creatures. Goggles must fit in the overhead compartments and not under the seat in front of you. Comments will close Sunday 1 May at noon, and winners will be announced later that same day.
Good luck, and may the Gothic be with you!
UPDATE!
And our winners are:
1) Tiffany
2) Lynette
3) Liv
4) Alex Thomson
5) Y
6) Nadine
7) Mara
8) Seb
9) Janine
10) AmandaOwl
Winners will be contacted shortly!
Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass trilogy: Perhaps not classified as Steampunk –? But!
Bec McMaster
The Clockwork Century series by Cherie Priest
Oh there are so many, but I think my favorite steampunk series have been Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School books, Lillith Saintcrow’s Bannon and Clare books, Emma Jane Holloway’s Baskerville Affair series, and, of course, the fabulous Meljean Brooks Iron Sea novels. Strangely Beautiful popped up in my twitter feed yesterday, and I’d love to delve into that world!
I’m a big fan of Girl Genius!
I have read primarily Meljean Brook and Gail Carriger, and now remembering Viola Carr and Zoe Archer, so maybe more exposure than I thought!
A lot of the steampunk stuff I’ve read has been in anthologies – I particularly recommend the Mammoth Book of Steampunk Adventures (ed. Sean Wallace), Steampunk World (ed. Sarah Hans), and Steam-Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories (ed. JoSelle Vanderhooft). Most of the stories in these anthologies are of pretty high quality, and there are a good few romances among them.
For full-length novels that have already been mentioned, I really liked Dreadnought by Cherie Priest and Gail Carriger’s Finishing School books. I’m also a fan of Laura Lam’s Micah Grey series, which is more to the gaslamp (and thoroughly queer) side of things (gaah when is book three coming out?), Kate Elliott’s Spirit Walker trilogy, which is more on the epic fantasy side of things (occasionally billed as post-Roman Afro-Celtic icepunk with romance and dinosaurs), and when I was younger I enjoyed the Predator Cities series by Philip Reeve, which I’m about to pick up again and see if it holds up!
More recently I came across Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library, which was just catnip to me – dimension-hopping librarians with a magic language who hunt for rare books, what’s not to like – and the setting for most of it is an alternate dimension Victorian London of a steampunkish variety, with a Sherlock Holmes analogue and fairies from Liechtenstein. The protagonist named herself after Irene Adler.
For a very literary steampunk novel, go for Mechanique, by Genevieve Valentine. It’s creepy and weird and there’s some really horrible stuff in it, but it’s fantastically written and so compelling.
Finally, while Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky is most definitely an epic fantasy series with a huge focus on politics and war and lots of battles, there’s a lot of stuff about ornithopters and airships and advancing oneself through the use of science and machinery; I’d say it’s got some steampunk leanings. There’s also magic and insect people and ancient terrors wrongly unleashed. It is, however, ten hefty volumes long, so…yeah.
Got plenty to add to my TBR pile from the comments here, too! 😀
I actually have not read much steampunk so I am flipping back and forth from these comments to Goodreads like crazy! I am currently reading Karen Memory, which is set in sort of gold-rush era Seattle and it’s excellent as a historical novel, with steampunk elements woven in subtly rather than hitting you over the head.
I have loved all of Meljean Brook’s Iron Seas novels but IMO The Kraken King is absolutely the best! It is a bit longer than most romance novels which I enjoyed and it made me smile like a crazy person on the train 😉
I know these two have been mentioned already, but Gail Carriger and Meljean Brook are my two favorite steampunk writers <3
I don’t think anyone has mentioned this yet, but Alexis Hall’s Prosperity, Serenity, and novella There Will Be Phlogiston are fantastic LGBT romance with a genderqueer individual as a romantic lead.
First time poster, long-time lurker. Favorite steampunk reads include:
– Philip Reeves, Larklight Trilogy: not a lot of romance and more YA, but makes up for that in tons of fun and adventure
– Kenneth Oppel, Matt Cruse Trilogy: YA and a good of mix of adventure and light romance
– Gail Carriger, all her books: romance + adventure + fantasy with a dash of ridiculous = super win
– Lilith Saintcrow, Bannon & Clare: two protagonists are best friends, British intrigue and magic run amok, and bromance is a kind of romance
– Colleen Gleeson, Stoker & Holmes: YA with teenage ladies taking up their respective legacies. Lots of mystery, butt kicking, and a wee bit of time travel. What’s not to love?
I’ve never read steampunk, but I’d love to!
Gotta add to the Gail Carriger pile! All of hers and Kady Cross is great also. Colleen Gleason’s Stoker and Holmes series (and not the male Stoker and Holmes!) is worth the read also.
