Book Review: The Laird of Duncairn

The year is 1882 Scotland, and the auld alliance betwixt king and fey has long been forgotten. Men of science, backed by barons of industry, push the boundaries of technology. When Sir Walter Conrad discovers a new energy source, one that could topple nations and revolutionize society, the race to dominate its ownership begins. But the excavation and use of this energy source will have dire consequences for both humans and fey. For an ancient enemy stirs, awakened by Sir Walter's discovery.

Outcast half-fey Effie of Glen Coe is the Empire's only hope at averting the oncoming disaster. Effie finds herself embroiled in the conflict, investigating the eldritch evil spreading throughout the Highlands. As she struggles against the greed of mighty lords and to escape the clutches of the queen's minions, her comfortable world is shattered. Racing to thwart the growing menace, she realizes the only thing that can save them all is a truce no one wants.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I feel like it's been quite a while since I read a fantasy novel so between that urge and the fact that this one was Gaelic in nature, I couldn't resist picking it up.

The Good:

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and the characters that I met along the way as I read it. This book isn't listed as steampunk but it definitely has those elements in it and I think that they added to what was already happening. I appreciated how the author worked the characters backstories in without it feeling intrusive or distracting from the overall plot.

The Bad:

I'm afraid that this book very much dragged at places and that the pacing felt off more than once. There is also at least one character that was introduced and I won't spoil what happens with him, but, in the end, he felt like filler and I found myself incredibly disappointed that we didn't see more of him. I think he could have been a great way to introduce more of the lore into the story.

The Summary:

Overall, I would say that this was a good first book to a series. I'm hoping that the author got his fidgets out and that book 2 will be even better. I enjoyed the lore and I'm hoping that there's more of that to come. If you enjoy steampunk, historical fantasy, or any mix of those two, give this one a shot. Just be warned that it's quite long and won't be a one evening read.

I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons: