This is the backstory novel for a TV show that isn't happening (it looks like it's been converted into a graphic novel project, which is probably for the best, although I do mourn not getting Mira Furlan on my TV screen again). The prose is somewhere between adequate and embarrassing (it definitely needed a better editor), the characters and storyline are fine, but the worldbuilding is fantastic. I like that it's a portal fantasy where the main character is a native of the fantasy world; I like the range of cultural development in the fantasy world; I always like steampunk airships. The graphic novel will probably be worth checking out. ( )