Blood in the Skies (The Hellfire Chronicles, #1)

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Blood in the Skies (The Hellfire Chronicles #1)

by G.D. Falksen (Goodreads Author)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 124 ratings · 28 reviews

G.D. Falksen's steampunk epic launches with Blood In The Skies.

In 1908, the world ended in fire.

Humanity, always bad at following orders, refused to die. Now, two hundred years later, what remains is divided between civilized order and lawless frontier. For the citizens of the Commonwealth, the brave pilots of the Air Force are all that stand between them and the dreaded p

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Paperback, 266 pages

Published July 5th 2011 by Wildside Press

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Nov 29, 2012 Kari rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, post-apocalyptic, steampunk, neo-victorian

I'm going to be honest: I was taken in by the hype and push of this book, and enthralled with the prospect of reading a novel by a prominent member in the Steampunk community. My experience with the Steampunk genre (or even dystopian, or post-apocalyptic genres), is having read Scott Westerfield's Leviathan, and Cherie Priest's Boneshaker. So I was excited when I finally got my hands on this book, but then I realized it really was all hype.

I was intrigued by the premise--the world ends and rebui...more I'm going to be honest: I was taken in by the hype and push of this book, and enthralled with the prospect of reading a novel by a prominent member in the Steampunk community. My experience with the Steampunk genre (or even dystopian, or post-apocalyptic genres), is having read Scott Westerfield's Leviathan, and Cherie Priest's Boneshaker. So I was excited when I finally got my hands on this book, but then I realized it really was all hype.

I was intrigued by the premise--the world ends and rebuilds in 1908. Society is reformed, technology adapts, and wars are born. Great care was used to build this new world from a writer's standpoint. The people who now inhabit it are diverse and curious, and you can tell much was put into bringing the world to life. It sounds great, but what is presented is a disappointing adventure.

The characters themselves were flat and little changing. A good character is dynamic, has quirks and a past that dictates how they view the world around them, and how they will ultimately change. Not so with the cast of characters in Blood in the Skies. Lizzie Steele is a strong, empowered woman who can fly a plane better than almost anyone, and who just so happens to be slightly flirtatious towards the spy-cartographer, Ray. Beyond these, she's little else. I was glad to finally see the kiss between her and Ray. I'd have liked to have seen more tension between the two. Tension draws a reader onward, even if it's small when compared to the major problem at hand. Ray isn't so much a main character as he is a supporting character. Still, a bit more character building would have brought him more alive. How did he get to be a spy? What are his bad habits? Little things to bring him, and the rest of the cast, off of the page into the real world.

Each chapter, save for a few, is a full blown fight scene. If it fits in with the general plot and actually drives the storyline, then I'm all for it. However, the fighting between Steele and those bent on killing her, got to be tedius. The initial story seemed lost amongst the chase scenes and even during the ultimate showdown between the pirates and the Talians. And it was not until the end that the characters brought the beginning around to the forefront. For a devise meant to change the world, it should have been more prominent.

The zombies... Oh, the zombies. Because they appeared only briefly and with little explainations, they just seemed thrown in because the author could. There was no real reason to bring them into play when they couldn't even add to the conflict of the final battle.

As for everything else, I feel that this book could have done without the artwork. I can't draw, and I'm not going to pretend to know how to critique artwork beyond looking at things through a photographer's eye (which I am a photographer). Still, if artwork was a must, then perhaps consistent artwork would have been better. If not, then scrap the artwork all together, and use your words to draw the image for you. Also, there were typos and missing words galore--not necessarily the author's fault, but nonetheless jarring when you're mid sentence and out pops a grammatical error.

Overall, this book was a struggle. I just couldn't get into it because the story is thin and relies on fight scenes too much. If you're into Steampunk, dystopian, or even post-apocalyptic genres, then it wouldn't hurt to add this to your read list. Just don't be surprised when it doesn't measure up to other stories out there in the same genres.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2012 Spider rated it 5 of 5 stars

I highly recommend this book for those readers who enjoy a good story, great characters and a world that you can clearly see - Falksen is perfect for this task and his pen is poised to grip you. Whether you are a fan of the subculture or simply a lover of fantasy/science fiction genre novels, this is the book you will not be able to put down.

From the very first pages you are completely enveloped into Falksen's words, full of intriguing plot and lush people. He provides a spectacular main charac...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 12, 2011 Evelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I think the other reviews on this book speak for its quality and talent. It's nice to read a book with a strong female main character who feels like a real and likable person.
Other reviews for this book
Praise for Blood in the Skies:
"This is steampunk clanking to life on the page."
-Jay Lake, Campbell Award winner and author of Mainspring

“G. D. Falksen’s witty, anachronistic, and downright...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 22, 2012 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, dystopia

It was a pretty decent book, but it felt much too short. I dislike when a series is really one huge book published as 3 or 4 - IMHO each book in a series should have its own purpose and resolution, in addition to the overarching storyline. Without that discrete resolution each time, it just feels like reading chapters that have been interrupted.

