Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Penguin Publishing Group
Description
Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace. Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy's shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion -- to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory. And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity's ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member krau0098
I was incredibly excited to get a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. I absolutely adore Butcher’s Dresden Files. I also read the Codex Alera series and thought it decent. This book has more of a steampunk feel to it...and it was incredibly disappointing and boring. I finally gave up
Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship the Predator, his ship has taken heavy damage during an encounter with another ship. Despite being forced out of Spire Albion’s armed forces he is fiercely loyal to to Albion. When Grimm returns to port at Spire Albion to repair his ship he finds it under attack and does his best to help the people of Albion. However, the Spirearch of Albion has different plans for Grimm and asks that he accompany some young cadets and some etherists on a mission of extreme importance. Grimm agrees, but only because the Spirearch also agrees to repair the Predator to her former glory.
The story switches viewpoint between Captain Grimm and some cadets who are training to be in the military. The three cadets the story focuses on are Gwen (a noble woman determined to learn to fight), Benedict (a warriorborn who also fights and is related to Gwen), and Bridget (a young woman from a failing noble house who is struggling to keep her house afloat).
I really really struggled with reading this and finally gave up about 55% of the way through the story. Pretty much every aspect of this book is poorly done. The biggest downfall of the book for me was the sheer boredom of reading it; I seriously fell asleep every time I started reading this book...it was soooo boring.
The world seems half-formed and is hard to picture and imagine; there just isn’t enough description or reference points for the reader to figure out what type of world they are in.
There are a ton of characters thrown at the reader quickly and none of them are all that interesting. They are all very stereotypical to the point of being caricatures. You have Gwen the spoiled noble woman who is petite and beautiful but tough when she needs to be; you have Folly the insane magic user, and Captain Grimm the misunderstood yet noble ship captain. I didn’t find any of them to be interesting or engaging.
Then there is the story. I was halfway through the book and still have no idea what this story is about. Spire Albion was attacked and is now starting a war with another Spire who attacked them. I don’t have a good idea what Spires actually are; they seem to be underground cities or enclosed cities of some sort? I was never clear on that.. Then our characters are supposed to leave Spire Albion for an important reason but we never really know what it is.
Next there are the airship battles. I am really not a fan of reading about either naval or airship battles. I always have trouble picturing what’s going on unless the scenes are really well done. The scenes with Captain Grimm were especially excruciating to get through because I just could not picture what was happening. This is more of a personal preference thing..but me and ship battles just don’t mix, they do not interest me even a tiny bit.
The only positive thing I can say about the story is that the writing flows well and there weren’t any technical flaws with how it was written.
Overall this story was a big disappointment, especially given how excited I was to start a new Jim Butcher series. The story is boring and doesn’t seem to have a point, the world is strangely undefined, and the characters are forgettable and unengaging. Every time I picked up this book and started reading I immediately got sleepy and fell asleep. I will definitely not be reading this series.
Please don’t let this book be the first example of steampunk literature you read. There are a ton of great steampunk books out there. If you are interested in reading steampunk I would check out any of the following series, they are all great steampunk reads: House Immortal by Devon Monk (okay this ones not totally steampunk, but it is awesome), the Treasure Chronicles by Jordan Elizabeth, The Clockwork Dagger by Beth Cato, The Electric Empire by Viola Carr, The Iron Seas by Meljean Brook, The Baskerville Affair by Emma Jane Holloway, and the Clockwork Century series by Cherie Priest.
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reading it 55% of the way through.Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship the Predator, his ship has taken heavy damage during an encounter with another ship. Despite being forced out of Spire Albion’s armed forces he is fiercely loyal to to Albion. When Grimm returns to port at Spire Albion to repair his ship he finds it under attack and does his best to help the people of Albion. However, the Spirearch of Albion has different plans for Grimm and asks that he accompany some young cadets and some etherists on a mission of extreme importance. Grimm agrees, but only because the Spirearch also agrees to repair the Predator to her former glory.
