Forged by Desire

Starred review from July 14, 2014
McMaster’s fourth Steampunk London novel (after My Lady Quicksilver) once again captivates readers with evocative and sensual imagery with exquisite descriptions of life in a lush and intoxicating alternate Victorian London. Perry Lowell was once a thrall, a human blood slave to a member of the vampiric aristocracy known as the Echelon. She escaped her captor and found safety in employment as a Nighthawk guard. A female Nighthawk is rare, but Perry insists that everyone ignore her gender. Nonetheless, Garrett Reed, her partner, finds her staggeringly attractive. When two of the Echelon’s debutantes are murdered, Perry is struck by strange recollections of her past. As more macabre discoveries are made, Perry starts to wonder whether they are connected to the horrors she suffered. McMaster outdoes herself with this strong installment. The heady romance and dark suspense keep the pages turning, and a cliffhanger finale sets the stage for book five.