genre: teen steampunk

setting: alternate world Rocky Mountains

source: This one I picked up for lots of reasons. First, Arthur. Second, steampunk. Third, Arthur + steampunk. Fourth, the author. Fifth, the cover.

Plot: In an alternate earth, the 1918 flu pandemic killed even more people and hung around. Society broke down and the country fragmented into little fiefdoms, sorta, each controlled by an admiral and his airships. Texas is its own state (of course!) and that’s where all the helium comes from.

Arthur is the son of Admiral Uther, being groomed to take over and fly the premier airships in the fleet, but during a raid one day, he gets separated and left behind with the slavers and the infected. He rescues one of the slaves, a girl his age named Jennifer (get it?) and the two try to make it through the wasteland to – ta-da! – Camelot!

Verdict: So satisfying. All the Arthur figures are there, and you’ll recognize them all. Galahad, the pure and annoying, Lancelot, the powerful and conceited, Merlin, the wise and cryptic, Morgan, beautiful and manipulative. It’s just what you expect, but it feels fresh at the same time. Jennifer and Arthur have several conversations about their way of life, about the raids and technology and the long term purpose of Camelot. There’s really so much more than I can cover in this review, but honestly, it’s so good. This one is the first in a planned series. 4.3 stars. ( )