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Andújar: The Robot Gentleman of San Juan
It is said that Santos Andújar is more automaton than man. The mysterious aristocrat living in the city of San Juan barely survived the unknown illness that killed his entire family and left him with multiple prosthetics to lead a reclusive existence inside his ancestral oceanfront home. Yet Santos’ darkly whimsical world is soon besieged by a visit from his beautiful and hedonistic cousin, Violeta Andújar. Far more interested in social intrigue and secret lovers than in the looming Spanish American War that threatens their world, Violeta is at first dismissive of her "invalid" and eternally masked relative until a series of odd and disturbing incidents reveal that enigmatic Santos’ ailment ventures into the paranormal and the oddly futuristic. Suddenly Violeta Andújar finds herself in the throes of political turmoil and a darkly bizarre seduction by a man... who may not be a man at all.
- GenresSteampunkScience Fiction
261 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2020
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74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 26, 2023
Some books you want to binge through and just go on a tear. Others are to be sipped like a strong cocktail. Andújar: The Robot Gentleman of San Juan is many things, but it is not straightforward or one note. It is bold, ambitious, many layered, and intricate. It is a book I took my time with and one I recommend to not rush, because there are a lot of details and dare I say, moving parts.
Santos Andújar is the lone survivor of the Andújar family from San Juan. He is a recluse who wears a leather mask and has required a lot of medical, magical, and technological intervention to survive. He still resides in a house on Norzagaray street in Puerto Rico's Old San Juan...but this version of Old San Juan is very different from the one you know. It's been reimagined in a fascinating way and you really need to take it all in. Countess Violeta Isabel Andújar Des Choudens is cousin to Santos...the very definition of epicurean, she often gets her way, or at least that's what would seem to be the case...until you dig deeper into her past, which includes loss, suffering, and anything but preferential treatment.
The novel hovers around the return of Violeta to the Island to be married off in classic arranged marriage fashion. But Violeta is a handful and then some and being controlled or cooperative are rarely on her to-do list. Santos, meanwhile, is a creature of routine whose formula for peace is severely disrupted by presence of the countess.
At times steampunk, at times, dark fantasy, at times even adding dashes of sci-fi, Andújar is a novel whose narrative takes a lot from one of its characters, indulging head first without taking into consideration what the reader thought would happen. The violence is as intense as the emotions and once you turn the last page, odds are you won't be the same...and when a book does that, well you can call it skill, you can call it talent, or you can call it magic.
Santos Andújar is the lone survivor of the Andújar family from San Juan. He is a recluse who wears a leather mask and has required a lot of medical, magical, and technological intervention to survive. He still resides in a house on Norzagaray street in Puerto Rico's Old San Juan...but this version of Old San Juan is very different from the one you know. It's been reimagined in a fascinating way and you really need to take it all in. Countess Violeta Isabel Andújar Des Choudens is cousin to Santos...the very definition of epicurean, she often gets her way, or at least that's what would seem to be the case...until you dig deeper into her past, which includes loss, suffering, and anything but preferential treatment.
The novel hovers around the return of Violeta to the Island to be married off in classic arranged marriage fashion. But Violeta is a handful and then some and being controlled or cooperative are rarely on her to-do list. Santos, meanwhile, is a creature of routine whose formula for peace is severely disrupted by presence of the countess.
At times steampunk, at times, dark fantasy, at times even adding dashes of sci-fi, Andújar is a novel whose narrative takes a lot from one of its characters, indulging head first without taking into consideration what the reader thought would happen. The violence is as intense as the emotions and once you turn the last page, odds are you won't be the same...and when a book does that, well you can call it skill, you can call it talent, or you can call it magic.
September 21, 2020
Andujar is a delicious guilty pleasure, full of beautiful and strange paradigms that touched me on so many different levels. Loving Caribbean literature overall, I was most glad about this story shying away from the marginalized character and oppression narrative, whisking me away into an amazing cocktail of politics, culture, steampunk (in the Caribbean!) dynamics of caste, geography, climate and astronomy. Beautifully narrated, you feel as though you are experiencing the story. The filmic movement of the story had me raving to my friends about Andujars’ dual Tarantinoesque mass murder in town. You hate to love both the monstrous human and machine nobles and mourn their demise.
