I put off reading this one for a while because steampunk isn't really my thing, in much the same way that cyberpunk was never really my thing. I mean, sure, I read some William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, and I watched Blade Runner a good dozen times, but I can't shake a certain innate wariness about trendy sub-movements using "punk" as a suffix.

That said, a good book is a good book, and this book is amazing. The world-building is outstanding; Brook has given England a horrifying but coherent alternative history. She has a talent for describing setting: she provides enough detail to let the reader construct a vivid mental image of her characters' surroundings, but not so much that you start having Henry James flashbacks.

Mina is a very appealing heroine. She's smart, loyal, and savvy, but she's no Mary Sue superwoman. Rhys, the titular Iron Duke--well, let's face it. He's one monobrow away from a Geico commercial in a number of his scenes. He's possessive, forceful, and stubborn. I can see why so many readers are divided on the issue of his appeal. His characterization works for me, but this kind of male lead isn't for everyone.

There's a mystery at the heart of this novel; Mina meets the Iron Duke when she's called in to investigate the murder of a man who was killed and dumped on the duke's property. As they seek to uncover the identity of the man and his murderer, they discover evidence of a conspiracy that would put thousands of lives at risk. It's an engaging story, and I found it refreshingly unpredictable.

Brook has me hooked with this series; The Iron Duke is one of my favorite novels of 2010.