Sunday, May 5, 2013

Bronze Gods (Apparatus Infernum #1) by A. A. Aguirre

Hy Breasil is grimmer than it used to be. 
Before the Architect closed the door, there were regular crossings, and a great war decimated both humans and Ferishers. The native fae who refused to treat with the invaders faded; their bodies withered and died, stranding them as hungry, angry spirits that haunt the countryside. 
That means there’s always trouble brewing in Dorstaad. 
Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work for the Criminal Investigation Department, keeping citizens safe from things that go bump in the night. He’s a hardboiled cynic with an uncanny sixth sense; she’s determined to justify her promotion as the first female detective in her division. Together, they’re trying to keep a black tide from drowning the city. 
But when the second body surfaces, murdered with the same type of infernal device, the entire CID must face the truth. There’s a madman on the loose, twining magic and blood… and only Mikani and Ritsuko can unravel the intricate, lethal conspiracy before the Royale killer completes his macabre plan, unleashing old, forbidden magic on an unsuspecting populace. If the maniac succeeds, it could mean the end of everything…
This book is steampunk but does not go overboard with the mechanicals. I know that some people either look for those things or are wary. In this world it has more the "flavor" of steampunk and fantasy but still comes off more a UF mystery. Let me just say, it is a very interesting world indeed!

In this book Mikani and Ritsuko are our two main inspectors in which we follow this murder mystery. They are tasked with finding out who and why rather quickly even when there seems to be no road in which to follow. Both are good at relying on each other and together they are a formidable force. In other words, very complimentary. So, when there was a hint of romance between the two, I admit I was not in favor of the development. In fact, I was wishing the opposite. However, since this was anything but insta-love, things slowly developed between the two of them. I then found myself rooting for the relationship.

Mystery lovers will enjoy this tale I think the most. The way things were sussed out and the way they applied their minds together was quite interesting. I really enjoyed the ride trying to help them figure out who was killing and why. In the end, I was convinced I was right, but was lead expertly to the wrong conclusion. In fact one I had suspected and dismissed played a bigger role than I thought and it all ended up making sense.

I think my only complaint was the POV shifts. It was a bit abrupt between Mikani and Ritsuko at times, but not so much I couldn't easily figure out who was who. What I did enjoy the most were the characters. All well drawn out including the secondary characters. In fact, I'm quite curious about Theron. He has become a fascinating character to me.

I give this book 4 stars. I recommend it to those that like steampunk, fantasy, UF and especially mystery books. Yea, it's a fun ride for all. :D
I received this eARC from the author and no compensation for my review was given.

Bloggy note:
Come back Monday (6th) for a author blog post and giveaway!
Tour schedule:
May 1st Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings
May 2nd Jenny @ Supernatural Snark
May 3rd Mary @ Book Swarm

May 6th Melissa @ Books and Things
May 7th Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

23 comments:

  1. I agree with you about Theron, Melissa! He is a very intriguing character, but I actually prefer Leo, even with all his angst.

    I too am in love with these characters and I can't wait to read more. While the ending was entirely satisfying, I'm curious about so many things!
    Great review, my friend.

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    1. Leo was interesting as well! Lots of great characters. :) Can't wait for the next installment.

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  2. My pre-ordered copy of this arrived last saturday and I'm trying to decide if I should take it on holiday with me next week or not...I do like a good mystery though!

    Oh, already following you on twitter Melissa - I'm the evil purple duck @Random_MelS :-)

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    1. Oh I do think you'll like it and I followed you back!! YaY! Mel's on twitter! :D

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  3. Yeah, the shifting POV was sometimes a bit over-shifty. But I loved the detective duo -- formidable force, indeed!

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    1. I really enjoyed their relationship. It really grew on me!

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  4. Intrigued by everything about this post, the cover, the synopsis, your review. That's it I'm going to have to read some steampunk.

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    1. I do think you'd enjoy this one. Not too much steampunk that you get bogged down with this one. :)

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  5. Sorry the pov shifts weren't as smooth as could be but R and M sound like great characters and the slow build romances are the best

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    1. It didn't bother me too much, and they were great characters!

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  6. I'm so curious about this one, I'm glad it's good, I really really want to read it!!!

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  7. Yay! Glad to hear that you liked it. I'm reading it next week.

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  8. I'm reading this one a little at a time and am enjoying it. It's very light on the steampunk for me but I'm loving the mystery. I also like the characters a lot but I keep getting confused when it switches around. They both have names that could be male or female too and that mixes me up cause I can't always remember which is which. I think that's pretty weird, even for me, but I'm thinking maybe it's just cause I have been reading only little bits at a time. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  9. I do want my steampunk too be steampunky, it all depends. The worlds where nothing are mentioned are just not steampunk. Dunno where this one would fall in

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  10. Enjoyed your review Melissa. I just picked up this one, glad its not a dud.

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  11. Glad to hear you enjoyed this despite the rough POV shifts. This is my treat to myself if I can finish my review books this weekend. I've read the first chapter and can't wait to get back into it. I'm a huge mystery lover, so it's great that you enjoyed that aspect of it! I'm glad to hear romance between Mikani and Ritsuko develops slowly. That's the best kind! Lovely review :-)

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  12. Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. I just picked it up on e-book and cannot WAIT to dive in once I finish all my ARCs. Lovely review, Melissa! :D

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  13. This sure sounds good, thanks for the review Melissa.

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  14. I know what you mean about the romance, I hope it lingers awhile in that X Files type relationship. Glad you enjoyed it as well!

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  15. The mystery sounds good even if POV shifts weren't the best well done

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  16. I'm realy picky on pov switches. They need to flow well or else I get frustrated fast. Still, I'm liking the way the book sounds.

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  17. I STILL have yet to read an Aguirre book, but I've heard fabulous things about her! Plus, I will read just about anything with the word steampunk attached to it. Big fan of the genre. :) Glad you enjoyed it, lady!

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Thanks for commenting! I ❤ comments!