Read This F@!%ing Book 25

Welcome to a feature I'm going to post on Mondays called:

Read This F@!%ing Book!

This is a feature for me to push my favorite reads that just aren't getting enough attention! 

I'm also opening it up to anyone who would like to guest post. Do you have a book that you just LURVED but feel like its not getting the play it deserves? Email me to let me know and I'd be THRILLED to have you post about it here! Especially if it's something I haven't reviewed yet - that's even better (but not necessary)! If you're interested email me:

Goldilox3weres@Hotmail.com

 

This week's post comes from our very own: 
Gretl!

Read This F@!%ing Book Post 25: The Immortal Empire Series by Kate Locke

Click Cover for Goodreads
God Save the Queen (Immortal Empire #1)
The Queen is Dead (Immortal Empire #2)
Long Live the Queen (Immortal Empire #3)
Click text for Amazon

Why I Love It: I've been reading a lot of Steampunk lately and sooner or later my lapsed lit major brain starts to compare and contrast them all. Immortal Empire was one of the first Steampunk series I ever read - I picked up God Save the Queen at the library because I liked the cover - but it's still one of my favorites. One of the things that makes it different is that it's set in the present day, but still maintains the Victorian flavor that defines the genre.

 

The premise of the series is that the bubonic plague reacted very differently in a small portion of the population and instead of dying like the masses, the upper echelon became supernatural and passed the mutation on to their children. Some are vampires, some are werewolves, but all are immortal. Since Victoria is still queen and immortals are notoriously resistant to change, their society maintains a 19th century sensibility in its fashions and etiquette. But they also have some modern conveniences, like cell phones and computers. They're just cool steampunky versions, rather than ones we know.

 It's got a lot of the typical Steampunk tropes: the hunky Scottish alpha werewolf, Vexation McLaughlin (love that name,) snooty vampire nobles, and a half-blood heroine, Xandra Vardan, who ends up being more than she seems. I absolutely love the supporting characters even though some of them are also the usual suspects, like Xandra's gay (vampire) best friend. Even the old Steampunk standards are executed well and there are lots of unique twists to keep it interesting.

 

 

Why I'm Pushing It: I'm such a compulsive series reader that I almost always binge read. This trilogy is complete so you can read them all the way through. And it was so hard to put down that I really appreciated having the next book to start right away. The political intrigue, which is another thing I love to see in my Steampunk, kept me riveted throughout all three books.

 

 

I Love the Goblins! What really makes this series unique for me are the goblins. The third class, both literally and figuratively, of plagued immortals. They live underground in abandoned subway tunnels and have been known to eat intruders. Their lives are much more primitive and brutal than their counterparts above ground. But they're also spies and surveillance experts who know everything that happens in the city. They're fiercely loyal to their family and friends. And they're kind of adorable furry creatures if you disregard the whole people-eating thing. The goblins become increasingly more involved in Xandra's life as the series goes on (it's hard to explain that without spoilers) and I just love them.

 

 

Still not convinced? Check out Goldilox's review of God Save the Queen.


 

Have you read this book?

Did we persuade you to add it to your TBR mountain?

Let us know in the comments below!