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The Iron Duke (Iron Seas, #1)

Meljean Brook

Start date: May 20, 2012

Finish date: June 4, 2012

Discussion: Livros

Why we're reading this: Recomendado para quem quer um romance do género que não descura o world-building e cenário. Ler comentári …more
[close] Recomendado para quem quer um romance do género que não descura o world-building e cenário. Ler comentário.

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What Members Thought

Apr 24, 2012 Sofia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Rating: 3 and a half stars.

You can read this review in Portuguese here.

Imagine a world where the Mongolian empire has never weakened, and instead developed into a formidable force with a culture and technology to match, quickly moving past anything you could have found in Europe. Imagine that this force, with its center in Xanadu, has managed to successfully conquer Europe. And imagine that the technology they have developed includes genetic manipulation and nanoagents which were spread through Rating: 3 and a half stars.

You can read this review in Portuguese here.

Imagine a world where the Mongolian empire has never weakened, and instead developed into a formidable force with a culture and technology to match, quickly moving past anything you could have found in Europe. Imagine that this force, with its center in Xanadu, has managed to successfully conquer Europe. And imagine that the technology they have developed includes genetic manipulation and nanoagents which were spread through food and beverages, and when activated, allows them to control the actions and emotions of the population.

This was the fate of Europe in the Iron Seas series, whole nations falling one by one and relocating to the Americas, where they built a New Europe. Great Britain survived longer, due to the water barrier, but the English people made the mistake of trying to maintain peace with the invaders, establishing a trade route for sugar and tea which ended up being a point of entry to nanoagents. The island was invaded, and for nearly two centuries the royal family and higher classes were dominated, the lower classes enslaved, forced to modify their bodies in order to become more useful tools for working. Emotions were controlled, as well as reproduction, which only occurred when the Horde activated the so-called frenzies, forcing people to mate indiscriminately.

Born from one of these frenzies, there’s the main character, Mina. While the society in this series has moral and social rules that are way more relaxed than what you’d find in its real life equivalent, or even in America, as described in the book, there is still prejudice against women, specially those who try to be independent and have a career (Mina is a police investigator). The situation is worsened by the fact that Mina is of Mongolian descent, a product of a particularly painful frenzy when her mother was with one of the invaders. The story begins nine years after London has been freed from the Horde, not nearly enough time for people to forget or forgive the horrors they suffered, so anything that reminds them of the enemy is met with disgust and hatred.

The world-building is easily the most interesting part of the book. The romance is as you would expect, except that for me, the Iron Duke (aka Rhys) was such an insufferable character that I would have been glad to see Mina falling for someone else. He’s your typical alpha male, used to getting everything he wants, who manipulates Mina into accepting him. He even gets her away from her city, her family and friends because he’s convinced she squanders all her love on them and there will be none left for him. Although his actions get somewhat better by the end of the book, it’s still a wonder why Mina found him so attractive.

That aside, the world that Meljean Brook created is complex, detailed and full of potential, specially when it comes to the nanoagents and their effect on humans and the natural world. Don’t let the semi-nude man on the cover fool you, this book is much more than a steamy romance. It has a compelling story and wonderful world-building. Recommended

Note: I will forever be on page 254 of this book. You know why. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2010 Carla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, 2011, ebook

Great book! I really wasn't expecting a mystery, adventure, romance kind of book and was really surprised on it starting out with a murder. But I loved it! It had everything I love to see in a book. A well crafted story with interesting characters. It even made me laugh at times and there was a part that left me teary eyed.

I really enjoyed it and can't wait to pick up the next book.

~*~

Mais sobre o livro, com alguns spoilers, na conversa com 2 grandes malucas, Janita e Tchetcha: primeira parte e ...more

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Jun 03, 2021 Ana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2021, in-english, audiobook, author-usa, steampunk

I found the plot of this book incredibly refreshing. It had many levels to it. The cover is really deceitful. The lore and the world-building is very detailed and super-interesting. Mina was an incredible and strong lead-character, and even the secondary characters left me wanting to know more about their own stories. That being said, I found it really difficult to enjoy Rhys. Shocker! His background was barely exposed, only enough to justify his rude attitude and view of life. But honestly it w ...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Tita rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: livros-2012, e-book-lidos

Este foi o primeiro livro de literatura que li em inglês, bem como o primeiro de steampunk.

A acção decorre num mundo alternativo, numa época vitoriana em que a tecnologia a vapor está muito desenvolvida, com carros, barcos e aviões a vapor. Este mundo é cheio de detalhes próprios como uma Europa com zombies e uma Inglaterra com pessoas com partes do corpo com próteses mecânicas e infectados com "nanoagentes", que antes da Horde controlavam as acções e emoções das pessoas.
A personagem feminina pr ...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Filipa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, english-books, keen, steampunk

I've heard great things about this new steampunk series by Meljean Brook. Ok, I admit it - my interest in this series is due only to the fact that this is steampunk. Ever since I read Gail Carriger books that I'm addicted to this genre and wish to explore it even more.
The Iron Duke seemed a great bet and it turned out to be a great read though I confess that I had some issues with the some technical aspects of the book.
Firstly I think that the author made the chapters a little too extensive for ...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Eloisa rated it really liked it

I liked it very much. It was the first steampunk piece that I've read and what a starting it was in the genre. I devoured it, with some little pauses to breathe from the excitement.
I think it'd survive without the "bed" as one of the main characters. In fact, I'd like to read something like this without the smut. But then again, maybe I wouldn't have read it so fast. *blushes* I'll definitely read the anthologies later.
- A tip of the hat to Joana Lima for telling me about it. ...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Carla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, 2014

Re-read.

Okay, this time Rhys got on my nerves more than in the previous reading and once they get together it was like the romance took hold of the story and I didn't enjoyed it as much. But I still liked it. The world building did it for me as well as the rest of the characters. Mina is a great female character and it's surrounded by characters that should have books with stories of their own. I talk about Scarsdale and the Blacksmith, obviously, Yasmeen and Archimedes Fox already have their ow ...more

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