A Midsummer Night’s Steampunk

Scott E.
Tarbet
Genre: 
Other

STEAMPUNK:  Men dream of war, conquest, power, and infamy. Women dream of scientific wonders, preventing wars, falling in love, and manipulating the world. Four Queens come together to prevent a war being crafted from the twisted minds of their children, spouses and lovers. Kings battle with scientists to develop the biggest, most menacing weapons. Science takes a dramatic twist for the macabre in the delightful adventure that is Tarbet’s debut in the Steampunk genre.

Lakshmi and Oberon Malieux made strides in scientific and medical studies as they developed the mechanization “mech” ability that allowed wounded veterans of the Zulu War to have a life, rather than a grim demise. Their greatest development initially is Shaka Dingiswayo, a Zulu witch doctor. Then the loving couple parted ways as their scientific minds sought opposite directions. Oberon sought power, while Lakshmi sought to help. Time advances and plots are hatched that involve royalty and young people who are not fully aware of their roles in the future. 

A fast paced adventure that plays out in a mere twenty-four hours! The story never stops ensnaring the reader within the webs of intrigue and masterful manipulation. Whether it is the royal characters, such as Churchill and Queen Victoria, or the Industrial Mech crew who only desire to perform at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee; it is easy to get lost within the drama. A complex tale, yet easily followed, brings the reader to an end, that was almost anticlimactic. Nonetheless, this truly is a marvelous debut novel! 

Penelope Anne Bartotto