I think I've just read my first Steampunk novel!

Although I gave this book the same number of stars that Krystl did, I think I enjoyed it more than she did. I thought it worked well as a full-cast recording, especially with the characters who had distinct accents, like Vlad. And since we're talking about characters, I liked most of them, and I especially liked that they didn't fit into neat boxes. The rich kid who "stole" the main character's promotion ends up being a pretty nice guy. The notorious pirate claims he only steals "when necessary" and is tender with his four-year-old son. The one character who was reduced to a mere caricature was Ms. Simpkins, the female lead's chaperone. Kenneth Oppel does not paint a flattering picture of single women in their thirties!

The book was well-written, but Oppel's attempt to make it sound old-fashioned came across as awkward at times (and yes, Yoda-ish: "A fine ship, she was.") And it was a bit more of an "adventure" story than I tend to like in my fantasy, with the majority of the conflict being external rather than internal. Still, it did slip in some good commentary about the restrictions people face due to their class or sex, and it explored the lengths one might go to in an attempt to escape grief. A worthwhile read overall, but not one I'm going to rave about.