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Author Topic: Secrets of the Fire Sea  (Read 253 times)

Ghost Whistler
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Secrets of the Fire Sea
« on: July 20, 2010, 10:15:17 AM »
Just finished reading the latest alt. universe steampunk fantasy by Stephen Hunt set in his 'Jackals' universe (Jackals is the name of the central kingdom that's based on Victorian England).

Better than book 3 but slightly behind book 2 which in turn is slightly behind book 1, the Court of the Air. It's based entirely on the waterlocked landmass of Jago which was one home to a vibrant culture able to survive the encroaching ice age and the dark gods that ruled it millenia ago. They are protected by the Fire Sea, which is a boiling body of water heated by magma and is as unbelievable as it sounds.
It's essentially a murder mystery around the quest for scientific godhood. It deals with the settings main religion: circlism, a sort of atheism bound by reason and a belief that people move along in the circle. There are many plots involving Jago's unique Guild that presides over its electrical power source, powered by steam. Electricity is unique in the setting and Jago is about the only place that uses it. Even the steam men (steampunk robots) are powered through coal.

The book suffers from being based solely in Jago which is not the most interesting setting - it's population and thus culture have declined and many seek to leave it's underground cities (now just one). The best thing is the world design which is full of weird ideas though this one is a bit more advanced than previous books.
“Ghost Whistler” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Parental death, alien battles and annihilated worlds.