Set on the throes of the Spanish-American War, which was a defining moment for the island of Puerto Rico, the Andujar dynamic is intriguingly reflective of the duality of the times in various facets of social, political and economic dichotomies, religious and scientific chasms that intertwine in the seductive characters, within the story and in your own conclusions. Hurricanes in space, or galaxies in the Atlantic…can it be?
Dizzying at times, like entering a magical cave, you come out the other side in love, fired up and craving revenge. The Andujar gravity is inescapable.
From an academic standpoint, it is such an amazing opportunity to discuss the enrichment of the Caribbean Lit genre, experiencing romance, tying the steampunk movement,sci-fi in a historical context. While most of the Caribe literature we study deals with issues of race, oppression and marginalization, this is refreshingly different. There is not much like this book out there, so if you are well versed in Caribbean/Latin Lit, come to this book with an open heart and excitement for the possibilities.
This is a must read in every book club- and hopefully even a movie one day…
Set on the throes of the Spanish-American War, which was a defining moment for the island of Puerto Rico, the Andujar dynamic is intriguingly reflective of the duality of the times in various facets of social, political and economic dichotomies, religious and scientific chasms that intertwine in the seductive characters, within the story and in your own conclusions. Hurricanes in space, or galaxies in the Atlantic…can it be?
Dizzying at times, like entering a magical cave, you come out the other side in love, fired up and craving revenge. The Andujar gravity is inescapable.
From an academic standpoint, it is such an amazing opportunity to discuss the enrichment of the Caribbean Lit genre, experiencing romance, tying the steampunk movement,sci-fi in a historical context. While most of the Caribe literature we study deals with issues of race, oppression and marginalization, this is refreshingly different. There is not much like this book out there, so if you are well versed in Caribbean/Latin Lit, come to this book with an open heart and excitement for the possibilities.
This is a must read in every book club- and hopefully even a movie one day…
March 5, 2025
I am not a steampunk fan by any means. It's just not a genre or plot device that does much for me.
Having said that, after reading some posts and observations from the author in various places online, I was intrigued enough to give this one a shot, and I'm so glad I did. I think, if there's a single word that this novel boils down to for me, it's entrancing.
There's a few layers to this story. Yes, there's the titular Robot Gentleman, Santos, that in Cardona's skilled hands, remains very much a mystery, a puzzle to be observed, but never truly solved. And while he's a mechanical being in a time when mechanical beings didn't exist (pretty much the definition of steampunk), Cardona has a light, intriguing touch with this element.
Of course, the bright light here is Violeta, who is mesmerizing to read about. She leaps off the pages and it's her observations of Santos that truly elevate this story.
And then there's the story. The pace is languid (until the final third, then it completely shifts into high gear) and, while the plot elements begin to align, not a lot happens, but Cardona keeps everything fascinating with her lyrical, gorgeous narrative style. I will say, the author rarely spells things out plainly, choosing instead to come at each situation, each interaction from an oblique angle, letting things happen and allowing the reader to puzzle out what just occurred.
I don't know that I've ever read anyone who writes quite like Cardona, and it took me a bit to align with her style, but once I did, I loved it. She suffuses the story with gorgeous observations, smirking opinions, and a casual eroticism that has to be read to be believed.
All in all, just a really good story, really well written, and enjoyable.
Having said that, after reading some posts and observations from the author in various places online, I was intrigued enough to give this one a shot, and I'm so glad I did. I think, if there's a single word that this novel boils down to for me, it's entrancing.
There's a few layers to this story. Yes, there's the titular Robot Gentleman, Santos, that in Cardona's skilled hands, remains very much a mystery, a puzzle to be observed, but never truly solved. And while he's a mechanical being in a time when mechanical beings didn't exist (pretty much the definition of steampunk), Cardona has a light, intriguing touch with this element.
Of course, the bright light here is Violeta, who is mesmerizing to read about. She leaps off the pages and it's her observations of Santos that truly elevate this story.
And then there's the story. The pace is languid (until the final third, then it completely shifts into high gear) and, while the plot elements begin to align, not a lot happens, but Cardona keeps everything fascinating with her lyrical, gorgeous narrative style. I will say, the author rarely spells things out plainly, choosing instead to come at each situation, each interaction from an oblique angle, letting things happen and allowing the reader to puzzle out what just occurred.
I don't know that I've ever read anyone who writes quite like Cardona, and it took me a bit to align with her style, but once I did, I loved it. She suffuses the story with gorgeous observations, smirking opinions, and a casual eroticism that has to be read to be believed.
All in all, just a really good story, really well written, and enjoyable.
August 20, 2025
I can only describe this book as a fever dream. Everything that happened was entirely unexpected. I have so many questions. Every time I thought I had a grasp on the plot, it threw a new curveball. Even in the last 20 pages, when I thought I knew what would happen, I was still wrong. Truly, this book gave me the most enjoyable whiplash I’ve ever had. Absolutely weird and fun.
April 13, 2024
Forget boring airships over dreary London. Forget moustached fops in brass goggles. Forget bleak settings and books with overblown titles, forget stories about yet another quirky magical school lady with a parasol. Forget *brown*. Give me color and life and wit! Give me steampunk in bright settings, like sunny San Juan under the looming threat of the Spanish-American War!
And give me literary flair like Carolina Cardona can deliver.
I've always loved steampunk - the idea of it, anyway - but steampunk books always put me to sleep. So many tropes done to death, so much storytelling as bland as the settings, so little color. I'd quite given up on steampunk. And then I found Andujar.
From the first lines I read, I knew Andujar was different. Cardona takes us to balmy Puerto Rico in 1898, in the heady days of Hearst and nascent American imperialism. To the protagonists, though, the coming war might as well be on the moon - far more important things are afoot. It's the social season, and Lady Violeta Andujar has arrived in San Juan to seize the city with more ruthless efficiency than any American army. Yes, there's that matter of her engagement to the very eligible industrial heir Eduardo Axtameyer, but Violeta has more pressing concerns: parties, galas, flirting, sexual conquests, political maneuvering, arranging marriages for every aristocrat in the Caribbean - and the Andujar estate, occupied only by that eccentric shut-in, Conde Santos Andujar, technically the heir to said estate. It's all the same to Violeta - she'll sweep into the dreary mansion at Norzagaray, pull back the curtains, let the sun in, get the place cleaned up, and turn it into her own noble court from which to rule the island and enact her plans. But those plans don't include one tricky little variable - Santos himself, for whom she discovers the most petulant disdain and fascination. And the more she discovers about the man under the black coat and mask - however much "man" is left in there - the more fascinated she becomes. The shallowest girl of the old Spanish Caribbean aristocracy falls for the least likely person in the entire world. A person whose physical nature is stranger than anyone could possibly comprehend.
I started the book despising Violeta - this shallow, petulant little narcissist - but I ended the book loving her deeply. Masks are a motif Cardona uses a lot in this book, and it's really fitting. Each character wears a mask in their own world *and* to the reader, but in time events will demand they shed those masks and reveal human beings of surprising depth and complexity. You find yourself cheering unlikely allies when the unthinkable happens, and the people who seem the most like friends turn out to be real bastards. I think I have a thing for aristocratic girls that seem insufferable but end up revealing deep stores of courage, resolve, and loyalty - even valor. Violeta fit that for me.
Cardona's writing is quirky, witty, droll, funny, charming - full of funny little turns of phrase that caught me off guard and helped build an overall vibe reminiscent of Good Omens or Tim Burton - the latter of which she actually cites as an influence. Most steampunk stories do their best to emulate late 19th century writing and end up feeling modern and samey. Cardona doesn't bother with much of this. She uses 19th century flavor where she needs to, where it will contribute to the overall flavor and verisimilitude of the story, but she scorns modern trends and blazes her own trail. Her own robotic creation is one of many parts - Neil Gaiman, anime and otaku vibes (the end of the book feels far more anime than steampunk!), time travel, bleeding-edge sci-fi, Edwardian romance, geopolitics and diplomacy and war. The machine is so many different things, all at the same time. The most important to *me*, though, the thing that really kept me reading, was literary fiction. It takes a gifted storyteller to mix all these "pulpy" elements with beautiful literary fiction, but Carolina does it. It takes a certain kind of talent to wear all those hats and still write sophisticated prose that doesn't just copy someone else, that stands on its own as a literary work. (I should know. I've actually tried it. It's REALLY HARD.)
Andujar is a creation all its own, a thing of many parts that have come together with personality and wit and charm - and a certain unpretentious literary talent that lends beauty to the whole without trying to draw attention to itself. The steampunk mask is formidable, but under that mask is a beautiful soul waiting to be discovered, if the right kind of person comes searching and is able to see the right things.
And give me literary flair like Carolina Cardona can deliver.
I've always loved steampunk - the idea of it, anyway - but steampunk books always put me to sleep. So many tropes done to death, so much storytelling as bland as the settings, so little color. I'd quite given up on steampunk. And then I found Andujar.
From the first lines I read, I knew Andujar was different. Cardona takes us to balmy Puerto Rico in 1898, in the heady days of Hearst and nascent American imperialism. To the protagonists, though, the coming war might as well be on the moon - far more important things are afoot. It's the social season, and Lady Violeta Andujar has arrived in San Juan to seize the city with more ruthless efficiency than any American army. Yes, there's that matter of her engagement to the very eligible industrial heir Eduardo Axtameyer, but Violeta has more pressing concerns: parties, galas, flirting, sexual conquests, political maneuvering, arranging marriages for every aristocrat in the Caribbean - and the Andujar estate, occupied only by that eccentric shut-in, Conde Santos Andujar, technically the heir to said estate. It's all the same to Violeta - she'll sweep into the dreary mansion at Norzagaray, pull back the curtains, let the sun in, get the place cleaned up, and turn it into her own noble court from which to rule the island and enact her plans. But those plans don't include one tricky little variable - Santos himself, for whom she discovers the most petulant disdain and fascination. And the more she discovers about the man under the black coat and mask - however much "man" is left in there - the more fascinated she becomes. The shallowest girl of the old Spanish Caribbean aristocracy falls for the least likely person in the entire world. A person whose physical nature is stranger than anyone could possibly comprehend.
I started the book despising Violeta - this shallow, petulant little narcissist - but I ended the book loving her deeply. Masks are a motif Cardona uses a lot in this book, and it's really fitting. Each character wears a mask in their own world *and* to the reader, but in time events will demand they shed those masks and reveal human beings of surprising depth and complexity. You find yourself cheering unlikely allies when the unthinkable happens, and the people who seem the most like friends turn out to be real bastards. I think I have a thing for aristocratic girls that seem insufferable but end up revealing deep stores of courage, resolve, and loyalty - even valor. Violeta fit that for me.
Cardona's writing is quirky, witty, droll, funny, charming - full of funny little turns of phrase that caught me off guard and helped build an overall vibe reminiscent of Good Omens or Tim Burton - the latter of which she actually cites as an influence. Most steampunk stories do their best to emulate late 19th century writing and end up feeling modern and samey. Cardona doesn't bother with much of this. She uses 19th century flavor where she needs to, where it will contribute to the overall flavor and verisimilitude of the story, but she scorns modern trends and blazes her own trail. Her own robotic creation is one of many parts - Neil Gaiman, anime and otaku vibes (the end of the book feels far more anime than steampunk!), time travel, bleeding-edge sci-fi, Edwardian romance, geopolitics and diplomacy and war. The machine is so many different things, all at the same time. The most important to *me*, though, the thing that really kept me reading, was literary fiction. It takes a gifted storyteller to mix all these "pulpy" elements with beautiful literary fiction, but Carolina does it. It takes a certain kind of talent to wear all those hats and still write sophisticated prose that doesn't just copy someone else, that stands on its own as a literary work. (I should know. I've actually tried it. It's REALLY HARD.)
Andujar is a creation all its own, a thing of many parts that have come together with personality and wit and charm - and a certain unpretentious literary talent that lends beauty to the whole without trying to draw attention to itself. The steampunk mask is formidable, but under that mask is a beautiful soul waiting to be discovered, if the right kind of person comes searching and is able to see the right things.