Hi! Don’t know for sure that I have ever read any steampunk. but this would be a great way to get started, eh? My TBR pile probably exceeds my life span (is there an acronym for that, like there is in knitting?), but there is nothing wrong with that. This sounds like a great place to start. And now I have all the other commenters’ recommendations to add to my list as well!
Agree with dreamingintrees’ Alexis Hall recommendation, although I do prefer contemporary so it is his Spires contemporary romance series which really does it for me.
Tanya Huff’s The Silvered has a regency werewolves/magicians vs steampunk plot and is not quite a romance but is still awesome.
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
I liked the first book to the Society of Steam series, The Falling Machine. It’s more YA than romance but there is a budding romance that I think will expand in the other books. It’s steampunk, set in NY, and features something of a steampunk hero team (a la the Avengers) and the lead is the daughter of the head hero.
Gail Carriger, definitely!
I really like Meljean Brook’s Iron Seas books
Yet another vote for Gail Carriger, but I wanted to point out that there is also a manga version of her Parasol Protectorate series, which is great fun (and yes, it does include the carriage scene at the end of book one! 😉 )
If you’re looking for Steampunk short stories, I enjoyed the Steampunk! anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant.
Also, a little off topic, but in terms of art: Brian Kesinger does some beautiful steampunk art.
Another vote for Meljean Brook here! In YA I recommend the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld, and for Firefly fans the pseudo-Steampunk of the Ketty Jay series by Chris Wooding.
They are short stories with romantic elements rather than straight romance, but I love Carrie Vaughn’s Harry and Marlowe stories. Bonus is four of the five stories are available free at Lightspeed!
I’m quite fond of Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library series, it’s kind of steampunk-lite, compared to Boneshaker or the Parasol Protectorate, but… it’s got a magic library. I’m powerless against it.
Soulless by Gail Carriger is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’ve enjoyed Cindy Spencer Pape’s books, and the first one of the Baskerville series except when the heroine’s alter ego put her boots on after her corset. Cherie Priest’s series is also great, if only because it takes place in the United States for a change.
I am completely in love with Lilith SaintCrow’s take on steampunk: The Iron Wyrm Affair, The Red League Affair, The Ripper Affair.
Also “Monstress” which is not your run of the mean steampunk fantasy, and is a comic book.
Cherie Priest, Boneshaker
Beth Cato, “Beat Softly, My Wings of Steel”
Megan O’Keefe, Steal the Sky
(Okay, the last two aren’t technically steampunk, but in the spirit.)
The first steam punk novel I read was The Areonaunts Windlass by Jim Butcher which has no romance in it but it’s a lot of fun!
Anything by Meljean Brook! Lots of good suggestions in this thread for my TBR pile.
Anything by Cherie Priest, esp Boneshaker.
Sadly I haven’t been able to get my grubby hands on Gail Carriger’s adult series, but her YA steampunk series is good. I believe the first is Waistcoats and Weaponry.
I love Mel Brooks and Kristen Callihan!
I’ve read precious little steampunk but I have read and enjoyed Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy also the Temeraire books by Naomi Novik.
I also liked Fran Wilde’s Updraft; would that be considered steampunk?
My inner cataloger insists that there is a difference between steampunk, which to me is Jules-Verne-meets-Charles-Dickens. Lots of fantastical mechanical devices which don’t always stand up to 21st century science (ether, anyone?), against a backdrop of Victorian era grime and misery, and with no supernatural elements. Books with supernatural elements I call gaslight fantasy. For me, that means that Meljean Brooks is steampunk, and Gail Carrigher isn’t. But that’s just me. YMMV. Still, I would like to recommend some of Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series (which are also retold fairy tales, for those who love those), and one of the original gaslight fantasies (but they’re mysteries, not romance), Randall Garrett’s Lord Darcy stories. (BTW, I’ve had the Percy Parker books for several years now, still waiting until I’m in the mood to read them.)
iron seas
Not a romance, but I do enjoy Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series very much! It’s a great example of steampunk as alternate history.
Kady Cross (although tbh I didn’t much like Girl with the Windup Heart).
…Does Sanderson’s Mistborn count as steampunk now? Cause if so then that’s definitely my fave.
I just finished a reread Cindy Spencer Pape’s Gaslight Chronicles and am also eagerly awaiting the next instalment for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.
My favorite steampunk is the Clockwork series by Cherie Priest (which contains very little romance, but lots of gritty characters) and “Karen Memory” by Elizabeth Bear.
I’m totally unoriginal in adoring Meljean Brook & the Iron Seas series… one of my all time favs
I think the first steampunk story I ever read was The Effluent Engine by N.K. Jemisin. It’s still one of my faves and if you like F/F romance you should check it out.
Wicked as They Come (Blud #1) by Delilah S. Dawson