When Eilian Sorrell, a promising archaeologist and the eldest son of the Earl of Dorset, loses his arm in a dirigible crash, he fears he will face a bleak future among London’s aristocracy. On a quest for normalcy, Lord Sorrell commissions a prosthetic arm but finds the craftsman is not what he seems.
After the death of her brother, Hadley Fenice takes over his prosthesis business but knows it … knows it will be an uphill battle as women are discouraged from doing man’s work. In return for building Lord Sorrell an automaton arm, he offers her a chance at freedom by following him to the Negev Desert under the guise of a man.
But what lies beneath the desert is more precious than potshards or bones. As they venture deeper, they discover a society where the path of life is not governed by gain but by passion. When imperialistic invaders come in search of a new colony to pillage, Eilian and Hadley are forced to defend their fleeting glimpse of paradise.
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Beautiful prose, excellent world building and characters so real they feel like they’re old friends and a thoughtful exploration of disabilities and gender.
A solid showing from Jorgensen, this novel introduces us to Eilian and Hadley. How they met, the path they followed, and how they ended up together are all woven into a narrative that is part adventure, part drama, part romance, and all heart.
This is not to say that the novel is without it’s flaws. After the initial events that put Eilian in the position he is in, the book’s pace seems to slow substantially. The tension feels like it dissipates, which makes continuing on through the book a bit of a chore in some spots. Not that it’s bad; the prose itself is well-written and detailed, but the tug, the force ever pushing the reader on weakens.
That is, until the adventure takes them out of England and off on the big adventures.
Maybe it’s just my genderfluid behind (a behind that is really pronoun neutral), but I adored, yes adored how the whole Hadley/Henry thing was handled. The way the author flowed between pronouns, and used clear descriptions to indicate the perspective through which we were seeing Hadley/Henry was refreshing! While I don’t think Hadley was really meant to be genderfluid, her/his movement between the (admittedly binary) poles that had been accepted by English society at the time felt good. I really enjoyed that aspect of it.
Also, may I just say, as an ardent fan of Charlotte and Anne Bronte’s writing, and of course a big fan of Jane Austen, the language used felt refreshingly accurate. Far too many authors seem to believe that the language of the time was very rigid and uptight, and perhaps by today’s standards, we might see it that way, but language had evolved considerably in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and it’s nice to see hints and examples of that throughout the writing.
Again, though, pacing felt like a bit of an issue in a few spots, including the romance that was kindled between Eilian and Hadley. Once the couple was back in England, it felt like a rush to get to the end. I would have loved to see a bit more depth and drawing out of all of the events. However, despite that, this book ranks up there with a number of my favorites. I would recommend to anyone who enjoyed the genre, and I look forward to having the time to start the other books!
A different story line than the normal love story.
different and totally enjoyable
Elilian thought his life as an archaeologist was over when he lost an arm in an accident, but Hadley Fenice, inventor and prosthetics maker, has other plans for him. As they travel to the Negev desert together, they find more than they ever anticipated. Part romance and part action novel, this book rings all the bells! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
There are some confusing pronouns and descriptions during a section where one character is cross-dressing.
The middle and end of the book get very preachy about current social justice topics, despite the story being set in Victorian times.
An improbable romance in the Victorian era blended with adventure in the desert.
Fighting against social norms and greedy plotters. Highlighted by an astonishing discovery of ancient values. I was a willing co traveler on this ride!
I really enjoyed this book. I love clean steampunk. The main character gets in a dirigible accident and loses his arm. He gets a prosthetic to not freak people out so much and it ends up falling off at a dinner party. Oops, people freaked out. He has surgery to get a different one that is attached to him. That works out better. He invites the prosthetic maker to join him on an adventure. She dresses as a man and goes on an archeological dig. It just gets better and better. They find…well never mind. There is treachery, theft, murder, betrayal and a bit of romance. Great story.
Awesome!
Under whelming. Sadly.
unusual !
This is a gent
Book was OK…kind of interesting with the inventions included and that a female actually made a name for herself back in the day, which wasnt allowed
Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Parts are far fetched
Boring, I could not keep reading
Loved it
Too wordy, boring unless you enjoy archeology.
Enjoyed book till the part of the undiscovered tribe of people in the caves. It idn’t blend well with the truly historical.
Very strange