Book Review | Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall is a vampire novel with tie ins to Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Book Description

In the steampunk world of Victorian London, a beautiful vampire seeks out the author of Dracula–to set the record straight . . . If one is to believe Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale, Lucy Weston is Dracula’s most wanton creation, a sexual creature of the night who preys on innocent boys. But the real-life Lucy is nothing like her fictional counterpart—and she demands to know why the Victorian author deliberately lied. With Stoker’s reluctant help, she’s determined to track down the very fiend who transformed her—from the sensual underworld where humans vie to become vampires, to a hidden cell beneath a temple to madness, and finally into the glittering Crystal Palace where death reigns supreme.

Haunted by fragmentary memories of her lost life and love, Lucy must battle her thirst for blood as she struggles to stop a catastrophic war that will doom vampires and humans alike. Ultimately, she must make a choice that illuminates for her—and for us—what it means to be human.

I'm still a newbie when it comes to steampunk. Sometimes the genre is obvious to me, and sometimes - like with Incarnation - I have a hard time understanding where the genre classification stems from. Incarnation is definitely Victorian, but I wasn't able to pick up on the technology that would place this as a steampunk novel. That being said, I think this is the perfect time of year to read a Victorian novel. Last year I read Ghosts by Gaslight: Stories of Steampunk and Supernatural Suspense throughout the month of October. The gothic style of Victorian literature is very fitting to the change in the season.

If I were to classify Incarnation, I would just label it a Victorian vampire story. The main character, Lucy, is the same Lucy from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Except she's not. In Incarnation, Bram Stoker is an author for hire who penned Dracula with large deviations from the truth. Lucy tracks down Stoker on her way to tracking down the creature who turned her. The lack of true connection Incarnation had to the real story of Dracula was a disappointment for me. I'm a fan of Dracula, and the use of the Dracula characters felt like an angle at first. By the end, though, I did enjoy the references that came into play.

The beauty of Incarnation to me is the descriptions of the vampire culture in London. Lucy is not like other vampires. While my usual taste in books left me wanting to know more about the vicious and seductive vampires tucked away in London, I remained captivated by Lucy and the world Emma Cornwall created.

I recommend Incarnation to those who are fans of vampire lore and enjoy the beauty of Victorian literature.

6/10: Good read

Review copy provider by publisher

Release Date Giveaway | Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

Today marks the release of Emma Cornwall's steampunk vampire novel Incarnation. The awesome folks at Gallery Books have offered to give a copy of Incarnation to one lucky Book Den reader.

In the steampunk world of Victorian London, a beautiful vampire seeks out the author of Dracula–to set the record straight . . . If one is to believe Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale, Lucy Weston is Dracula’s most wanton creation, a sexual creature of the night who preys on innocent boys. But the real-life Lucy is nothing like her fictional counterpart—and she demands to know why the Victorian author deliberately lied. With Stoker’s reluctant help, she’s determined to track down the very fiend who transformed her—from the sensual underworld where humans vie to become vampires, to a hidden cell beneath a temple to madness, and finally into the glittering Crystal Palace where death reigns supreme.

Haunted by fragmentary memories of her lost life and love, Lucy must battle her thirst for blood as she struggles to stop a catastrophic war that will doom vampires and humans alike. Ultimately, she must make a choice that illuminates for her—and for us—what it means to be human.

To enter the giveaway, just fill out the Rafflecopter below. I will leave the giveaway open through Monday, September 24. Open to US residents only.

By entering the giveaway, you agree to Book Den's contest policy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Ghosts by Gaslight edited by Jack Danin and Nick Gevers

Ghosts by Gaslight is an anthology of steampunk and supernatural suspense edited by Jack Danin and Nick Gevers.

Book Description

Seventeen all-new stories illuminate the steampunk world of fog and fear!

Modern masters of the supernatural weave their magic to revitalize the chilling Victorian and Edwardian ghostly tale: here are haunted houses, arcane inventions, spirits reaching across the centuries, ghosts in the machine, fateful revelations, gaslit streets scarcely keeping the dark at bay, and other twisted variations on the immortal classics that frighten us still.