The story switches viewpoint between Captain Grimm and some cadets who are training to be in the military. The three cadets the story focuses on are Gwen (a noble woman determined to learn to fight), Benedict (a warriorborn who also fights and is related to Gwen), and Bridget (a young woman from a failing noble house who is struggling to keep her house afloat).
I really really struggled with reading this and finally gave up about 55% of the way through the story. Pretty much every aspect of this book is poorly done. The biggest downfall of the book for me was the sheer boredom of reading it; I seriously fell asleep every time I started reading this book...it was soooo boring.
The world seems half-formed and is hard to picture and imagine; there just isn’t enough description or reference points for the reader to figure out what type of world they are in.
There are a ton of characters thrown at the reader quickly and none of them are all that interesting. They are all very stereotypical to the point of being caricatures. You have Gwen the spoiled noble woman who is petite and beautiful but tough when she needs to be; you have Folly the insane magic user, and Captain Grimm the misunderstood yet noble ship captain. I didn’t find any of them to be interesting or engaging.
Then there is the story. I was halfway through the book and still have no idea what this story is about. Spire Albion was attacked and is now starting a war with another Spire who attacked them. I don’t have a good idea what Spires actually are; they seem to be underground cities or enclosed cities of some sort? I was never clear on that.. Then our characters are supposed to leave Spire Albion for an important reason but we never really know what it is.
Next there are the airship battles. I am really not a fan of reading about either naval or airship battles. I always have trouble picturing what’s going on unless the scenes are really well done. The scenes with Captain Grimm were especially excruciating to get through because I just could not picture what was happening. This is more of a personal preference thing..but me and ship battles just don’t mix, they do not interest me even a tiny bit.
The only positive thing I can say about the story is that the writing flows well and there weren’t any technical flaws with how it was written.
Overall this story was a big disappointment, especially given how excited I was to start a new Jim Butcher series. The story is boring and doesn’t seem to have a point, the world is strangely undefined, and the characters are forgettable and unengaging. Every time I picked up this book and started reading I immediately got sleepy and fell asleep. I will definitely not be reading this series.
Please don’t let this book be the first example of steampunk literature you read. There are a ton of great steampunk books out there. If you are interested in reading steampunk I would check out any of the following series, they are all great steampunk reads: House Immortal by Devon Monk (okay this ones not totally steampunk, but it is awesome), the Treasure Chronicles by Jordan Elizabeth, The Clockwork Dagger by Beth Cato, The Electric Empire by Viola Carr, The Iron Seas by Meljean Brook, The Baskerville Affair by Emma Jane Holloway, and the Clockwork Century series by Cherie Priest.
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LibraryThing member ronincats
This is a great story! I'd call it science fiction rather than fantasy, somewhat steampunkish with the technology. The world-building is really good, and shown rather than told--there's still a lot we don't know about this world by the end of the book. Oh, and the book does tell a complete story,
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so you aren't left on a cliff-hanger even though you know there is more of the story coming--that's one of my pet peeves. And the characters and story-line drew me in immediately. I wanted to keep reading into the night even when I was only 100 pages into this 630 page tome. Although I didn't, I did finish this in two days because I kept coming back to it every spare minute. There are strong female as well as male viewpoint characters, a talking cat who is a person as opposed to a cute accessory (and he only talks Cat, which most humans can't master), flying ships and battles (it's scary how Butcher channels David Weber in Chapter 68!), and much, much more! So glad I got this library copy so quickly, and recommend that you look for it immediately. Show Less
LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
First off, I have to admit that I'm not extremely familiar with Jim Butcher's writing. I know he's wildly popular for his 'paranormal investigation' series, and I've read a few of his short stories in that vein, but fantasy-adventure & steampunk as genres are more up my alley, so I thought that
It wasn't terrible. However, I have to honestly say that it felt dashed-off and not always well-thought-out. The biggest problem might be that we are given a rather cool setting for the book, conceptually - but absolutely ZERO description of the setting is given until more than a third of the way through the book. Until then, we have no concept of where we are, or what the scenario is. Possible spoiler, if you don't want to know until a third of the way through the book:We are either on an alien planet or a post-apocalyptic Earth. People live in giant, enclosed cylinders, divided into levels, and most people never see the outside during their lifetime. The surface is inhabited by giant, monstrous animals, and the atmosphere is corrosive. (A bit of an issue there, as the airship crews don't seem to have protective gear keeping them away from the air...) .
