Its an adult-themed Edwardian London steampunk novel, a lot of mechanism and murder in it with a dash of romance. I wouldn't call it a modified/historical romance but it nearly a close one. The Iron Duke himself was an impressive pirate with his own flaws and calculated capabilities. As one of the most best described anti-hero in any novels I've read recently. The author doesn't flaunt his packages but neither she was shy about letting it on the severity of his character and lack of it. His mind-thought was very much red-blooded male he is. I couldn't escape the imagination that Rhys in this book seems to mirror a much a live and red-blooded man that exist is an actor to one of the most ruthless king of England in another historical rendition on tv. The female lead however deserved her place to provide a subtle contrast against the pirate/rake/duke. She's independent, quick-thinker, resourceful but always on her guard against everyone in the zombie-infested world in the industrial era. The book provide a detailed description of the society with political instability between anarchism and government constitution and society discrimination against those who are different (nano-infested locale or buggers against the high-classed migrant or bounders). As a biomedical graduate, its interesting that the author had produce a detailed science fictional description on the nanotechnology with technologies that already existed in our world which includes the bug disease (graft-versus-host disease), a weapon that destroy these nanos in the body without showing from the outer surface (reminiscent of neutron bomb and frequency jammer), airships, transplanted mechanical organs and etc. As it a series, I hope the author could use a bit more acurate description on how the mongolians (or 'hoard' as used) obtained such capabilities to produce nanotechnology and flying steam ship (final fantasy 9 much?). Would recommend it to people who are interested in science fiction without the cumbersome of learning a whole lot of a new universe and like a bit more than brief sensual tension in usual scifi books.