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The Magnificent Legend of the Steampunk Warrior
From the first page, The Magnificent Legend of the Steampunk Warrior feels like diving headfirst into a swirl of brass gears, magic dust, and heartbreak. It’s a strange and beautiful mix of time travel, friendship, and redemption. The story follows Thaddeus Might, a self-proclaimed Time Magician, along with Clyde, Arnold, Karl, and others as they tumble through centuries and worlds chasing after fragments of the fabled Golden Lion. The book blends steampunk invention with mystical lore and even a touch of science fiction, all while threading through themes of loss and second chances. It’s a wild, cinematic journey, jumping from Victorian England to alien worlds, filled with wit, wonder, and a surprising amount of emotion.
The writing is lush, full of rhythm and melody, almost poetic at times. Author M. Scott Smallwood clearly delights in language, spinning dialogue that feels both archaic and alive. Sentences twist and turn like clockwork spirals, sometimes dazzling, sometimes dizzying. Still, the characters kept me grounded. Clyde’s weariness and Arnold’s loyalty hit close to home. Thaddeus, with his tragic backstory and impossible hope, stood out the most. He’s eccentric and endearing, the kind of character who makes you smile even when he’s rambling about time’s cruel logic. What I liked most was how human it all felt beneath the fantasy, people clinging to purpose, trying to fix what can’t quite be fixed.
At times, I caught myself grinning. Other times, I found myself working to keep up with the story’s many threads. Yet, I never wanted to stop reading. There’s something earnest in the storytelling, something old-fashioned and heartfelt. You can feel the author’s joy and pain in every page, the same way you can hear a musician’s soul in the flaws of a live song. The mix of humor and heartbreak worked for me, especially when the story leaned into its quieter moments, those small pauses between battles where the characters actually breathe. That’s when the book shone brightest.
The Magnificent Legend of the Steampunk Warrior is an ambitious and oddly touching ride. I’d recommend it to readers who love sprawling adventures, old-school fantasy, and stories that aren’t afraid to get weird and sentimental. It’s messy, it’s moving, and it’s magnificent in its own peculiar way.
Pages: 268 | ASIN : B0FR2PMMPD
Corsair and the Sky Pirates
From the first page, Corsair and the Sky Pirates drops you straight into a swirl of history, imagination, and high-flying adventure. It starts with Jules Verne and Nikola Tesla in a café in France, dreaming up impossible machines and strange new power sources. That meeting sparks a chain of events that explodes into a world of airships, sky pirates, secret plots, and the dangerous lure of comet fragments with world-changing energy. At the center of it all is Corsair, a rogue pirate who’s as much a freedom fighter as he is a thief, and his diverse crew of outcasts who take on empires, corporations, and tyrants in an age where science blurs into fantasy.
I found myself grinning at how much fun the writing is. The prose is quick, like a stage play mixed with pulp adventure, and it leans hard into spectacle. The characters are bold and colorful, each with their quirks, backstories, and weapons that are almost as wild as their personalities. There were moments where I rolled my eyes at how dramatic some scenes were, but I also loved it. It felt like the book knew it was larger than life and leaned all the way into that spirit. I kept turning pages because I wanted to see what trick or twist would come next.
At the same time, the ideas underneath the adventure stuck with me. There’s a real push and pull between invention for progress and invention for profit. The way the story frames Edison, Tesla, and ERP as forces shaping the world gave me something to chew on between the swashbuckling fights. I felt frustrated at the greed and cruelty shown by the corporate powers, and I rooted for Corsair even when his choices were brutal. The story isn’t subtle, but sometimes that’s the point. It makes its villains nasty, its heroes daring, and its stakes almost absurdly high, and that gave me the freedom to just sink into the ride.
When I closed the book, I thought about who would enjoy it most. If you like steampunk worlds, if you enjoy a good pirate tale with a twist of history and a lot of flair, or if you just want to escape into something that’s fun, fast, and fearless, this book will be right up your alley. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants adventure with heart and a lot of imagination.
