81) Dead Iron by Devon Monk

The Blurb :

In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy and carrying the guilt of his brother's death. Then he's offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers-and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this Earth.

In a land shaped by magic, steam, and iron, where the only things a man can count on are his guns, gears, and grit, Cedar will have to depend on all three if he's going to save his brother and reclaim his soul once and for all...

My Review :

I have been a huge fan of Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom series since it began and to see the author was starting something new and was branching out into the Steampunk genre really had me excited. I am not a huge Steampunk fan and won't claim to know much about it but until now I have been impressed by what I have read. After all the books I have tried have had an element of the paranormal in them so what wasn't to like? But could Devon Monk also write something I would like in this area?

At first things seemed a little dull and confusing. A new series with so much new information to take in can sometimes be thrilling but Dead Iron was slow going at the beginning. However when the story started to take form and I had had a chance to get to know the characters better I did find myself reading a little faster. The chapters started to whiz by and I got pulled into the new interesting world the author has created.

The wild west mixed with steam and huge helpings of the paranormal are what you can expect from Dead Iron. I was memorised by the plot as it unfolded and the world as it came to life. Well written and well thought out this is a series that will not only appeal to fans of the author but also to Paranormal Urban Fantasy lovers too.

What the rest of the series will bring is to be seen but from this first book it is clear that there are many more secrets to be told. It looks like the location will change but the most interesting characters seem to be going along for the ride and that is what will have me looking out for book two when it comes out.

Feel like trying something new? Then you really should give this a go when it comes out at the beginning of July. Steampunk seems to be the new Paranormal Urban Fantasy and I love that one of my favourite authors has gone there.