Anno Frankenstein - yet another great review!

They just keep on coming! This one's by David Drage of Pulp Zen! You can read the whole review by following this link, but I've posted just a few of the highlights here.

I really thought that Jonathan Green couldn’t possibly top his last two Pax Britannia novels, Blood Royal which took the steampunk down a gothic horror path and then Dark Side which combined a Noir detective story with H.G. Wells' First Men on the Moon. However, Anno Frankenstein takes us to a whole new level...

The tension that builds over the length of the novel leads wonderfully through to the big finale, even with Green’s small injections of humour, references to Star Trek, The Incredible Hulk, The Six Million Dollar Man and Quantum Leap all stick in my mind, without ruining the pace at all.

Anyway, back to Anno Frankenstein. If you’re picky about your steampunk, you may find it moves to far out of the genre for you, but if you want a rollicking good adventure and you like the Weird War genre, you are going to love this book!

I hope Green returns to the Weird War setting for some of his future Quicksilver stories, he is clearly right at home writing in this genre. If he doesn’t want to tie Ulysses down to the Weird War setting, a spin off series with Hercules Quicksilver or the Monstrous Regiment (i.e. the burlesque dancing infiltration squad) would suit me down to the ground...

A spin off series... Now there's an idea!

One of the most exciting things for me about this post, in terms of its potential, stems from this comment:

I think I can safely say this book has finally inspired me to seriously get back into figure sculpting. It has given me so many ideas for steampunk style figures and no-one else makes them yet, so I guess I am going to have to do it myself, after all, there are many excellent characters in the Pax Britannia stories, they really need to be realised as miniatures…

Believe me, if David makes good on his promise I'll let you know more as soon as I can!

During the course of the review David also says:

Jonathan, if you read this post, please hurry up with the next book, you’ve left so many teaser threads left open from recent books that I really can’t wait too long...

Well, the eighth Ulysses Quicksilver adventure, Time's Arrow, will start to be released from October this year. Yes, you read that right - start to be released. But more on that another time.

Until then...

Dark Side - another great review!

David Drage of Pulp Zen! is clearly on a roll. Having recently read and reviewed Pax Britannia: Blood Royal (you'll find a link to his review here) he was inspired enough to quickly get stuck into the sixth Ulysses Quicksilver adventure Pax Britannia: Dark Side. Here's a taster of what he has to say about the book:

With Green’s usual flair for pulling in all of the related Steampunk tropes (I

hate to keep using that word, but it is better than saying clichés), he has once again picked a subject and injected it with the usual dose of steam powered high jinx, “Wellsian” Victorian Science Fiction, James Bond style espionage, and good old fashioned high adventure...

One of the joys of Green’s Pax Britannia books is his development of some of the supporting cast of characters, in particular in this book I was taken by the Billie, the street “urchin” cab driver, who’s cab happens to be a steam powered ex-military war droid!

You can read David's full review here.

I am reliably informed that he's already started Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein, so expect a link to another review soon.

Which reminds me - I really need to crack on with Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow, or David (and others) are soon going to run out of stuff to read!

Blood Royal - another cracking review!

David Drage of Pulp Zen! (and formerly of Dial P for Pulp!) has been in touch to let me know that he's finally got round to reading and reviewing Pax Britannia: Blood Royal. And what a great review it is too!

In fact, he's clearly been so inspired and enthused by the book that he's already started on Pax Britannia: Dark Side with Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein to come after that.

Anyway, here are just a few choice morsels from the fine banquet that is his review, which you can read in full here.

This book was one of the most gripping and fun reads I have had in a long time...

There are plots within plots and no-one gives anyone the full story until the very end...

The set piece battle around the “Transylvanian” castle is just wonderful (the most fun I’ve had while commuting for a long time – I usually read while travelling to work)...

Fine praise indeed, I'm sure you'll agree.