We've got two female main characters (whom I ended up differentiating by thinking "the big one" and "the small one," which doesn't really say a lot for their depth of character), and male counterparts for them. There's a roguish airship captain. We've also got a couple of eccentric magicians (I mean, "etherealists"), an elderly one and his young apprentice. And a cat. (I was juuust on the line between loving the cat's perspective on things, and thinking it tipped over into too-cutesy-ness.)
Those characters are all of Spire Albion, which is under attack by Spire Aurora. In this book, we do not find out anything substantial about the reasons behind this assault, so do not hold your breath waiting. The Bad Guys are just Bad Guys; the closest we get to their point of view is a glimpse of a few doubts on the part of the minions about the atrocities ordered by the Head Bad Guys. Of course, Albion must mobilize to defend itself.
The society is all vaguely 19th-century-ish, with duels and waistcoats and such. The feel is light-hearted, with plenty of humor, and non-stop action. A great deal of the book is either Hand-to-Hand Combat with Evil Spider-Monsters, or Nautically-Flavoured Airship Battles.
I'm going with three stars, because at no point was the book ever boring or wholly un-enjoyable - but it's not driving me to seek out more of the author's work, either. My main takeaway is that I feel like I wish the author had put more effort and passion into it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Roc for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
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this would be an excellent place to get more familiar with the author.It wasn't terrible. However, I have to honestly say that it felt dashed-off and not always well-thought-out. The biggest problem might be that we are given a rather cool setting for the book, conceptually - but absolutely ZERO description of the setting is given until more than a third of the way through the book. Until then, we have no concept of where we are, or what the scenario is. Possible spoiler, if you don't want to know until a third of the way through the book:
We've got two female main characters (whom I ended up differentiating by thinking "the big one" and "the small one," which doesn't really say a lot for their depth of character), and male counterparts for them. There's a roguish airship captain. We've also got a couple of eccentric magicians (I mean, "etherealists"), an elderly one and his young apprentice. And a cat. (I was juuust on the line between loving the cat's perspective on things, and thinking it tipped over into too-cutesy-ness.)
Those characters are all of Spire Albion, which is under attack by Spire Aurora. In this book, we do not find out anything substantial about the reasons behind this assault, so do not hold your breath waiting. The Bad Guys are just Bad Guys; the closest we get to their point of view is a glimpse of a few doubts on the part of the minions about the atrocities ordered by the Head Bad Guys. Of course, Albion must mobilize to defend itself.
The society is all vaguely 19th-century-ish, with duels and waistcoats and such. The feel is light-hearted, with plenty of humor, and non-stop action. A great deal of the book is either Hand-to-Hand Combat with Evil Spider-Monsters, or Nautically-Flavoured Airship Battles.
I'm going with three stars, because at no point was the book ever boring or wholly un-enjoyable - but it's not driving me to seek out more of the author's work, either. My main takeaway is that I feel like I wish the author had put more effort and passion into it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Roc for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
A good, fast paced fantasy with a ton of action. On a planet where people live on 'spires' and fly airships because the surface is apparently hostile, conflict arises between spires. Airships, which are powered by specially grown crystals and special 'webs' that grab the ether (don't think about it
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too much) fly around and fight each other in old fashioned salt water navy type battles, complete with 'cannon'. On one such spire, two young ladies and a young man join the guard unit of the spire and almost immediately get thrown into conflict. Why? We don't know yet. From about 1/3 of the way through the book until the end, this is one long string of airship battles and 'ground' fights on the spire. There's also cats. The characters are good and there's lots of action, but a bit too much action and with the plot hidden, it is just one long fight scene. Fun, but a bit much. Show Less
LibraryThing member yoyogod
As much as I like the Dresden Files, it's nice to see Butcher write something else every once in a while. This is a fairly exciting steam punk-ish sort of fantasy. It's set in a world where the surface of the planet has become uninhabitable to humans, apparently due to being full of monsters, so
An enemy Spire attacks our heroes' spire so they can sneak in some marines led by a crazy, evil magic user whowants to steal a book . There is a good bit of action, with our heroes getting into fights with the enemy marines (and occasionally into an airship battle). It's a good book, but it doesn't explain why the surface is full of monsters, why the bad guys want to steal the book , or anything, really. That doesn't bother me, but from reading a lot of reviews, I know there are plenty of people who flip out when a book doesn't explain why things are happening.
