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648 ratings | 408 reviews | avg rating:4.23

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B.J. Sikes’s Followers (19)

B.J.’s Bookshelves

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Betsy Miller

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B.J. Sikes

Goodreads Author

Born

in London, The United Kingdom

March 13

Website

https://bjsikeauthor.com/

Genre

Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror

Influences

Mary Robinette Kowal Colette, Jane Austen ...more

Member Since

May 2016

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/bjsikesauthor

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I am a 5'6" ape descendant who is inordinately fond of a good strong cup of tea, Doc Marten boots & fancy dress.

I write fantastical history with a modern feminist lens, a touch of heartbreak, and a little bit of steampunk. And maybe a little sci-fi.
My debut novel, The Archimedean Heart begins the Roboticist of Versailles series, a steampunk world.
A novella that follows the events of The Archimedean Heart appears in the 2017 anthology The Clockwork Oracle. The full-length sequel, The Vitruvian Mask continues Adelaide's story.
The Cultist's Wife is a gothic horror inspired by a childhood experience.
Her Runaway Lady, a sapphic historical romance is a cosy story set in Paris 1882.
Bermondsey Girl, a dystopian climate fiction story published by ...more

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B.J. Sikes’s books

Average rating: 3.85 · 158 ratings · 103 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Cultist's Wife 3.46 avg rating — 46 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Her Runaway Lady 3.75 avg rating — 36 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Vitruvian Mask (The Roboticist of Versailles, #2) 4.33 avg rating — 24 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Thirty Days Later: Steaming Forward: 30 Adventures in Time (The Later Series, #2) by A.J. Sikes (Editor), B.J. Sikes (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Dover Whitecliff (Editor) 3.92 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2016 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Archimedean Heart really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2016 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Some Time Later: Fantastic Voyages Through Alternate Worlds by A.J. Sikes (Editor), B.J. Sikes (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Dover Whitecliff (Editor) 4.20 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2017 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Twelve Hours Later: 24 Tales of Myth and Mystery 3.88 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Clockwork Oracle by David L. Drake, Katherine L. Morse (Goodreads Author), A.J. Sikes 4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bermondsey Girl 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Next Stop on the #13 by Katherine L. Morse (Goodreads Author), Lillian Csernica (Goodreads Author), David L. Drake really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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B.J. Sikes's Blog

What Makes Human Storytelling Human – Writer Unboxed

https://writerunboxed.com/2026/06/03/what-makes-human-storytelling-human/?inf_contact_key=772081a223d9a5da64fbfafc5a2debaeb7af0999dac2af6212784c39e05d2aef

Donald Maass, author of the Emotional Craft of Fiction (a really great book for writers of all experience levels) wrote this essay on what it means to be a human writer. He even has writing prompts!

B.J. is Currently Reading

B.J. Sikes is currently reading

Sweater Weather (Sapphire Falls Orchard #1)

by Shannon O'Connor (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 04, 2026 08:36PM

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The Duke's Brothers Series

by Fiona Miers

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 22, 2026 07:28PM

B.J. Sikes is currently reading

Minas (Dying Gods Book 4)

by Elisha Kemp (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 22, 2026 07:28PM

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B.J. Sikes is currently reading Sweater Weather (Sapphire Falls Orchard #1) by Shannon O'Connor (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 04, 2026 08:36PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Sweater Weather by Shannon O'Connor. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Sweater Weather by Shannon O'Connor <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
B.J. Sikes rated a book it was amazing The Talons of a Lyon (The Lyon's Den) by Jude Knight (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 04, 2026 08:33PM · like
B.J. Sikes finished reading Coffee House Witch and the Grumpy Cat (The Cobblestone Coven, #1) by Ariana Jade	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 03, 2026 09:05PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Coffee House Witch and the Grumpy Cat by Ariana Jade. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Coffee House Witch and the Grumpy Cat by Ariana Jade <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
B.J. Sikes rated a book it was amazing Again, This Time in Paris (Belle Époque) by Melinda Copp (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Sep 19, 2026 07:44PM · like · see review
B.J. Sikes rated a book liked it Love in the West End by Maude Winters (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 19, 2026 07:42PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love in the West End by Maude Winters. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love in the West End by Maude Winters <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
B.J. Sikes entered a giveaway Lady of Uncanny Charms (Whimbrel House, #5) by Charlie N. Holmberg (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 08, 2026 08:05AM · like · see giveaway
B.J. Sikes rated a book it was amazing The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 07, 2026 02:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
B.J. Sikes rated a book really liked it A Whisper of Bells and Prayers by C.C. González (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 06, 2026 05:58PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Whisper of Bells and Prayers by C.C. González. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Whisper of Bells and Prayers by C.C. González <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
B.J. Sikes is currently reading Love in the West End by Maude Winters (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 22, 2026 07:29PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Love in the West End by Maude Winters. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Love in the West End by Maude Winters <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
B.J. Sikes is currently reading The Duke's Brothers Series by Fiona Miers	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 22, 2026 07:28PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Duke's Brothers Series by Fiona Miers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Duke's Brothers Series by Fiona Miers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by B.J. Sikes (?)

“John's mother lay dying. Her once‐delicate nose jutted from her shrunken cheeks, spider‐
webbed with wrinkles and spotted with age. She turned her face into the shadows, seeming to be
unwilling to show him the wreck that had once been a lovely face.”
― BJ Sikes, The Archimedean Heart

tags: alternate-history, historical-fiction, steampunk

0 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Round_6 "General, GR+ (NOT Amz)" -Done!-	53	18	Apr 27, 2023 06:04PM
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Chain_7 "Mature" -CLOSED-	117	24	May 06, 2023 07:17AM
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Chain_9 “Speculative” -Done!-	67	18	May 08, 2023 08:24AM
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Round_14 "Speculative, GR+Amz" -Done!-	29	21	May 31, 2023 10:55AM
Review Group: Group 329 18+ - Mod. Gene	180	80	Jul 18, 2023 04:31PM
Review Group: * Group 347. Out of This World - Mod. Kat	226	59	Feb 23, 2024 02:03PM

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B.J.’s Quotes

“I can imagine no greater bliss than to lie about, reading novels all day.”
― Julia Quinn, Ten Things I Love About You

tags: books

235 likes

“It's not about adding diversity for the sake of diversity, it's about subtracting homogeneity for the sake of realism.”
― Mary Robinette Kowal

tags: diversity, twitter

28 likes

“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”
― Colette

tags: enthusiasm, foolishness, silliness, wisdom

3933 likes

“I would say your passion, but that’s part of being headstrong. Or your conviction, but that’s related to being obstinate. Fearless, but that is a combination of both. Perhaps, then, I shall cite your love of Brussels sprouts.”
― Mary Robinette Kowal, Ghost Talkers

tags: evaluation, strengths-and-weaknesses

3 likes

“Put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it."

(Casual Chance, 1964)”
― Colette