I will start off by saying this is normally not a genre I read so that does effect my star rating.

If you like steampunk stories, you'll probably be ALL over this one- a page doesn't go by without some reference. An easy read, perfect for adults or for young adults. It picks up nicely after the "rescue plan" comes to light and by the end I found myself really hoping for a spark to happen between captain and engineer. By far the most interesting character in my opinion would be Max, the ship's half-blood martian (I LOVE her eyes) and since the story takes place in a dystopian future, California's might recognize some of the landmarks.

Also, I must say the cover is just awesome! ( )

Bah, it was ok but not much more. Here's the thing, the writing seemed fine but everything was waaaaaay over described and nothing of significance really happened. Don't get me wrong, things blew up, the air ship almost crashed like 400 times, people ran around and said droll things, but in terms of an overall story arc it didn't really show up until about page 350. Yes, the leaders had been kidnapped and the crew was rescuing them, but that's not really much of a plot as presented here. It's just an excuse to be off doing things.

So, even though I checked this out of my local library along with the sequel, I'm returning them both. I'm not going to bother with the second book. I'm just not interested enough and I have a strong suspicion that, if it takes 350 pages to finally present the real plot in this book, it's probably the same in book two, which means I'll likely finish it little more satisfied than I am now. It's just not worth it to me. ( )

I'm on the third of ten discs and already beginning to lose enthusiasm, so I came to read other reviews and I'm not heartened at all. Too much that is improbable and not well explicated, too much detailed descriptors of nonsense steampunk devices, not enough story engagement. ( )

Preston’s great strength, perhaps honed in his career as a screenwriter, is his ability to evoke and describe the physical details of a scene, its characters, land, atmosphere, and, of course, the brass fittings and leather clothes and steam engines of steampunk.

The details of this world are interesting. It is the “Snow World”, Earth about 300 hundred years after an invasion by aliens, dubbed “Martians” but they aren’t really from Mars) which left Earth with large obelisks of indestructible material and no electricity. In the ruins of Los Angeles, it has even left a permanent cloud of poison gas. Man has reverted to small clans built around professions: (the Crankshafts, merchants that Captain Romulus Buckle belongs to; the Alchemists, engineers of steam powered robots and other things; the Imperials who built the main character of the story, the airship Pneumatic Zeppelin.

And, while it’s still ludicrous, Preston’s steampunk technology is less ludicrous than that of a lot of other steampunk stories. This is something of a naval adventure with detailed descriptions of the airship and, when necessary, its repair. Essentially, the plot involves the rescue of Crankshaft leader Balthazar from imprisonment in the City of Founders, a clan living under the ruins of Los Angeles.

We get a traditional start to the story with detailed background and descriptions of the Pneumatic Zeppelin and its crew, mostly in their ‘teens and twenties. There’s handsome Romulus, half-Martian and Chief Engineer Max, and fiery Chief Navigator Sabrina. Preston does a good job with his many combat scenes on land and air.

However, for such a long story, the plot offers few surprises. We pretty much suspect where Preston will be taking us in future books. Max and Buckle, both adopted by Balthazar, will develop a romantic attraction. The fight between Smelt of the Imperials, who thinks Buckle broke a treaty and stole the Pneumatic Zeppelin, and Buckle, who thinks the Imperials broke a treaty and launched an attack on the Crankshafts, is a war engineered by the Imperials. The mysteries Preston offers as an incentive to pick up future books aren’t that many. What exactly happened to Elizabeth, Buckle’s sister? What is Sabrina’s secret past in the City of the Founders? What is the origin of Lady Andromeda’s strange charisma? And the suspense of the probable war between the Founders and everyone else (assuming they can put aside their differences and unite) isn’t that great.

Still, if you really like the physical aesthetics of steampunk – those steam engines and clothes – you might want to pick this one up. ( )

Three stars but Failed to meet my expectations. The characters were interesting, the world building was great, but the problem was the story jumped right into the acttion way too fast before developing any of the plot or characters before hand which didn't leave any potential for buildup of interest. Midway through I was feeling ready for this to end despite liking the characters involved.

My hope is that the sequel will be a lot better. ( )