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everyone lives in Spires, which seem to be giant tower-like structures of some some sort. The main mode of transport is air ships that are powered by magical crystals. Also, there are sentient cats for some reason.An enemy Spire attacks our heroes' spire so they can sneak in some marines led by a crazy, evil magic user who
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LibraryThing member jmoncton
Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series is probably one of my favorites and when I need a pick me up, I often will reread parts of those books. But, I realize that I almost never reread the first one. In a fantasy series, the first book is often unusual territory and some authors go into long detailed
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explanations about the world and the characters. One thing I love about Butcher is that he doesn't do that, so the first book is an immersion into a world of characters and ideas that seem very foreign. The Aeronaut's Windlass was an enjoyable swashbuckling type of story, a creative combination of Steampunk in a world of political intrigue, similar to the Codex Alera series. I enjoyed it, but didn't quite love it. But, I have high hopes for the series and will definitely be continuing with it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Schlyne
I have been reading the dresden files for so long now without anything else, I forgot how good Jim butcher is at worldbuilding. Really loved this book and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series.
LibraryThing member hoosgracie
I picked this up because I love Butcher's Harry Dresden series. This series is an alternate world with steampunk elements and a talking cat. Raul the cat was awesome and the general plot was good, but it was a bit slow over all. I'm willing to try the second one when it comes out.
LibraryThing member TadAD
I really enjoyed Butcher in both the Dresden and Codex Alera series and I suspect I will in this one. There's some great world-building going on here in this first book. But the cat thing was a bit fatuous. Yes, I've had cats...I know...still...
LibraryThing member quiBee
I read this as an audio book and on the whole, I enjoyed it, though it took awhile to get into it. It started out like a typical YA story introducing you to a couple of young females, one feisty and the other being forced into a direction against her will, but the story broadened out to include
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further characters including a disgraced steamship captain and rather mad magicians. The world is a steampunk creation where there are guilds, the people live in the skies because the world has become unlivable and dangerous and there is an on-coming evil the heroes will have to try to fight. Jim Butcher has a lot of talent in building characters you come to care about and one superb character is the cat. This is a solid first novel and I look forward to following the series. 3.5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member jenspirko
I think this is my favorite Butcher book yet! It's an exciting adventure peopled with interesting, engaging characters whose lives are as gripping as their adventures. I read it in less time than I have recently read some less-exciting novels. The steampunk setting is well-thought-out, never
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gimmicky; Butcher's world-building is, in fact, superb. It contains enough of the familiar to ground us in his alternate history (well, alternate future?) but with enough of the exotic to intrigue. I can hardly wait for the next book in this series, which is off to a wonderful start. Show Less
LibraryThing member The_Hibernator
Captain Grimm is a dedicated airship captain who has fallen into disrepute. Instead of in its military, he serves Spire Aurora by catching pirate ships on his free ship named Predator. However, when Aurora is attacked by a neighboring spire, he must take on a more dangerous mission looking for the
This is a fantastic addition to Butcher's repertoire. Of his books, I've only read the Dresden ones, and then only a few, but I've loved every book by Butcher that I've ever read. This is no exception. It has adventure, fantasy, steampunk, science fiction and cats. How can that ever be a bad combination? I look forward to the next book in this series, and am now sorely tempted to pick up another Butcher book very, very soon.
