I saw the cover and thought: 'Hmm interesting...'

Then I read the first two sentences of the blurb and I was: 'Awesome. Sounds like my cup of the...Wait did I.. KRAKEN!'

So yeah after I read all the books on my Kobo: I WILL READ YOU!

Be prepared. *smug face*

I sooo want to read this. Now. But I would need a time machine. Or a superpower of being able to function with no sleep.
I want it NOW.

So. Finished it. I can't say anything but - if I could give this story seven stars, I would.

The stories of all the crew of Shadowless will be published on January 5th. You bet I've pre-ordered them. It's the best New Years present ever. ( )

Damn it, this book nearly broke me.
I have to confess I struggled with the first chapter of this book. It was late and I was tired and the combination of both probably wasn't conducive to the style of storytelling involved in this tale.
But today, I got back into it and devoured the last 75% in one sitting.

This is not a romance, a least not in the traditional sense. There no HEA or even HFN for our narrator, young Piccadilly, but we do see the relationship of two of the secondary characters through his eyes, and oh, how this relationship tugged by poor heart in opposite directions. I often find it hard to connect with relationships told by third parties, but with this one I felt every every pleading word and heartless wounding, and I was rooting for Ruban and Milord with a keenness that left me raw and bloody --and bitterly sad during one of the two sex scenes in the story.

As for the rest of the tale it was filled with airships and revenge, and whores and opiates, and kraken and mechanical dead men. Not necessarily in that order. And the strangest mismatch of characters ever brought together on a aethership.

And as for Piccadilly, he is left with the promise of something more.

( )

Really funny in many subtle ways this author worded things. Also, The MC's voice gaining vocabulary through the book was a impressively done. One of my favorite quotes from later in the book. "Uhhhn, quoth I."

The slang the author created. Immaculate and immersive into exactly what you would picture a 18th century steampunk past-dystopia would sound like.

Many of the story elements went under the radar for me due to that slang, though. I had to focus heavily on the words, wordplay, & context that some of the plot drowned out in the noise, sadly. Especially during some of the more densely action packed sections. ( )

This story has a bit of everything. It’s a steampunk that’s full of action and adventure with romance and sexiness added. The characters are interesting and unique, and some of the badies are things I normally don’t come across during my reading either like a clockwork zombie-ish man and a big kraken. The attitudes and personalities are big and diverse all around. I’m going to continue the series. ( )