Reviewed by Pamela-Mae
TITLE: Liberty and Other Stories
SERIES: Prosperity # 2
AUTHOR: Alexis Hall
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 335 Pages
BLURB:
For the delight and edification of discerning readers, we present diverse stories concerning the lives, histories, and adventures of the crew of the aethership Shadowless.
Lament! as an upstanding clergyman falls into the villainous clutches of a notorious criminal mastermind.
Question your sanity! as a dissolute governess confronts blasphemies from beyond creation.
Wonder! at the journey of the dashing skycaptain Byron Kae across sapphire oceans, through smog-choked streets, and to the depths of the sky itself.
Gasp! at an entirely true and accurately rendered tale of pirates, cavalrymen, aethermancers, scientists, and a power to unmake the world.
Plus, hitherto unseen extracts from the meticulous and illuminating journals of Mrs. Miranda Lovelace, rogue scientist and first of the aethermancers.
REVIEW:
This is a collection of 4 short stories/novellas that are a mix of prequels and sequels to Prosperity.
Shackles. From Ruben’s POV this reveals the back story of Ruben and Milord. Milord is the gloriously unrepentant villain we came to know in Prosperity and Ruben remains the upstanding man. However, their meeting and coming together impacts on them both at a deep level.
Squamous with a Chance of Rain relates the tale of Lady Jane and how she came to be the character we meet in “Prosperity”. A story of Gothic horror that mixes mundane and mythical and has more steampunk elements than “Shackles”.
Cloudy Climes and Starry Skies features my favourite character from “Prosperity” Byron Kae, an amazing human being. The tale is beautiful, sad, and yet filled with love. We learn of how Byron came to be the Shadowless’ captain and finally gets the happiness and love so much deserved.
Liberty is full of adventure, action, drama, and multiple POVs. It’s a sequel to “Prosperity” where Dil and Byron Kae and Lady Jane are back together. The story is revealed through personal letters, official documents, and classified government correspondence. We also meet Captain George England, a new character, so perhaps there is yet more to come from this world and its characters.
I felt some of the stories were easier to read than others. I’m not a fan of reading a story through letters and documents, but other readers may find this completely riveting. However, they are an epic trip through steampunk with some amazing characters. If you struggled, as I did initially, with “Prosperity” because of the language, I suggest re-reading it having read these.
RATING: 
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