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enemy who may be lurking within Spire Aurora's ranks. Besides the grim captain, the mission includes two feisty young women, a loyal (but disdainful) cat, and a young warrior of the guard. This is a fantastic addition to Butcher's repertoire. Of his books, I've only read the Dresden ones, and then only a few, but I've loved every book by Butcher that I've ever read. This is no exception. It has adventure, fantasy, steampunk, science fiction and cats. How can that ever be a bad combination? I look forward to the next book in this series, and am now sorely tempted to pick up another Butcher book very, very soon.
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LibraryThing member Shrike58
My blanket reaction is that while this new series has potential I'm having to temper my enthusiasm. Some of these negative feelings are generic, such as cynical suspicions about how long this story will be dragged out. There is also the small matter that while I like the concept of military SF
That said I like the female cadets as characters and I'm curious about what the world depicted in this novel really is; I smell a backstory of either a lost stellar colony or an Earth in the wake of environmental apocalypse.
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(which this novel certainly counts as), reading military SF tends to make me wonder why I'm not reading actually military history. However, my biggest issue is that my initial response to Capt. Grimm is not particularly positive and that made it hard for me to enjoy this book. Perhaps this will change as the series spins out but Butcher gave his main character too much of a "chip-on-the-shoulder" character for me to respect, and this is speaking as a man who has no problems getting in touch with his inner resentments. I've also learned over time that one should not make yourself a monument to your enemies, so we'll see if Grimm learns that lesson in the course.That said I like the female cadets as characters and I'm curious about what the world depicted in this novel really is; I smell a backstory of either a lost stellar colony or an Earth in the wake of environmental apocalypse.
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LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
Generations after humanity withdrew from the toxic surface of Earth, the societies of the various Spires are in a constant battle for supremacy. At times the conflict simmers below the surface, but as the book begins it erupts into open warfare yet again.
The basic premise is cool. The writing
The basic premise is cool. The writing
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doesn't do it justice. The way the etherealists and cats are written made me flat out hate them, and the other characters aren't written much more believably. I do like the character archetypes Butcher drew on--the honor bound but much maligned airship captain, the foppish but secretly competent aristocrats, a huge strong jejune girl. But they're written as though those basic descriptions are all there is to them. The whole book was hampered by this feeling of laziness, as though Butcher threw up some generic steampunk tropes, a few "I say, I need tea" comments from the aristocrats, and a load of scenes about how aloof cats are for an extra bit of audience pandering, and called it a day. There are flashes of great fun: the opening scene and one of the airship battles were fantastic. But mostly it's written in a clunky, obvious style I just couldn't get into. Show Less
LibraryThing member renbedell
This series has potential. The first book in the series wasn't great, but it was good. The world is interesting, but there is still plenty to explore and discover. The characters are diverse and have plenty of room to grow. The story is a bit lacking, but there is potential on where it could go.
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The book largely doesn't explain everything, so maybe as the series continues the story will be fleshed out and be more interesting. The audiobook narrator, Euan Morton, does a fantastic job. Show Less
LibraryThing member EowynA
This is the first book of a new series by Jim Butcher. It seems a bit like he took the classic steampunk indicators, and carefully folded them into the book - goggles are an important accessory, as are swords, and a mannered society remanisent of Victorian England. There are flying ships that are
In this setting, we follow a group of 2 female Guard recruits, a long-time member of the Guard who is "warrior born" - meaning he has some odd genetic differences, a cat, the captain of an airship, and a few glimpses of the world through the eyes of an apprentice magic user / etherialist.
Add an attack on the home Spire from a neighboring Spire, creepy villains, airship battles, sword fights, crystal magic fights, and the beginning of what promises to be a multi-book war.
I enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing the next in the series. It has threads of plot-lines left hanging, and is clearly part of a series.
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very like naval ships, but powered by crystals channeling etheric energies. This does not appear to be Earth, or even an alternate Earth, as the surface is a scary place, and the Spires are the nations of this world.In this setting, we follow a group of 2 female Guard recruits, a long-time member of the Guard who is "warrior born" - meaning he has some odd genetic differences, a cat, the captain of an airship, and a few glimpses of the world through the eyes of an apprentice magic user / etherialist.
