The Iron Assassin

Starred review from April 6, 2015
Greenwood’s triumphant adventure is full of both brutality and psychological nuance. In a beautifully imagined alternate Victorian London, Jack Straker, Lord Tempest, presents a new weapon for the protection of the queen. This horrifying combination of man and machine, the Iron Assassin, soon escapes Jack’s control. The Ancient Order of the Tentacles moves swiftly to claim the weapon in its ongoing shadow war against the government. Rose Gordhammond, Lady Harminster, is recruited as a Dread Agent of the Tower to work alongside Jack in protecting the royal family. With a body count that skyrockets in the first pages, tensions start high and rise through the dramatic battles in, around, above, and below the city. The villainous characters are splendidly realized, reveling in their evil intentions while clinging childishly to petty ideals. The conclusion is shocking and satisfying, and readers will be eager to return to this exciting world full of intricate plots and ever-shifting loyalties.

May 15, 2015

In a steampunk London a young inventor crafts a clockwork corpse, the Iron Assassin, which he hopes will be the ultimate weapon for the Crown against the Ancient Order of the Tentacles. The constructed assassin remembers more of his past life than his inventor ever expected and that history makes him dangerous to his handlers as well as their enemies. VERDICT Steampunk is more popular than ever, but not every attempt to capture the genre's aesthetics and charms succeeds. The overlarge cast (the dramatis personae runs to a dozen pages), hyperactive perspective changes, and frequently awkward dialog here distract from the elements that do work, such as the intrepid noblewoman and new crown agent Lady Harminster. While shaped from a familiar mold, this female character shines in an overstuffed plot from Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms game world and tie-in books.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
The creator of the popular Forgotten Realms fantasy franchise trades swords and sorcery for dirigibles and gas lamps in his debut steampunk adventure, which is set in a dark and grimy alternate Victorian England. Jack Straker, also known as Lord Tempest, invents a Frankenstein-like steam-driven killing machine to protect the Crown from its enemies. Unfortunately, the Ancient Order of Tentacles desires to raise one of its own to the throne and steals the machine for its own diabolical goals. Jack and his fellow agents of the Crown, including the capable and beautiful Lady Harminster and Jack's closest friend, Bleys Hardcastle, aim to recover the weapon and protect the country and the Prince Royal. There is a dizzying array of clockwork weapons and some fanciful airship battles here, all of which will please tech-savvy steampunk readers. Amid the frenetic pacing and huge cast of characters (98 in the dramatis personae), Greenwood weaves in several layers of political intrigue along with jaunty dialogue that adds a touch of humor to the story. A welcome addition to the ever-expanding steampunk genre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)