Steampunk
is a funny sort of sub-genre. The mash up of science fiction and Victorian-era
pulp fiction makes for a heady mix. Despite its traditional pulp roots, books
in the genre quite often dive into darker and headier territory, trying to make
simple and fun things into something more adult and engaging. More often than
not, this fails to hit the mark, making for an immature mess of tropes and boredom.
Gaie Sebold’s Sparrow series, however, seems to get the balance spot on
every-time, mixing the miserable reality of Victorian life with high fantasy
elements such as fairy kingdoms, air-ships and clockwork gizmos that make the
sub-genre so compelling.
Sparrow Falling is another book in Sebold’s Eveline Sparrow series. Don’t worry
if you’ve not read the previous books; they’re good pulpy fun but having some
background really isn’t required. This book begins with Eveline running an
all-girls school called the Sparrow School. In addition to Reading, Writing and
Arithmetic, the Sparrow School teaches youngster useful life skills such as
security, burglary, fakery and a spot of Bartitsu. Everything a young girl
needs to survive in a Steampunk world.
Of course, the course of quality education doesn’t run smoothly, and Sparrow
has to take on some extra-curricular activities in order to keep the school
running. Add to this the fact that her close friends (who happen to be involved
with the Fairy Court) are having their own problems, and what we get is a solid
(and fun) bit of steampunk adventure.
Sebold embraces the ugly side of the Victorian era, and use this to contrast
the more amazing elements of her world.
This is the steampunk genre as it should be; light and dark forged into
a weird mix of horrors and silliness that somehow simply works. It’s so much fun that you want to strap on a
pair of goggles (they do nothing) whilst dressing up as a refugee from an
explosion in a cog factory. Fans of the likes of Robert Rankin and Gail
Carriger will find a lot to love in the Sparrow series, and Sparrow Falling
proves that there is plenty of life in Steampunk. We’re looking forward to the
next one.
SPARROW FALLING / AUTHOR: GAIE SEBOLD /
PUBLISHER: SOLARIS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
