Steampunk Sunday: Dead Iron by Devon Monk (Roc)

Devon Monk's Dead Iron is a beautifully written, Wild West-slash-Steampunk adventure. I was eager to read this book because steampunk is a genre that I've been trying to read more of and Dead Iron seemed like a new, interesting spin on it.  Monk sets her story in an alternate America in the 1800s where magic and steam technology combine in a way where one never outshines the other but rather they marry, and help create a harsh, gritty world; a world where a man can be cursed by gods, love reaches even beyond death and a man who is more than what he seems brings the promise of a bright,civilized future...but at what cost?

Dead Iron is told from different characters' perspectives; for me, this added to the storytelling, allowing the tale to unfold and weave in and out of itself while drawing me into each character's narrative.  I grew to care about each of them, and every time one of my favorites came into conflict I'd cross my fingers, hoping they'd get out of their predicament unscathed.

Because we spend so much time learning about the characters and the world they inhabit, the pace is a little slow but it does pick up as the story goes along; this is the first book in the series, so some exposition is required.  And again, Monk writes so well that Dead Iron is a very satisfying read with enough fey magic and gritty adventure that fans of steampunk and urban fantasy will want to visit the Age of Steam again and again. 

Dead Iron is a great start to a brand new series and I believe Devon Monk has another winner on her hands here!  Do yourself a favor and check out it out!