The author must also be a pilot, or really have a thing for pilots. There was a lot of aerial battling, descriptions and action. I know the dirigibles, e...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 18, 2011 Angela Oliver rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, steampunk

This did not feel particularly steampunk - despite the airships and the mention of aether - possibly because my previous dabblings in this "genre" have been novels such as Scott Westerfields "Leviathon" or Philip Reeve's "Mortal Engines" quartet. It felt more like historic fiction, maybe cica World War I. Still, I did feel it built up a solid background to the world - and one in which I would be keen to learn more. It did have a dramatic fighting climax, but did not complete the plot - merely to...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Hanna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Women

I got for the holidays the two album sound track for this book as a great gift. My father did not even know that the music was for this book when he got it for me. I then felt I had to get the book as I already loved the music based around it. This book is great, much like the other reviews you read it feels like your reading a great action film. I really did not mean to read this book all in one sitting but I could not put it down. So be warned this book might rob a night of sleep if you read i...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Julianne rated it 2 of 5 stars

I admit it. I love steampunk. I had very high expectations for this book, especially since I've already read Ouroboros and really liked it. I felt like Falksen had a list: airships. check. female pilot/heroine. check. alternate reality event. check. pirates. check. And so on. It was bland, boring, and felt like the writing project of a first year college English major. The characters were flat to the point of absurdity. I was so disappointed! I wanted to love this book, but I can't.

If you want...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book provides not only a good, fast paced story, but peeks into what may very well turn out to be a much larger epic than I expected after the first few pages. The pace reminds me of the old Indiana Jones movies, with the characters narrowly escaping one dangerous encounter only to have the odds raised against them on the next page. But the stereotypes for the characters are broken down and reassembled in a way that adds a fresh twist to the whole serial adventure thing.

All in all it was a...more

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Mar 02, 2012 M rated it 5 of 5 stars

I heard the GD Falksen read the prologue of this at the Dorian's Parlor one year anniversary and immediately asked my friend to hold my seat so I could go buy a copy, she handed me cash and asked that I grab one for her as well. It was worth far more than the fifteen dollars it cost that night. I have not been able to put this book down since I got it. I certainly recommend this book. The settings are vivid and the characters are interesting, the dialogue between Steele and Ray is quick paced an...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Vittoria Corella rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh. Blood in the Skies. Ci diamo allo steampunk.
Svolgimento: G.D. Falksen, da bambino, secondo me guardava Bud Spencer e Terence Hill. Non so se questi film erano popolari negli USA, ma forse sì, se no non mi spiego Blood in the Skies. Non è Bruce Willis, non è Schwarzenegger, è Bud Spencer! Assolutamente! Ovvero: si va avanti a forza di cazzotti. Sparatorie alla Trinità. Risse alla ‘io sto con gli ippopotami’. Andiamo con ordine: presupposto niente male, ovvero nel 1908, i perfidi Russi a Tung...more Oh. Blood in the Skies. Ci diamo allo steampunk.
Svolgimento: G.D. Falksen, da bambino, secondo me guardava Bud Spencer e Terence Hill. Non so se questi film erano popolari negli USA, ma forse sì, se no non mi spiego Blood in the Skies. Non è Bruce Willis, non è Schwarzenegger, è Bud Spencer! Assolutamente! Ovvero: si va avanti a forza di cazzotti. Sparatorie alla Trinità. Risse alla ‘io sto con gli ippopotami’. Andiamo con ordine: presupposto niente male, ovvero nel 1908, i perfidi Russi a Tunguska conducono esperimenti con armi di distruzione di massa, ma siccome sono Russi e sappiamo che i Russi son buoni solo a far casino, distruggono il mondo. Letteralmente! Il nostro pianeta viene sbriciolato come un Oreo in tanti isolotti volanti di varia grandezza, dalla zolla erbosa al continente indiano. La tecnologia si resetta e tutti, per muoversi tra un isolotto e l’altro, volano coi dirigibili e i biplani della Grande Guerra. C’è una specie di Inghilterra postatomica chiamata Commonwealth e ovviamente loro sono i buoni, neanche da dire. I cattivi sono Pirati Volanti a metà strada tra quelli dei Caraibi e i cyborg di Terminator che parlano con marcato accento tedesco. Perché poi? Forse perché i tedeschi sono sempre cattivi.
I protagonisti di questa rissa continua di centinaia di pagine sono una donna pilota dotata delle grazie femminili di Obelix, Elizabeth Steele, e un agente segreto indiano strafigo e bonazzo, Ray.
Tunguska ha distrutto il mondo, ma NON la scheda perforata che serve a…boh. A qualcosa servirà, perché i cattivi la vogliono a tutti i costi e i buoni, Steele e Ray, non gliela vogliono dare. Così, per partito preso. Tanto per rompere le balle al prossimo. Ma si sa, i Buoni sono così.
Da pagina 5 a pagina XYZ assistiamo ad una sequela di combattimenti aerei, terrestri, a cazzotti, a fucilate, a insulti (no, a insulti no, Falksen è molto british e non credo sappia che esistono le parolacce) francamente un po’ estenuante.
Poi appaiono dei fantasmi. Poi degli zombi. Poi dei cyborg.
Poi il Dart Vader steampunk, Lord Bukhalter, si prepara a prendere a calci il Commonwealt. Come non simpatizzare per lui?! Ha anche una civetta robot!
Poi il libro finisce. Così, senza un perché. Alla vigilia della Mother of all Battles, Falksen ci saluta tutti e alla prossima puntata. Ma porcatroia!
Mica per la battaglia eh, ma siccome Steele salterebbe addosso a Ray per tutto il libro, strappandogli i vestiti e possedendolo contro il muro, volevo vedere se le riusciva questa manovra.
Pazienza. Se vi piacciono i dirigibili e la gente con arti meccanici e donne cazzute che in confronto le eroine di Ken Follett sembrano la sorellina morta di Jo March, Blood in the Skies fa per voi. Se no, lasciate perdere.
Aspetto comunque l’episodio due: Falksen, e falli scopare a quei due! Cazzo!
(less)