Add an attack on the home Spire from a neighboring Spire, creepy villains, airship battles, sword fights, crystal magic fights, and the beginning of what promises to be a multi-book war.
I enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing the next in the series. It has threads of plot-lines left hanging, and is clearly part of a series.
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LibraryThing member -Eva-
Steampunk story about a group of communities that live on "Spires," about their respective politics, economies, and arguments, and about a band of people who come together to fight for their space in the universe. The first book in (what I understand will be) a nine-book series is bound to be a
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little loose to set up a properly believable world, but Butcher does a really good job with his world building, especially with setting up a world I immediately feel I want to know more about. The characters are a little fuzzy around the edges, though, but it's not strange with such a large gallery and such a relatively small space to set them all up in. My favorite character is Rowl who is wonderfully sarcastic and filled with disdain for the humans around him. I guess future installments will be the proverbial proof of the pudding, but it's a pudding in which I will happily partake. The audio version is read by Euan Morton who does a really good rather than outstanding job. Show Less
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Good story, excellent characters, good and evil, and a rousing naval battle make this biik fun to read and hard to put down. Gwen is only 16, so it could be an interesting series.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
I did enjoy this, Airships that functioned just like a naval ship, with roles and jobs and a captain who understood that appearance was important for morale. The dialogue was fun, my non-fantasy enjoying husband enjoyed the bits I read out to him. There's crystals and spiders that gave me the
A bunch of newbie military service kids, all of whom are upper class or from that mileu and they end up being caught up in a military problem which leads them to being associated with the disgraced Captain Grimm and between them, and several cats, particularly Rowl, they fight the army they're against, and the motivations of the opponents aren't always obvious.
I liked it, I liked it a lot and I want more. The characters were fun and felt both real and different from each other, they had distinct voices and interests and they were fun to be with, I'm not sure I'd like to meet them, Gwen in particular, she feels like I'd rub off her badly, but still she's be interesting.
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creeps, particularly when, during a fight against them, a spider landed on my copy. And no, he didn't last.A bunch of newbie military service kids, all of whom are upper class or from that mileu and they end up being caught up in a military problem which leads them to being associated with the disgraced Captain Grimm and between them, and several cats, particularly Rowl, they fight the army they're against, and the motivations of the opponents aren't always obvious.
I liked it, I liked it a lot and I want more. The characters were fun and felt both real and different from each other, they had distinct voices and interests and they were fun to be with, I'm not sure I'd like to meet them, Gwen in particular, she feels like I'd rub off her badly, but still she's be interesting.
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LibraryThing member ChrissyChris
I got about 1/3 of the way through and just couldn't engage with any of the characters. Into the (virtual) couldn't finish pile.
LibraryThing member Unkletom
I went into this book with fairly low expectations and, for a while, it appeared that those expectations to be borne out. For one thing, it begins with a precocious young high-born lady whose fiery temper threatens to make her a thorn in the side of anyone unlucky enough to meet her. And if that
Fortunately, these two characters, while significant, are not the main stars of the book which turned out to be a steampunky thriller reminiscent of a Horatio Hornblower adventure, only with flying ships, evil magicians, and scads of nasty spider-like creatures. Okay, it may not be original but it was entertaining and fun to visualize the world Butcher imagined.
The audio recording of ‘The Aeronaut's Windlass’ was ably narrated by Euan Morton, who did an excellent job of making Butcher’s story come alive.
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isn’t bad enough, the book has, I shudder to say it, a talking cat. I get enough attitude from my wife’s cat as it is. I can’t imagine what life would be like if he was constantly telling me how much better he was than humans. (Who knows? Maybe he is. Fortunately, I don’t understand him.)Fortunately, these two characters, while significant, are not the main stars of the book which turned out to be a steampunky thriller reminiscent of a Horatio Hornblower adventure, only with flying ships, evil magicians, and scads of nasty spider-like creatures. Okay, it may not be original but it was entertaining and fun to visualize the world Butcher imagined.
