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Pax Britannia #5
Blood Royal
BLOOD WILL OUT!Magna Britannia reels from the events that saw some of its citizens mutated into hideous insect hybrids. The streets are awash with rumours of a twisted new religion created from the destruction surrounding St Paul's Cathedral. In Europe, the spectre of war rears its ugly head, a war fought by unnatural beings. In the centre of the chaos, hero of the Empire, Ulysses Quicksilver, must maintain his calm, while madness reigns and he fights to protect civilisation itself. From the insect-haunted streets of a shattered London, to the cold snowy wastes of Russia, Ulysses finds himself on an adventure into the heart of a dark and bloody empire.
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2009
3 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Green
268 books159 followersJonathan Green is a writer of speculative fiction, with more than seventy books to his name. Well known for his contributions to the Fighting Fantasy range of adventure gamebooks, he has also written fiction for such diverse properties as Doctor Who, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Moshi Monsters, LEGO, Judge Dredd and Robin of Sherwood.
He is the creator of the Pax Britannia series for Abaddon Books and has written eight novels, and numerous short stories, set within this steampunk universe, featuring the debonair dandy adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver. He is also the author of an increasing number of non-fiction titles, including the award-winning YOU ARE THE HERO – A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.
He has recently taken to editing and compiling short story anthologies, including the critically-acclaimed GAME OVER and SHARKPUNK, published by Snowbooks, and the forthcoming Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu.
To find out more about his current projects visit www.JonathanGreenAuthor.com and follow him on Twitter @jonathangreen.
He is the creator of the Pax Britannia series for Abaddon Books and has written eight novels, and numerous short stories, set within this steampunk universe, featuring the debonair dandy adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver. He is also the author of an increasing number of non-fiction titles, including the award-winning YOU ARE THE HERO – A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.
He has recently taken to editing and compiling short story anthologies, including the critically-acclaimed GAME OVER and SHARKPUNK, published by Snowbooks, and the forthcoming Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu.
To find out more about his current projects visit www.JonathanGreenAuthor.com and follow him on Twitter @jonathangreen.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 1, 2013
Blood Royal is more political than other books. The blurb is confusing since the dark new religion is only in the beginning of the book. I assume there will be another story about it in other books or novelettes.
The beginning of story shows the consequences of everything that happened in previous books, so a fair warning: some spoilers are possible .
Under that part of the city they found a religious fanatic priest and his flock who helped them enter the hive.The aftermath of their fight with the insects is creepy. I find religious fanaticism the stuff of nightmares, but as I said, this book leaves this particular theme open for some other time. We only got a glimpse of the beginning. I bet that book would be horrifying.
From London to the furthest reaches of Russia, fighting monsters and finding unlikely friends, Ulysses Quicksilver and Nimrod have to save the world again. After Human Nature I don't expect anything to go smoothly for these two. It doesn't, which is the greatest thing about this series. Still, one of the villains dies too quickly.
I love Nimrod ("You bellowed, sir?"). This series wouldn't be this great without him. There is a scene with Nimrod and the greatest fist fight I've ever read.
The beginning of story shows the consequences of everything that happened in previous books, so a fair warning: some spoilers are possible .
"In the days directly following the Catastrophe, the armed forces had pushed back the seemingly endless tide of bugs swarming out of the St Paul's area, managing to stop the fires spreading beyond New Bridge Street to the west and Queen Street to the east. Industrial droids had helped to raise the thirty-foot tall barricade from prefabricated slabs of concrete and reinforced steel. Within less than a week, St Paul's had been cordoned off and any of the 'changed' that had slipped through the net had been quickly neutralised."
Parts of London have been contaminated and completely closed since they are full of giant insects. Quicksilver's school friend's daughter had been kidnapped first by unknown men, then taken by insects. Nimrod, Spring-Heeled Jack and Quicksilver had to enter the closed section of the city to save her. I was afraid the book would be like Evolution Expects with all the attention Jack got, but that wasn't the case. Maybe some like him more than I do, but I was glad he was only present during that rescue. He still has a lot to learn if his goal is to clear the city.Under that part of the city they found a religious fanatic priest and his flock who helped them enter the hive.The aftermath of their fight with the insects is creepy. I find religious fanaticism the stuff of nightmares, but as I said, this book leaves this particular theme open for some other time. We only got a glimpse of the beginning. I bet that book would be horrifying.
