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42nd out of 84 books
—
132 voters
Unnatural History (Pax Britannia #1)
by
Jonathan Green (Goodreads Author)
In the closing years of the 20th century the British Empire's rule is still going strong. Queen Victoria is about to celebrate her 160th birthday, kept alive by advanced steam technology. London is a fantastical sprawling metropolis where dirigibles roam the skies, robot bobbies enforce the law and dinosaurs are on display in London zoo. Welcome to Magna Britannia, a steam...more
Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Published
April 17th 2007
by Abaddon Books
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Jonathan Green è un barman eccellente. Ha preso una parte di Sherlock Holmes, due parti di James Bond e una di Allan Quatermain, le ha agitate (non mescolate), ha aggiunto un’oliva steampunk e ci ha servito Ulysess Quicksilver, summa dell’eroe albionico-vittoriano, assolutamente dandy , incredibilmente british. Oppure ha fatto copia-incolla come il tizio di “Orgoglio e Pregiudizio e Zombies”. Quando conosci Ulysses Quicksilver, il deja-vu ti stordisce per un istante e torni a guardare la coperti...more
A cross between James Bond and Spiderman with dinosaurs, this should be awesome, right? That's...about as far as this book gets. The setting is cardboard, the characters interchangeable with their archetypes and the dinosaurs don't even hang around for more than a couple of chapters.
The "hero" is an arrogant sod called Ulysses Quicksilver (stop groaning, I like my pulps) with an inexplicable Spider Sense, ability to magic his bloodstone-topped swordcane into his hand even when clinging to the un...more
The "hero" is an arrogant sod called Ulysses Quicksilver (stop groaning, I like my pulps) with an inexplicable Spider Sense, ability to magic his bloodstone-topped swordcane into his hand even when clinging to the un...more
2 likes · like · see review
What the hell is wrong with all you goodreaders?? This book is awesome. I'm disappointed to see it with anything less than a five star average.
First of all, let me say that I love Abaddon books. I loved them before I'd ever read anything they'd published, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't let me down. Now that I've finished Unnatural History, the first in the Pax Britannia series, I'm incredibly happy. To give you some background, let me copy a blurb from Abaddon's own website to give you an...more
First of all, let me say that I love Abaddon books. I loved them before I'd ever read anything they'd published, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't let me down. Now that I've finished Unnatural History, the first in the Pax Britannia series, I'm incredibly happy. To give you some background, let me copy a blurb from Abaddon's own website to give you an...more
In a few months Britain and her colonies will celebrate the 160th anniversary of the rule of Queen Victoria, but there are those plotting to bring down London and the Empire with it. It's up to Ulysses Quicksilver, gentleman adventurer and Agent of the Throne, to trace the plot from its source at the break-in at the Natural History Museum to its horrifying conclusion.
This is a steampunk type book set in a 1990s where the British Empire never ended and Queen Victoria is still on the throne and fi...more
This is a steampunk type book set in a 1990s where the British Empire never ended and Queen Victoria is still on the throne and fi...more
A steampunk novel set in today's world, but one in which Queen Victoria is almost 160 years old, the British Empire rules the world, the Underground of London has been replaced by an Overground, pockets of "lost worlds" have been found around the globe so there are really truly dinosaurs at the zoo, there are settlements on the Moon and Mars, and there are steam engines. And through it all is Ulysses Quicksilver, dandy, aristocrat and servant of the Queen.
There is a break in, or maybe a break o...more
There is a break in, or maybe a break o...more
I wanted to like this more than I did. I've enjoyed novels from Abaddon Books enormously in the past, with some of their stand alone zombie novels (from Simon Bestwick, Gary McMahon, and Paul Finch) among the strongest of that sub genre that I've read in the last few years. I've enjoyed Green's short fiction for the Warhammer Universe too. Unfortunately, though I was keen to find a steampunk series that would plug the gap between George Mann releases, this one fails for me. It's like the novelis...more
So full of cliches and tropes that it was a struggle for me to read - the characters were see-through cutouts, the plot predictable, and the characteristics/mannerisms/idiosyncrasies of the characters (when they had any) were very typical. Wanted to like this... will still try another of his novels. But it seems like its gotten to the point that authors are so concerned with writing something steampunk-ish that they forget some key elements to a good science fiction novel. The main character, Ul...more
Although there aren't any surprises in the book (I mean, you can see the truth right away) and the ending is a bit cartoonish, I like this book.
It's the end of the twentieth century and Queen Victoria is still alive. There aren't clear black and white sides in this story. On one side you have outdated Magna Britannia, its agents, aristocracy, and on the other "the more shameful aspects of Imperial life had continued to deteriorate. At this time London's slums were darker, dirtier and more over-...more
It's the end of the twentieth century and Queen Victoria is still alive. There aren't clear black and white sides in this story. On one side you have outdated Magna Britannia, its agents, aristocracy, and on the other "the more shameful aspects of Imperial life had continued to deteriorate. At this time London's slums were darker, dirtier and more over-...more
Couldn't finish it, unfortunately. It has a pretty interesting premise, but too many things about it just had me rolling my eyes.
