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154th out of 471 books
—
2,478 voters
Heart of Veridon (The Burn Cycle #1)
by
Tim Akers (Goodreads Author)
Veridon, City of Cog, is about to be rocked by a conspiracy taking in the highest levels of the Council, the Church and its founding families. Heart of Veridon marks the start of a superb new trilogy from an exciting new author, set in an exotic fantasy world.
Paperback, 473 pages
Published
2009
by Solaris
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Superb debut; after reading the free fiction set in Veridon on the author's site a while ago, I kind of forgot about this marvelous setting until I read the short story “A Soul Stitched to Iron” featuring Jacob Burn the dispossessed nobleman, "steampunk cyborg" and former pilot working for organized crime which was a highlight of the superb Solaris Sf 3 for me.
The novel is written in first person with Jacob as a narrator and has a superb opening paragraph that cannot but hook you:
"I was on the...more
The novel is written in first person with Jacob as a narrator and has a superb opening paragraph that cannot but hook you:
"I was on the...more
Endlich habe ich mich an das Steampunk Genre getraut und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. "Das Herz von Veridon" ist eine spannende Erzählung die sich um den Gauner und Ex-Piloten Jacob Burn dreht. Er ist auf der Rückreise von einem Auftrag und freut sich schon wieder nach Veridon zu kommen, aber es kommt anders als er denkt. Die Reise mit dem Zepplin endet blutig und er ist der einzige Überlebende des Absturzes. Was hat es mit dem geheimen Mechagen auf sich das er an Bord erhält?? Warun wollen so vi...more
Waffled back and forth between two and three stars for this one. I felt like I should have liked this book a lot more than I did. It's got an interesting set-up and the world is something that would typically interest me. It's got several intriguing races living in a city powered by magical clockwork. It almost seems a bit reminiscent of China Mieville's Bas-Lag, which is one of my favorite worlds. Still I mostly felt bored reading this book. It jumps right into the action and there's nearly non...more
A bizarre, somewhat disturbing mash-up of steampunk and cyberpunk, minus the usual Victorian malaise. The Veridon of the title is a massive, Rome-like city straddling two mighty rivers, on an otherwise undeveloped and unnamed Earth-like world. The level of technology is post-Industrial Revolution; zeppelins, repeating projectile weapons, and steam-powered whatever, but an upstart religion, the Church of the Algorithm, has caused a second, premature revolution by scavenging discarded technology d...more
The quality of airship pilot training requires improvement. Our hero crashes 3 of them.
He is in addition an unfeeling criminal type, who shoots his way through 10s of police and assorted associates and friends, beats up old folk and hangs out with spider people. Everyone in the city dislikes him, is spying on him, actively trying to kill him, or trying to steal a mechanical Cog from him.
I like the biomechanical technology, the old gods and the new engineered replacement, the mysterious source ci...more
He is in addition an unfeeling criminal type, who shoots his way through 10s of police and assorted associates and friends, beats up old folk and hangs out with spider people. Everyone in the city dislikes him, is spying on him, actively trying to kill him, or trying to steal a mechanical Cog from him.
I like the biomechanical technology, the old gods and the new engineered replacement, the mysterious source ci...more
So. It has a great premise, it's gearpunk, and it's got lots of shiny in the world building (parasitic clockwork angels! airships! worms that create living dead in the river!). I began reading really wanting to like this, because in theory it has many things that Merc loves.
It bored me to tears. I tried to get over the issues of voice and flat characterization and the rough edges. I really, really tried to find something to engage in. (I did like Wilson, in the sense I found him to have the hope...more
It bored me to tears. I tried to get over the issues of voice and flat characterization and the rough edges. I really, really tried to find something to engage in. (I did like Wilson, in the sense I found him to have the hope...more
A remarkable debut novel from an author that I would very much like to see more of.
Written in a sort of steampunk/cyborg city, similar in feel to the City of Deepgate from Alan Campbell's Deepgate Codex. The concepts behind the book are very clear from the outset and it makes for a very enjoyable read.
My only complaint regarding the book, and the reason it's getting 3 stars instead of 4 or 5 is that the latter half of the book feels a bit rushed. The ending, while good, should have been done ou...more
Written in a sort of steampunk/cyborg city, similar in feel to the City of Deepgate from Alan Campbell's Deepgate Codex. The concepts behind the book are very clear from the outset and it makes for a very enjoyable read.
My only complaint regarding the book, and the reason it's getting 3 stars instead of 4 or 5 is that the latter half of the book feels a bit rushed. The ending, while good, should have been done ou...more
This is a book I cannot review objectively, as I know the author and his work before he wrote the book. Also I tend to score much lower than the typical Goodreads reviewer.
Although it is formally steampunk, with an emphasis on body modification, it reminds me more than anything of the Victorian adventure novels, more Rider Haggard than Verne. Which for me is the right influence for steampunk. A down on his luck but honourable (and tougher than nails) protagonist. A plucky damsel that no matter h...more
Although it is formally steampunk, with an emphasis on body modification, it reminds me more than anything of the Victorian adventure novels, more Rider Haggard than Verne. Which for me is the right influence for steampunk. A down on his luck but honourable (and tougher than nails) protagonist. A plucky damsel that no matter h...more
Steampunkish, reveling in its disturbing juxtaposition of people and cogs, religion and the grimy underworld and the aristocracy of the founders of Veridon.
There were some great ideas in here, and the setting is wonderfully weird, but the characters felt flat to me even as they got pulled into the whorls of a deep and deeper conspiracy. Too deep; I stopped feeling shocked early on and just waved the hero onward as he got into more trouble.
Sadly, one of the foremost thoughts in my mind is that th...more
There were some great ideas in here, and the setting is wonderfully weird, but the characters felt flat to me even as they got pulled into the whorls of a deep and deeper conspiracy. Too deep; I stopped feeling shocked early on and just waved the hero onward as he got into more trouble.
