I’m starting to see a pattern in my reviews: faeries combined with steampunk. I admit it. The pairing is a guilty pleasure of mine, and to my fortune I received the chance to read and review an advance copy of Marie Brennan’sWith Fate Conspire, the latest book in the Onyx Court series due to come out on August 30^th from Tor Publishing. For those unfamiliar with this series, it covers the history of the faerie court ruling underneath the city of London. The setting of each book takes place approximately 100 years after the previous one. Because of this, one does not necessarily need to read the book before it to grasp some understanding of what is going on.

The book opens during the mid 1880s, during the construction of the London underground rail system. Unfortunately the fey, to whom iron is deadly to, live underground and find their home collapsing about them with the progress of humanity. The fey nobility in the Onyx Court have little to no presence or control over their subjects, and the survivors now live in slums reminiscent of those in the city above.

Dead Rick, a shriker (a Dog faerie shapeshifter, often considered a death omen), and one of these survivors, works for a goblin criminal boss named Nadrett , who holds his every memory prior to seven years ago hostage within glass lenses.  One day a voice contacts Dead Rick, offering him freedom from Nadrett and the safe return of his memories in exchange for information about his employer. Meanwhile, on the surface, the human Elizabeth O’Malley continues her search for Owen, her childhood sweetheart who faeries stole away seven years ago. When she happens upon a newspaper ad inviting new members to a group named “London Fairy Society”, she investigates and takes every measure she can to get the information she seeks. She soon encounters Dead Rick and both find themselves thrown into a multi-dimensional series of intrigues that may end up either rebuilding the Onyx Court, or tearing it entirely asunder.

Marie Brennan’s background in anthropology definitely comes into play in weaving a sense of survival into the setting and story. The Goblin Market closely mimics the criminal underground of Victorian London, complete with close-packed quarters, opium dens and power-hungry, sadistic mob bosses. The trapped feeling permeates both the human and fey worlds, affecting members of all stations. One thing I noticed about all of Brennan’s main characters in this particular book is how they all seek to escape the walls, both literal and figurative, that close in faster upon them. These conventions of setting and character do not appear to be just an aesthetic choice on Brennan’s part, but in some sense a commentary on Victorian Society. In an age where the opportunity of the Industrial Revolution is only just emerging, adhering to the trappings of tradition can be just as lethal as venturing out into the unknown. Whether trapped by expectation of marriage, extortion, or collapsing reality, the characters learn to break from the traditional methods of escape and accept new options.

My favorite character has to be Dead Rick. By far he is the most developed and conflicted of characters throughout the book. His presence alone plays on another one of the prevalent themes in the book: the common question of what is or makes up the soul. Dead Rick’s struggle with his lost memories and identity makes his journey thoroughly intriguing. Elizabeth also strikes me as interesting with her inventive and resourceful way of solving problems, clearly learned from adapting to her environment. I also appreciate her humorous attempts to outsmart a changeling later in the book. Granted she is not also without her flaws, but the flaws make her more realistic. While some of her methods may not be the most practical, they are fitting to her character and situation.

Brennan, while not making steampunk the focus of the book, uses some steampunk elements within the story. She features the “Galenic Academy”, the research facility of the faerie world. She also uses of other elements of technology such as the Difference Engine and photography. She even goes on to include a cameo from Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer. I do feel Brennan could do a little more to explain how the technology works with the faerie magic to make it seem a little more realistic for those who aren’t already familiar with their workings. However, it is a nice and entertaining nod to history.

I do have a number of issues with this book, on the other hand.  Marie Brennan is fantastic with developing characters and bringing settings to life. However she could use to work on her pacing and plotting. She does well in being subtle with foreshadowing, but far too many times she is too subtle and does not reveal the significance of certain details until hundreds of pages later when the reader has already forgotten them. Also it is a bit difficult to keep up with the plot at times because there are too many points of view. Some of the plotlines could have been dropped or set into the background and the story would have been easier to follow. Brennan also has a tendency to bring in some elements of suspense, and then promptly ignore or reveal little to no other clues about them until the point where they lose tension. The story, unfortunately, does not keep a consistent level of suspense until the last 200 pages.

Criticisms aside, this book is an entertaining and carefully crafted work. I must applaud Brennan’s dedication to her research as well as the inventive use of her concepts. There are many books out there already exploring the conflict between magic and technology. With Fate Conspire is the first book I’ve read where not only are the sides combined, but a resolution other than utter destruction of one or the other is achieved.  I think Brennan fans will enjoy reading an Onyx Court book from the point of view of the commoners, so to speak, and readers new to the series will enjoy the new take on the Victorian faerie tale.  With Fate Conspire will be released on August 30th from Tor Publishing    Click here to preorder the book from Amazon.com.

Catherine Barson is a contributor to the Steampunk Chronicle and a self-proclaimed nerd of many talents including costuming, belly dancing, and writing. You can follow her on Twitter, or on her writing blog: Writing Fiction With The Plot Junkie.