I've been reading stories from Ghosts by Gaslight: Stories of Steampunk and Supernatural Suspense all month, and it is such a gorgeous book. I'm a huge fan of anthologies, especially in October, and there is a certain literary beauty to the Victorian tales in Ghosts by Gaslight.

While every story in Ghosts by Gaslight is supernatural in nature, the steampunk element is subtlety interlaced throughout the anthology. This was perfect for me since I just started getting acquainted with the steampunk genre this past year.

If you love Victorian style ghost stories, Lovecraftian tales, and an eerie side to your steampunk, you are sure to appreciate Ghosts by Gaslight. It's an anthology that will go in my permanent collection.

7/10: Recommended Read

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review: Roil (The Nightbound Land #1) by Trent Jamieson

Roil is the first book in the The Nightbound Land duology by Trent Jamieson.

Book Description

Shale is in trouble - the creature-filled darkness known as the Roil is expanding, consuming the land, swallowing cities whole. Where once there were 12 metropolises, now only 4 remain.


It's up to a drug addict, an old man and a woman bent on revenge to try to save their city - and the world.

Ack.  Spiders.

Sometimes I suffer from skimming the back of the book and then purposefully forgetting what I've read.  Normally it saves me from unwanted spoilers, but in this case it would have been better to have the description - "A vast, chaotic, monster-bearing storm known only as the Roil is expanding, consuming the land." - fresh in my mind.  It took me a while to figure out just what was going on.  Once I caught up to speed, though, I became more invested in the story.  The Roil reminded me a lot of "The Nothing" from The Neverending Story (but more torturous).

Overall, I enjoyed reading Roil.  The action and the gadgetry were enough to hold my interest, and I really wanted to get in there and dissect all of the layers of the Roil.

That being said, I did struggle a lot, too.  There were a lot of characters to follow in Roil.  I didn't feel like I was able to really connect with anyone until more than halfway into the book.  I think then it was only because characters joined together and I had less to keep track of.

I have a hard time entering fantasy worlds in general.  Roil was no exception to this and for the most part I was more of an outsider looking in than actually being in the Roil world.  (Which could be good I guess... considering the spiders.)

Despite my struggles, I enjoyed Roil enough to want to read the next release in the The Nightbound Land duology, Night's Engine.

6/10: Good Read

One of the greatest mysteries of my childhood is what-on-earth name does Bastian give his mother when he is shouting out that window at the end of The Neverending Story??  No wait, don't tell me!  I'd hate to lose that part of my childhood.  :D  I obviously haven't read the book.

Review copy provided by the publisher

Guest Post: A Is For Automaton by Heather Massey

Heather Massey is taking over Book Den today to discuss a really cool steampunk topic - automatons!  Don't forget to check out her generous giveaway!

Automatons are a big staple of the steampunk genre. They have their roots in real life automata, which are “non-electronic moving machines” and have a history dating back to the ancient Greeks. Automata were made into a variety of forms, but what I’d like to focus on is the idea of steampunk automatons fashioned after the human form.

These characters are, in a word, spooky.

The idea of Victorian-era robots driven by steam or clockwork power (or other sources, depending on the story) is one of steampunk’s most powerful and riveting manifestations. Automatons play a variety of roles in steampunk, from servants to soldiers to laborers. In some stories, they are part of the backdrop; in others, they play more key roles.

While often simple in design and purpose, it’s dangerous to underestimate them. They are often controlled by a nefarious villain intent on taking over something or someone. Not all automatons are deadly, but I’d keep a close eye on them all the same.

A huge part of the appeal is that automatons are just so…primitive. Scary. Unpredictable.

For one thing, they don’t always have a streamlined appearance like modern robots. That, of course, is where the Victorian aesthetic comes into play. Despite their rough-hewn nature, they’re larger-than-life and pretty to look at—well, some of the time. But even an automaton that has a patchwork appearance and/or is a downright mess of cogs and oversized rivets possesses a unique type of beauty.

Because automatons are so primitive, they often move slowly, in a clunky sort of fashion. They are the steampunk cousins of zombies, only without the dripping blood and guts. Unlike zombies, automatons are hard to punch, since they’re usually made of metal. And they’re intrepid. As long as they don’t run out of power, they’ll just keep coming at you if so ordered.

Let’s face it—automatons made in the human likeness are creepy. Often, they have an eerie, vacant stare that is deliciously unnerving. Seeing but not seeing, if you see what I mean. They leave a person wondering how much they actually know about the world around them. In that sense, they are a great way to process our fear of the unknown and/or to explore the Other. We can project so much of our feelings onto them because they make wonderful blank slates. Fear of the unknown. Fear of technology. Conversely, hope for an exciting future or the triumph of science.

I hope you’ll acquaint yourself with an automaton or two if you haven’t already. A few notable books featuring automatons include:

The Bookman (Tidhar Lavie)
The Affinity Bridge (George Mann)
Whitechapel Gods (S.M. Peters)
The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down: A Dime Novel (Joe R. Lansdale)
Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel (Paul Guinan & Anina Bennett)
The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack (Mark Hodder)
Steamrolled (Pauline Baird Jones)
Like Clockwork (Bonnie Dee)
Soulless (Gail Carriger)
The Narrows (Alexander Irvine) (Actually, this story features golems, but who’s counting?)

Now for a giveaway! Leave a comment for this post and be entered for a chance to win DREAMSPELL STEAMPUNK, Vol. 1, a steampunk anthology from L&L Dreamspell.

(Hint: three of the stories feature automatons!). Winner chooses format (PDF, Mobi, or ePub).

Update: The contest is now closed.

To make it more fun, here’s a question for you: If you could design an automaton to do anything you desire, what would that be?


Be sure to leave contact information (blog address or email address or automaton serial number...) along with your comments so Heather has a way to contact the winner!

About the Author

Heather Massey is a lifelong fan of science fiction romance. She searches for sci-fi romance adventures aboard The Galaxy Express. She’s also the author of Once Upon a Time in Space, an erotic sci-fi romance. Her latest release is “Steambot Rampage,” a steampunk romance short story. When she’s not reading, she’s watching cult films and enjoying time with her husband and daughter.

To learn more about her published work, visit www.heathermassey.com.

Book Review: Morlock Night by K.W. Jeter

Morlock Night is another must read steampunk novel from the genre master K.W. Jeter.

Book Description

JUST WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE TIME MACHINE RETURNED? Having acquired a device for themselves, the brutish Morlocks return from the desolate far future to Victorian England to cause mayhem and disruption. But the mythical heroes of Old England have also returned, in the hour of the country's greatest need, to stand between England and her total destruction.

Morlock Night has the imagination and action I expect from K.W. Jeter after reading Infernal Devices.  The ending would have been better received if I had cared more for the main character, but overall it was an entertaining read and a creative sequel to H.G. Well's The Time Machine. 

Fans of steampunk and certainly fans of Infernal Devices are sure to enjoy Morlock Night.  It's the original steampunk novel by the man who coined the genre and a classic that every steampunk fan should read.

What do you think of the covers on Morlock Night and Infernal Devices? Aren't they awesome?  They are the kind of covers you want to sit with a while just so you can stare.

Additional topics of interest:
Book Review: Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review: Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter

Infernal Devices is a must read for steampunk fans.

Book Description

WHEN GEORGE’S FATHER DIED, HE LEFT GEORGE HIS WATCHMAKER SHOP – AND MORE.
But George has little talent for watches and other infernal devices. When someone tries to steal an old device from the premises, George finds himself embroiled in a mystery of time travel, music and sexual intrigue. The classic steampunk tale from the master of the genre.

K.W. Jeter literally coined the phrase "steampunk" in a letter to Locus magazine in 1987.

Infernal Devices is considered "a genuine lost classic, a steampunk original whose time has come." (Goodreads)

In Infernal Devices, George runs his late father's watchmaker shop and struggles to repair the devices invented by his father. After his shop is raided in an attempt to steal a device, George embarks on a journey full of strange creatures, weird places, and intriguing devices.

Infernal Devices turned out to be an imaginative and enjoyable read. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of humor throughout this book.

If you are a fan of steampunk, I recommend you read this one.

Are you new to the steampunk genre?  Do you have any steampunk favorites?  I'd love some recommendations!

Review copy provided by publisher