C.S. Malerich's Reviews > Three Parts Dead

Bad-ass magic lady lawyers in a mystical, steampunk world, have to resurrect a dead god so he can fulfill his obligations to his followers. This is ancient, do-ut-des ("I give to you so that you will give to me") pagan religion taken to a logical, modernist conclusion. It's world-building after my own heart, starting with the economy and the magic system and building its way up, with a few interesting things to say about religious devotion and collective projects. Oh, and there are vampires and gargoyles and an adorable chain-smoking young priest.

The premise is so cool and the execution so good, you might miss a few of the other sweet things Gladstone throws in just because well, I assume he's an awesome person and committed to social justice: 1) Gladstone's world doesn't adhere to our notions of race, and the cast of characters are diverse in color, including our main character Tara; 2) when speaking in generalities or about a person of unknown gender, both narrator and characters (with few exceptions) use "she" instead of the universal "he"; 3) in keeping with steampunk's usual Victorian aesthetic, characters ride in horse-and-carriages here, but without drivers. Instead, they just pay the horse (who was always doing most of the work). Lovely.