Steam on the Horizon (The Aether Saga, #1)

by Melissa Ann Conroy

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Steam on the Horizon is an exciting air adventure. The novel is studded with colorful characters who are either trying to assist Captain Gavin Roberts on his mission to restore his reputation or are trying to keep him down. (I know, you probably thought based on the cover as I did that this was a book with a female protagonist, but it isn’t.) While the story follows the usual underdog plot, you can’t help for root for Gavin and his crew.

Conroy does a marvelous job of keeping action moving forward and creating high moments of tension in the air and on the ground. There are brief respites, as Roberts works to make the Lucky Lady a Queen in the airspace above England, but when they happen they are welcome breaks as they usually provide some insight into one of the characters central to the plot. However, even in the moments of quiet there can be a bit of action.

One of my favorite parts of the novel is shortly after Roberts and his crew take their newly christened airship on its first flight. Roberts sits quietly in a raucous bar trying to remain inconspicuous, but the air around him is charged with energy as several men in the bar witnessed the Lucky Lady doing something pretty amazing. The excitement and awe of the other patrons in the bar seeps off the page and I found myself smirking with Gavin as he tried not give himself (or his crew) away.

I enjoyed this book so much, I’m a little bit disappointed in myself that I didn’t read it earlier. It has languished on my shelf for a couple of years. I believe any reader looking for a true action adventure story where the underdog is truly someone to root for should check out Steam on the Horizon by Melissa Ann Conroy.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews