I quite enjoyed this. It was a little slow at first - there's a good bit of explaining of this new world that has to happen, some of which is a bit tedious, but about a third of the way in, the action picks up and I really started getting into it. ( )

Fabulous! Loved it. Even better than his other series. This guy just gets better and better. I was totally engaged from the moment I started reading, which is a rarity, as I tend to over analyse and be a little cautious with each new book I read. It helped I "read" this one on audiobook - the narrator was brilliant. ( )

The Aeronaut's Windlass is a marvelous book in every way. It is a story of a brilliantly conceived and described world, filled with fantastic but consistent and plausible technologies, populated by engaging characters who speak in the most delightful pseudo-Regency fashion. I am not one who generally enjoys series of novels, but I eagerly await the next book in this cycle.

[Audiobook note: The reader, Euan Morton, artfully crafts the many voices of the characters. I will be seeking out more books he narrates.] ( )

This is the first book in Butcher's planned The Cinder Spires series. The second book has yet to come out and but is currently called The Olympian affair. Most people state that Butcher is trying to cash in on the current Steampunk phase I honestly don't think he is. I've read multiple steampunk books and it seems like Butcher is genuinely trying to write because he enjoys it. Since this is the first book in the series it seemed slow to start but I didn't expect it to be as slow as it was. I kept stopping and reading something else hoping it will pick up. It eventually did but because it took so long my interest waned a bit. I will say the second half of the book was a lot better than the first, it had more action and you started to piece things together.
I wish that Butcher had kept control of how many characters he had, I kept having to go back and see who was from where. It seems as if there are a total of 4 main characters, I could be wrong. The book had alternating points of view, even from the enemy, which despite the long list of characters I didn't have a trouble with. I really liked Folly who is Master Ferus apprentice, and I hope the book expands more on that character and make her a little less childlike. The character who I didn't like reading her POV was Gwen.
Reading about her from other people's point of view she is a strong female character. From her point of view she is bratty and rash and seemingly imperious to fear. I didn't dislike any of the characters too much (expect the villian, you have to dislike the villian).
Even though this book only got 3 stars from me it was not a bad book in any sense, I just wished it was a bit shorter and faster paced. I will be reading the second book when it comes out (hopefully it's better since it doesn't have to set too much up.) ( )

Another DNF, and I was so thinking this was going to be a good read. Far too many storylines competing with one another for the readers attention. ( )