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The Engineer's Apprentice, Engineer's Saga (01) by J. R. Martin EPUB
This alternate-history steampunk western contains action, adventure, magic, and a mystery that will change the Western Native Lands forever.
In 1860s Dallas, Texas, Annie Sakdavong has just graduated top of her class from college as a steam engineer but must still do an apprenticeship with a master steam engineer. No man is willing to take her, and she fears she may have to become a Sword Maiden for a merchant of her father’s choosing when she runs into an Igbo man who wants an apprentice as much as she needs a master, Issa Obasi.
One of the premier steam engineers of the age, Issa wants to leave a legacy in the form of apprentices and the publication of groundbreaking research combining rune magic with steam power. These two sources of power are at odds with each other, but Issa sees there could be a better way to unite them.
Their world changes when a Native American from the Western Native Lands who can walk through walls comes to steal that research and destroy Issa's laboratory during a fight. After seeking help from the police, Issa and Annie are left to fend for themselves when the police don’t want to help the black man and the Asian woman with the investigation.
Now, their adventure takes them to the Western Native Lands while death tolls rise and villains close in on Issa and Annie's life and work. As they get closer to the truth, will they overcome dangerous enemies and their own self-doubts to win the day?
"While most steampunk fiction is set in England… placing the story in the American Southwest adds an intriguing uniqueness to the tale."
"Martin creates a fantasy America close enough to reality that readers will feel… they could be living in this world."
"...the novel is an entertaining introduction to the steampunk genre…"
— Blue Ink Review
"Martin kicks off a rollicking investigation that leads the heroes from burgled warehouses to Native territory and beyond."
"...the clever ending suggests that the next entry will dig in deeper."
"Martin smartly acknowledges the complexities of a cross-racial mentor-apprentice relationship in the 19th century American West…"
"Martin succeeds at crafting a fresh vision of an alternate West, conjuring an inventive blend of magic, pre-electric engineering, alt-history, culture-crossing connections, and traditional western elements, updated for contemporary sensibilities."
"Martin balances innovative lore with a commitment to the pleasures of the western, especially where they overlap with the journey narratives of fantasy: the thunder of hooves, the evolution of native tribal traditions, and the thrill of living off the land."
— Publisher's Weekly Book Life Review
"… an engineering protégé joins a skilled master for a thrilling adventure."
"… the book explores the ethics of artificial intelligence, distorting physics, and defying death."
"The Engineer’s Apprentice is an exciting steampunk novel that blends science with magic to compelling effect."
— Clarion Review
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