The audio recording of ‘The Aeronaut's Windlass’ was ably narrated by Euan Morton, who did an excellent job of making Butcher’s story come alive.
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LibraryThing member Stewartry
Jim Butcher is kind of fantastic, isn't he? I was cautious about this book, because while I have adored Harry Dresden from the beginning (and even more once James Marsters was added to the mix) I did not much love the one Codex Alera book I tried. However, it didn't take long before I was sucked in
The narrator always has a lot to do with how much I love a book; Marsters raised Harry Dresden from being something I was a fan of to something I pounce on as hard and fast as possible. (The books. I mean the books.) Euan Morton is almost as great. He's a delight to listen to, particularly as he adds wonderful levels of lunacy to the madder characters. It's funny – he echoes bits of pop culture at times; Sycorax reminded me of Doctor Who's Missy, and the intonations he gave Folly reminded me strongly of Pinky (as in "Pinky and the Brain"). This is not a bad thing. It was actually, particularly with Folly, quite impressive.
The story was a trip. Non-stop, action-packed, suspenseful (because you never know – Butcher might kill just about anyone), and lots of fun, in a really nicely built setting. Butcher knows how to spin a tale, how to keep information from the reader and how to reveal it naturally, how to slip in a bit of background here and a bit of history there. And how to drop a shocker on you.
The only thing that gave me pause in the plot is that – despite plenty of evidence that she is dangerous and treacherous – there is hesitation to blow Calliope out of the skies. I don't care what her past is; I don't care who she used to be, shall we say, connected to – she's horrible. Exterminate.
Overall, though, what a great start to a series.
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to this wonderful steampunk world, involved in the characters and happily waiting for what would come next. The narrator always has a lot to do with how much I love a book; Marsters raised Harry Dresden from being something I was a fan of to something I pounce on as hard and fast as possible. (The books. I mean the books.) Euan Morton is almost as great. He's a delight to listen to, particularly as he adds wonderful levels of lunacy to the madder characters. It's funny – he echoes bits of pop culture at times; Sycorax reminded me of Doctor Who's Missy, and the intonations he gave Folly reminded me strongly of Pinky (as in "Pinky and the Brain"). This is not a bad thing. It was actually, particularly with Folly, quite impressive.
The story was a trip. Non-stop, action-packed, suspenseful (because you never know – Butcher might kill just about anyone), and lots of fun, in a really nicely built setting. Butcher knows how to spin a tale, how to keep information from the reader and how to reveal it naturally, how to slip in a bit of background here and a bit of history there. And how to drop a shocker on you.
The only thing that gave me pause in the plot is that – despite plenty of evidence that she is dangerous and treacherous – there is hesitation to blow Calliope out of the skies. I don't care what her past is; I don't care who she used to be, shall we say, connected to – she's horrible. Exterminate.
Overall, though, what a great start to a series.
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LibraryThing member Carol_W
This is my first experience with Jim Butcher and, if it is representative, I can see why his books are popular. I found it an enjoyable romp with a host of interesting and well-drawn characters, some creative world-building, and a beguiling touch of humor. The plot moved quickly, and there was
I was not expecting the humor, based on the descriptions that accompany the book. I was expecting a steam punk story centered on the character of a hard-bitten aeronaut, Captain Grimm. In fact, there are at least five protagonists in this tale, most of them teenagers with the exceptions of Grimm and a cat – who is one of my favorites. Thematically, the story is a bit schizoid. On the one hand it is trying to be an airship steam punk story with many nautical tropes. But it is also a humorous tale of humans and cats forced to coexist in a giant house called a spire, and it is also trying to be a tale of dark and threatening magic. Any two of these elements would have been sufficient, and I actually felt that the steam punk aspect, from which the title derives, was the most superfluous. There is far too much magic in the story for it be comfortably steam punk, at least in my view.
