Let Them Tremble is an engaging early 20th century fantasy set in an alternate world where magic is the purview of the elite. Main characters are well-drawn and multidimensional and represent a range of humanity in both the privileged class and the oppressed proletariat. World building is strong, the plot moves well, and character development is well-rounded and believable. I enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to the opportunity to review the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily submitting a review. ( )

Didn't really get on with this, I think the pacing is slightly off, and the initial set-up seemed to deliberately related to current politics and overly socialist, rather than subtly implied. I'd also much prefer better linking between the two story arms which didn't really happen even at the end. However once the fantasy elements were introduced and the world-building had established itself then the characters began to grow on me a bit - just as the book ended.

Setting is kind of 1800s /fantasy/steampunk trains and printing presses, but ruling classes and only nods to democracy and justice. And eventually magic. Most of the plot follows a printer's daughter who joins a trade union when her press is destroyed by the guards for printing subversive literature. She discovers she has an ability to enter what becomes known as the Shroud, which enables her to pass through walls. It requires a device. Most of these are owned by the rich families, but even then only work with the right inheritance and have been lost through the ages. There used to be an Order of police-ish type people who used them for 'good' but this too has been disbanded. The other track is one of the rich sons discovering the Shroud isn't working as he expects and trying to find out why. They dont' really cross very much, but I expect will do so in later books. I don't care enough to read them to find out. ( )

A strong debut novel and a solid steampunk adventure! Overall, I found this well-paced and very well plotted, with interesting characters and some cool magical elements. People who like epic fantasy of the "city in strife" variety but wish that genre had more steampunk will find this one pretty perfect. As someone who likes "city in strife" fantasies, this book hit exactly the right notes without pushing the boundaries. We have underdog protagonists, and antagonists who are sure they're right and can't see the bigger picture. We have a burgeoning revolution. We have an interesting magic system and competing cultures and impossible odds. And the world is strong! Epley's certainly taken the time to flesh it out and every time something new was added, I was excited to learn about it. (Also, a Slavic-feeling world? Not that common. I approve.) I especially liked the "magic" of the Shroud. I haven't seen something quite like that before and I really enjoyed seeing the ins and outs of it. And the characters are compelling! Whether you're meant to like them or not, they're interesting and complicated and you don't always know what their next moves will be. Epley's good at building sympathy or dislike as needed, and equally good at giving everyone a different voice and personality. I found myself rooting for the protagonists quickly and growing frustrated with the antagonists more and more as the story went on. So yes, Epley definitely knows what he's doing but I also felt the book could have been stronger. There were moments especially early on when I felt world-building (and other) elements were getting glossed over to keep the pace going and keep me-the-reader in the thick of the action, which left me feeling kind of flat-footed. I found myself wishing for more explanation even though I picked up things fairly quickly and kind of appreciated being trusted to do so. Still, to have important things and people just dropped into the story was occasionally jarring and left me feeling like I'd missed something.
Similarly, for all the richness of the world, the pace and the plot is such I never felt like the world was lived in and complex. We don't get time to really experience a normal day, people seeing to their daily needs and relationships, doing things outside of the plot, and that led to everything feeling more like set dressing than a world. (And to the characters, while compelling, never quite feeling like people either.) I'd have liked to see more of the plight of the characters, their love for their cities, their hunger or wealth or whatever else kept them going, rather than simply be told about it. It's the difference between seeing a tenement building and really feeling the rotting floorboards and hearing the rats. And finally, for all that I like a good rebellion in my stories, especially when it's a just cause, I found a lot of the political stuff a little heavy-handed. The good guys are a little too downtrodden, the bad guys are a little too oppressive, people give speeches that feel at times like the author talking to the reader rather than one character talking to others, and even after the message hit home, it kept coming. But! These are typical first-novel problems in the SFnal space and Epley's done far better than some other authors I've read. I liked so much of this! I had a good time reading it! It's a solid story from start to finish and kept me well entertained! Epley absolutely knows what he's doing and if you're interested in the premise of this, or even like I said, "city in strife" fantasies, this is a good book to pick up and enjoy.
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I wanted to like this SO much... but it was very complicated and difficult to follow. I've finished the book and still don't understand what is going on. The character development is poorly done; the overall plot is complex and incomplete. It seems as though this is really the middle section of a book and I am missing out on the beginning and the ending. Or, it is as if this is an early draft that is looking for more thorough editing and input in the overall development of the plot and characters. Its as if it needs a couple chapters of introduction to explain the overall universe, situation, and what the Shroud really is - because it is NEVER explained. It is interesting and engaging but leaves a lot to be desired. ( )