July 17, 2023
I met the author at the steampunk symposium and listening to her made me want to dig right into this. You don't get a lot of Latinx steampunk. And just look at that amazing cover.
The story revolves around cousins Violeta Andújar and Santos. The latter, in this steampunk version of Puerto Rico, is at the very least a cyborg when you meet him, after tragedy took his family and left him with multiple amputations. He lives with his aged aunt Ofelia in their mansion. Violeta is the reclusive Santos's exact opposite.
She arrives on the island after years in a nun-run boarding school after a youthful indiscretion with a boy she thinks she loves, the revolutionary Joaquin who wants a PR free of Spanish rule. She's there for an extended stay while dealing with her impetus engagement to a very wealthy, suitable to her status, man who she snaked from his first fiancee. She is the social center of town and has yet to meet an alcohol or drug she doesn't like. She and one of her friends even try to make Santos more social even though Violeta doesn't think much of him.
But minds change and so do feelings. The tale is set around real events with PR stuck between wanting its own independence, Spain and America (and their war), with a rather alternative ending to how it really went.
Santos is a very interesting character. Half the time I wanted to dropkick Violeta into the ocean. She is selfish and self centered. The characters are what kept me reading. What bothered me about this book is the first third was often rather flowery in language and I think intended to evoke Violeta's opium haze. But it also left me wondering what exactly was going on.
Without spoilers, I did have some issues with the last third because it's entirely a different tone (and nearly a different genre) than the rest of the book. That is where you'll find the real battles that happened at sea (and the author gave me a few places to research on my own as I was interested) but there is a lot of weirdness also going on with Santos. That's about all I can say without spoilers.
The story revolves around cousins Violeta Andújar and Santos. The latter, in this steampunk version of Puerto Rico, is at the very least a cyborg when you meet him, after tragedy took his family and left him with multiple amputations. He lives with his aged aunt Ofelia in their mansion. Violeta is the reclusive Santos's exact opposite.
She arrives on the island after years in a nun-run boarding school after a youthful indiscretion with a boy she thinks she loves, the revolutionary Joaquin who wants a PR free of Spanish rule. She's there for an extended stay while dealing with her impetus engagement to a very wealthy, suitable to her status, man who she snaked from his first fiancee. She is the social center of town and has yet to meet an alcohol or drug she doesn't like. She and one of her friends even try to make Santos more social even though Violeta doesn't think much of him.
But minds change and so do feelings. The tale is set around real events with PR stuck between wanting its own independence, Spain and America (and their war), with a rather alternative ending to how it really went.
Santos is a very interesting character. Half the time I wanted to dropkick Violeta into the ocean. She is selfish and self centered. The characters are what kept me reading. What bothered me about this book is the first third was often rather flowery in language and I think intended to evoke Violeta's opium haze. But it also left me wondering what exactly was going on.
Without spoilers, I did have some issues with the last third because it's entirely a different tone (and nearly a different genre) than the rest of the book. That is where you'll find the real battles that happened at sea (and the author gave me a few places to research on my own as I was interested) but there is a lot of weirdness also going on with Santos. That's about all I can say without spoilers.
April 13, 2024
I found this book on the shelf at a local used bookstore, and was immediately delighted by the wild premise in the blurb. This book turned out to be an absolute roller coaster ride.
It's been a long time since I read something that was this unapologetically indulgent, and I say that with the HIGHEST regard. Sure, if this had seen several more rounds of rigorous rewrites or edits, it would have been a tighter, less bizarre book – but I can't with certainty say I would have liked it more that way. As it stands, there was something incredibly charming about seeing an author write exactly whatever her heart desired. The love in her descriptions of San Juan and Puerto Rico was apparent, and a solid 11/10 for setting this story in such a unique and captivating place and era. The political angle and how it wove in to the interpersonal relationships was exceptionally gripping, and every strange detail was absolutely carried by her beautiful prose. I found myself enjoying the writing even when a plot thread would T-bone me out of the blue.