In the hands of a less talented writer, this chaotic mix might very well have foundered. Butcher’s skill is such, however, that I scarcely noticed the chaos while reading, and ultimately didn’t care because I was having fun with characters I enjoyed and cared about. The book is pure entertainment. Butcher channels cat extremely well. If I have any criticism relating to craft, it is that some central details of the setting were not made clear at the outset, to the extent that I was surprised by things well into the story that I should not have been surprised about. I wonder if Butcher may have been excessively worried about being accused of making an info-dump. One or two well-designed scenes at the beginning of the book could have handled the problems.
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plenty of action for those who want it.I was not expecting the humor, based on the descriptions that accompany the book. I was expecting a steam punk story centered on the character of a hard-bitten aeronaut, Captain Grimm. In fact, there are at least five protagonists in this tale, most of them teenagers with the exceptions of Grimm and a cat – who is one of my favorites. Thematically, the story is a bit schizoid. On the one hand it is trying to be an airship steam punk story with many nautical tropes. But it is also a humorous tale of humans and cats forced to coexist in a giant house called a spire, and it is also trying to be a tale of dark and threatening magic. Any two of these elements would have been sufficient, and I actually felt that the steam punk aspect, from which the title derives, was the most superfluous. There is far too much magic in the story for it be comfortably steam punk, at least in my view.
In the hands of a less talented writer, this chaotic mix might very well have foundered. Butcher’s skill is such, however, that I scarcely noticed the chaos while reading, and ultimately didn’t care because I was having fun with characters I enjoyed and cared about. The book is pure entertainment. Butcher channels cat extremely well. If I have any criticism relating to craft, it is that some central details of the setting were not made clear at the outset, to the extent that I was surprised by things well into the story that I should not have been surprised about. I wonder if Butcher may have been excessively worried about being accused of making an info-dump. One or two well-designed scenes at the beginning of the book could have handled the problems.
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LibraryThing member libgirl69
Fantastic read, loved the characters both human and otherwise. Nice mix of action, politics and 'magic'.
LibraryThing member Carl_Alves
The Aeronaut’s Windlass is a long-winded, sometimes intriguing, sometimes dull steampunk novel written in a fantasy setting with cats who have intelligence, steam-powered airships, and people with magical powers. It’s not a traditional steampunk novel and probably would have been more
Captain Grimm is the captain of one of the fastest airships around, the Predator. He gets in the middle of the beginning of a war between Spire Albion and Spire Aurora. The spires rule the world set well above the surface world. Grimm, who was previously disgraced in his service to Spire Albion, has remained loyal to them. He gets embroiled in a mission serving Albion and takes on civilians to complete this mission. Even though the novel is overly long, I felt much of the aspects of this world were not well explained. The way the spires work in context to the rest of the world was barely dealt with. The relationships between the cats and the people is also glossed over. The strongest aspects of the novel were the characters, who were well-developed, and the action once it heats up. In the end, this novel was a mixed bag for me, and I’m not sure that I will continue reading novels in this series.
Carl Alves - author of Reconquest: Mother Earth
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interesting if it had been edited a little better. There are too many long passages, especially in the first half of the novel, that don’t add much to the story and are a bit tedious to get through. The novel really picks up its pace in the second half of the novel and is a much better read as it goes along.Captain Grimm is the captain of one of the fastest airships around, the Predator. He gets in the middle of the beginning of a war between Spire Albion and Spire Aurora. The spires rule the world set well above the surface world. Grimm, who was previously disgraced in his service to Spire Albion, has remained loyal to them. He gets embroiled in a mission serving Albion and takes on civilians to complete this mission. Even though the novel is overly long, I felt much of the aspects of this world were not well explained. The way the spires work in context to the rest of the world was barely dealt with. The relationships between the cats and the people is also glossed over. The strongest aspects of the novel were the characters, who were well-developed, and the action once it heats up. In the end, this novel was a mixed bag for me, and I’m not sure that I will continue reading novels in this series.
Carl Alves - author of Reconquest: Mother Earth
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Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 2016)
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — 2015)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — Fantasy — 2016)
Dragon Award (Finalist — Fantasy Novel — 2016)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — Fiction — 2015)
Original publication date
2015-09-15
Local notes
Cinder Spires, 1
DDC/MDS
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