The characterization is shallow and the characters are cliche. That's unfortunate. I tried to focus on the more interesting elements--the odd dinosaur-keeping, moon-traveling Victorian theme--but I kept getting distracted by how little motivation the characters had to do anything.
For example: Early on, the main character goes to investigate a murder. That's fine. He go...more
The characterization is shallow and the characters are cliche. That's unfortunate. I tried to focus on the more interesting elements--the odd dinosaur-keeping, moon-traveling Victorian theme--but I kept getting distracted by how little motivation the characters had to do anything.
For example: Early on, the main character goes to investigate a murder. That's fine. He go...more
This is a Steampunk novel. If you are confused by all the genre and sub-genre talk and have no idea what speculative fiction is don't panic. It doesn't really matter as knowing a genre can sometimes be a bad thing. I spent years avoiding Steampunk books because I read Jeter and did not enjoy his work. I'd heard that Jeter was one of the best Steampunk authors so I assumed I disliked the whole genre. When asked on Twitter the other day by @gavreads it actually sounded really silly that I avoided...more
First of all I like to quote some sentences from the blurb:
"Pax Britannia is an exciting new science fiction series, set on an alternative Earth where the British Empire still reigns"
"Action and adventure in a new Age of Steam!"
And to be honest the story contains action, adventure and steam.
we follow the first adventure of Ulysses Quicksilver which mostly take place in an alternative London. There is an Overground instead of the Underground. The zoo of London harbours dinosaurs. There are coloni...more
"Pax Britannia is an exciting new science fiction series, set on an alternative Earth where the British Empire still reigns"
"Action and adventure in a new Age of Steam!"
And to be honest the story contains action, adventure and steam.
we follow the first adventure of Ulysses Quicksilver which mostly take place in an alternative London. There is an Overground instead of the Underground. The zoo of London harbours dinosaurs. There are coloni...more
It reads something like a late 19th/early 20th century story, and technically it is victorian. Victoria has been 160 years on the throne. A breakin in the Natural HIstory Museum with a murdered watchman and Ulysses Quicksilver is drawn into the investigation. He has to find out what's going on and try to protect the British Empire.
It's fun, you almost know what's going on but not quite, still I do want to read more in this series at some stage.
It's fun, you almost know what's going on but not quite, still I do want to read more in this series at some stage.
This book was great! I read it in two sittings over two days. It read like an old fashioned Saturday morning serial adventure with chases, fights, banter and cliffhangers. The world of Pax Britannica is introduced well and the story does not disappoint. Am looking forward to both the next in the series and Ulysses Quicksilver's next adventure.
I am rating this four stars based on its originality within the sreampunk genre and in the context that it is escapist entertainment. It isn't four stars stakced up against a more literary writer in terms of the writing but it does what is does very well--keeps you reading, entertained, and wanting to read more of the series.
1 like · like · see review
Heh... Says in the bit about the author in the back that Jonathan Green has written novels for Warhammer. I could so totally tell by his writing style.
And there are dinosaurs! I believe I have mentioned before that I love dinosaurs. Gives me a warm, happy feeling inside when I find them rampaging through a book I'm reading.
And there are dinosaurs! I believe I have mentioned before that I love dinosaurs. Gives me a warm, happy feeling inside when I find them rampaging through a book I'm reading.
Stereotypical in all the right ways for me. The setting is fabulous and will keep me returning.
This is not high art, it is not great literature, it's fun. Set at the pace of a summer action blockbuster movie, Unnatural History races along with our protagonist Ulysses Quicksilver, as he tries to unravel a theft, a murder, and eventually, a massive conspiracy!
We have all of the pulp trappings: Nefarious baddies, mystic martial arts learned from the mysterious east, blimps, dinosaurs, murder and intruige by gaslight! And here's the kicker, it's set in 2007.
Highly recommended as a fun and eng...more
We have all of the pulp trappings: Nefarious baddies, mystic martial arts learned from the mysterious east, blimps, dinosaurs, murder and intruige by gaslight! And here's the kicker, it's set in 2007.
Highly recommended as a fun and eng...more
A bit dull, really.
Also, anyone who uses the old 'rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated' line should be punched in the mouth.
Also, anyone who uses the old 'rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated' line should be punched in the mouth.
review coming soon
Steampunk type adventure from Abbadon books. One of a series set in this world.
May 21, 2013
Mpauli
marked it as to-read
May 21, 2013
Samir Bushra
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2013
Nate
marked it as to-read
May 11, 2013
Tarl
marked it as to-read
May 09, 2013
Arielle
marked it as to-read
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Mar 26, 2012 11:10am