The Book Plank

Best Steampunk Steampunk. My first introduction to this weird theme was with the movie Wild Wild West . the big spider etc in the western setting won me over. Steampunk can be used in various different time lines be it western, in the Victorian setting, even our current day or in the future. Steampunk is often accompanied by gears and sprockets flying around your ears but it can also be subtle element hidden within the story brief glimpses to enliven the surroundings of the story. Once Upon a Time in Hell is the second book in the Heaven's Gate Trilogy by Guy Adams. This is truly the weird west at it's top. Guy Adams nicely integrates Steampunk into his world by letting it be modes of transport and some nifty gadgets the characters have. This story is big and bold and I am looking forward to seeing where this story ends. Rod Duncan's The Bullet-Catchers Daughter is something of an Victorianesque inspired story following a young women Elizabeth Barnabus that leads an int...

It's that time of the month again, no not that one, the other! Time for another Review Round-up. I said many times that January was off to a good start but I read some very fine book in February as well. I am already at the 29/175 books that I plan to read, no time to waste typing too much. These are my favourite books of the past month! 1. Red Country by Joe Abercrombie, Gollancz  Yes yes, where to begin? Joe Abercrombie is well renowned writer in his genre and has been noted as perhaps a revolutionist in terms of breathing new life into the existing fantasy genre. From the first book that I read of Joe Abercrombie I was hooked. He introduces a dark and gritty texture to his stories that is just cool. His writing style is in many part straight to the point, immersing the reader in a action packed story. The fighting scenes are described in full color and he gives the reader a front row seat. Red Country is the sixth book the First Law series which first featured as a trilogy ...

Once Upon a Time in Hell by Guy Adams, Heavens Gate Trilogy #2 A weird western, a gun-toting, cigarrillo-chewing fantasy built from hangman's rope and spent bullets. The west has never been wilder. A Steampunk-Western-Fantasy from Guy Adams. "Heaven? Hell? There's no difference. Angels, demons, we're all a bit of both. This could be the most wondrous place you ever experience or so terrifying it makes you pray for death. Not that death would help you of course, there's no escape from here" Wormwood has appeared and for twenty four hours the gateway to the afterlife is wide open. But just because a door is open doesn't mean you should step through it; Those who have travelled to reach the town are realising that the challenges they've already faced were nothing compared to what lies ahead. The afterlife has an agenda of its own and with scheming on both sides of reality, the revelations to come may change the world forever. Last year...