Browsing all articles tagged with steampunk.
Symphony of the Wind by Steven McKinnon – SPFBO #4 Finals Review
*Disclaimer* Writing and reading is a subjective art. What some folks will absolutely love, others will dislike. It is a bit like Marmite in the UK—normal people dislike it intensely, but some weird folks actually enjoy the taste of warm road surface and fresh roadkill upon their tongue. To each their own, I suppose. Symphony […]
Monthly Short Story Winner: Fire
This month we asked our entrants to write about fire. The beauty of fire is its ambivalence. On the one hand we need it to survive (cooking our food, keeping us warm, protecting us) on the other hand it’s dangerous, maybe even diabolical (arson, battle magic, forest fires, household accidents). A fire—no matter if it’s […]
The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft – Review + Fan Theories!
Spoiler Warning: If you haven’t read books one and two in The Books of Babel series then go and read them now, and/or check out Fantasy-Faction’s reviews of both books here and here. Not reading this series is a bad life-choice, there’s simply no other way of putting it. If you’ve somehow skipped both books […]
The Coilhunter Chronicles by Dean F. Wilson – Spoiler Free Series Review
Steampunk Batman meets A Fistful of Dollars (and later, the Borg). Despite Fantasy-Faction originally being a British website, I am pretty sure that everyone knows Americans romanticize the Wild West: the freewheeling setting, the gunslinger vigilante who stands up to the bad guys when the government can’t. It might as well be the bedrock of […]
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
Robert Jackson Bennett’s Foundryside combines the action scenes and snarky banter of a summer blockbuster with the complex characters and keen-eyed societal critique of an Oscar-winner. What begins as a heist and chase adventure becomes a richer story that asks big questions about power, exploitation, and revolution. Foundryside is a fun, thought-provoking, and wondrous tale. […]
Urskuul’s Reading Circle: The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman
Everyone likes libraries, don’t they? They’re normally fair-sized buildings which are chock-full of books. And the main rule that guides most libraries? Other than the normal ones. You know like: – Don’t steal the books. – Don’t burn down the library. – Don’t stage an over-elaborate murder designed to implicate one of your political rivals […]
Monthly Short Story Winner: Find the Story in the Picture
This month our entrants got three pictures to choose from. Every picture a frozen moment from an unknown story. They convey atmosphere and (part of) a setting. The rest is up to you. Rules: 1. The story/poem must be inspired by one of the pictures. 2. Prose must be 500-1500 words long. 3. Poetry must […]
Monthly Short Story Winner: Regret and Redemption
Your main character (MC) did something, planned or by accident, and it went terribly wrong. Life is now constant regret. Do they want to correct it? Is it even possible? Everybody should have the chance to redeem themselves, but this is not a fairy tale – or is it? Rules: 1. The story’s theme must […]
The Queen of All Crows by Rod Duncan – Cover Reveal and Giveaway
I know Halloween is over, but I bet all you Factioners out there would still love to see another sweet, sweet Angry Robot cover. And I’m positive you would also like an extra special treat afterwards! Well today is your lucky day, because not only do I get to introduce you to some awesome cover […]
Darkhaven by A.F.E. Smith – Series Review
You could be forgiven for assuming A.F.E. Smith’s debut is a tame, fluffy tale about a magical unicorn. I assumed the same. But trust me when I say that there’s *nothing* tame or fluffy about Darkhaven. Firstly, let’s get one thing straight: that’s not actually a unicorn. It’s an alicorn; a hybrid of the ‘pure’ […]
Everfair by Nisi Shawl
“The settlers of Everfair had come here naively at best, arrogantly at worst. Due to the orders of the king they had found the country seemingly empty. In the fight against Leopold, their assistance had been most valuable, and they had also brought to the cause the help of Europeans and Americans who would never […]
Metronome by Oliver Langmead
Metronome is an engaging high concept fantasy, incredibly readable and beautifully written. Its unusual hero is William Manderlay, an old sailor who lives in a care home, crippled by arthritis and his memories of happier times. An erstwhile musician, he can no longer play the violin, but one night, while asleep, he discovers that his […]