There were parts where I was absolutely ready to give this unexpected book 5 stars, simply because of how much shameless fun I was having. But the final climactic act unfortunately failed for me, I think because of the "twist" involving Charles Forsyth. The result for me was a rude departure from the glitteringly unique worldbuilding into something that felt... a bit stale, like the author had suddenly popped in a Marvel film for the final act. I think I honestly would have preferred if his inventions had just turned out to be magic.
Other than this, I enjoyed how the book wrapped up as a whole, and I know I will cherish the unbridled delight of this wild ride for many years to come.
It's been a long time since I read something that was this unapologetically indulgent, and I say that with the HIGHEST regard. Sure, if this had seen several more rounds of rigorous rewrites or edits, it would have been a tighter, less bizarre book – but I can't with certainty say I would have liked it more that way. As it stands, there was something incredibly charming about seeing an author write exactly whatever her heart desired. The love in her descriptions of San Juan and Puerto Rico was apparent, and a solid 11/10 for setting this story in such a unique and captivating place and era. The political angle and how it wove in to the interpersonal relationships was exceptionally gripping, and every strange detail was absolutely carried by her beautiful prose. I found myself enjoying the writing even when a plot thread would T-bone me out of the blue.
There were parts where I was absolutely ready to give this unexpected book 5 stars, simply because of how much shameless fun I was having. But the final climactic act unfortunately failed for me, I think because of the "twist" involving Charles Forsyth. The result for me was a rude departure from the glitteringly unique worldbuilding into something that felt... a bit stale, like the author had suddenly popped in a Marvel film for the final act. I think I honestly would have preferred if his inventions had just turned out to be magic.
Other than this, I enjoyed how the book wrapped up as a whole, and I know I will cherish the unbridled delight of this wild ride for many years to come.
February 12, 2022
Get ready to rethink all your assumptions about the steampunk genre because ‘Andujar the Robot Gentleman of San Juan’ is Steampunk at its most Caribbean! What I liked most about the novel is the personal connection highlighted in Andujar. As the events move through the nineteenth century and across Puerto Rico you get an immersive experience. So although you may not be familiar with Puerto Rico, there’s a lot to learn about the island and its history.
Beyond the fiction, Carolina packs a lot of information that really challenges what you though you knew about history.
This novel may be the first full length work by Carolina but I’m looking forward to much more.
Beyond the fiction, Carolina packs a lot of information that really challenges what you though you knew about history.
This novel may be the first full length work by Carolina but I’m looking forward to much more.
July 26, 2024
Beautiful and unexpected
Ms. Cardona has created an amazing steampunk world in San Juan. This story of war and science, love and beauty kept me up late at night reading. She wields language like a poet, expertly evoking emotions and settings. And there's a twist in the third act I didn't see coming but thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.
Ms. Cardona has created an amazing steampunk world in San Juan. This story of war and science, love and beauty kept me up late at night reading. She wields language like a poet, expertly evoking emotions and settings. And there's a twist in the third act I didn't see coming but thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.
January 4, 2026
Primera novela que leo del género steampunk. Arranca muy bien y me gustaron mucho las referencias a elementos históricos de Puerto Rico. La trama no terminó de atraparme del todo, ya que para mi gusto tiene un tono bastante “teen”. Aun así, es justo reconocer que la autora maneja muy bien la forma de contar una historia y tiene una narrativa clara y efectiva.
January 13, 2024
A dizzying blend of genres that left me wondering "what the heck was that?" Part romance, part high literature, with a dash of sci-fi action.
March 9, 2024
Love, war, and robots!
This was such a unique and interesting story. It gave me serious Guillermo Del Toro vibes. Sort of Shape of Water meets Pacific Rim (in a good way). The historical setting was immersive, and the characters were so fun. Violetta was by far my favorite. She was a deep character with a fully developed, and very fun personality. The romance was well-done, and believable, and I loved the sci fi and action elements. Would definitely recommend if you're looking for something well written and totally original.
This was such a unique and interesting story. It gave me serious Guillermo Del Toro vibes. Sort of Shape of Water meets Pacific Rim (in a good way). The historical setting was immersive, and the characters were so fun. Violetta was by far my favorite. She was a deep character with a fully developed, and very fun personality. The romance was well-done, and believable, and I loved the sci fi and action elements. Would definitely recommend if you're looking for something well written and totally original.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews