The Custodian of Marvels
by Rod Duncan
The Third Book in the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire Series
You'd have to be mad to steal from the feared International Patent Office. But that's what Elizabeth Barnabus is about to try. A one-time enemy from the circus has persuaded her to attempt a heist that will be the ultimate conjuring trick.
Hidden in the vaults of the Patent Court in London lie secrets that could shake the very pillars of the Gas-Lit Empire. All that stands in Elizabeth's way are the agents of the Patent Office, a Duke's private army and the mysterious Custodian of Marvels.
Rod Duncan returns with the climactic volume of The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire, the breathtaking alternate history series that began with the Philip K. Dick Award-nominated The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter.“Looking for a good book? This is it: The Custodian of Marvels, by Rod
Duncan. You’ll want to read the first two books in the series, but this
is a series that will amaze and delight. And just
like the Bullet-Catcher who tries to misdirect your attention, there’s a
lot going on here and you will want to pay attention.”– Looking for a Good Book“Rod
Duncan’s writing is a joy because his pseudo late-Victorian narrative
runs along the smooth rails of a framework powered by an invisible, but
well-oiled word engine that hums away in the background making sure the
reader gets all the thrills and spills while retaining a good sense of
the story as it relentlessly barrels along.”– Strange AlliancesPraise for The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series:“Rod Duncan’s The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is
a magic box pulsating with energy. Compulsive reading from the get-go,
the blend of steampunk alternate history wrapped in the enigma of a
chase makes for first-rate entertainment in this finely crafted novel.”– Graham Joyce, author of Year of the Ladybird“Steeped
in illusion and grounded in an alternative history of the Luddite
Rebellion, Duncan’s strong supernatural mystery serves ably as both a
standalone adventure and the start to a series…Strategically placed
steampunk tropes inform but do not overwhelm Elizabeth’s headlong quest
to find a missing aristocrat sought by the Patent Office, which is
fixated on both achieving perfection and eliminating “unseemly
science.” A hazardous border crossing into the permissively corrupt
Kingdom of England and Southern Wales provides ample excitement, and a
glossary at the novel’s conclusion hints enticingly at a much more
involved story to come.”– Publishers Weekly“I was
completely caught up in her adventure and her plight. I think steampunk
readers and fantasy/sci-fi readers will enjoy this one, so I’m
recommending it for them even though (and to some extent because) its
use of steampunk is a bit different. I found it to be a refreshing
change from more formulaic steampunk novels.”– Popcorn Reads“The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is an entertaining book that has some genuine, original touches combined with a clever story and even cleverer characters.”– SF Book Reviews“Rod Duncan is a genius and his Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series will be much read and discussed for years to come.”– Looking for a Good Book
You'd have to be mad to steal from the feared International Patent Office. But that's what Elizabeth Barnabus is about to try. A one-time enemy from the circus has persuaded her to attempt a heist that will be the ultimate conjuring trick.
Hidden in the vaults of the Patent Court in London lie secrets that could shake the very pillars of the Gas-Lit Empire. All that stands in Elizabeth's way are the agents of the Patent Office, a Duke's private army and the mysterious Custodian of Marvels.
Rod Duncan returns with the climactic volume of The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire, the breathtaking alternate history series that began with the Philip K. Dick Award-nominated The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter.“Looking for a good book? This is it: The Custodian of Marvels, by Rod
Duncan. You’ll want to read the first two books in the series, but this
is a series that will amaze and delight. And just
like the Bullet-Catcher who tries to misdirect your attention, there’s a
lot going on here and you will want to pay attention.”– Looking for a Good Book“Rod
Duncan’s writing is a joy because his pseudo late-Victorian narrative
runs along the smooth rails of a framework powered by an invisible, but
well-oiled word engine that hums away in the background making sure the
reader gets all the thrills and spills while retaining a good sense of
the story as it relentlessly barrels along.”– Strange AlliancesPraise for The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series:“Rod Duncan’s The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is
a magic box pulsating with energy. Compulsive reading from the get-go,
the blend of steampunk alternate history wrapped in the enigma of a
chase makes for first-rate entertainment in this finely crafted novel.”– Graham Joyce, author of Year of the Ladybird“Steeped
in illusion and grounded in an alternative history of the Luddite
Rebellion, Duncan’s strong supernatural mystery serves ably as both a
standalone adventure and the start to a series…Strategically placed
steampunk tropes inform but do not overwhelm Elizabeth’s headlong quest
to find a missing aristocrat sought by the Patent Office, which is
fixated on both achieving perfection and eliminating “unseemly
science.” A hazardous border crossing into the permissively corrupt
Kingdom of England and Southern Wales provides ample excitement, and a
glossary at the novel’s conclusion hints enticingly at a much more
involved story to come.”– Publishers Weekly“I was
completely caught up in her adventure and her plight. I think steampunk
readers and fantasy/sci-fi readers will enjoy this one, so I’m
recommending it for them even though (and to some extent because) its
use of steampunk is a bit different. I found it to be a refreshing
change from more formulaic steampunk novels.”– Popcorn Reads“The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter is an entertaining book that has some genuine, original touches combined with a clever story and even cleverer characters.”– SF Book Reviews“Rod Duncan is a genius and his Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series will be much read and discussed for years to come.”– Looking for a Good Book