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tehani's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars Not your usual steampunk, and a perfect step for those a bit tired of the usual fare!
misssusan's review against another edition
4.0
So this is a collection of lesbian steampunk that makes a deliberate effort to take steampunk out of its normative setting. Not a single one of these is set in London. Several go outside of Europe entirely to set stories in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Some stick to historical settings, others go for futuristic clockwork and cyborg style worlds. It is basically an awesome smorgasbord of diversity and I would've appreciated it for that even if the stories hadn't stood out as anything particularly special.
Happily this is not the case! The quality varies but there's definitely more good in this collection than bad. I'll give a few words on each story, my favourites are starred.
The Effluent Engine by N. K. Jemisin*: Okay so. Awesome Haitian spy seeks talented inventor for reasons of national revolutionary independence. This a great start to the anthology: it is all adventures and chase scenes and intense gun standoffs! I really love the setting too, it's basically a steampunk take off the aftermath of the Haitian Revolution which is such an excellent alt-history I'd happily read it as a novel. The romance progressed a mite quickly but that's cool, I just recently came off finishing a romance novel anyways. My tolerance for implausibly rushed romances grows ever stronger by the day! 4 stars
Brilliant by Georgina Bruce: Character growth and romance on a train! Short but very charming throughout. I really liked the characters voices. This is the point where I remember thinking if the quality stayed this high this was going to be one of those rare anthologies I can recommend as consistently excellent. 3.5 stars
Owl Song by D.L. MacInnes: So it's a bit of a shame this next story had to lower my expectations. I can see how the story was trying to be progressive and critical of colonialism but it very much fell short of its goal. 2.5 stars
Where the Ocean Meets the Sky by Sara M. Harvey: Alternate history where Emperor Norton became the Emperor of California. The airship captain protaganist reminded me of Yasmeen from Meljean Brook's Heart of Steel, I'd be pretty into reading a crossover where they met. Do feel free to provide fandom! 3 stars
Suffer Water by Beth Wodzinski: Cyborg bounty hunter tracks down mad scientist in the Wild West. I haven't much to say on it but I did like it. 3.5 stars
Steel Rider by Rachel Manija Brown: So this has been a favourite in every single review I read before deciding to buy this anthology and I can see why. It's a Gundam Western story! I could visualize how it would play out on a screen while I was reading it, it was very cool. 4 stars
Truth and Life by Shira Lipkin: I liked the prose and concept but it was too short for me to really get into. 3 stars
The Hands That Feed by Matthew Kressel: No thanks! I found neither the characters or their relationship engaging. Definitely one I'll skip on rereads. 1.5 stars
Love in the Time of Airships by Meredith Holmes: Flat characterizations all around marred what could have been a potentially interesting story. 2.5 stars
Under the Dome by Teresa Wymore: And now we reach my least favourite story of this entire collection. Dystopian city where all the citizens have been forced into hybridization with animals? Interesting sure, tell me more. Oh a thematic exploration of what humanity means done mostly through sex scenes? Maybe not my preference but as valid a choice as any I suppose. An explicit rape scene that leads to a conclusion that associates brutality with humanity? Nope, no thanks, not a worldview I support or find enjoyable to read. 1 star
Clockwork and Music by Tara Sommers*: You know this is probably the first story I've read with a protaganist in a Victorian asylum that was actually mentally ill? This did a good job filling a gap I hadn't previously noticed. I also thought the writing was lovely and the romance sweet. 4 stars
Copper for Trickster by Miki Kendall: Well that was cruel. I don't know that this story needed to be as dark as it was, I would have liked it better if some of the horror had been pared down. 3 stars
Sleepless, Burning Life by Mike Allen*: *______________________* I have got to remember to look up more of Mike Allen's work, this was one of my absolute favourites of the anthology. Gorgeous take on a clockwork mythology. It reminded me a little of N. K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy with its exploration of a human woman's relationship with her gods; I suspect fans of one would enjoy the other. 5 stars
The Padishah Begum’s Reflections by Shweta Narayan*: Guuuuuuys. I want Shweta Narayan to publish a book already, this is the second short story I've read by her that stood out in an anthology I was already enjoying (ftr the other one was in the YA Beastly Bride anthology). The structure is complex, weaving together several temporally separated storylines, but it's not too difficult to follow if you pay attention to the time headings before each section. I wish I knew a little more about the history of the Mughal Empire, I think I would have appreciated the story's use of history and legend even more if I was familiar with its base. 4.5 stars
To Follow the Waves by Amal el-Mohtar*: You ever read one of those short stories that works perfectly as a story but could also potentially kick off a really great novel? This is one of those! I thought it was a good decision to place it at the end of the anthology, since I think it has the strongest ending of any in the collection. 4 stars
Looking back on this review I realize the ratings probably don't actually average out to four stars. I feel this is a case where the sum is greater than its parts though, I really enjoyed the experience of reading the collection as a whole. And if nothing else I'm glad to be reminded of author names I want to keep an eye out for: Shweta Narayan and Mike Allen are going to be on my auto-buy list if they ever put out books of their work. 4 stars
Happily this is not the case! The quality varies but there's definitely more good in this collection than bad. I'll give a few words on each story, my favourites are starred.
The Effluent Engine by N. K. Jemisin*: Okay so. Awesome Haitian spy seeks talented inventor for reasons of national revolutionary independence. This a great start to the anthology: it is all adventures and chase scenes and intense gun standoffs! I really love the setting too, it's basically a steampunk take off the aftermath of the Haitian Revolution which is such an excellent alt-history I'd happily read it as a novel. The romance progressed a mite quickly but that's cool, I just recently came off finishing a romance novel anyways. My tolerance for implausibly rushed romances grows ever stronger by the day! 4 stars
Brilliant by Georgina Bruce: Character growth and romance on a train! Short but very charming throughout. I really liked the characters voices. This is the point where I remember thinking if the quality stayed this high this was going to be one of those rare anthologies I can recommend as consistently excellent. 3.5 stars
Owl Song by D.L. MacInnes: So it's a bit of a shame this next story had to lower my expectations. I can see how the story was trying to be progressive and critical of colonialism but it very much fell short of its goal. 2.5 stars
Where the Ocean Meets the Sky by Sara M. Harvey: Alternate history where Emperor Norton became the Emperor of California. The airship captain protaganist reminded me of Yasmeen from Meljean Brook's Heart of Steel, I'd be pretty into reading a crossover where they met. Do feel free to provide fandom! 3 stars
Suffer Water by Beth Wodzinski: Cyborg bounty hunter tracks down mad scientist in the Wild West. I haven't much to say on it but I did like it. 3.5 stars
Steel Rider by Rachel Manija Brown: So this has been a favourite in every single review I read before deciding to buy this anthology and I can see why. It's a Gundam Western story! I could visualize how it would play out on a screen while I was reading it, it was very cool. 4 stars
Truth and Life by Shira Lipkin: I liked the prose and concept but it was too short for me to really get into. 3 stars
The Hands That Feed by Matthew Kressel: No thanks! I found neither the characters or their relationship engaging. Definitely one I'll skip on rereads. 1.5 stars
Love in the Time of Airships by Meredith Holmes: Flat characterizations all around marred what could have been a potentially interesting story. 2.5 stars
Under the Dome by Teresa Wymore: And now we reach my least favourite story of this entire collection. Dystopian city where all the citizens have been forced into hybridization with animals? Interesting sure, tell me more. Oh a thematic exploration of what humanity means done mostly through sex scenes? Maybe not my preference but as valid a choice as any I suppose. An explicit rape scene that leads to a conclusion that associates brutality with humanity? Nope, no thanks, not a worldview I support or find enjoyable to read. 1 star
Clockwork and Music by Tara Sommers*: You know this is probably the first story I've read with a protaganist in a Victorian asylum that was actually mentally ill? This did a good job filling a gap I hadn't previously noticed. I also thought the writing was lovely and the romance sweet. 4 stars
Copper for Trickster by Miki Kendall: Well that was cruel. I don't know that this story needed to be as dark as it was, I would have liked it better if some of the horror had been pared down. 3 stars
Sleepless, Burning Life by Mike Allen*: *______________________* I have got to remember to look up more of Mike Allen's work, this was one of my absolute favourites of the anthology. Gorgeous take on a clockwork mythology. It reminded me a little of N. K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy with its exploration of a human woman's relationship with her gods; I suspect fans of one would enjoy the other. 5 stars
The Padishah Begum’s Reflections by Shweta Narayan*: Guuuuuuys. I want Shweta Narayan to publish a book already, this is the second short story I've read by her that stood out in an anthology I was already enjoying (ftr the other one was in the YA Beastly Bride anthology). The structure is complex, weaving together several temporally separated storylines, but it's not too difficult to follow if you pay attention to the time headings before each section. I wish I knew a little more about the history of the Mughal Empire, I think I would have appreciated the story's use of history and legend even more if I was familiar with its base. 4.5 stars
To Follow the Waves by Amal el-Mohtar*: You ever read one of those short stories that works perfectly as a story but could also potentially kick off a really great novel? This is one of those! I thought it was a good decision to place it at the end of the anthology, since I think it has the strongest ending of any in the collection. 4 stars
Looking back on this review I realize the ratings probably don't actually average out to four stars. I feel this is a case where the sum is greater than its parts though, I really enjoyed the experience of reading the collection as a whole. And if nothing else I'm glad to be reminded of author names I want to keep an eye out for: Shweta Narayan and Mike Allen are going to be on my auto-buy list if they ever put out books of their work. 4 stars
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