There were a lot of absorbing action scenes packed into this short steampunk story (94 pp 2.5 audio hrs) and I loved the mix of gadgetry and magic. In the days that follow, Gillian starts to appreciate Gunner’s redeeming qualities as well as his personal ones. During a confrontation with Ferguson, he forms an uneasy alliance with another wanted man, Gunner the Deadly, who also wants to take down Ferguson.

He’s on the trail of Milo Ferguson (aka Tinkerer) an evil engineering genius.

Magic caster Gillian Hamilton is a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam. From chapter to chapter, Poe kept the energy high-right until the very last word. Wham! You're right there in the midst of a gunfight with a combination of extraordinary machines, incredible magic, and two awesome men so gloriously different from each other, one's left speechless! And we haven't yet finished the first chapter! I was listening to the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Declan Winters, and went to my sound system to see how much of the story I had remaining because I wanted it to go on for days and knew I would have just a few short hours to enjoy a world I've only just visited. There's no setting up the scene, this author's no tease. But she brings a certain intensity to this story by sweeping the reader right into the action. Steampunk has found a brand new fan! I had no real understanding of the word but I believe so sincerely in this writer's work so I clamored to read this story and oh my goodness. But even if they live through this adventure, Gillian fears there’s no chance for love between a special agent and outlaw.īased on the short story, 'Gunner the Deadly.' Entirely revised, newly expanded, and book one in the exciting new steampunk series, Magic & Steam. If facing illegal magic, Gatling gun contraptions, and a wild engineer in America’s frontier wasn’t enough trouble for a city boy, Gillian must also come to terms with the reality that he’s rather fond of his partner. Neither Gillian nor Gunner are willing to let Tinkerer hurt more innocent people, so they agree to a very temporary partnership. Gunner is also stalking Shallow Grave in search of Tinkerer, who will stop at nothing to take control of the town’s silver mines. But even he’s taken aback by a run-in with the country’s most infamous outlaw, Gunner the Deadly. Gillian has handled some of the worst criminals in the Bureau’s history, so this assignment shouldn’t be a problem. He’s sent to Shallow Grave, Arizona, to arrest a madman engineer known as Tinkerer, who’s responsible for blowing up half of Baltimore. 1881 - Special Agent Gillian Hamilton is a magic caster with the Federal Bureau of Magic and Steam.

Madison Square Murders by C.S. Poe