From London to the furthest reaches of Russia, fighting monsters and finding unlikely friends, Ulysses Quicksilver and Nimrod have to save the world again. After Human Nature I don't expect anything to go smoothly for these two. It doesn't, which is the greatest thing about this series. Still, one of the villains dies too quickly.
I love Nimrod ("You bellowed, sir?"). This series wouldn't be this great without him. There is a scene with Nimrod and the greatest fist fight I've ever read.
July 19, 2010
Once again a great Ulysses Quicksilver adventure.
Blood Royal is another sassy, cracking, rollicking and entertaining steampunk novel in the awesome PAX BRITANNIA series.
Viva La Steampunk!
Read my full review Edi's Spotlight: Blood Royal by Jonathan Green
Blood Royal is another sassy, cracking, rollicking and entertaining steampunk novel in the awesome PAX BRITANNIA series.
Viva La Steampunk!
Read my full review Edi's Spotlight: Blood Royal by Jonathan Green
July 17, 2012
3.5/5
Funny thing, I meat Jonathan Green on steampunk convention in Lincoln almost a year ago, where the books representation was almost abysmal, and he was kind enough to sign my copy for me.
Blood Royal feels like very entertaining serialized fiction about a Sherlock Holmes-like detective Ulysses Quicksilver. The world is fabulously mad and is being ruled by Britain, half of London is blocked by barricades and mutated, and Ulysses, a special agent of the Queen, is very good at investigating all sorts of criminal acts and conspiracies.
Oh, and he never travels anywhere without his butler. True gentleman.
Fun steampunk story which reminded me somehow of Hellboy. Mutant bee-people, genetic experiments, a conspiracy of epic proportions against Queen Victoria, Jack the Reaper, the mechanical killer, Rasputin, Russian ballet with werewolves and vampires, air travel, Mongolian khan and many other delightful adventures...
Thoroughly enjoyed and recommended despite the lack of more substantial world-building. Easy and light read.
Funny thing, I meat Jonathan Green on steampunk convention in Lincoln almost a year ago, where the books representation was almost abysmal, and he was kind enough to sign my copy for me.
Blood Royal feels like very entertaining serialized fiction about a Sherlock Holmes-like detective Ulysses Quicksilver. The world is fabulously mad and is being ruled by Britain, half of London is blocked by barricades and mutated, and Ulysses, a special agent of the Queen, is very good at investigating all sorts of criminal acts and conspiracies.
Oh, and he never travels anywhere without his butler. True gentleman.
Fun steampunk story which reminded me somehow of Hellboy. Mutant bee-people, genetic experiments, a conspiracy of epic proportions against Queen Victoria, Jack the Reaper, the mechanical killer, Rasputin, Russian ballet with werewolves and vampires, air travel, Mongolian khan and many other delightful adventures...
Thoroughly enjoyed and recommended despite the lack of more substantial world-building. Easy and light read.
July 6, 2013
My favourite Jonathan Green so far. Awesome plotting, lots of twists and turns, break neck pace, incredible action and a deepening of characters that really engaged me. The bigger plot moving behind the scenes in this series starts to really break the surface, revealling something of the extent of Mr Green's evil genius. Also, the novella at the back is so twisted as to be sublime.
June 23, 2012
An action movie packed between two covers. This is deserving of the title "pennydreadful". I love the characters of Quicksilver and Nimrod, but I love the world of Pax Britannia even more! Mr. Green has cultivated an undying fan in me!
January 6, 2011
This was a great read - lots of funny stuff and many kinds of monsters/hybrids/supernaturals. Good fun and full of action.
August 20, 2011
More of the same guilty-pleasure mind-cheese as the other Quicksilver adventures! (In a good way.)
October 7, 2012
I'm still not sure why anyone thought Queen Victoria needed to live forever, but okay. Interesting story of vampires and Russians and vampiric russians.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews