Author: Alexis Hall
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Rating: WORTHY!
Erratum:
41% in "sexually amphibious man"? Makes no sense! "sexually ambiguous man" perhaps?
48% in "with admirably calm"?!
This is a LGBTQ steam-punk novel with elements of fantasy, which is a novelty kind of a novel for me. It's about Lady Rosamond Wolfram, debutante in search of a marquess, about Anstruther Jones, the Phlogiston Baron, about his lover, Lord Mercury, and about the desire of Rosamond and Anstruther for each other. It's not your usual love triangle.
I have to confess that I fell in love with the title of this novel from the start. It's my considered opinion that you honestly need something deliciously warped running through your transom to even begin to invent a title like that; however, it makes a lot more sense when you realize that phlogiston is merely a synonym for fire in this context.
"There will be fire" wouldn't have caught my attention - except perhaps dismissively - and I'd be willing to bet that there are endless other novels out there already with such a title, but I'd be equally willing to bet that this novel is the only one with this title! Phlogiston "theory" held sway for a century, but the obsessive-compulsive drumbeat of scientists' search for comprehensive explanations eventually drove it out of favor. This novel pretends that it never did lose favor.
As I read the story, I found myself initially in alternation between moments both of liking it and of being quite unsure of it. I liked Lady Rosamond. I didn't like how weak she was when confronted with Anstruther's flaming desire, but then I didn't like the baron initially; however, he grew on me, as did Lord Mercury, in his sad and confused half-hearted passion. All three grew on me and I fell in love with all of them at the Copper Ball - one the like of which no society has ever seen. That joy was entirely due to the resolve, the bravery, and the civility of these three.
The baron is a self-made man - coming from a rough, common background, his control of phlogiston made him rich, but still unacceptable to society, hence his alliance with Lord Mercury, which commenced solely as a convenience for both of them. The baron's money alleviated Mercury's debt, whereas Mercury's position in society and his comprehensive knowledge of etiquette and the finer things in life repaid the baron capitally. This granted him an entrée into social circles from which he would have been disbarred otherwise, but Mercury never imagined they would become lovers, nor could he envisage a time when he would be comfortable with what they had, despite the baron's evident passion for him - an ardor which might have led to marriage had the two not been of the same gender and living in that era.
How complicated does it become then, when the baron discovers within himself a powerful passion for Lady Rosamond, whilst still harboring every lumen of his light for Mercury? Well, as it happens, not at all. You have to read the Copper ball scene to honestly appreciate how wonderful it is. Suddenly the Lady's engagement is shattered beyond repair - if not reproach - and the three leave the ball arm-in-arm, never looking back.
The novel is beautifully written, full of charm, exquisitely entertaining, but this is no mere romance, not even with a twist. If it were, Rosamond would not have a cyborg horse, rescued for her from the circus by Anstruther. There would not be phlogiston lamps lighting homes.
I was surprised that this came to an abrupt end when the novel-o-meter read only 49%. There was a second story, set int he same world, but about different characters (at least to begin with). I did not like this story and could not get into it, so I didn't finish it, but the first half of the novel makes it a very worthy read, especially since it's free (as of this review date) for both Nook on B&N, and Kindle on Amazon. If you're at all interested in this kind of novel, I urge you to read this one.
