Steam & Sorcery
The Gaslight Chronicles Series - Book 1
By Cindy Spencer Pape
Carina Press - March 2011
Steampunk Romance
Sir Merrick Hadrian had thought his assignment to be simple. As a Knight of the Order of the Round Table, he would use his abilities to find some missing women and stop the human traffickers. Instead, he was attacked by vampyres, and in the process learned that these typically solitary creatures were working together, and he ended up with children. Not his children, thankfully, but a group of children with special abilities, one of whom he immediately identified as being a Knight. His intent was simply to bring Tommy into his home for training. Tommy, however, refused to leave his family - unrelated though they were by blood. So Merrick agreed to bring them all home. He was a trained Knight after all, how hard could this be?
Chaos reigned in Merrick's home. Good children, though they were, they were undisciplined and brilliant - a mixture to cause trouble at every turn. Luckily for him, his Aunt Dorothy knew exactly the right person to bring his home back into order - Miss Caroline Bristol, a governess who always had the misfortune of working in households where the men made unwanted advances. Caroline proved to be the perfect person to return Merrick's household back to rights, and to provide the right combination of instruction and guidance for his new wards. He never anticipated that she might also be the perfect match for him as a man as well.
Steam & Sorcery was a fascinating introduction into the world of The Gaslight Chronicles series. With a host of well developed characters, each story is certain to captivate audiences as Ms Pape reveals more about the Knights and the people they protect. Although the ending sequence was a bit abrupt, the romance, world building and adventure is certain to make many readers dedicated followers. I look forward to returning again and again.
FTC Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of the ebook from Cindy Spencer Pape. However, this website only posts "good" reviews. If I cannot post a positive review, I notify whoever has provided me with the book/ARC/ebook.