Winston & Baum and The Secret of the Stone Circle (Winston & Baum Steampunk Adventures)
by Seth Tucker
Introduction
In exchange for an honest review, I received a free copy of this book from the Shut Up & Read group on Goodreads. I picked it from the listings because the description and cover art intrigued me. This characters and world would make a nice graphic series, especially with the artist who did the cover.
Genre /Intended Audience
Fantasy Steam Punk, mild violence, suitable for all teens and adults
Narration
Omniscient third person, the narrator only occasionally dipping into POV thoughts of the characters
Characters
Dan Winston - the American half of Winston & Baum, Exterminators of the Strange and Weird
Lee Baum - the British half; an inventor and engineer
Ms. Edwards - their landlady
Ironhill Trungsden - dwarf representative of the Seelie Court
Elizabeth - orphan rescued by Dan; she has some psychic abilities
Brackish Thumtum - goblin sworn to Dan and Lee
Kate McKendrick - young human girl destined to be human representative on the fey council
Setting
Steam punk alternative Victorian England
Some Steampunk Elements
Velociter - steam powered three-wheeled car; I was never clear how big, but able to run over orcs and keep going
The Tin Man - a sort of tank invented by Lee
Theme
None that was apparent to me.
Plot
Queen Victoria calls on the team of Winston and Baum to find and protect Kate (they don’t know who or where she is when they take the mission) from the Unseelie Court. The duo gladly accepts the challenge and goes on a supernatural road trip through the English countryside slaying witches, orcs, trolls, and the occasional undead creature. On the way, they pick up a ward (Elizabeth)
and an unexpected new partner (Brackish).
About the Author
Seth Tucker writes the Winston & Baum Steampunk Adventures series and stand alone horror novels. Find out more on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6474935.Seth_Tucker or the author’s website http://radioactiverabbitink.com
My Opinion
Winston & Baum and The Secret of the Stone Circle has an interesting premise and potentially engaging characters. It was a light, fun, and original take on the steam punk genre. The author mixes the usual steampunk elements — steam powered cars, airships, mechanical arms, and all manner of nascent technology — with the Fey and other supernatural creatures. Dan and Lee run a supernatural exterminator service of sorts. As the novel begins, they already have a storied career and reputation. They had even saved Queen Victoria from assassination!
The premise and title characters are interesting, but the execution is uneven. Dan and Lee are individuals with distinct personalities early on, but later, especially in some of the action filled chapters, I found myself stopping to ask, “Wait, which one is Dan?” On second reading it was clearer, but I shouldn’t have to read a book twice! I re-read the book in order write an accurate review. In doing so, I did find that in some places the writing and story telling was very engaging, just not consistently so.
The author doesn’t take the time to give us a true POV in each scene. Most of the action is told from a medium third person POV: we see the action as the character does, but rarely get a beat on their thoughts or feelings.
Dramatic tension is limited, as the main characters never seem in any real danger of harm or death. There were several missed opportunities for interesting interaction between the leads, who are surprisingly formal with each other given their long standing partnership. A little more humor would have gone a long way - especially given the inherent difference between Dan and Lee.
There were also a number of editing issues, which the author indicates he is working on correcting in a second edition.
Overall, I have to give it three stars for being light and entertaining, but flawed in story telling and editing. I would recommend it for fans of steampunk looking for a quick light read, especially if you have Kindle Unlimited.