Review: Blood Royal by Jonathan Green

Blood Royal by Jonathan Green (Pax Britannia #7)

bought


Synopsis from Goodreads
FROM THE COLD WASTES, A DEADLY THREAT ARISES! Magna Britannia reels from the events that saw some of its citizens mutated into hideous insect hybrids. The streets are awash with rumors of a dark new religion created from destruction surrounding St Paul's Cathedral. In Europe the spectre of war rears its ugly head, a war fought by unnatural beings. In the centre of the chaos, hero of the Empire, Ulysses Quicksilver must maintain his clam, while madness reigns and he fights to protect civilization itself!
Ulysses Quicksilver, dandy, adventurer and agent of the throne. A steampunk hero in a dark alternative universe where Queen Victoria has ruled for 160 years, sinister powers plot against the British Empire and dinosaurs roam the Challenger enclosure at London Zoo.

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7/10 

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Funny thing, I meat Jonathan Green on steampunk convention in Lincoln almost a year ago, where the books representation was almost abysmal, and he was kind enough to sign my copy for me.

Blood Royal feels like very entertaining serialized fiction about a Sherlock Holmes-like detective Ulysses Quicksilver. The world is fabulously mad and is being ruled by Britain, half of London is blocked by barricades and mutated, and Ulysses, a special agent of the Queen, is very good at investigating all sorts of criminal acts and conspiracies.

Oh, and he never travels anywhere without his butler. True gentleman.

Fun steampunk story which reminded me somehow of Hellboy. Mutant bee-people, genetic experiments, a conspiracy of epic proportions against Queen Victoria, Jack the Reaper, the mechanical killer, Rasputin, Russian ballet with werewolves and vampires, air travel, Mongolian khan and many other delightful adventures...

Thoroughly enjoyed and recommended despite the lack of more substantial world-building. Easy and light read.

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Очень лёгкое и развлекательное стимпанковское чтиво. Чего в нём только не понамешано!

Тут вам и рой людей-пчёл в мутировавшей, заблокированной части Лондона. Похищение маленькой девочки, русские вампиры и балерины-шпионки, генетические эксперименты и Распутин, монгольский хан-англофил, и конечно же, сам Уллис Квиксилвер, экстраординарный детектив в стиле Шерлока Холмса, специальный агент королевы,  который никуда не путешествует без своего дворецкого...

Книга читается весело и легко несмотря на отсутствие более детального построения мира. Рекомендую всем поклонникам стимпанка!