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Mar 08, 2012 Lesa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blood in the Skies is a well written, fast paced adventure novel set in an alternative world. The characters are well drawn and believable and the plot is intriguing. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. I also liked the fact that the main character was a strong woman able to face any challenge. The dialogue is realistic and often adds a bit of humor to the story. I can't wait for the next installment.

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

This book has some nice action, but they way that the heroine is constantly adjusting her non-romantic partner's clothing is really distracting!

I felt it could have done with a more iron-fisted editor, as well. But I enjoyed it enough to finish it (and I'm a quitter).

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Nov 28, 2011 Rob Backer rated it 5 of 5 stars

The great thing about this book is not only is it loaded with great art (something rare to find in a non YA novel) but it read like I was watching some great classic action adventure film. I highly suggest this book and look forward to the next book in the series.

9 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2012 Dave rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I picked it up via all the hype around it and really found it to be great. I loved this new authors style and flow. The book felt like I was reading a wonderful film. I really am looking forward to the next book in the series.

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Claudia rated it 2 of 5 stars

the story is great, the characters are good ... it could be really great. but in my opinion it is badly written. I am sorry, but that is the way I feel about it.
otherwise I would have loved it

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 24, 2012 Trish rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

An interesting world and some interesting ideas, with a higher than normal proportion of strong female characters, including the lead, but it felt very like a first book.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 23, 2012 Jennifer Oaks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fun adventure, kinda far-fetched in spots, but an entertaining read.

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Jan 27, 2012 Ral rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book!
Made me miss my bus stop I was so in to reading it ;-p

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 Pete Pearson rated it 4 of 5 stars

A little confusing and slow to start of with, and still a lot that seems a little out of place and unexplained, but it is book one in a series. In the end I very much enjoyed it and I look forward to the sequel.

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Apr 18, 2012 Leah Morris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not sure why I just 'liked" this book. There was good world-building, there were lots of strong female characters and I liked the relationship between the two main characters. But there was something missing.

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Dec 19, 2011 Alice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Alice by: Sister

Worth staying up all night and reading.

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2011 Frank rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the better non graphic novels I have read all year.

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Sheniver rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful book and a read all should check out!

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Aug 07, 2012 Bridgette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hmm.It was weird to read a book with so many spelling errors--made me wonder about its editing process. But it was a fun, steam-punk adventure.

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Mar 30, 2012 Kathard1000 smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Finally finished after it languishing in my ibooks for ever so long. Not sure why it took me so long to read it was a good adventure story that moved along quickly and the characters were likeable.
Loved the steampunk elements and the world building. Probably could put it down to my being easily distracted by shiny objects. I would have given it a 3.5 if possible or maybe 3.8.

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Feb 25, 2012 edifanob rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books, 2012-reads

Steampunk, action, emotions and opened questions at the end. I wait for the next book in the series. It seems I'm lucky with my choice of steampunk books.

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 08, 2012 Jim Brennan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, steampunk

Very so so from my perspective, with rather flat prose. Doesn't hold a candle to the Leviathan series from Scott Westerbrook.

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Jan 09, 2013 Lauri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Suht keskpärane aurupunk. Lugeda ju kõlbab ajaviiteks, aga näiteks Woodingu Ketty Jay lood on kõvasti paremad.

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May 20, 2013 Carl marked it as to-read

May 19, 2013 Danielle marked it as to-read

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About G.D. Falksen

G. D. Falksen is an author, lecturer, public speaker and MC. He also studies history and blogs for Tor.com. While his repertoire spans a range of topics, he is currently most noted for his steampunk work and is one of the most recognizable figures in the steampunk literary genre and the related subculture. His debut novel, The Hellfire Chronicles: Blood In The Skies has just been released, to rave...more

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The Ouroboros Cycle, Book One: A Monster's Coming of Age Story

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Blood in the Skies (The Hellfire Chronicles #1)

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