Meet: Catherine (Cat)
Meet: Beatrice (Bee)
Occupation: Students at the Academy College of Adurnam
Location: Adurnam, a city located on the Solent River in an area that is currently the English Channel but which in this alternate Earth is dry ground
Main mode of transportation: airship
Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy, YA
by Kate Elliott
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Excerpt from Cold Magic:
“Look!” shrieked Bee, pointing.
Other students, walking in the same direction, halted and stared, then began to clap and cry out to alert others. For there sailed the airship over the eastern district of the city, visible from here because of the contour of the land. Like a bird, it moved in the air without plunging to earth, but it had such an astonishing shape, not like a balloon at all but rather like a balloon caught at opposite points and drawn out to an ovoid shape. Half cloud and half gleaming fish, it floated against the sky as might a lazy, bloated creature so well fed it has no need to look for supper. A huge basket-like gondola hung beneath, and to our shock and delight, lines were tossed--barely visible as faint threads at this distance--to unseen people below. We watched as, hooked and caught, it yanked up against the tautening ropes and the process of winching it down into the Rail Yard commenced.
“Best we hurry,“ said Bee. “You’re cold.”
We made our farewells to the other pupils and turned left at the high walls of the long-abandoned tophet, whose gates were always locked. A coal wagon rumbled past. Serving women walked with baskets weighing heavily on their arms.
“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!” cried Bee. “I can’t wait to draw it! Only I’ll give it a fish’s eyes and mouth and tail. As if it were really alive!”
Scene from Cold Magic by Kate Elliott that includes an airship (the part of the world Cat and Bee live in does not yet have steam powered rail, only horse powered rail cars). © 2010. All rights reserved.
by Kate Elliott
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Cold Magic
by Kate Elliott
Release date: September 9, 2010
Romance steam gauge: light
Description from the amazon:As they approach adulthood, Cat Barahal and her cousin Bee think they understand the society they live in and their place within it. At a select academy they study new airship technologies and the dawning Industrial Revolution, but magical forces still rule. And the cousins are about to discover the full ruthlessness of this rule.
Drawn into a labyrinth of politics involving blood and old feuds, Cat is betrayed by her family and forced to marry a powerful Cold Mage. As she is carried away to live a new life, fresh dangers threaten her every move and secrets form a language she cannot read. At least, not yet.
But both cousins carry their own hidden gifts and these will shape great changes to come. For in the depths of this treacherous world, the Wild Hunt stirs in darkness and dragons are waking from their sleep.
Description from publisher's site:
Kate has created something special, a fantasy adventure with a Victorian-era feel and a dash of steampunk – featuring mages, dragons and two girls who’ll decide the fate of their world. read more about the book cover
*** steampunk book giveaway - courtesy of author ***
Sign up on one of the SteamPink giveaways to own a copy of this book.
* image source silhouette
