Echoes of the Imperium (Tales of the Iron Rose #1), by Nicholas & Olivia Atwater
15 Dec 2024The Book
Synopsis:
Nicholas and Olivia Atwater combine ghosts, goblins, and dreadful faeries in a “swashbuckling steampunk adventure that delivers” (Caitlin Rozakis). Pick up Echoes of the Imperium and dive into a daring, madcap adventure that dashes from start to finish.
A fallen empire. A goblin airship captain. One big, blasphemous problem.
Captain William Blair has taken shady jobs before—what goblin hasn’t? But this shady job has pirates off the port bow and legendary aethermancers knocking at his cabin door. Unfortunately, Wil has sworn an Oath to escort his newest dubious passenger wherever she wants to go… and a goblin must be worth his word.
The ragtag crew of the Iron Rose once survived the fall of an empire—but none of them are interested in revisiting the experience. As the dregs of the Imperium rise again to claw at their heels, Wil and his crew must face the literal ghosts of their past… or else history may well repeat itself.
My Review
Echoes of the Imperium is the first novel in the steampunk series Tales of the Iron Rose, written by Nicholas and Olivia Atwater. An imaginative story that deliciously twists many of the classic fantasy archetypes to create a swashbuckling adventure, full of heart and action, in a romp of a book.
William Blair is the beloved captain of the Iron Rose, a goblin that manages to make his 5 feet height work; most of the crew has a past behind, but boarding into the Iron Rose means leaving all of those grievances behind. To keep sailing with the Rose, captain Blair and the crew are forced to take, let's say, some questionable jobs; and the last one includes smuggling blasphemous materials, and somehow, because life is not hard enough, an agreement with a fae, because the word of a goblin values a ton.
With this premise, the Atwaters take us into a extremely fun story, but which also excels at creating a found family cast; because everybody in the Iron Rose is memorable in their own way: from the engineer, to the fae navigator, to the own captain. Mixing together more action focused sequences with flashbacks about the past, we have a really balanced storytelling that makes reading it an absolute pleasure.
The worldbuilding is another highlight of this novel; from the past that marks how the current world looks, with the Imperium that was shattered in different small countries, and the own conflict against the Seelie. All is presented in a really smooth way, combined with a great pacing.
Echoes of the Imperium is an excellent way to kickstart this steampunk series, perfect if you are looking for a fantasy proposal non afraid of twist the tropes of the genre to create an swashbuckling adventure. Can't wait to read more about the captain Blair.
The Author/s
Nicholas Atwater
Nicholas Atwater writes swashbuckling steampunk fantasy. He resides in Montreal, Quebec with his incredible, brilliant wife and two cats. As an ex-thespian, he certainly does not practice funny accents in the shower, and no one can prove otherwise. He is a veteran Dungeons & Dragons gamemaster, famously feared for both his villains and his puns.
Olivia Atwater
Olivia Atwater writes whimsical historical fantasy with a hint of satire. She lives in Montreal, Quebec with her fantastic, prose-inspiring husband and her two cats. When she told her second-grade history teacher that she wanted to work with history someday, she is fairly certain this isn't what either party had in mind. She has been, at various times, a historical re-enactor, a professional witch at a metaphysical supply store, a web developer, and a vending machine repairperson.