Sadly, one of the foremost thoughts in my mind is that th...more
4 Stars
This is a very enjoyable steampunk novel that has a bit more science fiction than it does alternative history. It is an intimate story about a former pilot named Jacob Burns (Pilots are augmented people that are as much machine as they are flesh and blood which enables them to interface and thus fly zeppelins) all told in the first person.
Much of the book takes place in the strange city of Veridon and centers on the struggles of the Church of the Algorithm versus the Artificers. Although...more
This is a very enjoyable steampunk novel that has a bit more science fiction than it does alternative history. It is an intimate story about a former pilot named Jacob Burns (Pilots are augmented people that are as much machine as they are flesh and blood which enables them to interface and thus fly zeppelins) all told in the first person.
Much of the book takes place in the strange city of Veridon and centers on the struggles of the Church of the Algorithm versus the Artificers. Although...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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_Heart of Veridon_ is an enjoyable pulp crime story that takes place in an excellent steampunk fantasy setting.
At first, it isn't clear how the fantasy aspect matters. When an artifact of unknown significance falls into the hands of downfallen ex-pilot and small-time criminal Jacob Burn, people start trying to kill him. He doesn't know why. He doesn't understand who is after him. He's not sure whom he can trust. And for a while, it doesn't particularly matter that he is a steampunk cyborg in a c...more
At first, it isn't clear how the fantasy aspect matters. When an artifact of unknown significance falls into the hands of downfallen ex-pilot and small-time criminal Jacob Burn, people start trying to kill him. He doesn't know why. He doesn't understand who is after him. He's not sure whom he can trust. And for a while, it doesn't particularly matter that he is a steampunk cyborg in a c...more
Gritty and unexpected. I was glad to see a hero character who wasn't a hero. Everything just goes wrong for this main character in almost every way... Love, finances, friendships, and even religion.
The city was very detailed, as was the mechanics of this world. Rich in world building even down to the religions (an area many authors avoid.) Can't wait to read the sequel book.
The reader is dumped straight into an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar rules. Keep reading though and it is all sorted out very satisfyingly.
In general, loved the book. The ending, I suppose, makes sense, but I didn't -like- it.
Can't say more without spoilers. Read it!
In general, loved the book. The ending, I suppose, makes sense, but I didn't -like- it.
Can't say more without spoilers. Read it!
A great and fast read (as in: a real page-turner that makes you want to come back to the story asap, NOT a book with 10 pages ;)) that immediately made me feel at home.
Placed somewhere between the universes of Thief & Dishonored (the video games), but it's not a mere regurgitation of steampunk/gearpunk cliches. It has a strong flavour and voice of its own. Jacob Burn is a great anti-hero, and I'll be going back to Veridon, I'm sure!
Placed somewhere between the universes of Thief & Dishonored (the video games), but it's not a mere regurgitation of steampunk/gearpunk cliches. It has a strong flavour and voice of its own. Jacob Burn is a great anti-hero, and I'll be going back to Veridon, I'm sure!
A really interesting premise, but I don't know, the romance sucked? The beginning was really good, and got me hooked, but then I progressively became less interested. I guess that's not true, I had spurts of caring, followed by stretches of why should I care? The end was just pointless, at least it seemed that way to me. Wait, I gave this four stars, and I've only complained.
No, I really did like the beginning. And the whole concept of pilot hearts. That was pretty interesting. The secrets and i...more
No, I really did like the beginning. And the whole concept of pilot hearts. That was pretty interesting. The secrets and i...more
Great characters, had me going right up until the end, and dud. Felt like the end could have really been much better. That said the rest of the book was amazing.
This book was well worth reading. I've always let the 'steampunk' label stop me, but now I wonder what else I've been missing. Great action adventure fantasy novel.
An especially excellent first novel. Sort of Steampunk (sort of Clockpunk) and mostly fantasy. Definitely within the realm of the New Weird.
Refreshingly creative mix of science fiction, Max Payne and fantasy.
Well written fast paced and good to the last page.
Well written fast paced and good to the last page.
This book was a very pleasant surprise. I started reading with no preconcieved notions and was immediately sucked into the noir/steampunk mystery. I love me some world-building, and the author does just enough--a solid taste of his fantasy city without wallowing in minutia. Big recommendation and looking forward to the sequel.
cool dark steam punky sad but interesting
A really interesting book, steampunk bonanza.
a great Gear Punk book
This was a fascinating story of a world where people could be engineered, either permanently or temporarily, to look like something else, or to have certain skills, through the use of "cogs". The hero is a failed pilot (his mechanism was faulty)working for a criminal boss. He gets entangled in a political/relgious struggle, and along the way learns about his own past and associates. I found some parts of the ending confusing, but overall it was very well written and enjoyable.
It was okay. I bailed about 3/4 of the way through as it just wasn't holding my interest very well.
It's a little bit noir-steampunk-mystery novel. Ending's a bit poofy
I can’t even tell you how long it took me to read this book. I was not wild about it–too much noir detective about the main character. Also, I didn’t care about Emily and I was obviously supposed it. There was some nice imagery, though. [Sept. 2011]
Rough start, but once it got moving it was pretty good. Will try another by the author. Fun steampunk with some cool ideas. I do like a good zeppelin crash.
Very good book. Similar steampunkish world as Horns of Ruin. Really creative and interesting mystery story in a very cool universe.
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Tim Akers was born in deeply rural North Carolina, the only son of a theologian. He moved to Chicago for college, where he lives with his wife of thirteen years and their German shepherd. He splits his time between databases and fountain pens.
- PyrSF
More about Tim Akers...
- PyrSF
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Feb 16, 2011 02:12pm