Pages: 303 | ASIN : B0BRX8SBVM
Thieving Shadows
In Thieving Shadows, Jessica Piro drops readers into the gritty, class-divided city of Rookfall, where a young cobbler’s apprentice, Matthew, and a mysterious thief named Genevieve find themselves tangled in a larger conspiracy involving power, memory loss, and revolution. The story unfolds through their unlikely bond as they navigate corrupt law enforcers, violent inequality, and a lingering mystery surrounding a devastating explosion that changed their city forever. It’s a tale of survival, rebellion, and rediscovery set against a rich and decaying steampunk backdrop full of haunting ruins and shadowy secrets.
I was immediately drawn in by Piro’s worldbuilding. The setting is tangible. You can feel the damp rot of the Barrows, hear the buzz of the airships, and taste the desperation in every stolen bite. What I really appreciated was how Piro layered Rookfall’s society. There’s no subtlety to the cruelty of the elites or the grinding poverty of the lessers, but that works in the book’s favor. The story doesn’t pretend life is fair. It shows how people survive when hope seems naïve. And while the plot dabbles in the fantastical with hidden powers and ancient machines, it’s grounded in sharp and often painful truths about oppression and human nature. I found myself rooting for Genevieve not just as a character, but as a symbol of rebellion. She’s clever, dangerous, and stubbornly alive.
But what got me emotionally was the relationship between Genevieve and Matthew. There’s no forced romance or cheesy dialogue. It’s awkward and real. They both carry deep scars–hers from betrayal, his from poverty and fear. And yet there’s a fragile trust that builds in stolen moments. Matthew’s kindness is quiet but powerful, and Genevieve’s journey from lone wolf to someone who might accept help resonated with me. Piro doesn’t rush their connection, and that patience pays off. The villain, Baron Hawkes, felt a bit cartoonishly evil at times, but that’s a small bump in an otherwise gripping ride.
Thieving Shadows surprised me with its heart. I heartily enjoyed the steampunk adventure and the dystopian mystery. It’s a story about people trying to matter in a world that wants them forgotten. Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows or Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard series will find their next great read here. It’s messy, dark, and relatable, and I couldn’t put it down.
Pages: 289 | ASIN : B0F44D46DN
The Burden of Power
Avatars of Destiny: The Quest for Reality’s Edge is a genre-crossing novel with elements of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Action/Adventure. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did it happen organically as you were writing?
You know, it was quite an organic process. I started with a core idea and as I delved deeper, the story naturally branched out into these different genres. It felt like the world I was creating demanded a blend of science fiction, fantasy, and action to tell its story fully.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?
The inspiration came from a mix of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy worlds, alongside real historical events. As I wrote, the setting evolved—initially a sketch, it soon expanded into a vibrant universe teeming with life. Every chapter seemed to breathe more detail into the world, making it feel almost alive.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Themes of self-discovery, the burden of power, and the clash between science and magic were central to the story. I wanted to explore how characters navigate their identities and responsibilities in a world that constantly challenges their beliefs and values.
When will book two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
Book two is in the works and should be available next year! It’s going to take readers even deeper into the conflict, exploring new territories and unveiling secrets about our protagonists’ pasts. Expect more twists, more adventures, and a deeper dive into the mystical and technological aspects of the world.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
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Avatars of Destiny: The Quest for Reality’s Edge has been honored with the Literary Titan Book Award! 🏆📚 This prestigious award celebrates exceptional storytelling and creativity, recognizing novelists who craft compelling narratives, memorable characters, and captivating stories that linger long after the final page is turned.
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In 1940s Italy, a secret experiment goes awry, opening a portal to another dimension. Decades later, the fate of both worlds hangs in the balance. Join Elara, Thorne, Zara, and Kael—four extraordinary heroes—on their quest to find the Nexus Key, an artifact with the power to reshape reality. Their journey takes them through fantastical realms, facing dark forces and testing the limits of their courage and friendship.
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LITERARY TITAN 